happy holidays

I am amused that blogger posts things in the opposite order that you load them. Silly blogger.

We're big on Christmas. As many of you know because you get cards from us every year. I love stockings. I love having lights hung on something. (For xmas purposes, we just declare that the red abstract sculpture is an abstract rendering of a tree so I that I can just go on and call it a tree.) I love that we have ornaments from N's childhood. I love wrapping presents. I love cookies. (Made a full batch of rugelach for the first time (usually I freeze half the dough) and it went FAST.) We get a ham. We make fancy macaroni and cheese to go with it. There will be at least one present to play with Christmas day. Every year I watch Miracle on 34th Street. I reread Hogfather. (gonna have to get on that! but it takes about 4 hours to read when it's for the umpteenth time) We usually watch Die Hard, but I can probably live if we skip it this year. We're expecting more snow starting tonight, so it will probably even be a white Christmas.

Other than baking cookies, I don't feel like I've been up to much lately. Or at least that's interesting to share. (Interested in the state of Vlad's bowels? Much improved. Even that is TMI.) I declare that the pictures make up for my lack of words. Happy Holidays to all of you! I hope you all have traditions you enjoy as much as we do ours.

procrastinatin'

should be working on my proceedings paper. Guess I will be soon.

Vlad is hanging in there - nothing new wrong with him, and he is active and happy. Starting to adjust his meds to get him on fewer of them.

Gustav had a growth removed - it's benign. Stitches come out of his butt Friday.

I had a mole removed - it's benign. No stitches for me at least. :)

I argued with the school about some things. We now agree that I have had enough immunizations to register for classes in the spring. (In that special way, where I had to sign a waiver for my mumps shot... ) and that I really only need 10 more thesis hours and to defend my dissertation. Not 3 more classes and 9 more hours.. (I have no idea how they got that from my records.. )

Last judo tournament of the year was Saturday - I got to fight a nice brown belt. Lost the two fights, but had good ones. I think the next really local one is in April, and is the giant one that my club hosts.

I have more baking plans than time. Need to write this paper to free up some time!