I have spent 20 minutes trying desperately to embed this video into the blog but my analog personality is taking over today and I have been unable to figure it out.  If you follow this link, you can watch a funny holiday video.  It's worth the click.

The S word (as in Snow) was in the forecast today and amazingly, it actually snowed.  Just a bit, but enough to make the already very cold asphalt very slippery.  We were glad to get home safe and sound.  It was enough to put out the French Toast Alert.  You don't have this?  It's the phenomenon where any time the S word appears in a weather forecast it is MANDATORY to stock up on bread, milk and eggs.  We are ignoring the alert at our own peril.  We might not be able to get out for hours!

Last night after work, Pk, Elanor and I went to the mall to do some shopping.  It was fun.  We walked around and looked at lots of stuff but not much that struck our fancy. (Malls don't have much in the way of merchandise that is different from any other store anymore. )  It was just the walking around and being together that was the thing.  It helped that little spark of christmas light inside shine a little brighter.  And the snow this afternoon?  That did the trick.  I felt myself grinning all the way home on the train.  And tonight I plan to wrap some presents unless Kate comes for dinner.  I told her we were having some shrimp bisque and she jumped right on that.  In fact, she decided that Patrick could eat leftovers and she'd be over in time for soup.  Poor Patrick.  Thrown aside for a bowl of shrimp bisque (he doesn't eat shrimp and has to go to class tonight, so Kate's not all that mean). 

I have psoriasis and have had it for years.  It's mostly on my head, on my scalp.  Occasionally it comes out on my eyelids (I know, weird).  This year, I have a patch on top of the thumb joint of my left hand.  It's about the size of a quarter and itches like hell.  I'm trying everything I can to encourage it to go away and it seems to be fading a little.  Bodies are so weird sometimes.  The psoriasis is usually more dormant in the winter for me.  Unless I'm feeling particularly stressed.  I have more breakouts in the heat of the summer.  I don't feel especially stressed at the moment but maybe my body knows better than my brain does. 

I got a thank you note from the Director of my building today.  I helped out with the audio visual (computer and projector) for her meeting last week.  (I think it goes to say a LOT about the technical know how of our agency when I am the go-to person for IT).  Her secretary was busy with something else so I set up the laptop and hooked up the projector and ran her slide show.  In my mind, I was just helping out because that's what people do (it's what I do anyway).   In our agency, there are an awful lot of people who don't do anything extra or out of the scope of their daily job.  They don't put themselves out at all.  I can't work that way.  If I can help, I do.  Can't help it, it's the way I am made.  So, I helped out and the Director recognized it.  I didn't know she even noticed.  It makes me a little nervous.  I don't like being on the radar.  It gets me in trouble every time so I try to keep my head down.   But it was still nice to be thanked.

Pk's sweater is moving along.  The front/back is done and now I'm working on the other front/back.  He keeps touching it and admiring it.  It feels really good to make something that someone else really likes.    I'm at the stage where I'm looking at the yarn and wondering,hoping,praying I have enough to finish.  The suspense!

Oh, and I almost forgot, the merchandise we were waiting for from Mumbai came yesterday.  It's interesting looking and the packaging was interesting.  There are lots of disclaimers about it not being a weapon and the paperwork is in Hindi and English.  We're going to include the paperwork with the gift.  When it's been given, I'll show you a photo.  It's so cool.   and Phew!  That's a load off my mind.