I think I'll get a gc for a nice restaurant for the brother & bf. Saw some things in Land's End that could be for Dad. Now something else for mom.

ita, when are you leaving for your trip? I'd love to come and have indian!

I made shortbread and I've figured out the mystery to the best shortbread. Don't use granulated sugar. Use confectioners. holy mother of god it's yum!

Also the rondele pub cheese, while not trader joe's, is amazingly delish and it saves me an extra trip and $$.

I won the bid on the capelet. No more stuff for that wedding. I'm cutting myself off. Unless the perfect garnet earrings show up to go with my garnet rope I'll wear as a belt or a necklace, and the multi-strand garnet bracelet.

I've decided to wear as warm tights as I see fit (maybe those plush ones) and granny boots. In warmer weather, fishnet is my fancy dress tights of choice, but no one will be going up my skirt

ita, when are you leaving for your trip? I'd love to come and have indian!

24th! We have up to the last minute. And I'll be working from home 2-3 days a week so I have a bit more flexibility. When's good for you?

God, this sourdough bread (rosemary and olive oil) goes very well with the goat cheese. I like goats. They're so tasty.

I have had my birthday dinner and I got good useful gifts like wool tights and a new electric kettle. And my sister broke the moratorium on lighthouse chotchkes with a not-very-ugly lighthouse ornament for my tree.

And now I have a new Amazon gift certificate, so I can buy Who Fears Death and the LeGuin I've been planning to get for a while.

And now I'm going to go see Narnia in 3D.

The joint thing is so weird! I did not realize that was cycle related until you guys. The problem with my cycle is not that I don`t have pre symptoms, it`s that those symptoms can happen anywhere from the day before to a week and a half before I start. They are not helpful. Also, painful and irritating. I used to have such a regular cycle. But no more.

Oh, and I need to bake! I got invited to a cookie exchange tomorrow. But I would have to bake cookies. But then, I would have cookies. Is a dilemma.
 
My day would be soloriffic, though. SO`s sick, so no church for him. Cookie exchange at 4, Handel`s Messiah at 7. But it would be a fun day. I guess maybe I`ll bake and see. Last time I got invited to a cookie exchange last minute I didn`t have cookies for, there turned out to also be an ornament exchange I didn`t have an ornament for. But I got an ornament anyway, the prettiest one, because one lady had to leave. I might bring my little knitted proof of concept bell ornament in my pocket, just in case.

I am so GLAD my PMS is over, because it exacerbated my depression to near-suicidal levels, and I had to take Vicodin three days a month to deal with the pain. And right before my last surgery, I tracked my...er, output, and discovered I was losing enough blood per month to qualify for an ER visit.

Chopping out all my girly bits -- best damn decision I ever made.

In less TMI news, we went out to a nice restaurant for a friends bday -- a Micheal Smith restaurant? I dunno -- and had the most pricey meal I've had in probably 10 years.

My god, everything was good. It was a tapas place, and i got the pork belly, which seriously might have been the most delicious thing I have ever eaten, chickpea fries that were fried in either duck or chicken fat and were insanely good, and baked snails and mushrooms in this garlicky-porty reduction.

It was SO NOM. and I had a couple of cocktails that were lovely: called a Velvet Kiss, and made with Ketel One, POM, fresh lemon juice and Prosecco. So good!

The weather? SUCKTASTICALLY cold and windy.

Kat, ita, I totally want in on the Indian meal with youse.

Jesus effing christ. Guess who went ahead and tried to drive back home in a blizzard? After a harrowing two and a half hours in which she covered thirty miles she finally managed to get off the highway and find a grungy motel in west bumblefuck where she's stopped for the night. This may very well be one of the stupidest things she's ever done. But she was already crying, and she's safe now, so I didn't say anything like that.

[Also did not say: I told you and told you and told you to use my credit card and spend the night. I know you owe me money and feel bad about using the card, but I am telling you, use it!]

Fucking scary as hell. She was on the highway in this crappy old car with piss poor tires in 50 mph winds and snow so heavy she could only see about 10 feet ahead of her. And then couldn't get off because she couldn't see the exit ramps because they're not lit and the signs were invisible. Then she heard a banging and thought she was getting a flat. Jesus. If that had happened, on that road in these conditions, I don't even want to think about what could have happened.

(Only marginally better that it turned out to be because her tires were totally caked in snow. Gah.)