I am so frickin' easy to buy presents for right now. Thanks to working a four-day week and the costs of home ownership (we just shelled out $800 after the hot water service packed it in) and fatherhood, my desires have far outstripped my purchasing power. I've had to subdivide my wishlist into four categories: books, games, DVDs and music. (Note to Jilli, Cass, Trudy et al: thanks almost entirely to your evangelistic squeeing, Danger Days is now on the list.) My wishes are extensive and well documented.

Oh, on the games list, special mention goes to a recent offering, Dominant Species. [link] Each player takes on an animal class, such as mammal or amphibian (Jilli alert! One of the options is arachnid ). They spread out over different environments, evolving as they go, and trying to establish dominance before the arrival of the final Ice Age puts the squeeze on. OH HAI THIS IS RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS.

If only there were an occasion, a festival of some kind, marked by the exchange of presents. Then might it be mine.

My most recent Go-To gifts for people that are hard to shop for: digital picture frames, gift cards to restaurants / grocery stores / gas stations, something frivolous for the kitchen (cute rug, framed food pic, etc), baked goods.

If someone can't create a wishlist or give me ideas for what to get them, they get one of the above.

I tried OB a few months ago and didn't like them so I have about 30 of the individually wrapped little things living under my bathroom sink. If anyone gets desperate, they're welcome to 'em. Glad to ship. If not, I'll probably just donate them to a women's shelter the next time we drop stuff off.

I iced my leg and was able to walk around doing the usual night time shut down. Hopefully whatever it was is gone now.

My hope is to get up early and be at the post office at 7am when they open. I have 3 packages to get out. Then I need to finish Christmas cards and get them in the mail too.

Ugh. Damn near every other district in the county has cancelled school tomorrow. Not ours. Dangit.

My dad wants a wall clock and shirt from Sear's. My mom wants a Cephalon 4 qt. saucepan, and I have her stocking; she's a makeup whore, so a bunch of Smashbox, Yes to Carrots face care and sugar-free candies will be hers.

My little sis wants money to go towards a Kinexts. I'd like to get D a new iPod, but I can't afford that, so I think a collection of items from ThinkGeek will be his. I might have to have my mom buy them, and ship them to a girlfriend's house, so he won't see the charge and the box. Hmm.

If I'm doing that, I should do it this week, because of shipping.

His folks are a little harder, but I think I might get them a nice bottle of wine and some local BBQ sauce they like. His bro, we are rebuilding my old desktop, and getting a new keyboard.

His dad and stepmom, I have no freakin' clue. A digital frame is a good idea...except I don't know if they have a digicam or a computer. He may be on his own buying for them.

M is easy. Wii games, dinos and Star Wars!!

Eddie Bauer package arrived in MA yesterday and will be shipped to my folks place tomorrow...whew!

For presents I have to: get a book for my BiL, get jokey socks to go with nephew's cash (yes, he's 14 and I've resorted to cash!), get gift card for brother, get something for my SiL on behalf of my my mother, decide if I'm giving my sis the sweater I bought her or find out which e-book reader my BiL bought her and get GC for that. Oh, and buy something for myself on behalf of mother.

That list is longer than I like.

I have to return a package of the swimsuits I don't. Scared of the post office. I hope I can return it at work, but the box says Linda the Bra Lady all over it.

After positing strenuously that my boobs are bigger than hers, my sister wants to try on my pricey bras in case they fit and she can get some. Hmmph. Who's not so big now, huh?

(Note to Jilli, Cass, Trudy et al: thanks almost entirely to your evangelistic squeeing, Danger Days is now on the list.)

::one of us one of us::

I have finished my grading. Okay. I finished the electronic grading I have. PRAISE! I am getting another paper set tomorrow but I can be on top of it, right? Probably not, but oh well.

Aw, Ben just got home from his first rock concert! A friend's parents took them. Ben said there was much crowd-surfing and vibration and his "face was melted".

Baby's first show! I'm all verklempt.