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The Democrats have cut off debate on ending DADT, which means they can take it to a vote today, and they have enough votes to pass it. Take that, John "Admiral Mullen doesn't lead troops" McCain.

And go, Ron Wyden, for showing up to vote even though he's supposed to be prepping for cancer surgery.

I have short hair in Texas and an adopted child with no husband. People always think I'm gay.

People always think Juliana and I are gay together.

Except that one oncology nurse, who thought she was my daughter, and that G. was my son.

I don't think I would ever assume a pair of women were lesbians unless they were behaving couple-y.

I assume women together are lesbians ALL THE TIME. But I assume everyone together is, you know, together.

I just don't tell them about it or make any decisions based on it, because I happen to realise I'm making shit up.

But, dude, if you live together that's totally gay.

Why am I still here and not at the framing store?

But, dude, if you live together that's totally gay.

this has occasionally been difficult when meeting people who know my roommate only vaguely--trying to explain that we don't live together live together, without sounding strange. (it's sometimes surprisingly hard to work "roommate" into the convo)

Senate passes DADT repeal, 65 - 31.

Yay!

9 presents wrapped, 4 more to go.

since mac has friends over, I was able to get his wrapped now which saves me having to wait until he's asleep. yay! We generally use bags and re-useable boxes, but I bought some paper last year and I am trying to use as much of that as possible. Not sure why I bought it at all. Speaking of paper, I have some Chanukah wrapping paper if anyone would like it.

OMG, you are all so productive today! Me too! It must be the day!

Well, it started out badly. I went in to teach a one-off vocal lesson for a little extra Christmas cash, and of course, she was a no show, which is why I quit in the first place. She can reschedule if she wants, but for double the price. Hey, I was there singing, dunno where you were.

But then, miffed, I decided I would do the errands run all for me. So I went decoration hunting. I hit the thrift stores: $1.50 for new LED window candle. They had more lights there too, I might go back, depending on how ambitious the rest of today is. Then I stopped by our local nursery, where they gave me free scrap evergreen boughs! Buoyed by this, I stopped by the florist and they gave me free florist's wire! Then the dollar store for ribbon and tissue paper for my party favor sacks. And my awesome local yarn store where they gave me free ribbon! Plus $1.00 for some scrap yarn for my bell ornaments for the party bags. AND they gave me a cup of tea. I love my local yarn store.

So for under 10 bucks, plus Kat's boxie, yay, I am totally going to be able to pull this off! Sunday and Tuesday will be all baking all the time. Monday will be the SO's food prep day.

I am just so pleased with myself for chutzpahing up and asking for stuff. The nursery folks were so nice! There was a whole pile of trimmings from where they gussy up the trees, so they were happy to have me take it. And the second guy pulled the top branches aside because he said there were some bigger nicer ones underneath. And there were! Now to figure out how to put them together like I want. I wonder if I could pull off a wreath? Otherwise, it'll all be table and windowsill arrangements.

We're back from the 4 y.o. birthday party at the inflatable bouncy house playland.

This was for Emma, one of Matilda's friends from her first preschool. So we got to see her and Diego and their parents and catch up. That's what we do in the fall since we all went our separate ways. It's nice to still be invited.

They specifically invited Emmett too, and, predictably, he bounced off every structure they had and threw himself around with abandon. But careful abandon so he didn't land on any of the spuds.

One of the other parents who had not seen Emmett work a little kid birthday party made sure to tell me, "Is that your son? Big brother of the year award. He's so good with all the little kids. I think he played with every one of them."

Yeah, that's what he does.

And I'm just back from TJ's where I avoided the Joe Joe's but did pick up the rise-overnight chocolate croissants for breakfast tomorrow.