The pretty glass-encased spiced cider candle I got as a housewarming gift years ago turns out to have been designed so that it can't be lit by a bic without drizzling boiling hot wax on your hand in the process. Luckily it got me on my drawing finger callus—anywhere else and I'd have a second degree burn instead of a minorly ouchy red spot. WTF, candlemaker?

However, by the light of the pain candle I have finished wrapping all but one of my Christmas gifts, changed my linens, reorganized a bookcase, and gotten a load of laundry started. That spiced cider scent is the smell of accomplishment.

And pain.

Matt, I have one of these for candles like that: [link]

Glad you are ok. hot wax is no joke.

I'd try a candle of pain if it meant I got that much done.

Spider-Man Pho.

Yeah, I've gotten a second degree burn on my other hand from batik wax and the scar is still faintly visible 24 years later.

If I'd had a match or punk or something I could angle downward it would have been fine, but I had to upend the candle over the lighter flame and the wicks had a thick coating of wax that splattered like hot grease. I can see where the wax fused its way into my skin, but it's thick enough in that spot that not much heat made it to the flesh underneath.

Candles like that are why I now have clicky-fire in a drawer.

I am bored. Trying to decide what to do with my day to not be bored. Hrm.

Matt --

Next time, use a strand of uncooked spaghetti to light it.

In non--PC jewelry news, if they had an Ambien, I would kinda want one of these: [link]

Ok, coffee is drunken, and I have to get offa my ass and hie myself to mom and dad's house here in an hour.

I think Dan and I will have to talk through Leverage tonight on the phone.

Grr. I just figured out that I was automatically renewed by match.com, but it happened too long ago for me to get any kind of refund. I thought I was getting the "guaranteed" six months free, but I apparently missed out on that too, by not going on the site in my last week of paid membership. I got no traction on that site at all, but kept going on and writing people for the sole purpose of the six months free! If only I looked at my credit card statements more regularly.....

In short: Beware of match.com.

In a couple hours I'm meeting oldest niece K. for early dinner. It was going to be brunch, but that was too early, so we made it a late lunch, but she still wasn't awake, so now it's dinner. I really don't mind, I didn't have any other plans for today. Except for stuff I'm not doing anyway, like wrapping presents.

My sleep cycle is upside-down lately. I've been staying awake until 2 or 3 am, and then sleeping until 11. I wouldn't care but that my boss likes me to be at my desk at 9. I think it's just because it's winter. There's not enough light to wake me up!