Where have I been, you ask? Working. Something Magical happens around the holidays at the cheese shop where I work, as I imagine it happens throughout the food and retail industries every year around this time. At the beginning of December, everyone apparently goes APESHIT and starts buyinng EVERYTHING within a 5-mile radius. Hence, where usually there'd be two or three of us on a shift at any given moment, there were never fewer than five. With all the extra staff we could muster, there were still often lines out the door. Gift orders often had staff working hours and hours after thier shifts ended. Cheese was a hot commodity this Christmas, folks. Did you get your loved ones cheese?

This was the very first Christmas I'd spent away from my family. It was difficult, but thanks to some awesome people here, it was a lot cheerier than it could have been. Christmas Eve was very quiet, but I'd just finished a stint of working more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, for a Very Long Time. So quiet was good. On Christmas Day our friend Mike Davy, who works in a butcher shop and was also stuck here for the holidays, came over and we had breakfast together. In the early afternoon (after I thwomped them both playing Munchkin), we headed over to Ed's sister's place and had Christmas dinner with her family. I am sure I have mentioned it before, but their children are the Brightest and Most Adorable kids In the Universe. Lisa and Vernon very generously took us and Mike in for holiday and made Christmas Day a very good one for us so far form home.

The night between Christmas and Boxing Day I slept for 13 hours. It was the glorious sleep of the just. Work has been great and ridiculous and a heck of a lot of fun, but it has indeed been tiring.

I am finally becoming a human being again. My parents sent me some amazing skin cream called Yu Be (The #1 skin cream in Japan!), which has returned my cracked and bleeding claws into something resembling human appendages again. I am sleeping on a kind of regular schedule instead of when I collapse. I cooked some Real Food, using my appliances and ingredients that had never been frozen. With a little luck, I'll even remember to eat occaisionally and stop having Breakfast Wine (nothing like fortified OJ to start your day off right).

There is more to write about, like Neil's visit and Pinchy the Lobster and my unhealthy attraction to Gordon Ramsay. For now, just know that I'm alive, kicking, and hopefully coherent enough to use thus space properly again. I've missed you!

number of times I threw up this morning: 6. Apparently the Taco Time I had for lunch and sushi I had for dinner yesterday were fine, but woe betide me for having tea, some toast, and a vitamin at 8am.

number of cups of tea comsumed: 5. Three of which were from very large latte mugs.

number of hours of television watched: 6. Best in Show (my favourite Christopher Guest Film), Live and Let Die (the best bad-good movie in the Bond franchise), and 2 episodes of Family Guy.

number of Bonds I would totally sleep with: still just 2. Roger Moore has a bit of man boobage going on. Connery might be a jackass, but he does have the voice, and I'd do Daniel Craig's Bond for THE SMIRK alone.

number of times I reapplied hand cream: 12. I counted. By the time this month is over, I will have died of Hand Cancer, or exsanguinated due to of all the cracks in my knuckles.

number of Crave cupcakes eaten: 1. Their Crave of the Month is eggnog-flavoured cupcakes. While their October pumpkin cupcake is still my favourite, nothing says love quite like eggnog-flavoured buttercream.

number of times I thanked heavens for so cool a friend as Tara: several dozen. She kept me company, brought great media, is driving my stranded ass around, AND is going to watch Cutler's first game as starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos with me tomorrow.

number of times both cats have tried to crawl onto my lap at the same time today, beginning a growly argument: 2. George just doesn't accept there isn't enough real estate on my lap for them both, or just doesn't care and tries to sit ON TOP of Lydia. She is always unamused.

number of hours I was not wearing pajamas: 10. I know, I am just as shocked as you. I must remedy that soon. I might go into flannel plaid withdrawal.

number of days until Ed gets home: 9. flat gingerale just doesn't taste the same when I get it myself, even when I drink it from a bendy straw.