ok, kiddles. just a quick note to say i dropped your christmas presents in the mail today. keep an eye out for them. m-to pdx. j&b-chicago, s-cali. hope they arrive soon.

i'm off to a party, but i'll update soon on my boring boring (BORING) life in spokane. and i'll reply to emails too, i swear. where do my days go? certainly not into anything productive.

a safe an happy new year to all of you. it was the best christmas ever here, i hope yours were so full of love and smiles.

cheers.

[a.ho]

hi all. i feel overwhelmed by the christmas craziness, and a bout of 32 hours of work in the next 48 hours before flying out early mondoay morning! what teh hell did i get myself into? so i'm off to last minute christmas shop. but i am thinking of you all,a nd trying to find a good time to call between working, getting a stomach flu on wednesday and christmas shopping. i echo shannon's -i'll talk to you all during the holidays or slightly there after. i miss you all and love you.

j

ARGH.

here's a letter that was printed in the spokane paper today: Homeless need to help themselves

"A homeless shelter is shut down. Dozens of homeless people are put onto the street. My question is, why are they there? Drugs, alcohol, not paying bills, too lazy to work _ and I'm supposed to feel sorry for them?

Homeless woman Kimberly McGowan says, "If you don't want us on the street, donate a building so we aren't on the street.'' Billions of our tax dollars go to social programs every year. As an honest, law-abiding citizen, haven't we done enough?

Here's a thought, why don't they get off drugs, find a job and stop mooching off of me! My family struggles to get by every month, because so much of our hard earned money is going to people like them! Enough is enough.

Kelly Howser"

so infuriated. i wrote a scathing response. i hope they print it.

in other news, i have a little christmas gift for each of you, but i need your postal addresses. i know we played this game once before, but i don't remember when. so if y'each could drop me an email by clicking here i would appreciate it greatly. besides, no address = i eat your present myself.

or something.

ok. i'm gonna go take a shower. merry christmas. i miss you all.

thanks for all the birthday messages, folks. it was a good day. i had a maple donut, even...sadly, not a maple bar, though. but TWO oranges. and chocolate chip pancakes. perhaps i'll make pancakes tomorrow.

and can i just say that get fuzzy has been in rare form this week. 'jingle presents/beat the pheasants...'? classic, in my book.

s-hope you're kicking finals butt.

hmmmm. other stuff to say. mind gone blank. next time.

[a.ho]

SWEET CRACKER SANDWICH (read get fuzzy today?)

i echo happy birthday bubba sentiments, and as greg remembers pancakes, and shannon remembers cum smelling batter, i'll put in a quick shout out to the maple bar and orange. may maple bars and oranges abound on every december 10th.

s-good luck with your first exam.

as pooh would say: Happy Thursday!

the other blog though...well it's gotten out of control. it's indecipherable and perhaps not overly enjoyable to read if you don't know those kids. just a word of warning.

umm, i'm not sure what else to report. i am trying to find a second job. i was trying to find a car so i didn't go through gang areas at 10:00 at night coming home from work, but everything is just soooo expensive. i'm trying to do grad school stuff and i hate it and begin to doubt my focus on any sort of academic levels, but i plug on. the job is going well. i work with some interesting people and i'm learning alot. it sure ain't portland anymore toto. i ran into meghan mcnichols (she was a jv the year before us and came to one of our retreats for those of you who don't remember her, she did some temp stuff in the office). she lives in chicago now, which i didn't know and i just ran into her walking down the street. that was nice.

the rest of my day is free so i have some stuff i need to do, like get a tb test. happy friday! i'll try to find some fun friday night stories for y'all so my next blog is more interesting.

love, j

not much from me today.

first: that's great news, michelle!

second: i go home monday. WOO WOO.

third: this column from wednesday's new york times is pretty damn good.

fourth: i added a link to julie's other blog adventure to the right.

happy december.

[a.ho]