As Kim would rightly tell you, I am not one to shop for presents in advance. (As Kim would also rightly tell you, she is.) I'm not one for shopping on December 24th, mind, and I generally have a couple gifts purchased before waving bye-bye1 to November, but it's fair to say that most years, 80 percent or more of my Christmas shopping is done within three weeks of the holiday.
But not this year. Kim's parents drove down to Richmond for Thanksgiving2, so Kim and I made a valiant effort this month to get as much present shopping done N-O-W so her mom and dad could drive the presents to the Midwest for us. How successful were we?
* Kim's dad? Done. * Kim's mom? Done, except for something that will be directly shipped from online. * Kim's brother? Done. * moM? Done. * daD? Done. * Ava? Done, unless this totally awesome thing gets cheaper on eBay.3 * Beth? Fifty percent done. * Josh? Zero percent done.
So Beth-Annie and Ed need to give some present ideas that can be purchased online. Thank you.
--- In other, unrelated news, the church at which I'm a paid section leader4 has informed me that they will not have any paid section leaders as of this January. The choir is trying an end-around, so there's a chance I might maintain the position, but for a few reasons I'm not optimistic. In the scheme of things, it's not a huge amount of money -- it's in the low single-digit percentages of Kim's and my total income -- but I liked the choir, and I liked being able to contribute at least a little to our family's coffers. Maybe that perfect handbell-director position will magically appear in the classifieds next week...
--- 1 Which also happens to be benji's latest trick.
2 And -- although not related to this topic -- Kim's brother flew down for Thanksgiving as well.
3 Ava couldn't use it until she's threeish, though, so no huge hurry.
4 A church that, no coincidentally, is running about a 15 percent deficit for the year.
i sincerely do not know what you are doing here. are you lost? were you
looking for your delicate calico cat, and did you follow her up two flights of stairs
to this room? she is not here. she was here, yes. we gave her a warm bowl of milk, we talked with her about campaign finance reform for a time, and then she bid us good day. i believe she was
going to the post office two blocks down, but i don't quite recall.
for surely you did
not find your way from prinsiana, the least traveled site on
the internet. if you did, though, perhaps you are looking for humor. perhaps you are looking for profundity. perhaps you are looking for answers.
i'm sorry, but you shall go naught-for-three.
