Happy everything to everyone!

For Solstice this year I bought myself new living room lamps. (The old ones were, to a one, mismatched and had worn out in some way. Only two of them lit up at all.) Despite some maddening hilarity involving finding the correct size of light bulbs, this is much better.

I was feeling awfully grinchy until yesterday. Not even grouchy about holidays, just completely disconnected. Combined with a vague sense of guilt over not having done organized present buying for the last N years, I was just feeling... blah. I was telling myself that planning on spending my days off in some calm contemplative junk purging just meant that I was becoming a well-adjusted adult. Buying long underwear for myself instead of presents for other people was being practical and bucking consumerist social expectations.

Well, screw that. Yesterday one of my near and dear asked where I was spending Christmas, was surprised I wasn't spending it with J (who always goes and sees his family in a hated obligation and comes home exhausted), and invited me over.

I realized I hadn't done a Christmas with Christmas morning in years. Screw ideology, I want my party.

I also donated a sizeable chunk to the local food bank and a free health clinic that's treated me well, and bragged on it to people in lieu of gifts.

Today I am celebrating my day off and Christmas Eve and etc. by walking the zoo with my friend spaced.

I still have hit some peak of adulthood, though. J and I both asked for, and got each other, socks. Seriously. Socks. Some of my new socks are argyle knee socks, just like my mom wore at my age over twenty years ago, and they delight me.

Mind you, another pair is Big Gay Doctor Who Scarf socks, made of puffy wool through a fair trade group. Rainbow stripes in the Scarf color palette. J is good to me. I squeed.

I am also very grateful to others who have given me music and geek shinies. Thank you, my friends.

Happy everything, everyone. For those who have had a hard 2009, may next year be better.