What's left of them that is... I need to remind myself of that constantly. I have a tendency to isolate and hibernate, I've come to realize.

There's very little that's more comforting to me than my bed and a pile of books, or a cozy spot and any reading material be it Digg or print.

And, so, another birthday has gone by and I wish I were elsewhere - a sunny beach where no frigid air blows, running on the sand with crystal tepid water licking at my toes that's what I wish for...

Instead as a Xmas baby, I get rude, frustrated shoppers knocking me this way and that way with their bags, long lines in stores, apologies instead of thoughtful tokens ("I'll get you something for Xmas, I promise") uh huh... (well, I won't lie - a certain someone did get me a pair of diamond earrings), a Noreasterner on my birthday weekend making the only movie I wanted to see (I am Legend) sold out everywhere...

Bah humbug! The pressure and consumerism of Christmas has really got me down this year. I've made a real effort to downsize on the shopping especially in regards to just being more green. Inherently, I just feel guilty that I won't be able to deliver and then on the other hand, that I keep upping the ante and that my family just can't keep up and then I'm just wiping myself out and end up dissapointed anyway. Uhhh! Do you feel me?