Two nights ago I fell asleep at 8:30 and woke up at 10 o�clock, ready to go-go-go. Instead of getting up to run a marathon or some hootenanny BS like that, I sat there until falling asleep again, somewhere around 1:30.

Last night I had an extreme headache, so I lounged on the couch until I was ready to fall asleep. I watched a bunch of Law and Order-type shows, ate a banana for dinner, and whined to myself about how much my head hurt.

And you wonder why I haven�t written in a few days...

My most exciting news is that I�ve switched moisturizers since the cold weather is coming, and my skin feels great -- whee!

This weekend is my house�s turn to get dual efforts on its fixing-up. Benito and I have bedroom furniture to put together and move around, picture frames to hang, and... well, that�s really it. We could try to install an office light, but I�m betting $3 that it�ll instead be installed the next time my dad comes to visit. If Benito gets it installed, I guess he can buy himself a pretzel with his earnings. Either way, I�m eventually getting some much-needed light in that room.

Lately I�ve taken to carrying my ridiculous purse. It�s Valentine�s Day plastic handbag with the pink and red hearts drawn to look like flowers. I have to carry an umbrella lately, so its waterproof-ness makes it a great choice. I wish I had a picture to show it off.

I�ll see what I can do about that. I�ve got a sneaking suspicion that I�m getting a new CF card for my digicam for Xmas since I somehow broke mine a few months ago. And when I say I have a sneaking suspicion, I�m lying. I told my dad what I wanted, found it on super-sale, and forwarded him the online link to it.

You�re going to buy me presents. I need this. So how about it?

As for the gift-giving, I�m just about done. I had one idea for my dad, but it�s been scraped in lieu of something I think he�ll enjoy. I just thought of something for my sister to finish off her gifts. I�m finished with my maa. I�m finished with my brother. I�m finished with my best friend.

As for Benito, he�s going to get a sack of socks and rocks for Xmas. Socks because who can�t use new socks, and rocks because he�s so damn hard to shop for. As my genius brain thought up the wireless videogame controllers and I was quite pleased with that, it�s since been deflated after he bought them all himself.

There was something else that I can�t remember now that he purchased for himself that was on the list of items I�d consider buying him for Xmas. Although I can�t remember what it was, I�ll just say �Bah humbug!� and leave it at that.

Seriously, y�all. Socks and rocks.

Besides fixing up the house, Benito and I are going with some friends to see Ocean�s 12. Ocean�s 11 is in high rotation in my house (not as high as Election, but higher than Bridget Jones� Diary), so I�m looking forward to the movie.

I�m not saying that Ocean�s 11 is fine cinematography or whatever it is that makes a movie considered �good,� but it�s entertaining. And seeing that I can�t ever remember exactly how the series of cons go down, I�m always amused.

Hopefully Ocean�s 12 will be similarly entertaining so I can buy that DVD and always be surprised.

In odd news, since the whole giving up on Nanowrimo thing occurred last month, odd ideas for books keep coming to mind. I think next year�s book will be about a girl who tells how hard it is being pretty. Who knows what�ll happen, but it�s got potential to be pretty goofy.

I�m thinking about doing Nanowrimos throughout the year to write actual books. I have two books in mind that need to be put on paper. One is already outlined, and the other has chapter titles. I guess if I ever find myself unemployed, I at least know how to keep myself busy (without resorting for Ocean�s anything).

Benito�s work schedule is a few months away from being crazy. I�m not looking forward to him working 14 hour days, six days a week, from June until October, but that�s just the way it goes. If nothing else, the Nanowrimo-like projects will move each month along quickly until his project is finished and he gets to spend all day in IM with me.

And although I�d hate for him to miss a warm summer, I�m hoping the weather is a whole lot nicer than last year so I can join friends at the beach, play a bunch of volleyball, and actually use my rollerblades this year.

This summer was crap. With it not reach 85 but something like nine times this year, there was little bikini time to be had.

However, I�m not complaining thus far about having a 40-degree winter. I�m still wearing a thin, zip-up fleece without a hat or gloves, and skirts to work. This weekend will drop to the high 30s with snow slush, so I�d just like to get my appreciation out to Mama Nature before it gets too crappy.

I went home for lunch this afternoon and Happy met me at my place. We had flatbread roll-ups of hummus, spinach, and tomatoes. On the side we had soy chips. Afterwards we just hung out. Meeting at my place is so much better than eating at a restaurant and about $8 cheaper.

Why the concern with the measly $8? Well, I�ve been asked not to work over the holidays. I�ll miss out on about a week and a half of pay. That�s quite a bit of salary to lose, especially when I�m still recovering from all of Hambone�s emergency vet visits. Also, my trip to Houston will necessitate airfare and car rental.

Yeah, I have savings. But I�d really rather not use them. I really just have to watch my expenses this month and avoid buying $8 lunches when I have even better food at home, a mere three streets away from work.

In other news, I went to the bathroom twice today, and all four stalls were filled. This phenomenon rarely occurs, and for it to happen twice in a day has got to be unheard of.

Weird, just weird.

Well, I�ll leave you to ponder that event. May your Friday evenings not be too weird.�