"The Most Incredible Knife"

http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/photogallery/article/0,20036,1145812_1304110,00.html. daN sent this to me today. It's rather incredible. It's the Swiss Army Knife with everything. Literally. It bears a stronger resemblance to a chainsaw.

What I've Been Up To Lately
Benchmarks version:
December 1st: our oven had a major gas leak and had to be turned off.
December 2nd: the technician who was scheduled to come never came and never called.
December 4th: daN and i went out to dinner at a restaurant called "Ten Tables" in Jamaica Plain. It was fantastic. Special occassion? Oh yes -- we were celebrating our SEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Wow. It was one of the most magical evenings of my life :)

December 5th: I flew down to New York City for a training on the program that we use at the Foundation to keep track of gifts made. I was there for four days, and I stayed at the Millenium Hilton Hotel, which it turns out is directly across the street from two holes in the ground that used to be a couple of World Trade Center Towers. As i remarked to my friend Q, it's a good thing i didn't know anyone who died in that -- otherwise, it would have been really depressing. However, it was a lovely hotel just the same -- great bathroom, incredibly comfortable beds, and the training itself for the computer program was extremely well done and worth my while. In the evenings, i caught up with old friends -- ONE of whom i hadn't seen for over seven years! SEVEN YEARS! It was so wonderful, and i can't wait to see her again someday. Flying hint: the Delta Shuttle is one of the chichi-est flights available. Complimentary everything, and i got several liquids through security with no problem. I'm pretty sure that people were calling each other "Muffy" and joking about their stretch SUV's. When i got off the flight, more than half of the people on the flight had coaches waiting for them... including me. It's good to be on a paid business trip for a wealthy company.

December 9th: came home, hung out. Got a Christmas tree with daN, and we decorated it!

December 10th: celebrated my 27th birthday with a small group of friends at a bar/restaurant we really like called "Christopher's." We had a lovely time.

December 13th: My birthday! The stove/oven technician FINALLY came! ... and brought parts for the wrong model number. Next available technician date: December 22nd. I broke down into tears. I love cooking. We have been living off salad, rice cakes, food that can be prepared in the microwave or toaster oven, and take-out. I was SO ready for the stove to be fixed after two weeks of that, only to find out that there were another 9 days to go. Still waiting, but we know that the right part came in the mail today.

December 14th: The Fidelity Company Holiday Party. MAN, do they know how to throw a good time! I saw The Fidelity Follies -- a short "play" where employees got to make fun of the CEO while he sat right there. And then I spent the rest of the night on the dance floor. My co-workers told me that my dancing was inspiring, and they loved to have me there! Ha! The band was great, the music was great, and the place didn't look like the Boston World Trade Center at all (that's where the party was held.) It was decorated as India, Japan, Canada, The UK, and the US, all the places around the world where Fidelity has offices. And it was so well done! It was amazing, and i'm already looking forward to next year's.

December 16th: Q's Christmas Shindig! I had a blast dancing my p-tooty off. Again.

December 17th: Our landlords tell us that they feel so terrible about the stove that they're going to reduce our rent for the month by 200 bucks. Sweet! Good month for it! I would have far preferred to have had a fully functioning stove and paid normal rent as usual, but hey! I REALLY appreciate it, and that's nice on the pocketbook.

December 19th: met Razz, daN, the Bogs and Kal-El for dinner at the Border Cafe in Harvard Square for a farewell goodbye session before Kal-El moves out to California :( I'm really going to miss him, but we had a great time all together.

December 20th: today. Christmas shopping is all but done, wrapping as well, and i'm honestly looking forward to going to Maine. We are most likely going to stay at the empty Bogdanove home, housesitting style, while they drive their son to the other coast. That means that we'll have one place to keep our suitcase, toiletries, PJ's, and one place to sleep. We'll still be bouncing around seeing people everywhere, but we won't be dragging our worldly belongings with us every time we enter and exit a domestic residence. It won't be such a production to go to and from people's houses, because we'll just have ourselves and presents. We're getting away from the fiasco of the last couple of years (most recent trips to Maine) where we had ourselves, presents, presents we'd already received, and our suitcases. Whew! AND, we'll have DOWN TIME! YEAH! I'm really looking forward to this. It's amazing what a difference that can make.

So, if i don't write again before Christmas, which i probably won't, Merry Christmas. That's what i celebrate. If you celebrate Chanukah, Happy Chanukah, too. May it be a relaxed and blessed time of year where you get to enjoy what it's really all about -- being with loved ones. I know I'll be enjoying it :)