still reveling in obamarama. everyone in hong kong and macau loves me and all americans for this victory :) . But no president has ever had so many eyes watching him, or so much to clean up.

i need to focus on nanowrimo. and stop watching stewart/colbert election coverage. eek! i'm lagging behind, and even the thought of shame isn't helping!!

making winter travel plans: yay! hk should be gorgeous for christmas...can't wait!

With the way the economy is I think I'll be having KFC for Thanksgiving and giving out my Happy Meal toys for presents. Has anyone seen the Election episode of South Park that just aired? Pretty funny without being overly offensive. Takes jabs at both Obama and McCain camps. It's available at comedy centrals website for free if anyone's curious.

i agree. I'm only buying (cheap) presents for the very little ones, and even then the ones i really like (i dont have to play favorites, thankfully, because i only have two nieces so far). gotsta save for medical school! eek...not even sure i'll get loans next year with the world the way it is. This woman's got to save every penny to feed herself ramen for years!

yeah. im about the same with nanowrimo. must. write. more.

the holidays? yea right. won't have a cent to buy anything!!

I haven't gotten over the Obama hangover. I just watched his first news conference as President Elect.

I'm going on a university visit tomorrow although I'm convinced I'm going to get hopelessly lost trying to find the campus.

I really should have gone on the college funded one instead.

I live in AZ so we always have dry winters but it is starting to get cold at night which is nice. I live winter time, hot chocolate, Christmas movies, dinners with family and friends, and of course jackets.

I just don't like how people can be so gift-minded and selfish about the holidays. I mean people should be grateful someone cared enough to give them something. I tend to make presents for people because that makes it more special.

Javabeans, I have been meaning to ask you, do you make those cute icons for your open threads?

"what's cookin?" how about a beard papa's cream puff?

we now have 3 locations in Vancouver.

Luv is amazing!!! Does she have her own website? She is really great, she gets the best screencaps for dramas that I am watching.

All of them are so adorable, I like this weeks a lot!!

a few thursdays ago i made clams steamed in white wine and shrimp stuffed with clam mix for my mother's bday. i was so worried!! cuz i'd never cooked clam before but, aside from the clams being a little salty, everything was perfect! now i want more, lolz.

How about inexpensive and/or homemade gift suggestions? For example, my younger daughter still says one of her favorite presents was her very own Scotch tape! (She was maybe 6 at the time.) Another time I gave her water colors and those magic markers that don't stain clothes and some used 8x10 picture frames (without the glass) so she could hang up her own art and she organized an art gallery (pretend, of course). Decorate a box and fill it with odds and ends from an office store (like Staples) -- cute post it notes, pens, etc. My parents liked a box I sent with things like glue sticks -- my dad said older people don't have a lot of saliva so he used the glue stick on envelopes. Stencil flour cloth dish towels. My sister painted tee shirts one year for everyone -- we all loved them. Write a special letter. My dad would make the biggest deal out of receiving his very own letter. You wouldn't believe the production -- everyone had to sit and listen as he'd draw it out as long as he could. My mother said having a letter is so much better than a phone call because you can read it over and over again, and a "special" one could be about your favorite memories with that person, or how they influenced you, or just a thank you for something they did.

How 'bout it? What ideas can y'all come up with?