gifts

I spent Thanksgiving in New York this year, because I have to work tomorrow so there isn't time to go to DC.  I also spent it entirely by myself, which was mostly by my own design, or rather my intentional failure to design any sort of companionship.  I could have gone to my cousin's house near Philly, but I wasn't invited until the last minute, and I didn't particularly feel like inviting myself even though my cousin is pretty relaxed and wouldn't have minded, and by the time she invited me I'd bought my Harry Potter ticket, which was a good enough reason not to trudge down there.  I also could have tried to do something with friends; many of mine stayed in the city and either would have included me in their festivities or would have liked to have a festivity.  But I needed a day off from people (I need a lot of days off from people) and especially from running around.  

It was a good day.  I slept in a bit, loafed around, did most of the catch-up tasks that usually occupy a full day on the weekend (which means I'll have a wonderfully free weekend).  I ate rather more than is good for me, although not of turkey, and I did not go to the gym (tomorrow...).  Both of my gentleman callers sent happy-thanksgiving tests, as is proper.  My parents did not call, even though they said they would.  Just now I came back from Harry Potter, which was not awesome but was worth seeing, and was pretty enough to be worth seeing in IMAX, and was only slightly insane.

I am particularly pleased because I feel like I've gotten a handle on the holiday shopping.  I have purchased and sent presents to my grandmother, uncle, and father, plus cards to them and an aunt, and my mother's present is packed up to go to the post office tomorrow.  Those are all the ones that must arrive at some time that resembles Hanukkah.  There is also my brother, who is not really a gift person, and his girlfriend... maybe I will get them some kind of householdy thing since I didn't get them a housewarming present, although I have no idea what since (a) my brother is way more domestic than I am, and (b) they are Brooklyn-y and probably don't approve of consumption.  Maybe mittens and coffee beans?  Also there are a few friends I will buy gifts for, but this doesn't feel like an emergency quite yet.  Finally, there are my two gentleman callers.  I am hoping for gifts from them both, ((1) I informed the IB that he should do so, which I think is entirely fair since he showed up and announced that he wanted to have relationship in the month of November, and when he whined that he didn't know what to buy, I told him to get something on his upcoming trip to Hawaii.  So the bar is fairly high for him and I do not feel bad about this at all.  (2) I did not inform guitar-boy that I would like a present, and I think he is likely not to give me one, but if he shows up sometime in the next thirty days with a used book and a candy cane I'll be thrilled.) which means I must give them both gifts.  Neither of them is particularly hard to buy for, but of course I want to find something that is just right.  So I have a nice amount of shopping left - not a terrifying amount, but enough to keep me busy and happy for the next few weeks.  Yay!