The holidays are exhausting, I like to see my family but I've been up and down to LA so much that it's been a hassle. I really wish either Thanksgiving or Christmas were more towards the middle of the year so my family visits would be more spread out.

My family functions are blessedly free of the kind of harassment that seems prevalent at so many families' holidays. I think there are two reasons for this: 1. no booze, 2. everybody in the part of the family I spend holidays with is pretty mellow. We're all passive-aggressive. Instead of arguing, we plot in the shadows and wait. I'm kidding.

Due to various factors nobody had any time for Christmas Shopping, so besides the Swiffer, my parents basically gave me 200 bucks and said "buy yourself somethin' nice." I'm planning to carefully track my purchases from this pool and then submit an itemized list, which so far consists of:

1. "Time Off! The Unemployed Guide to San Francisco" -- $21.65
2. Classic Pin-Ups: 2005 Calendar (thanks, ma!) -- $14.09

Hopefully some gaming goodness will be added to this list.