This year we have so many Christmas parties to attend. The first couple of years living in Asheville we pretty much only had work parties. Lee’s work party didn’t even welcome spouses and they had to drive 4 hours to the Charleston office. Mine was a multi-camp party that involved a bad buffet and lame people performing Christmas songs.

Tonight we are headed to our first one hosted by Asheville FM where lots of our friends are DJing. Tomorrow it’s a bad sweater party (overdone?) and our friend is the DJ while another friend is the VJ. Lee’s new job is having a Christmas party at a local pizza place with lots of local beer and we’re spending friend Christmas with Rhonda and Elijah. What what, Christmas is going to rock this year!!

zippy48:

first the bad news- unfortunately, if you do not itemize your deductions, you are unable to take a tax deduction for charitable donations.  but please give anyway.  :)

today’s tip- donations on a credit card count for 2009 as long as they are charged by 12/31.  It does not matter if you pay the bill in January 2010—the donation is still deductible in 2009.

This is one I learned this year from my mom. CPAs to the rescue! 

I’m super excited about “friend Christmas” which is what Lee and I are calling our celebration of Christmas this year since we’re staying in Asheville and celebrating Christmas with friends instead of family. It’s awesome because we don’t have to travel and we can sleep in and wear pj’s all day. But I am a little sad that we’re not going to Corning anymore for holidays. It was nice to be up with horses and snow. We also will never get a free trip close enough to visit friends in Canandaigua and eat awesome mexican food, bowl and drink. 

If you are near Seattle go see Elijah and Rhonda selling Figs & Ginger goodies at the Urban Craft Uprising Show. It looks like there are tons of other awesome people selling there too. And check out the link for a funny little interview with us. 

Note to self: It’s so funny to say “later dudes” like Clark Griswold on Christmas Vacation. Say it more often.

capucha:

“Dear Santa,

I have been very very good all year and I have been waiting for you for a long time now. I haven’t done silly things, I haven’t broken anything, except for a glass one day, but it wasn’t on purpose. I have listened to what Mom and Dad have told me. And I always say “Please” when I ask for something.

For Christmas, I would like a Hopper Ball, a fireman outfit, a tool case, a box with hamburgers and hot-dogs that you can carry around, and colored Kapla stacks so I can build houses. That is all.

Big hugs, Santa, I hope you will bring me everything.

Capucine.”

————————————————————————————————-

“Dear Santa,

My name is Aliocha, I am a BOY and not a girl, I’m 11, almost 12.

For Christmas I would like :

- Volumes 4 and 5 of Astroboy.

-Volumes 2 and 3 of Dororo.

-The albums “Free as a bird” and “Even in the quietest moments” by Supertramp.

- A book of Charles Baudelaire’s poems.

-Surprise presents.

I deserve these presents because :

-I set the table more often than before.

-At school, even if I have not gotten very good grades lately, I took a good start at the beginning of the year (not like last year).

-I am more careful with my notebooks. I also write better (compare this letter to my letter from last year and you’ll see !).

-I play with my sister, even though sometimes I don’t.

-I take better care of the cats.

Big hugs.

Aliocha

PS : You don’t have to bring me everything I asked for.

PPS : One last thing : could you lower the price of oil, water and electricity ? Thanks in advance.”

Awesome parents make awesome kids and these kids are the best!

I forgot to mention this earlier, Elijah was interviewed by an intern while he and Rhonda were at the Crafty Bastards show in DC. Listen in, pretty cool/funny.

Possibly getting this as a tattoo tomorrow (not the chain obviously). My mom will be so pleased when I show up for Thanksgiving with another tattoo. Elijah and a friend of his have an appointment and I might go and take a gamble that they’ll have time for me. If they don’t I’m taking it as a sign to wait. Where should I get it?