blinder: (watching tv show on science channel) I can't imagine how a black hole can be so small and have so much mass.

dragon: good things come in little packages. Like dragons.

tv: There's this dark star,like a hungry dragon, it will grab you if you get too close but won't actively chase you, and it will utterly destroy you, it has big sharp teeth and a ravenous appetite and if you get too close it will tear you limb from limb...

dragon: (pointing to the tv) see? Let's get dinner!

blinder: meep!

***

It's midnight. We're tired. We stayed up late because we're stupid and forgot to turn off the firewall on the teamspeak server. So it's midnight and i'm almost asleep and blinder, who sleeps more soundly than marble, turns to me quite suddenly and asks me a sleepy question.

blinder: Would kangaroos like a swimming pool?

dragon: WHAT?

blinder: Kangaroos. You know. They hop around a lot.

dragon: Yes. Kangaroos. What are you asking me?

blinder: Do they swim? I mean, would they jump in a swimming pool?

dragon: They can probably swim. They probably wouldn't like the taste and smell of the chlorine.

blinder: Oh. Thanks.

***

blinder: (two minutes after the preceding conversation) What about platypuses?

dragon: They swim.

blinder: No, i mean, are there lots of kinds of platypuses?

dragon: Why don't we look it up in the morning, dear?

blinder: Oh, good idea. You have such good ideas. Thank you. (he resumes falling asleep)

dragon: damn. (stares at ceiling, trying not to wonder whether kangaroos can swim and if there are many types of platypus.) DAMN!!!!

By the way: Yes, and they can move their hopping legs independently for it, and no. Just the duckbilled, and it's not a beak, just a big flat nose like a mole's.

There was also a brief discussion between us about koalas as marsupials, and what a sick trick nature pulled making one of the cutest creatures so nearsighted and cranky.

dragons can relate.

***

Well, and here it is. Yeah, I know. Not New Year's.

I learned to fold an origami lotus before the clock ran out on '06. You may think that's a useless bit of paper, but unless you can fold one, don't knock it. Took me a month to learn because i suck at the paperfolding.

My current project? I made a miniature origami bookshelf for blinder. In pink, unfortunately, because i was fairly sure that it wouldn't work the first time and don't like to waste the good paper. (I will be surreptitiously switching it with one in a better colour.) But in the meantime, i'm busy trying to make enough miniature books to fill it.

Yes, books. You know, little eight-sentence stories about robots and dragons and such.

That's one new year's resolution.

Another is to finish more knitting projects. I'm really getting better at it, considering i still can't follow a pattern. (Hm. This also trips me up in origami, there may be a pattern emerging.) Actually, i'm getting better at following origami patterns, and i'm hoping THAT trend will carry over into knitting. My current project is a moss green shawl in (what else?) oversized moss stitch (Bonus points if you instinctively said, 'you mean rice stitch?')

Ya, yah, work out more, act out less, all that stuff. Sure. But i've long ago learned that i'm unlikely to really mean those resolutions enough to change. Let's face it, if i wanted to change, i wouldn't need a resolution. What i really lack isn't resolutions, it's resolve. So i am working on small things- following directions, for example- that exercise my resolve.

(I'm not out to change my life, as a friend said. I'm out to toilet-train it, and have an end to changing.)

I will go to therapy, regardless of whether i share too much here of my emotional life. I will continue to share, i think it makes me a better writer. Not just in what you accept, but in what you reject.

I will find a better way to hold the needles for purling. Gods, i hate purling.

I will start working my way through the massive set of projects on my plate, and get myself a desk.

And a yarn box to hold my knitting supplies.

I will work on my resolve.

May your new year be full of what it takes to move you in a better direction, preferably without injury.

Code Widow: One who is left alone in the evenings, to have dinner alone, or with the codewriter's other family, while said codewriter slaves away in the code mines for long hours at a time. The codewriter will arrive home fatigued and stressed, to grab a few scant hours' sleep before returning at break of day to the mines.

And yet, blinder's the one i feel sorry for. At least i never have to work late. Being unimportant does have its good sides.

does, "Family-free holidays" mean, "Please come visit the day after christmas, and plan to stay a week"?

Apparently, English.

Don't get me wrong. I love blinder's dad- he's a sweet guy with a heart of gold.

On the other hand, this is not what i ignored my mother's phone calls to preserve. (Yes, my mother still calls when i ask her not to.)

He's staying in a hotel. Otherwise, i would choke myself to death with the holiday lights. I'm not ready for that much company right now.

It's very weird for me to try to find the balance between our 'home' life and our 'public' life. I am accustomed to being able to share the things that are significant to me, but now that life includes his life, too, and i need to be a lot more circumspect. I wish he hadn't stopped charting his own growth here. He's very busy now, though, and may start up again later. It would have given me an insight into his life which i dearly miss. Yes, i get to see his daily life, and hear parts of his mind that you're not privy to- but i miss the parts he only shared in places like this, and hasn't got time/energy for now.

In the meantime, how do i write about things like visits from what i guess would be the cohabitation equivalent of in-laws?

I like blinder's dad. Nice guy, a little sad but a sweet guy. I don't know where along the line communications broke down, and "a quiet holiday season without our families" became, "i ignore my family, and his comes to visit." I'm sure it wasn't blinder's idea- i know he was looking forward to some alone time again, too.

And so here we are, with his dad- who's not in the best of health, and blinder's already lost one parent- and blinder's anxieties, and my own. I had nightmares last night. Having my boundaries completely ignored will do that- but it's not blinder's fault, because he didn't inflict this on me. He's surprised, too, and as far as i can see, feels torn between his surviving parent and his need for space. This sucks.

*sigh* This is one for our therapists to sort out, i'm only offering it as one of those examples of what's tricky to write about. For my part, i'm grateful that he never, ever airs his complaints about my family here. Because man, they're insane. (The family, not the complaints. The complaints are reasonable and what any healthy person would come up with.) I love my mum, i love my brothers, and there's a reason i live very far away from all of them. My mum calls every week like clockwork after i told her that i need to not talk to her for awhile. She calls, i think, just because it triggers HER anxieties to know i'm not up for conversation. So the phone rings, i cringe, and grit my teeth and ignore it.

With him screening calls to keep my mother at bay, how can i grudge him some time with his dad?

But we're both stressed out, we're both anxious, and we're having a rough time of it now in some ways. Family-free, hm? Yeah. Sometimes i think we will never, ever get free of our families. Not that we would need to, if they respected our boundaries more.

Yeah, don't bother with the advice- we know about being firm, etc. If you've got similar tales of woe, though, i'd love to hear them. And i may pull this journal, depending on whether i feel after a few hours that it respects his feelings and circumstances enough.

hi, blinder!

Panda hippo gnu deer!!!

Well, here we are, the halcyon days (actually starting around the 14th), the end of the year.

The end of the year is when we consider not just the making of new resolutions, but the changing of things, the leaving things behind.

I'm not a huge fan of resolutions. This year has seen a lot of changes. Marriages, divorces, babies born, relatives passed on, and the endless progression though the adventures that make up life.

We have all changed. Don't get started on 'the circle is dying, long live the slashdot circle' stuff again; just take this for what it is- an observation that our lives have been an adventure this past year.

In my life, my bro had a baby, one of my longest-known friends had a baby, we got a new car, we went to a wedding, we saw many slashdotters whom we love dearly, and we observed the death of a dog beloved to blinder's family.

It's been a long year, though, and i'm not sorry to see it go. It's been a year of flares and fevers, and a lot of good stuff too, but it's taken a lot out of us. We're looking forward to next year being one with considerably less anxiety and more peace.

Rather than posting a resolution for yourself, why not post a blessing for someone else? For example,

I wish smoochy the renewal of faith that comes once all the dogmatic BS and the rebellion against it are both out of one's system.

I wish our parental dotters the joy of watching their little ones grow up happy and healthy and strong.

i wish sam a year free of tummy troubles, and (knowing that it won't happen) a year of short flares and long remissions.

Same goes for Mswillow, and the several dotters who are dealing with other major illnesses/treatments i've been told of.

Sparky, i'm wishing you working days.

Blinder, i'm wishing you less stress.

Ethelred, i am personally making the resolution on your behalf that you will terrorise your german inlaws with american recipes which they will like, which you will then refuse to make for them until they completely cave to your every whim. Except i can't think of any american recipes that the rest of the world can stand. Good luck with that!

Johndiii, i'm wishing you an end to your waiting, or at least a lot of other things to concentrate your energies on.

Dubiousd: wishing you more energy to contact old friends. And resolving for you that you'll finish up with the current wave of home improvements.

TL: Wishing you calm. Sounds like you need it.

Tuxette, i wish you the strength to continue krav maga. I welcome our penguinette overlords. Plus, i really respect your personal strength, and should you have physical strength to match, the world will fall before you!

Pancho: i wish you FOCUS.

I'll skip the obligatory gushy thank yous and so on. You all know i mean it, you've all heard it before. Instead, i'll just say... welcome to the end of the year. It's not a bad place to be, and i wish all endings were as easy. They aren't, so let's enjoy this one while we can.

Merry Christmas!

I got a fountain pen. And a table of elements tshirt. And the ugliest lamp i've ever seen (from a coworker). And lots of candy and stuff. And knives, of course. Blinder got monkeys and robots. It's not about loot, but we had a lot of fun watching each other open little evidences of care and thought.

We're having a good, quiet day. Holiday music, lots of hugging, i spilled ink on my clothes in a muscle spasm, and of course it was the very best ink, carbon black, and will never come out. Next weekend, i've been promised, we'll go get replacement clothes too. Holidays in a flare are a lot harder than holidays out of one, i won't be playing with the new knives today, that's for darned sure.

There are kazoos and candy and stuff to meddle with instead, and i get to bake cinnamon rolls.

We're happy. We're having pizza for xmas dinner.

Happy holidays.

It's christmas eve. Yes, i went to work with blinder yesterday; i wasn't about to get cheated out of my time with him, so i just went to the office with him. Brought my knitting, told his project manager they need a 'code widow,' spot in the office where we can hang out.

He's out running errands, i'm home cleaning. I'll run over to the store in a bit. We're trying to have a very quiet tomorrow, so we want to get stuff done today.

Kitten has been stalking us from under the tree. Cutest thing ever, the mighty seven pound huntress.

I'm exhausted. My tooth is better, but the jaw is sore as hell. On antibiotics, which means i'm living on yoghurt in a desperate attempt to preserve SOME intestinal flora balance.

Haven't heard from anyone they're dropping by (everyone's going away i guess) so it looks like it will be just B & i christmas morning- trmj, if you're in the neighbourhood, i'm making cinnamon buns , gluten free of course.

But yeah. Quiet and relaxed.

Not a creature was stirring- we're saving our spoons.

Happy holidays, folks. And arb- you may be working, but fighting those fires is hero's work, and none of us forget it. Even if you're in 'support crew' you're making the world a better place, and that's what it's really all about. Thanks.

Every year, we address the question of etiquette. I thought it might be time to touch on a few of these concepts again, since we're fully into the seasonal mode now.

First of all, "Regifting." This is where you give someone else something that has been given to you.

This has been going on a LOT longer than the phrase has existed in the English language. We used to not call it anything, and the most important rule was, "don't get caught." This isn't because it's merely thoughtless to hand over the gift someone has given you- it's also insulting, in SOME cases. (We'll get to the cases where it isn't; be patient.) And if you're in contact with other people in any way, you know that it's smarter- and safer- not to offend. Even a supreme high overlord needs good people skills, there's just no getting around it. Happy minions die for you willingly- unhappy ones plot revolutions. You want your minions happy? Show them how much you appreciate the gifts they carve out of the meager resources you allow them after their work periods. Minions love personal attention, and will work happier knowing that you really care. (Even if you don't.)

It's not acceptable to regift something personal, and believe me, everything a minion makes is personal. They worked hard to turn that piece of wood into a makeshift knife; the least you could do is display it prominently in the body of a lesser vassal. And there's more to it than that- even personally addressed gifts from almost-peers need to be treated with some respect around the holidays. Regardless of your true feelings, no gift that has been personalised should every be passed on. No one wants a ransom note with your name on it, (in it, possibly, but not addressed toyou!) and your hit man won't feel nearly so warm and fuzzy if you ask him instead to do a 'favour' for your neighbour across the street. These little gestures are offered with genuine feeling and should not be handed away.

It's also not acceptable to regift something when it's expected that the giver will see you with it. When your brother in law hands you a minion, it's a sign of the standard of living he'd like to see you experience. An appropriate gesture is to have the servant in view when he comes over next time, doing some form of menial labour or mindless task for your benefit. He's likely to ask you how that minion worked out, and being gracious will both charm, and disguise any other motives you may have. (It is generally considered acceptable to quietly have the minion 'reprogrammed' to override any 'hidden gift' your brother in law may have intended for you, and to keep said minion away from sharp objects.)

Some types of gift are perfect for regifting. Such gifts must be impersonal, and a commodity or good that people could easily procure. Ammo, for example, or gel caps... It's perfectly acceptable to take the gift out of its original wrapper, and place it in a new one (such as a decorative basket with a bow) unless the original wrapper was protective, something like a lead shield or an airtight glass vial. In those cases, it's best to let the recipient do the actual unwrapping.

Cards. Let me tell you about cards. Nothing gets your meaning across quite like a card. It's your chance to explain the link between the recipient and the gift- "I knew you liked the fireworks last month- please go to X building on Y street for an encore on your behalf."

"Dear Agnes, I'm so glad to hear Uncle Henry got out of the hospital. Enclosed please find a gift which expresses both my sympathy for his suffering and our outrage over this insult. Love, Marie" How else to tell them whose hand you've just sent over? It could be anyone! Only a card can convey the right mix of holiday cheer and personalisation.

Speaking of cards, I cannot stress enough the importance of a thank-you card. They should be handwritten, and they should be prompt. It is not necessary to mention the gift itself (especially as in some cases, this might be considered admissable evidence.) A simple reference to the thoughtfulness of the giver should suffice.

"Dear Brandon, Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful gift. It really livens up our gatherings and we deeply appreciate it."

You'd never know it was a chainsaw. Sometimes, this is important.

We'll be back later with more holiday tips. Happy giving!!!

1 cup raisins
1 cup bite-size pitted prunes
1 cup dates
1 cup candied cherries, dried cherries, or dried cranberries
(The theme here is you can use just about any dried fruits that you happen to have on hand.)

1 cup walnuts
1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
granulated sugar

  chop the fruit and nuts and mix well. You're aiming to get it all the same size. Work into the mixture as much confectioners' sugar as it takes to make the chopped fruits stick together. You may need to add a little bit of liquid (yes, you can use brandy. You could also use water.) Roll in granulated sugar, then place on a rack to dry for 24 hours.

OR:

Ingredients:
2 cups Sugar
1 cup prunes
1 cup Water

  Combine sugar and water. Boil to soft ball stage (234 - 238 F). Add fruit and simmer without stirring much, until clear. Allow to stand in syrup overnight. Drain thoroughly. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on cake rack. Dry in very low oven (250 F) until surface is firm.

OR (if you prefer the comfit, sugar-coated anise or coriander seed variety, as i do)

Make a sugar syrup by combining 1/3 cup water with 1 cup sugar, and heating until it reaches the soft-ball stage, as above. There's a theme here, with the sugar and the heat- think fun with crystals!

Reduce the heat to keep the temperature in that range (when it gets too hot, add a little water and stir, then wait until it comes back up to temperature)

In a small METAL (pay attention here) bowl with high sides (you'll be mixing a lot), put 1/3 cup seeds. Anise, caraway, coriander, whatever floats your boat. I would advise against things like mustard or dill. Yeah, you're going to try it anyway, but you'll be sorry, so don't come weeping to me when your candy tastes like yuck. If you'd listened to me, you'd have stuck with things like anise, that taste nice and don't make your friends ban you from the kitchen for being weird.

Adding flavour essences is a good idea, if you want vanilla, mint, or so on mixed into your candy. On the other hand, if you really wanted to never be allowed to cook again, try adding some unusual flavours like pepper. Don't say i didn't warn you, it's not my fault you have no normal flavourings in your kitchen. Rosewater makes a nice addition if you use it instead of regular water (your victorian friends will follow you anywhere after you give them a packet of rose-sugar aniseeds for Yule!)

Using a tablespoon, put a spoonful of the hot sugar syrup on the seeds. Yes, it will stick like mad. That's all right. Immediately mix with a fork. Again, with the sticking like mad. That's all right, scrape the sticky mass back down and mix as much as you can, you're trying to cool it and separate it. Keep mixing until the clump of seeds gets dried and starts breaking up again into single seeds. You may have to hit it with the fork, this is why you're using a metal bowl and not the glass one. Repeat with 1-2 tablepoons of sugar syrup, drying between coats, until your comfits are well-coated with sugar (5 coats if this is the first time you've made the recipe, 8 or 9 if you have made it before and can get the seeds separated before it dries in a big ugly clump.) They may look a little... well, weird- kinda like small lumps of greyish sugar. That's all right. You can always give them one quick coat of damp granulated sugar or something at the end.

When i was a kid, sugarplums were marzipan fruits, but that's because my grandfather loved them. So for us, sugarplums were plums made of sugar!

ring christmas bells i make a song

don't mess with blinder's kitchen he gets so angry and he might kick you

really really really kick you

but not at me cause i'm the dragons
i get away
with everything
get away with everything
get away with everything

ay mira mija mira mija mira mija

look out for the dragons look out for the dragons

****

it was a silly weekend, lots of movies. Animaniacs came out on video, vol. 2. We watched some other fancy schmancy movie or other, what was it? I don't even remember. Oh. Da Vinci Code. I don't remember it because i was curled up asleep for almost the whole weekend, i'm in a flare again. I fell asleep friday night, got up saturday, went back to sleep, woke up long enough to go movie shopping and then fell asleep again. Woke up, went to bed, slept again. Woke up, got up, sunday morning- fell asleep on the couch. Woke up at one. Went for a walk and then soaked in a bath to soothe the aches, man i hate flares. Then guess what? I fell asleep again.

So i've caught up on about 32 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours. Kinda weird, but i can't wait to go rest again. I don't even know why i'm in a flare but don't have anything to take for it any more since the last one was a liver-killer.

Hmph. It's a monday all right.

Today's exercise? Paste the full lyrics to your favourite kid-safe holiday carol. I know there will be a high percentage of jingle bells, slashdot smells, but those of your with actual favourites, post them here. I'm interested. I may even post a few (real ones) myself.

Co-worker whom i don't know (hey, it's a big office) is going by my desk.

Lady: Hey, what an unusual name.

Dragon: Thank you.

Lady: No, i mean it's really unusual.

Dragon: Oh. Yes, i suppose it is.

Lady: Do you like it?

Dragon: Yes.

Lady: I've never seen that.

dragon: Oh.

Lady: How did you get it?

dragon: What?

Lady: I mean, what were your parents thinking?

dragon: WHAT?

Lady: No, seriously. Tell me about it.

dragon: No.

Lady: Oh. (long pause) So, it's a NICE name, just unusual. I'm just curious.

dragon: oh.

Lady: I mean, it must have come from somewhere.

dragon: It's a long story.

Lady: Were you named after someone?

dragon: No.

The lady eventually was called away to work on something else. She came back though. )

Lady: So, tell me about it.

dragon: what?

Lady: Tell me this long story.

dragon: what? Why?

Lady: You were going to tell me the long story about your name.

dragon: ... no, i wasn't.

Lady: What?

dragon: No. I mean, no, i really wasn't.

Lady: But, you said it was a long story.

dragon: Yes. I did. It is. I didn't say want to talk about it. I didn't want to. I still don't.

Lady: Oh, i thought you did. I mentioned it to [executive.] He's curious too and will probably ask you about it.

dragon: That's fine.

Lady: You mean, you'll tell him, but you won't tell me?

dragon: No. I mean i won't tell you and i'm probably not going to tell him, either.

Lady: Huh?

dragon: It's just a long family story and i don't want to go into it.

She looked at me like i was crazy, but eventually she wandered away.

I can't help feeling like everyone lost this round.

We put up the tree last night.

Yay!

The best part is opening all the wrapping off the ornaments and seeing what we've got, because i never remember.

We didn't put all of them on, we mostly did the ones that looked classiest, because we have a smaller tree than last year.

It's purty.

NOW it feels like Christmas.

I was not allowed to get out the ornaments, because they are stored in the studio closet.

Blinder: I'm glad you talked me into getting the coloured lights.

dragon: (up to her elbows in ornaments and paper) Lights! Lights pretty!

blinder: Yeah, all my adult life i've had plain white lights

dragon: NYEAH. You get colours! (throws paper)

cat: I'm scared of paper, knock it off

dragon: Christmas! (throws more paper)

cat: I'm going to kill you all in your sleep

This morning she was under the tree, pretending to be a mighty huntress in the forest. She thinks i couldn't see her. I think it's adorable, the mighty seven pound stalking jungle cat. *snicker* oooooh, big scary tiger!!!!

She loves that game. The tree smells like forest, it confuses the hell out of her every year but she loves it.

Not only did i see the new dragon pattern over at knitty.com, i thought about making one. I am in the middle of a hat, though. So instead, here are my tips to knitting on the subway:

1. Use wooden needles. They look less like something the T police will feel the need to take away.

2. Do not knit your ipod cord into your knitting. I speak from experience.

3. Hold your knitting up so that people can see it. This decreases the odds of them slamming into you. If you look like something that could stab them, most people will find a way to walk around you.

4. Do not ask your fellow trainriders to help you rewind your yarn.

5. Wear ipod headphones. This may seem like it increases the risk of (2), but it decreases the number of people who demand to know what you're knitting, try to tell you stories about how they used to but weren't good at it, or ask you whether it is a gift for your husband. (My advice if this happens: burst into tears. Usually I get a mumbled apology and they get off the train at the next stop.)

6. Buy extra needles. The first time one falls out of your hand as you get off the train and falls under the train down into the railbed, you'll know why.

7. Count stitches or count stops. Not both. You will end up lost and with a hat that doesn't fit.

8. The drunk guys on the subway think knitting makes you wife material. Be aware of this. If they ask you what you're knitting, tell them it's a scarf for your community service. If they ask why, tell them your therapist says you shouldn't get into similar circumstances. Twitch a little. Be ready to tell them they have to leave you alone now.

It isn't christmas until the first ornament of the year. It doesn't have to be for me- this year the maniacs at work are getting ornaments. Nice ornaments, mind you, but ornaments, something simple and without thought. They didn't appreciate all the effort of previous years, so screw it. You get ornaments.

But it's put me in a good mood. We get the tree tomorrow night. There will be ornaments. We never buy many for our tree because after the first binge, well, we have plenty, and they are nice ones, the kind you don't just drop. I will need to fold new origami ones, though. I like making those.

I bought wrapping paper yesterday.

dragon: I'm going shopping on the way home, do you need anything?

blinder: ...candy?

dragon: All right, but i meant for christmas.

blinder: ...CANDY!!!!

dragon: (laughing) Yes. But like wrapping papers? Or tape? or anything?

blinder: ooooh i like papers. Get papers.

dragon: All right. Candy and papers, you got it.

(later)

dragon: and here's some candy, and here's some papers...

blinder: red is for MY presents!!!

dragon: all right, i guess we'll use some other colour for mine.

blinder: Mine have always been red!

dragon: Well, we'll see. I'll wrap them in red if you want.

blinder: You can be green.

dragon: whatever. Have some candy. Go sit down.

blinder: is there more candy for the stockings?

dragon: (at this rate, there will be vodka for the stockings) Yes. Yes there is. You go over here now.

***

Yes. Candy and papers. There will be candy and papers and little things and oranges and i have to pick up a bunch of small stuff, but we are almost ready, with surprisingly little fuss, and a lot of candy and papers.

We have little silver boxes we hang on the tree with treats in them, i haven't decided what treats will go in them this year. But he already got me a larger silver box filled with chocolate almonds.

I can't wait to put up the tree. We have the same taste in ornaments. We like big, heavy, antique-looking glass things. No garland (we have glass icicles for that) and it has to be little twinkly lights. So we get a big tree and put up our ornaments. We already have happy memories connected to our ornaments, which is nice, because none of them come from our family, all of them come from us picking them out together or from our adult lives. Which is nice.

*breaking out the bells* It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS... don't maaaake meee kick an elllllf....

a.) candy

b.) Socks

c.) trinkets

uhf) NOTHING!!! NOTHING IN THE BOX! You so stooopid!

Schr) Dunno. Unless you open it, at which point it becomes socks (if you open it before the 25th) or legos (if opened on/after the 25th)

nihil) Nothing

transc) everything

10) $thing

AA) booze

X) not booze

FM) Music of some form

AM) A book. Probably a boring one without any pictures.

SCI) some kinda gear

01) Some kinda TECH gear

psi) A crystal. The power of crystals compels you! (blinder uses this joke everytime we pass a new age bookstore, as loud as possible. One of these days, i'm going to stop his bail allowance.)

PG) A movie

I) Ink or paper or paint

>:P) A surprise so leave it alone, you silly dragons!

neener) I know but i'm not sayin'

g1) you've been good, it's a shiny rock

g2) you haven't been good, but here's the shiny rocks because we're afraid

ackb) Found our dragon trap, didja?

hm) no hints! get back to work!

*sigh*

Only... fourteen more days.