i'm a pixel here, myself

My sincerest apologies to everyone for my continued absence. The spirit is willing, but there are only so many hours in the day, and my new (ha! I started there NINE MONTHS AGO) job actually requires that I do work and not goof off on LJ all day, unlike my last job. Infinitely more rewarding, but infinitely less free time. Plus, you know, all those performance-y things that are STILL GOING ON. I thought I was done after the show closed before Thanksgiving, right? WRONG. Eesh.

My life between now and Christmas:
Today (Monday): work, a cappella gig
Tuesday: work, Alexander technique lesson, a cappella recording session
Wednesday: work, gym, social time with my roommate who I haven't seen in weeks
Thursday: work, a cappella rehearsal
Friday: work, a cappella concert
Saturday: holiday baking, caroling party
Sunday: prep for and execution of holiday party
Monday - Wednesday: work, gym, [insert tiny bit of free time here]
Thursday: work, gym, pack
Friday: fly back east
Saturday: Dad's birthday
Sunday: general family time, tree decoration, present-wrapping, etc.
Monday: Christmas Eve
Tuesday: Christmas Day

Presumably when I get back here after my annual Christmas pilgrimage to the homeland (er... where my parents live) I will be less busy, but I have now begun postponing get-togethers until early January, so...

That said, there have been some majorly excellent things in my life recently. Thanksgiving was a smash hit. Work has been extremely busy but continues to be rewarding professional and personally -- our new analyst is this hilarious girl who I get along awesomely with and we've been making some good structural changes to how things are reported as well as managing expectations about what can and cannot be determined using our existing systems -- it's like a great big jigsaw puzzle. I get to go to the gym again! My out-of-town friends were here and it was SO good to see them. I have a [Christmas tree] (yes, that's the picture from last year, but this year's tree looks eerily almost exactly the same). My roommate and I have been watching Project Runway. My a cappella group has been wonderfully supportive of my external endeavors (i.e. the three shows I did in eight months) and welcomed me back with open arms. I think the only thing missing right now is a boy, but that's been the case before and I didn't keel over and die. So, you know, we'll see how things go, and after the first of the year I will attempt to leverage friends' connections (including my ex's) to start going on dates.

To all of you who celebrate something around this time of year, may it be a good and peaceful time for you. To dine, who sent me a holiday card: thank you! I always enjoy mail from you, and this one was no exception. To those of you who have long awaited my return, patience! Soon, grasshopper. To everyone who is writing for yuletide, yay! I will enjoy your stories all the more for the happy accident that meant I didn't have to write one at this insane time of year. And finally, to all those of you who enjoy cheesy "Frosty the Snowman"-type Christmas carols, I will send my minions to destroy you. And then maybe I'd get these godforsaken jingles out of my head! Gah. How weird is it that I only like the religious carols? They have such better melodies! And some of them are even modal!