Started Typing: 4:52 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 5:45 PM ET
I’m able to post on the first day of the new thread! Woot!
Something I meant to mention yesterday is that late last week I learned that the U.S. Supreme Court is trying out a lottery system for audience/courtroom seating: instead of only being able to line up the morning of a session and hope to get in, people can apply in advance for tickets on days when the justices hear oral arguments and issue decisions (some walk-ins will still be allowed). Lottery “winners” are notified three weeks before the requested court date. I would never take my chances with lining up on a weekday morning, but I kind of like the idea of attending a Supreme Court session – just to see one – so on Friday I requested tickets to one argument on each date that was available (six dates in late February/early March). The first one is on 2/24: if I’m picked for any of them, I should start finding out around the start of that month. 
The biggest loose end I need to tie up this week is getting a Christmas gift for Wife BFF. My dad and brother and I stopped exchanging gifts years ago, so I only buy for my BFFs: Husband BFF’s gift is on its way (thanks to a suggestion from Wife BFF), and my “nephew” and his GF will get Amazon gift cards texted to them on Christmas morning (since they’re both in TX for the holidays). Normally I’m good at coming up with ideas for Wife BFF, but I’m at a loss this year and running out of time for something that could be delivered by 12/24. I reaaaally don’t want to go to the mall this close to Christmas, but I might have to. At least it’s super close to home: if that winds up being the way to go, I can take a long lunch one day this week instead of dealing with the weekend-before-Christmas insanity.
Oh, I have plenty of twinkly things around the house year-round! Including crystals hanging in the kitchen window (a tradition everywhere I’ve lived as an adult), and my big glass curio cabinet full of Swarovski figurines. Even though I’m always a little sad to see them go, I actually prefer having the holiday crystals out for only a month each year because it makes them feel more special. And I really would prefer to use the display space for new Lego sets. 
IKR?! It’s awesome…and being tiny (1.5" high) somehow makes it even more awesome! I’m kind of in love with the rabbit, too. I’m toying with moving those two items – the only non-holiday ones – to the curio cabinet after Christmas instead of putting them back in the calendar.
Raisins will not be happening in this house. 
I think I just need to make sure that I take my evening iron supplement every night for at least a week before the next appointment. I can’t remember if I took it the night before I tried to donate, but there’s a chance I didn’t. *looks down and scuffs floor with toe*
I hope you’ll be able to find/afford to take something you might actually want to do!
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to really retire, because I’m a renter, but do I hope that at some point I’ll be able to “semi retire” and stop worrying so much about how much a job pays.
Yay!
I got frequent ear infections well into my 20s. Not to the point of needing tubes or any kind of intervention, but I definitely knew what one felt like and could tell the doc.
Ha! 
Good for you!
Ours were due a couple of weeks ago: now it’s year-end-conversation time. I’ll be meeting with my newbie on Wednesday, and my other direct report on Thursday. My boss hasn’t scheduled my conversation with him yet, but I already know that I had a pretty good year. 