Presumed to be awesome.

I've basically failed at all things holiday-ish this year. I'm taking my nieces to Disneyland next week as their Christmas gift, so that meant relatively little holiday gift shopping, which meant no gift wrapping or pretty bows or shiny packages under the tree. I managed to get a tree up and decorated, but like I said, not many shiny packages to put under it. But I still haven't baked a damn cookie. I never did manage to get my holiday cards out.

But even though I haven't done all the holiday things I normally do, doesn't mean that I'm not feeling it, because I am. This year has been full of really high highs and dreadfully low lows, but, in the end, I do know that I'm incredibly blessed. I have a beautiful family who loves me unconditionally; I have the most amazing circle of friends who inspire me to be the best version of me possible; I have a wonderfully healthy body and mind; I have a whole array of interests, people, and things in this world that delight and inspire me. I have SO MUCH. And I am truly grateful for the abundance of love and laughter in my life.

All of that is to say this: I'd like to be able to share some of my abundance and in the process do something to let y'all know how much I love and appreciate you being a part of the love and laughter and delightfulness that fills my life! So, if it's your will, I'd like to know one or two (or more!) causes or organizations that you support from which I can pick one to make a small donation in your name.* I don't know how much the gift will be -- it may be $5, it may be $25, it may be more, but I do promise to give something to those causes/organizations that are most important to you. Neither can I promise that all of the donations will be made before Christmas, but I will promise that I will make a donation of some kind to your charity of choice in your name at some point in 2011. When I do, I will link you to the confirmation in your comment here. :D

Also, if you'd like to do the same, here are some of the organizations that I support:

★ The Trevor Project
★ Aunt Rita's Foundation (supports Phoenix area AIDS Services Organizations) or AIDS Project Los Angeles
★ Donor's Choose
★ Heifer International

Now it's your turn! Tell me what organizations/causes are near and dear to your heart! Help me spread the love! ♥

Whatever you celebrate this season, may your holiday be full of the gifts of love in all its forms!




* I do reserve the right to ask you to give me other options if I find I cannot support the causes/organizations you've chosen. But with my flist, I doubt this will be an issue.

Ok, so just in case you've been living under a cozy rock for the past two years, let me just say that this job market truly sucks big, hairy, sweaty monkey balls. I've pretty much resigned my self to the fact that this situation is highly unlikely to change until after the first of the year. Even the few firms and companies that were hiring have put any of those efforts on hold through the holidays. So, what this means, other than the fact that my bank account is going to be a bleak wasteland for a while, is that I have a hell of a lot of time on my hands. And, quite frankly, this having nothing to do business is driving me INSANE! Seriously, I'm going nuts!

So, for the sake of my sanity and because y'all love me, I need your help! Suggestions, ideas, plans, projects! Give 'em to me!!! I've already contacted my local Pride office to volunteer, but they're sort of slow too until after the holidays. Other volunteer suggestions? Project ideas? Hobbies? TV shows to watch? Books to read? Origami instructions? OMG, anything!!! *desperate*

*deep breaths*

Ok, despite the above, or maybe because of the above, I'm really working on this whole "stay positive" mindset. Sparkling harder, and all that. So, here are some happy, sparkly things about my Wednesday.

✶ I decided to get back on track with the Take Better Care of Me Plan, so I got in touch with my trainer and we have an appointment for him to kick my ass a workout tomorrow morning! Also, I few months ago my SIL dropped my scale and broke it, and since I didn't have a scale, my mind somehow translated that into permission to not be accountable for my nutritional decisions at all. Not good, brain, not good at all! But, I've now replaced my scale and, as of today, I'm again journaling my nutritional intake. Accountability FTW!!!

✶ I was going to warn for TMI on this one, but, who am I kidding? This is me we're talking about! Anyway, I decided to treat myself to a new vibrator today! What??? This is totally a better plan for feeling better about my life than that half gallon of chunky chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer! Taking Better Care of Me Plan, indeed! *g*

✶ I'm making plans to go see the Scissor Sisters' show in Atlanta at The Tabernacle next April! I really want to see them and they aren't doing any solo shows near me, and a group of East Coast friends were planning on going, and I'm totes doing this as a show of faith that this whole job situation will be resolved in awesome fashion by that time! *nods* So, anyone want to come with? *bats eyelashes*

✶ Adam's Acoustic Live EP drops on December 6th!!! *flails* I'm SO happy that we're getting an acoustic version of Aftermath!!! And Soaked!!! Also, ( the cover is ridiculously awesome!!! )

I have a refrigerator drawer full of apples and I don't know what to do with them. The last couple of weeks, we've gotten more apples from the co-op than we can eat, and now we've officially have an overabundance of the fruit.

I want to make use of them, but I don't want to turn on the oven for anything like pie or cobbler. (Hello! Arizona summer is hot enough with out adding an additional heat source.) So, wise flist, what the hell do I do with all these apples???

Do you have recipes to share? Something cool and delicous and APPLE-Y!!!

(Yes, I realize the icon is all wrong; but I don't have any "virtual" apples, just lots and lots of actual apples!)