Pre-Thanksgiving update

I'm not very good at keeping these things current, am I?

So..... it's the day before Thanksgiving. I have been reader advocate this week, so work has been... interesting. So far this morning I have only heard one call on that line (I don't have to start working until 9) so maybe everyone's running around getting ready for the big feed tomorrow and has better things to do than call me up.

The weather has turned, at last, and was quite brisk this morning, especially on the scooter. Brrr. I'm glad it did not get this windy and chilly while Mom and Dad were here last week.

Speaking of which.... we had a really wonderful visit from them. Ten days seemed, I dunno, a little excessive in advance, but it turned out well. We pretty much alternated days of big activity with days of none (on which I, of course, had to work). Had an amazing trip to the Everglades, where I had not been before. It was so interesting to see the different habitats there. National parks, in my experience, are those monsters in the West with big scenery. The everglades, not so much. But it was great to learn about them and see the differences between wet prairer, hardwood hammocks etc etc. We took a guided kayak trip late one afternoon, so it was sunset and then a nearly full moon, which was awesome. Alligator eyes.... red in our headlamps. We did not have time on that trip to go to Corkscrew Swamp, so later in the week we drove back down to that. It was quite warm, since the cold front coming through that day did not come that far south, but also extremely interesting. Saw one large gator up close, a number of birds, and some large bald cypress trees, which ain't no giant redwoods, that's for sure, but still pretty impressive. I want to go back in the spring when the trees are green. And also want to go the Fakahatchee Strand to see orchids.

Saturday we took the 'rents back to Tampa to the airport, then did a little Xmas shopping and went to see Nickel Creek --- AWESOME. They are so great. Sold-out concert, very fun, in the Tampa Theater, which is an old movie theater from the early 20th century, beautifully restored. Had a great time.

So I have sort of a Christmas list:
This Nickel Creek t-shirt: http://www.nickelcreek.com/store.htm womeon's question mark/candle in L
a Mr. Coffee mug warmer (lame, I know)
a knee length, black, knit (but not cotton) skirt like this: http://www.territoryahead.com/shopItemDetail.asp?SID=&txtProductID=340032&txtKeyword=&selPrice=&selClass=850&txtDeptID=300&selSize=&displaycase=WOMEN&vstrCategory=&vintItemNum=12&vintSaleItemNum=1&shopperid=AXVQPMEAJPN59JR8TPQCJGS96F1GER77
um, a vocal training book I have to run down the title of
Joan Didion's new book, "The Year of Magical Thinking"
pair of rose quartz earrings, pierced, not too long.
if the technology were any good, a way to listen to the iPod mini in the car. or not. I don't drive my car.

also some cool rosewood knitting needles like these: http://www.turn-of-the-century.com/knit.htm
in size 11 or 17 or really anything that looks gorgeous. Picasso's Moon in SRQ has them