12.07.03 - 4:38 p.m.

This weekend I watched 7 episodes of Alias, 2 DVDs worth of good movies (Singles, High Fidelity), 1 DVD worth of dreck (Bruce Almighty) and a little bit of football. Almost voluntarily, even.

Tonight I watched zero minutes of Big Fish because I was stuck on a bus for over an hour. I don't want to discuss it, except for the fact that out of every window, the movie mocked me in my state of NOT SEEING IT. On the taxis' roof ads: Big Fish. On a humongous billboard as we FINALLY pulled into the terminal: Big Fish. Whizzing by a subway stop on my way to our Plan B dinner: Big Fish!

I have learned my lesson. I am destined never to make a 7 pm screening from my current job.

The weekend, despite the ungodly amounts of snow dumped upon us, was quite fun. I felt no guilt over doing NOTHING for two full days, because, hey? Where else was I supposed to go? We did our shoveling duties once each morning and felt content to lounge around like technologically savvy kitties for the rest of the weekend. I did lament the fact that we had neither flour nor almonds in the house, making it impossible to bake some biscotti, but I quickly remedied that by augmenting Wednesday's shortbread with chocolate, coconut and Krispies. Ah. Gourmet urge sated.

There was no tree to be had. There was not even the hope of a tree, once we realized the lot was also covered in 15 inches of snow and thus was the tree as well. Ain't no way I was bringing a drippy, needly mess into the living room. It's difficult enough with a dry one. So tomorrow: tree 2.0.

I did not write the holiday cards. I did not finish the painting. I did complete Kerry's recipe book, updated my list of New York Restaurants to Visit and pasted more crap into my Book of Pretty Pictures. Or Visual Journal, if you want to be all higher-level about it. I acquired a little case of dizziness and vertigo, which I fear may be flu/dehydration/stress related. (Seriously, if anyone knows why I get lightheaded and start to wobble and can't walk straight when I get up, help? I'd like to know that I'm not having a stroke or something.) But I feel these are all worthy accomplishments, in the grand scheme of things.

Oh, and today I completed the purchase of two more family presents. Only because my check from last month's credit card statement finally cleared. Hooray for paychecks!