There's no explaining moods. Mine, I'm happy to say, is better today.

I did work on my holiday cards yesterday. 2-1/2 hours it took to finish a project I'd thought was almost done! Now I've done everything but sign them.

I always intend to write little notes on all of my cards but it always seems like I wind up rushing to finish them and don't have time. (Also? I'm good at spontaneously rambling on about nothing for thirty paragraphs, but not so good at writing four informational, interesting lines about my life.)

It didn't noticeably add to my holiday spirit, but at least I got something checked off the list, right?

The sun is still shining. We're having Weather tomorrow, so I'm going to run out and do my errands this morning. I have many chores in front of me today along with 2-3 hours of work for Bernie (which can wait for this afternoon).

I need to do laundry and I didn't get the cleaning done yesterday. I'd like to get the cleaning done today. The R.C. is free from temporary wage-slavery tomorrow and our grand plans include a trip to the grocery store, after which I intend to do some baking.* Also, it's easier to clean when there's no one around to be inconvenienced.

But, first! A quick blog!

Wow. Mel Tormé. Great voice. Great talent. Great little anecdote. Now that added to my holiday spirit.

Mom would have enjoyed that story.

On other topics, it looks like media fandom's long-discussed project is finally getting off the ground. The Organization for Transformative Works site is finally under development and while there's not much to show yet, behind the scenes a lot of talented people are working hard.

I wait, with interest, to see how large the umbrella for the group is going to be. I know there are those of you among my readers :) who consider media fandom as the "lunatic fringe" but let me assure you that even the lunatic fringe has its own lunatic fringe. It will be interesting (for me) to see just how inclusive this site winds up being.

On the other hand, there have been some great essays and rants writing about fandom, by fandom, in addition to the more formal "scholarly works" that often get referenced. I'd love to see those things gathered together in one place.

More generally, I am ignoring the "real" news headlines these days, aside from feeling sympathy for those across the Midwest who are without power.

This holiday season is difficult enough without adding to my stress by knowing too much about stories of parents killing their children, athletes taking drugs, more civilians dying in Iraq, and the Dow periodically tanking. I just don't have the energy to know.

I'm going to bake cookies, wrap gifts (should any of the things I've ordered surprise me by actually arriving, and head off next week for my temp job, and I'm going to hang onto what little scraps of holiday spirit I've been able to muster this year.

But first, I'm going to suck down the last of this pot of coffee and go take a shower.

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* It does occur to me, in reference to the baking, that it's probably rude of me to plan to spend the afternoon filling the house with baking smells when I'm not cooking anything the R.C. likes to eat. There's nothing I can do about it, though. I'm craving molasses crinkles and molasses crinkles I must have!

I'm also making up a big pot of vegetable-beef soup for lunches next week. The R.C. doesn't like vegetable-beef soup, either.

It's going to be sad to be her tomorrow.