TRADEESHUN Ccontinued

Well, I continued with my personal tranditions yesterday, elfing away throughout the day (that's what I call the fact of shopping for Christmas gifts then the process of wrapping). As part of the elfing process, you are required to get everything spread out around you (unlike the picture you see here) and watch only Christmas movies as you go. The tradition within a tradition for me is watching "The Bishop's Wife" with Loretta Young, Cary Grant and David Niven (or Naked Diven as my ex used to say) first. Once that was over, I watched "An Affair to Remember" (this one ends at Christmas, in case you don't remember) then finally "Love Actually" (it also pretty much ends at Christmas). Nice assortment, don't you think? I probably wrapped (including bags) about 30-40 gifts. It was very satisfying, especially since I actually am keeping a record of everything (I've tried to do that every year but continue to fall behind then give up). This year, so far so good.

I need to make this brief because I have lots of work to do and a few errands to run before I leave for D.C. on Monday. My interview is behind me, that's a good thing. I was extremely fortunate to get to meet with him in a cafe over breakfast, very relaxed and very casual. I'm quite certain the rest won't have that same opportunity. Sometimes things do work out. We should know something within the next couple of week. If I'm not selected, I'll be fine with that depending on who is selected. I have plenty to focus on in the interim.

After watching the violence and nasty crowds that permeated the holiday shopping kickoff yesterday, I wandered into it only briefly late morning, found what I needed and then came home. I'll be doing a great deal online, I'm very comfortable with that as long as I'm dealing with larger, reputable vendors. Someone was talking the other day about a smaller website being duplicated by a thief, then them siphoning off the money that was being submitted to purchase candy, with the owners never getting the orders or the money. Isn't it interesting that no matter what the medium, crooks are always able to crack the "code" and find a way to steal. I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on thievery being a disease? It seems like those who do it, stick to it, regardless of whether they spend time in prison or not. I'm not talking about the ones who are meth heads or under the influence of something else, I'm talking about those who steal for the thrill and/or challenge of it. How do we stop them? How do you prevent it from happening to you? Why do I sound like the headlines for 60 Minutes?

On another not so happy note, I visited the Battered Women's & Children's Shelter yesterday and the director I spoke with said they are packed to the gills with sexually as well as physically abused children especially and many of the women are hooked on meth. If the women go into treatment, Children's Services takes their kids away from them, so it's a fine line the shelter helps them walk to help them break the habit while helping them keep their kids. Don't get me started on the whole abortion thing or lack of free birth control. She specifially said that the meth "epidemic" has really hit them hard this year. I am committed to finding a way I can volunteer in some way to help there this next year. I need to do this.

OK, so much for keeping this short. I seriously doubt that I am able to keep anything short. You know the saying "to make a long story short", well, I typically make a short story long, another tendency I really need to change.

So, signing off until tomorrow. Go forth and prosper!