Waxing Newtonian at the Maul

I need to go to the grocery store! I have had Fig Newtons for far too many meals this week. Then again, it was a good excuse to go to the Graveyard last night and get a lamb sandwich. They've changed the menu a little and added some dinner specials, which also looked tasty. And as if having Chimay on tap (oh yeah!) wasn't good enough, they also have Sweetwater Festive Ale on tap. MAN, do I love that stuff.

Did I mention that one of those Sweetwater guys is a total pig? The other one seemed pretty decent.

I'd like to welcome my friend Nancy to the blogging fold. She is a person of taste, discretion and judgment and a half-mind. I, for one, am thrilled to live in a world where you can be both.

Last night I went to Lenox Square Maul to seek Christmas gifts for my loved ones. It wasn't such a successful exercise. The sister-worthy sweaters were either really nice but boring and in ugly colors, or they were really fun and cheaply made. Strike one. Then I went to the Crane's store to get some stationery for my brother-in-law. They are about 10 packages of Jewish "thank you for your sympathy" cards and 5 packages of golf-themed notes away from closing their doors for good, and were actually selling the fixtures. Strike 2. Then I ran into Drew/Dumbo Dick. Strike 3. Just kidding! I like Drew. Strike 3 is that nobody had anything Dad would want. I actually found something silly at Crate and Barrel for my sister's stocking, but I put it down and left because the girl in front of me in line was making me want to throw up. It was some fake-blonde (yes, I know, redundant in Buckhead), spoiled girl in her mid-20's griping in her best Buckhead F**khead valley girl accent to her friend about how she and her new husband didn't get any of the crystal they had registered for, and how she had yelled at her mother about it. "Can you believe that? No crystal. Not one piece. So I told my mom, 'you are getting me a piece of crystal for my birthday every year and you are getting me a piece of crystal for Christmas every year.'" I almost felt sorry for her parents for one brief second, until I realized that they raised her to have that sense of entitlement.

Did I mention the weather is crap today? This morning we had ice, downed trees, freezing rain, the works. Jeez, you would think it was December or something. Tonight I have to make cookies for two holiday shindigs I'm going to. I wish I could email you some, 'cause they're going to be good.

I should be getting my new laptop this week. I am very excited. I had a bear of a time not getting distracted working on schoolwork this semester. My office is full of tempting toys like my sewing machine, ten shoeboxes full of photos, two bookcases full of books (especially the cookbook shelf), and two bikes; not to mention my desktop, which is full of fun and exciting programs and image files. I can't imagine doing any real graphics work on the laptop, and best of all, I can take it somewhere like the library or the back deck where I won't be (as) distracted. Besides, it'll be new, and I'll want to write papers on it, right? Right?