...can't believe it's Christmas season already.

I know every year it seems like it starts earlier and earlier, but it just seems so over the top this year. I am sure it's because they are trying to get sales started early in anticipation of a poor year, but it makes me want to hold out even longer in rebellion.

I hereby declare I will not acknowledge or decorate for Christmas until December.

...wonder why freaks contact you on Facebook etc.

The other day some guy contacted me on Facebook with a lame excuse that he was looking up someone else that went to PSU and also named Allison. Yeah, right. He wrote "long time no see! How are you?"

It took me a while to figure out how I knew him. When I realized who it was, it took some control to not write a blunt "leave me alone" message right back. He was a friend of an ex and never a friend of mine. What a turd.

The first thing I saw when I went to his page to see who he was, was his declaration as "conservative Republican". That alone says we could never be friends, but the fact that I couldn't stand the guy 13 years ago, means that we don't need to be friends on Facebook or any other site.

I love Facebook and how it allows me to keep up with friends, family and those I know from work, but I'm not one of those people who just wants to see how many friends I can claim on my page. I'd rather spend my time connecting with people I like. Life is too short and there are too many networking sites to bother with people you don't like in the first place.

Ahhhh. That felt good to rant. For those I am friends with on Facebook, Plaxo, Twitter, MySpace, Brightkite, Culination and LinkedIn - I love you all. This post has nothing to do with you(-;

...Finally lost that fifth lb.

I really do think eating the functional foods and drinking the functional drinks did work. Though expensive, they helped me track my calories and get all or more of the nutrients I needed in a day. Also, I was distracted from foods I shouldn't be eating when I knew I had these available.

I did try a new soup today that I DO NOT recommend. It was the Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup from Pacific Natural Foods. Eww. It tasted and smelled like baby food. Not good. I won't buy it again. Without doing the whole scoring thing - I'll just say it's a 4. It only gets that high of a score because it's so good for you.

Though I've lost the weight I wanted to, I'm definitely going to continue eating/drinking this way. I feel much better, more energetic and like I know I am getting all the daily requirements in.

...started to think my laundry is magically multiplying.

How is it you can do all your laundry one weekend day, and the next you have another pile that has mysteriously appearded? There seems to be no way to keep up.

Now that I think of it, my dishes are like that too.

I have come to the conclusion I was meant to be fabulously wealthy so others could do my dishes and laundry and I'd never have to know about the magical powers of laundry and dishes.

What happened to that destiny? I think I picked the wrong profession...

...I can't stop smiling.

The feeling of pride is still lingering from last night's announcement that Barack Obama will be our next president. It feels so good to be proud to be part of this country again. Words cannot describe the emotions running through me last night as I watched with my family as the the declaration came onto the TV screen. I cried with everyone else as I saw the look on the faces of the people across the world - especially the African-Americans with whom this much have such deep meaning.

While it was great to share those moments with my family, I also wanted to be able to explain the significance to my four-year-old, but then I realized – it's much better for her to grow up thinking that it's not unusual for an darker skinned person to be the leader of our country. In fact, I'd like her to not notice skin color at all.

I think why I feel so much emotion with this momentus change is that I actually do have "hope" again for our country. I didn't expect to feel this way, but I have never seen anything in my life like the reactions I saw on TV last night. I don't expect Barack Obama to make everything perfect in America. However, I believe we as a people are changing for the better. I am excited to see what comes next.