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I have to say my favorite part of Christmas in the States is the sapin de Noël or Christmas tree. It is not something that is common in France. It makes me want a big tree! Then I can decorate it and say that I have had one.

Ma Maman also sent me my sabots to put out. Sabots are wooden shoes children leave out in France on Christmas Eve and they get presents in them. It is kind of like American stockings. My sabots was carved by mon grand-papa for ma grand-mère for their first Christmas together. I have a pair for Bill too but I will have to put them up so the dog does not chew them since they are very old.

I suppose December is as good a time as any for major life changes.

I've never been able to complete a gingerbread house without eating all the candy first.

Today, we are actually watching lame holiday cartoons and stringing popcorn and cranberries to decorate the girls' dorms with. Why are we doing this? There was some little bit of holiday related angst the other day for a few people, and I'll admit, I was a part of that because I'm not entirely used to not being at home for it yet, though it's the second year I've done it in a row.

Obviously, I don't regret my choices, or being here, and most everyone in my little immediate group is glad to be here too, and say it, it still feels like, I don't know, like we ought to be finding something to focus on other than nostalgia and missing people that they might or might not be seeing for a while, so, a project designed to find things to do for other people right here was born!

I think this is actually helping a lot, even though I don't know that I am ever going to include popcorn as part of the process again. Stringing popcorn is, as no one ever tells you, one massive pain in the ass. The animated mice from the current special we have on, are, I swear, going to appear in here any moment, bouncing around eager to have been provided with their meals for the next...conservatively estimating...about three months or so. Not that it isn't worth it if it helps though, right?

Admittedly, this special is pretty stupid. An angsty geek mouse who wears glasses and Harry Potter scarf about thirty years or so before that happened and his friends wrote a letter to piss off Father Christmas, resulting in everyone being depressed because he returned their mail. It IS prompting some interesting discussions though, things about belief, about what really matters to people, even though we're a bit more secular than religious over here. In fact, noone's brought up religious beliefs as something so far, which is interesting, and better in terms of conflict avoidance.

What this HAS turned into, along with the project, is more of a look at how to go from being a good kid who made mistakes or was confused to a member of society who uses and focuses on using those good things to make life better. All things considered, it's a pretty productive day AND the girls are going to have some lovely decorations this evening.

And here's a song in this thing that fits what my point in this was. As the badly animated ginger family is singing, "even a miracle needs a hand" about how people need to work together to make these sorts of things happen. And now they're talking about how it's not enough to be sorry but you have to try to fix the things you mess up.

Who knew a last ditch cheer up attempt and animated MICE was going to go over so WELL?

So, a date. Thing.

Anyone have advice on how you do one of those again?

Unpacking is completely finished. Has been for a few days actually. James is coming over this afternoon to help me move a few things though. Now I'm debating on whether or not to get a Christmas tree. It's not as if I'll be having anyone over to see it and I'm more than likely spending Christmas eve or day at my parents' house.

While I'm happy to be back, for the most part I am going to miss snow. I had gotten accustomed to it while I was in New England last winter.

I've returned to Orange County, laddies and lassies! Thanks in part to the notoriety involving a certain space adventure...and breaking up with my then girlfriend...I went home to Scotland for a wee while. It was there that I was tapped on the shoulder by Irn Bru (power drink of the universe and most excellent rust removal agent) to do a commercial and bring back a lifetime supply. I also went back because I had to visit my dear auld maw in hospital after she nearly exploded her aorta. She'll survive the latest heart attack and they've warned her off fatty foods...but we all know how that'll go.

I told her to stop bursting with pride over her son's accomplishments. I do feel bad for saying it. I'm horrible. I know it. And...that's why I'm bringing you horrible holiday things! Because if it's already horrible, then it cannae get any worse!

So? Did I miss anything?

Best excuses for having a black eye, bruised cheek and bleeding scratches up and down your face?

Am I allowed to say Fight Club? Is that still relevant?

And...okay, best responses to the "you're not my REAL dad" thing? Cause I never really HAVE one...

Why is it I always get to defend the thieves who dress as Santa?

Can't I have a red kettle stealer just once this year? A sexy elf wench thief? I've been really, really good.


So, Mom's coming in next week, as in coming HERE and I have no idea what posessed me to talk her into that instead of heading out to her. Does anybody here have catering recs or recipes for idiots?

Do you know what's amazing? My mother brought home some new paint, and it goes onto the canvas so smoothly!

Well, jail is interesting, isn't it? I'm told I was in a low security facility, which honestly, felt a bit more like a locked campus than anything overtly punitive. I can't say that it worked or that I've come out of it having learnt a lesson about anything I was put in there for. Yes, I disturbed the peace, resisted arrest and someone else at the rally brought things into violence, and because it was my rally, I took the responsibility. What else was I going to do but that?

The thing is though, I feel bad about and regret zero of that. I wasn't actually the one who hit the cop, even though that did happen and was the reason they broke out the pepper spray and the restraints. I was the one who organized it, and the one who let things get so madly out of control, but the cause, at the time, was entirely just, and honestly had I had not had two warnings already, would have allowed me to go unnoticed.

I don't intend to stop when it's time to do the right thing again either. Some statutes and some laws are simply wrong when it comes down to the greater moral code, and I'll gladly sit in jail while proving that point.

So, back to class, hopefully work, in January, and until then, back to the cafe to hole up and prepare myself for the next phase of our work, and the next issue to be solved. I am ready to fight again, but first I'll need to prepare, right?


Enjolras if we haven't met before here valarnet. And glad to have things back in order.