holiday crush
I didn't think I'd ever say this... but it's a good thing I have work to keep me from the doldrums and stressors of the Christmas season. You see, I'm working as a shop gnome for my friend Monk, maker and purveyor of hand-oiled romanian hemp rope. Yes, rope, the kind you use to tie up your plaything du jour with so that you can do naughty things to them. Monk's in the middle of his holiday rush, so that means we're busy oiling, whipping, prepping and packaging bundles and bundles of "little orgasms," as he calls them, to ship across the country and around the world (though especially, for some reason, to Australia).

What other holiday job could be as cool as this? I get to sit around all day, noshing on trail mix and coffee, helping a friend with a small business and spending hours talking about all manners of perversions.

But wait, before you get too envious, there are ways you, too, can participate!

NUMBER ONE: Buy rope! There are still lots of colors and sizes left, but they're going fast (tallys updated online). Monday is the deadline for delivery before Christmas.

NUMBER TWO: Go shopping! Monk's looking for new venues to sell his product. Boutiques like Toys in Babeland and Good Vibrations are ideal, versus large chains like Castle Superstore or Lover's Package. Where do you buy YOUR toys?

After Monday the rush will subside and holiday partying will begins. New Years promises some interesting stories.

As for the everyday, life in Seattle seems to be up and down. Being in this city appears to *still* have the potential to bring up old issues and I find myself struggling to control my stress levels for the sake of my emotional health. I have to remember to be Present and accepting of each moment. Otherwise I'll wind up having another breakdown.

Justin and I have been doing lots of family things. Eating dinner with the folks, wrapping Christmas presents, watching movies, etc. Today we went to the Woodland Park zoo to ogle at the baby tigers. And though we've been eating pints of Hagen Daazs ice cream like bowls of cereal, we're still trying to get up at 7AM a few times a week and run several kilometres to keep up the pace.

Pretty normal, pretty boring, and aside from the existential blogging crisis I'm experiencing, life is pretty much fine.