The Siren Call of Coffee

Yesterday I cleaned out my purse. Backstory: I got this purse in May for my birthday (which you will read about one day in a very shamefully belated birthday blog post, honestly) and this may actually be the first time I've cleaned house, so to speak, since I started carrying the bag.

The first thing you should know is that my purse can hold just about everything but the kitchen sink. I swear once it was cleaned out it weighed several pounds less. (Sidenote—I'm actually planning to do a review of this purse/"What's in your purse" blog post about this particular handbag because when I was thinking of purchasing it, I scoured the internet for good reviews and came up with very few helpful reviews. So stay tuned.)

My purse was seriously getting too heavy, and every time I needed to find something, I had to dig through all this junk—in other words, cleaning it out was way overdue.

So I turned the whole thing upside-down and dumped its entire contents onto my bed. I took a picture, just so you guys could understand how absolutely lazy I am when it comes to using my purse as a combination storage/trash bag.

Promise not to judge me.

See? Everything but the kitchen sink. Also, a lot of napkins.

This picture comes after I sifted through my belongings and pulled out the important stuff. Just so you guys don't think I only carry napkins and straw wrappers in my purse.

So anyway, as I'm going through the pile of stuff on my bed—you know, to make sure I don't accidentally throw away anything important like loose change, or dollars, or socks (yes, I have a spare pair of socks in my purse, even still)— I start noticing a trend: Practically every other wadded up receipt I find is from Starbucks.

That got me wondering what exactly the total would be, you know, if I gathered up all the Starbucks receipts and added them all up.

So I did.

So many receipts...

All in all, between being lose in my purse and tucked away in my wallet, I found 18 Starbucks receipts, spanning in dates from all the way back in May to now. And let me just be clear, by no means is this an accurate representation of how many times I've been to Starbucks since then. In fact, frankly, that's not even as many times as I go to Starbucks in two weeks.

But still, here's what I got—

That's dollars, folks.

What can we learn from this little exercise?

Well, clearly my priorities are very coffee-centered. Because honestly, only on one of those receipts can I claim I was grabbing multiple coffees as a work errand. Pretty much those were all personal coffee purchases.

So, if that isn't being a dedicated brand advocate, I don't know what is.

Sometimes I truly feel that I just can't resist—I really love going to Starbucks. Something about it makes me happy, even if I only just drive through. I actually go so often, I've made friends there. People who know be my name, know my order. Which, let me just tell you, really makes a customer feel appreciated and want to keep coming back.

Starbucks Corp., if you're reading this, please feel free to use the Contact Me button so that we can discuss some sort of compensation for the fact that I am basically spending my life and living at your fine establishment. Or perhaps we can arrange for some complimentary coffee as appreciation for all money I spend on your lovely coffees, teas, pastries, and merchandise.

Oh wait, you already do that...

Or really, just... Never go out of business. Because then what would I do?

An Evening with Stephen King

Tonight I had the wonderful privilege to attend An Evening with Stephen King—hosted by A Real Bookstore. Many of you may already know that Stephen King is basically my idol. So I'm sure you can imagine just how thrilling this was for me.

But just in case you can't, I thought I'd relive the experience here for you guys. Also, I have pictures to share.

I found out about this event last month—completely by accident. I'm ashamed to say I had no idea the wildly talented Mr. King would be in the area at all. I knew his new book (11/22/63) was coming out soon, but it never occurred to me to check and see what kind of a book tour there would be.

Turns out, it was a really small tour. I got lucky. He came to Dallas—twice. Once at the Majestic Theater, and the second time, the one I went to, at McKinney North High School.

I'm not exactly sure why A Real Bookstore picked the high school as the venue, but I'll tell you this—it was actually a really great place for this. It seated about a thousand. And rest assured, it was a full house. We were allowed in the parking lot at 4 (after school let out). Which, in this case, was great. Because since no one could park before 4, there was absolutely no rush to get there before 4. Otherwise I would have felt the need to camp out by the door as soon as the sun rose. Anyway, I got there a little past four—traffic, of course—but we only had to stand in line outside until 5. Then we were allowed in.

I have to say, it was really awesome to be able to sit and wait instead of stand and wait. Because the actual event didn't begin until 7.

I also have to say, I'm really glad I picked up my ticket the day before because the will-call line didn't move at all until we were practically being let inside.

Seating was first come, first served. Another reason I insisted on being right on time, or as close to it as I could manage. I ended up getting a pretty darn good seat, if I do say so myself. Not quite in the front row, which I would have loved. But still close to the front. And I got a free A Real Bookstore tote bag in my seat. Another plus!

My ticket! And my free bag!

I sat next to a couple of friendly people (who had also come solo), which was awesome—I had brought my iPad along, expecting to be bored out of my mind while waiting, but instead I had some very pleasant conversations and got to talk about favorite King novels, how early I started reading his work (somewhere around 5th grade), and how excited we were to be there.

While we waited, a brass trio played jazz for us. And then the McKinney High Jazz Band played some songs. They were actually really good! And I was super surprised at how fast those two hours went by. A Real Bookstore had also put together a slideshow of Stephen King trivia and fun-facts (most of which the woman next to me knew!). There was even an official Twitter hash tag for the event!

The jazz trio. :)

I was all set with not one but two cameras (and my iPhone), and had triple-checked to make sure the flash wouldn't fire—the only condition of photography; it was allowed as long as we didn't use flash. But then I discovered that the red-eye light was also not okay. I panicked a little bit, thinking I wouldn't be able to figure out how in the world to cover up the thing.

Guys, I even went so far as to put bandaids over it (which actually worked pretty well). But then I decided I'd actually look in my camera settings and...voila! I figured out how to turn it off. On my Canon. My Nikon, I'm sad to say, was not so lucky. So it stayed in my purse the whole time.

And I gotta say, my Canon did a bang-up job. It was an excellent sidekick for the evening. And a trooper. Because, believe it or not, I took a whopping 260 pictures during the event. But I learned a long time ago, take a ton of pictures—if you do, you WILL get some good ones. Better safe than sorry. That's my philosophy.

The King!

The whole thing was a blast. Stephen (yes, we're on first name basis) looked so comfortable up there on stage—he owned it. And guys, he's funny. Seriously funny. It was sort of like seeing a stand-up comedy routine. He cracked jokes, poked fun, and was all around delightful and charming. He told stories about people mistaking him for Spielberg and Coppola, and about his experiences in Dallas while he was researching 11/22/63.

If you want to know what11/22/63 is about, here's a summary.

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force.*

And hearing him talk about writing was a dream come true for me. As an aspiring author who can't wait to be published, I couldn't ask for advice or wisdom from a better person—especially considering King is a huge influence for me. I mean, I learned to embrace the beauty of a well-placed sentence fragment from this man. The best advice of the night, at least for me personally, was this: And I'm sad I must paraphrase, but still: "If you're someone who wants to write, you needn't worry about the business side of things. Just get your words on paper. Words on paper, words on paper. The rest will follow." Again, that's a paraphrase. But the basic idea is there.

Words on paper. Words on paper. Words on paper.

Yes, this is my new mantra.

He talked for a little while, shared stories, and was met with generous applause and laughter. Then he read a short section of his book, which was highly enjoyable. He's got a good voice to give a reading; not boring or monotone or unengaged? something like that? And the excerpt really got me excited to read the book.

During the reading.

After the reading, he did a Q&A. I wish I'd really sat down and thought of a good question to submit, because after I got in the car to head back I thought of a million I wish I'd asked. But he was such a good sport and he answered all the questions asked of him, and was genuinely appreciative of the response he got from the audience for the evening.

He also talked about some upcoming books—another in the Dark Tower series,

All in all, it lasted a little over an hour. It was the first time I'd ever seen Stephen King in "real life", I suppose you'd say. And it was great. I always worry that people I idolize will be...disappointing in reality. But Stephen is anything but a disappointment.

He is a charismatic, charming man. Brilliant. Overflowing with ideas, creativity, and he is truly passionate about writing. He loves what he does—at one point in the evening, he said doing events like this were always a little uncomfortable for him because he feels he's meant to be in a room by himself writing stories.

I love the way he puts it—he's made to write stories. Not to get published, be famous, make millions. But to write stories.

Listening to a question.

This man is such an incredible inspiration to me, and I am absolutely thrilled to have had the chance to see him in person, and in a fairly intimate setting. One thousand people is a lot, but being as close as I was, it didn't feel like a huge venue.

And I walked away with a whole new appreciation for the man who's practically always been my favorite author.

I'm sad to report that I did not get an autographed copy of the book (250 autographed copies were mixed in with the 1,000 that were handed out to us). But the woman sitting next to me did! (Congratulations!)

But that's okay, because the experience itself was the true treasure for me. And I really enjoyed sharing it with you guys!


*Excerpt from Amazon's book description.

Mavericks = Champions!

Guys, I'm so excited. I just got through watching the game; Dallas Mavericks v. Miami Heat. I'm a die-hard Mavs fan, and I was so hopeful that we'd wrap up the series before Game 7 and stick it to Miami on their own turf. And WE DID IT. And yes, it deserves an entire blog post. A short one, but still.

This is the first championship for the Mavericks in 31 years—the first championship in the franchise's history. It's a pretty big freakin' deal, that's what!

I watched the game at home with my family, and we were all cheering our boys on. Tucker got overwhelmed by all of the shouting, clapping, et cetera, and retired to my room for a large chunk of game time. I can't stop smiling. We played a great game tonight, and I've never been more proud to be a Mavs fan.

Congratulations, boys. You deserve it!

Dallas Mavericks. 2011 NBA Champions!

First-time NBA champions, from left, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry
show off their hardware after a Game 6 victory. (AP Photo)*

*Click the photo for its source—AOLsportingnews.com

I'm 24!

This may be several days late, but that's only because I've been suddenly busy! That, however, is a story for another time. Because this post is strictly reserved for birthday related activities, events, and the like. So we're going to pretend like it's actually May 16th again. And I'm going to tell you all about how much fun I had, and all the things I did, and hopefully you are going to enjoy it!

Shall we proceed?

Excellent.

The morning of my birthday started off with a delicious breakfast (Thanks Mom!) involving scrambled eggs, tortillas, cheese, and onions. I didn't mean to eat it as quickly as I did, but it was so wonderful I couldn't help but devour it in a frenzy. I mean, can you really blame me?

Breakfast. I love you.

Okay, to backtrack a moment—Technically my morning began much earlier than my breakfast, when my Dad popped in my room on his way to work to wish me a Happy Birthday. But I promptly went back to sleep, so starting with breakfast seems only natural. But since Daddy had to work all day, and I was going to be gone all night, I had specifically requested that he wake me up before he left. I'm glad he did.

Now, where were we...

Ah yes. Then Mom surprised me with a present! I love surprise presents. I'm kind of hard to shop for because I impulsively buy things all the time. This makes it hard to anticipate what I will or won't buy for myself. But Mom definitely did awesome, and I wasn't expecting what she got me at all! But, of course, one must always open a birthday card before opening the present it goes with.

The card is absolutely precious! My Mom even went out of her way to make sure the Boston Terrier looked as much like my little Tucker as possible!

The present is gorgeous! Mom got me a beautiful bracelet with two star charms on it. For those of you who don't know, I adore stars. They've my favorite. Needless to say, she got a BIG hug. (Thanks Mom, I love my bracelet!)

My gift!

My adorable birthday card! Thanks Mom & Dad!

My bracelet! On my wrist! Love.

After several hugs and "Thank you!"s, I loaded up my car and prepared to drive to Frisco. My friend and I had impromptu-decided to get together and celebrate.

But of course before I left town, I had to stop by Starbucks and grab some coffee. I had my free birthday drink coupon, and everything. And a coupon for a free petite pastry, which...I just couldn't let that waste.

Me and my coupons. Exciting!

My birthday drink and pastries. So yummy.

My Mocha Coconut Frappuccino, ready to accompany me on my drive!

Now that I've got my morning coffee, I'm ready for the day!

After picking up my Frappuccino and savoring my Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, I was ready to tackle the drive up to Frisco! My destination? California Pizza Kitchen. Quite possibly my favorite place to get pizza. Well, my favorite chain, anyway. Their BBQ Chicken pizza is fan-freakin'-tastic. And it's also what I ordered for my birthday lunch. Excellent.

CPK. My lunch destination.

Myself and my delicious BBQ Chicken pizza. Heaven on a plate.

A close-up of my pizza. Because seriously, I love it so much!

After we ate, we walked around Stonebriar Mall to settle our bellies and shop around. And I made another trip to Starbucks (and finally bought my Dallas mug there!). I also spent some money at Bath & Body Works.

Then we decided to head back to her place and hang out. On the way, we stopped by Velvet Bake Shop. They make some seriously fantastic cupcakes. I decided to pick up a few...or four. Instead of a cake. Don't judge me, it was my birthday!

Velvet Bake Shop. Nestled amongst other little shops. Yum.

My cupcakes. Coconut, Chocolate, and Raspberry Chocolate.
And no, I didn't eat them all at once!

The rest of the day was spent kicked back on the sofa, nibbling cupcakes and sipping milk and watching T.V. It was quite pleasant. And most definitely an excellent birthday.

Now to start planning for Birthday #25...

Roses are Red, Beer is Cheap

I've written a new poem. It's of the genre that I like to call Redneck Poetry. I think, in fact, that I would like to write a whole book full of this genre of poetry.

That being said, here it is. Enjoy!

Roses are Red, Beer is Cheap

Roses are red,

And violets are not.

I'm glad you're my honey,

'Cause you're pretty hot.

I ain't got you no chocolate;

That just wouldn't do.

'Cause beer's cheaper than roses,

And it tastes better, too.

Tucker Turns Three

Portrait of a handsome young pup!

It's Tucker's birthday today! I can't believe he's already three years old. It just doesn't seem possible I've had him that long.

We actually got him over the summer, but as an obsessive doggy mother, I also celebrate his actual date of birth. He was so tiny when we first got him! I can honestly say I remember it like it was yesterday.

We'd gone to Vernon to take Super Granny back home, and she knew I'd been wanting a pup. Ever since I lost Cowboy, my childhood dog, there'd been a sort of hole. I love dogs, I always have. I always will. And I wasn't looking to replace Cowboy—let's face it, no dog could—but I was ready to move on.

It just so happened that Super Granny knew a guy in town who'd just had a litter of pups. Boston Terrier pups. We stopped by to take a look at them, but the guy wasn't home. I stared longingly at the puppies through the fence. Two left; a boy and a girl. That was the first time I saw Tucker.

I was worried, though. Since the man wasn't home, I was nervous he wouldn't get back in time and Dad and I would have to head home without a new little friend for me. So we killed time by grabbing lunch—a burger and fries—at what used to be Vernon's Dairy Queen. The whole time I was eating, all I could think about is how much I hoped someone would come to the door when we went back after eating.

Fortune was on my side, and when we had filled our bellies and trekked back to the house, someone did indeed answer the door. And he was more than willing to show us his pups.

I can't lie—growing up with Cowboy has made me partial to boy dogs. So I was the most interested in the boy. We chatted for awhile, me holding a squirming (and then sleepy) little black and white bundle of adorable in my arms. I had fallen in love. All that was left was hoping that Dad would agree and let me take the little guy home.

As I'm sure you can imagine, he did.

The car ride home was awesome. Tucker, who was then still unnamed, slept in my lap the entire time and was a perfect gentleman. The poor kid was covered in fleas, though. A result of being kept in a yard with absolutely no grass and several other dogs, I assume. Needless to say, since we had other pets at home, he had to get a bath before he could come inside.

Anyway, long story short, that's how I got my dog. Tucker. Three years ago this summer. He's been a blessing and a complete joy in my life. I can't imagine being without him!

Today, he's gotten several treats and lots of lovin'. And I even sang him the Happy Birthday song. Yes, my dog is a spoiled only child. (Just like his Momma!)

I'm thinking I'll have a legit birthday party for him when I can go home again. Mom and Dad can join us. There can be presents. It'll be awesome.

Happy birthday, Tucker. You're my number one special little guy!

Happy 40th Anniversary, Starbucks!

If you know me, you know I love Starbucks. And as such, I've been really enthused about all of the changes coming to my favorite coffee company. Not too long ago, Starbucks unveiled their new logo, and today—to celebrate their 40th Anniversary—the new logo made its way into stores across the country! And it brought friends!

There's a whole slew of new merchandise boasting the new Siren logo, new treats, new Starbucks cards, and new drinks! For a full list of 40th Anniversary merch, check out the Starbucks website.

The first thing I did when I walked in was check out the new displays. They were chock full of Tribute blend coffee and Tribute VIA, plus some new drink-ware—mugs and tumblers galore!

New displays! Hooray!

Happy 40th! Tribute blend for all!

Petites! Scrumptious little treats.

The Cocoa Cappuccino made its debut today, and if I do say so myself, it's quite delicious! It's got a great cocoa flavor, and it's very bittersweet. I loved it.

Trouble is, it's only available for a limited time. So I'm trying not to get too attached. It's really yummy, though. I definitely recommend it for those of you who, like myself, really enjoy a nice bitter cocoa flavor.

My cup and cup sleeve both boasted the new Siren logo, and I have to say, I really like it. I will still miss the old logo—after all, that's the logo I've always known, ever since my love affair with Starbucks began. But after seeing the new logo in action, actually on the cup, actually on merchandise, I really like its simplicity. It's very minimalistic, clean, and it means that Starbucks can stand on its logo alone; the words "Starbucks" and "Coffee" aren't necessary to identify it as a brand. Not too many companies can say that.

New logo, new sleeve!

My tall Cocoa Cappuccino and the new Siren!

Of course they didn't totally ditch the "Starbucks" name.

Old Siren, meet New Siren!

I paired my tall Cocoa Cappuccino with one of the new Starbucks Petites pastries, the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. Oh, it was delicious. Simply delicious! And relatively guilt free! All of the Petites are under 200 calories! In fact, my Whoopie Pie was 190. And I'm serious, it was fantastic. In fact, just writing about it has got me craving another one. Bad.

Way too yummy, seriously.

As for the merch I picked up—I wanted to buy all of it! No lie! But...I couldn't afford that. So I 'limited' myself as best I could.

I picked up the new Siren logo mug, some Tribute VIA, and an adorable little tote! Oh, and the new cards, of course. I have every intention of going back for one of the tumblers and the Tribute ground coffee + canister. Awesome.

New cards! New magnets will be on my fridge soon. ;)

My new mug! And Tribute VIA!

My 'makeshift' VIA holder.

Starbucks tote!

Obviously, I had a great time checking out the new Starbucks stuff and wishing a happy birthday to the Starbucks siren. If you haven't had a chance to invite yourself to the festivities, I highly recommend that you do! I mean, you know, if you love Starbucks as much as I do. I can't wait to see where the next 40 years takes us!

Broken Bells

I love music. All kinds, all the time. I would definitely call my taste in music eclectic. I have a little bit of everything. But my favorite CDs are the ones I can listen to all the way through and love from start to finish.

Even better is when I stumble across a gem one way or the other. It's like finding buried treasure. Only, unlike a chest full of gold, this treasure I like to share. Family, friends, anyone who will listen.

So that's what I'm doing right now.

I discovered Broken Bells sometime in mid-2010. I heard "The High Road" on a shopping trip in Hastings, meandered over to the screen that was playing the video so I could catch the name of the band. I realized I recognized the name—I'd seen the CD only a few days before next to the register at Starbucks. I decided to take that as a sign.

I immediately went over to the music department and found a copy of the CD. I forked over my money (Okay, you got me—I used my credit card) and popped the disc in my car as soon as I got in. I was enjoying it so much that when I got back to my apartment, I didn't want to get out of the car.

Since then, I've only grown to love it more.

I'm terrible at describing or categorizing music because I like so many different genres. So instead of trying to explain it only to fail, I recommend heading over to iTunes and previewing Broken Bell's self titled CD. I don't imagine you'll regret it.

I know I didn't.

The Night Santa Came

Christmas at my house is always my favorite time of year. I love the way my Mom decorates our house. It's the epitome of warm and cozy, inviting and festive.

But on Christmas morning, there's something extra-special about it. It's a little warmer, a little more vibrant, a little more exciting. And it doesn't matter where we are. It's been this way at each house we've lived in. It's not about the place; it's about the people who inhabit it, and who make it what it is. Ever since I was a little girl, the room with the Christmas tree has been the room. When the Christmas tree isn't up, it becomes the room that the Christmas tree will be in. There's something about Christmas that's just particularly special to me.

And Christmas Day 2010 will definitely go down in the books as one of the top five best Christmas Days yet.

Tucker is ready to open presents.

It started out like any other Christmas does for us. The first thing I did upon waking was look for my Christmas stocking. Because that's where the candy is! I said good morning and Merry Christmas to Mom and Dad, got Tucker all excited at the prospect of opening his presents, and ogled the wrapped boxes, gift bags, bows, glitter, and tissue paper spilling out from under our tree.

We had a relaxed breakfast, all of us anticipating the soon-to-come gift unwrapping extravaganza. In my family, the actual unwrapping takes much longer than it would if not for the fact that each of us—myself, my Mom, and my Dad—have cameras. We're like the ultimate picture-taking family. While one of us opens a present, the other two snap away. If two of us start to open presents at the same time, one will inevitably slow down, so that the actual present-reveal isn't simultaneous, thus making it difficult to capture the moment on camera.

There really isn't a downside to this unique Christmas Day tradition; at least not that I can see. It in and of itself makes the whole present-unwrapping last longer, and we never find ourselves lacking in the photo memories department.

I'd guess between the three of us, we have at least three hundred pictures*. Overkill? Perhaps. But better too many than too few. You might think I'm exaggerating, but...I'm not.

*Upon uploading and sorting through pictures for this post, I have learned that we have 354 photos from this Christmas. 

I am not joking.

I was the most excited for Mom to open the silver scarves I got her. It had been my mission—a few days before Christmas, I was frantically searching. Mom's only stipulation for the scarf she wanted was that it be silver. I ended up finding two. I bought them both. One is a more understated silver scarf. The other, a fun sequined scarf. Not only was I excited for her to open her present and find that I had managed to come up with a silver scarf, but I was also excited for her to find out she got not one, but two of them. (Fortunately, she liked them both!)

Scarf #2.

Scarf #1.

It was a great Christmas for us. We all got stuff we wanted, with a great mix of stuff we weren't expecting. None of it was unwanted or disliked.

All of us were having a great time. All three of us are huge fans of goofing off. Christmas is no exception.

When the package is just as fun as the present.

I was doubly excited when I got a brand new bottle of my favorite perfume, J'adore. I had run out a while ago, but still had plenty of some other scents, so I didn't think I could justify spending the money for a new bottle. But I'm so happy I got more! I absolutely adore J'adore. No pun intended.

I also got an adorable shirt from my Mom! A shirt boasting the Greek letters of the International English Honor Society I was inducted into last semester. I really love it. It is too freakin' cute!

Sigma Tau Delta, represent!

But more than the perfume, more than the pile of video games, the candy, the clothes, the highlight of my day—my season, in fact—was the letter.

The letter from Santa.

How many of you guys can say you got one of those?

After we had finished opening presents, and were re-examining our loot, we heard the doorbell ring. Confused as to who would possibly be dropping by unannounced on Christmas, I went to the door. It was there that I found the letter.

Apparently, Mr. Clause and Tucker became acquainted when he was entering the house through the chimney to deliver presents. Tucker, the lucky pup that he is, had a delightful conversation with Santa and he got to meet Rudolph. In all the excitement, as he was leaving, Santa realized he'd forgotten my present in his sleigh. Already running behind schedule, Tucker quickly informed him that it would be alright for Santa to leave my present in my car, and that the faithful pup would let me know to look for it there.

Sure enough, when I went out to my car, I found my last two presents!

What I found in them blew me away. Santa really outdid himself this year.

It was a brand new iPad, and a case to boot!

I was floored.

I had mentioned wanting one, but in no way shape or form expected to get one. Especially not so soon.

But my favorite part is the inscription on the back.

I may as well go ahead and admit that I totally teared up a little when I read it. My parents have always been so wonderful and so supportive of my ambitions to write, and I never cease to appreciate the fact that no matter what, I know they back me up one hundred percent.

As excited as I was about the iPad—and let me tell you, it's no exaggeration to say I was doing a happy dance and jumping for joy—I think the most heart-warming and meaningful part of it is the inscription and the meaning behind it.

I'm undeniably thrilled with all of the presents I got this year, but most of all I am thankful—so thankful—for my parents, and how much they love me, and the fact that I was able to spend this Christmas with them again.

After all, Christmas isn't really about presents anyway.

Though it's several days late—more than that, really—the sentiment is still close to my heart; I hope all of you had a wonderful and very merry Christmas.