So it's Chrismahanukwanzaaka time again. Coincidentally, I freaked out this Christian girl a few days ago when I told her I celebrated all of them. I suppose being a godless heathen has double bonuses every now and then.

Eleven more days until I'm back in Richland. Oh for the wanting of an actual bathtub and a car! I hear it's actually been snowing before Janruary this year, so I'm a little excited to see. I've got a lot of small little presents to haul home this year, instead of big bulky things like last year. But before I worry about that too much I have to get through finals, which are going to be hell. This quarter's been only slightly less than a nightmare - all three classes are tough and require more attention than my (suspected)AADD has been willing to give. I'm pulling out pretty damn average in my classes so far, and I may end up losing more than half my homework points in CSE due to some POS collaboration policy.

I personally think that winter holidays are less about being religious and frigid than feeling the "spirit of the season." It's cold, cloudy and generally unpleasant outside. You can't grow anything except Winter wheat (which isn't something I'm totally convinced is real), and the fishing ponds freeze over and the bears go into hybernation. What else is there to do to keep from going out of your mind besides curl up beside the fire with some mulled wine, a couple of thick blankets, and some good stories. Storytelling is really all that Winter is about. Its when the shadows are long and flickering that the imagination comes to life and word and song take hold of the senses as intently as curled tree roots grip the frozen ground.

Winter is also a time of charity. It is then in our greatest moments of physical worry that we are prone to remember those of us who do not have that roaring fire and hot mug of cider. Shelters for the homeless, for outcast mothers, troubled teens and drug addicts crowd out during the cold month. They suffer the worst punishment for an unintentional crime. Please, if you can, donate some time or funds to an organization that helps people who may not be having such a comfortable holiday season. I've donated some to Child's Play, A Seattle Women's Shelter and Annoying Santa. True, each donation hasn't been a whole lot. I don't have that much to spare and I think to a certain extent donations help independent organizations relieve the government of the rightful burden of taking care of its citizens. But with Bush - and his rich buddies with their Estate Tax bans and top 5% tax cuts - in the White House they probably weren't going to do it anyway.

So that's my $2 into the red tin. Annoying Santa says thanks.