Abigail M. Schilling

This is what I like to call a throw away post. Throw away because I've had thirty percent of normal reader levels today. (This is very disappointing by the way. Come on, people, that's like saying you're not thankful for the internet.) And throw away because I don't have the energy necessary to tell the airport story.

But I do have the energy to mention that I'm in Chicago, at my mom's new place. It's very cool and makes me all bitter at California real estate for both aesthetic and financial reasons.

I totally spelled aesthetic right on the first try but had to look up necessary. I loathe myself.

One of the great things about coming back here is getting to hang out with all my pets from childhood. They all rally around me like I'm Dr. Doolittle or something and I read to them aloud from the internet.

My camera is officially dead (unless I want to pay Sony $111 to try and fix it) and it feels so ... naked to not have it, especially when traveling, especially at this new place, especially with the animals. But alas, cameras are not for me for now, I guess.

The lack of funds will not prevent me from waking up at 2 a.m. tonight to check out the apple.com Day-After-Thanksgiving sale. I've become ravenous for a MacBook over the last nine days and while new computers are not for me for now, it helps to know that the sale isn't that good. Apple, do you hear that? Don't make the sale that good, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I am taking Christmas shopping seriously this year, a task I have failed miserably at over the last several. But as part of my constant need to prove things to myself, I plan to get all the shopping done in the next two weeks. I'll be doing the majority online.

In preparation for this large task, I have compiled a notebook of scrap paper. Each slip has a name on it and then general gift possibilities. I have a price ranged denoted in the corner and then a whole "notes" section for details of things I have found and bought. Maybe I'll do a gift guide when it's all said and done. A tour, rather. A gift tour.

You know, once I learn oil painting in lieu of photography.
(Yup, got lieu right on the first try.)