Happy Festivus, everyone. May you enact great feats of strength today, and may the grievances aired against you be of a mild and inoffensive character.

This going-to-the-gym thing seems to be working well. Heather and I are both feeling a lot better and more energetic, and it's only been a couple of weeks. I am tentatively hopeful that we will continue doing this indefinitely, and that going to the gym will actually become a real lifestyle change. I hope so. Most things in my life are good, but I'm in fairly lousy shape and tend toward the sedentary, so it's an area of concern.

Our house is festive. Twinkling lights on the tree. Heather wearing antlers with bells on. Cats tearing the bows off gifts and eating them. I know I should probably have more mixed feelings about Xmas than I do (I mean, I am an atheist, and am just as concerned about crass commercialism in the world culture as anyone, and am just as cynical about sentimentalism as your average faux-jaded twentysomething), but really, I see it as an opportunity to let your friends and family know you value them, to give gifts, and to remember that kindness is generally the better choice. I like Xmas. Especially since, what with the internet and all, I basically never have to venture out into Xmas-crazed holiday shopping crowds. So it's all hot cider and bright packages and fellowship and food, for me.

Heather's got the day off today, so I'm jealous (though I had Wednesday off, so I shouldn't be). She gets a 4-day weekend. I get a 3-day weekend, but I also get next Wednesday off, so again, shouldn't complain. She's going out with a friend tonight, so I'll be hanging out at home, talking to myself, maybe writing (I'm about halfway through the Mr. Li story), maybe playing World of Warcraft, maybe watching old episodes of The Twilight Zone. It'll be pleasant. I'll enjoy it, because, after all, Christmas Eve Eve only comes once a year.