I feel very lucky, and am also keenly aware that my parents made careful choices and sacrifices which makes more of these items bold.  We were far from rich, but I still I feel the urge to apologize for having opportunities that were not available to everyone else, and also the urge to call my mom and dad and say thanks, just because.

Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children's books by a parent - Poky Little Puppy FTW!
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 - piano
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 - swimming too, when I was really little.
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs - They really did, because my folks made just a little too much to qualify for financial aid.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs - My grandparents helped.
Went to a private high school - the local public elementary school was going to track me as "special needs" because of the cerebral palsy, even though I started reading when I was 2; my mom called that for the bullshit it was and I went to a hippy-dippy private school the whole way.  My mom worked at the school for 14 years, in large part for the tuition discount.
Went to summer camp - Day camp, discounted because my mom worked there.
Had a private tutor before you turned 18 - Very intermittent; I sucked at conceptual, abstract math and needed to pass algebra.
Family vacations involved staying at hotels - Sometimes, and sometimes we rented a  cabin.  No camping, ever.
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them - I wasn't really ready for this, but my dad and I had fun picking it out.  I learned a lot about negotiating from this.
There was original art in your house when you were a child - Ugly, and not from a famous artist; I think it was purchased at the furniture store when my parents bought a new sofa.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child - I was an only.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 - mostly to see grandparents.
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

These apricot rugelach are amazing - whoever the genius was who came up with the idea of making dough out of cream cheese, thank you!

Sadly, because we didn't make them, the supply left in our house after last night's dinner is very low - we'll need to make more.

Nation's food banks critically low on supplies. This is so frustrating to me, on so many levels. It seems like a cliche to say that spending on other priorities *cough* like the war in Iraq *cough* is draining away any extra dollars for other programs, but for Pete's sake. Hunger in America affects children more than any other group - why, why, why are we okay with that, ever? Memo to small-government lovers: Children do not have bootstraps, and cannot use them to feed themselves.

In no small irony, I made some kickass rum balls today. Are Christmas cookies a food group?

December 1: I'm not sure this counts for Holidailies

This was a much nicer article than I expected: Clearly, Frankly, Unabashedly Disabled. (no registration required)

I liked best that it shot one of my stereotypes to hell. As a disabled person who is not an amputee, I have always thought they had it easy, you know? Missing a leg, but still cute as buttons, largely conforming to societal standards of how people should look and move. Then I read

“Some people say, ‘That’s really cool’ and some people don’t actvery nice,” said Kylee Haddad, 40, a mother of two from Walkersville,Md., who decorates her prosthetic leg with palm trees, fish and the American flag.

Ms. Haddad, whose right leg was amputated below the knee in 2003 after a car accident, said she has no problem wearing shorts when she goes shopping. Neither does she shy from removing theprosthesis in order to swim at the neighborhood pool.

She said people gawk and some have even tapped her on the shoulder to ask her to put her leg back on. She said she’s been told, “It is upsetting my child.” But she refuses to hide.

“You either accept me as I am,” she said, “or you don’t have to look at it.”

Put your leg back on, you're upsetting my kid? You have got to be kidding me. Anyway, I'm softening - maybe being an amputee isn't all wine and roses after all.

Yes, I was finally sucked in. To make things a little more interesting, I chose only keywords which started with the same letter for each film. If you think you know the movie, leave a comment!

ETA: Rule #3A additional keywords added for your amusement and assistance.

1. Bare Butt, Blackjack, Bad Luck. Prostitute, Jinx, Gambling

2. Photo Shoot, Poncho, Paris. Fashion, Based on Novel, Editor The Devil Wears Prada, guessed by kairotic and rabble

3. Flashback Sequence, Flower, Financial Panic. It's a Wonderful Life, guessed by treading

4. Poker, Poison, Prequel. Secret Service, Gadget, Cocktail (much like my own life, I might add). Casino Royale, guessed by rabble

5. Pedophile, Probation Officer, Punch (hint: this set of clues is pretty literal, because so few people saw this movie, unfortunately). Starting Over, Child Molester, Fight With Self

6. Suspected Lesbian, School Bus, Social Climber. Mean Girls, guessed by kairotic

7. Secretary of Defense, Self Immolation, Spin Doctor Fog of War, guessed by treading

8. Prime Minister, Portrait Sitting, Princess Diana. The Queen, guessed by treading

9. Liberal, Lobbyist, Love. The American President, guessed by dreamalynn

10. Bloopers During Credits, Black Widow, Blockbuster. Ants, Circus, Mistaken Identity

Today is my last day of work in 2006 (just like Donald Rumsfeld, though unlike him I'm returning in 2007). One of the things I'm looking forward to is holiday cooking and baking - I suspect there will be a fair number of jam thumbprints in my future (mmm...buttery goodness), and I think I've decided to make stuffed mushrooms for the holiday potluck, but I don't know what kind yet. I've made Hamantashen, but I have not yet tried making rugelach, so those are on the list too.

Please link me to your favorite holiday recipe - I have two weeks off, two ovens and a pantry full of ingredients - I'm ready to go!

Are you kidding me? (no login required) What kind of plan is this? The Somalis are barely surviving, but if the only group that can help the trains run on time (Mussolini reference intended) and keep people from starving to death are Islamic fundamentalists, how about if the U.S. suggests that Ethiopia sends troops in to prop up the ineffectual interim government that most Somalis hate? Who cares if the Somalis also hate the Ethiopians enough that they'd choose to go to war with them to keep them out?

Why is our preferred foreign aid method delivering guns and Christianity instead of vaccines and sandwiches? Why do I suspect the Ethiopians and Somalis will become hopelessly deadlocked in a bloodbath and the Islamist rule will fall apart, so (say it with me) American troops will be called in to "restore democracy and order?"

Because that strategy is going so well for us now.

I think "Baby, It's Cold Outside" has just overtaken "The Little Drummer Boy" (Jon's favorite carol, by the way) for "Christmas carol I hate the most." Not even Ella can save it from cloying over-sweetness. What's your most hated holiday song?

If I were to make a plan for my own happiness, this weekend:

I'd make a lot of time to work on finish the hat I started knitting in exchange for the web design work I asked for.
I'd find a black sweater to add to my wardrobe.
I'd make those blue cheese biscuits I've been craving since I found the recipe.
I'd listen to some Christmas carols and make some cookies.
I'd watch a really funny movie - I don't really care what, as long as it's funny.
I'd take a nap with my cat beside me.
I'd do Pilates, maybe twice.
I'd start my Christmas shopping.
I'd start reading a new book.

We'll see how I do.

Comment and I'll give you a letter, then you have to list 10 things you love that begin with that letter.

octogirlie gives me G, and I say:

1. Grass, freshly-mowed.
2. Guacamole, freshly-made.
3. Good Vibrations, by Marky Mark (in part because I love him so in Three Kings).
4. Knitting book author Barbara G. Walker, creator of the most awesome stitch dictionaries ever.
5. Giant plates of tater tots.
6. Celebrity gossip sites like The Superficial, which cured me of ever wanting to be famous.
7. Gnocchi.
8. Green olives; I highly recommend Brazilian Chicken and Rice with Olives.
9. The color gray.
10. Gender-neutral bathrooms; I like feeling open-minded.

adrith hands me B, and I write:

1. Blue skies with puffy clouds, summer or winter.
2. Bust a Move by Young MC.
3. Being out on the open road with my sweetie - road trips are the best vacations.
4. Big dogs (little dogs too, but we say it's not a dog in our family unless it can knock you over).
5. Bluefaced-leicester yarn - I like my wool traditionally wooly.
6. Bacon.
7. Galactic Blue, the classy navy color of my Jetta.
8. Decisive people with backbone.
9. Big cities, in small doses.
10. Braised Chicken Breasts on Creamy Leeks - this is so yummy.

belowthe49th offers an F, and I say:
1. Fancy desserts.
2. Fireplaces (the only thing our house lacks).
3. Figs - these anise-fig Christmas cookies are on tap for this weekend.
4. Folsom Prison Blues (this cover is by Keb Mo), and frankly any other music by Johnny Cash.
5. Free stuff on your birthday.
6. 5:01, the end of the workday.
7. Folk Socks, a knitting pattern book by the estimable Nancy Bush.
8. Firefox and its whack of plugins and addons.
9. Fingerless gloves and fliptop mittens - I plan on making several pairs.
10. Fine summer evenings featuring gin and tonics.

I'm kind of spent from a long day at work and a long week at home, but I'm enjoying these fun timewaster games. There are always cool things to browse through at my del.icio.us links if I'm quiet here.

With the holidays upon us, I wanted to take a moment to mention The No "S" Diet; if, like me, you find yourself concerned about overconsumption of goodies of all kinds, you might just find that this simple maxim keeps you on the straight and narrow: No snacks, sweets or seconds - except on days that start with S. It's so simple, yet in my quest to continue to fit into my pants through Christmas cookie season, I have lost nearly two pounds in three weeks - nearly the same rate as when I did Weight Watchers, without the huge mental effort ("I have three points left - what can I eat?"). If it's a weekday, stay away from tiramisu. Done; now think about more important - or more fun - things.

1976: I am seven, and while opening Christmas presents at my grandparents' house, I utter the immortal words "I hope it's a toy." I still like toys.

1986: While in high school, I stumble across "It's a Wonderful Life" on late night TV and stay up with George Bailey - I bawled at the end, and other than Elf: "Buddy the elf, What's your favorite color?"), it's still my hands-down favorite Christmas movie. For a long time, I had a rule that I could only watch it on TV, I couldn't own it; my parents gave me a copy several years ago, but I'm not sure I've watched it. Spontaneous TV viewing is the best.

1996: Single and living alone in the big city, I buy my first Christmas tree, an eight and a half foot Scotch pine with visions of Christmas dancing in my head; as soon as I get it home, it officially becomes the biggest piece of furniture in my apartment. This is also the year I carry frozen cookie dough on the plane ride home because my mother has unequivocally stated that she is not making cookies this year. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

2006: Our last Christmas with Charlie the cat, who has seen me through fifteen Christmases and now has cancer. He may not live to see Santa arrive (or talk at midnight on Christmas Eve), but I think I'll hang his stocking anyway.