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Is going to be a good year, right? I know I went on a little hiatus (do only professors get to take 'sabbaticals'? I guess they're longer and doesn't the word sound a bit religious and/or medical?), but I missed each and every one of you. Except for the ones who didn't buy me any presents -- you're DTM.

Kidding! I got swamped with a bunch of projects and then had a lovely family Christmas at Aunt Pat's in serene, suburban Pennsylvania, where I averaged six cookies per hour and successfully navigated the byzantine channels necessary to buy booze in that state. (Poor travelers who've ever looked for the beer section at Wawa know what I mean). Puritan founders, go figure. I did not however catch fire whilst setting foot inside the Lutheran church on Christmas Eve, nor did I confuse show tune lyrics for hymns. (Two years ago: "What's the carol that goes, 'Make of our hands one haaaand'?" My sister: "That's from the end of West Side Story, you idiot.") Anyway look what Santa Pat hath brought:

I'm obsessed! She and Sisterbelle both added to my coffee table book addiction collection with this and this and much more and I tried to shower them back with a similar bounty. Dad got a shirt.

But back to 2011. Aaliyah, what's the word up there in heaven?



Exactly what I was thinking. What do we like in terms of resolutions? So far I've kept to one coffee per day and have cut out diet soda completely. The moratorium on fried food is another [tragic] story. I also want to be more organized, write more letters and postcards, and keep in better touch with family and friends. What about design-y ones? My new mantra is "If you have to squint to like it, don't buy it." Also, new concept: Solids. Almost every pattern in the universe makes my eyes hurt lately!

What are yours?