Another year *almost* down.

I can't believe today is December 28th. In just 3 more days the year will be over. Crazy. I always get a little weird in the head this time of year, just nostalgic and strange. The passage of time freaks me out a little bit and never is it more evident than at the end of a year (or decade, as it were).

We had a nice christmas. Two of them, actually. One with my family, one with his. My christmas decorations are almost completely taken down, only the tree to go and it doesn't have any ornaments on it presently. I got all the knicknacks and stockings and candles and front porch trees and stuffed things that sing and wreaths and christmas tree shaped plates and dish towels with snowmen on them and mistletoe and window clings and crocheted snowflakes and snowglobes and ornaments taken down yesterday. Then I ran out of steam. So the tree is still there, with icles and lights and a star on top and one lonely little red ball that i missed when taking the rest of the ornaments off. And it is still beautiful, even though it's essentially naked. We should all look so good naked. Tonight, I might haul all the containers and boxes and bags down stairs and then disassemble the beautiful tree and put the furniture back where it belongs and head into the New Year with a clean house.

I found out the week before christmas that I did not pass the 3rd part of the exam. I was more than a little bummed about it. But I'm still studying for the next part, to be taken January 11 and then I'll be studying for yet another part that I'm taking January 28th. But then, oh sweet January 29th - there will be NO studying. Actually, there will be no studying until February 15th at the earliest. That's when I'll find out my scores and it's possible that studying will be over forever. But either way, no point in studying until I find out if i passed, right? So January 29th will be a wonderful day - tax season or not.

oops...

I've been away a month and in that time I failed to mention that I PASSED my SECOND part of the CPA exam!!!!!! I'm anxiously awaiting the results for my 3rd part...any day now! And I'm studying to take the 4th part (which is a re-take) on January 11th. That's my birthday too, so I'm hoping that'll bring me some luck - who knows!

Other than that, nothing too exciting happening. We hosted Thanksgiving this year and had my parents, His parents, and my sister, her husband and their daughter over. We also invited Husband's grandfather, but 92 year olds are sometimes hard to get along with and he couldn't be bothered to come over. At least he knew he was welcome, that's all we can do.

I also had a visit with my new doctor, I think I finally found one here that I like. Since we moved up here, I had been going to a guy in the town where we live, but there was just something about him that I didn't love, so I switched to one close to where I work instead, which is much more convenient. I've never been to a female ob/gyn before, but i really like this woman. Oddly enough, the GP that I found up here is also female and believe me, sexist little ol' me does not prefer female doctors, but I like them both, so I'm going to stick with them (until they give me a reason not to, anyway).

On a sad note, we lost one of our guineas on the 9th. It has been very cold here (in the teens at night) and there was one (his name was Roy) that the others have picked on their entire lives and as a result, he was much smaller than the rest and just generally puny. I used to give him his own food when they came out in the yard and stuff, but they're outside animals and there is only so much you can do short of bringing him in the house to raise. So we think the bullying and the cold just took their toll on him. Poor thing. However, we have winterized their house (and did before he passed away), and the rest of them are all fat and happy. Their feathers are smooth and they look thick and we finally found a waterer that doesn't freeze which is pretty sweet.

Well, better get to work!