The weekend is here! And I’m going to spend it finishing all the videogames I want to finish before Christmas.
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Having a good day after yesterday’s travel slog. Woke up after ten hours of sleep to do a second-round (virtual) job interview, which I feel like I handled well. Had breakfast and a good conversation with my dad, took a bubble bath, and now have the house to myself for a couple hours to do some reading while dad and stepmom are at a hair appointment. After they get back, we’ll go run some errands to get ready for tomorrow’s holiday meal.
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We had a white elephant game at work, and I decided to bring a prized possession that I had kept hidden in a cabinet for a while: a coprolite I won in the 2018 IFComp awards from Jack Welch.
I put it in a bag with a little note.
As the game started, everyone started opening and trading gifts. I hoped mine would get opened early, so someone who wanted it (like a science teacher) could trade for it.
But people kept not picking it. Most of the gifts were alcohol, gift cards, blankets, etc., with people vying over Bailey’s Irish Cream and mickey mouse blankets.
I couldn’t believe it, but mine was the last gift opened, so the owner would have no chance to swap. And the person who got it (number 45 out of 45) was a young teacher for toddlers. She grabbed the bag, went to the front, and opened it.
She didn’t see the note.
So she pulled out what looked like fairly fresh poop, which my boss also grabbed with a curious look.
I stood up and yelled, “There’s supposed to be a note!” I was really anxious. I shouted “It’s actually a seven inch long fossilized poop from Madagascar!” in an attempt to clear up any confusion.
The whole group erupted in laughter. Everybody thought it was really funny that the last person opened up poop.
I went to apologize as soon as the game ended but it turns out she traded it to an art/science teacher who really wanted it to put in a shadowbox and add to the classroom.
So I guess next year I’ll bring something safe like a saucepan or a mini fridge.
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As a retired science guy, I would have loved the fossil? My all time favorite gift from a workplace is a piece of native copper. It sits in a prominent place in our china cabinet. 
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I anticipated that it would be popular, but only with a select few, which is why I hoped it would be chosen early (to give people a chance to seek it out). In the end, the person who got it was very excited about it.
The copper sounds lovely! Is it elemental copper or ore, and is it green or orange or some other color?
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We got our first snowfall of the season yesterday! 
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Stupidly windy here but I still managed to run my weekly parkrun 14 seconds faster than last week!
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Here is a photo of the native copper gift. It was a gift from department chair where I was teaching at the time. The geology department at the University of Houston has a specimen large enough that it is on a dolly with wheels. One of the professors used to park it by his final exam test site. Supposedly it gave the students luck. 
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That’s very cool looking! Thanks!
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They probably carved the answers into it.
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Lovely family meal and holiday celebration. I am so impossibly full of cioppino/lemon tart/so many assorted snacks.
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Signed my marriage certificate today on the winter solstice! Not many words – have been horribly sick for a few days now but I consider myself so very lucky to be with the love of my life.
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Congratulations!!
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Made the first of the Christmas meals today. After years of trying I have finally managed to cook the roast parsnips perfectly. Have made copious notes so I can hopefully repeat this miracle in future years.
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Starting to get packed up for visiting family!
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HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE !!!
And best regards from Italy
Dott. Piergiorgio
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Have arrived at the family home for Christmas Eve. It’s finally here!
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Happy Zeroth Day of Christmas!
I normally get paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month, which Christmas falls on this year. Turns out that was enough for me to get paid a day early.
As a result, I took care of my bills today when I would otherwise have done them tomorrow, and I went ahead an place my big grocery order for the month, which was delivered this afternoon.
So I now have butter cookies to enjoy on the big day and chicken nuggets to add to my bowl of Rotini tomorrow and can enjoy mashed potatoes tonight after having rice every night for like the last week. Also have cheese to add to my meals. Won’t get to enjoy KFC like the Japanese, but I’ll be eating better for the holiday than expected.
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Merry Christmas!!
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