I'm going to get off my butt soon. Honest.

I have so much to get done today, and here I sit. I woke up way too early once again - after staying up too late talking to Girl last night - this time it was due to a shock. I put my arm above my head in my sleep, and felt something tickling it, which felt, to my sleep-addled mind, just like a spider walking on my arm. Instant adrenaline rush - eyes bugged open, yanked arm away, then heard the snuffly little purr. Higgins had parked himself above my head and was sleeping on my pillow - something he hasn't done in many months. His whiskers had tickled my arm. Too late, once that adrenaline was coursing through my bloodstream, going back to sleep wasn't an option.

I have fallen behind in blog reading due to spending approximately 2 hours on the phone and in IM conversations every evening. I do know, however, that Rachael survived her first marathon - an accomplishment at which I can only marvel from here, sitting on my spreading ass. My cousin (who is only a year younger than me) runs marathons. I feel like such a slug.

Bess is sewing a magnificent wedding dress of her own design. My sewing machine gathers dust.

Mariko is cooking AND crafting like mad. I have baked nothing and am poking along on a leper bandage.

I'm already too depressed to read any more blogs. I need to get off the computer, off my ass, and tick off the list of things to do today.

Clean kitchen thoroughly, including tossing the layer of junk mail that has covered the counter.

Wrap gifts - that's one thing I have managed to accomplish, I have achieved quite a few gifts. Books for Boss's boy. Something for L. Boy is taken care of. My parents are taken care of. Girl remains un-taken-care-of. Maybe that will be done later today. Boss is also un-taken-care of, but I know what I am doing for him, so that's not too daunting.

Vacuum cat hair off furniture. I haven't sat in my own living room in about two weeks, I'm busy elsewhere in the house or at this desk. God, my furniture is hairy. It looks like I have an angora couch.

Finish baseboards in Girl's old room. Figure out how to get those friggin' doors down. I looked at them this morning, while not fully caffeinated, and could not figure it out. I'm hoping standing on a ladder will make it clear to me. If not, I'm screwed for now. The carpet guys will take them down anyway, it's not a big deal. I just wanted to do it myself.

But that's not a crisis, because after baseboards are painted I can move the shit now cluttering the guest room into that room, regardless of the doors' status.

Make futon with clean, non-hairy sheets. Make sure there is room in drawers for Girl's stuff while she is here.

Locate Christmas movie collection and prepare for movie marathon with Girl when she gets home. It's going to be Christmas movies, eggnog, beading and bitching, and figuring out what we are doing with our lives in 2005.

Okay, it's 8 o'clock, time to lift my lazy butt from this chair and get moving on the list.