Only 14 shopping days ...

And I need to hit the stores. I have purchased two major gifts, a handful of small ones. But much remains to be done. I have nothing for my husband, and no good ideas. Some small ideas, but nothing really exciting. Unless he wants to share the set of cookware that I'm hoping for ... suddenly I know just what to get him. But on the off chance that he takes a peek here, I'm going to keep it to myself.

We're having friends for dinner Friday. So, along with writing some stories for the magazine, editing the submisssions that come in, and Christmas shopping, I have to get the house in order, shop, and cook. Fortunately we are having raclette, which means minimal actual cooking. All I really need to do is fix dessert and chop up all the stuff, make potatoes. Best news of all is that Kroger has raclette cheese. So no trip inside the loop to pick up cheese at a gourmet shop. But I need to make cookies for all the kiddos to decorate; it's a little task that will keep them out of our hair for, oh, 15 minutes.

I also signed up to read to Sylvia's class. Thursday. Sigh. And the college PR office is having its open house - you guessed it - Friday. I'd love to pop in, but I'm guess I won't make it. Too bad.

Wednesday is the big soireé for Gary's office. I have it narrowed down to two dresses, both of which I already own (not as if anyone here has seen either one of them). No. 1 is long, black, elegant. My hard word has paid off: I can get it on and zip it up (keep in mind that it predates at least one of my daughters). No. 2 was meant as the back-up dress, in case I couldn't quite fit into No. 1. I put it on today, and I had forgotten just how much I like it. It's short but quite stunning. So now I have to decide: long or short? Black or midnight blue? I'll go to the expert: Maddie. She always knows.

The party will be lovely, very elegant. But dull. It's with my husband's colleagues. I don't work there; they're not my friends. The other spouses are, well, they're fine. But we're not friends in the truest sense of the word. They are all pleasant, but not really my social circle. I think I've adapted to the German standards: Why would you bring your spouse/date to a work function? They don't work here. Makes sense to me.

Time to get the child off the bus. Cheers!