who knew making soap would be so difficult? it sounded easy enough...cut glycerin into one inch cubes, melt the glycerin in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, pour into mold, let set for 2 hours, and voila! you have soap! instead, i have a kitchen counter full of soap shavings, paper bowls and toothpicks for mixing, paper towels, all over the place. it's not a pretty sight. it's a good thing i'm making soap and not candles...ugh. i think i'll stick with baking, i'm a lot better at that.

okay, so is anyone else out there watcing the amazing race 3? i have to say it's one of my favorite reality tv shows, and i admit i'm a reality tv junkie. :) but good lord, flo is such a whiner! i can't believe they made it this far. *sigh* someone needs to kick her. her and zach are in the top three, and the whole time she's whining and crying and essentially giving up, repeating over and over how she wants to go home. what?! i would love to be in her place right now!! travelling the world for free! no, actually, they get money from the show, so they're getting paid! and if they win, they get a $1million!! geez, they should just eliminate her for her bad attitude. :( sorry, i just had to vent, and my roommate j is away on business (she usually watches amazing race with me). she's been trying to convince me to apply with her since we first saw the very first episode of the first amazing race. maybe someday you'll all see ME on amazing race!!!

but back to "reality"...i cannot believe christmas has crept up on us already! holy crap! this is the first year really that i haven't thought about gifts. not giving, but receiving. i usually have a quite extensive wishlist by now, but this year, oddly enough, i don't really have much that i want. what's wrong with me?? am i materialistically satisfied? that's impossible. :) but seriously, if i didn't get a single gift this year, i really wouldn't care. hmm...i have no idea how that came about. weird.

my department had our holiday dinner last night. we went to pazzia. the food was great, and staff was, well, italian, barely able to speak any english at all really. but it was way too small for a party of 18. we took over almost the entire restaurant!! but it was a lot of fun. it's always interesting to meet your coworker's significant others. :)

okay, i think my soap should be set now...must get back to work...