The applications have successfully been mailed.

By successfully I mean that the post lost two of them. But I've remedied it, and they are all in. I feel relieved. Now I can simply sit back and worry that I won't get in!

I've also managed to find a solution to two problems that D and I have been having.

After a significant pay cut and the notice that I'll lose my job at the end of December I've come up with a new plan. In order to keep my job I cannot live with my sister. Additionally, D is having tons of trouble living with his brother, myriads of issues.

Solution: we're going to try living together again.

It'll only be a six month trial. If we can't do it now I don't know when we'll be able to. I think I need to know if the horrors of living together were due to a combination of negative life happenings and bad choices.

I feel nervous about it, but my job pays very well and I'd hate to lose it. I'll probably get another part time job as well to keep extra busy. On the other hand, things have been going really well. We've been working a lot of the difficulties of "life" out together. It's nice to have a partner.

The holiday season is a rough time. My dad's birthday is Thursday. I can hardly look at the calendar. D leaves Wednesday for the Midwest.

My mom is giving us an amazing Christmas present. She's taking us all to Mexico over D and Catherine's Spring Break! It's very generous and I appreciate her so much for wanting us all to have a vacation.

I still have a million things to do today so I'd better run, I have a list a mile long to finish.

Love to you all. ET