I've been shooting emails back and forth with T again about my play. Here's the latest, and keep in mind that much gets said before much gets done. As always, it's been suggested we meet (and soon, it seems). Thread is, at this moment, set to be performed in the last week of April with 4 performances. Of course, this is tentative to change. With that, rehearsal time will run a little less than six weeks, depending. Auditions will be held around the time of Guys and Dolls in March (hopefully before spring break). T has already promised me first dibs on actors (he is putting on a smaller show or one act plays just after Thread) and advanced tech will be building my set--so thankfully I'll have people who know what they're doing. I have readied the paperwork to have Thread copyrighted and it's in an evelope, awaiting to be mailed. I need to begin drawing up set designs and even begin searching for costumes. I've got four weeks before second semester, let us see how much unwravels in that time! In the spirit of holiday, I am one gift short of being done with Christmas shopping. Not bad for having practically 3 days to do it all. I did pretty well this year. Checked the lot today and was surprised by what was there--spent so much time running out, browsing, searching, well I forgot all that I had gotten. CK and I decorated the outside of the house today; not much to be done, really. I wasn't much in the mood to go crazy with lights and since we're not having a Christmas party or anything, I didn't see the point in it. It looks pretty, anyway. Next week (Monday or Tuesday, I suppose)I'll rent all my black and white romance movies and have my traditional wrapping fest--there's one tradition I don't have to worry about ending because it's my personal tradition 3 or 4 years running. You can root it to Garbo; it's her fault, really. Her in that Russian film. CK and I actually went on a real date tonight. It had been a while, he pointed out to me, and he was right. So we got all fanzied up and went to dinner and (surprise!) a movie--Narnia. I don't think I'll get sick of that story. I'm going to try to read the book over break because the movie just doesn't have all the details I'm yearning to know. (What was with the lullaby that Tomnus plays for Lucy? And how did Aslan kill the White Witch, by breathing on her?) Hope I didn't spoil it for anyone by asking that... I was plenty in the mood to write but, like usual, I have too many conflicting ideas and no place to categorize and put any of them to use. I've got a whim for a child's fantasy, a taste for adult fiction, and a small hankering for theatre. Oh, where do I go?? The Black Fox, by the way, is Cody. He's been my little shadow ever since I've been home. He always sleeps with mom and dad, but now he's always on my bed. I guess he really misses me. If I leave him for long hours I come home to find a shredded tissue on my bathroom floor; a true sign that he's mad at me. He doesn't make a mess or go digging through the garbage, but pulls out a tissue or two, tears it up a little and leaves it; a little note to tell you he's upset. And each person in the family has their own trash can (or mailbox, really). How peculiar is that? Smart dog. Anyway, he's curled up on my bed with his ears perked up, looks just like a little black fox. I think, if I ever get my head to make up it's mind where it wants to go, I shall use it in a story. The Little Black Fox; a loyal friend of some great hero--a young boy, undoubtably. PS- I've made up my mind. I want my first-born son to be named Peter. Carrie