on the page... Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

in my cd player... Cibo Matto Viva! La Woman... I'm consumed by the lush "La La La" of "Sugar Water"

obsessions... I think I really struck a chord when I mentioned that I have some strange obsessive disorder that compels me to only make one trip from the car to my apartment, no matter how much I have to carry. Howard just wrote to tell me that he, and in fact his entire family, does this as well. Last night was a new record for me: my regular bag, my gym duffel bag, my booksmith tote bag, six grocery bags (including 5 lbs of rice and a gallon of milk), my gift bag from Julia, and a new mop. one trip. no joke.

we all told them they were crazy... I couldn't think of a more unlikely person than Erika to trek into Time Square on New Year's Eve... except maybe her über-cautious roommate, Jeanne... but she really did it. A first hand account from ground zero...

in my comment field... "And you - I mean you're going to live forever - you don't have time for a cup of coffee?" Willow Rosenberg

sleep with a cloud... An unexpected Christmas gift from my parents, a Queen-size duvet, turns out to be the most wonderful treat ever. I'm sleeping in Berlin, Stuttgart, Prague again. Layers and layers of heaven envelop me.

he is top... Michael had three new Buffy tapes waiting at work for me on Monday... v.v. fabulous of him.

and the award for the best holiday form letter goes to... Definitely Carl... it's a real letter with fresh ideas and perspectives... little musings he's had over the last year that he wants to share with us. Though his letters only come once a year, they are such a treat to receive.

because the world needs another year-end list... Some of my favorites from last year.