http://tlc.discovery.com/news/afp/20031215/bullet.html?ct=6788.92970857309 Doctor killed while testing his anti-bullet charm. Surprise, suprise, it didn't work.

My new Xmas ornaments - after Christmas sales rule! Note the Sharpie for size comparison.

Took a few cute photos today of my cats "kissing" under the Christmas tree.

Am back from finals! Seemed to go well, etc. Although I have a cold and have been otherwise mostly nonproductive over the last two weeks, I did feel adequately prepared. Now I need to do laundry, clean, etc. During the last week of classes a classmate and friend noted that I was dressed nicely (at least, more nicely than usual, although she didn't say that), and was I going out after class. You see, I explained, all my casual clothes were too dirty to wear and I'd probably be wearing formalwear to my finals. Not that I did, I raided my store of animal-themed t-shirts and sweatpants and have worn variants of that style for the last two weeks. Mostly because it was better than paying for the dry cleaning for the formalwear. ;)

Put up my Christmas tree. A large number of soft toy ornaments and sturdy metal and wood ones - cat-proof, you know. A few glass balls - very small, and thus resistant to breakage despite their delicate nature (none lost yet, despite several spills). Colorful and animal-themed. The tree has the requisite mushrooms - mom claims it is a German tradition that having a mushroom on your tree brings good luck; I have several, including a few semi-antique ones given me by my parents.

Djali is lurking in the lower left-hand corner. They cats have taken to sleeping under the tree.

Several new, cool ornaments this year. First is the angel top of the tree, a gift from cousins Michal and Georgina, they know I like blue (and especially gold-trimmed blue, I'll add); most beautiful, and I needed something to put on the top of the tree, last year it went untopped. Second is the lampshade thing in the middle, above the giraffe, which I adore for its unusual shape and the fact that it has appliqued flowers. Got it at the Knorr Candle Factory, where I also acquired the little handbag ornament, directly below the angel. The two standing Santas are new, too - one from Michal, one from Costco. The candle holders are also new. I ordered more and will put them up next year, along with a bunch of glass icicles, when I get a better fake tree, one that actually resembles a _tree_. This one was a $20 Walmart special. *laugh*