*waves to all*

You know, yuletide's new site cracks me up, because it contains headers like this:

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Tentacles

That is amazing! :P

I put up my Yuletide rec-list here, for those who are interested, which includes the fic I got for the Sherlock Holmes fandom, which is increasingly imperative now that the sacrilege new movie is out. I bet Sherlock Holmes won't even make the cut in Yuletide next year, which is tragic. Now I know how all the TOS and Watchmen fans felt. :( However, on the plus side, every channel and its mother has been marathoning good, old Sherlock Holmes movies the last few days. *munches popcorn*

I did officially go Super Crazypants at the end and ended up writing waaay more than any sane person should. Yuletide 'Madness', indeed. Now, my brain is free again, though, and it's back to making tennis boys gay, whee! :D

ETA: Yuletide Madness recs.

I may have gone a bit crazy with yuletide this year. Just sayin'. *wonders how many more prompts I can possibly fill before midnight* :P

Merry Christmas, all!

Finally, after months of wibbling, I collected all of the US state flags on my counter:



The Alaska flag is pretty, and it held out for so very long! So, thank you, mysterious Alaska visitor! :D

In other news, I've finished my yuletide fic and posted it, so now I'm flailing and running around in circles watching other people upload. I need me some Yuletide Madness, yo.

Other than that, we're decorating the tree today, so yay. It is so very nice not having to do any work. :P

Finally, here is an awesome video of an octopus building a shelter out of two coconut halves. It is so cute and silly-looking. *pets teh octopus*



This just goes to show that octopi are smart and will one day rule the earth. And I, for one, welcome our cephalopod overlords. :P

So yesterday I went with a group of friends to Chinatown, and on the way back we were waiting for the train. Keep in mind that this was Chicago in December, and it was cold and gray and everything. So the train arrived, and we all looked at it: "What the fuck?!"

Unlike every other train in Chicago, which are all gray and covered with advertisements, this train had winter wonderland scenes painted on the sides, and snowflakes and frosted icicles on the windows, and red-and-green Christmas lights on the side that said, "Happy Holidays from the CTA!"

So we all sort of boggled and got on the train, and the inside was all decorated, too. All the boring seats had been replaced by red or green fabric with scenes from Santa's workshop, and there was silver garland with red bows hanging from the ceiling, and - best of all - the metal poles for standing passengers to hold? Had all been painted red-and-white striped like candycanes! Hee!

So then this CTA employee in a red jacket came over and offered us complimentary candycanes and welcomed us aboard "the Holiday Express", and it was freaking amazing!

When we got off the train, we stayed on the platform to watch it go (as did most other customers, because it was freaking hilarious), and we discovered that the second-to-last car of the train had been replaced by a life-sized model of Santa's sleigh, filled with presents, being pulled by reindeer. *diez*

ETA: Kally found a picture!

So, so awesome! Thank you, world, for being surreal and absurd and keeping me constantly amused! :D

Also, since I'm flying back home for break today, I only have a few things to do:
Respond to comments.
Post fic.
Finish up this yuletide fic that won't end, baby!
Pack.
Take out trash.
Fly home.

Mooch for two weeks straight!