Daylight, Consider Yourself Saved

• No but seriously.  It starts getting dark here at 3pm.  You think I am exaggerating.  I am not.  The above picture was taken sometime between 2-3pm.  Please note the setting sun.  Also, it remains dark until about 8am.  That's close to 18 hours of darkness.  Daily.  For all you math lovers, that leaves about 6-8 hours of daylight, on a good day.  These hours do not account for London's tendency toward general gloom.  Love me some London, but c'mon now.  Bring on the HappyLight.

• Somehow, I am able to persevere.  This is in no small part helped by the Christmas Season.  By Christmas Season, I mean shopping.  For myself.  Really truly had the best intentions of getting things for you all but, you know how it is.  One purse leads to another, and bank accounts get tight.  Thanks to the convenient royal wedding clearance at the souvenir shop down the street, some of you might be amongst the lucky few to be gifted Will & Kate commemorative plates.  Not the legit ones, but the ones where their faces look a little...fuzzy.  Only the best for my peeps.

• One place where I broke down and did buy some gifts: Liberty of London.  Simply put, it's four floors of amazing.  An entire department of stationary, another for scarves and purses.  They have an entire floor dedicated to fabric, sewing, decorating and everything that might be required to become Martha Stewart Jr.  I warn you, dearest brother-in-law, that when I take your wife here in April, there is a strong chance you will end the day significantly poorer.  But your suitcases will assuredly be heavier.  So there's that.