Early pressies.

The birthday gifting has already started.

 A friend -- to be honest, the pervert who got me hooked in the first place -- sent me the second season of my new favorite (and only favorite among broadcast television) show, Supernatural. It's my favorite season. Well, it's one of the favorites. I like the first three seasons most, although I've yet to see an episode that makes me think, What the hell were they thinking!?!?! 

Yet.

I bought myself a book for my birthday, the newest from Robin D. Owens, who is one of my favorite authors. Fortune smiles at me that she's considered romance and Borders was clearancing out their romance category at 50%. I don't like short-changing authors, but when you're a freelance writer any discount is a happy discount.

Then I went ahead and manufactured a present for myself:

I digitized my music collection -- all sixty trillion hours worth -- in anticipation of getting a new car stereo that would allow me to run the show through my iPod. Which didn't happen. So once upon a time, I had an actual copy of Bauhaus' Mask that I purchased from a legitimate record store, but after I digitized it, I got rid of it. Hey, it saved a ton of closet space for me -- storing all those jewel cases is a bear. But that means I can't listen to it in my car anymore, and I do so love screaming along the highway with Hair of the Dog screaming along with me. So I put it on plastic again, just until I get that new stereo.

Additionally, this week got off to a weird start, so I decided to reward myself with a little iTunes surfing once I finished work, which I did -- I pulled down a list of tracks used in Supernatural episodes and went on a shopping spree. I made myself a CD for use in my car (which does not, as noted, have a thoroughly modern, iPod accessible stereo in it) while driving. Granted, I haven't got a '67 Chevy Impala (as if I'd drive a Chevy!), but I can pretend I'm on my way to kill some demons or something with my uber-cool soundtrack playing.

Hey, we all have our fantasies.