UPDATE: Secret Santa sent more goodies! Husband kindly wrapped them and kept them safe until Christmas morning, when I finally got to see what was in those packages I'd been shaking.

I have this thing about pets. I love them. They're so fun! Except then you have to take care of them and they stick around for longer than you expect. Then I like, not love them so much. So I try to not have too many. I thought a good pet would be a goldfish. These things never last long, right? Especially with kids around, right? WRONG.

Somehow my husband can keep a damned goldfish alive for years. This quarter-sized goldfish that was supposed to stick around for a few months has now been with us for over two years and is the size of a large apple. I hate this fish. It sits on my counter and splashes at me. Please die soon fishy, I want my counter space back.

Santa sent me a pet that's more my style. An electronic pet. One that only requires batteries and probably won't notice if I forget to change them one day. I like this goldfish much better and keep it in front of the old goldfish to remind it that it has been replaced and can peacefully die any day now.

I was also gifted something very creative. A fan of Hooters (both the restaurant and what I'm supposed to have on my chest but am sadly lacking) and delicious tea. What did Santa find? A hooter tea infuser! I also collect owls and am scolded each time I bring a new one into the house because Husband swears I have enough. I'll be off shortly to buy loose leaf tea to try out my new delight. But which of my six owl mugs will I try it in? Perhaps all. I really drink that much tea!

And then, oh then, flavor beans! I saw these in stores ONCE and of course it was when I was a broke teenager and couldn't afford them. Why have I never bought them for myself online since? Because some things I refuse to buy in hopes I'm gifted them one day by someone that loves and adores me. These would be one of those things. I think I made the mistake though of trying a sausage flavored one. It tastes like sausage and candy and I'm utterly terrified to find out how realistic the vomit, soap, and earthworm flavors are. I did locate a cotton candy one though and used that to get the sausage taste out of my mouth.

This was awesome! I can't wait to do this again next year! Thank you lorj for making my first Secret Santa superdy-duper!

Lengthier story posted here: http://www.reddit.com/r/secretsanta/comments/1t3cmj/i_love_my_books_but_i_love_my_hope_and/

For Christmas my secret santa sent me a book I've been begging for for years and a book I didn't even know I wanted.

Being a huge Harry Potter fan and a former baker, I'm always in the kitchen whipping up something delicious for my family, usually while watching Harry Potter or listening to their soundtracks.

I was also sent a book about running. I do not keep it a secret that I'm still very upset with how the past year has played out for me. I was a runner. A horrible one, but I still ran almost daily and I loved it. Then pregnancy left me with severe asthma. Treatments have done little for me and I'm waiting rather impatiently to be approved for a newer procedure called bronchial thermoplasty that will hopefully let me lace up my old running shoes again.

This book, this wonderful and amazing book, details how to adapt to running with specific conditions, how to stay in shape when not running, and has several training guides. This book will give me something to look forward to and ensure that as soon as I recover I'll be outside pounding the pavement. Or maybe lightly trotting on a treadmill. Anything is better than sitting around the house all day.