I never quite know what to write, because words seem so barren. But since my santa is the one person I'm reasonably sure will read this, let me start by saying directly: thank you so, so much!

To everyone else: I've been recording a podcast for about 4 years. One of the first gifts I got from Secret Santa, in fact, was a set of inexpensive microphones I used to help launch the show. It's been an important and meaningful outlet in my life during a very tumultuous time when I had very little disposable income. I had to scrimp and cut corners to afford even a couple of hundred dollars for recording equipment.

Of course I always set aside a little cash for Secret Santa, for reasons I need not explain to you fine folks. Whether it's a sweatshirt for my favorite football team, a couple of extra microphone cables, or just a cheap coffee mug—Secret Santa always lifts my spirits (not to mention the joy of shopping for my own giftees).

But this year my Santa went overboard. As you can see from the pictures, my Santa got me a fairly pricy microphone that I've been wanting for quite a long time. It's not the flashiest gift in the world, or the most expensive, but it means the world to me. I plan to put a lot of miles on this bad-boy in the coming years.

So again, to my Santa thank you so very very much. I really can't describe the huge grin I had on my face when I opened the box, but I hope that you know you were a giant spotlight of joy in the midst of a lot of stress and exhaustion.