I'm supposed to go and hang out with friends who want to spend the New Year's eve trolling up and down the Embarcadero. OY!!! It's supposed to storm tonight, and I hate being out in the rain.

There's a party I could go and hang out at as well, but all these activities involve leaving home and I just want be warm and under the covers and have it be quiet, and not deal with noise, drunken people, crowds, rain and worst of all, trying to get back home in San Francisco on a rainy night after a big event.

I think I'd rather stay home, meditate on the past year, write new year's resolutions, drink champagne and eat ice cream.

So I was trying to convince myself that I really need an iPod, but this morning SFGATE.com is reporting that Apple might be putting out a cheaper one.

iPod at center of buzz Rumors predict new affordable player at Macworld.

My inner Jack Benny says now I have to wait to find out if it's true.

I was watching Hard Ball with Chris Matthews, and Christopher Hitchens was on and I was blowing kisses at the television because I so love Mr. Hitchens and I so want to marry him. He is the most brilliant man.

Okay so maybe I don't really want to marry Christopher Hitchens physically because he's actually not very good looking, but I definitely want to marry his mind because he is just so smart and so wise.

But definitely if the situation came up, and Mr. Hitchens appeared in my bed, I would totally jump him and not boot him out of bed. I'd sooner boot Brad Pitt or Antonio Banderas out of my bed first, before I'd ever boot out Christopher Hitchens.

They were discussing the presidential 2004 election, and Hitchens said he can't stand Howard Dean as well. God, I so love Christopher Hitchens!

This is a good sign. I needed two more calendars for my place, and I was planning to wait until after New Year's to buy calendars for cheap. My inner Jack Benny is going strong again.

On Sunday I went to the mall, and the calendar store had already marked on sale for 50% off. I bought two that I really liked, and a box of christmas cards for half off as well.

Later that day as I was going through the Sunday paper, I found a free Shrek 2004 wall calendar in the paper.

Three calendars, one free and two 50% off ... such a deal! My inner Jack Benny is so happy because it thinks that it's so bad to ever pay full price for anything.