I Suppose I Should Come Up with Some Christmas Plans

I mean other than dealing with (and or ignoring) the emails that I'm getting back from the 138 students who failed precalc and then signed up for calculus in the spring. How do I respond to the kid who explains that this is the fourth time that he's failed precalc, so he thinks that he's now ready to move on to calculus?

In the back of my mind I was sort of planning on going to see The Golden Compass and then going out to eat at the Waffle House with The Topologist. Turns out that he is unavailable, as he is in New Jersey visiting his parents.

Were my independent study student around, I'd ask him what to do around here on Christmas. My independent study student is so Jewish that he is the bar mitzvah tutor for the basketball coach's son.

If all else fails, I suppose I could work on the mittens that my mother ordered me to knit for my aunt. I've made one so far, but I don't like it, so I'm thinking of ripping it all out and starting over.