I guess I can't help but be a little depressed. Christmas time was always such a happy time for me when I was a child. I have fond memories of when, at about two weeks before Christmas, I would get up early and go out with my father in search of that elusive perfect tree. He'd bring along a saw and we'd walk through the field covered in snow until we reached the small grove of pine trees. I would run around until I had found the perfect one and then I would instruct my father to begin sawing. We'd drag that tree home and when we arrived back, my mom had always cleared a spot for that tree in the living room. Dad would then proudly place the tree in its stand and say how nice the Scotch pines always made the house smell.

I don't think I'll bother with a tree this year. I don't even feel like getting the boxes marked 'Christmas' out of the storage room. I don't want to string up lights around the windows or throw a garland on a picture frame. In some way, I want my house to be the "anti-Christmas"

Sam's going all out for Christmas this year. She recruited me to help her with getting a huge tree into her small apartment. She wanted me to stay and help with the decorating, but I politely declined her offer, saying that I was tired and needed to get home before it started snowing again. I think she knew better, Sam always seems to know what I'm thinking. We've been getting closer in the past months. Our recent catastrophic experiences with offworld expeditions had left us both shaken and we sought out each other's company. We weren't what you might call lovers, but we were dancing on that fine line.

Sam even wanted to get a tree for the gateroom. General Hammond almost agreed but then decided against it. Then she wanted to string lights around circumference of the stargate. I think the General got tired of hearing about her ideas to make the SGC more festive and finally conceded to letting her decorate the briefing room. I wasn't really listening to her, but I think that she was planning on baking some sugar cookies and bringing them into the base with her tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I love that woman, but when she sets her heart on something, she can be downright annoying.

My mouth twists into a wry grin as I glance about at my "anti-Christmas". Maybe I should get one box out and put out my snoring Santa. I nearly drove Sam insane with that thing last year. I should bring it over to her get-together tomorrow night, you know, surprise her. I bought Sam's gift last week. Normally I hate shopping, but it was an enjoyable challenge to find the perfect gift for her. In past years I gave Janet some money and asked her to buy Sam a nice sweater or something for me. This year was different, Sam wasn't getting another size medium chenille sweater or a couple pairs of wool socks. However, I could have killed Janet the year she bought Sam a satin and lace bra and told me that it was a baseball cap. Sam nearly choked when she unwrapped that gift.

If I'm going to bring snoring Santa with me tomorrow, I'd better start looking through those boxes now. Maybe I'll bring it to the base with me tomorrow, Sam can use it as part of the decor for the briefing room. I get up off my chair and walk down the dark hallway towards my storage room.