Holiday nostalgia.

12.20.13

12.20.13

• Took Mom to work. I like dropping her off and picking her up because I get to visit with her on the way there, and I get to think to myself on the way back. I like driving alone on the highway listening to music.
• I was starting to feel overwhelmed with all the things I ought to be getting done this break, but that feeling inspired me to workout harder than normal for an hour, and I was feeling calmer after that.
• I went to Starbucks to work on a speech I have to do.
• While I was there, Andrew called me. We haven't chatted in forever, and even in those few minutes we laughed a lot. I love that.
• I got good work done on the speech (and enjoyed a hot cocoa).
• When I got home, I read the speech to Neil and Ellen and they helped me work on it for 4 hours. I am especially grateful for their work.
• During the last hour or more, Ellen read parts of the speech to me and we tweaked wording and phrasing, all while I baked five spinach sausage loaves.
• Then friends came over and enjoyed spinach sausage loaf and some card games.
• Ellen helped me even more by designing some business cards she and I need to order.
• Then I stayed up until about 4am, and enjoyed not feeling guilty about it.
• I watched House of Cards (I love when I find a show good enough to watch multiple episodes in a row) and worked on some more Christmas projects.

One of Mom's Christmas decorations - a repaired candle holder.

MO Christmas Trip 12.17.13 - 12.19.13

• My flight on the 17th went smoothly and safely.
• I got window seats on both flights
• And didn't have to check my luggage.
• I got to see Everett's redone apartment--lamps and curtains, framed photos, it's much more home-like now, very nice.
• I've only been here a few days and have already spent hours talking one-on-one with Mom, Everett, Ellen, and G&G Benoist. And all of those visits have been great. 
• On the 18th, Mom, Everett, Lydia and I went to Old Town to see all the Christmas decorations and the costumed characters (like Santa's from different time periods, Jack Frost, Charles Dickens-type people). There was even still snow on the ground.
• We got a brownie at a pub, then met Aunt Linda & Uncle Mark at an Italian bakery and had some chocolate covered bacon (weird).
• We also checked out a very cute spice shop with lots of different teas and dipping sauces and such. It smelled wonderful.
• That night I watched Cloud Atlas with Everett & Lydia. Good movie, very interesting.
• Neil & Ellen both got into town safely yesterday.
• Yesterday I was at G&G's for 5 hours, and the visit was especially enjoyable. We also had dinner together. I just really appreciate my time with them.
• It's great how many people around here really get into putting up Christmas lights. 
• I went grocery shopping at Aldi's (which we don't have in my home state). I love their prices, and I love that they don't have any obnoxious People-like magazines in their checkout aisles. In fact they just don't have any magazines at all, and I like that.
• I got to visit with Mom while I drove her back from work, a major reason I don't mind dropping her off or picking her up.
• I played a hilarious game of Monopoly with Ellen and Everett. I don't remember laughing that hard while playing while we were kids.

Tea pots at the spice shop.

New town.

These are all from early fall 2012, when Jack and I first moved north.

Dessert

Staying warm.

Traveling by plane can be pretty okay.

In honor of Julie's birthday...

...some good memories. :)

Gift-giving.

Holiday scents.

12.12 - 12.13.13

12.12.13

• Got up early and worked out for an hour and a half finishing Breaking Bad! It was such a good show.
• Jack was very helpful both in running to the store to get me ingredients for baking, and in helping me clean up the apartment.
• I had friends over for Christmas baking and making Christmas cards, it was so fun!
• Three of them had never been to my apartment before so I got to show them around and show them all the little crafts I've made that I'm proud of, and they liked it.
• I also got to bake a lot - peppermint brownies, red & green M'n'M cookies, chocolate fudgy cookie bars, and spinach sausage loaf!
• And it wasn't too expensive because everyone who came over brought some ingredients.
• Interspersed with baking, we all made Christmas cards. It was so cool to see the very different ideas everyone came up with, and I enjoyed sharing all my craft supplies.
• Eventually everyone left except Rachel, and she and I got to talk one-on-one for a long time while I baked, and it was very pleasant.
• Once she left, I finished watching Love Actually while making more Christmas cards.
• Overall such a Christmas-y, pleasant day!

Some of the Christmas cards I made.

12.13.13

• Got to clean a bunch of gunpowder revolvers at the place where I volunteer. It was kind of therapeutic, so methodical. I like seeing how the guns come apart and go back together.
• Went to help a friend with some of her lab research--basically collecting samples for her to do DNA analysis on. Also methodical, plus she was really grateful for the help. I notice I respond very well to people simply saying "thank you"--makes me want to help all the more.
• Jack and I are about to go on date night to see The Desolation of Smaug, woot woot.

Sherlock, if he were a dragon.

"What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy."

lawlz

12.11.13

• I got up early to drive into the college town and get to studying. I thought I would hit a lot of traffic, but I didn't hit any at all. Pleasant surprise.
• Our program gives us access to free printing, which is just a nice little bonus. I printed out some last minute notes and a lecture, then went to a local coffee shop I love
• And got their hot chocolate. Now, I'm a huge Starbucks fan, but this local shop does have better hot chocolate, even with nonfat milk and no whipped cream. They use Ghiradelli powder, I expect that's why.
• I arrived an hour and a half before my meeting time with my study partners, and I got a lot done, silently focused, for most of that time.
• Both of my study partners arrived on time, and although it kept us from studying as much, it was nice to trade stories with them about studying and the holiday season and other things. We make each other laugh a lot. They are sweet women.
• I thought ahead and packed enough food that I didn't feel tempted to buy more for lunch, so I saved a few bucks.
• We eventually went back to our program building, where a lot of other people were also studying, and I got to see some of my friends one more time before the holidays.
• The program director was kind enough to give Rachel and me a ride to campus for the test.
• The final wasn't too bad. I had been pretty nervous, but the professors had written it to be much more manageable than the midterm had been. What a relief.
• I'm not sure how I did, but I think I did pretty well. And I'm SO GLAD IT'S DONE.
• Then the program director picked us back up to take us back to the program building
• AND he bought pizza for everyone in the class I TA, just to be nice because it's the middle of finals week. They were so happy (so was I).
• He even made a point to ask what mine and Rachel's favorite pizzas were, and got one of each for us specifically.
• One of the students in the class I TA even gave me a hug because she was so happy about the pizza I guess. (I'm not that huggy of a person but it was a sweet gesture.)
• And there was pizza leftover to take home to Jack, which is always nice.
• I so enjoyed being at home and just making paper snowflakes and otherwise goofing around doing non-studying things.
• I also got to finally finish the movie we rented like two weeks ago on Netflix, and
• I got to stay up late, guiltlessly.

Thank you, coffee shops, for helping me get ready for finals.