so it’s been a while. sorry. i’ve had trouble finding words to put up here, but today, i seem to have found some.

today was a good day. i think that some days it’s easier to locate blessings than others, even though i know they’re always there. (side note: my itunes, on shuffle, just started playing “blessed” by brett dennen; a silly little song, apt for this evening) what made today good? morning coffee; a long chat with my mommy; a brief, but quality, workout; meeting a really adorable, sweet puppy; lunch with friends; a trip to the yarn store; actually being able to focus on studying.

now, it’s saturday evening. i’m alone in my apartment, which i am really loving tonight. the windows face west-ish, so the light in here is absolutely lovely in the late afternoon/early evening. it cooled down considerably today, and my window is open to let the cool air in, allowing me to wear my favorite garment. it’s a cashmere sweater that was found at my grandfather’s house. it lives on the back of my desk chair, and i wear it when i’m studying or making myself breakfast on the weekends. i have a nice glass of wine, good music to keep me company, and i’m about to begin knitting a pair of socks with the yarn i bought on impulse earlier.

and at this moment, saying goodbye to a month that has been difficult, i am content.

in about 24 hours, i will be getting on a bus from lax to bakersfield.  and when i get home, i will be pestering pancho, because no one can annoy him like i can, i will be eating satsumas and whatever kind of christmas candy there may be in the house, i will be admiring christmas decorations, and i will be crawling into my super comfy bed.  and after this semester, these past months that have been some of the longest and most difficult i’ve known, i can’t imagine any place i would rather be.

on an unrelated note, i’ll be putting up pictures from thursday’s historic snowfall some time in the next few days.

This little treasure was found by me in the “People” section of the Baton Rouge Advocate this morning.

“With the best of intentions, we take our children to sit on Santa’s lap and request what they want for Christmas.
Some kids, however, are more afraid than fascinated. Those are the ones we want.
Send us copies or digital images of photos of you or your kids crying on Santa’s lap. Please include your full name, address and a daytime phone number along with that of the youngster on Santa’s lap. We’d like their age then and now and, if you remember, where the photo was taken. Send them to “Santa makes me cry” at etc. etc. etc.”

i’m currently trying to study for finals, and i keep having little musings and i think, “i should blog about that”.  so, here goes.

statistics:  if i’ve learned anything from the non-kinesiology courses that i’ve taken this semester, it’s that i really don’t need as much statistics and physics as they are forcing me to take.  i don’t need to know how to do an ANOVA test, nor do i need to learn about modern physics.

coffee: i should really cut back.  i’ve had too much this morning, and i’m feeling the effects.  headache, shakier hands than normal (i think i already have a bit of an unsteady hand), and just basically feeling ill.  stupid caffeine.

matherne’s supermarket: i can see this store from where i sit in pj’s coffee house.  i tried to buy a bottle of wine there a few weeks ago, and when the cashier asked for my id, he had to call a manager over to look at it.  the manager proceeded to tell me that they don’t like to accept out of state id’s, but they would make an exception for me.  ridiculous.  i’ve decided not to spend my californian money there any more.

cold weather: i love it.  i need to live somewhere cold.  i have enjoyed the few cold days that we have had way too much.  also, i haven’t turned on my heater yet, so my bed is loaded with blankets.  this makes it very difficult to get up in the mornings.  it’s way too easy to stay in my warm, cozy bed when it’s cold in the apartment.

christmas: friday night, kim and i went to the downtown christmas tree lighting.  it was awesome.   way better than the one that was put on at school.  it was cold enough to warrant gloves and a scarf, tons of people, the mayor was there to count down to the tree lighting, and the instant the lights came on, a great fireworks show started over the river.

6: the number of days until i’m done with physics, my most hated class, as well as my final final.

7: the number of days until i get to come home.

cranberry muffin: delicious.  beginning to help the headache, possibly also the shakiness.

that’s all for now.

An excerpt from the Metropolitan Diary in the New York Times this morning.

“Dear Diary:

To make room for a new sofa, my roommate and I dragged our old couch to the sidewalk one evening in hopes that an intrepid seeker of street furniture would pick it up.  Since it was a nice night and the couch looked more comfortable than our stoop, we decided to sit on it for a bit to watch the world go by.

Drivers honked and passengers yelled, ‘Great idea!’  Doormen from across the street waved, while kids giggled at the sight.  We chatted with nearly every person who walked by, and many decided to join us.  We brought out folding chairs to accommodate them, and soon the Upper West Side Couch Party was born.

One joiner was a lawyer from the Midwest who was on her way to a bar, but was easily swayed.  Neighbors from our brownstone whom we’d never met stopped by.  Two guys from down the block brought over a MacBook and a small set of speakers to provide music.

We ended up with donations of grapes, cherries, assorted snacks, beer, wine, Champagne and a stuffed dog.

Soon, our new friends decided to become recruiters themselves and called out to people passing by: ‘It’s the couch’s last night out!’

The impromptu couch party lasted until 2 a.m., and we managed not to get a single noise complaint.  By the next afternoon, the couch had been picked up.  At least we know it had an incredible last night out.”

I would so much rather be sitting on that couch than sitting in Baton Rouge.  At least for the next two days.

I noticed today that I’d been tagged by Becky; now my mission is to write a list of 6 random things about myself, and tag more people.  So here goes:

1. I love to sing.  Really, really, loudly.  But not in front of people, ever.  My dream is to work up the courage to sing on stage, specifically as the character of Elphaba in a major production of “Wicked”.

2. I’m convinced I have the coolest family ever.  Nothing brings me more joy than having the 6 of us (including Pancho, the coolest dog ever) in the same place at the same time.

3. I’m very much looking forward to the time when I am not in school any more.  I can’t wait to be able to come home from work and not have to worry about homework or studying or any of the other things students have to do.

4. My teddy bear, Cozy, has been with me since I was born.

5. Friday night, I made it my goal for the rest of the year to support as many non-football LSU sports as possible, and to encourage a spirit of good sportsmanship among my fellow Tiger fans.

6. Even though I often get teased for it, I love going to bed early.  What’s so great about staying up late anyways?

And now, Amanda, Jen, Kyle, Mom, and Tyler, you’ve all been tagged.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29diary.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

the first one is my favorite, but i also got a good laugh out of the last one.  and laughs have been sparse today.

Probably my favorite thing about Mondays is the Metropolitan Diary in the front section of the New York Times.  I pick up the paper free at school, try my hardest to save that page for last while I go through the rest of the paper and attempt the crossword.  I love hearing people love their city, relating their “only in New York” stories; even never having been there.  Sometimes you feel like the experience was probably really funny for those involved, but it loses something in the writing.  There have been some entries that have been sweet to the point of tears, making me want to pack up and move to the Big Apple.  Still others are laugh-out-loud funny.

This week, for whatever reason, the Times hasn’t been available at school.  This evening, I was thinking about how I’d really missed the Diary, so I searched for it online.  I stumbled upon an entry that gave me a particularly hearty chuckle.  Here it is:

Dear Diary:

My son and I attended the New York Auto Show in 2008. There were maybe 8,000 attendees, and 500 policemen. Just outside the entrance, I went up to a policeman and said: “My son is 16 ½ and has his driver’s permit. Can he drive in New York City?”

The policeman said, “During the daytime, yes.”

I thanked him, and we went into the auto show. We were there for maybe four hours, and we walked the nine blocks back to our car to go home. Right near the car was a grocery store and my son was thirsty, so we went inside. There was a policeman inside, so I decided to get a second opinion, as I didn’t want my son to get a ticket.

I went up to him and said: “My son is 16 ½ and has his driver’s permit. Can he drive in New York City?”

The policeman said: “What’s the matter? Didn’t you like the answer I gave you the first time?” Bob Umlas

1. a nice, cool breeze during my morning jog.  yes, cool.

2. a shortened day at school, thanks to ike and tornado warnings

3. big, impressive wind outside.  weather has been creeping me out a little bit lately, today included, and it can be pretty humbling.  especially here.

4. the pizza place i ordered my dinner from delivered, in spite of the big, impressive winds

5. watching season 4 of The Office, particularly the season finale, which i bought the other day.  my favorite quote: “i wouldn’t be surprised if she’d worked in a bakery before coming here.  she has that kind of warmth…yeah, i’m fairly certain she’s baked on a professional level.”

+

1. not waking up to an alarm tomorrow

2. church sunday

This is what I had for dinner tonight.  Well, it’s actually what I typically have for dinner.  Whole wheat pasta with some kind of sauce, plus spinach salad with olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper.  This year I get to add red wine. =)  And yes, I do now have a kitchen table and chairs, but tonight I needed company, which I was able to find in the form of a DVD.  I usually end up drinking the red wine before I even start dinner and eating the salad while the water is boiling for the pasta, but tonight I made myself wait until everything was done, and it was so much more enjoyable.

I certainly need a more positive outlook if I hope to make it through the semester.  So, expect to see 5+2s fairly frequently for awhile.  Here’s today’s:

1. Waking up wasn’t too difficult, possibly because I was asleep at 10 last night

2. Deciding I actually like the spread-out nature of my Tuesday and Thursday schedule.  It affords more time to breathe than Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

3. The colorful little accessories I have in my kitchen.  Every little thing helps sometimes.

4. Finding comments from two aunts and an uncle on my blog and others this morning.

5.  Getting a phone call from a third aunt this evening after dinner.

+

1. Friday at 1:30, when my weekend starts

2. Dad’s visit next month