lxforever

“and all I wanted / was you here next to me
a little sunshine and sympathy / that’s what I wanted / it’s all I wanted / it’s what I wanted / me and you / sunshine / sunshine / sunshine / and some tea”

—Zwan, El Sol

WHAT’S ON MY MIND:

-a lot of anxiety. Not going to lie.
-JEFF. is the BEST!!! He takes such good care of me. I am so lucky to have him.
-Jenny!!! She also takes such good care of me.
-Also Diana, Kristin and Tiffany, who let me be Me and Real even as I sometimes struggle
-this time 10 years ago, when I was slowly forging a friendship with a sarcastic, reticent boy in my GD3 class who would turn out to be more than I could ever have guessed…I love you, Jeff.
-Gymnastics! (When is it not on my mind?!) and SEASON and all of that
-The upcoming hockey extravaganza/weekend! Yeah!
-Time to eat.

Adios for now!

“I often speak of you / but the you I speak of is me // Soot in my hair / and stars in my hands / Soot in my hair / and stars in my hands”

—Smashing Pumpkins / Soot and Stars

(enero = January in Spanish, FYI)

Actually not at all (recap, that is). Hi guys, remember me? This is what happens when you don’t blog regularly: it becomes a monumental task to get back at it so you don’t and don’t and don’t. So I’m just going to do whatever here and hope it’s better than, well, nothing.

HAPPY (not really, I mean, it’s like 5 degrees??) January and happy 2013! I guess I did update once this month already so I’m not a total faker, eh. I totally meant to update a few weeks ago about an awesome weekend I had but I did not, so I regret that already. More Recording Of Fun Stuff should be had, you know? Then it lasts longer.

Mostly what I am craving is just hanging out with Jeff at home watching sports (yes, even hockey!) and doing nothing. That does not seem to be happening…also I am craving the ability to get enough food. That also does not seem to be happening (don’t ask). I’ll keep trying…

I mean, it’s not that I don’t like my Social Life, but, well, I have to start cooling it off a bit. Monday (day off) was a TERRIFIC day, but too long/without enough food (big surprise), and then I had a big meltdown that evening. Eh what can you do? Take it easy…something I am not necessarily great at. I might even take a few days off here and there if necessary (but I would rather go on a trip…).

Anyway! Monday WAS really cool (and also extremely cold). I saw Christie, A-K and Michael. My afternoon with Christie + kids was spectacular. We had some AMAZING chats and I know she will be an INVALUABLE resource for many moons to come. She’s a planner, but somehow less anxious than I am (or projects that), which will be incredibly useful. THANK YOU! I left feeling very very happy and hopeful.

I also got to hang out with the kids which was lovely!! Ryan is super adorable and very friendly. He’s a real cuddly bundle of cuteness who just smiles and smiles (and moves fast, whoa). Laura MADE my day by actually talking to me and showing me cool stuff in her room!! I felt extremely special that she trusted me enough to show me her princess collection. And creepy hand toy.

She also wanted to show me Mulan, which was really cute, but, I’ll have to catch that another time (the movie). She ALSO put on a FANTASTIC gymnastics show that was quite beautiful and quite impressive, actually! Of course I went nuts over that. I wanted to test her strength/skills but also did not want to freak her out too much. We stuck with a little bit of it. She was a super pro though. She is going to shine!

Anyway! That was fun. Then picked up A-K…good to catch up even though I was late :/ awkward. But really nice to see her and her superb new apartment. So cute. THEN to Michael’s where we had cinnamon-clove tea and THE RUSTLER and discussed worklife and homelife. Wonderful, I was so happy to have time with him.

Then home…gone too long! I need to take it easy this weekend somehow. We’ll see about that.

Now it is time to eat again, before I go eat again with Diana, so, gotta dash, but hope you all are well and staying warm. Jeff is the BEST!

“oh you fancy huh? / oh you fancy huh?”

—Drake

time 2:34 pm feeling sleepy, the rain does not help wearing new blue corduroy pants, Jenny’s old blue Abercrombie(yes) sweater, gold shirt, SUPER CUTE new shoes from JEFF! reading Chalked Up again music ?? ready for cuddling next work on website

Oh hiiiiiii! It’s 2013. It’s January. And HOLY SMOKES did this year get started with a bang. Well, really just at work. Work has been so totally totally nuts. It’s good…just a rude awakening after such a nice break! Haha! That led to some serious insomnia last week but I seem to have kicked it…for now. Hmmmm.

ANYway. What is Up. I don’t really have a whole lot to say but I did want to check in here. Despite the work craziNESS, 2013 is off to a good start. Just as I anticipated! I am grateful for that. Here are some random fun things:

-Jeff had yesterday and today off. He played videogames and worked out all day yesterday and it sounded like just the perfect day for him! He has been working really hard at work so it makes me very very happy that he could have these days to do that stuff. He deserves it! Now if only I were home with him … 🙂
-Tomorrow I am going to yoga with Kristin! Yeah!
-Also tomorrow is Yogurt Lab/UMN meet with Diana! Quickly becoming tradition, lovvvvve it
-I met a longtime ‘Internet friend’ on Monday and it was terrific. We REALLY hit it off and it was so fun! We also ran into some girl from Jenny’s/my classes in elementary school randomly (Jessica R.) so that was funny. Anyway.
-While I miss the Christmas tree etc, a very nice thing about this time of year is license to stay in, read/watch shows, eat treats and cuddle up! GET READY JEFF! Yay! We had a Movie Night last Friday and that was SUPER divine. What a great way to start the weekend!
-We had a really cool sports day the second-to-last-day of 2012. Went out to watch Vikes game with Dave/Lisa and it was such a good game! Everyone at the bar got really excited (duh), after which we went directly to the Gopher hockey game where the energy was SUPER high and the Gophs proceeded to CRUSH IT all over Boston College, 8-1. Holy kamoley. I might actually start watching games now too…LOL.

Anyway I’m sure there is more but I did want to get SOME kind of update out there…so sorrrry (not really, not at all) if it is lame. It was much better in my head! Happy weekend (almost), all!

“But compassion isn’t about solutions. It’s about giving all the love that you’ve got.”

—Sugar

“Settle down / it’ll all be clear / Don’t pay no mind to the demons / they fill you with fear”

—Phillip Phillips

“It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you / Everything I do / I tell you all the time / Heaven is a place on earth with you / Tell me all the things you want to do

—Lana Del Ray

“Bright light almost blinding / black night still there shining / I can’t stop, keep on climbing / looking for what I knew”

—Led Zeppelin

“One friend came in / out of nowhere, with lit / sparklers in both her hands for me / and saved the day / when I had run away / to envy and black feelings // And the world at night / could see the greatest light / too much light to deny.”

—The Innocence Mission, July

“We can’t predict the future. We can only strive to be future friendly, while solving the problems of today.”

—@LukeW

“If ‘Happy Ever After’ did exist,”

—Maroon 5

“I want to hurry home to you / put on a slow, dumb show for you / crack you up”

—The National

“Wildflower in the wilderness outside / take your chance with love and laughter / And every word I write, yeah / from that body will never learn / when it’s far too gone I’d move on”

—Smashing Pumpkins

“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”

—Kurt Vonnegut

Me:

“What’s the best thing about being 5?”

Anna:

“I guess, drawing on the computer.”

Anna:

“What’s the best thing about being 30?”

Me:

“ummmmm……”

—3/10/12

“Hold on tight to your dream / when you see your ship go sailing / when you feel your heart is breaking / hold on tight to your dream”

—Electric Light Orchestra(??)

“running down a dream / that never would come to me / working on a mystery / going wherever it leads / running down a dream”

—Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“You’ll see your heart will know / Dreams are more precious than gold”

—Enya

“Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back / Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that / The dog days are over / The dog days are done / Can you hear the horses? / ‘Cause here they come…”

—Florence + The Machine

“My! My! Time Flies!”

—Enya

THINGS 2012 WAS ABOUT: The Short List. GOLD. Atheism. Feminism. Athleticism. Guns. Hating. Hating on women. Gymnastics. Children. Equality for all!! Insomnia. Women. Fake Empires. The markets! 31 > 30. Dreams dreams dreams. Obama! Yoga. The immediate family. Protectiveness. Babies-they’re-babies. The Future. The Internet. GABBY and the US girlies. WORK (apparently)! The Captain/Baroness! Rejection of anything remotely representing squashing of gay rights/equality for all. THE WEDDING. NOT being 2011. Compassion. Jeff Jeff Jeff. Family. Hope.

I just spent part of NYE 2012/13 cleaning out my purse to put essential-contents-only in a new cool wristlet. And it wasn’t nearly as dumb as it sounds. You see, it’s all part of my Grand Scheme for 2013 (see how I rhymed there?!), which basically involves streamlining, by whatever means necessary – even if it means saying goodbye to the 2-months-rotating handmade purse collection that’s been in my use for, like, 13 years…ever since NYE 1999 (no, seriously). Obviously…I have problems letting go of the past. But, I am not 18 anymore, and The Future is calling.

WE HOPE!

Anyway, here in the Central Time Zone, there is but one hour left in 2012. HOW did that happen?!? It’s kind of amazing. While I do not wish to dwell on 2011, the one thing Jeff and I keep saying about 2012 is “it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than 2011!” Which is true. So. We are grateful for that!

2012, like any good Olympic/Election year, was pretty monumental. A lot of really good things for a lot of really good people. Also a lot of really terrible things for a lot of really good people. Reinforcing my belief in chaos as well as pulling me closer toward atheism (along with the Catholic Church disappointing me time and time again – I don’t think I even went to church once this year, believe it or not; just couldn’t cross that threshold…ahhh OK this is not meant for this update, moving on!). I don’t have it in me to go slowly over the year here, sorry, but here are a few highlights/lowlights – apologies to anything I’ve missed aaaah!

BUT FIRST – MANY thanks to:

The Short List. Basically Diana, Kristin, Kelly, Jenny and Stephie. And a few select others, too, near and far and dear. Plus my LJ friends. You’ve been immensely wonderful and I would not not not have survived the past few years without you (or the future ones, I imagine). And a few select extended family members (basically Christie and Michael, and Katie). For being there and then not, as needed. I’m very, very, very lucky.

Without further ado (‘adieu!’)…2012 (in no particular order)!

SOME GREAT THINGS ABOUT 2012:

-JENNY AND HAKAN GOT MARRIED!!! Their wedding was simply AMAZING and one of my most favorite days ever. I just love Jenny so, so much!
-Diana got engaged!!! I got to help pick out the ring too 🙂
-One of my friends is expecting twins in May, YAY!
-Christie had Ryan! And he is doing well
-OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS GOLD!!!
-And GABBY!!!!!
-OBAMA!!!! Round 2 bitches!!
-Republicans learning they cannot hate women and still survive
-The Recovery seems to be somewhat in place
-Marriage Equality being supported in MN YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
-THE ELECTION! Women winning. Elizabeth Warren! Marriage equality! Etc!
-We got to see Anna and Mason THREE times, including crazy playing in SF AND a crazy playday in Madison…yayyyy
-Jenny’s crazy bachelorita party in Chicago, aw yeah
-Jenny’s super fun shower weekend
-celebrating JENNY!
-being with Jeff, loving it, and working our way (successfully) through challenges
-lots of really great yoga with Jeff and with others (and our dear fave instructors, ha)
-related to that…our HEALTH. We were much healthier this year and we are very grateful for that! YAY!
-my new doctor who solved my insomnia problem, or at least helped me live with it
-I got to present at a work conference for the first (and second) time ever, it was really cool! In Atlanta
-FRIENDS friends friends…friends who Got It, friends for distraction, friends who were wise, friends who knew what to say and do…Diana/Kristin/Kelly/Andrea, Susan and A-K and Amber, for whatever degree of support I needed or did not need but did what I needed (if that makes sense)…very fun/thank you
-FAMILY, extended fam at the wedding/other wedding-events/family events, immediate family in times of crisis, and very-immediate family (me, Jeff, and our fish Rudy 😉 ) always

SOME VERY NOT-GREAT THINGS ABOUT 2012:
-20 Kindergartners shot dead
-Trayvon Martin
-Basically this whole country’s problem with/love for guns…WTF?!!
-The hatred of women/women’s rights/equality for all, even by those who are, you know, WOMEN…I will not understand this, EVER. Sorry.
-Three dear friends/loved ones who were expecting and then quite late into the whole journey lost their babies…14 weeks, 19 weeks, 24 weeks. Scary scary nature, so tricky and so cruel. So hard to understand.
-My Uncle Joe died. He was just such a good PERSON too that this makes it extra-sad and tough. Especially for my aunt and cousin and all those who were lucky enough to have him in their lives. May he rest in peace.
-natural disasters, here and abroad…and the usual struggles the whole world deals with (and in my charmed life I only read about, honestly)
-May 2012. Mortality May. It led to a pretty down summer, which had to happen, but was not enjoyable to say the least.
-a few struggles a few friends are still dealing with that I don’t feel compelled to share but I hope are resolved in 2013, for the better

SOME AMAZING THINGS IN 2012:
-Jeff/our relationship. I don’t take that for granted!
-our charmed life…when you see what other people deal with, I am very grateful to live here and be as lucky as I am!
-a little bit of a step toward the future/good news + getting to share it

2013 holds a lot of promise. It’s a 13 which is Jeff’s (and Kelly’s!) fave, the Gophers look to be on track to be a championship contender once again (hockey), I have some pretty cool stuff awaiting me in the workplace, at the moment everyone seems to be in good health, and more. Our lives could be very different next NYE, and for that I am grateful/WE HOPE.

We are very very very lucky, to have this life and to have each other, that is for sure.

My goal for 2012 was Survival. ACCOMPLISHED. I feel pretty good about that one, in fact, I may have done more than merely survive. 2013? 2013 is about:

-being in the moment, as much as I can
-streamlining…this basically means making life easier, cleaning out the house, and preparing for the future

^ and honestly I think that’s all we’ll be able to handle. One thing at a time!

So Hug is sitting there wearing the giant glasses Erik gave Jeff, and the chessboard and cheese are sitting there waiting for us. It is Time. Happy New Year friends! May 2013 be good to all.

“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel / Born is the King of Israel / Mary, Mary had a little baby / Yes, pretty little baby / Yes, pretty little baby / Glory be to the newborn King / … / They looked up and saw a star / shining in the East beyond them far / And to the earth it gave great light / And so it continued both day and night”

—Sarah McLachlan, The First Noel / Mary Mary

“Come! See! High above / Come! See! High in the heavens / A new star shining bright”

—Enya, Dreams Are More Precious

The Christmas Eve update…year 15! What up. So crazy. Think about all the changes in tone and trend and times this site has gone through in those years…from sentimental to super religious to desperate to acronym-littered…on a Compaq with dialup to a little iPad mini that could type what I dictate. What a fast, amazing world. MERRY “C”MAS!

I’ll be honest, this is my first time not attending church on Christmas in…probably my whole life. (I can’t speak for my infancy.) It’s kind of weird but not really. It seems mostly right, especially considering how the Catholic Church, at least around here, has seemed to be less and less about goodwill toward all these days, and despite all the dear goodwill-giving Catholics I am lucky enough to have in my life, I just can’t do it myself. So here we are.

15 years…when might it wrap up? Maybe next year, eh? There is so much good happening in our lives right now, and we are very very very lucky and grateful, but next year’s Christmas could be very different indeed, if luck stays our side. We hope it does, but for now, we are quite happy to be together and home and cuddled on the couch by the tree just the two of us. Love, love, love! May you be lucky enough to have some of that in your life, too. Merry Christmas, & may your New Year’s dreams come true. Sometimes…they do.

“Come! See! High above / Come! See! High in the heavens / A new star shining bright”

—Enya, Dreams Are More Precious

“Ev’ry song you hear seems to say ‘Merry Christmas,’ / ‘May your New Year dreams come true’ / And this song of mine in three-quarter time / wishes you and yours the same thing, too”

—Frank Sinatra, The Christmas Waltz

“and we’ll / fall asleep / counting our blessings”

—Ray Conniff singers

Remember in 2011 we had some ‘terrific Tuesdays’? (OK I’m sure you don’t, you are not obsessed w/ me, ha HA!) ANYway, this Tuesday was like that. Totally a surprise and totally terrific! We got two pieces of really good news (about totally separate things) in the space of about one hour, and so when I called Jeff about the second piece I couldn’t stop laughing because it seemed WAY too good to be true – a dream upon a dream!! Ha.

The week before winter break in 12th grade was sort of like this, I got accepted into a fancy college (ha) and then officially received a nerdy designation for something else with some of my other “smart kid friends” (credit Ian Keesey) from our wacky principal. It was a crazy busy time but good things were happening. Whaaaat?! Awesome.

ANYway so suffice it to say I feel very very lucky and very very grateful. Also it was all about 13s, 2013, 13%, and more and more. So! Here is to 13s. Jeff’s (and Kelly’s) favorite number!! YAY.

I don’t think I said that enough. I feel VERY VERY LUCKY + so so grateful. (I’ll probably say it again a few times, too.)

So many good things happening!

My BFF got engaged last weekend too!! CONGRATULATIONS DIANA + BIL!!!!!! My streak of being a bridesmaid from May 2009-June 2012 is off its brief 6-month hiatus (probably last time ever).

We sort of pre-celebrated Terrific Tuesday Part Deux (not knowing we were/what was coming, ha!) on Monday night w/ a very fancy dinner with Kristin and Scott. Great, great fun! Kristin has a lot of secrets.

Then working a lot.

Then last night Diana and I saw our favorite little former gymnastics student and her mom! YEAH! She brought us magnets and had super-cute gymnastics hair (she goes to a Real Club now, 2x a week! Whoa!). We gave her books and chit-chatted. She mentioned that she did not want to have a baby because ‘my mom told me where they come from and I think it will hurt. So I’m going to adopt’.

Wise words little girl.

Anyway. That is that. Lots to be happy about and grateful for. I count my blessings every day. Enjoy the snow if you have it!

Today for the first time I have a 40-year-old sister. Happy birthday Stephie!!! For a brief time (~4 months), the 3 of us are once again in separate decades. Fun!

“When schools anticipate shootings enough to have lock-down drills, it’s hard to pretend they are isolated incidents. It’s a national crisis.”

—Jane McManus

We all need guns but we don’t need mental health care and an entire elementary school of children experience a mass shooting, with so many dead. What?

(It’s not that I think access to mental health care is simple, or that banning guns is the trick, but…there has to be something better out there, somehow. Whatever that is, there just has to be a better way.)

Oh ugh. Oh awful.

Such a tricky planet.

I mentioned a couple entries ago that I had a friend about whom I was worried. Things did not go in her favor. She is a pretty amazing person and will make it through – far stronger and more graceful than I could ever be – but nature, it’s just too tricky and too unfair. Unpredictable and unfair. Still thinking of her and her family.

You just have to be grateful for each good moment when it comes. Lucky for my household we have had quite a few of those this week. So much more happiness than I could have imagined, it almost feels too good to be true. But all you can do is enjoy what you have while you’ve got it, I guess.

Yesterday was one of those. A busy day of work but lots of fun celebrating Jeff’s birthday too. Topped off by a hilarious, bizarre drawing by my hilarious, bizarre niece. It’s kind of crazy just how related to her I feel sometimes…haha. (“She thinks food doesn’t want to be eaten?” “You don’t?!”)

Elementary school kids drawing “APLZ’s” and “BNNA’s” and “STROBAREEZ’s”; elementary school kids getting shot. What the hell.

Twelve written out is such a funny-looking word, WTF? Anyway today is 12/12/12 (duh). I am not completely sold on this being an important date, because WI is trying to make it about Aaron Rodgers (don’t really like him, sorry) and I don’t like even numbers anyway, BUT so many of my dear family and friends remembered it for me that I felt obligated to observe it. So! Happy 12/12/12!

Today is connected to the number 12 in another way too, which is cool. Yay for 12!

Today is also Jeff’s last day of being 34! 34 has been pretty decent but I think 35 will be great too. Happy early birthday to Jeff, THE BEST!

Anyway. So I can’t do much here but wanted to say hi. ALSO do an EOTW. This weekend was super badass. Friday we went out for Jeff’s birthday with his family! We went to Ginger Hop. That place is so cool. Their service is amazing and the food is pretty good. Love it. Coldstone pie for all, too. A very nice evening despite the snow! I even hung out at a coffee shop for a bit between errands/dinner. Yay.

Saturday was SUPER SOCIAL SATURDAY and I saw SO many lovely people and met lots of great new ones! Aw yeah! It started with a new yoga class…I’m not sure I liked it. Maybe I’ll try it again someday. I just can’t find a good match! But then I met up (in my cute yoga clothes, haha) with Kristin at Riverview Cafe! (DID YOU KNOW I used to work in the basement of Riverview? For just a couple months. It was pretty sweet/terrible [sweet for the iced tea, terrible to work in a basement].) We had treats and caught up and it was so cool to see her TWO WEEKS in a row YAY!!!

Then I went off to my second social engagement which was seeing Colleen. We met up at Patisserie 46 and I had second lunch, which was pizza, a roche, and an amazing grapefruit soda. SCORE! I hadn’t seen her in awhile and it was super great to chit chat. Then home to shower! Jeff was out with Sarah but shortly came home and we happily reunited (I mean, after a day out and about that is).

I got cleaned up, said goodbye to Jeff, then headed out for Tricycle. FANTASTIC!!! I somehow forgot that my cousin Matt now lives here, AND/or that my aunt Barb and uncle Glenn would be there and so it was a nice surprise to see them. GT + Babs + Mattatat, as they say! Mike and Kaitlin are amazing chefs so I had some nice appetizers and a carrot soda. I even saw their aunt Sue and uncle Scott. Lots of interactions! I love seeing Mike’s pals too (Tiff, Jen, Tariq, etc). Anyway. I sadly had to leave shortly to attend my final social engagement(s) of the evening, which started with dinner at Hazel’s with Diana (divine!) then off to St. Louis Park to attend Melissa’s mysterious party.

The party was a super big hit! Apparently the cohost was Melissa’s new boyfriend. He’s a real gem! His house was adorable too and he knows how to throw a party. We were definitely the youngest people there, but that actually was really cool because everyone was SUPER fun and that made me excited (sort of) to be 40 (like Stephie shall be on Monday!). I especially liked meeting Becky who lives on my street, apparently. Cool lady! And of course it was great to see Melissa. She is a doll. I hope to see her again soon (she moved to Denver, but w/ a boyfriend in Mpls perhaps she will move back now?? ha ha).

FINALLY we went home, got lost, then I got home and it was late and Jeff was worried. SORRY JEFF! We hung out waiting for the snow – Jeff RAN to the window to see the first flakes fall – and eventually off to bed.

SUNDAY! Sunday was super. Jeff woke up, saw the snow, and shouted “YES! YES!” from his bed. We spied on the neighbor kid playing in the snow and marveled at the fat white flakes. It just KEPT SNOWING!!! It was way impressive and everything Jeff dreams of. The day then became a day of staying in, being cozy, baking/making food, reading and watching Vikes. GOD what a perfect day!!! At one point we were on the couch all snuggled up by the tree and I just wanted to be like that forever. Please? Awwww. My parents almost got stranded in Minneapolis on their flight home but somehow got on standby, yay! So it was a day of victories for all. Our unofficial snow count was 11.5″ at our house and that just made Jeff’s day. YAY.

Well wow that was pretty good. I’ve got no quotes or whatever but happy to have recorded such a great weekend. I can’t wait to celebrate Jeff again tomorrow…and Saturday…and every day! Hooray. Adios!

“Finally it has happened to me / right in front of my face and I just can not hide it”

—Cece Peniston…oldie but goodie! I should get this song

“Let’s fade into the sun / let your spirit fly / where we are one / just for a little fun / oh oh oh yeah ! // I want to get away / I want to fly away / yeah yeah yeah”

—Lenny Kravitz…OK not really but see below, a song from yore

time 4:18 pm feeling tired but happy wearing fuchsia sweater, black pants reading sort-of Lincoln book, but…not really music CHRISTMAS music! ready for bed next fixing things

What?

Are you ALSO disappointed in the decreasing frequency of lxforever updates?

Would you daresay, even, that Trike is BEATING me in this regard, just like days of old?

Yep, pretty much. Well…sorry. What can I say, some days/months/years are for writing, and some, well, are not.

(I’m even already anticipating what an EOTY update might look like. I reread some of that sort of thing from 2011, and, damn! That year was bad. Oh so bad. But, at least there were good things. And this year! Mostly good. So much better. But, there were of course bad things. And So It Goes etc etc etc.)

FOR THE RECORD, my two favorite traditional holiday songs are Carol of the Bells and O Holy Night. Just FTR.

I also really like Dance Party Christmas Mix and the Charlie Brown soundtrack…DUH!

Well OK. So far this update is a fail. I just spent over an hour trying to get something in XCode to work, I could not get it to work, then all of a sudden I did…something, I don’t know what…and then suddenly…it worked. I feel like both a complete idiot and an evil genius all at once. I wish I knew what I did! Gah!

Also today is Christie’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTIE! May your days be merry and bright. A week from tomorrow is Jeff’s birthday (tomorrow is his last Thursday of being 34 woohoo!). THEN it is Stephie’s birthday (SIDE NOTE: her birthday is also the b-day of little Ki., and ALSO the b-day of my boss’s kids, which TOTALLY made me look like a TOTAL CREEP for remembering that on Monday when he discussed their party, but, aaaaah I can’t help myself – I honestly never forget birthdays once I’ve committed them to memory. AAAAAH! I’m a psycho birthday stalker I guess). Then LeRoy’s, from afar, then Elizabeth’s, then Mike B’s, etc etc etc. You get the picture. I GOT THIS!

I got TWO emails from former gymnasts’ moms yesterday asking about where to sign their kids up, also one with an update on a former beloved student (who is totally thriving and a totally great bars worker already – yay monkey-bar tricks). STELLAR / super cute! So happy to hear they are all continuing. Me, I continue to laze around and soak up the holiday season.

Did you know our house is the absolute BEST this time of year? It is the MOST cozy space EVER, with the lights, the tree, the village, etc. It just makes me want to be there ALL THE TIME. Jeff in fact is there today, and so was I yesterday – surprise day off! It was super super cool (and super cool of my boss to let me have a last-minute day off). GREAT, relaxing, wonderful random day off in the Cozy Christmas House with THE BEST EVER, Jeff. YES!

We had a most wonderful weekend. One of those hang-out, chill-out, supergold types. Friday was a super secret special errand followed by fried rice…yep!, Saturday was yoga with Kristin (first time I’d been back to Corepower in awhile, they were kind of jerks at the desk but the teacher was AMAZING and the class very very good for level 1, kind of want to return…we’ll see) followed by a magical holiday brunch/shopping. We went to Chez Arnaud and had the most delicious little pastries (and tea!) ever, then ‘Santa’ came to bring us candy canes, THEN a troupe of costumed carolers filed in and began performing. WTF/awesome! We were trapped there for awhile, then we had majorly productive shopping together along Grand. Glorious glorious day! Kristin is one of the most thoughtful people I know. I am very lucky to know her.

(OK so I’m doing EOTWkd now, FYI) THEN I did some more shopping by myself, then came home and just…CHILLED…with Jeff. By the tree. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice!!! We ordered pizza just to continue the total laziness and I reveled in it. Jeff finally cracked open his new video game and I finally went to sleep…

…then Jeff could not fall asleep because he was soooooooo amped up from the awesomeness of his new game! OH NO! However I used the techniques I had learned in that amazing insomnia book once I realized he was still awake (very very late, or very very early, depending)…and successfully lulled us BOTH back to sleep. SCORE me! It was very, very comforting.

Then it was Sunday. Got up, made raspberry chocolate chip pancakes and mint tea, ate and read and watched shows and cleaned Rudy’s tank. He’s so cool! Good job Jeff for always taking care of him. Then off to swim RIGHT at 12 which was great, got my own lane and everything, YEAHhhhh! AND free parking til 1. Suckas. I’m pretty sure I went somewhere after that…can’t recall…then home to make cards. Love it. Always fun. Card-made the afternoon away. Made us some best meal ever – yay for finally cooking meat again, ha ha! – and we watched the Walking Dead finale. INTENSE!! Then to bed.

Great weekend! Yesterday was lovely too. Hooray. AND Monday I had lunch with Tiffany, and a fun department lunch today too…score. And now to solve my JS issues (I hope).

Man! You know what else I was thinking about? How INTENSE this time of year was when I was in high school. MOSTLY because of gymnastics (although there was the added excitement of getting-into-college letters/NMSQT results being announced in ’99, so, that was cool). It was serious make-it-or-break-it time, and while I LOVED that whole life (duh), I don’t know that I miss how tough it made this time of year feel – it was like, I wanted to party/celebrate for the holidays, yet there was this added layer of DESPERATION (gymnastics-wise) in EVERYTHING. Whew! Lots of listening to “never gonna get it” and “fly away” for that, ha ha ha. Geez louise. So much drama as a 15/16/17/18-year-old, man. But intense! Whatever!

ALSO: I can’t go into detail, so this will seem ridiculous, but I have a friend who is really struggling right now, in a situation more or less completely out of her control (health issue) but completely scary. SO even though I know this is way vague and weird, if you could please think of this friend, that would be great. Thanks.

All right that’s about all I got. Looking forward to a few fun things next week. Holding out hope for good news to roll in. Hang tight (or loose), my friends!