Morning after

I've done my obligatory 8 Days of Happiness; but I'm not done posting! I'll still be totally incoherent, never fear. But now....finally....I get to COMPLAIN.

Firstly, that lovely feeling from eating so much chocolate has worn off....and now I just feel fat.
And lazy. Unfortunately, I got guilt-tripped into babysitting for a new family tonight; they have a 7-year-old girl and twin boys, age 6.

I am so excited that I'm considering digging myself a snow cave and hibernating for a few weeks.

Speaking of snow, why the hell hasn't it gone away yet? I thought I was going to DIE today, because my mom decided to drive our family friend's minivan to piano class even though a) she hasn't driven a minivan in YEARS; b) she's never driven THIS van ever; c) the roads were a nasty mix of snow, ice, and slush; d) she's not a fabulous driver to begin with. Not that she'll ever admit to that last one, but I know the truth.

Long story short: We got stuck in the slush. Multiple times. IN OUR OWN GODDAMN DRIVEWAY.

But, I got a fatty ball--bigger than my head--of soft yarn from my piano teacher, and we spent a good fifteen minutes discussing knitting. It was fun. This yarn will probably become Gradation Scarf, but I am looking forward to transportation attempts given the sheer mass of it.

I have, for now, come to terms with the fact that my parents will never ever trust my friends, girls and guys both, to not be giant raging hormones. There may be more on this later, because no doubt I will find this practice grossly unfair in the future. For now, it's a convenient excuse when I don't want to be anything other than a hermit.

Being a hermit, as I have rediscovered this break, rocks.

I am looking forward to Monday and Tuesday, because I am seeing outside-of-school friends. I am also looking forward to New Year's Eve, because for the first time in AGES we're not going to Family A's house for their fatty party with nobody my age, where I habitually spend several hours on their couch with my laptop/iPod/book not moving. Instead we're going to Family B's house, and not only do I like these people better, but it'll be just us and them.

Learning this was the highlight of my holidays.

Also, I hit one week of hermit-hood two days ago.....I'm not sure whether I blame my somewhat-existent reader friends for not organizing things, or if I thank my somewhat-existent reader friends for not organizing things. Either way, hermit-hood will be broken soon enough.

And while I'm on the subject, may as well comment on how weird I find it that people mind when we're "anti-social"...yet when we're together at school, our idea of being social is for all of us to have our laptops out with various games/puzzles/crosswords running.

....

So being a hermit and being with the group both involve nearly identical amounts of socializing. Who'd have thought.

As X-mas approaches...

So I got last minute gifts for parents and Sister. Mostly chocolate. Which the rents were there to pick out for themselves. But whatever. Obligations fulfilled!

Grandrents are here! Safe arrival, no flight delays, nothing.

Day of birth approaches!

Someone actually named their child Basil Wolverton. And wasn't a celebrity. Win.

I've realized the bulk of college letters (or okay, a lot of them if not the majority) are repeats and therefore can get chucked automatically. This lightens my load considerably, and the less I have to read about how "If you're unique/smart/magical/a unicorn, then ______ College is for you!!", the better.

I lost internet for a while today, and I actually sat down with a proper book that I enjoyed and it was so much fun. Apparently not being attached at the hip to my computer can be a good thing.

BASIL WOLVERTON.

This man was apparently the colleague of someone who went by "Big Daddy Roth" in professional circles. Those cartoonists. What total nutjobs.

I'm getting a DVD I have wanted for a very long time off Amazon for Christmas, and when the order was in I did the Dance of Awesome Nerds. I looked like a fool.

My mom bought herself a bundt pan because it was on sale. And now it's underneath the tree.

IT RAINED. NOT SNOW, RAIN. SEATTLE IS BACK!!!

Scarves, sisters, and leathery beans

Scoliosis Scarf is over a foot and a half long by now, I'd say. I am a knitting fiend. And also an old lady with cats in disguise.

I was talking to Sister and got so excited I stopped finishing my sentences and just babbled thoughts as I had them. I clearly need to spend more time with my sibling; she makes me immature, but it's a hell of a lot more fun.

My dad's coworker is apparently one of those people who Martha Stewarts her way through life--the type that bakes yummy cookies from scratch and then gives them to people in perfectly tied bags with red ribbons for Christmas gifts. I really hope she's not a temp.

I have yet to hear a Christmas song in its entirety on the radio. It's like the Apocalypse, but happier.

I hobo-ed outside of QFC with Sirius waiting for my mom to get me coffee (what is with QFC and fake hobos?); an old lady gave me a funny look; Espresso Truffle sounds pretentious but tastes REALLY GOOD. I am sad that it is seasonal. Happy that it'll be around for quite a while longer still.

I shoveled snow for the first time in my life today. It was ridiculous and I think if people are too damn wimpy to walk through snow, they should just stay inside. Still, however ridiculous it was, my mom promised to pay me. Cash is always good.

My birthday traditionally sucks, but there will be grandrents here who haven't been here for my birthday since THE birthday...and that one didn't suck, so maybe I'll break the streak thanks to those leathery old beans.

My grandparents are leathery old beans.

My dad is the FailChef. My mom is the vegetable chef. My sister....makes cookies, apple pie, lava cakes, and red velvet cupcakes. And she's the one baking something for my birthday.

Candy mountain

I told my sister jokingly (sort of ) to buy me a bag of white chocolate Hershey Kisses, and I think she did.

I have found that there's nothing better than mint chocolate and white Oreos and tortilla chips with salsa for a snack. Separately.

I've managed to eliminate some colleges from the FATTY STACK OF BROCHURES.

I ordered pizza sticks at QFC today after a very long time, and I was reminded of the time when a kindly gentleman paid for a pizza stick because he thought my friend and I were poor homeless children or something and we could only afford one. In reality, my friend had already eaten lunch. I think he walked off feeling like a good Samaritan. Two words: Charity. FAIL.

I've been having so much junk food this break, but also there has been an epic realization that it doesn't matter if I get fat because the worst that will happen is my parents will say "You should exercise" and some people will secretly be disgusted by me. And life will go on.

I have also had a realization that I should not expect a teen romance-novel guy unless I am willing to act like a teen romance novel girl. I refuse to cry myself actual rivers, so I guess having a boyfriend is out the window. Freedom!

I took a broom to the bushes this morning, knocking snow off them so they'd not be so bent over. It was really fun, and I got snow everywhere, and I suspect that given enough time, this particular task will appear in the training sequence of a B-grade martial arts movie. Karate Kid 4, here I come.

....Bloody hell of snow

So we have about 9 inches of snow all told, because of compression....had the snowed stayed fluffy, it would have been a foot. ONE WHOLE FUCKING FOOT OF SNOW. I love it, but I am almost sort of done. Still. Happiness comes from white powder. Of all sorts.

I finished a couple of different series of books that I was reading. This will probably be my major accomplishment for break.

My family played Taboo; Sister and I totally pwned our parents. It was awesome.

I saw Kung Fu Panda. It was sort of a fail. But also sort of a win. Because of the turtle. And because his name was Oogway. It is the most failuretastic name ever. But I love it.

Christmas approaches! And with it, my birthday! Which means I'm going to be old! And possibly be expected to act responsibly--wait. Okay, ignoring the last two sentences, that is another thing of win.

I have managed not to succumb to the fail of Facebook. I am so proud.

....There's this movie, with this quote. And a very long story goes with this quote, going back to middle school and a movie called Merlin. But basically, I'd remembered this story, but not the actual quote nor the name of the movie. And then....it was rediscovered.

Shut up. I'm happier because of it.

Cody! He is so fuzzy and warm and like a giant horse-shaped teddybear. Even when he was like, I am going to snuggle--no wait, I am going to eat your snowpants.

It was adorable.

I have failed....not that anyone cares

So it turns out that once there's actual snow, I totally space out about blogging in favor of going sledding, wrestling with the pup, and throwing snowballs at Sister.

FAIL.

Still, in apology to the nonexistent readers, I will post a super long post about stuff that's made me happy since the 18th until now. And by super long, I mean it'll be a few lines longer than normal.

I finished my Ancient Med project, and even if it is made of suck it is still finished, which means I'm OFFICIALLY ON BREAK!!!!!

Cody came back, so I got to ride today even though my toes went numb about five minutes in. It was still fun. And he is still cuddly. All is well.

I have time to start a billion more art projects that I'll never finish. This shouldn't make me happy, but it does.

Glove warmers.

I finished a letter to my grandparents! It's only taken me about three months! Yes, I fail at hand-writing letters!!

My room is all snuggly and warm and we haven't lost power yet. Thank you, cake-gods.

WE GOT SIX INCHES OF SNOW.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET ANOTHER SIX THIS EVENING. HOLY SHIT.

I'll actually have an excuse to be a hermit! This...is sort of a good thing, sort of a bad thing. I want to see my nonexistent reader-friends, but at the same time, getting to squirrel myself away on Mercer's pretty fun too.

I'm actually going to see people I haven't really spent time with in years this break. This makes me happy.

Stanford invited me back for another EPGY session...and now I don't have to say yes. Which, though EPGY was kickass, means I'll get to spend more time at the farm this summer, and there is nothing that trumps that.

I got into the outdoor trip I wanted!!! So I can get it done Spring Break and not have to waste valuable summer!!!!! THANK YOU, CHIP.

I have a water-wigglie.

The third Mummy movie has Jet Li. And it's got an undead skeletal army fighting an undead terracotta army. And Jet Li pwns them all.

I've been forewarned that I'm probably going to get ridiculous and useless and utterly magical presents from Sister this year. They will represent the height of nerdiness, and I will love them.

Oh yeah, and WE'RE ON WINTER BREAK!!!!

Cake-gods make me happy

The cake-gods granted us a fake snow day! WITH VERY LITTLE ACTUAL SNOW!!!!!!

I finished my Mediterranean paper! It is made of suck! But it is finished!

The paddock project is actually making progress (I think). Which means Cody might be back this weekend. Which would make me really happy, because I've missed the big fuzzball more than I thought I would.

My dog is cute. And more photogenic than any of my friends. And cute. I've said this before. But he makes me really happy, so he gets to be listed more than once.

If tiramisu was a guy, he'd be REALLY HOT. I am pleased with my choice of favorite dessert.

We have a Secret Santa thing for Spanish class, and I'm kind of excited to see what fun stuff is in store for everyone, mostly because a large percentage of my class are seniors, and the rest are people like Devin, Katie, etc. So I suspect most gifts will be made of fail, but also highly amusing. Also, okay, I like getting presents. Is there a problem with that?

Finally, in a fit of epic win, my mom's making chicken tika masala for dinner tonight. And I'm pretty sure we're having flaky parathas, not just chapatis, and for those of you who haven't a clue what I'm talking about, trust me when I say this is good stuff. Bran Don would growl and gnash his teeth at it in approval.

Oh wait. Not finally. Because the real last thing I'm happy about is that my mom (who is proving herself the best parent a stomach could ask for) bought me milk chocolate with mint filling, and it is going to make me gain about 10 lbs. over break. If they even last that long. Which will make me sad in the long run.

BUT I'M HAPPY NOW!!!!