STELLA!

The last time I saw Angel was in January when he gave me a ride home in his Matrix.... Then... there he was walking into the Irish Lion and before we knew it there was a round of Stella on our table and digital pictures in my inbox. To Angel and STELLA!!!

Own it!

A heartfelt shout-out to Sarah and Nicholas

Is It Cold in Here? Oh Wait, I just have Olympic Fever!!

Olympics- That special time every two years when we show our fellow nations what we got! I have watched the Olympics every time they have been on for my entire life. I remember when I was four and my parents went to the Olympics in Korea I called them to ask if we were allowed to have potato chips that my grandmother purchased for us. These games will always have a special place in my heart.

Nothing brings me more joy than watching people achieve their goals and actually prove to themselves and the WORLD that they can be the BEST at something. The irony of my obsession with the Olympics is that I am by no means a sports fan. There is just something magical about the Olympic games that makes me cry a little in my mouth. Maybe it's the over-dramatic commentary or the behind-the-scenes look at athletes' struggles, or perhaps it's the idea that people from so many different countries can get along and play nice for two weeks. Why have wars when we could simply solve issues between nations with the Olympics? That may be a stretch but I think I'm onto something...

Regardless, it's a beautiful thing and I want to be part of it. So without further delay I present Eleni and Jes training for the games:

The Last First Day of School

I always enjoy the first day of school... In fact, usually more than the last. Everything seems so exciting and new and optimism fills the air. The smell of the first morning is very distinct and promising. As I walked to my 8:15 ceramics class I felt so happy to be awake and dressed and starting everything once again with a clean slate. On the walk back it occurred to me that this is the last day that this will happen (except grad school but that's not exactly the same). Soon enough I'll be going to the same place everyday and not having the chance to change my routine so frequently. Employers do not hand out a syllabus on the first day and let you leave early. The change is what keeps me going so I'm quite weary indeed about what the future holds. I can't pretend that I have time left because I don't. I'm going to finish my golden grahams and go get some books. For the last first time.

The Legend of the Fall

This week the temperature dropped and the precipitation increased. You do the math. The other morning Mary and I were crossing the street after acquiring hot, caffeinated beverages (I know I know, I like the coffee) and she made it safely to the other sidewalk. I was behind her wearing all of my snow gear, had shoes with traction and plenty of winter accessories. I noticed there was water flowing on the street and thought "Wow, that's interesting because it's so DAMN cold!" Before I knew it my feet were above my head and I was in a lot of pain in the middle of the street. Apparently the water was ice and I was neither fully awake nor wearing my glasses. I somehow managed to save most of my coffee. Huh... Good thing the light was red. Deters.

Words cannot describe...

Maggie!

So remember how I'm afraid of dogs? I met the nicest dog (Maggie, she's 5 and ADORABLE!) this thanksgiving weekend and we're best friends. I'm going to not be afraid of them anymore, in fact I'm thinking about adopting one when I have the time and space to do so. I also drove a small train (that seats 12 adults) around the yard, videotaped my very drunk great uncle talking about his kids, did karaoke with a life-sized Santa, cleaned up after my drunker sorta-aunt and made butternut squash soup all while trying to make a Jewish step-relative feel less awkward around all the Greeks. I faced the mom's family solo this year, no siblings came so it was especially difficult to deal but I made good use of my idle hands and helped out a lot. Paige and Grace (kid cousins) wanted to play with the video camera so I helped them with shot composition and lighting. The chocolate fountain broke which could have been horrible but I fixed it and peace was restored. I have a new appreciation for Greg (my mom's cousin's husband and my brother's godfather), I've always enjoyed him but this year we actually hung out and had some good conversations. We washed dishes and talked about my future. He told me he's considered a deity at his new job in south carolina and it's awesome. I told him I can only hope I reach that point in my professional career. My mom's aunt was really out of it and brought her grandson who didn't talk to anyone. Too many things had nuts. I don't much care for nuts. They tried to send me home with a turkey but I had too much driving to do and wasn't really sure what to do with a 13 pound dead bird. That's just a small sampling of what the past few days consisted of, if I wrote it all out my fingers would be very sleepy. Enjoy your left-overs!