16 posts tagged “holidays”
The good Pete reminded me that I haven't done my annual Thanksgiving break roundup. So, here it is, in abbreviated form.
Tuesday - I drove home and chilled with my family. That evening, my aunt, uncle, and cousins stopped by to visit since they were in town. It was my first time meeting my baby cousin Eliana, and she was just as adorable as she was in the pictures. I love babies.
Wednesday - Went on a run on the treadmill, which tells you how desperate I was for a run.My friends came into town. That night, Pat dropped me off at the Martini Bar so I could meet up with Tap, Conrad, and Clint. I very rarely get to enjoy a drink out since I'm always driving myself, so it was nice to be able to relax and have a few. We just hung out for awhile listening to the local band playing there (good) and the DJ (bad, very bad). Then we started playing pool, which was my first time ever. Haha.
Thursday - Thanksgiving! I actually made my pumpkin pie before my dad started his turkey. This is probably for the first time ever as I usually procrastinate on the pie, leading to my dad getting on my case for procrastinating and rushing the pie. Everyone declared that this was the best pie ever, so I guess I did something right. I stayed in and watched movies with my dad, as Pat went out with his friends and my mom fell asleep.
Friday - Tap invited us over for a fantastic Thanksgiving feast that his parents made. We then went to the mall, where I was able to get some good deals. Later that night we went to play pool, and capped it off with late night Whataburger.
Saturday - My dad and I went on a good run, which I needed to clear my head and lift my spirits from something that was bothering me. We decorated the tree at night. For some reason, one of my parents had randomly stuffed the ornament box with old papers and photos. I found old pictures of me, including one from 8th grade that should never see the light of day again, as well as the journal for English class I wrote at 16.
It always sucks returning from a break, because I have to get used to how quiet my apartment is. It takes a bit to get my mind back into work mode, too. I'm getting sick too, which also is not fun. I hope it clears up before Friday night, as I'm supposed to go on a backpacking trip this weekend. If I feel better, I will go and buy some warm clothes for the trip.
I'm going to go relax. Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I'm sorry for the lack of interesting updates. Let's see, what has happened since I last blogged? There was the annual Halloween dance that I attended last Thursday. That was fun...but not as fun as last year, because only the people who paid for a $45 4-week Thriller choreography course could perform the Thriller dance this year. I think that is pretty crappy, because besides the expense, the whole fun of the performance last year was learning it, half-forgetting the moves, and then having everything turn into a clusterfuck at the end. Oh well. I still had a good time though. I went as a mainstream punk princess. I wore a Green Day shirt, tights, black boots, gloves with the fingertips cut off, and BLUE HAIR. Looky:
It's New Year's Eve! How are you celebrating tonight?
With the people who matter the most to me- my family. We already have a bunch of seafood that we are going to prepare later. I can't wait.
Right now the RAI is on, and apparently Italians love old 70s and 80s stars that everyone else has forgotten about. Gloria Gaynor and the lead singer from Spandau Ballet (I'm embarrassed that I even know that) have already performed.
Happy New Year! Hope it's the best one yet for all of you (and for me).
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I am having a very relaxing vacation at home with my family. There is nothing that renews your spirits and well-being better than being around your loved ones (and eating good food). We have been spending this week lounging around the house, eating, and watching movies. Patrick's birthday was a lot of fun (maybe a little too much fun, hehe). He really liked the keyboard I got him.
Santa was very good to me this year. Look what I got:
I was so surprised. I never have a Christmas wish list...I have all the things I want, so I just like being surprised. And I would never have put a Coach purse on a wishlist to my parents because I know they aren't cheap. I was surprised, all right! This bag is simply exquisite. I love the leather handle and buckles on the sides. It's a good-sized bag, too, so I have enough room to carry my work notebook and planner. Plus, it goes with just about anything!
I spent today going on a good run with my dad, doing some shopping with the crazy sales going on, and going to Barnes and Noble to enjoy peppermint hot cocoa (yum yum!) I went to Kohl's and purchased a pretty pink sweather (for only $8.99!) I also got this shirt:
Some things on my wishlist for the future:
1. Hot Rollers.
I'm amazed that is has taken me this long to discover these. I have naturally wavy hair, and it's so humid in Texas that straightening it can be such a chore. But I never learned how to use a curling iron, and my attempt to do fancy curls for the Winter Formal failed miserably when a. I realized I really didn't know how to use a curling iron, and b. I was afraid of burning my fingers off. I tried my mother's set of hot rollers today and loved it! It gave me serious waves that even kept up with the coastal winds. No straightening involved, just blow-drying! It was quick and easy too (and I hate doing my hair, so anything that is quick and easy is a big plus). I am definitely picking up a set at Target this week.
2. Candies' Heels
I was browsing Kohl's website today and spotted these puppies. These shoes need to be in my life. Now.
Unfortunately, they aren't on sale yet...so I'm going to keep a hawk's eye on the website to see if/when the price drops.
Well, I'm going to go read magazines (I am working very hard today, as you can see.) Have a great Friday!
My dog is now curled up next to me, asleep, but earlier he was doing his best to sabotage my gift wrapping efforts. Harry was especially jealous when I was wrapping gifts for my little godsister Raquel. He would climb on top of her gift. He would take his bone and place it next to me to remind me that he existed. At one point, he crawled into my lap with his bone, something he never does. Attention whore.
I had a good day today. I had the intern make my deliveries downtown (yay, intern) and I left the city around 8:30. I think I was a bit of a control freak...I left very explicit instructions because I wanted the job done right and called her to make sure she received them before I left (I mean, it reflects on me after all), but she did a good job. I got into town around 12:30, so it was a good trip, albeit very boring (I guess that is a good thing, yes?) The insurance guy called while I was on the road...good news, the other driver finally admitted liability. Not like I had any doubts, but blaming it on me would have dragged out the process even more. I showed my dad the bumper, and he said those scratches are worth several thousand dollars in damages. Hmm, guess I'm going to get it fixed now. I'd like to get the bumper fixed while I'm in town, because it'll be a pain in the ass to do it when I'm back in the city.
Today we went to drop off gifts at my little godsister's house. I believe I mentioned before that she is a quadruplet and has three brothers. They are all three now, and are absolutely adorable-very smart, affectionate kids. But the boys are rambunctious terrors. In a good way. And by good way, I mean that it's fun to be a spectator to their shenanigans because they are not my children, but I would have a nervous breakdown if they were. God bless their parents. They were screaming, throwing their toys up against the wall, wrestling each other, throwing balls around (I got hit in the face playing "catch" after Dallas aimed directly for my nose), tearing stickers off their wall, etc. Raquel sat very quietly next to me, observing her brothers and acting very angelic, but according to her mother, when company isn't over she's the ringleader of them all. I couldn't stop laughing at how my mother's attempt to calm them down was ignored. I had a good time over there playing with all of them.
Tomorrow is Patrick's 21st birthday. I can't believe it! How did we get to be so old? I still have memories from when he was a little baby, like how he would grasp my finger with his tiny hand whenever we were in the car together. Unfortunately, even though I remember the day he was born and how my mother left for the hospital, I don't actually remember the very first time I saw him. I was only three, but still; you'd think it'd be an important enough moment for me to remember. But it doesn't matter; we were best friends from the start, and have been ever since.
Happy birthday, Patrick!
Penguins, sequins, jingle bells and more... Show us your "unique" holiday sweater.
Okay, this picture is too funny not to post, and I don't think either of us are recognizable because we're so little.
When I was six, during the winter of 1990, my French grandmother sent me a Christmas sweater. It was bright red and it was full of items for "Santa's List." I remember being offended when one of the items on that list was "a boyfriend." "Ew, boys!" I remember thinking. "Why would I want that on my list?" (Obviously, times have changed.)
So my mother made me wear it on Christmas so that when my dad took pictures of us (with Polaroids, of course! How sad that they're being discontinued), she could show my grandmother that I wore it.
You can see the list format on the sweater (I got Little Miss Magic Hair that year. Also, what you do not see is that I'm missing my top two teeth). It had random splatters of snow, Santa's face, and other items (I think some reindeer) on there that no person over the age of 10 who possesses any good taste would wear. In other words, it's a perfect "teacher" sweater.
But of course, who's looking at the sweater? Pat and I look HILARIOUS. Patrick looks like he started drinking at the ripe old age of three. And I still remember why I have this murderous look on my face. It's not going to make me sound good. I got some Christmas candy that morning, and, in typical Jenny fashion, I was shoveling it down. My mother told me to stop eating the chocolate or else I wouldn't have an appetite. Of course, she banned me from having any more chocolate right before she took the Polaroid. You can see how happy that made me. A note to mothers everywhere: if you want a happy Christmas photo, do not ban your children from having any more candy right before it.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. What are you thankful for today?
-Family and friends
-The warm little pup asleep on my bed
-FOOD, and good tasting food at that
-Simple, everyday things we often take for granted (being able to listen to a song, having a roof over our heads and beds to sleep in)
-Having a job that allowed me to take most of the week off for Thanksgiving. And in these times, just having a job in general
-This strange, exhilirating year that vacillated between being incredibly frustrating and amazing, and learning all these lessons along the way.
The last thing I am thankful for is a bit vain and silly, but it's my list, right? So I've always been obsessed with being tall. I had kyphosis when I was a teenager and it was bad enough that the recommended treatment was surgery. You can imagine that I was thrilled at the prospect of an 8-hour back surgery at 14, and my parents shared in my lack of enthusiasm. So I went to physical therapy instead. My back got better, and luckily I didn't need surgery. Even though I gained a couple of inches from the therapy, I've been obsessed with being tall ever since (I was well-known for traipsing around campus in heels. I can walk pretty fast in heels, and yes, I can even run in them, but I save that for special occasions). But for years, my height stalled at 5'6'-5'6.5". I've really been making an effort lately to stand up straighter and have better posture, and it's official-I am now 5'7", which was my dream height. Yeah!
Aw Little Dog just yelped in his sleep. I wonder what he dreams about?
It's been a good vacation so far. I'm just relaxing at home with my family. Patrick and I went to see Role Models yesterday. It was HILARIOUS. My dad and I went to work out today before the Thanksgiving meal. A&M lost to UT tonight...figures. I knew there was little chance we'd win tonight. I didn't even watch the game, haha.
I was thinking about some things today that I would like to change. But I'm not going to wait until New Year's to do it. I don't like New Year's resolutions because it seems like you are setting yourself up for failure that way.
Well, I'd like to read a little bit before bedtime, so good night. And Happy Thanksgiving!
By the time I got to school, though, I was feeling pretty cool. Every other girl was wearing either Barbie or princess or witch. I honestly think I was the only girl who wasn't wearing a completely girly costume. What was I? SUPER MARIO. It had a face mask and everything. Thinking back, it was a great costume. I wasn't like everyone else, and it was such a quintessentially 80's costume. And of course, I really appreciate that my dad went through all that trouble at the last minute to get me a costume.
The costume dance was SO MUCH FUN. First, there was a Thriller class. For an hour, we learned a portion of the dance...not all of it, though, because it's a lot harder than it looks! We were all hot and sweaty by the end, and the wig I was wearing was not helping me stay cool. We all started laughing because halfway between the class, someone came in dressed like Michael Jackson from the Bad/Dangerous era.
Afterward, I went out on the dance floor. It was really fun to see everyone in their costumes. Some didn't recognize me in mine. There was a couple there dressed up like the two main characters from Juno. There were a lot of flappers and that pirate from The Princess Bride. I was glad I didn't dress up like Sarah Palin because someone else already did. There was only one more witch, and she rocked it out with the makeup, which is why she won "Scariest costume" over me. Hehe.
The best part was when everyone from the Thriller class performed the dance in front of everyone! No one wanted to be up front so I was stuck up there. I had a lot of fun with it, because I knew that I'd just learned it and that most of the audience probably didn't know it anyway. I'm hoping that it pops up on Youtube...if it does, I'm definitely posting it here!
Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! I sure did.
...because where I went to school, we didn't celebrate Labor Day. So while all my friends at other colleges were off, I was in class and going to work. Yeah, I don't get it either. It felt really good to do nothing on Labor Day. The long weekend was fun and just what I'd been needing. I left the city at 9:15 am on Friday, which was perfect, because I encountered no rush hour traffic and didn't have to stop at all either. That happens very rarely. Patrick had told me not to come home before 1, because he wanted to sleep late (slut). I got home at 1:30, and Harry was all excited to see me. He sounded like a little piglet, and he was wagging his little tail. So cute. Patrick and I played Guitar Hero for awhile.
On Saturday, my dad and I went for a long run. It had been awhile since we'd gone on a long run, so I enjoyed it. My dad also told stories of when he used to live in NYC. My dad has the best stories, and I love to hear them. I like hearing about what kind of people my parents were before they actually became my parents. I have to say that my dad's stories are way more entertaining than my own. Then we went out to eat with Terry and that was fun.
My mom and I went shopping at Target and Payless. I bought a new pair of patent leather ballerina flats at Payless since my others were getting so old. I have converted my mother to flats, so she bought some as well. Then we went online shopping, which is a bad idea. I really, really want this sweater from Victoria's Secret:
I used to wear long sweaters in high school, but they were nowhere near as amazing as this one. But unfortunately it is out of my price range. I think I will save up and it can be a Thanksgiving gift to myself, or something.
I did buy this cardigan, on sale, at New York and Company:
Other than that, I just ate way more candy and chocolate than I should, watched a lot of movies, and went to bed too late. In other words, an enjoyable break. I was so exhausted driving back yesterday, and I was equally tired today at work. I didn't go to dancing lessons today just because I too worn out. This weekend I had some dizzy spells and felt very tired, so I don't know if I'm coming down with something, or it's just an accumulation of a lack of sleep and dehydration. I am taking a workshop this Saturday and I might, might, might be taking a belly-dancing class this month, so I don't need to be spending too much money on lessons, anyway.
Tomorrow is already Wednesday! Yeep. I am going to go shower and *hopefully* be asleep earlier tonight.
I am honestly in awe that this year has gone by so quickly. It just seems like a couple of months ago when I made this post welcoming 2007. 2007 has definitely been among the best in recent years. I accomplished a lot of things and had experiences outside of my "Jenny box" that helped me grow. Of course, like every year, it wasn't perfect. There were disappointments and failures but I gleaned the lessons from them in order to grow into a better person. Like I said in my post one year ago, every disappointment is made bearable with the loving support of my family.
I'm not a resolutions kind of gal. When I want to change something about myself, I just go ahead and try. I guess the only applicable "resolution" is that I be the best employee that I can! I start work on the 21st and I'm excited but nervous!
Whatever your plans may be for tonight, please stay safe! I wish all of you a New Year filled with blessings, love, and joy. For my Vox pals, thanks for letting me be part of your 'hood! I enjoy sharing my experiences and reading your own. And if anyone is reading this who isn't on my Vox friends list, thanks for your interest in my little misadventures :) Talk to you again in 2008!
