grumblegrumblegrumble...

Here's an update on my mood. And I am probably going to sound like a grump, but I decided that's okay, because normally I am anything but. So here goes it. Today I am feeling one hundred percent intolerant of the people and things that I usually find only mildly annoying. You see, usually I try my best to be pleasant and nonchalant about the things that drive me absolutely crazy, but I guess today is just not that day. Perhaps I will simply lock myself in my room to avoid any more of the irritating confrontations that could possibly occur today. Thank you for bearing with me, and I promise tomorrow I won't bite your head off.

shiver me timbers...

Today was the first really really cold day of this winter. And it probably wasn't even that cold. But we've been running around in t-shirts all month so hard blowing snow is a slight shock to the senses. Despite the initial shock of the freezing temperatures, I really don't mind the cold. Actually there's a lot about this season that I always look forward to. One of my favorite things about winter is seeing people so bundled up that the only thing that sticks out are little noses and bright red cheeks peeking between layers and scarves and stocking caps. And the way the covers feel when you've just woken up and you're all warm and wrapped up. Then, knowing how cold it will be once your feet hit the floor, you pull the covers over your head and hold onto five more minutes of cozy warmth, until you've talked yourself into braving the frigid air. Brrr. And maybe I also love how funny it feels to hold hands with gloves on, when neither person is willing to let go because, well, it's cold outside! And sledding - who can go all winter without trapsing up hills time and time again to get a mild adrenaline rush. That's probably one of the best ways to feel like a kid again. The more people that can pile on, the better, and we've gone on some crazy haphazard rides. Thank goodness the adventures resulted in only minor injuries. But more than anything, my favorite part of winter is standing in the middle of the street witnessing a perfect snowfall, when huge fluffy flakes float down all around you, in no real hurry to get anywhere; when everything slows down and it feels as if the whole world is finally, finally at peace.

crunchy soda...

Tonight was a necessary break from the busy burn-out of the workload. Apparently no one felt like eating much after stuffing themselves full of mash potatoes yesterday, which was fine with all of us. So we goofed off in the back, throwing foil balls at each other, making ridiculous drawings (Tom scribbled quite the Ninja Turtle), and well, overall managing to not get very much work done at all. The night traffic never picked up, so everyone tended to get a little rowdier. Of course we tend to have quite the characters working behind the line, so when I got drawn on with permanent marker, I would not let it stop there. Tom got a surprise "void" stamp to the back of the neck and I thought all was fair. Little did I know two of the guys were plotting against me. Tozer came out and was jabbering, as usual, and decides to pick me up, which I don't even think twice about because it's not unusual for me to be tormented occasionally. However this time he had my arms behind my back, feet off the ground, when Tom rounds the corner and plants a big stamp right on my cheek. Ack! Boy it was pretty. Thankfully, after walking red-faced to the bano it washed off easily, but they weren't off the hook. I snuck back to Tom's soda and loaded it with about three tablespoons of Kosher salt. As luck would have it I even got to see him unsuspectingly drink it. Oh, the look on his face was priceless, as was the side-bursting laughter coming from the kitchen. Apparently it went up his nose - I don't know how he managed to swallow it. Gross. But wow was it funny. Now as long as I keep looking over my shoulder - hopefully his revenge won't be quite as sweet.

over the can on...

Today is wonderful Turkey Day, or, in my world otherwise known as Ham Day. I hate turkey... it's a long story, if you know me well enough you've heard it, but I love Thanksgiving anyway - I love it a lot. For as long as I can remember we have hosted the holiday at our home, and other than the fact that it requires a lot of cleaning, (which means whining from us and begging from mom) it's always a lot of fun. Now, hosting any holiday with our family is kind of a big deal, because altogether we're pretty big. Mom has five sisters and dad has six siblings - I believe I have a total of thirty-two cousins; fifty-two if you count cousin-in-laws and second cousins (who all also get together somewhat regularly). Mom's side of the family always comes down Thursday, and dad's side on Saturday.

Traditionally, as everyone filters in, we play cards and give hugs; usually someone is running late and we start the food line without them, but that's okay. Mom makes the best Thanksgiving food I've ever witnessed - even I am willing to sample her turkey, and well, like I said, I can't stand turkey. So, as usual, there's food galore, and all the kids eat in the basement while the big people eat upstairs. I don't know if I'll ever make it up there - I don't know if I want to. The after dinner routine always requires a movie, where sometimes we make it through, sometimes we all conk out and wake up drooling - either way it gives our tummies a little time to rest.

This time we had a plethora of entertainment. The girls whizzed their way through Cranium and the boys played dodgeball basketball. There was a Saltine eating contest after dinner, which Jordan proudly won - ten crackers in four minutes... it's harder than you think! Then all the cousins joined in "Round the World Ping Pong" which got quite intense, but was mostly hilarious. We played until we were all so winded and dizzy we had to stop. Then, one of the best parts of the evening was when the old ritual of "Kick the Can" was revived. It'd been a few years - as in at least five - since we'd all been together. We probably woke up the whole neighborhood with our yelps and screams and carrying-ons, but it was well worth it. The adults were probably thankful for a break and we were content running off a small amount of our intake today. Everyone is finally headed home, and it seems as though it never lasts long enough. Tomorrow morning Justin and I are headed back up to school in the early early AM - darn jobs keep us moving. But it's been a great time home, even if I did have to put up with a few turkeys while I was here.

happy trails to you...

Four years of K-State football reluctantly came to an end for me as a student today. It's funny how much differently you treat something when you know it's going to end; as if you can absorb everything so much more than you've been able to before. So every play, every small gain, I screamed my heart out, more than any other game. Every fight song, every Wabash, every first down, I celebrated as if it were my last. Because in most ways, it was. Sure, I'll probably be back for some games now and then, but it won't be the same. Nothing ever stays the same. Life keeps on changing, continually challenging, forcing you to grow, even when you're not ready; even when inside you're kicking and screaming, digging in your heels as a last ditch effort to slow everything down, but life keeps trucking, with little regard to your opinion or preference.

So, at the end of the game, when a tribute to Coach Snyder played on the big screen, the emotions it evoked in everyone reminded me of how it was so much more than a just football program. The reason I came to this college, the amazement of my first football game, tailgating with friends, and the hugs I got as I walked down the rows - it all replayed in my head. The people surrounding me today were many of the same ones I met four years ago as a scared, nervous freshman. I remembered the Big XII game, and how it felt to win that day, with all odds stacked against us. The utter ecstatic disbelief as play after play turned into a huge upset, and we screamed and jumped and cheered in the freezing cold, on the very top row of the stadium - loving every second. It is every bit surreal today as it was then. Yes, of course one could say it's just a football game, but really it means so much more than that. And I suppose the emotion in participating in that last home game was really due to what it represented - saying goodbye to things that have been consistent support from the beginning is going to be hard. Really hard. Letting go of the people who have shaped me, broken me, changed me - it's going to hurt. So don't blame me when I dance too much or laugh too loud, or hold on a little longer than maybe I probably should. I'm just trying my best to take in every last drop - because really, it's been a great ride so far, and I'm just getting started.

synergy...

The business strategy class I am in calls for an overload of group project work, which gets rather frustrating and incredibly time consuming. They say it prepares us for the real world, when we will be in groups all the time and need to learn how to deal with that now. Fair enough. Thank goodness I have an intelligent group with decent work ethic. Well, we had all procrastinated until the very last day to finish a rough draft for a strategic analysis business plan. Dry, believe me, I know. So we all got cozy in the computer lab, knowing full well we'd be there for awhile. I was prepared to sit there for quite sometime until we were finished, I was not prepared however, for the company I would be in. The lab was packed. Granted we all have at least two group projects we are in the middle of. But Calvin lab is not designed very well for group work in the labs. And there were people every which way trying to find a seat. I kicked myself for forgetting my headphones. The creative juices were not flowing. Okay so this sounds like I just wanted to whine about my project, but really that's not it at all. I just wanted to tell the story of the interesting character I shared a desk with, and thought I should give a little background info.

First of all, this guy was big. I mean huge three hundred and some pounds huge. His friends call him "Slim". Seriously. And he was turned around backward facing partially me and partially his group. I was annoyed because I felt stared at the entire time. Granted he wasn't, but man he was right in front of me, which was distracting. The amazing thing was that the entire three hours he sat there, he did not do anything. Nothing. I couldn't believe it. He just sat there and made jokes. His group either pretended not to notice or figured it better that way. The ordeal got even better when he started getting in and out of his seat, and evertime he did, his belly hit my computer screen, and the whole thing would shake and rattle around for awhile until it could settle again. Grrr. The thing that topped the cake was when he busted out the Altoids toward the end of the night. Apparently he was running low, so he started licking the wax wrapper. Fine. That's kind of ridiculous but nothing I can't deal with. Then he proceded to lick his finger and run it all around the can to get the leftovers, which he then sucked off his fingers. Eewww. Lick finger, repeat process. Lick finger, repeat process. If he really needed more that badly I would have offered to get him a new can. Needless to say, my productivity along with my concentration at that darn computer pretty much went downhill from there. Moral of story? Brush you teeth before you come to computer lab. No, that doesn't make sense. It's okay.

runner-up...

So I decided, after much whining and convincing, to compete in intramural racquetball for the fall season. After a few initial problems (somehow I was accidentally signed up for handball, which I know nothing about) we were rolling. The first two games I won fairly easily. I'm thinking, sweet, only two more games to go. But I played Monday and lost. Badly. I got royally burned. Crap. I didn't even go into three games. I think the whole round lasted twenty minutes. It's embarrasing. So I guess that means back to the drawing board and lots more practice. I probably needed that kick in the hiney. It was humbling for certain.

In other bad news, the Cirrus had some unexpected issues to be taken care of today. In the body shop for my 3000 mile rotation, probably a thousand miles overdue (I'm sorry dad! I procrastinate!) the guy pulls me out of the office and says, uh, you might want to come look at this. Oh great. He spins my front tire and shows, besides it being completely bald which was bad enough, a section that has been rubbing wrong and is even beyond the first layer of rubber. As in big time no no. Dang it. The other one was just as bad, so the nice guy let me call my dad, and he explained to him the dealio. Get that girl some new tires. I got scolded. Thank goodness I'm so many miles away, dad misses me too much to get very upset. Not that he ever got me into too much trouble anyway. Daughters seem to have that affect on their dads. Aww soft spots.

back in black...

I haven't been able to catch up, so I'll give a few bullets to remind myself of the exciting life I lead:

- Two weeks ago my parents and brother came down for the Colorado game. We had a fun, windy tailgate and a close game. Jarrod got Liz and I into the box seats on the east side, which made us feel... well... rich and important. It was a great view.

- Halloween was a rowdy good time. Anna and I worked diligently on our costumes, and pulled off a fairly successful punk/gothic persona. Sometimes we weren't even recognized, which was part of the plan I suppose. If I knew I'd get my blonde back, I would probably dye it more often. It took five shampoos and a very black loofah to get it all washed out. At the end of the night we headed to Longhorns for some dancing. The costume contest was hilarious. And once again I love dancing. If someone can lead me around the room, I'm all yours for the evening. Anna and I had a successful trek through the park, scissors and all.

- Um... well this is just blatant bragging but I got the best test score out of all the people in my class recently, and it was a pretty big deal. Well not really, but I was proud. That was a first.

- My grandpa is doing well. His chemo treatments have been helping and besides the usual side effects, he feels a lot better. My grandma, on the other hand, is really sick. She has weak lungs and is always getting infections. It's hard to see someone who used to run around a hundred miles an hour feel so weak. But she keeps fighting. She's stubborn and I love her for it. Yes, all my stubbornness comes from that side of the family.

- In other news, that is all the news I have. I admit it, I'm a little boring right now, but I will pick up the pace. Actually I do have more to add, I'm just not in the right state of mind to write. Don't let the suspense get you.

predictable - pre·dicta·ble adj.: calculable, expected, foreseeable.

oh homecoming...

Alrighty. Long time no blog. I'm sorry! I have lots more to tell than follows, but it'll just have to wait, because trust me, you will get bored of reading pages a half about my life. Really.

Last week was homecoming, which really isn't a big deal to me because I'm not Greek (props to all their hard work), but there's a lot to enjoy anyway, so I do. Well in the chaos that involves the job quite often, we decided to be in the parade with our monstrous blimp. Yay. Everyone's happy. Great, super. Then Wednesday, two days before the big event, I'm thinking, "where the heck is the blimp? Maybe we should, uh, get it to Manhattan." Like I said, it's organized, all the time. Ha. Then I realize the only person with a super nice and big truck is working that night. Strike number two. Crap. So I call Ami, whom I miss dearly as she moved up in the world and left the little restaurant, because she knows a little bit more about such operations. She said well you have helium right? Um... nope. We need helium? And the whole idea of a float starts sounding a lot more complicated - no driver, no blimp, no helium. Oopsie. Somehow, everything got pulled together. So we're rushing around like crazy people, late for lineup with a deflated blimp and four crew to pull it together. Ingenious Ami gets brewskis and puts them in large cups with straws. Perfecto. The float suddenly doesn't seem so bad. We got the blimp up in great time, and although the wind yanked me around, it looked beautiful. With a huge yellow lab in my lap, and four people in the truck bed, we head out. Let's just say I'm not the best candy thrower. I think I took some little kids out. Seriously.

By the time we hit Aggieville it got nuts. We had t-shirts to throw and everyone started screaming "Chipotle" and yelling our names and mauling us. It was ridiculous. The crowd was huge and people were swarming everywhere. Everyone wanted us to throw them burritos. Are they serious?! At the back of the restaurant, someone got the ridiculous idea of climbing on the roof. So we did. Seven of us. And threw t-shirts down to the crowd below. Once again insanity insued. All for a t-shirt. It was a little exhilarating, as silly as that may sound. To be up that high, all grins, and all eyes on us. Okay I'm not famous. But it really did feel like our almost disastrous float was a huge success. And that was rewarding enough for me.