Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Today is my 19th birthday! Yay! So, one more year of teenagerhood. Hehe. Donna did my nails last night, and cooked me dinner, so that was fun. More fun to come! I'll update tonight about the birthday happenings. Woohoo!

Tuesday Afternoons from Heaven

Suddenly, the light comes shining in!!! I love my parents. They are totally and completely wonderful and they don't even know it! So, Mom, Dad, thank you both so much for being so amazing! You had no idea what was wrong or that anything was even going on, and yet you did know, and now everything's better! Not because we talked about anything specific, but because you cared enough to call out of the blue and be absolutely silly and normal, like everything in the world was fine, which it really is, I just couldn't see it. So thank you. I don't know why, but everything suddenly feels lighter, and the sun's flooding back into my life, right where it belongs. And as I sit here crying those crazy tears of joy, I thank God for you both, that you're there for me and I'm so blessed when I don't deserve it. You are both wonderful people and fantastic parents, and I know we've had our disagreements, but I'm as thankful for those as the beautiful days of one-on-one time. So, rest assured, Dad, Mom, everybody, that I am once again back to being me. Maybe a little changed, but still me. And thank you all for your prayers and love and support! Life is easier with strong shoulders to help me through the valleys. Love y'all!

Un-answers

What color are my eyes? Are they green? Sometimes. But sometimes they're blue. I don't know. Does anyone?

Standing in the shower, crying about nothing, I realized I'm not really happy. I don't know why. Maybe it has something to do with something someone said about something. Well, actually, yes, it does have something to do with exactly that. A friend told me it was my fault that I'm "one of the guys". What I can't figure out is how exactly that works. I can't change who I am. I can't make myself any less tom-boyish or more girlie. I don't think I'd want to, for the most part. And yes, it hurts. It hurts that the guys talk to me like I'm one of them. It hurts that I can't be dated because I'm a friend, and half of the guys see me as a force to be reckoned with, and not something feminine or attractive, and those that do are too scared to step up and do anything about it. This doesn't really matter, and won't have any repercussions since none of the guys I'm referring to ever read this thing. I really don't see why ANY of you still read it. But whatever. Your choice, I guess.

I've diagnosed myself with depression. I don't know why I'm sad or out of sorts or down most of the time, except that I need a few days all alone to zone out and recharge with no company, no pressure, no worries, and no pain. That will, unfortunately, never happen. Life doesn't work like that. Not even mine. Which seems rather strange, since I seem to live a very charmed life. Some would even call it perfect. I can't say that I blame them. Everything that's "wrong" in my life is my won fault. Well, mostly.

For those of you who don't know, here's the latest. I went to the doctor the Thursday before Easter. I had blood work done on that Saturday. The results came back last Wednesday. I'm trying to get some female problems sorted out and make all of this unnatural body hair stop growing. A clear complexion would be nice, too, but I'm not really getting my hopes up. Anyway, my results said my thyroid, kidneys, and liver are all fine, and I'm not anemic or glucose resistant. My cholesterol is too high, but I'm working on that actively now. My testosterone levels, however, were a bit off... An adult woman should be at or below 20. My testosterone was above 60. I'm so sick and tired of dealing with this! I was so discouraged! I still am, really. I just wanted them to be able to prescribe something simple, fix everything, and make me at least semi-normal, but nooo. I have to be even more of a freak. Do you have any idea how hard it is to think of myself as a real woman when I have as much testosterone as some guys and act like them, too?

I just want to crawl into bed and stay there. For a long, long, long time. All alone. Nothing but me and my dreams and the sweet hum of the fan. And all of this in spite of my birthday on Thursday. I'll be 19. Whoopty-doo. I need sleep.

!!!!!!!!

Will somebody PLEASE remind me why it's illegal to KILL someone?!?!? My roommate... GRRR!!!! I don't know how much more of this crap I can stand! NOISE ALL OF THE TIME! Either groaning, talking, or those friggin eating noises... I'm going to GO INSANE. And she talks and always has the TV on. And she's ANNOYING. Grr................ I'm so frustrated! I just want to scream! Or punch her. Or kill her and dispose of the body. Idiot girl. It's grating on my nerves... AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! As much as I love guns, it's really hard to not use them... Dang.

Birthdays, Bests, and Besitos

Can y'all see my picture? That's right, it's a tree. The Century Tree, as a matter of fact. It's an Aggie thing. This explains a lot of those "Aggie things". I guess it comes from having a best friend at A&M, but I love all that stuff. Awesome traditions. I had a dream last night that Reveille ran from College Station to Huntsville and got me out of class and took me back to A&M with her, where I was awarded a full scholarship. Strange. But it was pretty funny.

Sunday was Daddy's 40th birthday. We went to the Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World in the Houston area and then went into the mall on Saturday. He got a suit and a shirt. Very cool.

Today is Andrew's 21st birthday. It doesn't really amount to anything, since he doesn't read my blog, but he's Jarrod's housemate and a friend of mine, through Jarrod. Jarrod is an Aggie, along with Andrew.

I have 5 best friends and more good friends than I can count. My bests are Jarrod, who will always be close to me, because we get along pretty much all of the time; Kristen, who represents my past; Kourtney, who represents high school and my leadership experiences; Courtney, who is there for me when I need her and is my voice of reason; and Heather, my suitemate, who is the person I'm the craziest with, who never lets me feel sorry for myself, keeps me on top of things, and expects me to expect a lot from myself. Honestly, I think Heather is the one person I could hang out with all day and never get annoyed at or get tired of. I love all of my bests, but some of them can be annoying, argumentative, and just plain silly. Jarrod and I can spend a day together, no problem, but we generally run out of things to talk about, so we go find something to do, like watch a movie.

I saw The Notebook for the first time last night. The very end got me. I liked it, though.

I need to talk to the English department head and see if I'm exempt from my 266/267 class, since I got A's in my composition classes and 265. Makes no sense to anybody from somewhere other than SHSU, but it's ok.

Next week, I have a research paper due on Monday, a research project due on Tuesday, a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and Friday off. This week, I have a presentation due in History, an RA interview on Friday at 8:30 AM, Relay for Life from 7 PM to 7 AM on Friday through Saturday, another interview on Saturday, a shirt to sew (which doesn't have to be finished this week, but I want to finish it asap), and cupcakes and cakes to bake. For the Relay for Life. So it looks like I'll be writing my research paper tonight or tomorrow night, and finishing on Saturday and Sunday. Yay. Note the lack of enthusiasm.

My roommate went to the opening Astros game last night. So she didn't come home. Which is wonderful. She's not really bothering me, but I love being alone in my room.

Heather's having a tough week, so we might go do something tonight to lighten the mood. We'll see.

Oh, and I got my cartilage pierced. I have a point on my ear, so I got it there. It didn't really hurt, though it throbs if I hit it just right. I got the bright idea to put Neosporin on it, so hopefully it'll heal faster. 1 month. It's on my right side. And I think it looks really good.

People keep telling me they love my shirt, though it's just a John Cena shirt, and isn't anything impressive. But whatever. It says, "Hustle. Loyalty. Respect." on the front and, "Down since day one." on the back. All in caps. I like it, so it's all gravy.

Well, I'm out. Class soon, and then I have crew, then who knows what else. Besitos! (Yes, that's Spanish.)

Back to School...Again

Aaaaaah. My first day back. Spring Break was...less than satisfying. I can't put my finger on exactly why, except that I never really had nothing to do on any given day. I guess I missed that laziness.

I amaze myself sometimes. My procrastination, my performance in a pinch, my care-free attitude toward life, the way people open up to me. Things I've noticed today.

The white azaleas are gorgeous, though the day isn't. Dreary this morning, muggy this afternoon. There are certain comforts about being here I hate to give up, even if it is to go home. The feeling of absolute freedom. I'm accountable for and to only myself. Well, that's not entirely true, but I have no serious and binding obligations that weigh me down and suffocate me here. It's not really that things at home are so bad, but rather that I get tired of the same three-ring circus every time I'm there. It's as if I can't truly be the person I'm becoming. And it's very hard to squeeze back into that oppressive shell every time I make that hour and a half drive back to Mother's house. The pain brings tears to my eyes.

But there are other things here that I love. The people. The variety. The routine and spontaneity all wrapped up together. The endless supply of hot water. The absence of pressure to get out of the bathroom because there are a billion others waiting to take a shower. Time by myself. And yes, even those annoyances are strangely welcome. My roommate's eating habits. Her strange noises. The cold floors and my annoying alarm clock. All of it marks where I am in my life right now. And it's truly where I want to be. I'm growing up and I'm afraid everyone is waiting to pounce on me to hold me back, make me stay where I was and stop this transformation that college holds. Who will win?

A Day for Boyfriends

There is a single cluster of mistletoe in a tree on campus. It hangs over the sidewalk all year round, an enchanting parasite. Does this make that particular spot more romantic? Or magical? I don't know. But it could. It's possible.

The turmoil is resolved. The battle has been fought and the dawn has defeated the day. Thank you, dear warriors. Meet with me on the morrow where the breeze softly whistles through the dew-damp ferns for a celebration of sorts. If you so choose...or so dare.

Yes, my own creation. In the wee hours. Meaning? I'm no longer homeless for Friday night. And I have multiple job opportunities.

Patty, the costume shop head, has asked me to apply for a position on payroll for next year! And I got an interview for the RA position for next year, too! And yes, I can do both. My roommate also got a music splicing program, so I can format some songs for my piece going up Friday.

The homeless thing... Well, I was going to stay with my cousin Friday night and go to the wedding on Saturday, which would've been fine, but she's not going to be home and can't leave the keys because she has to have them on Monday. And you can't lock the doors without the keys. So I talked to the bride, and she said I was more than welcome to go up to College Station on Friday night and stay with them, so that's what I'm going to do! They have extra room, and they all know me and don't mind, and Sarah really wants me to come, so yay!

I'll still be able to be home by Saturday night, so it's all good!

The title... I made a really random comment in costume shop about today being a good day to have a boyfriend because I really just needed a big hug and some movie time. I'm fine, and I'm not sad or anything, but sometimes... Especially now that I have an idea of what I'm missing. Oh well. My time will come. Aight, I'm out! Love and hugs!

Bubba and Blues

A journey must begin with a single step.

Duh. This from the fortune-cookie fairies. Gosh.

But that means I ate Chinese food tonight! Yay! Good stuff. I'm still dealing with these random impulses to sleep... Hehe.

I'm going home tomorrow morning. And I'm giving Josh a ride back to school on Sunday. He's a friend from high school. Lord, help me, please. He's a bit of a trial for me sometimes, even though he's a sweet enough guy. He was my homecoming escort last year.

Spring break is coming up! Yesssss! I have a billion things planned, including a visit to the high school to see everybody, a day or two spent with Mema, a trip to Houston with Mom and possibly some other ladies from the church, a day of reorganizing the church library, and hopefully some time just hanging out with my brother. I miss him a lot. I miss him as much as I do Mom and Dad, if not a little bit more, because he hasn't really been just my brother in a long while. I haven't spent any time with him lately. And I miss that. I love my brother very much. Mom and Dad are, of course, my parents, and I love them, too, but Derek is number one on my list when I think of people I love. Parents are different. They are their own little category, I think.

Heather, my suitemate and I have been talking a lot lately. This whole semester, actually. And I love it! She's awesome! Even my roommate and I are getting along. But Heather and I have a ton in common. Last night we were talking about our brothers. She has a younger brother and is really close to him. I wish I was closer to Derek, but I know he'll be there when I need him and I consider him one of my dearest friends. So, in a way, I'm closer to Derek than Heather is to her brother. Derek is one of the funniest people I know. And he's sweet and a gentleman and a wonderful big brother. Also the reason I didn't have a boyfriend in high school, but, in retrospect, I'm very glad he was there to protect me.

I don't know where this sudden expression of my appreciation of that bond came from, but I guess I miss him more than usual lately. I have a feeling I'd be a very different person if my brother wouldn't have been there.

Anyway, things are awesome! I'm actually making stuff in costume crew, which is awesome because they trust me to do important things, and all of my classes are going fairly well. I have one midterm next week, and that's all. So that's really cool. I also have a mask project due. I'll try to get pictures and post them and explain my choices and my performance. But that will have to wait. I don't know for sure what I'm going to do.

Yes, the title is almost random. I did talk about my brother, but I am by no means blue. It's a very pretty color, though.

Well, it's Dancing at Lughnasa tonight, and then Heather and I are coloring the bathroom mirror. Did y'all know that mirrors are dry-erasable?!?!?! We were SOOOO excited! We now write notes to each other, draw things, and have the MOST fun! Hehe. Yeah, we got a little carried away, but it's a blast. Life's too short to not be crazy every now and again. Though I wonder if it's more of a constant state of things rather than the exception... Mwah!

Long time, no post...

It's been a while, hasn't it. Sorry. Not a whole lot has been happening. I've been less mothering lately. I guess I'm just getting burned out. But I'll be back to normal soon. Spring break is coming up! I'm doing a bunch of stuff with Mom, and I have some plans of my own, so I'll be busy, but it'll be a good busy. I'm hungry. I went to church this morning. I'm in the library now. Joe, my acting partner, met with me to pick out a play. He was early and my group for production was late, so I multi-tasked for most of the afternoon. I finally got a chance to burn those CD's I've been wanting to burn, so that's good. Other than that, things are rather uneventful. I'm going with the flow, and, with the exception of this ache in my stomach that is hunger, I am doing fine. My roommate and suitemate were both gone this weekend, so I had an incredibly uneventful day yesterday. I slept late and read a book for the 5th time or so, wrote in my journal, took a nap, and munched on some snacky things. Very good day. But anyway, my music is almost finished burning, so I'm off. Food! Yay! Love and toodles!

Development

Here's a thought. Should I just be a theatre teacher? Mother says I won't be as marketable, but I wouldn't have to change my major and I could be just as involved in the theatre department. And I could still teach. Reasoning? I don't really know that I would enjoy teaching English. I know I love the subject, but is that love enough to get me through the classes I hate? Then again, is that love enough to get me through the Theatre classes I hate, too? Ideas? Suggestions? Help?! I may be just sounding off. I'm still in the decision stage, I think. And so the journey continues.

Fears

Life takes unexpected turns. I'm scared to death of failure. Not getting married and having children would be failure. Dying alone and unloved would be failure. Never loving someone completely, not living my life for me, giving up my truest dreams, all failures. I want what everyone wants-happiness. But my happiness depends on something beyond my control. The love of a man who would make a wonderful father and husband. I've made a decision. I want to be a teacher. And I want to stay in Texas. I love Texas. My roots are here. How could I give that up? Who would ask me to? Nobody, I hope. But I'm afraid I'm making a mistake. Changing my major, compromising my "dream", changing my whole life to pursue something that may never actually materialize.

I thought I wanted to direct. I think about it now and I see that my passion doesn't really lie there at all. That it's merely another fun pastime I happen to be good at. So I searched my soul and came up with the answer to my own question, "What will make me truly happy and really fulfill my deepest desires?" Motherhood. It's that simple and yet that complex. I know I wouldn't be happy just sitting at home cooking and cleaning all day, despite the charm that it holds now. I'd be bored out of my mind in a matter of years. So I need a career that will work well with my domestic goals. Teaching. And teaching high school English, no less. With a minor in theatre and my masters in English, I'll not only be incredibly marketable, but I'll be able to do so many things in both small and large school systems. Maybe I'll become another Mrs. Rollins. Sure, that means 2 more years of school and a teaching certification, but I'll be happy. I'll be able to teach, interact with people all day, be a mother and a wife, and have a life both outside and with my work. I'm steadily warming up to this idea. Occasionally berate myself for being nothing but scared, running away from California and the unkind life awaiting me there. But then I'll remember the gorgeous Texas skies and know I'm getting closer and closer to my real dream.

That still leaves me a scared, single college student about to take the hardest and biggest step of her life. I ask your prayers, your support, and your encouragement. Hugs and kisses. Thanks to all of you. Ok, I'm ready to take the plunge. I pray someone will catch me at the bottom...

And Now, Spatula, with Today's News

Hey everybody. How about those Steelers?! Hehe. The game was one point away from the perfect irony, but that's ok. Some pretty funny commercials this year. I didn't see any that really pulled my heart-strings, though. Watched the game with some friends. It was pretty fun.

I'm exceptionally tired today. Heather (my suitemate) and I stayed up until the wee hours Friday and Saturday, and I guess I'm still feeling the effects. At least my homework's all done.

People are dumb. They apparently don't know that the little "away" symbol means I'm NOT HERE! And no, Mark, I'm not talking about you. Random people pop up on my screen when I'm not home. Sure, I love getting messages, but c'mon, don't they posses common sense? Kinda weird in my opinion. But whatever.

In other news, my tooth is in pretty good shape. I got some putty to fill it as my wonderful mother suggested, and it helped. I still don't chew on that side and it hurts occasionally, but at least I can drink things without the excruciating pain shooting through the right side of my jaw and ear. It comes out Friday! Love and toodles!

>>>UPDATE!!! Fresh from the news desk! Just for all of my wonderful readers who notice little things like this, my teeth are fine! I got 2 molars removed on Friday and haven't felt any pain at all. I can now touch the holes with my tongue and play with my gum during class. Life is definitely looking up! I have dissolvable stitches, and they're still there. How long does it take for them to dissolve...?

Thursday: Almost There!

The good mood continues! Yesss! Anbesol tastes funny. I had an awesome workout last night! It was pretty long, but it felt sooo good! I felt it this morning. My legs were kinda shaky and I was really hungry. But I have every intention of doing it again tonight. Now why didn't I start this earlier? I have no idea. I love it! Who would've thought I would actually LIKE to work out?!?! Haha. Not me!

But on to other things. My mouth is numb. It's a totally awesome feeling. :p We get free breakfast tomorrow morning provided by the wonderful people at Residence Life. We get an allotment every month to spend on what ever we want. This month, it's breakfast. We also had a "welcome back" party last Wednesday.

My MySpace song is the Top Gun Anthem!!! Yay! I LOVE that song! One of the greatest instrumentals ever!

I'm glad Jessalyn's buckling down and not partying as much, but she's home all of the time. Not exactly cool. And she sleeps CONSTANTLY! But whatever. I don't even really care if I wake her up. She wakes me up all of the time. So poo.

Did everyone hear about the Seattle scandal?! They've been using a registered trademark (not their own) for about 20 years now and the finally got caught! They stole the "12th Man" phrase and idea from Texas A&M, and now the Aggies are takin' 'em to court! Woohoo! Gig 'em! This is a time for Texas to unite. We should all be together in our defense of the trademark. Even if you bleed orange instead of maroon. Interesting thought.

Sewing mantra for the week: You rip what you sew!

Looking Up

I'm in a much better mood now. And my roommate is still alive. :p I went shopping last night, so I feel muuuuch better. Hehe. No, I didn't spend too much. I got some new sneakers for hip-hop, some Anbesol for my tooth, and a new CD. I also had a fantabulous workout and some pretty entertaining conversations as well, so today feels like a good day. I'll let you know for sure when it's all over tonight. Love and toodles!

Boo

I'm depressed. And my tooth hurts. I don't know why I'm depressed except that maybe I feel like I'm missing something in life. Like things were meant to be something different. If you don't understand, don't worry about it.

But my tooth hurts.

Is it justifiable homicide to kill your roommate for eating noisily? I can tolerate most things, but ever since I was young I never could stand the noises people make when they eat. Lo and behold, I get a roommate who is the loudest chip muncher under the sun!!! I'm going to kill her. I know quite a few people who would help my get rid of the body...

Complaints

Being sick stinks. And Nyquil tastes sooo much better than Dayquil! Dunno why, but it does. Other than the obvious discomfort in my nasal passages, throat, and ears (causing a headache, stuffy nose, and lovely cough), I'm dealing with a huge, gaping hole in the back of my head. I've stopped chewing on my right side. And it's hard to remember until something gets over there and the excruciating pain shoots through my body at speeds previously unknown to mankind. I have a presentation due tomorrow, another due on Friday, and a test today, only for about half of which I'm prepared.

On a lighter note, I love my classes. Makeup is a blast, costuming is fun, acting 2 is awesome, intro to production is pretty sweet, and my history class is even half-way interesting. Woohoo! My dance class is just funny. If you know anything about Southeast Texas, imagine a hip-hop class at a relatively inexpensive college... Hehehe. Yeah, I'm a white girl. :p

But back to being sick. I'm soo not up for a long day, but I get one anyway. Maybe I'll be smart and use my invalid time to do my homework. Haha. Suuure. That's what I'll do... ;D Ok, I'm out. Love and toodles!

Tragedy

In one morning all changed. Porkchop's dad passed away. He had his stomach banded recently and went to the ER Sunday. They had to do emergency surgery and he didn't recover as they intended. Please pray for Courtney, as well as Christie (Courtney's step-mom), Kendall, Matthew, and Heather (Courtney's siblings). And Bernice, Courtney's mother. This is going to be hard for all of them. And for those of us doing our best to ease their pain.

It's That Time Again

Well, I'm back "home" now. School, that is. It's really wonderful to be back. I'm shifting gears again, telling myself that it's time to buckle down and "do" college. But I can work hard and play hard, too. No more worries about curfew and calling home every ten minutes. I'm thinking about getting a job, but then there's all of the stuff I have to do already, not to mention all of the possibilities for this semester, so I'll probably wait. I'm definitely working this summer, though. My roommate wants some company tomorrow while she gets her truck worked on, but I don't know when my audition is and if I'll be able to go, so I'm waking up early to go sign up if possible.

I have a very pretty color-coded schedule written up, and I'm walking around some time tomorrow to see where my classes are. Most of them are in the theater building, so no worries there. I have my first hip-hop class on Wednesday. Um, yay, I guess. We'll see and I'll report back. This should be interesting. Well, g'night! Love and hugs!

Troy

It’s all Helen’s fault, you know. If she hadn’t run off with Paris a dreadful chain of events would have been avoided. Of course, we wouldn’t still be reading about the history of the greatest war ever fought, either, now would we?

Think about it. Paris takes Helen. Paris fights Menelaus, Hector kills Menelaus, Agamemnon wages war to avenge his brother, Hector kills Ajax, and Achilles’ cousin fights for Greeks dying on Trojan shores. Achilles fights Hector and kills him, escalating the war and changing the fate of the war for the Greeks, who were doomed from the beginning without Achilles to fight for them. All for Helen’s renowned beauty. Then Paris shoots an arrow and hits the heel of the great hero and the Greeks resort to trickery to win the war.

And then there’s the whole “Romeo and Juliet” inner story. Achilles loves Chryseis and yet tears them apart with his own vengeance. Twisted fate.

Is the entire movie of Troy one big bundle of dramatic irony? WE all know what’s going to happen. Some of us even know the details. Did anyone notice that really weird reference to Aeneas? He was supposed to be older and married...

I like it. The character development, the plot development, and even the connected threads of revenge and death appeal to me. Ah, the timeless story of deception, war, love, and mythology intertwined with an irrational trust in the divine beings of our own imaginations. What a novel idea, eh?

Sarcasm, cynicism, yeah. But oh well. Have a good day everybody.

Oh yeah, I love the horse. So cute.

Observations

Hey everybody! Well, Christmas is over. Now it's time for New Years! Woohoo! Ok, I promised some funny stories based on a few observations.

One: Eggnog is addicting. I come to this conclusion based on an observation. Christmas Eve: We're sitting around the bar in the kitchen talking and telling stories and drinking, you guessed it, eggnog. We had all finished our cups except for Mom and had moved on to something hot, like Mom's awesome spiced tea. Dad sat quietly gaping at Mom's cup. The words out of his mouth next took us all by surprise… "Are you gonna drink that?" Silence. Then laughter! We all cracked up! Dad was so serious! He really wanted more, very badly! So then we got into a discussion about the way we all love eggnog and how we could drink it constantly, even though we shouldn't. And so the evening progressed.

One of the things I absolutely love about Christmas, even more than the presents, it seems, are those magical moments that occur spontaneously. Like that wonderful conversation we had around the bar that night. About life, about work, about silly stories and gay guys hitting on people. Hehe.

Two: I now own the softest robe on the planet, with Brandy's coming in a very close second. For Christmas I got a gorgeous green and white robe that feels exquisite! I can't really describe it, except that it's the softest, fluffiest, warmest, most comfortable robe I've ever felt. It's a robe that makes you really not want to ever put on your pajamas. I love it! For those of you at college, I'll bring it back just to share the absolute delight of touching it. :p

Three: Mother is an amazing cook! Not funny, per say, but very true, nonetheless.

Four: I got soo many wonderful gifts! Like jewelry, a purse, socks, my robe, more jewelry, some sweaters, face cleaner stuff, and a full acrylic paint set! Along with a green dragonfly teapot, a dragonfly pin, a pair of dragonfly earrings, and some wonderful lotion, I had a wonderful Christmas. We had chili after church. Mmm mmm good!

Five: Playing Trivial Pursuit with a bunch of guys without Larry and Jan there is rather pointless. The guys were desperately trying to catch up with the girls after we had conquered 5 of 6 categories. The guys: 0. Yeah, really boring. So I, being the "question master", through collaboration with the rest of the girls, decided to censor the questions. The guys got about 10 questions they were guaranteed to answer correctly, and were up to 4 of the 6 categories. We left them there on their own. They then proceeded to get the final 2 pie pieces and make it to the middle, where they missed the final question twice! It was getting late, so we called it a game, but the win was "legally" the guys'. And so we marked it with a special circle denoting a "special" win. That one is going in the record books. They didn't have a snowball's chance in Texas of coming back and winning that on their own. So the girls really won, even though the official "W" went to the guys. So much for our bright idea. We only had the pink piece left… Bummer.

Six: Cats are crazy. At Kim's house I left my windows down on my car. Big mistake. When I got in, there were cats! EVERYWHERE! Actually, they were just in the back seat. But it freaked me out, to say the least.

Well, I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! And I'll talk to y'all later! Love and toodles!