THE DAY BEFORE THE HINCKLEY VISIT!!!!

I am a bit nervous! Well, rather nervous! Not anxious, but still getting into visit mode. I'm thrilled, don't get me wrong, but I always get nervous about big things. And, like any final, this is a big deal. Bottom line: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE JIMMY BOY! :)

I'm a dork, I know.

Thanksgiving was lovely this year... Spending time with family is always awesome. And food is yummy too. If only my profs hadn't assigned so much damn homework! What's up with that!?

AH! The emails I sent out about a lovely Chaska group get-together never actually got through! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH SQUIRREL MAIL!? I sent one days and days ago and the other last night and neither was received. Damnit! AOL is more reliable!? AH! Oh well... I am going to try to clean, change sheets, and read some more Hume.

Wow -- 'tis been a whole week since I last blogged. St. Olaf (as well as the greater Minnesotan area) are weekend-deep in snow. Lovely, beautiful, sparkling snow. When one has nowhere in particular to be, I can't think of anything better. I remember when I was little and it was snowing at night, I used to turn on the deck light and watch as illuminated flakes floated neatly down into a whole carpet of glittering white. It was glorious and by God it still is.

This is Megan's first blizzard (or rather, extended period of snow) and I think she's enjoying herself. She and Jane bought naughty magazines in town today (of which I was thankfully not part of -- those get to be expensive amusements!) The pictures in those are always frightening and often seem like they cannot be real. But I don't think it's healthy to ponder pornography that much...

I spent lots and lots of time with Jimmy this weekend, maybe to stock up before Thanksgiving? I don't know, but it reminds me that balance is essential. I definitely was lacking in the alone and friend time this weekend. I had plenty of study time, plenty of time with him, but without enough of the other two (which, quite frankly, were greatly reduced because of the Great Con paper due tomorrow) I didn't feel like it was the best of weekends. Oh well. Live and learn.

And speaking of G Con papers, I hope this one is turning out relatively well. Instead of focusing on Charlotte Lucas entirely, it morphed into being a discussion on the various courses of action a lady in Jane Austen's novels could take: to settle or not to settle, that is indeed the question at hand. I think I've written so many Jane Austen papers that I cannot gauge which is good and which isn't. So, I pray that this one will be good... Perhaps I'll get people to proof it tonight. Beg people, I mean. It's so funny -- when I write about Jane Austen, I can feel my own syntax meander toward hers, like I'm channeling the inner spirit of her novel and it's guiding me to use too many dependent clauses and commas.

And though it does mean bidding adieu to this lovely little journal, the paper, of which I have both mingled pride and fear, becons me to return to it in hopes of completing a satisfactory draft that I might bring to work with me tonight.

See what I mean? :)

I just had a nice long talk with Grant while I was working at the desk. I decided to ask him for the following for Christmas: can we please all take a trip together over Spring Break? Meg, of course, bring Charlie, Grant, Jimmy -- it doesn't sound like CA is over that break ANYWAY, Nic, Jacob, Erica and Jeff, anyone. I just want it to be together, and frugal, and hopefully to someplace west like montana or the grand canyon. So please, mark your calendars and love you all for doing so! I got all frazzled thinking that it prolly wouldn't happen, but the more I think of it, I realize that this is why it's a Christmas present, that way I don't grow grey hairs trying to organize it all. ;) Righto. I also talked with him about marriage, and hobo boxes, and Jimmy, and college, and kids-to-come (including the future names -- did you know he wants to call his son "Truman"?), Buddha nature and enlightenment, and who knows what else we covered. It was quite fun. No Candide read, but alas, there we are. :)

Anywho -- time to sleep! Come away with me, in the night. Goodnight ya'll!

Two months exactly. Jimmy and I have been dating for two months. Wow! It doesn't seem that long... rather it's just been one happy blur that I couldn't possibly separate into chunks of time. Miss you, Jimmy-boy and I hope your concerts have been fabulous.

Meanwhile, it's been another drizzly, dreary day on the hill. I swear, I need to stop going to Target. I keep thinking of things I "need" and by need, I mean things that I want. Like little plastic food storage containers. Or a teapot. Or some good breakfasty type foods to take to classes. Or a shirt I've had my eye on. Or oatmeal. Or salsa. I had asked my family to bring some food from home and they literally brought me five boxes of various crackers from salsa-flavored cheese nips to triscuits. While crackers are lovely and tasty, I had meant more varied types of foods. SO, I bought some myself and of course this involves spending money. It's an evil trick. You innocently think, I am a human; humans need food; I need for food; food requires money; it is a worthwhile expenditure; I have jobs; I can pay for food. And you're tricked into spending $20 on foods that will probably last you for months, however, that's not the point. I need to avoid Target in a bad way. :)

On a better note, Grant, Meg and I will make cupcakes and eat them tonight while watching Harry Potter. Mmmhmmm... and then I will do more homework. Candide is quite excellent! Anywho... nearly time for dinner. Talk to you all soon.

IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY TO BE ALIVE!!!

The malt-o-meal smell in Northfield was heavenly today... ahhhh! Thank goodness for toasty o's on an otherwise dreary Friday in Minnesota. Jimmy left today on band tour and so far, it's been healthy for me to have time to wander and ponder by myself. I was walking today and tonight and thinking "Can it really get any better than this? I have health, happiness, and every opportunity ahead of me. Not only that, but I have good friends and the most wonderful boyfriend ever. I am myself. I am alive. It's glorious!"

I bought a lovely pine candle at Target today for a few dollars. It's an Italian tradition to burn it completely before the New Year to ensure good luck and prosperity. It smells heavenly and reminds me of every good thing. What else? Erica and I watched the end of "Pride and Prejudice" -- what an excellent movie and excellent company to go with. Now if only I could convince Jimmy to watch it all the way through... haha, like he needs it! He was already delved in this week. Mwa hahaha. I hope he's having a great time. :)

I just painted my fingernails and they're taking forever to dry. Honestly -- what's the deal? Maybe sparkly nail polish decays as it ages and mine is too old to harden. Actually, not a bad theory.

The cheese-tasting at the French House tonight was heavenly! SO MUCH CHEESE! I was beside myself. Erica, Billiam and I went down together. Some of the samples were too strong even for my taste -- they were like mold! They tasted horrid. But, other than the absolute extremes, the rest was delish. Mmmm... I even brought back a considerable amount for Jimmy. I am a nice girlfriend. Or try to be. ;)

GAH! This polish is still wet! It's been like a half hour... I also went to the jazz band Swing Dance tonight, as promised. I didn't feel like dancing, but the music was wonderful. I hung with Jennifer and Meg and then ended up chatting with Tessa for a bit. Very fun. Jimmy's band played Moonlight Serenade, one of my very favorites. I hope he's listening to the CD I burned him.

MY GOODNESS! I must mention Jimmy every other sentence. Especially today. I'm so content with everything. It's like the beginning of the year again. I should take sanity evenings more often. It's a wonder I have friends willing to listen to me. Esp. you, Meg. I know I babbled on for a goodly amount of time tonight. I'm sorry!
We'll get orgasm cider tomorrow night to make up for it. ;)

Nails starting to dry. I wish I didn't have to work so much this weekend. Ahah -- sent out email requesting sub for sunday afternoon. That's right, no five hour days for me! :) I think I am going to start Candide tonight and then wake up tomorrow and work on my paper! Yeah, that's the plan. Along with going to lunch. Mmmhmmm... I can keep working on my Rice Krispie addiction.

Have a wonderful night everyone. I'm thankful that I am alive, that I can smell wonderful things like scented candles, that I have Jimmy, that I am able to attend this fine college, that my neighbors are having a good night (perhaps too good of a night judging by the moans we just heard), that cupcakes exist as do Harry Potter books, that I have a wonderful family so close to me and friends right here, for Jane Austen papers waiting to be written, and that God is smiling down on me.

Sweet dreams!

Hmm... another Thursday. This is usually one of my favorite times of the week because I think "aha! tomorrow is FRIDAY!" however, Friday means the Norseman Band is leaving for tour and that means certain people will be gone. Sigh. I'm being such a dork. It's just two and a half days. Right. Ok. I'm going to go do homework. Just as soon as I'm done moping.

Having who-can-hold-out-and-not-laugh contests with one boyfriend and using the sexual gestures usually reserved for friends (like licking one's finger and touching it to oneself with a tsssss) is highly amusing. Highly amusing.

AH! have reached new low: will skip chemistry lecture to study more for french. I am one sick bitch. I think exams should be abolished ... if knowledge is power, then can't we all just be brothers?

Mmmm... nearing the end of fatal 8am chemistry labs. Not to say that I'm nearing the end of 8ams all together -- quite the contrary, actually. Bio 261 screws you into MWF 8ams with only one possible lecture time. Gads, methinks. Anywho. I feel pretty toasted and have a large exam tomorrow, but life is good. It's been marvelous with Jimmy. I didn't imagine dating could be like this...

Sad grey day...

It's been so dark and dreary here... it's a bit disheartening when one thinks about a whole winter's worth of this.

My hormones are making me into a psycho bitch. Psychobitch. One word really, as I'm more of an entity of the two like this. AHHHH! Men have no idea whatsoever. I want more Rice Krispies.

Clarinet lesson today. Still haven't practiced perse, but oh well.

Chem test is daunting. Takes precedence over things like Gulliver's Travels, practicing, sleeping, eating, being nice to others. Haha, externalities. I am a sick bitch. One damn sick bitch.

SLUSH!

Yo ho ho... if it were a pirate's life for me, then I wouldn't have to go to chem lab. What a deep thought. Hello to everyone after a week's silence. Not much is new for me...

Lab is still the bane of my weekly existence. However, have only 3 more! Never taking an 8am lab again if I can help it.

In addition, am trying to figure out my registration stuff for next semester. I'm actually not too worried about getting into the sections I need, despite the uber-crappy registration time, because I figure that I can beg and plead my way into both bio and chem labs and that french won't close. Phew.

What else? I am feeling blue because a certain acquaintance keeps flirting with Jimmy at dinner and while I was able to just laugh it off for a few weeks, it's had been bothering me more. Last night was a breaking point of sorts. Thankfully, it's Tuesday and I won't have to face another post-Norseman dinner until tomorrow.

But, every stormy cloud does have a silver lining. Depsite me tweaking out a bit last night, Jimmy aka nice boyfriend was really understanding and supportive of how I was feeling. He just wanted me to feel comfortable again. What relief I felt after he told me this! And honestly, he's just blows me away sometimes, well, a lot of the time. NB (remember, "nice boyfriend") always looks out for me and get this, DOESN'T SEEM TO LOSE PATIENCE WITH ME! I have to be honest, if I were someone else, I would probably get frustrated with myself frequently. Maybe I'm partial, but even so. NB is never like that. I don't hesitate to tell him whatever is on my mind... I'm not afraid that it will push him away, or make me feel stupid, or upset him... OK, done gushing.

AND SPEAKING OF GUSHERS.... Megan, this one's got your name on it! The other night I got the most lovely ims from Meg who announced that Charlie had told her he loves her. :) YAY! I was soo happy that I promptly called her (even though it was late) for a girl-chat quickie. And I do mean quickie... mwa hahahaha, j/k.

Tonight is the midnight showing of the Matrix Revolutions. And we're seeing it. That's right, baby. At Lakeville. Suck it ya'll. Just kidding. But seriously, frickin' awesome.

I better go practice French dialoge for our second taped-in-a-studio oral presentation. Waaa... I get to be an old granny who went to St. Olaf in the 40's. Tee hee. :) And I get to poke Jimmy with an umbrella. I better practice walking with a bit of a hunch. Mmm... hunch. Like lunch.