Day 12

Packed to leave dog-sitting.

Had Arby’s date with Mebbie & Eric, followed by fondue at Auntie’s (J. not in attendance).

Spent New Year’s Eve at Dan & Katie’s with Steve, Mel, Mebs, & Eric. Played games and watched the ball drop. Felt unwell (terrible reflux) and left at 1:15ish.

Read some Medicus.

Day 11

Ran errands bought some neat stuff at Alderwood Mall with Steve and Addy:
Reusable Christmas boxes: 9 for $8.
A furoshiki, tea tin, post-its, and a flour sifter from Daiso.
Next year's Christmas cards at Hallmark
Christmas presents for two people for next Christmas.

Met up with Mebbie and Eric & co. for dinner and drinks at the Pig & Whistle. Rene was not working. :o(

Went to the family homestead and watched Once with my Uncle and Auntie. It was awesome!

Spoke with Megan.

Read more Medicus.

Day 10

Watched cartoons (TMNT FF, Viva Pinata) and ate mashed potatoes for breakfast.

Watched home improvement shows and played and napped all morning with the dogs.

Ran to my apartment to pick things up, dropped by the liquor store for a lengthy conversation with the checkout lady, to QFC for hot buttered rum mix, then headed to a Post-Christmas Christmas Party. It was amazing. I feel greatly blessed.

My car door handle is breaking further every day- it is quite frustrating.

Read another chapter of Medicus.

Spoke with Mebbie and Megan.

Day 9

Took a personal day. Had breakfast with the dogs and headed to my place to bake. Baked for a few hours.

Returned to M&D's and met up with Jim for Lost and Ezell's Chicken. I really really like Lost. It is so different.

Started Medicus by Ruth Downie. Got a fair ways in. It is drawing me in, but moving seemingly slowly. I like it.

Day 8

Left work early again.

Took numerous Aleves and finished Promethea.

I spoke with Monica (about Mebbie's visit), Terry (catching up) and Burke (man troubles).

Day 7

Left work at 3 (carpet cleaners kicked us out).

Checked in on dogs and then met Steve and Addy for Taste of India and present exchange. They gave me books and panda themed garments of awesomeness.

Wrote a letter and watched Good Eats and Food Network Challenge: Villain Cakes. I was really impressed with the local baker, Mike.

Read more Promethea. I love the art, particularly the art in the imaginary realm.

Day 6

Got dogs fed and went to Uncle's early to make coffee cake. Stopped at Starbucks on the way for traditional Christmas Gingerbread Latte.

Watched Disney World Christmas Parade with Brad, M, & S. Ate traditional breakfast then opened gifts (with all).
Received:
What Would Bacon Do? Spinner folder
Pig shaped cutting board
Knit Speak (a knitting book)
Monkey plush with a cash surprise
A chocolate orange
Fraggle DVD

Spoke with Steve & Addy on my way to let dogs out. Started snowing heavily.

Car-pooled to Grandma's leaving my car at B&N. Helped Grandma cook (fiasco replete with spilled searingly hot pork fluids).
At dinner at 5 (advertised as 3). Grandma, Great Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle's crew were there.
Opened more presents:
Black jacket (to be returned)
Festive reindeer socks (of awesomeness)

Spoke with Mebbie, Chris, Amine, and Andy. Received numerous (un-replied to) text-messages.

Last time non-swine meat consumed: Sunday dinner.

Current read: Promethea 1 & most recent National Geographic (volcanoes).

Day 5

Watched even more Christmas specials (Some new Mickey Mouse thing, Jack Frost, and whatever the one is with the North Pole Mailman) and packed for dog-sitting (Joey & Freddie).

Made a potato omelet and watched something called The Snow Queen on PBS. It was strange- like a creepy children's picture book. It looked like it was filmed in front of a green screen and then highly altered to look almost watercolored.

Spoke with Jim on the phone.

Made delicious pork roast at Aunties- still no M & J. S went to bed at five due to "grumpiness." Auntie and Uncle and I stayed up and made Scandinavian Rosette Cookies. "Like funnel cakes that look less like intestines."

Day 4

Watched Christmas specials (Jack Frost, Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol) and cleaned my apartment in the am.

Met with some dog-sitting clients to collect the keys.

Spent evening at Sunday Family Dinner. J & M didn't make it. We watched Harvey, starring Jimmy Stewart (still excellect) and The Waitress (pretty good, but strangely troubling to me in terms of the ethics of the film).

Auntie and I made pizzelle cookies (my first time) and they were great!

Finished The Mysterious Benedict Society. SUC Review.

Day 3

Watched Skunk Fu.

Had bridesmaid dress fitting. Dress fit fine but was too long. Two Ukrainian women helped with the fitting and argued like my mother and grandma when they would fit me into new dresses as a child.

Went to Clarissa's baby shower. Haven't seen a lot of the girls there in 10 years. They literally did not recognize me at all. It was weird, but I enjoyed it by the end. Tara moved back to Seattle and we have a date to hang out.

Melody came over and we ate pot pies and watched the Christmas special marathon on Cartoon Network. I made Candy Cane & Peanut Butter Munchie Cookies. Neither turned out spectacularly and I'm kind of disappointed. I think I may be cookied out already and this concerns me.

Stayed up too late reading The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Day 2

Worked until 4. Very busy.

Holiday Happy Hour at Lynn's with Michael, Melody, Angie, Kevin, and Diane. Theo was very rambunctous and tried to drink my hot apple pie cocktail.

Jim came over and I made coconut fudge balls and prepared lemon slice cookies for future baking. We were supposed to watch Lost but I was not focused enough.

Read a few more chapters of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Today was a good day.

Day 1

Worked from 9-6.

Tutored a new student in history & English. Seems bright- wants to be a chef.

Spoke briefly with Czabrina and Ron. Czabrina's mother is in town for the holidays.

Played Rock Band at Chris & Andy's with Chris, Andy, Kevin, and Leigh.

Came home and read two chapters of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. Very good- it makes me wish it was around for me to read as a child.

Welcome to Pacific Tech's "Smart People on Ice".

Smart People on Ice was created for the express purpose of fulfilling two experimental ideas that I've been kicking around:

1. Keeping a 3 line daily journal.
My friend, coworker, and partner-in-crime keeps a small journal in her tiny handbag. In it she writes what she buys, who she calls, where she ate etc. It is fascinating to watch her look back and tell me that we ate Indian buffet three years ago today.
From the Back Nine also has periodic segments where the author relates what her mother wrote in her 3 line daily journal. I find the brevity charming.

2. Keeping a book journal.
I want to know what I've watched and what I've read. I will continue my book reviews as usual on Seattle Umbrella Conspiracy, but perhaps more general thoughts will make themselves evident when there is less emphasis on structure or readability.

I have a six month goal for this project, so let's see what happens.