Just When You Least Expect It...
...You have the time of your life. I bitched quite a bit about how my Thanksgiving break was going to suck, that it wasn't at all like I wanted it to be, but it all turned out really well. Better than well. It was great. Nothing mind-blowing happened or anything, it was just a very feel-good time with family, and for me, there's not much that can top that. I was able to spend time with everyone, maybe not as much as I would have liked, but it was still time and quality time at that.
I took a walk with my Uncles Joe and Rick and with Padfoot. I also lounged about with them, and Joe and I joked around and teased each other.
I met my cousin Aidan (Joe's son), who just turned one, and he is such a happy baby. Good strong legs, too. Huge eyes and dimples. And teeny tiny feet. Already he seems larger than life. I wish I could have cuddled with him more, but he's much too active for such idle tasks. I love his ready smile, and I hope he always keeps it.
I hung out with Tracy as much as I did Aidan because she's a good mother and keeps track of her youngun'. She's such an awesome in-law; I always feel comfortable around her and enjoy her company so much that I seek it, rather than just accept it.
We had Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt Mary Anne's house, and I drove over with my mom, which I didn't expect to do. I thought I would be driving over with my dad, so it was a very pleasant surprise to have that forty minutes to sit back and chat with my mom. The drive back was also really great because it was just my dad and me, and it was nice to chat with him as well. I couldn't have planned it better. Thanksgiving was really pretty chill for me. I even took a nap on the couch while my brother and cousins played my brother's new Wii. I don't know whether I was able to because I was dead tired or if maybe going to the gym and studying while I exercise has improved my ability to tune stuff out. It's probably both.
Dad, Morgan, and I went to the Center on Saturday to see Conner. We took him for a walk, and then we hung out in his room and took pictures of us with him. The boy cracks me up like no one else. Morgan cracks me up, too, though; all during the holiday he couldn't stop talking about his Wii. At one point I had to ask him to talk about something else for a while, and he did, which I appreciated very much.
Morgan and I went shopping for a couple Angel Tree kids. I kind of planned it without his input, but he was willing to go along with it and was a great sport about it. Helpful, too. It would have taken me ages to make some of the decisions we ended up making, so I really needed his opinion. Plus, I needed his height because I couldn't reach some of the shelves.
Dad, Morgan, and I watched a movie.
Morgan rubbed my feet and my calves by special request, both of which I desperately needed. In exchange, I played his Wii with him. I still owe him a favor, though.
Morgan and I talked about my wreck a little bit. I'd heard part of his side of the story, but not all of it. I've been curious about his reaction to it and what parts he recalls. I guess I'm compiling all this information mentally, so I can write about it someday. Plus, the subject fascinates me.
My break was so good, I'm surprised I didn't cry my eyes out like I did at the end of fall break. I know why, though. It's because I've only two more weeks of school, and then I'm home for an even longer break. How can I cry when I'll be back home before I know it? And I felt too happy to cry. The only really hard parts were saying goodbye (however brief) to my mom, to Conner, and to Padfoot. I didn't see as much of my mom as I would have liked, but this was out of necessity, she had things to do. It's always tough to part with Conner. And Padfoot is glum whenever anyone in the house leaves for too long. After Mom left on Friday, he stuck close to me for a while, lamenting the loss of his mistress. I'll only be away for two weeks, but he's probably just now overcoming his dejection over my departure.
I have much to do before the semester ends, but I feel rejuvenated by this break. I'm actually sweating at the gym again. Before break I had become so sick of the entire campus that I didn't put as much effort into my workout. I took forever with it, too, because I would just sit down and not doing anything for a while. I can go through all the weights in about a half hour, but I would end up lingering at each station, too tired physically and mentally to move on just yet, and this prolonged my time to an hour. But I'm working hard again and feeling the burn much more than I did before break, and I find this encouraging.
The gym has really helped me this year. I feel slightly more comfortable in my skin, and the ability I mentioned earlier, being able to tune stuff out? That has definitely improved. I used to wear my special noise-numbing headphones everyday, but I started feeling too warm when I wore them, so I took them off...and wasn't bothered. Granted, the gym is really loud anyway, and the headphones can only reduce the noise levels so much, but I had felt that even if I could still hear the radio blaring and people talking around me, I could still focus because I had on the headphones. In very noisy locations, I just need to slip on some mental headphones, and I'm pretty good to go. I'll still need my headphones at home, though, and in situations in which there is one single noise and not a cacophony of combined noises. The one single noise demands attention, much more than the amalgamation of several different/similar noises.
Anyway, the gym has really helped me to focus. I do 75% of all my schoolwork there: reading, flashcards, etc. I stay caught up in all my reading, which is helpful. I haven't been behind at all this year. Though I don't recall being behind at any point last year, except during the week or so following my accident. Well, still, I feel like the gym helps me, and if I think it, it will be true. I get out of it what I put into it. And stuff.
I should have updated sooner, but I've been busy. If I had posted yesterday, all of my feel-good feelings would have gushed forth. I'm still on my Thanksgiving high, but it's quickly winding down as finals week approaches. As Robert Frost muses, "and miles to go before I sleep." I would just add, "at home in my bed again." Nothing beats home. I love my family more than anything else, and knowing this makes me wonder why the hell I want to study abroad in Japan next year. Four months away from home? Four months without seeing my family? I may just perish. I'll make sure to eat a ton of sushi before I do, though.
I took a walk with my Uncles Joe and Rick and with Padfoot. I also lounged about with them, and Joe and I joked around and teased each other.
I met my cousin Aidan (Joe's son), who just turned one, and he is such a happy baby. Good strong legs, too. Huge eyes and dimples. And teeny tiny feet. Already he seems larger than life. I wish I could have cuddled with him more, but he's much too active for such idle tasks. I love his ready smile, and I hope he always keeps it.
I hung out with Tracy as much as I did Aidan because she's a good mother and keeps track of her youngun'. She's such an awesome in-law; I always feel comfortable around her and enjoy her company so much that I seek it, rather than just accept it.
We had Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt Mary Anne's house, and I drove over with my mom, which I didn't expect to do. I thought I would be driving over with my dad, so it was a very pleasant surprise to have that forty minutes to sit back and chat with my mom. The drive back was also really great because it was just my dad and me, and it was nice to chat with him as well. I couldn't have planned it better. Thanksgiving was really pretty chill for me. I even took a nap on the couch while my brother and cousins played my brother's new Wii. I don't know whether I was able to because I was dead tired or if maybe going to the gym and studying while I exercise has improved my ability to tune stuff out. It's probably both.
Dad, Morgan, and I went to the Center on Saturday to see Conner. We took him for a walk, and then we hung out in his room and took pictures of us with him. The boy cracks me up like no one else. Morgan cracks me up, too, though; all during the holiday he couldn't stop talking about his Wii. At one point I had to ask him to talk about something else for a while, and he did, which I appreciated very much.
Morgan and I went shopping for a couple Angel Tree kids. I kind of planned it without his input, but he was willing to go along with it and was a great sport about it. Helpful, too. It would have taken me ages to make some of the decisions we ended up making, so I really needed his opinion. Plus, I needed his height because I couldn't reach some of the shelves.
Dad, Morgan, and I watched a movie.
Morgan rubbed my feet and my calves by special request, both of which I desperately needed. In exchange, I played his Wii with him. I still owe him a favor, though.
Morgan and I talked about my wreck a little bit. I'd heard part of his side of the story, but not all of it. I've been curious about his reaction to it and what parts he recalls. I guess I'm compiling all this information mentally, so I can write about it someday. Plus, the subject fascinates me.
My break was so good, I'm surprised I didn't cry my eyes out like I did at the end of fall break. I know why, though. It's because I've only two more weeks of school, and then I'm home for an even longer break. How can I cry when I'll be back home before I know it? And I felt too happy to cry. The only really hard parts were saying goodbye (however brief) to my mom, to Conner, and to Padfoot. I didn't see as much of my mom as I would have liked, but this was out of necessity, she had things to do. It's always tough to part with Conner. And Padfoot is glum whenever anyone in the house leaves for too long. After Mom left on Friday, he stuck close to me for a while, lamenting the loss of his mistress. I'll only be away for two weeks, but he's probably just now overcoming his dejection over my departure.
I have much to do before the semester ends, but I feel rejuvenated by this break. I'm actually sweating at the gym again. Before break I had become so sick of the entire campus that I didn't put as much effort into my workout. I took forever with it, too, because I would just sit down and not doing anything for a while. I can go through all the weights in about a half hour, but I would end up lingering at each station, too tired physically and mentally to move on just yet, and this prolonged my time to an hour. But I'm working hard again and feeling the burn much more than I did before break, and I find this encouraging.
The gym has really helped me this year. I feel slightly more comfortable in my skin, and the ability I mentioned earlier, being able to tune stuff out? That has definitely improved. I used to wear my special noise-numbing headphones everyday, but I started feeling too warm when I wore them, so I took them off...and wasn't bothered. Granted, the gym is really loud anyway, and the headphones can only reduce the noise levels so much, but I had felt that even if I could still hear the radio blaring and people talking around me, I could still focus because I had on the headphones. In very noisy locations, I just need to slip on some mental headphones, and I'm pretty good to go. I'll still need my headphones at home, though, and in situations in which there is one single noise and not a cacophony of combined noises. The one single noise demands attention, much more than the amalgamation of several different/similar noises.
Anyway, the gym has really helped me to focus. I do 75% of all my schoolwork there: reading, flashcards, etc. I stay caught up in all my reading, which is helpful. I haven't been behind at all this year. Though I don't recall being behind at any point last year, except during the week or so following my accident. Well, still, I feel like the gym helps me, and if I think it, it will be true. I get out of it what I put into it. And stuff.
I should have updated sooner, but I've been busy. If I had posted yesterday, all of my feel-good feelings would have gushed forth. I'm still on my Thanksgiving high, but it's quickly winding down as finals week approaches. As Robert Frost muses, "and miles to go before I sleep." I would just add, "at home in my bed again." Nothing beats home. I love my family more than anything else, and knowing this makes me wonder why the hell I want to study abroad in Japan next year. Four months away from home? Four months without seeing my family? I may just perish. I'll make sure to eat a ton of sushi before I do, though.