42
I spent the first three weeks of this month furiously writing 50,000 words, then spent the last week reading 3 books. It's been a very Amy month.
Today I went to the Christmas market on Center Street and the Christmas tree lighting. I've been several years now, and I always love the tree lighting, because Provo does things right and ends with fireworks. I'm a sucker for fireworks. They're magical and make any event better. I convinced Emily to accompany me, which was lovely as she's been out of the country the last several weeks, so we had a lot to catch up on. We ran into the one person I know from my ward, who was with some dude apparently also from my ward ("Now you know me!" "I can guarantee I will forget you by tomorrow" (...this may be why I struggle to make friends :D)) who happened to know Emily from, like, a decade ago. It's a small world out here.
The market had a real live reindeer, which I thought was pretty cool. He was tinier than expected. I sent a picture to my family and got zero response, which just proves they're a bunch of scrooges with no appreciation for the magic of Christmas. :D (They would disagree with me, but they're the same people who didn't like the Polar Express, so shows what they know.) There was also a churro stand in a mobile dollhouse, which was my favorite thing to look at. I sent a picture to Eliza, and she was properly appreciative. There were also hundreds of Christmas lights. I love Christmas lights. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the lights at Temple Square, because there's something magical about that many lights decorating every surface the light-stringing people can reach. I have tickets this year to the Tabernacle Christmas concert, and I plan to get there early so I can wander around appreciating the lights.
After the Christmas market, Emily and I went to the theatre and saw Fantastic Beats 2. I'd already seen it, but wanted to see it again, and since she was in Europe for its release, it was her first time. It was much better the second time (and I enjoyed it the first time), and we had a lot to discuss, plot holes included. I like discussing things with her, because like me, she likes to discuss the minutiae and theorize about character motivations. And we don't let silly things like plot holes get in the way of loving beloved characters.
I bought myself a couple of presents recently. I've been wanting fleece-lined leggings for a while, but whoever invented them is under the misguided notion that women top out at 5'6". Finally, after much research, I found a brand that was afforadable and made leggings for tall people. I put in my order, and eagerly anticipated the arrival. My package was supposed to come on Tuesday. Around 9:00 at night, after it decidedly had not arrived, I got online to track my package. Apparently it had arrived in Orem Monday night, but couldn't be delivered on Tuesday because, and I quote, "delay in delivery due to weather or natural disaster." I looked outside, where it was overcast but not precipitating, and concluded Orem must be experiencing a city-wide natural disaster. I snapchatted this to Karen, who dutifully responded with laughing emojis.
My leggings finally came on Wednesday, and I tell you what, they're the best thing since sliced bread. I love them THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much. They're comfortable, snug, and warm! I've been lounging about the house in them ('cause I don't have to look presentable when I live alone) and wore them to school paired with a skirt on Thursday. I love them. I want ten pairs. I won't get ten pairs because that is a disgraceful waste of money, but I want ten pairs.
The other present I purchased? A new (used) car. Mine's been flirting with death for a while, and when I went to take her in for an oil change, I pulled into the parking lot, sat there for fifteen minutes, and said, "I don't want to do this." So I went home, googgled the car I wanted, found one in Lehi, took Karen with me to test drive it (and we inspected absolutely everything we could--did you know Autozone reads engine codes? I didn't, but I do now), and bought it on Monday. I am now in debt for it (hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa -_-) but have a five-year loan, a payment I can afford, and a car I trust. And I love it so, so much. It's pretty and shiny and I don't have to bend in half to get into it and it's got buttons and doodads and only 32,000 miles. I'm tickled pinker 'n' a pig in a purple prom dress. I love it.
School is going well. My kids are incredibly well behaved this year. I do have a trouble parent, but PTA mom is nowhere near as bad as Special Dad from last year, so I can handle it. And when I get frustrated with her emails, I just share them with all the 5th and 6th grade teachers, we gripe about stupid parents together, and then I feel better about life.
(She means well because she loves her kid, but she's one of those lawnmower parents who tries to bulldoze every obstacle in her son's life. Consequently she grossly undersells him, and gets really frustrated when I push him farther than she thinks I should. Thing is, he rises to the occasion and meets my standards, proving how capable he can be, and then he gets to feel the joy of accomplishing something hard. She really doesn't like me, but that's okay, because I don't care, plus the feeling is mutual.)
Story time! Sort of. This is second hand, so I may misremember and misquote, but it's close enough.
At Thanksgiving my parents went to Nashville and took the kids for the day on Wednesday. They drove past a Civil War cemetery and had this conversation:
Momma: I love cemeteries.
Ruby: What's a cemetery?
Momma: It's where we bury people after they die.
Ruby: I love Amy. When she dies, I will visit her every day.
<3
Then they drove past a more recent cemetery covered in flowers.
Ruby: Why are there flowers?
Momma: That's how people show they love and remember their family who's died.
Ruby: When I visit Amy, I will bring her flowers every day.
Later, Daddy told me Sherman made some comment along the lines of "I won't visit Amy." Bahah. At least my Ducky loves me. :)
Today I went to the Christmas market on Center Street and the Christmas tree lighting. I've been several years now, and I always love the tree lighting, because Provo does things right and ends with fireworks. I'm a sucker for fireworks. They're magical and make any event better. I convinced Emily to accompany me, which was lovely as she's been out of the country the last several weeks, so we had a lot to catch up on. We ran into the one person I know from my ward, who was with some dude apparently also from my ward ("Now you know me!" "I can guarantee I will forget you by tomorrow" (...this may be why I struggle to make friends :D)) who happened to know Emily from, like, a decade ago. It's a small world out here.
The market had a real live reindeer, which I thought was pretty cool. He was tinier than expected. I sent a picture to my family and got zero response, which just proves they're a bunch of scrooges with no appreciation for the magic of Christmas. :D (They would disagree with me, but they're the same people who didn't like the Polar Express, so shows what they know.) There was also a churro stand in a mobile dollhouse, which was my favorite thing to look at. I sent a picture to Eliza, and she was properly appreciative. There were also hundreds of Christmas lights. I love Christmas lights. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the lights at Temple Square, because there's something magical about that many lights decorating every surface the light-stringing people can reach. I have tickets this year to the Tabernacle Christmas concert, and I plan to get there early so I can wander around appreciating the lights.
After the Christmas market, Emily and I went to the theatre and saw Fantastic Beats 2. I'd already seen it, but wanted to see it again, and since she was in Europe for its release, it was her first time. It was much better the second time (and I enjoyed it the first time), and we had a lot to discuss, plot holes included. I like discussing things with her, because like me, she likes to discuss the minutiae and theorize about character motivations. And we don't let silly things like plot holes get in the way of loving beloved characters.
I bought myself a couple of presents recently. I've been wanting fleece-lined leggings for a while, but whoever invented them is under the misguided notion that women top out at 5'6". Finally, after much research, I found a brand that was afforadable and made leggings for tall people. I put in my order, and eagerly anticipated the arrival. My package was supposed to come on Tuesday. Around 9:00 at night, after it decidedly had not arrived, I got online to track my package. Apparently it had arrived in Orem Monday night, but couldn't be delivered on Tuesday because, and I quote, "delay in delivery due to weather or natural disaster." I looked outside, where it was overcast but not precipitating, and concluded Orem must be experiencing a city-wide natural disaster. I snapchatted this to Karen, who dutifully responded with laughing emojis.
My leggings finally came on Wednesday, and I tell you what, they're the best thing since sliced bread. I love them THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much. They're comfortable, snug, and warm! I've been lounging about the house in them ('cause I don't have to look presentable when I live alone) and wore them to school paired with a skirt on Thursday. I love them. I want ten pairs. I won't get ten pairs because that is a disgraceful waste of money, but I want ten pairs.
The other present I purchased? A new (used) car. Mine's been flirting with death for a while, and when I went to take her in for an oil change, I pulled into the parking lot, sat there for fifteen minutes, and said, "I don't want to do this." So I went home, googgled the car I wanted, found one in Lehi, took Karen with me to test drive it (and we inspected absolutely everything we could--did you know Autozone reads engine codes? I didn't, but I do now), and bought it on Monday. I am now in debt for it (hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa -_-) but have a five-year loan, a payment I can afford, and a car I trust. And I love it so, so much. It's pretty and shiny and I don't have to bend in half to get into it and it's got buttons and doodads and only 32,000 miles. I'm tickled pinker 'n' a pig in a purple prom dress. I love it.
School is going well. My kids are incredibly well behaved this year. I do have a trouble parent, but PTA mom is nowhere near as bad as Special Dad from last year, so I can handle it. And when I get frustrated with her emails, I just share them with all the 5th and 6th grade teachers, we gripe about stupid parents together, and then I feel better about life.
(She means well because she loves her kid, but she's one of those lawnmower parents who tries to bulldoze every obstacle in her son's life. Consequently she grossly undersells him, and gets really frustrated when I push him farther than she thinks I should. Thing is, he rises to the occasion and meets my standards, proving how capable he can be, and then he gets to feel the joy of accomplishing something hard. She really doesn't like me, but that's okay, because I don't care, plus the feeling is mutual.)
Story time! Sort of. This is second hand, so I may misremember and misquote, but it's close enough.
At Thanksgiving my parents went to Nashville and took the kids for the day on Wednesday. They drove past a Civil War cemetery and had this conversation:
Momma: I love cemeteries.
Ruby: What's a cemetery?
Momma: It's where we bury people after they die.
Ruby: I love Amy. When she dies, I will visit her every day.
<3
Then they drove past a more recent cemetery covered in flowers.
Ruby: Why are there flowers?
Momma: That's how people show they love and remember their family who's died.
Ruby: When I visit Amy, I will bring her flowers every day.
Later, Daddy told me Sherman made some comment along the lines of "I won't visit Amy." Bahah. At least my Ducky loves me. :)