“My life is brilliant.” –James Blunt-

 

Last night’s gift exchange with the girls was splendid. I raked in a photo collage of prior good times, an Asian-inspired tote bag, a houndstooth purse, a bunch of lip glosses, a bag of candy, a pumpkin candle (my fave scent!) & a pretty magnet… not to mention my favorite gift of all- finally spending some QT with (most of) my favorite girls.

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And tonight is New Year’s! I really hope everything pans out like we’re hoping- especially because I was the primary facilitator of tonight’s events. I just want a memorable, fun, carefree night with my crew- no drama. I got 99 problems but a crappy New Year ’s Eve ain’t one, bitch.

((()))

            *inquiring minds want to know- what the bloody hell am i doing in this picture?!?!

 

I got a haircut yesterday that I am still disgustingly undecided about. I’m now the (proud?) owner of… bangs, which I haven’t had since age 15. I look like I’m either 12 or 45- I can’t tell yet. I think I’m inclined to agree with my Male-Me & say that while it could be worse, I’m definitely not in love with the new ‘do.

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Mayor Robart is being inaugurated today, & came in to practice the ceremony yesterday. This sort of makes me laugh, since he’s been mayor for longer than I’ve been alive. Come on- are you telling me he doesn’t know the drill yet?!

 

Happy 2006, darlings- hope everyone has a great one!

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“You’re a loaded gun- there’s nowhere to run.” –Bon Jovi-

 

I’ve been listening to my 80’s CDs for the past week or so. They make me soooo happy.

 

Last night was great- it was boys’ night out… plus me. We hit up River City for a little bit of Tuesday night townie-bar fun. My personal favorite moment was when Nick lit his cigarette on fire & Clark said, “It smells like you’re smoking a PINECONE!” or maybe when Brandon cut his fingernails in the bar???

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Peebs & I went thrifting today & I bought a killer brown tweed peacoat. I saw a million other cool things that I loved but would never wear- I wish I had the guts (& the body) to dress totally vintage-crazy. I envy girls who go balls to the wall & dress however they want.

 

Also, a brief, sappy note: I have the most amazing boyfriend on the planet. Even if today he sent me a text that said, “I’m so glad we hate each other.” I think he actually meant “have,” right…? Last night just confirmed what a good thing I have. I loooove you, Kev.

((())) 

 

New Year’s is a’comin’ & we’ve got a full house! No more guests- sorry, guys. We’re at (& slightly over) max capacity. If you’re coming, it’s $25 for the room, plus BYOB. I can’t wait- it’s gonna be a blast!

 

“Join us in the streetswhere we don’t belong- you & the stars throwing light.” –Jeff Buckley-

 

Hey, good news- I’ms till alive. My appendix hasn’t ruptured or anything… YET.

 

Christmas was somewhat splendid, after I got over the boringness of the a.m. hours. Dinner was scrumptious, my presents were great (even if Kevin told me what he got me beforehand), & although I was convinced I was dying, it was a relaxing day.

((()))

 

After leaving Memoirs of a Geisha last night, my tailbone hurt so bad that I could hardly stand up straight. Annie said I was having sympathy pains for myself, because a year ago that very hour I was breaking my tailbone in a sledding incident.

 

We played “The Game of Dirty Minds” last night & roasted marshmallows on Annie’s new s’more-maker. That game is brilliant- I’m pretty sure my friends & I could have invented it, though.

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I want to buy a panini from the café, but I only have $4 in my bank account… sooooo scratch that, I’ll starve.

 

I’m depressed & anxious- a fabulous combo. I don’t even know what’s wrong, except maybe that I haven’t slept enough lately. Or that I’m PMSing, maybe. Probably that- my face looks like the surface of the moon as of today… I’m overall just in a shity mood… & I don’t even have enough money to go out drinking.

<<<>>>

Merry Christmahanukwanzukah!

 

I have some severe pain in my right abdomen area. I looked up what this could mean, & there are about a thousand things it could be from. A) I could have appendicitis, B) I could have pelvic inflammatory disease, C) I could have diverticulitis… um, so now I’m freaking out AND in pain…

<<<>>>

 

Since I’ve spent the last two Christmases with Christian families (the Hoekstra’s & the Schauer’s), I’d forgotten how ridiculously boring Christmas is when you’re just being a regular old Jew. I’ve watched three movies, five episodes of Law & Order, read two magazines & baked one batch of cookies. My mom has nearly finished a novel.

 

WTF is this weather? I put my cookies on our back porch to cool, & they didn’t, because it wasn’t cold enough outside. The snow all melted & we’re having a green Christmas. Rare. WEIRD.

((()))

 

Tonight I’m going over to Kevin’s for dinner, if I don’t die of appendicitis or ovary disease within the next few hours. Pray for me? I’m a hypochondriac, I know, but this time I’m really worried.

 

Also, in the spirit of the season, please say a prayer for my friend Leann, who’s spending her Christmas in the hospital with a staff infection. Do the same for my little cousin Joe, who's having liver problems again.

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Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it; Happy Chanukah to my fellow Jews; and a plain old happy holiday season to everyone else!

“I’m the narrator & this is just the prologue.” –Panic! at the Disco-

 

Vegas was splendid. A list of my faves is as follows:

§          The four-hour plane ride where I snoozed both ways

§          The Bellagio fountains, especially dancing to the Hallelujah Chorus

§          The fact that pop music is always playing throughout the city, like a perma-soundtrack

§          The outdoor escalators to cross the streets

§          The gigantor Sephora, the hilarious David & Goliath store & all the rich stores I can’t afford

§          The outfit I wore to the Radio Music Awards

§          Seeing SNOOP (wearing Chucks!) & Ricky Martin perform

§          The kickass buffet at our hotel

§          The New York, New York hotel built to look like the NYC skyline

§          Our “backyard” filled with penguins & flamingoes

§          Having time to finish 2 Mary Higgins Clark books

<<<>>> 

 

Non-faves were also as follows:

§          My phone not working that far away, so I couldn’t hang out with Korrie

§          The Bellagio fountains dancing to Carol of the Bells

§          Losing money on the slot machines

§          Getting into lots of fights with my mom

§          Getting sick from over-eating at the buffet

§          Kelly Clarkson not being at the RMAs

§          Three-hour jetlag like whoa

<<<>>> 

 

But I’m glad to be home. I don’t do well on vacations away from my friends. I think I’m pretty dependent on them. Oops. Thanks to Brian & Kev for taking care of the house & my rides to & from the airport.

 

Today, I applied for a credit card & finished Christmas shopping. Sunday, I’m having Christmas dinner with the McGarveys. On Monday, Annie & I are having us-time by going to see Memoirs of a Geisha together. I’m really excited…I love movies & one-on-ones.

<<<>>>

 

I’m also really excited for New Year’s Eve with (most of) my crew, even we’ll be slightly incomplete without Tav. I hope all goes well & that this is one to remember—for the right reasons!

“She cries at night & she doesn’t think that I can hear.”

 

I spent most of tonight waiting for someone to come home, only to find that they’re out of the state & not, in fact, coming home. I don’t know why I got so upset, but I did & I still am & I’m lame. The best part is that when I called, I got yelled at & it was made to seem like it was my fault because I was so excited to see him in the first place, God forbid.

((()))

 

My Econ grade is posted- I got a C! I really thought I was in danger of failing, so this mediocre grade is particularly welcomed. Also, my photography portfolio wasn’t late. Wahooo. I’m waiting on 4 more grades to be posted.

 

Basically I feel like the way you feel the night before you start your period- all crazy & emotional & sad, for no reason… but it’s not even that time of month. I’m mad at everyone & I feel like, for the most part, basically everyone has treated me like shit for the past week or so, & I’m sick to death of it. I feel like everyone has been really nasty to me lately, like I’m underappreciated or something else corny.

<<<>>>

 

I’m not even excited for Vegas, but I ought to be. At least I won’t be here. So let’s go spend money I don’t really have & wear clothes I couldn’t really afford to buy & spend a frickin’ ton of time with my mom. Ready? And I’m off…

<<<>>>

 

Sometimes even a new tulle skirt & an 80%-off designer handbag aren’t enough to make you feel good.

“I’m ridin’ the highs, I’m diggin’ the lows cuz at least I feel alive.” –Carlos Santana & the Wreckers-   Look at me, so excited about someone else's kid that I'm about to post an ultrasound of him. Ha. Okay, so this is Brian & Michelle's as-yet-unnamed son... we all freaked out when we saw this. Beautiful, isn't it? <<<>>>    Peebles saw it & he said this: hey its peebs: oh my gosh hey its peebs: its a real baby hey its peebs: it kind of just hit me   Sooo, I’m DONE with this semester! My mom called me to say “Mazel Tov!” I’m a little freaking out, though, because my portfolio was the only one in the bin when I turned it in… I turned it in at 11:50 because I thought we had the time of our exam (10:15-12:30) to do so, but maybe I was late? And maybe he’ll dock my grade? Or not even get my portfolio? I practically cried… what if, what if, what if?! //////   To make myself feel better & to pseudo-celebrate my end-of-semester giddiness, I purchased a $248 Michael Kors purse from Kaufmann’s… for $52. Yeah, you almost bitch-slapped me, didn’t you? Don’t worry- I’m a sale shopper! It’s beyooootiful. ((()))    Tomorrow is my lovely boyfriend’s 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday, baby! Festivities tonight at the McGarvey residence- a quick hurrah before I jet off to V-E-G-A-S! Hit Kev up here to tell him to have a good one. //////    I want some of those wafer dealies, the kind that come in vanilla, chocolate & strawberry, that you can take apart by layer… yummm… who wants to buy me some?!

"I am me & I won't change for anyone like you." -Ashlee Simpson-

 

A couple weeks ago Lauren tagged me to name 5 quirks about myself. I listed these:

 

·   I dip my Oreos in water because milk changes the way they taste. Water just makes them soggy, which is how they taste best.

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·   I crack my knuckles & joints compulsively. I can't stop myself, even when my mom screams at me. If I do one, I have to do them all- there's no stopping.

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·   I grind my teeth in my sleep. I had a dentist-made mouthguard for it, but I lost it at OU so now I wear a hockey mouthguard to bed. Hot, I know.

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·   I don't like listening to music I don't know, which extends to new CDs that I buy/download. It takes me forever to get around to listening to them, because I dislike things I don't know the words to yet.

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·   When parallel parking, I have to run over the curb before I'll park. Otherwise, I never think I'm close enough.

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However, I was recently tagged again by Marisa Lee, so here are 5 more (I’m one quirky sonuvabitch):

 

·   I shop at Target four or five or times a week. It doesn’t help that it’s on my way home from school.

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·   I always think I’m way hungrier than I actually am, so I order an appetizer, or soup or whatever… & then I can never eat it all.

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·   When I get really nervous, I either talk a lot or start laughing hysterically. It’s an annoying habit to have.

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·   I’m addicted to crime shows of all sorts. My favorite is Law & Order: SVU but in a pinch, anything will do, really.

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·   I keep half a wardrobe in my car. Right now that includes 2 purses, 2 skirts, three shirts & four pairs of shoes. A.k.a. I’M SUPER MESSY.

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I tag Kevin, Shannen, Keelie, Korrie & Shanna. Annnd GO.

“I don’t care if I’m your villain.” –Franz Ferdinand-

 

It would be so nice if, for once, I could be friends with some boys without everyone else wigging out. It would be nice if, for once, my friends would not always assume the worst & instead trust me. It’d be nice if I wasn’t always being accused of something, or suspected of something, or just generally judged for something. It would be nice… but it never seems to happen.

<<<>>>

 

I’m in a particularly foul mood, for various reasons.

§          My Econ exam ate me alive.

§          My Photography portfolio isn’t done yet.

§          Numerous people told me that what I’ve done of my Photography portfolio sucks.

§          Poli Sci exam tomorrow- who even knows?!

§          I don’t feel good & my back is murdering me.

§          More rumors, more assumptions, more stupid shit.

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To top it off, I’ve been thinking about Megan Burns, the girl who died at the railroad crossing, all day. I can’t get it off my mind- what a horrible way to die, & right before the holidays…. May she rest in peace…

((( )))

 

Basically, I want to cry. I want my friends to be friend-ly; I want my finals to be over; I want my pictures not to suck; I want to be in Vegas.

 

“She can’t be sure just where it ends or where the good life begins.” –Beth Hart-

 

I wore my Chucks in the snow today, which is basically like walking through a giant puddle wearing only socks. A really cold puddle. So today I bought some boots, & they rock.

<<<>>>

                      (i took this for my photo class...)

 

I hope that I kicked Geology’s ass today. Tomorrow, however, is a different story. Shot thru the heart & Econ’s to blame…

 

Best part of my day was finding out that Brian & Michelle are most likely having a little BOY! I spent my downtime today scribbling down random names that Brian didn’t end up liking. But whatever, it’s my newest pastime! ("where's the milk, OJ!?!")

((()))

 

I’m done wrapping Christmas presents & now I have nothing left to do while I watch TV. Damn it. I need to learn to knit or something. Actually, need to not be watching TV anyway- I should be studying.

 

Happiest thing ever: covert ops with my bff to surprise the little bro at Vespers on Sunday. See for yourself-

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Other happiest thing ever: decorating the Christmas tree with Kevin & Ryan & their parents, & eating molasses cookies. As follows-

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                      (ryan pirouettes the angel on top)
/
                      (relaxin' during trree-trimming)
/

     (jewish girl & her finished christmas product)///

 

 EDIT: About an hour ago, two children were hit by a train at the Broad Boulevard crossing. One died- the other is in the hospital. This make me nauseous. Please pray for them & their families.