Thursday, December 31, 2009

el ano nuevo.

2009 is over tonight.  it was a busy, interesting, and at times very difficult year. and since reminiscing is a by product of this time of year, here i go:

worst parts: josh & erin's troubles, dad's hospitalization, dad's diagnosis, dad's layoff, dad's second hospitalization, the screw-up with my summer schedule, swine flu, the raccoon saga, uncle donald's death, trying to settle dad's parents' estate, the busiest semester ever.

best parts: eli young band with nick & kristy, buying and playing the wii with the group,  booked up with the group, camping with daddy, snow!, glee night with nick & erin, obama's inauguration, corresponding with ray freaking bradbury!!, my birthday celebration, getting to teach online.


the good parts are fairly equal to the bad. it's been a decent year. i know that i have it better and easier than so many others, so i'll say that despite its hardships, 2009 has been good.  so now on to the resolutions.

in 2009 i resolved to:
1) work seriously on the bradbury project. maybe even go to ohio to see the manuscripts.  fail.  hah!  the year actually began promisingly enough with the project, but i haven't touched it in several months.
2) make more time for things i enjoy: taking pics, baking, reading, etc. check.  kind of. i've indulged in those a little more this year and have even picked up a few new hobbies.
3) set firm deadlines for grading papers and meet them. check.  it's just easier when it's organized and on a schedule.

in 2010 i will:
1) work seriously on the bradbury project. maybe even go to ohio to see the manuscripts.
2) take care of my family and be a better daughter.  

best of 2009 (the best things i've encountered this year)
books:
    * pride and prejudice and zombies - jane austen & seth grahame-smith
    * them: adventures with extremists - jon ronson
    * the know it all - a.j. jacobs
    * the book of the courtesans - susan griffin

albums:
    * american saturday night - brad paisley
    * vagarosa - ceu
    * sunny side up - paolo nutini
    * taxi amarillo - taxi amarillo
    * save me, san francisco - train
    * ga ga ga ga ga - spoon

movies:
    * public enemies
    * monsters vs aliens
    * up
    * inglourious basterds
    * drag me to hell
    * the hangover

2009 in review (quotes from my dear bloggy blog):
enero: "this month brings many beginnings: new year, new classes, new students, new president, new cabinet. each with opportunities to correct past mistakes, to learn things anew, and to aid future success.  "
febrero: "ray freaking bradbury wrote my name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
marzo: "yesterday, my friends and i went to archer city, texas."
abril: "i will purchase every book the man has published and every edition of fahrenheit 451 ever produced (accept the asbestos edition because i don't have $30,000 to spend on it--although if someone were to give it to me i wouldn't turn it down)."
mayo: "the next morning, we schlepped back over to the fishing pier to drop some more lines."
junio: " congrats, pixar. you did something few other films have made me do: cry like a girl. "
julio: "he's been out in the day because he's too young to effectively catch little mice, so he's hungry and foraging for anything he can find. it's like a freaking disney movie really. and my dad's cruella deville."
agosto: "inglourious basterds = awesome."
septiembre: "so there you have it. bankers suck."
octubre: "my best friend was on the news this morning."
noviembre: "mr. scantron,
i don't use you very often. when i do, i would love it if you could work. the first time. not the twelfth. you don't get to pick and choose which of my students' exams you would like to grade. you have to grade them all. this is your job. your purpose. your destiny. buck up!"
deciembre: " i called my mom (who couldn't talk for laughing) and she confirmed that there are usually 9-10 treats per bag.  we had three left."



happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!


Thursday, December 24, 2009

merry christmas everyone!

Friday, December 18, 2009

the dog who ruined christmas.


so i have five dogs.  i'm one of "those" people who buys christmas presents for their dogs.  and i wrap them.  and i put them under the tree.  my dogs have never bothered them until:

christmas caper 2009: the dog(s) who ruined christmas!

all was quiet in the house.  mardi and maddy were in my room with sugarplum fairies dancing in their heads.  shelby was sleeping peacefully with my dad, all snuggled up in the electric blanket.  that left two.  the less-than-dynamic duo.  abbie and sophie:




i was awakened by crunching.  lots of crunching.  i assumed that sophie was eating breakfast--she's a loud cruncher.

i was correct.  if you call breakfast one of their christmas presents.  i give you exhibit a: sophie, in the middle of the damage. (it's dark and hard to see because i had to take pics with my phone and forgot to turn the light on--sorry!)


exhibit b: 



note: the dog in the foreground has been found innocent of all charges.


i will give them this, they opened and ate their own present and left everyone else's (including the other dogs) alone.  though, they were interupted in the middle of their scheme.  exhibit c:



i watch sophie go up to the bag, take a treat out of it, then run waddle around the corner to eat it.  i grab the bag of treats.

exhibits d and e:




 i called my mom (who couldn't talk for laughing) and she confirmed that there are usually 9-10 treats per bag.  we had three left.

so on top of ruining their christmas, they will later have bellyaches that we will have to deal with. merry christmas to us.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

sick and tired of being sick and tired.

this is my vacation.  

i am sick--sick enough to do nothing but lie in bed all day sleeping (so not me).

what's the moral of this story, you may ask.  it's this:  this freaking sucks!  i can't bake the hundreds of "to be baked" recipes i have marked; i can't finish the christmas shopping that needs to be finished; i can't talk to my best friend cause my voice is practically non existent; i can't enjoy my precious time off!

it's been a long, hard, very, very busy semester and i need a break that doesn't involve sore throats, endlessly stuffy then runny noses, and fever.  seriously vacation gods, what gives?!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
in other news, what's with the lack of apostrophes i've noticed these days?  seriously, the apostrophe means something.  bloggers and news outlets should really use them.  just sayin'.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

brandipalooza 2009.

it began friday. my family couldn't be together until friday, so we waited to have thanksgiving until that day. after stuffing ourselves with turkey, dressing, and all the appropriate fixings, my sister, bestie, and i headed for my fave band's concert. the opening act went on an hour and a half late and then stunk up the place. he did a set of eight songs. six of those were covers. the covers were not....good. we killed time by taking pics, drinking, and playing with my sister's iphone (which she needs to have surgically attached to her hand): my fave new drink, the ricky ricardo: finally eyb took the stage. they were awesome (as usual).
saturday was spent with my family, celebrating both my grandmother's birthday and my own. it culminated in a delicious dinner and a rousing game of partini. my sister and i won. twice. take that aunt betty. sunday was my actual birthday, and my bestie made it quite a fun and special day. it began with a trip to the christmas tree farm: the road trip was followed by a hay ride, after which nick was handed a saw: and we set off on the quest for the perfect christmas tree: finally, we found it, and nick, feeling a little guilty, proceeded to chop it down. he neglected to yell timber as it fell. the stump. don't worry little stump, you have fulfilled your destiny and will be replanted next year: nick then had to drag his tree to the road so we could be picked up: this made him feel very manly. like a lumberjack, really: and, finally, proof that i was indeed there: we then went to his house, decorated the tree, drank hot cocoa, and reveled in the cozy comfort of a warm house, great movie, good friends, and chocolate covered pretzels. it was a good birthday. probably the best so far.