Weekend Update

In an attempt to avoid studying at any cost, let’s have a weekend update!

Last Friday I had the pleasure of being my cousin’s confirmation sponsor. It was really an honor, and the ceremony was very nice. My aunt (Cioci) hosted an awesome after-party with great food and fun- we had a bunch of sacrilegious but entertaining religious-related games. Honestly, my relatives are so creative: throwing coins into a poor box, bursting balloons with a flame pin to get out of “Hell”, rice bowl races, playing "Name That Hymn". Fun, relaxing, and nice to see family I haven’t seen in a while.

Just as nice was spending the day in Princeton showing MT around before the ceremony. I had forgotten what a connection I have to this other Ivy town. Not only do my parents still work and own land there, I went to grade school there for nine years.

Because MT still lives where he grew up, I think he takes for granted how familiar everything is to him. By showing him Princeton from my point of view (aka, all my childhood memories), it helps us understand each other better. Plus, as we talk about the future (the 5 years away future), it helps him realize what a sacrifice I’ll be making moving to a suburb near him (he needs a volunteer fire dept, but that means I have to leave my center city condo and will be taken out of the familiar -- again).

Saturday/Sunday was spent meandering around Center City. After a delicious breakfast in Fairmount (French Toast with nutella and bananas, almost orgasmic), we visited MT’s aunt and uncle who live near Rittenhouse. They’re very interesting, traveling people, and their stories were a riot. The night was capped off my a Korean place, which was honestly my first Korean food. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan- so to wipe that taste out, we got a Whole Foods cake. Amazing!

I’m getting really excited for the upcoming holidays. I can’t wait to see everyone I’ve been missing! And moreso, I can't wait for everyone to meet the love of my life, Sligo, at some point!

Winter Blues

Winter is here, and now, everything that comes with it. Ugh! I know that it's partially genetic and physiologic (and probably psychological, too) but every time it gets cold a couple things happen.

First, I start fuh-reeezing. Freezing leads to over eating. Over eating leads to getting fat. Getting fat gets me depressed and despondent. And that gets me no where, other than more of all those things.

Second, this is the first time that my hands have actually started to really, really hurt with the cold weather. It seems silly, but it's so true. The worst is when I have to bike to work... I keep hot packs in my gloves, but it really doesn't do that much. I'm starting to have trouble texting, typing, and piano-ing now- which really, really scares me.

Third, I start to spend crazy amounts of money that I don't have on useless things that I totally don't need. I blame it on being the Christmas promotions. I guess they work! Also on a money note, I have to turn my heat on to stop from shivering (honestly? my heat is on 68 degrees and I'm still wearing a coat, hat, and gloves).

But I am tired of always being a negative nellie. Seriously- please start calling me out on it! It has gotten out of hand! So here are some positive things about it being winter:

-I get to wear scarves again, and I love scarves!
-my cat is not shedding nearly as much
-getting dark earlier means I go to bed at a reasonable time
-cute hats (esp. my new kanga one- note above, spending money on things I don't need)
-good excuse to have more coffee/hot cocoa (delicious)
-winter means that the next season is spring!
-Christmas/New Years/MLK Jr. Day
-Speaking of Christmas, dressing my cat up in Santa hats

...and off to Target!

Halloween Weekend

Halloween was a complete disaster. I feel totally guilty for making my friends come downtown from the NE/DelCo/SoJo, but I thought it’d be worth it. I banked on them having a good time at the bar I went to the year for Halloween. Well, when we get to the bar, we’re not allowed in because it’s a private party. And this is after I called the day before and asked about their Halloween specials! Why didn’t they just tell me when I called?! Anyway, I did enjoy dressing up in my Amish bonnet and hanging out with the girls, but I do feel terribly guilty that the night ended up being so quiet. (Although I personally blame the Phillies Parade- it kind of wore everyone out, and most people were still in Phillies gear at the bar instead of costumes. But I guess I shouldn’t complain, the parade was awesome!)

The weekend got a little better after Friday, and I celebrated my anniversary. We went to a Moroccan restaurant and it was delicious- baba ganoush and all. Spent the night just walking around downtown with some gelato as a night-cap. All in all, a nice night.

It’s funny to me that one year later, sure, MT and I still go on dates, but the dates are so different. We used to go to movies, and now we go to Home Depot. We used to go out to nice restaurants, and now we get excited about Taco Bell (probably a little too excited… volcano taco, anyone?). But the nice thing is that I wouldn’t want to change a thing. Even though we won’t live together for another three years, it still feels like we’re a real, grown up couple.

In other news, I’m just hanging on in grad school. I need to get B’s for my job to pay for my classes, and for the first time ever, I am nervous about the rule. If I don’t get B’s, I will be out $8000 that I totally can’t afford/don’t even have/never planned for. I am also slightly nervous about my clinical sites. I find out the week before Christmas where I will have to go for the following nine months of my life- I just hope they are not to far away. I can’t imagine driving 2 hours three times a week for nine months!