Family, Football, and Food

In front of me sparkles a Christmas tree. The colors change from purple to blue to sparkling white to red, yellow, and green. It is small enough to sit on an end table covered in a red table cloth and at the table's base sit boxes in colorful paper topped with bows. A little T.V plays the SC--Houston football game and its own sound can't rival that of the family in the kitchen. Mom, Dad, Gretchen, my Mema, Grammie, and great aunt; they are clumped in the little kitchen. I think it's half-time in the game, but again, I can't really hear it.

We are celebrating the holidays with the grandparents and cousins this weekend. I'm taking a break from the family. A little time for football and me. I'm a college football fan. It is so much more entertaining than professional football. At the college level, the kids actually want to play because they enjoy the game. It's harder to find that at a professional level with all the money that exchanges hands. And, when the only team close to you is the Bengals, your enjoyment for professional football tends to decrease. Seeing all the silliness that goes on leaves a bad taste in your mouth and it turns me away. College football is a lot better.

The only professional sport I'm really into is Hockey. How do you get hockey in southern Ohio? You don't really. There is the Columbus Blue Jackets, but its kinda a drive, and with the Hockey strike, not many T.V stations air the games, so there really is no way to get hockey in southern Ohio. That doesn't stop my dedication though. I am a Dallas Stars fan. Zubov is my favorite player. When I played soccer I was a defender and I started watching hockey with my dad around that time. I watched Zubie (Zubov) play, found out he was a defender, and was hooked. Go Dallas!

Well, I suppose it's family time and I am a bit thirsty. I'm also helping Geoff plan his own dinner over AIM. We are thinking he sould order a pizza and he wants to make a salad, complete with pine nuts. I am allergic to nuts; that is a salad of death. Oh well, he's eating it, not me.
Enjoy yourselves and have a Happy New Year.

Pictures: One: me on the futon. Two: of the Fresh X backpacking trip to Seneca Rocks WV. Three: the Ladies of Cincinnati, Rose, Carrie, Olivia, and Me. Four: the group at OWU the night before we all left, Megan, Geoff, Mery and Me.

Basement Movies

This blog comes to you from my basement. A setting that is a little different but a lot more comfortable than the dorm room. Don’t get me wrong, the beds are actually decent, but there is just something so satisfying about sitting in a swivel chair under a desk and not having to wrestle internet cables and power cords. I am also a person who enjoys natural light or no light. The cool darkness of the basement is perfect for the creative spirit. Just enough light shines through the rectangle windows that I can see my keyboard. The light also has a freshness about it. From my seat I can see the bases of bushes and blue sky.

The past three days of being home have been spent baking. It is a tradition for our family to give bread and cookies to our neighbors and friends. So, I’ve been baking. The house smells wonderful and up until last night, the kitchen table and counter were covered with plastic plates ready for giving. This year’s menu included gingerbread loaf, pineapple cookies with frosting, apricot cookies with pecans, and brownies mixed with cheesecake, raspberries, and white and chocolate chips.

Today is more of a lazy day. I am writing the holiday letter that the family sends out as well as updating the blog and working on my novel. Hopefully I’ll get some present wrapped. I’m also singing along with music. I’ve developed this really cool ability to sing and type at the same time. Today, the family will also drive around and look at lights. It is another family tradition to look at lights on Christmas Eve. It is very similar to the light seeing that the gang up at school did; the one with the flamingo nativity scene.
From what I’ve heard everybody made it home, safe and sound, and is enjoying the time off. There is sleep to be caught up on and schedules not to be followed. I think the lack of schedule is my favorite part. If I want to stay in my pajamas and watch movies all day, I can.

Speaking of, I think the group her in Cincy are planning a movie day. It’s our own little jig where we used to all get together (all being Olivia, Rose, Katie, Jonathan, Mike and Me), lay on a couch, and watch movies for the entire day. Nobody had to move, unless the movie ended or they needed food. We also asked people to get up if they had to use the bathroom. But it was a lovely little way for us to relax. Now that we are all back from school, we’re hoping to get another movie day squeezed in somewhere. Due to college diversity, some people are headed to school within the next two weeks and some of us don’t go back until mid-January.

I’ll keep you posted.
Have a great weekend and a very happy holidays.

Pictures: One: My sister Gretchen and me. Two: Olivia and me at graduation. Three: Olivia, Katie, Mike, and me in my kitchen. Four: A mob of us at Rose's graduation party.

The Bull Pen

I’m back at school. I turned in my writing fiction story and reorganized the dorm room to make it kind of homey for the two days I’ll be here. I brought my blankets back and my bears. It has come to my attention that all of my bears have a winter theme about them. Two are wearing snow hats. One has mittens and a scarf while the other is carrying ice skates. My third bear has an icy blue nose. At least they are warm for this time of year. Though the weather really has been manageable. We’ve only had snow flurries when, usually, by this time we’ve had at least one nice snow. The only cold days we’ve had were right after Thanksgiving. The passed three weeks have given us amazing weather.

So, now that I’m back to school I have taken up my normal residence, a chair in Geoff and Ryan’s room. That is actually where this blog is being written. They live three floors above me so it is a nice place to escape to when I just need to get out of my own room. I’ve written papers, read books, and studied all in that room.

The view is gorgeous from there, also. Their window overlooks the roofs the Ham-Will (student center) and the buildings leading up to it. You can see the tops of the trees and passed the student center you can see the spire of University. At night, the huge windows that encompass the fourth floor of Ham-Will are lit up with soft yellow light; a spotlight shines on University and both of these meet a dark sky filled with stars.

One of the favorite past-times of the “Bull Pen” is Super Smash Brothers. After a long day or just too much studying it is wonderful to beat things. Super Smash Brothers is a video game on the Game Cube system where each player picks a different character from other Game Cube games and then battle it in out in specially designed arenas. It’s a really great way to get rid of stress and oddly enough, after finishing, it is really easy to focus again.

It is also in the guys room that I get introduced to new music and that bunches of pictures are taken. They have their room set up so all the desks are out of the common room. In that space are a few fold-out chairs, a futon, a TV, and the couple gaming systems they own. It makes it a great place to socialize. Next year, I’m hoping my room can be set up exactly like this because it is so functional and inviting.

Pictures: Number one is Bear's visit to the Bull Pen. Number two is a pretty classic day on the futon, especially after finals. Number three is playing Smash Brothers. Number four is playing with the bull horns of the bull pen.

Enjoy yourselves!

Ah

Finals are officially here.

There is a funny haze hovering over campus. You can tell the people that have been studying all day. They have a glazed look over their eyes, but at the exact same time they have a buzz from all the coffee that’s been keeping them awake. Their limbs look weak as they trudge between the dorms and the library or Mean Bean (a lovely little coffee shop that accepts our food points). Some haven’t slept, some are just getting up and ready for a night of books.

Today, I took my only exam (Swahili). I really enjoy Swahili. Mimi nina penda Kiswahili. And I turned in my second of three papers (politics). All I’ve got left to do is the final edits on my Writing Fiction story and finish the organizing for my Folklore Project Presentation.

So, this weekend, I am headed back to Cincinnati. Yay cornfields. It really is a lovely drive between Cincinnati and Columbus, if you like flat land, cornfields, and the occasionally soy bean field. It is also a very straight drive. Most roads curve and turn, the road to Cincinnati does not. But, it is an easy drive because you just hop on I-71 and go. All the packing is done too. I finished that this evening so I can leave early tomorrow. I would have left today but I had a tour guide meeting late and you never want to miss and exciting tour guide meeting, especially ones where there is free food.

This evening we: Megan, Geoff, Mery, Ashley, Lola, and I, drove around and looked at Christmas lights. We found some pretty interesting things, including a house with a nativity seen acted out by plastic lawn flamingos. Not kidding, one flamingo was even dressed up as a sheep. It was amazing. Sadly, no one had their camera and we missed the photo opportunity.

Back on campus it is pretty quiet though. Pages are turning and figures are hitting keyboards but that is about all the excitement you are going to find.

Have an amazing weekend.

These pictures demonstrate the mood of finals week. Just enjoy! In order: me, Megan, Ryan, and Mery.

Food, Yay!

Today is the day before finals week starts. My own finals experience will be just a little different because for two of my classes I wrote papers, and for one I have a presentation. I only have one actual exam. It's in Swahili. My Swahili final is all oral. I'll got in, my professor and I will chat, and the grade will come from that interaction. This type of language learning fits my personality a lot better. We didn't have to take notes in the class because we actually learned how to speak Swahili rather than learned the grammar. That's next semester. That's a little scarier.

As far as papers go, the fingers are tired. They just finished typing the second of my two politics papers and they still have some editing to do on my writing fiction story. Blah. And my project, for Myth, Legend, and Folklore-- and awesome class if I might add my opinion-- also included a paper. We did an mini-folklore research project on a topic of our choice and it was actually very interesting. My topic had a context of Japanese Storytelling with a focus on the performance of the stories. I choose three types: Rakugo, Kamishibai, and Manga/Anime.

Tonight, the plan is to relax. Lola and I are taking Mery, Megan, and Geoff to look at Christmas light in the area. Then, when we get back, we are going to go the a performance by the Babbling Bishops, an improv comedy group on campus. I am so excited to just take a break from the work.

So, just a bit about what's going on in the pictures. The first picture is a typical, Ham-Will dinner. It looks so yummy. I'm hungry. I'm going to dinner here soon.

Picture number two is Megan, Mery and me. I guess I make a good chair.

Picture number three is just me. Cameras in this group are dangerous. Almost all of us have a camera so you never know when you are going to get blinded with a flash. You've got to be ready. I'd also like to thank Mery, Megan, and Geoff for letting me steal their pictures until I get a camera of my own. Then it will be really dangerous. I'm deadly with a camera.

And the last picture is of Ryan. I promise, that's him under that jacket. All these pictures illustrate a typical dinner. Lots of food and lots of fun, just like a typical day.

Enjoy yourselves and more later.

Zoo Tails

Twinkle, twinkle little light
How I love you late at night.
Like a fish or in a tree
Pretty, pretty, so pretty.

I bet you've never seen prairie dogs like those before.

On the drive to the Columbus Zoo, Geoff and I argued about directions while Megan and Mery giggled in the backseat of Lola. The drive itself was pretty with farms and newly built houses. After a quick stop for directions we made it to the zoo and their annual Zoo Lights.

The Columbus Zoo is a fifteen minute drive from
campus and a great place to spend the day.

Admission is only ten dollars. It is so big and full of so many things to do that you need hours to complete everything. The four of us took four hours to see everything and we were just there for the lights . . . and whichever animals were still outside.

Megan, Me, and baby elephant.

And I must say, we did see everything. Fish, manatees, bats, monkeys, night critters, elephants, rinos, tigers, lions, penguins, birds, reptiles, there was a really, really big snake, and the list continues. Plus the zoo did a magnificent job decorating. Every single tree there wore lights. They also had amazing light structures of hippos and dragonflies and penguins. There were just so many.

The zoo itself is great and it is defiantly a must see even if you are just visiting.

Megan, Geoff, and me sitting on a manatee.

After we returned to campus we met up with Ryan, crowded into the guys’ room and watch Rudolph, and I’m talking the old Rudolph. The one that is film in that funny clay-mation but not stuff. And the songs are wonderful but listening to them now, they make no sense. That’s the Rudolph I’m talking about. Mery had never seen it so we watched it.

Then I went to bed.

And now, it is paper time. Finals are coming up and I’ve got four papers to write in place of my finals.

We are just wandering around the zoo. In the background you can see the great job the zoo did with lighting every tree.

Catch you guys later and stay safe.

Snow Flakes and Couches

Ah today, as I rose from my bed and started my computer on its defragment, I decided to let in some naturally light. My roommate was already awake and in the bathroom. I crossed the cold floor to the window, pulled back the curtain, and too my very pleasant surprise snow covered the ground and fell from the sky. It was beautiful. I lay back down in bed and watched it fall.
I could watch snow for hours. There is just some mesmerizing quality to it that captures my attention. It relaxes my body. The morning was lovely.

Here is a picture of Mery, me, and Megan before

the Presidents Ball.

The snow didn’t last for too long. I walked to class and when class ended it was already gone. Now, sun broke through the clouds and wind blew through campus. Temperature wise, it was nice but the just made it colder. I was sad that I left my scarf in my dorm room. I did have my gloves though, blue muppets this time.

This picture is of Ham-Will where we eat breakfast and dinner. They told me to make a sad face . . . come to think of it, I don't know why.

From class I went to lunch at the wonderful Bishop Café. The Bishop Café is a little sandwich shop in the student center that has great food, amazing couches, and TVs where, if you arrive early enough, you can catch the end of the Price is Right. Today, I had a chicken and cheese and tortilla jig with salsa and sour cream. It was really good.

Everybody, Mery, Megan, Geoff, Ryan, Julia, and I eat lunch in Bishop almost every day. It’s a nice way for the lot of us to de-stress and get ready to the rest of the afternoon. We take over the couches. They are black, leather couches that smell good and are so comfortable. It’s like sinking when you sit in them. They are a nice difference from desk chairs. We cram a bunch of people on them and recount the day, tell stories, make plans for the evening.

This is a picture of the Bishop Cafe.

Sometimes, after everybody leaves, I like to stay on the couches and read. When I’m focused, I can get a lot done, but today, I didn’t get any done. I read, maybe a page in my book. Once I returned to the dorm room though I got a lot done. It’s truly about finding your place to study and just using that as your focus spot. I know Ryan really enjoys studying at the Mean Bean, which is a little coffee shop in Delaware. It also accepts our food points, very handy. My roommates find the library a nice place to study. I prefer to study on my bed. It’s really all about you and finding your way to get the work done.

Oh, speaking of roomies, one just ran in and told me it was snowing again. You must excuse me; I’ve got some snow to watch.

Enjoy yourselves.

Window Serenade

Today was a lovely day, windy day, but lovely all the same. Today was also Julia’s birthday. So Mery and I (pictured here) wanted to do a little something for her. After classes ended and my tours ended we took a trip to Kroger-- a local supermarket. We found Julia a nice cake, perfect for a few people. It had pink flowers and green leaves over a white icing. Mery artfully wrote “Julia” in green icing on the open space. It was very pretty.

Then, we decided to get Julia a few presents; little, useful things; the stuff that every girl needs. These things were: flavored puffs that dissolve in your mouth (they are really a snake for babies), a turkey baster, and a wooden meat cleaver. Here, Mery is modeling with the baster and cleaver.

After the purchases, we wanted to wrap the odd assortment of gifts, so we decided to go back to my dorm room. In all the hustle though, I thought I lost my ID card.
Tour Guide Intervention—the ID card is your life on campus. It is everything. An ID card is issued to every student on campus and it holds their food points, any money their mom/dad or themselves decide to put on it, it also gets the student into any building on campus and it is their library card. Should a student loose the card it is fifteen dollars to replace and on a college student budget that is a fifteen dollars that should defiantly just stay in the bank—end of TG Intervention.

So, we got into the room, because I did have my room key, and I found my ID card in my backpack. In this picture, Julia holds the meat cleaver and I am hoping she doesn't hit me with it. This is the perfect example of what not to do with a meat cleaver. Don't hit your friends with it. Hit meat with it.

With the ID card crisis adverted, we wrapped the gifts in newspaper. I have tons of newspaper folded neatly under my bed. I really enjoy OWU because I get to read the New York Times for my politics and government class. Any paper would make me happy. Its just nice to have access to a large, well-known paper. But tonight, the newpaper turned into wrapping paper.

Then we ate dinner. Yum.

After dinner we, now the “we” being Mery, Megan, Geoff, Ryan and myself walked to Julia’s window. We banged on it and when she opened it we sang her happy birthday. It was truly a lovely time. This picture show us singing happy birthday. In the back are Ryan and Geoff; up front are me, Mery and Megan.

Again this day ends by lying in bed, next to a book for politics and government, and the New York Times crossword puzzle ready to finish off my day.

Enjoy your next few days.

Puddles: A Good Place to Start

I zip my jacket and pull out my "muppet" gloves --the muppet gloves are simply a pair of lovely yellow gloves that go everywhere with me. Even on warm days they tend to cover my fingers and they always hold a special place in my backpack-- and slip my fingers into them. Today didn't start as a glove day. I walked out of the dorm this morning and grey clouds rolled overhead spitting just enough rain to make it a hair-frizzy day. Just outside a large puddle greets me and I have the strongest urge to jump right in the middle of it, but sitting through class in wet pants just isn't as appealing as the puddle. Now, the night before, that's an entirely different story.

Last night, I definitely jumped in puddles after dinner. It felt so nice to act like a little kid again and just take some energy out on the puddles. And these weren't small puddles either. These were dips-in-the-sidewalk-where-there-is-absolutely-no-way-for-the-water-to-escape puddles. Lets just say from shoes to shirt bottom was soaked. And I learned a very important lesson, when you jump in puddles like I did, mom is no longer there to dry and wash the wet clothes for you. So, while it was an amazing time, the pants, socks, and shoes drying on the desk did make for interesting looks from the roommates.

Back to today though. So, it’s windy and wet. This morning, when I walked outside and missed the puddle I didn't need a jacket. It was cloudy yes, but I could see the sun breaking through. And during class I could see it. I couldn't wait to get outside. So, after my classes ended I ran out the door and straight into a giant gust of wind that nearly blew me back inside. I felt like I needed a rope to pull me across Sandusky St. and up the JAYwalk. I finally made it and was struck funny by the other wind-blown people. Everybody who walked through the doors of Ham-Will (the student center) looked the same. Their faces were stuck in one position consisting of wide open eyes and a straight-tight-lipped mouth. Red cheeks, noses, and ears finished off the look. I imagine I looked exactly the same way when I reached the building.

Now though, I am laying on my bed, in a toasty dorm room waiting for my brain to defrost before starting the weekend work. It's not a lot, but best to get it done.

Oh, and the pictures included are just so you guys can get to know me a little better. I am a campus tour guide so first is a fun picture that is affectionately named "The Tour Guide Picture". Next is a picture from jumping in the leaves. Following that is a picture of me, collapsed in my bed, much like I am as I write this, moose and all. The final picture is from jumping on the "foofs" in the Welch Foof Room.

Enjoy yourselves and your next couple days.