ketchup

Here's a Christmas catch-up:

Dec 24. Anderson's celebration and Dad got me kick-butt winter boots.

Dec 25. Hengel celebration and Mom got me bags on bags on bags. (Backpack, purse, luggage, duffel.)

Dec 26. Phantom of the Opera and dinner at Crave. 

Dec 27. Snow tubing tradition with good friends.

Snow tubing sunset.

 It's really been a great week for me. And when I say great week I kinda mean not really a very good week for me at all. I had wonderful times, but it's truly a bad luck week for me. On Christmas eve I lost my phone. On Christmas night my car didn't start. The following day we got an expensive tow and repair. I left my student ID at home when Dan and I went to student rush Phantom. I left my hat and scarf at the restaurant before we went snow tubing. WHERE HAS MY BRAIN GONE? It's like school and classes run my entire life and the moment they're gone (and I'm no longer relying on my planner to remind me of literally everything) I could lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body.

Ugh. Maybe I'm programmed to function only while in school. I guess it's a good thing I'll be spending the rest of my working life in education settings. It might be the only place I think straight.

Chance

I am bad at blogging. I know you knew that already. But seriously though, I can't even blog because it's Christmas break and I have no thoughts. I actually have zero interesting things to share and I'm sorry.

On a slightly related note, this little guy displays my new mantra:

Nice.

Actually, tonight Dan and I kinda might have had too much to drink while playing yahtzee with his mom. Well, Dan didn't drink too much but his mom and I did. Doesn't get much lamer than that. Is that sort of a party? No, Bohemian Rhapsody or no Bohemian Rhapsody, that was not even sort of a party. On the bright side, I tasted a white Russian for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.

(Assuming the only people who read this are mom, Jill, and Megan... See you all on Christmas.)

YYYYYEAH

 

Ed

WINTER BREAK IS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. Christmas or no Christmas, I'm out of classes and that's cool. I've been home since last Wednesday night and I've done almost nothing. I can't decide if it's boring or great. Okay, it is pretty boring... but I'm still not in classes so it's also great.

Actually, I did do one thing. Ashland's theater held a different art company's children's dance recital. They needed a kid wrangler to monitor backstage and since I was home I went to help out. They gave me $15 after an hour of work and I left. It was adorable. Baby tutus. I died.

Cutest Ever

I offered to work it because I know the dance instructor. Her child was Gretl when I was Liesl in The Sound of Music a few years ago. The woman is really nice and a spectacular dancer. Hilariously, she is also a kick ass MN Roller Derby girl. She also went to WSU just like me! I guess other than her being amazing, modeling for bridal magazines, being a good dancer and a bad ass roller derby girl, you could say we have a lot in common. (also, her kids are named Lucy and Eddie, which I believe are the most adorable names, especially in combination, that I've ever heard. I wouldn't mind naming my kids her kids' names. Don't tell her though because that's weird. I probably won't name my kids those names anyway because my worst nightmare would be that Eddie would grow up to be called "Ed" and that name is disgusting.)

Ps, this is her profile picture. Are you kidding me? I guess I should work out more. Or at least leave the couch more. Or stop eating so many cheetos all the time...

Mother of 2, WSU alumni, roller derby/dance teacher. Is this real life?

Age of Aquarius

Did you know that my hair is getting WAY TOO LONG? It is. When it's straight I am one middle part away from looking like a (possibly smelly) hippie. On the bright side, I've discovered this neat no heat curl strategy that has revolutionized my entire hair-related existence. I really like it because I can be lazy and in the morning when I leave it fools people into thinking I actually tried. Lately, if I don't do this, I don't do anything. Like, I leave for school with my hair down (so that I can wear a hat for the walk) and once I am in class my hair is in a bun on the top of my head. And not in a cute way. I don't even consult a mirror, people.

Anyway, no heat curls.

With slightly damp hair and a little mouse in it, I put a stretchy headband around my head - over the hair and forehead hippie style (ironically) - and piece by piece tuck my hair around the band until it's all rolled up, and then I SLEEP ON IT. And when I wake up and take it out, it is magically curly. Woo! Now I'll finally look like I belong in my family of curly headed women!

Here are some shameless selfies for proof!

I need a hair cut

Awkward roll up

Before bed

VOILA. Next morning.

Later that day, they settled down a lot and looked really nice!

Another try

hooray

Cue Weekend

Things that made me happy today:

Warm socks.
Phil Collins' Tarzan songs.
Art getting out an hour and a half early.
Free cutie clementine from my professor before the 8am final.
iPad word games.
Turning in all my art crap for grading.
Weekend beginning.
Crossing stuff off in my planner.
York Peppermint Pattie snack.
Mashed potatoes in the caf.
Finishing classes for the semester.
Starting a packing list for break.


Things I ignored because they weren't happy:

The hole in my sock.
Tripping onto the bus at 7:20 this morning.
The cold that is so cold it hurts to breathe.
Getting ditched for lunch plans.
Being out of milk.



HAPPY EVENTS OUTWEIGH UNFORTUNATE EVENTS.
Look, it's a good day.

PS. if you didn't see this on my facebook, I'd like you to see it now. It's probably the best face swap I've ever made. You're welcome, but also I'm sorry.

Adorable and Disgusting

Hi! How was your Thanksgiving?
Mine was awesome, thanks for asking.


I took a lot of pictures. Some of them are seriously adorable (especially when including my sweet god-daughter Nori) and others are seriously disgusting (I am unfortunately talented in the ugly face department... I also found a neat face swap app on my iPad.)

The many faces of Abby and Nori

Bearded Ladies

Bearded Ladies

Brilliant face swaps

Nightmares... (Dan's body on the left, his face on the right.)

... End of semester countdown: 10 days

What Would I Say?

There's this funny little facebook app, what-would-i-say.com, and it's sorta hilarious. You sign in with your facebook and it accesses all the statuses/comments/photo captions you've posted on facebook, it jumbles the words, and makes new sentences. Some of them come out really funny. Others are complete messes. But the funny ones are worth it. Here are some things it came up with that I would say...

Sounds like me

Do you know who the cahokians are? Ancient mississippian people!

A surprisingly accurate and depressing reflection of my life.

What is Belle from Beauty and the Beast doing here.

Accurate and less depressing reflection of my life!

I hate it when that happens

Must've been from Costco

Let your imagination take that one...

go play with what-would-i-say.com. It's a hoot and a half.

PS. Reading cat reward for those of you who made it this far.

Theater Goer

I went home last weekend to see White Bear's musical Once Upon a Mattress. It was hilarious. Like seriously great. My pretend sister in law Maddy (Our boyfriends are brothers. Voila, pretend sisters in law?) was the cute lead and I want to be her when I grow up. I bought one ticket, planning to go all by myself... however, while at that show, I actually ran into approximately a million Ashland friends. Also, I ran into my high school director who hugged me and told me "good job" by accident after the show. Old habits die hard? I told her, "no, YOU good job, Suoja."

Karen Sullivan (soon to be pennywise in urinetown), me, and Maddy

Denise is my favorite. She also taught me how to pencil my eyebrows, so I guess we have a special connection.

Ashland friends at the WBL show. Though I only really know like 40% of these people, I probably hugged 90%.

Maddy is stunning. Amazing. Really Loud.

Later in the weekend, I went to Ashland to see the closing weekend of The Wizard of Oz. Cozy and I went for dinner before and dessert after. The whole night was so fun. Over all, though, I just can't get over that Ashland is doing Urinetown next. Rehearsals have already started. I think I might cry just a little bit because I love that show so much.

I took a selfie before going because I was kinda proud of my hair

Rob and Cozy

Peg, sneaky Maggie, me and Cozy!

Ps. Did you donate to Ashland on give to the max day? If you did, you are a wonderful person and I appreciate you a lot. I mean it. The razoo.com site that hosts MN Give to the Max went down for almost 7 hours starting about noon on that day. It was kinda a big disaster and I think they might get into a lot of trouble for that because a lot of bigger nonprofits count on this day to make millions. Woah. Anyway, despite the really crappy situation, Ashland still received over $11,000 in donations. That's pretty cool. Thank you for giving if you were generous enough to support a place I love. Ashland and its administration say thanks.