The Hustle and Bustle (and a little snow too)

Wow, this week has been so busy. Christmas is always a busy season, but when you add on top of that several research papers, a test or two, and a show, the time truly just flies. My roommate and I like to play this game to make the time go by faster, especially when we're down to the wire on an assignment. One of us says, "By this time tomorrow our paper will be done" or "By this time tomorrow that test will be over." Well, by this time two weeks from now I will be home. I can't believe this year is ending so soon and that Christmas is almost here!

The most amazing part of today was that it snowed. And not a sissy snow like that flurry a few weeks ago. This was an intense snow. It started out very gently as a few barely visible flakes and rapidly grew into a swirling rush of flake clusters. The snow was so beautiful, it seemed almost unreal. My sister was so jealous when I told her it was snowing. She asked me to mail her some. I told her that it would be some soggy mail.

I certainly had lots of fun dancing in the snow. It doesn't snow much down in Houston, so I took care to thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. Now if it would only snow and ice so class was canceled on Monday...

Advent Conspiracy

Black Friday

I had the opportunity to participate in the “Black Friday” ritual this year. My friend Maggie's family is very dedicated to "Black Friday" shopping and as their Thanksgiving guest I was allowed to join in the festivities. I woke up at 3 a.m. Friday to line up outside the doors of J.C. Penney’s for the opening at 4 a.m. We were on a mission. Our target was a record player that converts records into mp3 files. As the doors opened we rushed in each heading to a different direction of the store scouring the shelves for the record player. Success! Matt took the first player off the mountain of boxes. I was in a daze, still wondering how I was functioning on such little sleep. I snapped out of it quickly when I saw the cutest little green top.

Next was Belk at 5 a.m. They gave away gift cards to the first 250 customers. Thanks to Matt’s cunning shopping senses we found an entrance to Belk with an extremely short line where we each were given $5 gift cards to the store. After Belk it was off to Target, my favorite store, which opened at 6 a.m. Target was an absolute madhouse. People were lunging everywhere grabbing for all the low priced merchandise. I’ve never seen grown people act in such a manner. Then we went on to Circuit City and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Finally our shopping day was finished. It was 8 a.m. and time for breakfast.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas.

It’s almost here.

I have been ready for Christmas since early October. When we returned from fall break I wanted to put our Christmas decorations up (Maggie, Sarah, and Christine thought I was crazy, and the decorations are currently being stored in my closet). The first weekend in November I purchased a box of Little Debbie Christmas tree snack cakes. Yesterday I found myself pleading with my sister to send me a box of Christmas baked goods.

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday, but this year it takes on a whole new meaning. Christmas is synonymous with family, love, home. Being away from home for the first time I find myself longing for Christmas to arrive because I will be home to the people I love. I will be missing so many important family traditions, but at the same time I will be creating new traditions with the people who in such a short time have become my new family.

With Thanksgiving so near you may wonder why I seem to be completely overlooking it. I have been trying so hard to make it to the Friday after Thanksgiving to start blogging, but I just can’t. I need to feel Christmas now. I may need Christmas now so that I can deal with all the stress of my impending papers, presentations, and finals. Maybe my aversion to Thanksgiving this year is because I am not going home. Either way Christmas is starting for me right now, this very moment.