I'm starting to feel the feeling

I think this weekend will be partially devoted to Christmas decorations.
By American standards that is definitely not too early.
By Swedish standards, it's kinda early.
And by my mom's standards it's "have I taught you nothing?!?" early.

This just in

I'm in love with Tina Fey. When I grow up (don't hold your breath on that one) I want to be just like her.

Driving

As we were wrapping up breakfast at the Kneadery, downtown Ketchum this morning, also wrapping up a 4 day Thanksgiving ski weekend, and were getting ready to hit the road back to Pokey, Dylan turns to me and goes
“are you driving?”
and I say
“sure… you want me to?”
and then  I didn’t drive at all. I hardly ever do. He just always has to say that to make me feel like I’m this luxury passenger while he’s driving Miss Daisy and working harder than a coal miner.  

Getting soft

Ok fine, I guess it can't hurt....here we go

I am thankful for:
- My job. I know it's just a job, but 40 hours a week adds up to a good chunk of your life. And if you spend all that time being miserable, you should really ask yourself whether it's worth it. I don't love my job, but I do like it. Not everybody is that fortunate.
- My family. The one at home I miss so terribly but that still respects and supports me in living so far from them. And the one I married into who has taken me in with open arms and hearts and made life away from home still feel like home..
- My friends, near and far, old ones and new, for making me feel accepted, liked, supported and all that good stuff.
- And Dylan, of course. For sticking with me through thick and thin. For loving me even when I feel like I don't deserve it. For keeping me grounded when I loose sight of what actually matters. For being my partner in a pretty freaking good marriage.

So yeah. That's what I'm thankful for.

my 2 cents

I can't get behind marshmallows on food.
Or nutmeg.
I hate nutmeg.
We had a feast of a Thanksgiving dinner last night, early I know... but whatevs. And it was all delicious and all... I ate too much and everything else that you're supposed to do and it was great and fun and slightly nauseating.
Just like it's meant to be.
But ok, so the marshmallows.
I like sweet potatoes. Fried, baked, whatever... but cooked with salt. And served with salty, or at least not sweet, condiments.
Sugar, cinnamon, marshmallows... no, not on food.
That's just too weird.

Dancing a snow dance as I'm typing

Lots of sounds being down here. We're like the sandwich meat now, people up above and down below.
It's not bad though, this place is way better.
Hopefully the people moving in to our old place are non-psychotic. That usually helps with the neighbourlieness...
So with Thanksgiving coming right up. I'm thankful for our new apartment.
And skiing.
The countdown has begun.

A Lower Level

We've been moved. We now reside downstairs as opposed to up above and so far it's.... well, messy, unpacked, the shower doesn't drain and most of the storage space in the kitchen is up so high I'll need a ladder to get it.
We got a lot done and are actually mostly moved in.
We are however, not exactly mostly moved out. Left upstairs is a bunch of crap I don't want to throw away, don't want to keep and most of all, don't want to have to sort through.
That and cleaning.
Blah

First Friday in Forever

Weekend! there you are.... Why I missed you. It's been awhile... let's hang out.

Hairy

I keep googeling hair styles, trying to figure out what to ask for at my hair dressers appointment tomorrow. I don't know why, I'll get what I always get.... a shorter haircut, nothing too different or radical, and long enough to still be pulled into a pony tail.
For the first time ever, however, I am going back to the same hair stylist who cut my hair back in August.
That's exciting. I also happen to love this person, she is ultra cool. I'm hoping some of her aura will somehow be absorbed as she trims my tresses.
Anyways, you know how people always say "my hair dresser" like you say "my doctor" and "my dentist".... well, I never had one before, mostly cause I've moved a lot, and been poor a lot (so my mom or a friend has done the hair cutting) but now, I won't have to explain to her when or where or why I last got my hair cut. Cause she knows. She was there.
Yeah.
I got a picture of Sophia Bush printed off.
The odds of me looking like Sophia Bush tomorrow evening?
Let's not get into that.

Love

Snow on the ground still. Hills are white. I'll be happy to take some more. We need some more.. whenever is convenient for you, Madre Natura.
After a long day of belly aches, of various degrees and discomfort levels (it was hard not to hurt someone or break something) and a class I had not prepared for anywhere near satisfactory..... I came home to a husband  sweet as melted hearts and a casserole just minutes from ready.
Thankful.

Misrecognition

Lady in the elevator today:
Hm, you look a lot like somebody I talked to in a session yesterday!
Me: Yeah, that was me... we talked yesterday.
Lady: Really...?! I didn't recognize you!

Ehrm... you just did...?

Alone in a family I adore

So, I'm here at this Women’s Studies Conference.
In Oakland, California and it’s like super cool and everyone is all radical and their heads are shaved and their tattoos are flashed and the world will change, right here, in the Mariott Hotel where the elevators aren’t working and I rode the service elevator up to my room twice today and walked down the stairs the same number of times.


And I adore some of the women here.
And I don’t understand some of the women here.
And I don’t feel connected to all of the women here.
But I do feel connected to some of the women here.
And that’s just it. See?

I did the smooching of the professionals.
I asked my questions to the panel.
But that’s not where I’m trying to be.
Sometimes I feel like being a feminist is like trying to make your body be all about your neck (or some other random part, you pick..) while in reality, it’s just a crucial part of you.
Who you are.
No more and no less than any other part.
It’s simply essential,
in a crucial, humble kind of way.

Oh, I was born in a liberal bubble, what do I know?

Left and Right switching seats

In one of today's sessions I had a women on my right say that on her campus they did "Porn and Popcorn" nights where they first watched a traditional porno and then a By women for women-produced porno, and then compared and contrasted the two and had a feminist discussion about it.
Then a woman on my left said that the president of her university didn't agree with women wearing pants.
I felt, litterally, right in between.

A Good Good Thing

Soooo, that was good.
Really, very, wonderfully good.
I am extremely impressed with the man the people of this country elected their leader.
I think he is a wonderful leader.
And, obviously, an extremely talented public speaker.


When you talk, you only hear what you already know.
But when you listen, you can learn.
That’s what I’m here in California to do now.
Listen and Learn.
I feel pretty confident I can do that.
At least the former.

You know what to do

Just go vote. Listen to Papa Nike and Just Do It.
If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain afterwards (which is sooo fun) and the only statement you're making is that you don't  think your voice deserves to be heard.
And that's just silly.

Warm days to save

Whenever I listen to the local weather forecast, I feel like they’re saying it’s “unseasonably warm” and that “temperatures are well above average”.
Always.
And it’s been that way since we moved here, over two years ago. It’s never unseasonably cold and temperatures seem to never be low.
So maybe they should re-evaluate?
But since Sun Valley makes their own snow (it’s like the resort just flips off the sky and goes “I got money bitch! I’ll buy snow!!... so weird, anyways) I don’t have to worry.
Yet.
I will worry later if Pebble stays green and days stay warm.

This particular warm day (my, I think it was even unseasonably warm..) has been a good one. I went out to clean the litter box and ended up barefoot in my neighbour’s closet, going “holy crap this is huge!” and now that’s where we’re moving to.
Downstairs.
And not just the closet, either. The whole apartment.
We are moving, but without the renting a truck and having to collect boxes from grocery stores.
Win.

Then I went for a long walk with a good friend. It was like an active therapy session. We both got to vent. We both got to listen.
Fresh air, crunchy leaves, slow cars on the cemetery.
I returned with a lighter heart and a runny nose.

So yeah. Daylight saving and all.
I feel like I saved mine just fine.

Anyways

The election is almost over. Then we’ll know. And then I won’t any longer know (quite as easily) who to erase off of my facebook friends list without further reasoning. I actually struggled a little with that today…. Normally, I delete anybody who makes an Obama joke or expresses how they favour Romney, just like that. Except for this one (well, more like three) person who is just so freakin entertaining that I can’t stand to loose the posts, rants, drama sparks, inappropriateness and, quite honestly, flavour, this person brings to my news feed.
But I had that mental wrestling match with myself a long time ago, and won, so that’s history.


But no, today… today, I had a friend of my husband’s brother’s wife (I know, right… we’re obviously real close) share a non-Obamaish picture. And I was like “Nooooo, now I have to delete you and feel guilty, or not delete you and feel like hypocrite.. gosh!”

She’s not deleted yet.

What’s also interesting is that right when the semester started, we had dinner with some people and this one guy made this anti-Obama comment and I ended up sharing my one-post-you’re-out facebook rule and he was like “Oh wow so you’re gonna delete me?” and I was like “I don’t have to, we’re not facebook friends..” and then, a couple of weeks ago, he sent me a friend request. I ignored it. Seems like unnecessary button-clicking to first be- and then de-friend him.

Anyways.

I smell like ointment and peppermint

Got naked and now I feel amazing.
That's a massage for ya.
Now I'm thinking I should really do that weekly yoga session since I've kind of been slacking of lately.
Also, I want to do something fun tonight... I've been in a radom "oh I deserve this" kind of mood lately... don't know what that's all about, but I keep being nice to myself. Which I guess is nice. Although I should probably try to be nice to others too...?
Oh well.

Blue

Decided to mix it up. Got to change every once in a while.
So now it's blue.
I have a report to type, a lunch (which I just inhaled in less than ten minutes) to digest and a presentation to go to in a half hour.
But hey, it's Friday...
And I'm getting a massage tomorrow.
So there's that.