The Enemy in the Midst of Excitement

Do you hear that? Can you smell it? The holidays are in the air, ladies and gentlemen, and I couldn't be more excited. This is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. I'm actually not sure if it would be possible for me to be more excited about the fast-approaching holidays as I am.

I like to remind my fiance that on the top of my "reasons why I'm marrying him" list is because he is just as excited for this time of year as I am. Growing up, both of us were the giddy kids on Christmas morning waking everyone up at 4:30 because, really, what's the point in trying to sleep if you're just that excited? Recently, I assured my parents that even though Cam and I will be spending our Christmas mornings together once we're married, we will make a point of waking everyone up so that our presence won't be missed too much...Oddly, my parents didn't seem to excited about my generous offer to call them repeatedly until they were up and at 'em on Christmas morning.

Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, I have already set up my Christmas tree. For those of you who just said some variation of "ugh, seriously?," it's only because I store my tree in my shed, and I have developed a phobia of spiders, which is ironic since I have a degree in psychology. Consequently, I was completely unwilling to venture into the shed to retrieve my tree without the help of either a) a disaster relief responder b) a firefighter, or c) Cam. Someone has to slay those spiders, after all, and it certainly won't be me, if the last time I had to do so is any indication of my ability to stay calm.

Me, waging war against the spider...
Or Charlie Sheen in Platoon, but you get the idea

You see, I found a spider lurking on the ceiling not long ago, and I prepared to wage war. I quickly fashioned a sort of jousting pole out of my broom. On the tip of the broom, I used a rubber band to secure a tissue to it, so that I could simply stab the spider with the broom handle, remove the tissue, and flush the pesky thing down the toilet...But not before I got out my rain boots, tucked my pants into them so that the spider wouldn't be able to crawl onto my leg, found a pair of rubber gloves, which I made sure covered my hands and also the ends of my long sleeves, so that it couldn't find its way up my sleeve. I then used the drawstrings on my hood to make sure the smallest amount of my face was showing as possible. As I jumped and screamed like a complete loon, I finally succeeded, and promptly threw out the gloves, and put my clothes into the wash. It's completely irrational, yes, but that's the nature of phobias, right?

Anyway, I couldn't bare the thought of finding a spider on or around the bin holding my Christmas tree, so Cam had the honor of dealing with that little problem the last time he came to visit.

Since I am a fan of Thanksgiving, and since I don't want to completely skip over it, I have not decorated the tree yet, and I won't be until after the Thanksgiving festivities are over. I must say, though, It does feel nice knowing that I won't be dealing with my little 8-legged arch enemies when I'm trying to enjoy the holiday season.

Christmas Memories

So glad Cameron loves Christmas as much as
I do!

Recently, I have noticed something, something a little exciting: this Christmas, as I sat beside the family Christmas tree (kudos to my mom, it was beautiful!), I realized the little things really bring me lots of joy, perhaps more than I thought. A good book (not surprising) can keep me entertained for hours, but put me in a kitchen with all the right ingredients, and I could probably spend the whole day just putting a dash of this, and a tad bit of that into a glorious-smelling concoction. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I opened a brand new panini maker (for the record, I could live off paninis if it was socially acceptable...). It's safe to say I had visions of sun dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella dancing in my head. Yummmm!

Then came the biggest moment of the season...drumroll?

I GOT A KITCHEN AID MIXER! Yes, the stand-up kind that makes me think of adorable little 1950s housewives. and it's RED, my absolute favorite color in the whole wide world. I am beyond excited to use it and have all kinds of plans for home-made breads and pizza dough, not to mention all the cookies and muffins.

However, what I have been unequivocally blessed with this season is a group of incredible people who constantly surround me with love and support. My family and friends mean the world to me, and I could not have been happier to spend the holidays with them. My grandmother has always loved Christmas, and I can remember her asking in June for our lists ever since I was a kid. Seeing her kid-like joy on Christmas is a memory I will always treasure, and watching my  expanding extended family laugh and talk was so fulfilling to me.

Perhaps the most meaninful gift I received this year was a box from my grandmother filled with old family photos. Everything from photos of me as a baby, my dad growing up, and my family as we grew together was included, and I must say, the note she included made me tear up.

Here's to a wonderful year, to health, to friends, and to family. May your New Year be filled with joy and the happiest of memories.

...Remember Me?

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last blogged. It's horrible.

This is me trying to keep track of my life.

In the last month, I have been getting accustomed to my new job, I have officially moved, spent a week (yes, WEEK!) without internet, washed more dishes/pots/pans/appliances in my new place than I care to count, and fallen asleep pathetically early during the week, only to go back to my parents' house every weekend to pack up all my stuff, attend Christmas parties, and continue on my path to the proverbial Loony Bin.

Whew.

I'm exhausted.

The holidays have completely suprise-attacked me. I am no where near as decked out in Christmas decorations at my new digs as I'd like to be, and I feel like I do not, and will never, have enough time to decorate before, you guessed it, I make the trek back home for Christmas.

It is for this reason that I have decided I need an unpaid personal assistant intern. He or she would need to feed my coffee addiction while keeping me headed in the correct direction, keep my schedule straight, and go grocery shopping for me (because honestly, it is not fun to live on a college diet of pizza and Ramen noodles anymore. It was fine before I had my dishes unpacked, but this is getting unreasonable).

And so help me if I have to make one more trip to Target to get a random assortment of things I can't seem to remember to write on my ever-growing list. I mean, come on, why do I keep forgetting to buy trash bags?! Wal-Mart bags are only going to work for so long until I get irritated with going to the dumpster every other day because the bag is full.

Ay.


As I look at the clock, I am realizing that I am in my 20s and thinking "gee, it's getting kind of late"...and it's 8:00. Must remember to negotiate a mandatory nap time meeting at work. Maybe after HR just laughed when I proposed my personal intern idea, they would go for this one. I'd consider it a Christmas miracle.

Anyone else feel blindsided by the calendar this year??

Oh, Black Friday

I am the stereotypical blood-shot-eyed, half asleep, bargain-hunting shopper on Black Friday. I have found some great deals over the years that keep me setting my alarm for the wee morning hours and using coffee as my lifeline throughout the morning full of shopping.

But the madness has to stop.

I refused to go out shopping on Thanksgiving, when many retailers opened their doors. You see, I feel bad enough that the employees of those places have to be ready to deal with the masses at 4 in the morning, but really, why do we need to take them away from their families on a holiday? Come on. In my opinion, if the pampered big-wigs sitting in their plush offices want to make the "lowly commoners" stay up all night, literally risking their lives by unlocking the store doors, and deal with the atrocious attitudes of the Black Friday shoppers, maybe they should come down off their velvet-covered, gold plated memory foam pedestals and join their employees. I can almost guarantee that would cut down on the Thanksgiving day openings.

And let's talk about the person who pulled a knife on another shopper over a towel. A towel. Honestly, who are we, heathens? Towels go on sale all the time. If you're really that desperate for that perfect shade to match your shower curtain, buy a different color at the sale price and go back for an even exchange when they have your color back in stock. What about the pepper spray over video game consoles? Congratulations, you not only made yourself look like a greedy, crazed person, but you have also landed yourself in jail...over a towel or an Xbox.

It's time for some prospective, people. When did getting a deal trump safety? Do you really need that new T.V. or should you think about buying some medicine for your sniffly-nosed child? Is it necessary to have those new video game consoles, or should you buy school supplies?

I understand that the economy is rough. I understand that many people feel like if they didn't buy something on Black Friday, they wouldn't be able to afford it. I suppose what I'm really wanting to say is that if you are really strapped for cash, take a good, hard look at what you actually need versus what you want. What will help you survive and what would be utterly useless in an emergency? Think about it. Enough is enough. It's the holidays, people. Help your fellow man, don't stab him. Do a little good for your community, don't pepper spray them. Prepare a special dish for Christmas dinner, turn off that brand-new LED TV, and talk to your loved ones like you actually care about them.

From the looks of it, though, that's the crazy idea.

Sad, isn't it?

Grown-Ups Have Boring Christmas Lists...

Have you ever heard the song "Grown Up Christmas List," which is a lovely, inspiring song that a number of different artists have recorded? It's one of my favorites, really.

The song is about a hope for a better world, one without suffering, one with compassion, and one with help for those who need it. It's a song that any peace-loving person would probably play on repeat as the holidays approach. What a nice thought, that especially during the holiday season, the world could enjoy peace, joy, and love. Sigh.

This year, my Christmas list is a little different, but still a grown-up one. Life is changing these days, and fast. I find myself thinking of cleaning products that need buying and cupboards that need cleaning. As I prepare for my big move before I start my new job, I keep thinking of things I need to acquire in order to have any sense of organization in my new place.

So what's on my grown-up Christmas list, which my grandmother nearly begged me to give her yesterday when I went for a visit?

A vacuum. A bright, shiny, quality vacuum. It's actually topping the list. I have been defeated by the Responsibility Gods, who have won the growing-up battle. Other items include a nice spice rack, a mirror/shelf/hook thingy so that I can hang up my coat and keys all in one convenient place next to my door. New sheets would be great, too.

Now that I'm looking at it, my Christmas list is a pretty boring one this year-it's all about practicality. Is this a trend in this economy, or is it just me? What's on your list this year?

Dancing Through Decades

Tara is on the far right.

This Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend the Grand Rapids Ballet Company's production of Company B, a WWII era-inspired ballet choreographed by Paul Taylor and featuring the music of The Andrews Sisters. My good friend Tara is a real, live ballerina, and she's an amazing one, at that. She's been dancing ever since I can remember, and she's the only one out of us that stuck with it all these years. I quit somewhere around age 5.

Erica, Tara, and I have been friends since
we were just little tykes.

I am by no means an expert in the art of ballet, but I thought the performance was fantastic. Granted, I've always been fascinated by WWII, and I have a thing for big band music, but I thoroughly enjoyed Company B and I think I would have even if I wasn't able to sing along with the music. The dancers were perfectly in sync and they made the twists and turns look effortless. Tara had a flirtatious solo for the song "Rum and Coca-Cola," in which she uses her feminine wiles to transfix the men far from home in Trinidad.  

The ballet was a far cry from our days of prancing around onstage with the Dancin' Fun program from the Flint Institute of Music when we were kids, but those of us who have been lucky enough to know Tara since those early days are so proud of how far she's come (she's even danced in China!). 


Congratulations, Tara, on a beautiful ballet!

Next on my list of things to see is the Nutcracker, my all-time favorite ballet and one that I try to see every year just before Christmas. We've got under 100 days to go, and I'm prepared to start celebrating Christmas now! Is anyone else a fan of ballet? What have you seen or what do you want to see??

Oh, But The Leaves

I have an announcement.

It's hugely exciting.

Are you ready??

The leaves are turning color!!! I love this time of year. It's beautiful here in Michigan during the autumn months, and even more exciting is the fact that fall means winter is just around the corner, and do you know what that means? Christmas. I love absolutely everything about Christmas. The lights, the music, the gently falling snow glistening under the street lamps, the hot cocoa by the Christmas tree..everything.

My boyfriend took this photo on Michigan State
University's campus last year--beautiful!

I'm getting ahead of myself. Fall. As a kid, I looked forward to packing up all my new school supplies, unpacking, and then repacking them and heading off to school in the morning. Fall also meant my birthday had arrived (even though now it means I'm getting older, apparently), and that provided an excitement all its own. Plus, what's more fun as a kid than raking up the leaves into a huge pile and promptly throwing yourself into them, effectively destroying the newly raked lawn?

This year, fall meant a new beginning for me, in a way. It felt a little strange not packing up my possessions to move back into a cramped dorm room, but not doing so also began to solidify the thought that if I so choose, I could be done with school forever. Very strange feeling, indeed.

I'm officially not a student now, though I believe I will always be a student at heart. New things fascinate me, and I thoroughly enjoy soaking up the information contained between the binding of a brand new book. The amount of books I read increases tenfold as the weather turns cooler, I think. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than being surrounded by the beauty in nature with my nose in a book, curled up in a cozy blanket, and something warm to drink. Ah, perfection.