More of the same

Time keeps going by so quickly -I can't believe 2008 is nearly over! A quick run-down of what I've been up to over the last few weeks:

• I've settled into my job and started making friends at work. It's not the ideal personality fit for me and sometime I want to shake my boss like an infant, but it doesn't make my cry. Usually.

• I had a wonderful trip home to Tucson and reconnected with some great friends. It's incredible when you get together with someone after 8 years and it's as if you were never apart. Tucson is also an incredibly small town disguised by a decent sized population. Everyone is connected somehow and I had a lot of small world moments... some of them more surreal than others.

• I made it through the first term of school. I still have a few non-grey hairs and I've lucked into a few great friends. In fact, I actually enjoyed it so much that I've toyed with the possibility of taking three classes next term. But that's really just insane.

• I had a little health scare - found a lump in my breast which resulted in my first mammogram and an ultrasound. I'm fine, nothing to worry about, but having your boob squished between two sheets of plexiglass certainly isn't what I'd call fun. Ladies ( and lady's men!) - be sure to Feel Your Boobies. It's important.

• I seem to have moved from casual dating to having a boyfriend, which is new for me and totally cool. Sadly, my past relationships have left me with a constant self-doubt that I'll do something to mess it up or that he'll turn out to be a louse. But I'm working on that and learning that nice guys really do exist.

• I went to Best Buy with the intention of picking up some gifts and instead bought a flat panel TV. Yeah, good use of money for a grad student with a crappy paying job, huh? But it really does make the living room seem about 45 times bigger, and I got a good deal. Really, I did! (P.S. Please don't stop sending money Daddy, I promise it's not all going to electronics - that's what credit is for!)

• I got nearly all my Christmas shopping done with nearly 2 weeks to spare - some sort of record for me. Thank you Amazon.com! Now, if only I could get around to sending last years cards. Also, for some reason I've actually started to think good thoughts about Christmas and have even considered buying a tree. WTF? It's as if I've entered some sort of domestication phase. Pretty soon I'll be working on a collection of Nutcrackers or snowmen. Creeeepy.

• I'm making plans to learn how to snowboard this winter (or at least learn to fail miserably at snowboarding) and am starting to think about plans for NYE.

And that's about all that's fit to print. I want to spend some of the Christmas "break" working on the kitchen or on eCards but mostly I plan to relax, which means I will probably be a lump for the next few weeks. But, I've got X's sweet, blind, deaf and incontinent dog for the next few weeks so that'll keep me on my toes. Did I mention that the poor beast has only three teeth left? Poor thing can't even keep his tongue in his mouth... You should see the aftermath of dinner time. Good times.

Where does the time go?

It seems like weeks are just flying by these days -I've got so much going on that I am a space case. I have to set calendar reminders for things like "take out the trash" or "take a water break." But, I'm loving life right now and the busyness keeps the winter duldrums away.

We got lucky this last weekend and had AMAZING weather. A few of us drove up to Mt. Hood and took a hike - I thought for sure we would freeze but I ended up having to strip down to my tee shirt it was so warm. On the way back we stopped at Edgefield for a drink and met some interesting characters. The rest of the weekend was great too, attended a birthday party, saw my friends band play, got some homework done and cleaned a little house.

Not too much else to report - looking forward to going home next week. I have a lot to be Thankful this year and it will be a nice little break from my hectic school schedule! See you soon, Tucson!