Good Tidings

The other morning I drove to the town of Novi for work for a few hours, and since it's only one exit away from where Aaron works, we met up for a lunchtime rendezvous to do a clandestine bit of christmas shopping. We never see or talk to each other during the workday (just emails and g-chat), so it was oddly thrilling to meet up in the Costco parking lot. 

One thing i discovered a long time ago is that christmas shopping can be a tad challenging for me. I like to give things to people when I am 100% certain they want those things, but if I don't know exactly what I'm getting for someone before i enter a store, it's never a good experience. This is due to several factors, but i think mainly it's a dilemma where I like to give but dislike to shop. Oh the horror. Other than that, i am really soaking up christmas this year, meaning the entire month of december. Usually I'm pretty ambivalent, but the past weeks I've been tingling with excitement. Weird i know! One thing for sure is I really, really need to come up with things to do (learn italian?) or look forward to (cadbury mini-eggs?) from January through spring, because those months are the dullest and dreariest of the year. If anyone disagrees, please let me know, and why, because I am curious.

Fun thing: On our anniversary, we gave each other cards, and when Aaron opened his I told him that I got it back in August in Maine. Then I opened mine, and he told me he also got it in August in Cape Cod. ISN'T THAT CRAZY? Ok, not that much, but it seriously boggled my mind for a minute or two. We had secretly picked out anniversary cards 4 months early, the exact same week, and managed to keep them hidden ever since. Earlier that morning I had written in mine, "I know you probs didn't get me a card, but i couldn't help getting this one because the polar bears reminded me of me & you!" (Yes it's true, they really did, I can't explain it in words, just feelings). Those polar bears.

Evening Outpourings

Due to some serious thanksgiving withdrawals, I made mashed potatoes as part of dinner tonight. I was also going to make banana bread but we're out of eggs. We constantly have a supply of over-ripened bananas on the counter. We each take a banana in our lunch every day, but most of the time I forget to eat mine. So then it sits in my lunchbag all day and turns too brown for me to want the next day, and by the end of the week, behold! A bushel of mushy bananas to recycle! 

 The snows have hit the midwest. I jumped right out of bed this morning when I saw the heavy snowfall out the window. It's the prettiest thing I ever saw. (Especially since we don't have to shovel. The perks of condo living)

 

A Facebook friend (who readeth not this blog) recently updated her facebook status to announce that her husband 'does such a good job babysitting their children!' I would hope so, and wait, how is that babysitting?  If I knew her better I’d inquire re: the level of sarcasm vs sincerity in that status update.  

 Last time my mom came to visit, we rented this movie, 'Arranged'. The three of us got cozy on the pull-out sofa bed and watched it one night. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it to all looking for a sweet, interesting independent film about an orthodox jewish woman's friendship with a devout muslim woman. (Maybe not what you were specifically looking for, but rent it sometime anyway)

Oh, and this is a blog i found that makes me lol: kim jong-il looking at things.

Tomorrow the weatherman foresees a high of 15 degrees. I wish i were a bear, sometimes. Speaking of bears, I don't know if anyone has seen the documentary Grizzly Man, but it is so crazy. Amazingly crazy. I was expecting a boring doc on a dull man who studies bears, but it was far from that.

Employment, ellipticals, and christmas

I was typing a web address into my firefox search bar, when i accidentally stumbled onto this blog. I looked at it for a minute and whispered to myself, 'oh, remember this place? we haven't been jeneralizing much lately...things are looking a little dusty.' I was ignited, and here now i sit typing a blog post. Although, a couple months ago I had one ready to go. It was titled, "10 reasons my new job is better than my old one." But seconds before I clicked 'publish', i hesitated, remembering a) should i really write about work on a blog so easily accessible via a google search? and b) should i really be flaunting how much i adore my job when only 41% of my counterparts are so lucky as to even have one? Tact is crucial. However, after two months, I think I’ll just share about it. 

I spent the first year of full-time employment in a tolerating state, knowing I should absolutely take nothing I had for granted, but at the same time, often finding myself daydreaming about babies; about lounging in bed on a tuesday morning breastfeeding; about potential life beyond a cubicle, heaven help me. And then, knowing the hour was not yet nigh- and realizing either it or I needed to change- I snapped into action and began browsing UofM job postings, until I found what I had been searching for. As of october, i can truly say I like what I do. I like our research, i like my window office, i like wearing jeans every day, i like that aaron can drive me to work (one stoplight away), i super love the people i work with.  They are good ones. 

So thus, new job better then old job. 

Onto a quick tale from the gym. One day, a couple months back, I had a horrible realization. I had been in a routine where I did weights for a half hour, and then the elliptical for half hour (while Aaron swam). I loved the elliptical; it was painless and fun, and I got to watch the food network for a little while, since that's the one thing I miss most about not having TV. Well, for some reason on this particular day the ellipticals were all being used. 'That's ok!' I thought to myself, 'I'll just run!' I figured that after several months of 3+ miles per day on the elliptical, running would be a breeze! Like I'd be totally in shape! I eagerly set out on the track, prantering along the first lap. And then the discomfort set in. And I realized I was more out of breath in 1/2 mile than 423,982 miles on an elliptical. F$&#%$. Later on, Aaron came out of the showers and saw the look on my face. "What's wrong?" he asked. "The elliptical sucks," I grumbled. "never again." And I held to that, for the most part. And eventually I was able to run an entire mile without slowing to walk. (one mile is huge for me, people...I have historically been the spazziest runner alive; my brothers used to 'take me out for a run' and then look around embarrassed, hoping no one noticed their awkward out of shape sister) Anyway, I'm proud of my mile.

 I am so looking forward to Christmas this year. (As always, I'll probably start the holiday shopping around the 23rd; i love the adrenaline rush.) We've got a tree up, the christmas playlist running, and I ordered my favorite christmas movie (charlie brown, what else?) which should come any day. Technically, this year's Christmas was to be spent in the northeast with my side of the family. But due to various factors, both families will be in Utah. It couldn't be better, because the hard thing about marriage is dividing up holidays among the families- when in fact, I am in love with both my birth family and my in-laws to such an equal degree that Christmas without one side just wouldn't be as much of a celebration. Also, a utah trip was way past due, it being a year since we were there last, and I miss it so. Aside from holiday celebrating, the agenda for this trip includes a) skiing, b) food, and c) friends. Let's talk now about letter b). I'm planning to indulge at many of the following places-- settebello, rumbi, red iguana, cafe rio, diegos, frida bistro, cafe paesan, rooster, les madeleines (to try this kouing aman thing), and possible other great ones that i have forgotten. If someone reading this wants to join in on any, let me know. Aaron and I decided rather than spend money on anniversary and birthday gifts and other such, we're going to dispense of it through eating deliciously over christmas break. Delicious food > trinkets