New hair

I decided it was time for a change. I needed a hairstyle that was a little more professional. So, I went hairstyle shopping, and decided to chop it off today! It's amazing how much of a difference a little change in hairstyle can make in my outlook!

Justin Gross

An amazing guy was found dead this week. I got the phone call from a mutual friend last night while I was out at a bar.

Justin Gross was only 25, and was preparing to move, having accepted a great new job in DC. I had known him since high school, and he was a remarkable person. He was caring and kind and sensitive and amazing.

He was found in his bed Tuesday morning, when his boss checked on him because he didn't show up to work. They don't currently know the cause.

My initial reaction was that I want to be at the funeral. While we were not as close as we once were, I cared deeply for him. However, I think I'll have to forgo the memorial out of respect for his family since I broke of an engagement with his older brother a few years ago. I definitely don't want to run the risk of causing his family any more pain.

I really miss him.

....

I was looking at his facebook wall and everyone's goodbye posts to him. The last post before the goodbyes start bothers me more.

"Dude, what happened to you last night? We were worried about you. I hope everything is okay."

Moratorium on knitting and scrapbooking purchases

I have promised myself that I won't buy more books, yarn, patterns, needles, stickers, papers, etc. until I at least finish the projects that I'm currently working on. It's hard!!! I think I enjoy shopping for crafting supplies even more than I actually enjoy doing the projects! I am much more of an idea person than an execution person. I love fantasizing about how cool it would be to do X. Doing X always seems to be harder - especially when there's not a quickly approaching deadline!

So... I need to finish up my cross-country roadtrip scrapbook and then move on to finishing up a blanket I'm trying to knit for my dad and a scarf I really want to finish for Lauren's mom. At the rate I've been going, this should keep me from spending money until sometime after 2010.

Also from last month's Real Simple

I admit it. I have an addiction. However, the more I've thought about how sad I'll be to see my law school friends scatter (especially since my older friends have long since scattered) and how I'm unlikely to find a place I can afford for next year that has enough room to host my family for a major holiday... the more I've started to enjoy the idea of throwing a New Year's party next season.

I think it would be fun to get people together when we should all have some sort of vacation. It could be a lot of fun and more relaxed than the normal festivities. I love the idea! AND Real Simple seems to realize the greatness of the idea. They had an article on it, and included this super-cute card idea. Everyone at the party writes down their resolution-esque fill-in-the-blank thoughts, such as "The person I want to be more like this year is ___." I don't want to forget this!

Winter Cleaning!

I've been trying to take care of the little cleaning things - not really cleaning, but straightening and de-cluttering. I have listed all my cd's and a couple of my old books on Amazon. I already feel better. There's a quotation in last month's Real Simple that suits my current mood, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." -William Morris.

It leaves me more peaceful. It's also a nice, lazy way to feel productive. I don't have to run up and down stairs actually putting things away or cleaning, AND I get to feel all accomplished. Basically, it's my answer to lazy snow days, and that's OK with me.

Snow Day!

We got about 5 inches of snow today! Classes weren't cancelled until 1pm, but the roads were a disaster before that. I tried to drive in to make it to my class at 10:30, but skid all over the place. I ended up turning around, but unable to make it back to my class. I had to park in a nearby parking lot and walk the rest of the way home. It was absolutely terrifying!

Hershey seemed quite happy though. Although he absolutely hates the rain, he loves snow!

YAY!

I finally got a real, full, unqualified A in law school! It only took me until my last year! Woohoo!!!

I'm happy to live in denial about the grades that have yet to come out. I suspect that they will be much less exciting.

Hawaii

Chris (the boy) and I are heading to Hawaii the week before Spring Break. I absolutely can't wait! One of his buddies was born on leap day, and all his friends are gathering together to celebrate his 9th birthday. They've rented out a bed and breakfast for the weekend, and it sounds like a lot of fun, if a little intimidating - I've only met one of the other couples that will be there.

After the bed and breakfast, we're planning to stay around for about a week, and spend some time crashing with his friends who live out there, and at least one night doing the nice resort thing. I've never been to Hawaii, and I have wanted to for a while. I think it's going to be an amazing trip! I just have to figure out what I am going to take as hostess and birthday gifts for people that I don't know at all.

New Year - same goals with new motivation

I tend not to subscribe to ideas such as lent and new year resolutions. However, this year I seem to be possessed of a bit of motivation that coincides with the changing of the year. Here are the goals:

1: work out - alternating weights and cardio. Mostly, this consists of old woman workout videos, but so far, that's working (for a whopping 4 days). It lets me work out in my house, without worrying about shaving or what I'm wearing. Today will be the first test, since classes started back, and my schedule is much more hectic now.

2: track my food - keep up with the calories primarily, and keep that number down closer to where it belongs. Things amounts of food I let myself eat have been disgusting! Sparkpeople is a huge help. It's how I'm tracking my food, and it's a huge help!

3: catch up on knitting - start finishing up the projects that I've already started, beginning with the quickest (a scarf), and working up to the largest (a blanket). I am absolutely not buying anymore books, yarn, or needles until I finish these projects. Of course, I already have ideas for the projects that'll come next. Hopefully enthusiasm for those will get me through the end of the ones on the needles right now.

The motivation for all this self-improvement is partially the result of going to Body Worlds again and being reminded of how ugly fat is, and partially the result of looking at pictures of myself. I am half-tempted to print the particularly offensive picture and post it in my kitchen and in my fast food change cubby in the car. I'm grossed out and really motivated. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep the momentum up. Hey, already, I am not as sore from the workouts!

The Festivus Baking Update

My poor Kitchenaid has not been as neglected as it may seem. I was afraid that I'd be completely unable to bake for Christmas this year because of our exam schedule. I only had a couple of days between exams and Christmas. I was able to make a few gingerbread muffins however. I seem to find a great delight in over-sized and miniature baked goods, so that's exactly what I made. All in all, I'm not thrilled with the recipe, but the mini-muffins did fit nicely in little Chinese take-out boxes that I'd been holding on to for just such an occasion - two per box. I packaged them all up and decorated the boxes for Christmas, but they didn't really make it to life as gifts. Hershey thought the recipe was wonderful, and helped himself to all of them on Christmas Eve. At least I know that he appreciates my baking.

Then, I made what turned out to be the best pound cake I've ever had. Let's just say that I'll be holding on to that recipe for a bit longer. It was a recipe for brown sugar pound cake, and I made it in loaf pans instead of the round. I also ran out of cake flour after the first, so I used self-rising in the second and omitted the baking powder. And I left the pecans out of the first because I intended to gift it to my great-grandfather - I know he's on a restrictive diet now, but I wasn't sure if pecans were on the OK list. The first turned out beautiful (but I later got a taste of it and didn't think it tasted as amazing as the second).

The second one overflowed the pan and caused us quite a stir - we had to scrape out the drippings that happened before we noticed and put a pan to catch it on the lower rack. There were several mini-fires that I really wish no one had witnessed. It also took about twice as long to finish up, the edges of the crust were downright crispy, and the middle collapsed almost halfway down into the pan. However, that meant that I was definitely not giving it as a gift, so I tasted it. I'm so glad I did. It really was amazing! I just can't figure out if the difference was the flour, or if it relay was just having the toasted pecans. I guess I'll have to have another go at it, completely following the recipe and maybe play a little with it to get the perfect taste and appearance to coincide.