Snow day

We were busy having so much fun with Darin and Kim Inc. in Philadelphia this weekend that we didn't bother to listen to, watch, read about, or even google-text the weather. As we drove up the coast, the rain took on increasing amounts of snow-like qualities, and when we arrived in Hartford at 2:00 a.m., we were in the midst of a full-scale blizzard. We awoke the next morning to a foot of snow on the ground and rumors that most schools in New England had been canceled for the day. I was conflicted as to whether I should drive home.

On the one hand, I grew up in Utah and am certainly not afraid to drive in the snow. On the other hand, I have witnessed Boston's shocking lack of snow-handling skills and did not want to deal with six-hours-to-drive-one-city-block situations. So of course we decided the best course of action was to go skiing on the local rails-to-trails system.

I really enjoy knocking snow off low-reaching
branches because I like to watch the snow shimmering as it falls, and I also like the way the trees spring upward, relieved of their crystalline burden. I feel guilty for doing this, however, because it deprives others of viewing the fairy-land like branches draped in white. Also, I'm probably depriving the trees of strength-building development or something. Oh well, it usually falls off the next day anyway.

Awesome.

I googled myself and this is who I found: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=823449838

Nieces extraordinaire

This post is dedicated to two of my four nieces... Sarah and Megan. I recently spent an entire week with them, and I have to say that they are pretty much the bomb.com.

Sarah is eleven years old and very thoughtful. For example, she offered to watch her younger siblings so her mom could get some things done and take a nap. Also, her little brother was sick so she offered to stay home from our fun afternoon at Reading Terminal Market so that he wouldn't be lonely. As you can see, she's very beautiful, but she is kind to everyone, doesn't care one wit about being popular, and is a whiz at math and science. In fact, while I was visiting, she conducted a scientific experiment to see how various excercises affected heart rate. THEN she plotted her results and conclusions on an Excel graph and presented her research to the family.


Megan is eight years old and doesn't hold still for more than three seconds at a time. She loves to be have FUN. She also is really great about helping her mom and dad with the younger siblings. In addition, she is a wicked artist. This year, one of her paintings was purchased by the superintendent and is hanging in his office. Megan has a fantastic sense of humor and loves to tease everybody. She recently informed me that she is one of Chris's secret girlfriends, which spells trouble for me - I can't compete with this kid!

New Year's Intentions (tagged by the lovely Sarah Marie)

Physical

• Drink water. Sound simple? Not for me - especially given the chemical-laden, metallic tasting, non-newtonian fluid that oozes from my kitchen sink... Nevertheless, I vow to drink at least six glasses of the frightening stuff per day.
  
• Eat fruit and vegetables. I'm not going to kid anybody by pretending that I'm going to give up cookies, but I am going to limit their consumption until after I've had the cancer-prevention vittles. 5-7 per day. My philosophy is that it's better to get the good than to eliminate the bad (i.e. I will continue to pour (not drizzle) bleu cheese on my healthful salads).
  
• Walk from home to Harvard or from school to central square EVERY day. It's only a couple miles at the most, but that's a couple miles more than I'm currently walking. Plus it's probably faster than the buses in this city.

Spiritual

• Do yoga 2x per week. If you don't understand how this contributes to spiritual health, you've clearly never given it a real shot.
  
• Read something spiritual 3x per week.
  
• Go to the mountains. Or the river, or anything that resembles wilderness.

Emotional

• Write in my journal 1x per week. Writing is, as Wendell Berry teaches, a media through which our soul and body can connect and come into harmony. Those are not his words.
  
• Call a friend 1x per week. This probably seems simple too, but I am sadly not in the habit of keeping in touch with even some of my best friends (unless they use g-chat).
  
• Practice writing 1x per week. Even if it is just writing about an experience or emotion, or character development for a future piece.
  
• Learn to bake a really dense, nut- and seed-loaded loaf of whole-, multi-grain bread. Dense = could use as a weapon. Yummm....
  
• Learn to make carrot butter (to spread on aformentioned brick of deliciousness).

Intellectual (besides what I already do to meet the requirements of my institute of higher education)

• Read 1 book per month that is not related to microbes, biochemistry, immunology or medicine.
  
• Get a "learn chinese" CD and manual. Do at least 1 lesson per week. (I know it's not much, but I'm trying to be realistic here, folks).

Obviously, these categories are inter-related, and any goal could appropriately fit into any category. But I do enjoy making neatly organized, bulleted lists. Tag: Mom (get a blog already... or use Dickeyfam).

Christmas Questionaire Extraordinaire (condensed because my attention span is quite low)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I’m conflicted. Wrapping presents is one of my favorite things to do, but so is saving trees.
2. Real tree or artificial?
See above.
3. When do you put up the tree?
Well, I don’t actually have a tree since I move at least once a year. So usually I hope some nice family out of care or familial obligation will invite me to their tree decorating events. This year it was Darin and Kim.
5. Do you like eggnog?
Yes, and I am resentful when vendors try to limit my heart-attack-in-a-cup consumption to one measly season a year.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A double-deck tape player that I used to play my Tiffany tape over and over, day after day.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
Chris. After three thousand years of dating, the only present I’ve ever given him that he liked was a pair of bike shoes. He found and bought them on Ebay, and I wrote him a check.
9. Easiest person to buy for?
Me! I always know exactly what I want.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Before I could read, but around the time that I was pretending I could read, I accidentally opened one of my older brother’s presents. It was a big bag of G.I. Joe action figures, so naturally I burst into tears. I like to think it was because I was anti-war back then too, but actually I just really wanted Strawberry Shortcake.
11. E-mail or snail-mail Christmas cards?
See answers to 1 and 2.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Elf and While You Were Sleeping (you know you like that movie, too)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
December 26. I get things for people whenever I see something I think they’ll like with the intention of saving it for Christmas. This works approximately 0.0% of the time because I can’t wait to give it to them NOW.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Grandma Dickey’s red, white, and green layered jello.
17. Favorite Christmas song?
River (Joni Mitchell)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I don’t have offspring, so I am generally expected to be a traveling circus.
25. Have you ever been Christmas caroling?
This questionnaire obviously wasn’t made by a Mormon.
26. Hot chocolate or hot apple cider?
Both. For those who live in the holy land, you ought to go to Cocoa Café in Salt Lake (282 East 900 South). They make home-made Italian bittersweet hot cocoa with steamed milk that is to die for. It’s worth every penny. 400 pennies, if I remember correctly.
27. Do you think Antonio Banderas is incredibly hot?
Why... yes, I do.

Tag: Joanne

Okay, this is the plan...

One of the less obvious things about me is that I've yet to produce offspring. I very much want children, so I've come to the conclusion that I must steal somebody else's child. Shiloh Pitt Jolie is the obvious choice, but I feel like she isn't very accessible on a limited income. Also I'm told she has bodyguards.

So I've decided to steal Mike and Sherene's baby, Kai'ava. She's gorgeous (see below) (or above - I'm never sure how these things will turn out) and as pleasant as a snowy winter morning. Except when I hold her. Despite my bright smiles, Mike's generous use of the phrase "Aunt Laura," and Sherene's insistence that she will go to "anyone," the second Kai'ava is transferred to my arms, her eyes fill with terror. Her bottom lip trembles, and her cries transition from whimper to wail as she looks at her parents as though they are the biggest traitors since Judas.

Nevertheless, I am determined to kidnap her someday. Any ideas on how to pull off such a feat? Don't worry, I already told Mike and Sherene about my intentions, so it's cool.

yesterday

This picture was taken by Chris's brother Mike in the fall of 2004. Mike and I (Chris and I weren't even dating yet) hiked part of the Ridge 157 trail and took photos of leaves and streams and such. I can't figure out why I look so old - what did I have to worry about back then?