happy new year and all that jazz

It's new year's eve and I told myself I needed to wait until 5:00 to start drinking adult beverages. I have 14 minutes. Dan is trying to finish a book called The Intelligent Investor before we go out tonight, so he is no help in party preparation right now. It was his 2007 new year's resolution to do some investing, and he has waited until the last minute, to say the least.

I am feeling somewhat nostalgic today. Every time I find an errand so I can leave the house, I daydream about the letters/postcards I'm going to write when I get back. And then I come home and get all anxious and check facebook and email 50 times and don't get to the letters.

When I lived in Iowa new year's eve was such a big fucking deal. And we would drink all day and then drink all night and then drink all the next day. And it was always really fun and Lori would produce party hats and noisemakers and possibly a stuffed goat or two from somewhere and we would go swimming at the hotel fort des moines and on new year's day we'd use the service elevator to leave and Jeff's dolly full of empty natural light cans would spill into the lobby as we were leaving and it was all just ridiculous. It's not like I want those times back--I really don't. In fact, in the park behind the castle (that's right, I said castle) tonight there is a FREE pyrotechnics show. At 7pm. And then I am meeting some classmates for new year's eve, kickin' it international journalism in cardiff style. Yet I feel nostalgic and like something big has to happen.

I went to Paris this year. I went to Paris THIS MONTH, to be specific. And it was cool. It's hard to remember what's cool about it, other than the food, but it was neat. Lots of dog poo, but neat all the same.

Ok, yes, that's a good direction. Let's evaluate 2007, my 30th year. I lived with 2 cats for a while. I applied to and got accepted to 4 graduate programs in England and Wales. I moved to Wales. And, of course, I made it through the first semester of this graduate program. I saw Prince Charles, in person. I went to Paris and spoke enough French to get the food items I wanted and tell one shopkeeper where I was from. I went to Hay on Wye, the town of used bookstores. I went on an overnight bike trip on the Woebegone trail in Minnesota. I went to 3 weddings, and served as bridesmaid in one. I turned 30. I learned again how to use a photographic darkroom. I started windsurfing. I went on a windsurfing trip in Cornwall, England, with 500+ 19-24-year-old strangers and even had a good time doing it. I ate my first mince pies. I learned that the French really push their Bordeaux wines and I prefer something a little spicier. I went to St. Joe, Missouri, visited a friend with whom I grew up, and met her bf and her son. I helped Sarah experience Chicago, the real city, not the movie set in While You Were Sleeping. I learned that some people don't think it's obvious that two people are officially together when they move to another country together, and sometimes you need to say it in words. I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 6 non-American guests, some of whom had previously only seen whole turkeys in cartoons. I joined facebook. I was introduced to Flight of the Conchords. I read Hemingway. I found out about John Pilger. I met some brilliant and amazing people. I quit a job that was making me feel bad about myself. I read The Omnivore's Dilemma, still perhaps the best nonfiction book I've ever read. I even participated in my first book club.

Last year on new year's eve we went curling. You remember curling, the sport on the ice with the big round heavy things and the sticks. We took a taxi there, and there was soooo much snow. And then we took the bus back home and it took a really long time and there were a lot of wasted people on the bus and then we got off the bus and had to walk from Lake to Franklin through the snow, but it wasn't so bad. It was a really good evening, all in all.

I miss my friends. I think I've been so busy the last few months that I haven't had time to miss them, but this week I do. I do have some new friends, and I like them. But I miss my friends at home. I want to have a movie night with air-popped popcorn and wine. Or homemade pizza or homemade chili. I even made nachos on Saturday as a comfort food. Breakfast burritos and champagne are on tap for new year's day. Also, can someone please go to the CC Club and eat some waffle fries, since I can't do it myself? This is not an easy time, people.

I miss you, dudes. I hope you're having a good new year's eve.

xoxoxoxo

12 days and I'll be in Paris

I have just completed my biggest assignment for the semester, worth 20% of my total semester grade (for all classes). You remember last week, when we learned about how emerging economies will affect the global economy. Well, the 1500 word (actually 1,531 in the end) analytical feature article on that topic is now done and ready to be emailed and a hard copy put in the big brown box at school tomorrow morning. Job well done, I hope.

Tomorrow I have a group assessment on a section of my newspaper pathway. The section is called "online." What we will do tomorrow is design and put together a web page in groups. 50% of the grade is what the group turns out. 50% is a reflection on the project itself. We are given 7-8 hours in which to work, and I think things will turn out just fine. I sort of understand how to use Dreamweaver, the program on which we make the pages, but one member of my group understands better. I have contributed in other ways, by creating text for categories such as "About" and "Contact Us" and other such niceties. Tomorrow I will also serve as one of two text editors in my group.

Tomorrow night the students on my course are having a holiday party. It will take place in the graduate centre of the students' union, and we are all invited to bring food and drink. But not alcohol--alcohol we have to buy from the bar there.

I realize that's something I haven't commented upon: The university's students' union has lots of places where one can buy alcohol. There is a bar in the graduate centre, there is a more thorough bar in the students' union, and there is a nightclub in the students' union. When I was living in Iowa City, the university administration decided to outlaw selling beer in the one place you could buy it in the student union. Here, it's no big deal. You can also buy wine from the shop in the students' union.

It pleases me to say good night at 10:34 pm on the night before I have an assignment due. Let's hope that life continues in such a lovely fashion. Good night, my friends. I hope you are well.