Wednesday List!

Thanksgiving is next week!  Who else cannot believe that its that time of year already!?  Maybe I'm in denial because its oddly warm here in Ann Arbor (its supposed to be 52 degrees today!)  In any case, I'm very excited because B and I are going to my house for the holiday and this happens to be my very favorite holiday (don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July too.)  So, here are my 5 favorite family traditions revolving around Thanksgiving:
1. Dinner not being done until Papa (my grandpa) says "eat every carrot and pea on your plate"  (yea, say it out-loud to yourself...its ok, I'm 22 and still giggle every year :))
2. Listening to my mom and aunt argue with my grandma about helping out with the food (they are only allowed to bring a pie..haha, my grandma is amazing)
3. Watching the annual dog show before the game starts...hilarious Thanksgiving fun
4. The Lions game...I know, we lose.  But its the tradition that counts!
5. And of course, the food coma nap :)
I hope this helps you think of your favorite parts of Thanksgiving!  Please share them in the comments!

Springtime in Michigan

Means that its raining.  And freezing.  Ugh.  This weather does not motivate me to get things done and I have a to-do list a mile and a half long...beginning with unpacking my life.  Most of my worldly possessions are in boxes and bags piled all over my new house.  Unpacking is such a daunting task that its taking me a while to get to it.  In fact, I showered at B's house last night because setting up my bathroom seemed like too much work...haha, so pathetic. 
On a work related note, I'm loving only subbing at Campus Info because its given me so much freedom to plan my days and weeks!  Also, getting into the Clements stuff has been really fun so far...I've been using the Wayback Machine to find out if old links on the old culinary archive site are still active.  When I find an inactive or broken link, I try to track down where it moved to.  Its been fun in a 'wow, I'm amazed at my internet searching skills!' kind of way :) 
On a not so fun note, wisdom teeth out on Friday morning.  Not. Looking. Forward. To. That.  Ugh, I hate teeth related things...I'm totally freaked out by the thought of holes in my gums where my teeth used to be.  Ickyyyy....

Snow, snow, snow

Well, got B back and apparently he decided to bring the snow with him.  Ugh.  You would think that after 21 years of living in Michigan, most of them on the shore of Lake Michigan, I wouldn't mind the snow.  You would be wrong.  I am not happy.  I hate winter with an intense passion.  I don't ski.  I don't snowboard.  I don't ice skate.  I would prefer to ignore the whole thing.  Its not so much the snow I don't like, its the cold.  I hate being cold.  The worst part about winter is the stifling of my creativity.  I'm very inspired by nature, weather and the outdoors.  Unfortunently, I haven't figured out how to tap into my winter creativity.  I prefer warm sunshine, bright summer colors, unfrozen lakes and streams and the freedom of creating in a pair of shorts and a tank top.  So, summer, please come back soon.  I really really miss you and can't wait for you to return.  Here's a little glimpse of what's to come....summer in A2....

Winter Weather

I didn't want to start out with a sad post but unfortunently, this is what is on my mind right now.  Living in Michigan and growing up on the lakeshore of Lake Michigan has toughened me up when it comes to winter weather.  Lake effect snow can pop up at a moment's notice and we just sigh and head out in it anyways.  The boyfriend, B, is from Minnesota and has a similar outlook on winter.  However, he has been in DC for the past few days for a work conference and is now trapped until Sunday.  Ugh.  Really, its just a little bit of snow!  In fact, direct quote from the news tonight..."Snow like this is common in the Great Lakes region but it's shutting down DC."  I just want B back tonight like he was suppossed to be!  So, instead, I'm going to head home tomorrow to see the family and rest up before next week.  I'm teaching a lesson in my fifth grade class this week and I haven't written the plan yet so it will be nice to get away from the distractions of Ann Arbor in order to get that done.  In the mean time, DC, toughen up and give me my B back.