Christmas in the Midwest

What we've been doing:

Wii boxing, Pt. I

Wii Boxing, Pt. II: The Revenge

When Nose Flutes Attack!!

Snowpocalypse '08

Portland snowfall breaking 40 year record

11.5 inches as of this morning, still snowing heavily! Flight in 45 hours. Airport in chaos as most flights canceled. How does a visit in June sound to you?

Portland, OR: CLOSED.

9 inches of snow, and still going.

Oh golly, oh gosh!

There's so much I haven't told you, my friends. Please sit down, let's talk!

1) Thanksgiving. I went over to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, and we all ate and drank and carried on. Unfortunately, the one photo I took of the food table was accidentally deleted, so I'll just throw out a word and you can create your own mental image. First? Delicious. Second? Excessive. Yeah, I think that about does it. Afterwards, I walked around town for hours (with a piece of pie in my hand) and felt very thankful indeed.

2) I've had the good fortune to see two of my friends play shows recently, and they've both been excellent! To be in your 20's is to know many, many people in crappy bands, so I'm always pleasantly surprised when one of my friends manages to step up to the plate and make music that... is good? Imagine that! I suppose that this is part of a larger trend. I've been thinking lately about what an exciting time it is to be this age, to see each other begin to excel and make things happen. I see you, friends! I see you studying and working hard, staying up late to work on things that make your hearts beat, I see you meeting people that make you happy, and I see you starting families. I see you traveling and learning and cultivating hobbies and habits that bring out the best in you. I see all of you, don't think I haven't noticed! And I am so very proud of the people I know, because I know there are great things coming. I have been quietly inspired by so many of you, just doing the things you do -- so thank you, and let's keep it up.

3) My other main inspiration these days is pumpkin butter. I slather it on everything.

4) The high today is a stupid 28. I know, I know, that's nothing, but I don't have a heating vent in my room! I spend a lot of time huddled pathetically by my space heater, dramatically chattering my teeth. Oh, how I suffer!

5) Oh right, and this weird white stuff fell on the ground yesterday:

That's my house. Look, Mom, you can see the snowman decal in the front window! The row of windows on top is my room.

Looking north on my street.

I woke up yesterday morning and nearly had a heart attack. I'd heard there was snow in the forecast, but I expected the same scraggly flurries that we got last year, not this 2-inch blizzard mega-storm! Oregon doesn't really know what to do with itself when it snows (besides close every road and business immediately) but they make up for it with sheer enthusiasm. I went for a snowy walk, and everyone was in the greatest mood! It was fantastically pleasant.

6) We had a party at my house on Friday night! I suppose I still have some youth left in me, since I managed to stay up until 6 am. I then went out for breakfast and went back to sleep until 5 pm, when my roommate woke me up by banging on my door and yelling, "I made breakfast, come downstairs!" I ate a second breakfast (nearly identical to my first), briefly sat on the couch, then went back to sleep again. On a normal Saturday, I have usually already run, showered, eaten, and gone to the farmer's market and back by noon, so this weekend was quite the hilarious contrast. Can we do it again?

7) I am testing breakfast cereals so you don't have to. Here are my important findings:

Ezekiel 4:9 is my new favorite cereal. It is basically Grape Nuts with Bible verses on the box -- apparently, God wholeheartedly endorses organic sprouted grains. Now available in delicious cinnamon raisin flavor!


Kashi Heart to Heart hot cereal : like twigs and old pancake batter. DO NOT EAT.

Alpen, what are you? You show me a charming array of cartoon nuts and berries, but eating you is sort of akin to pouring a bowl full of flour. You were a gluey mess with three shriveled raisins. This is not the muesli I know and love! I have been lied to.

Oh yeah! Finally, someone has combined honey and sunshine into one cereal! You are sweet and delicious and I like you very much.

You may know this as the oatmeal I was stirring when my famed "Spider Revenge Plot" went horribly awry. Bad connotations aside, I have crowned it king of all quick-cooking oatmeals. Lately, I've been enjoying it at work with chickory honey!

8) 9 days until I get to Illinois! I think we're going to have some fun.

9) I think that's all I had to say. How've you been?

I am alive, but...

... I am using all my strength to fight a cold. On the plus side, I have an excuse to drink hot toddies. Be back soon.