Christmas Time in the City

There was an acutal chill in the air Monday and Tuesday morning. It was lovely. This whole week has been great, actually. I only had to "teach" until 11:00 each day, because this was exam week. Although it sucked having to wake up so early, I dealt because I got out early every day. Plus, I have today off. And I went to the beach yesterday. I went to the beach... in late December, to get a tan. It's still a bit surreal. But all in all, this has been an excellent week.


On Tuesday we had our staff appreciation lunch at school, which was really nice. We got gifts (really nice pens and $75 bucks, HOLLA!) last week, and lunch this week was great. The food was actually good, there were booze, and we did a basket raffel. I didn't win anything, but it was still great. Our Secret Santas were also revealed. Ms. D (my Student Council co-moderator) was my Santa. She did a great job--I got a pineapple, a super cute T-shirt, a cool bracelet, and a bag of Cheetos cheese puffs. She wins. My person was excited and enjoyed her gifts so it was great.

Wednesday Tiffany and I had our Christmas. We went downstairs to the new nail salon that just opened (literally that day) and got pedicures and then came up and opened our presents. Lancelot got one of those leashes that has a super long chord, and I got some hot chocolate (yay!) and some super cool hand made glass jewelry. I gave T a blender; one of those gifts you REALLY give yourself. We needed one so it all worked out. We also watched Farse of the Penguins which was so wrong but totally hilarious. It was a fun night.


Tonight is our department Christmas party and another round of Secret Santa. I got my person a copy of Ani DiFranco's Revelling/Reckoning and an iTunes gift card. She'll enjoy it, I'm sure. I think I know who has me, but I'll find out tonight. Yay for parties and presents! I'm so lucky that I genuinely like everyone in my department; it's so great to enjoy my co-workers and be able to hang out with them outside of school. It's like Korea over again.


Not too much else to report. Last weekend I went with Ali and her sister to a music festival called Femme Fest. It was a bunch of female artists and vendors in a parking lot and it was great. There were quite a few great chicks there and I will love my life when Ali makes me a copy of the CD. Yay.


Let me close with some pictures I've taken around town in the last couple of weeks. This is our building and you can see our tree in the window. It's the one on the second floor. Pretty!


This is for all my Jewish friends out there, happy Hanukkah a bit late! This is a temple I pass on the way to work every day. Gotta love the blow up dreidel.


This is the only picture I took at Femme Fest, a Bank of America building all gussied up for Christmas. Those blurrs are snowflakes. I can't take decent night shots. Boo.


Finally, what's Christmas without a family picture? Nothing, right? But considering most of my family is far, far away, I had to settle for dressing up Lancelot and making him pose for a Christmas photo by the tree. He hated it, of course, but I loved it.


I know... it's so cute it hurts. :)

I'm getting on a plane Sunday and can't wait to be home!

Merry Christmas everyone. Safe travels for anyone who's going somewhere.

Much love.