it's kind of a funny story?

or at least, it will be someday

preface to this story: i love christmas eve. way more than christmas, and more than any day of the year (save maybe spring concert, which isn't a part of my life anymore [most unfortunately]). my family also loves christmas eve: we usually eat a huge dinner, light a fire, snack on cookies, puppy chow, and rice krispie bars, open presents, enjoy presents, etc. HUGE on traditions. the last two years i've been away for christmas eve (argentina in 2009, the one and only time i felt homesick abroad and texas in 2008, working for ups then staying overnight because flights were cheaper the 26th) so NEEDLESS TO SAY i've been pumped to be back in the u.s. / close to my fam for this one.

preface part II: i am currently working two retail jobs. surprise: retail gets rull busy around christmas. as a result, i have worked a total of 69.5 hours over the past five days (essentially 7am - 10:30pm every day) and am sore, exhausted, and thoroughly convinced, after about 100 listens, that 'baby it's cold outside' is a song about date rape.

STORY: i finished work at trader joe's at 2pm today (i came in an hour early, even, so that i could leave before 3pm), raced home, and loaded my car to head straight to milaca, where my family and our traditions were waiting. (preface part III: i've been living with my brother in maple grove, a suburb of the cities about an hour and 15 min from milaca) i get the wine, gifts, overnight bag, etc etc into my car, lock it, and run back in for my computer and some trader joe's danish pancakes in the freezer. make sure to lock both doors from the inside before i step back into the garage to leave and realize

i left

the keys

to my car

and the house

on the counter

and OF COURSE luke doesn't have an extra house key under a doormat or in the garage. because in what universe would that be a good idea right? and OF COURSE i don't have an extra car key in a magnet box under my car because why not take them off a month ago? and OF COURSE it's 20 degrees outside and the neighbors aren't home (it is christmas eve, after all). and OF COURSE even though i keep meaning to learn how to pick locks, i haven't done so yet.

anyway, i walked a mile to a caribou with my compUSA under my arm and asked them if i could sit here even though i don't have any money on me (yes, but they close in 30 minutes). currently, my dad is on his way with an extra key, i have unthawed a bit, and the string of curses in my head is abating. and i guess i'll be extra, EXTRA grateful to celebrate if and when i get finally do get home.

next year i want a lock-picking book for christmas.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Y'ALL

Oh, to harmonize.

I don't deserve one of these. Or maybe the tone-deaf among us are the most deserving.

Singamajigs

HOW DO YOU POST VIDZ?

People actually fall for this??

We've heard of Bedazzling and even Vajazzling...but Tajazzling??
THIS IS FOR REAL.



Who knew that some baby powder, lip gloss, and some stick-on rhinestones could so drastically change the lives of women AND men??? :]

Dating Advice from an 8-Year-Old

You may have already seen this because it's old, but it's so funny! Every boy should take advice from this kid...HILLARIOUS. He even told the world the girl he has a crush on on Ellen.

BLEACH IS TOXIC

and i can't get it outta my nose. i think it's infiltrated my brain. did i mention i sprayed in my face? jk. mostly.

anyway, i'm cleaning up the house. i figured i'd start early, and well, i've got nothing else to do and no one to talk to from 5 p.m. on, so might as well clean... i also made rice krispie treats out of not rice krispies but instead these rice puffs which are not crispy, so maybe i made soft rice treats? less appealing?

on a larger scale, i made a new pinata that had udders and as stuffed with pepsico winter/summer wear (amy??), register tapes, rubber spiders, and a single mini-candy cane. i had it hooked on one of the blades of the fan with the intention of turning it on and having people guess how many seconds it would take before it flew off and exploded, but the other partygoers nixed that idea since we only had one helmet and a tv in close proximity. expression after hurling it to the ground repeatedly while i screamed KICK IT! and/or maybe KILL IT! was: wow, i wasn't expecting that, upon bursting it open.

that pretty much sums up my internship here. i'll be sad to see saturday arrive, even though my days will mostly be spent bleaching.

Exams

Judging the constitutional merits of "sexting" as a form of child pornography between 16-year-olds who are dating: priceless.

In t-1 week expect calls/Christmas cards from me because school will be out and I will be able to resume communication with the outside world. I look forward to catching up and I hope everyone had a scrumdidilyumpteous Thanksgiving!

The Beginnings

Let's keep an eye on this. When revolution strikes, everyone will look to someone...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/opinion/27herbert.html?src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

No, I haven't given up on the dystopias.

IN MY BED WITH THE INTERNET!!!

HEY, FRIENDS! Sorry for my long absence, which is primarily due to the fact that I have not yet had wireless in my house until now. I do scan the blog when possible...and snag the pop culture vidlinks that I can't ever open up (due to government computer restrictions, which btw are way more limiting in a bad way than an activated SafeSearch) and post them on friends' fbook walls.

First, I hope everyone had a delicious t-givs. I made pumpkin cheesecake, which is in fact much easier and quicker than originally anticipated. Two of my friends from AmeriCorps (Colleen and Margaret) came to visit this past week AND IT WAS FANTASTIC. Not in the romanticized omgosh I'm so glad they're gone, but I am now looking upon it fondly kind of way, but in the truly, wow, my friends have disapparated and now I have no idea when I will ever see anyone again. So perhaps erring on the melancholic side? Anyhow, given that we've lived together in among the most strenuous situations nonviolent residences can offer, having them over was not so much like having guests but having my housemates come back to me. And I finally didn't have to walk the trails by myself, nor did I have to see HP7 alone. We also got to hot tub and play nature trivia games with some of the pals here. And of course I get smashed the first night they're here. They're sipping on some beers and I'm rolling back the Tanquerays and Cranberry like no old lady's bizness. They understood.

Moving on, now they've departed. AND everyone else (e.g. the other interns and a ranger with whom I've become friends) all leave next Saturday. I am here to the following Saturday. So. Expect some calls. I'm bound to get lonesome. Infinite Jest will become my 100 new friends. Maybe I'll try out drinking alone. jk.

Finally, I have a job for the following year in Northern California! I'm working at Emandal, which is next to a river in the Redwoods, with which I'm pretty excited to commune. Or climb. Or stare in awe. I get room and board SO POTENTIALLY NO MORE PASTA SAUCE FOR ME. Well, at least it will no longer constitute a full meal. I'll be there from April-September, in hopes of getting another job right after in Palo Alto. I'm trying to get my whole commune idea fleshed out during these next two years.

I wish you were all here. I didn't get to dogpile this week, which vaguely upsets me, so you should come humor me.

With love and mobiles,

rye

happy holidays

In a South Korea amusement park, there is a christmas penguin parade...it's the cutest thing EVER! But the santa in this video has the CREEPIEST ho ho ho I've ever heard...

NY update

I decided it was a perfect time to write because not only does it get dark at 4:30pm, making me inexplicably tired, but I also slept until 3:30pm, leaving me approximately one hour of moderate day light. Since it will likely be a late night, I thought why not blog away the hours?

The weather has been absolutely pleasant for the past 2 months or so... I realize it is entirely old-ladyish to comment on the weather right off the bat, but if living in MN taught me one thing, it is that weather has a HUGE effect on my happiness. Thus said, things have been really great :)

Life Update:
I recently convinced my part-time company to hire me full time (after my art internship fell through) and create a position for me. So now, 2 days a week I do research/create documents/contact organizations for trainings, etc. for human trafficking in youth (specifically sex trafficking for now because there is like nothing out there for labor trafficking). This has been awesome because I basically spend 7 hours reading and writing and feeling like I am in school except it is not every day. I will only have this position for a month or two when my current part-time position should become full-time (keep your fingers crossed that we get a grant making this possible!) The original part-time job is going well and hopefully being there more often will allow me to work on cooler/more interesting projects (sometimes I get bogged down in office-y work which is no fun). The people I work with are really great and interesting and I am learning a lot. The only problem is that I am not speaking Spanish very much, I miss working with clients one-on-one and I feel strange not doing anything with art... it is like college major-related guilt/I really enjoyed it and I was good at it. But hopefully, I will begin once-a-week painting classes in Jan and will be able to volunteer/get more experience in the next place I live.

That said, I am really excited because I am going to Chicago in three weeks and I will get to visit a high school friend who I have not seen in easily 5 years. It will be great! If anyone is in the chicago area around Dec. 17th, let's meet up!

Other than that, things are great. It is kind of scary when you realize how fast life is going by/how old we are. I have a pretty solid routine of work/chores, a regular group of friends, and a job I like... the months are seriously flying by!

Future Plans:
I have recently been meditating on the importance of living near people you like ..... So I propose we all start moving closer together... :D How does chicago sound to everyone? or potentially the LA area in 8 months or so? I will keep you posted...


Living in NYC isn't so bad:
I have been doing NYC-only activities since the clock is officially winding down in my stay here. Recently, I won a pair of tickets from NPR to see a jazz concert at the Lincoln center... it was AMAZING! not only was the performance incredible, but I later found out the seats were $95 a piece! I definitely won't be doing anything like that anytime soon...

Also- On my day off, I got tickets to see a taping of "The Colbert Report"... also a lot of fun :D I even got to see Stephen out of character for a Q&A. totally cool

ps- Carleton quiz
When you get The Voice, the first thing you do is:
A) read the cover story
B) browse through to see if anyone you know has a picture in the most recent edition
C) open right to the wedding picture section and judge everyone who is now married based on age, numbers of carls present, and type of dress

A few seconds of awesome...

You may have already seen these today, but if not check it out:

A woman solved a 27-letter, 7 word puzzle on Wheel of Fortune with only 1 letter:


Definitely the sports play of the week:

I Whip My Hair

So after witnessing an interesting rendition of I Whip My Hair Back And Forth by a drunk man wearing a wig at the Rockefeller Halloween Party (which resulted in him falling head first off the table he was dancing on), my hatred for this song increased exponentially...

But I have to say after watching THIS, I've gotta give the 9-year-old a little respect...