Merry Christmas... is that okay?

lol.

Two years ago I read a book called Dateable. It was a buzz of conversation with the staff I worked with, and I was literally hearing reviews across the board. My opinion on the book could fill another blog post entirely, but I want to talk just a little about one of the chapters. It's titled "Way It Begins = Way It Ends." It talks about how if you start things fast and furiously and find yourself jumping right in to a relationship, the end of your relationship will be the same way. You may not see it coming, it will be sudden and short. It will hurt a lot at first, but you'll usually be able to fully get over it in due time. If your relationship develops slowly, the end will come slowly, as well. It will be painful for a long period of time and be quite difficult to fully get over without giving it plenty of time.

So, naturally, let's talk about Christmas.

I'm not talking about the true meaning of Christmas, I'm talking about the season. I feel like Christmas season is like a bad relationship. First of all, it starts slowly, which is good and fine! The problem is that it ends like a brick wall. This is not how I (well, we!) are built to emotionally handle things! On the 26th of December it becomes no longer to engage in any Christmas cheer! Decorations go from festive to tacky in a mere 48 hours! And before you know it, mentioning Christmas is as unacceptable as wanting to discuss Hitler!

I feel like it's the ex-boyfriend of a friend that you're not allowed to bring up at certain times, when at other times all she wants to DO is bring him up. You know how it goes, someone in any month besides December mentions a countdown to Christmas and suddenly you can hear the whole room audibly groan and glare at you. But noooo, in December if you express any distaste for the season people react as if you had just stepped on a basket of kittens!

I feel like this would be extremely confusing to someone from a culture who doesn't celebrate Christmas. They come to the U.S. having prior knowledge about how much Americans love Christmas. Then they mention it in conversation, have less than enthusiastic responses, and are embarrassed until someone helpfully whispers, "We don't talk about that right now." Kind of like when you're with a group of friends you haven't seen in a while and you ask a friend about a boyfriend who, God forbid, just had a horribly messy breakup with that friend. Everyone kind of just shuffles their feet and looks at the ground until someone kindly whispers to you that they broke up.

One time, in second grade, I started humming Jingle Bells. The teacher said, "It's not Christmas season!" I think she wanted me to stop. I don't think I did. Why is this so unacceptable?!

Now, I'm not asking for it to be a social norm for Christmas trees to be sold in April and Santa to be in malls in June. I'm simply asking to take my sweet time getting over the Christmas season. We all get over breakups in different ways. This season started slowly for me, so I need it to end slowly. Slowly, I will listen to less Christmas songs. Slowly, I will drink less eggnog. Slowly, I will stop watching Christmas programs. Slowly, I will get over the fact that nobody kissed me under mistletoe (speaking of, does anyone actually put mistletoe up in their house?) Remember how we enjoyed Christmas? Yes. It never did anything to us. We need not be haters.

Then WHAM. Here comes the rebound, New Years Eve. But the rebound ends as fast as it starts. Seasons are like relationships, people. I'm tellin ya. We're just doing Christmas season wrong.

Sigh. I'm going to go find an open fire and roast some chestnuts on it. You know, CHRISTMAS season stuff.

I hope you all had wonderful Christmas celebrations. Go listen to a Christmas song. :]

We're Your Worst Nightmare, Elves With Attitude

Since I Have Been Home on Break I : A List

- have been in a giant, scary snow storm.

We weren't home, but when we did get home, we were told that the power in our neighborhood had been out for 13 hours due to a branch falling on a powerline in our backyard. Well, it turns out it wasn't just a branch. It was more like 1/3 of the tree. Whoopsie. Sorry about that, neighborhood. I apologize for any sour food, loss of christmas cheer, or lost time otherwise spent shooting bubbles on your desktop. [picture]

(Also, here's a link to the roof of the metrodome (Vikings stadium in Minnesota) collapsing, just because it's... well... an epic fail. [oops] )

- spent a good amount of time with the nephews

Andy turned 1. :]

- started reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I'm quickly taking full advantage of the fact that I have no assigned reading (and very few friends home yet), and may read whatever I please at whatever pace I choose and retain whatever information my brain happens to retain without overanalyzing.

- watched a ton of Gilmore Girls

I really, really, really enjoy that show.

- had a sleepover with the best friend

Enough said, i think. :]

- watched Going The Distance, again

(Drew Barrymore and Justin Long)

Loved it, again. decided Justin Long can and does get cuter even when you are convinced it is not humanly possible for more cute to spew out of that boy.

- kind of unpacked

- made birthday plans for friday

Artsy/random/fun day with the best friend in the city to celebrate that the day that I turn a new unimportant age.

- got this scarf in the mail for my birthday

... from an awesome awesome person. It's even prettier in person, I promise. It matches everything. :]

- had more egg nog than probably healthy

- was reminded of the fact that I had a very large crush on this elf from The Santa Clause

... and probably still do. I think I can comfortably call The Santa Clause my favorite Christmas movie.

- found out Zac Efron is single, seen Miley Cyrus smoking a bong and learned that the sales of saliva, the drug in the bong, have skyrocketed since the video leaked online, learned that Kate and Charlie from lost dated each other in real life, and found our that the girl who plays the accordion in Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros plays Katherine in Greek.

Phew. Pop culture is exhausting.

That's all I've got for now. Keep me updated, I'll do the same!

A Tuesday in December.

Artist/Song of the moment:

King of Spain by The Tallest Man on Earth AND Marrow by St. Vincent

Quote of the moment: "It was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn't think about my life at all."

Fun website that sells pointless things of the moment: Fred

Days till home: ONE.

I've been absolutely obsessed with NPR's music page and All Songs Considered. So much good music is out there. I like finding it. It's kind of like a never-ending treasure hunt. Not never-ending because you never find what you're looking for... neverending because you are able to keep finding what you didn't even know you were looking for. These are the best kind of treasure hunts - curious, aimless ones.

Apparently this gives me a hipster characteristic. I am slowly becoming okay with this, I suppose.

I took my last final today! Actually, if I didn't take it, I still would have gotten an A in the class. Needless to say, I kinda winged it. It went pretty well, still. Oh! In all actuality, this story is kind of a bore, but i think it's SO smart. Let me tell you how this professor grades.

So, my professor makes his own scantrons that are about the size of half a notebook piece of paper. There are fifty questions and you "x" or fill in the circle of the correct answer. When you are done, you take it to the front of class where the professor and two TA's are sitting. They have exact same scantrons, but with the correct answers punched out. Therefore, they are able to take the answer key that lines up with your version of the test, lay it directly over your test, and grade the entire thing with you standing there within 15 seconds. Every time I take an exam in Sociology, I know my grade within 3 minutes of completing it. Isn't this genius?!

Friends, why are the most on campus activities planned during finals week? I mean, I know it's great to go off with a boom and distress, but I want to enjoy these things when I'm bored, not stressed and busy! Christmas parties, free roller-skating, free bowling, free concerts. Except all the free food. This can always happen. It's national cotton candy day, so today was free cotton candy. Last night was free breakfast (a personal favorite.) Also free gingerbread cookie decorating (allowing you to put a sickening amount of frosting and gumdrops however many you please.) Plus, I'm trying not to waste all the food that won't last a month in the vacant dorm. PLUS, I had about $175 meal money to spend in two weeks (let's just say I have bought enough wintergreen mints to keep my breath fresh for three years.)

Needless to say, I need to stop eating. Forever, maybe.

Tomorrow, back to Wisconsin. Tonight, paaaacking. Also, A Very Glee Christmas.

Hope finals aren't making you want to punch small woodland creatures!