The Vacation...

So I chose a bad time to come "back" cuz I could post once and then had to go to visit family with no internet.

Anyway, I thought it interesting that the thing that really stood out on this trip was the music. To kick things off we talked about the music we were going to take on the trip with us and were thinking back over what we used to listen to on long trips. We brought up Judy Rodgers and her old kids sing along cassettes and sang our way through every song we could remember.... kinda random and I know not really interesting but still....

At the reunion in Tennessee we had a house packed full of people and somebody would randomly start singin a carol and pretty much instantly all through the house people would pick it up and soon "Hark the Herald" was bein belted out by 25 voices young and old from various rooms. Then the carol (or verse of it) would end and everyone would go back to their cooking and movie watching and card playing. One of my aunts also brought along a book of carols and the history behind it and we who remained around the dinner table would sing them after hearing what we were actually singing.

Sunday morning was also kind of musically cool. We went to a good 'ole souther baptist church where we sang a wide mix of musical styles, but of course we sang "Go tell it on the Mountain" and "Beulah Land" in good southern gospel tradition.

So yeah... kinda lame but i thought it was kinda cool all the same that the most fun we had over that vacation was with the music and we aren't even a super musical family.

Christmas Tip #1: Packaging

Ugh we love it at Christmas, the nice easy gift wrap that tears wonderfully and makes a satisfying rip sound like a school worksheet that you have finished with. But about that plastic stuff....

The packaging of electronics is twice as bad as the rest. First it is extra thick to protect the contents. Then they heat seal the edges and hone them and their serrations to resemble a steak knife, and crimp it to a 90 degree angle so several pairs of scissors must be broken on them trying to obtain the stuff you actually wanted inside (forcing you to go out and buy more scissors and stimulate the economy.. so its a good thing?).

If blood is not drawn at first attack, then you obviously aren't trying hard enough to get at what's inside and this may tip off to the giver that you are not overly enthusiastic about their gift. So be sure to always stab yourself on the devil's wrapping paper at least once and demonstrate your excitement.

Cleanup for these things is also somewhat difficult as the environmentally conscious celebrationist (<----Bushism?) does not know what to do with the plastic waste. Typically none of the plastic packaging that houses the goodies is nor marked with a recycling symbol and does not indicate its recyclability in any way. This is one for brighter minds than mine to figure out though.... so having raised that guilt inducing question.... g'bye!

The Return of the Jedi. The Return of the King. Return of the Living Dead. Return to Neverland. Return of Jafar.....

So I'm back to blog. I don't know what I'm going to say, but facebook statuses and notes cannot communicate the huge quantity of emotion and passion that has built up over a semester. And so I shall continue writing and ranting and raving and hopefully motivate myself to think!

But Sheesh you people are prolific. 71 new posts and those are just the recent ones! I am sorry but *hits read all button* now I can start afresh and glory in your quirkiness and snarkiness and BRILLIANCE without feeling like I am days behind in a literature class.