Merry Christmas: Good-bye, Home; Hello, Chicago

I have been doing some serious traveling this year.

It always seems like that, though. Two years I won't go anywhere, and then the next year I'll take three trips in twelve months to make up for it. Before this year, the last flight I took was going to Orlando for my honeymoon three years ago. Now, this will be the third trip this year I've taken, and I'm heading to the Windy City.

And I'm slightly terrified. It's cold up there. REALLY cold. Like in the negatives.

I've never experienced cold like that before.

I've reconsidered my clothing for the week, even though the weather man up there says it's going to warm up. But I was in Boston when it “supposedly” was 60 degrees, and I nearly froze. So this time, I'd like to pack better.

Superman is heading off to wonderful places such as Los Angeles and Hawaii for two weeks (and I'm having to basically kick him out of the house to go – he hates traveling without me. Now, everyone, say it together: “Aww...”) so I'm heading to Chicago with relatives. And I am not anticipating that I'll have Internet connectivity until Dec. 31 or later. I know you're all tearing up with sadness. ;)

Also, I'd like to thank Rachel for the following bloggy award (my first! Yea!):



I'm supposed to tell ten things about myself that I normally wouldn't tell people, soooo – here goes!

1.I fell in love with my husband when I first saw him. Well, maybe not in “love,” but he caught my eye. And I wanted to be his friend. And I was. We were close friends for about a year before we started dating.

2.I've written stories from my imagination since as far back as I can remember. My mom even bound one “book” I wrote in the second grade. One of my teachers called me a “compulsive writer.” And she's completely right. I HAVE to write. I have to get the stories out. Crazy, I know.

3.I love clean houses, but my house is never clean. Never spotless. Maybe “straightened up,” whatever that means, but it's never completely clean.

4.I want to snowboard and learn how to surf. It's on my “To-Do-Before-I-Have-A-Baby” List. I have gone parasailing, hang gliding, and diving, though. And a cool pilot let me fly a two-seater plane. But I don't want to skydive. I think that's weird (that I don't want to; not skydiving in general).

5.I may have gotten kicked out of grad school at one point. MAY have.

6.I took my first flight when I was in eighth grade, and it was too Hawaii. However, my mom and I almost had to get off the plane because (as it was the first plane ride for both of us), we didn't realize how small the seats were. And we're VERY claustrophobic. It was highly uncomfortable. I love flying now – as long as I am NEAR a window. On the way back from Jamaica in college, I was in the middle of the last row on a HUGE plane – it was bad. I had to keep my head between my legs pretty much the entire way back.

7.I can write it – but I can't speak it. My mouth doesn't work as well as my fingers do. That probably doesn't make sense, but maybe it does.

8.I was a “dramatic” child. My mom said I lied a lot. My grandmother said I needed to be an actress. Then I went into public relations.

9.Everything I DIDN'T want to do, I ended up doing – and liked it. I didn't want to go to the college I attended. Now I LOVE it. I didn't want to teach. And what do I do? Teach.

10.However, as a side note to No. 9, I flipped a coin to decide which school to attend.

And, therefore, I would like to pass this award to newly-married Brooke. She's an awesome girl, and I'm glad she found her Mr. Right! ;)

So, Merry Christmas, everyone, and I hope you have a fabulous holiday with family and friends. And, just so I won't forget, may I present the winners of the PIFG (yes, a day or two early; who doesn't like some early Christmas cheer?):


Sarah M. -- Sarah Short and Gaudy


Jackie at Our Moments, Our Memories


Mrs. N at All That Naz


And, guys, just e-mail me your home addresses, and I'll try to get those shipped out tomorrow. If not, it'll be after I return from Chicago (so sorry! I really have horrible timing).

Again, Merry Christmas to all!