Six Things

1. Our weekend is finally here. Funny, how the last few hours of the last day before my break always go by the slo-o-o-owest. Plans for the weekend: Cooking (roast chicken, rosemary potatoes), baking (bagels? Molasses cookies), cleaning, laundry, studying (John), stringing up white lights around our apartment (me), cuddling (both, obvs), and knitting (me).

2. The weather here is colder now, and when I walk outside, the strength of the bitter wind takes my breath away. It's not even that cold, compared to where we come from, so apparently I've become a pansy since we moved here.

3. I shocked my coworkers today; I let it slip that some movies that most people consider to be "classics," I just can't stand. "The Wizard of Oz"? Creepy and disturbing. "It's a Wonderful Life"? Depressing! Are the thirty seconds of happiness at the end of the movie really enough to make up for the rest of it? I don't think so! "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"? Really, the only thing I like about that movie is that my older brother looked like Charlie Bucket when he (my brother) was little. Gene Wilder? Purple velvet? Oompa Loompas? No thanks!

4. We're having Christmas here this year. My parents and brother are coming down the week before Christmas, spending a weekend with us; and John's mom and sister (and then aunt, uncle, and cousins) are coming here on Christmas Day to celebrate. I'm totally excited.

5. NEWSFLASH: We're getting a Real Christmas Tree. Hurrah!

6. It's been almost exactly three years, and I can still smell and feel London. I miss it so much.

(not cool enough for a title)

I can hardly believe it's November already. The weather here, so much more mild than we're used to, has lulled us into a belief in an eternal Autumn. Tonight though, it's blustery, leaves swarming from the trees and through the night, highlighted as they blow and swirl under the street lamps, caught up in gusts of wind.

I'm so ready for November, though. I'm ready for colder weather, for snow waltzing past the windows; for baking cookies, listening to Bing Crosby, and stringing white lights around our apartment.

We're considering purchasing a fake Christmas tree this year. I use the word "considering," even though it's almost a done deal, because part of me inside screams and dies every time I even think "fake Christmas tree." It would be much easier, less hassle and -- you can see I'm still trying to justify even the idea to myself -- because our apartment is dry and we have no Real Vacuum Cleaner...and I can just picture myself using wads of duct-tape to pick up all the dry needles. If we do get a fake tree, though, there are a few stipulations:

1.) There must be quality pine-scented candles burning during all waking hours.
2.) The tree can't look too fakey (I'm choking on my cynical laughter); i.e. it can't be white (there shouldn't be a need to even write that - but someone, okay, John, suggested it. White? White tree? Crazy!)
3.) It must be covered with white lights and ornaments, trying to hide all fake branches.

Have any of you ever had a fake Christmas tree? What do you do with it? What made you decide to get it?

Two years and counting...

From this:



To this:



And this:



Then this:



And, now, this:




It just keeps getting better and better. Happy two-year anniversary, baby! I love you.