The Myth & The Majesty

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'd love to blame the holidays for my lack of posting -- after all, it was a bit before Thanksgiving when you last saw me here -- but the truth is simply that I don't wanna. Yep. Don't wanna. But as it's the end of the year -- the end of a very long, very strange year -- I figured it was time to reappear. How are you? ... Yeah, that sounds about right. Had you asked me a year ago, I would have said that by now I'd be in Denver, maybe even back to living alone and enjoying what my early thirties have to offer with a full complement of health benefits and a 401(k). I'd have gone on a couple of road trips and perhaps I'd be saving up for a big trip overseas. As I've mentioned previously, however, this year has not gone as expected. First, of course, was the job situation. When the initial change didn't take, I ended up with a temporary gig ... that just keeps reappearing. Then a few months back, my...

After a Thanksgiving that tended to extremes (a lot of fun when it could be, and downright terrible later), we were apparently in need of a relaxing and entertaining Christmas.  Good news: we got it. It started with a sibling night. We descended on Shorty & Miss M's place for an evening of games and jerk chicken. [You know that's right.] And then the climbing. Shorty has a climbing cave in his basement and it's awesome. Oh yeah -- and some Pokemon hunting, leading us to explore Highmore a bit. Highmore is like most small towns I've seen -- everything is walking distance and people are fairly friendly, but if you're unfamiliar folks stare at you in the grocery store. C'est la vie. The 'rents appeared the next day, which was all about food, church, and cat toys. There was no shortage of any of that, either -- none of us are capable of appearing empty-handed, Shorty had three Christmas Eve services to do, and there were two ...

I would love to say something profound about family and holidays ... but I'm a bit preoccupied by family. And holidays. And food. So here's a picture of my furry nephew instead. Merry Christmas, all, and stay safe on this wet and stormy day.

Once again, xkcd comes through for me when I just don't know what else to say.  Enjoy your Valentine's Day as sanely as you can, folks.

Snowflakes on branches and streetlights and sidewalk Pedestrians who smile and cross in the crosswalk Old flannel shirts that are comfy and snug Gingerbread Coffeemate added to my mug... Dressing up for parties and wearing tall shoes Music that helps to shove off the blues Getting my shopping done well before spring These are a few of my favorite things When the car stalls When the flight's delayed When I'm road-raging mad I simply remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad... Candy we've made all by ourselves Stacks of presents put there by elves A gingerbread house built by us all Griswolds on TV singing "Deck The Halls"... Family meeting for the first time in a year Come hell or high water, we'll all be here Stories to tell late into the night As soon as Mia Sorella is done with her flight... So from here I say Enjoy your Christmas Day As we plan to do... And from all of us gathered at home A merry Christmas t...

Lassiter: I hate snow globes. Shawn: Huh. That's strange, because my psychic sense told me specifically that snow globes didn't give you nightmares of being trapped in a clear ball with snow that burned your skin off. Perhaps we didn't get the eighteen inches of snow that Minneapolis did (if you're either anti-Vikings or just pro-humans-failing-against-physics, check out the Metrodome roof video ), but yesterday's snowfall and accompanying wind was enough to close the interstate for a few hours and strand us at home for most of the day. Today, it looks a lot more like December. December in eastern South Dakota, that is: eight inches of snowfall = five foot drifts + large grassy spots. Lovely. The strandedness of yesterday wasn't such a bad thing, at least for me. I wasn't in much of a mood to move. At all. Let me tell you a story. On Friday morning, I woke up at Storm. Within a couple of hours, I was on the road, with a stop at the ranch to...

The sky is starting to clear. Not so far off, I can hear a coyote. And some horses. And maybe some cattle. No traffic, no trains, no people. It is still out there, unspoiled by humans, and it is glorious. Times like these I wonder why I ever left. Yesterday was a shindig at the 'rents filled with incredible food and amazing people. Today was a day of driving, some quality time with my (awesome) dad, and a relaxing dinner with my (equally awesome) grandparents. Tomorrow, I head into the Hills. Really, I can't imagine a better way to spend the weekend -- or the upcoming week, really. Happy Independence Day, folks. Hope it was grand.

(or: “A Post of Links to Everything Else”) I have shared my thoughts on Valentine’s Day in the past. I don’t really need to repeat myself. I'd rather give you other things to do. Keep an eye out for green text. If you want to hear what I think of V-Day ... There’s this incredibly rant-y one from 2005 and the SWG2L post I wrote last year which happens to be much calmer and more practical. If you’d rather hear a sweet story about someone else (I know I would), this lovely lady wrote something about her husband. [They’re awesome people, both separately and as a couple. My name is Ashley and I approve this message.] If you’re looking for a movie to watch with or without that special someone, I recommend redblog ... and I really need to put a permanent link in my sidebar. Heck, I read it every day -- so should you! Actually, there are two specific posts: movies for married folks and movies for single guys . As for the single women, may I suggest you pick something f...

'Twas the night before Christmas and in this family's home It was quiet and still, two of the kids left alone Christmas had taken a turn, unexpected and strange And the family was split with great geographical range These two had come home to celebrate with Dad and Mom Traveled good distance to partake in the calm But Mom and Dad had left early for their China flight Their original plan moved up by three nights. They did their own Christmas morning, quiet and swift Then said their I-love-yous, their see-you-laters and left They'd wait out the storm closer to the airport this way And must find happiness in being safe Christmas Day The snow started to fall and the wind to blow And they all realized this was how it had to go Only every twenty-some years would a storm like this strike They were lucky, really -- they could get out as they liked Now the oldest sat by herself, composing a [mediocre] poem Surrounded by all the comforts of home They were separated, sure, but they we...

How to describe today? Today marked the beginning of a really, really screwy Christmas weekend. Not bad. Not great, either, and certainly not what was planned -- but not bad. As many of you are well aware, there's a large storm descending upon the Midwest right now as we speak. I was quite excited to get out of Wausau when I did because I managed to avoid some of it and get home unscathed. A second stroke of luck -- Shorty made it back without issue after a late shift at work. He got back Monday, really early in the morning. However. Isn't there always a however? My parents are headed to Beijing Sunday morning to meet up with Mia Sorella for a week of fun and games and quality family time. Which was going to require them to drive up Saturday night and hang out in Minneapolis. Until this storm came around. There's enough concern over the possibility of the interstate closing between here and central Minnesota that they actually left this morning. For the next three days, the...

Thankful for ... ... a year with a lot of ups and downs because at least I was never bored. ... family get-togethers of all shapes and sizes. ... parents and siblings who aren't afraid of a little adventure. ... technology to keep up with those who are mid-adventure. ... a car that runs with tires that don't slip. ... turkey, potatoes and gravy, and crescent rolls. I made it back to Sioux Falls last night in pretty good time. Now, I get to bask in a real weekend break, with no real obligations aside from helping cook. Life is good. Have a great Thanksgiving, folks.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And sorry I could not travel both ... I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence Two roads diverged in a wood And I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference. - Excerpt from "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost Happy New Year! 2009 began with a bang. And about a ton of falling balloons. I was at the Grand in downtown Wausau, and that was exactly where I wanted to be. Now that's a good feeling. It's funny. Two years ago I rang in the new year in St. Louis while at Urbana. I had no idea where I would be six months later. Now, I find myself in Wausau, still happy to be here most of the time, and still a little baffled over my path here and where I might be by this point next year. I have a lot of things to look forward to this year. Two trips to the Hills, one to England. Two weddings for two very dear friends. There are things I'm not looking forward to as well, but they will be deal...

M e r r y C h r i s t m a s ! To my parents and sibs -- well, I'm hanging out with you in good ol' SoDak, so never mind. To my grandparents out on the ranch, and all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Minneapolis, Houston, North Carolina, Salt Lake City, California, general western SoDak) -- merry Christmas, and I hope to hear from you or -- *gasp!* -- see you at some point in 2009! To Ashli, Barb, Bri, Dani, and Jessie -- the greatest girls I know and, not coincidentally, people I both stay in touch with and occasionally see -- merry Christmas and happy 2009! To my guys -- Darren, Chris, Matt, and Justin -- I miss you guys. I hope for the best for all of you and to see you all at some point in the not-too-distant future. (And to Chris in particular -- good luck, and let me know how this newest adventure goes!) To the Stormers -- I miss you (and Storm) all dearly, and I will be out before this time next year. Merry Christmas, and happy 2009! (To ...

In addition to our massive gingerbread houses , my family -- like so many others -- has a handful of Christmas traditions. It starts with the sweets. Hard candy, truffles, fudge, divinity, caramel. Cookies in various forms. Then, there's the bread. Russian black bread and crescent rolls in particular, with any number of other recipes coming out as they fit with random family meals. This year, it's sourdough in abundance. My family also does the real tree thing every year. When I was younger, it involved getting a permit and going out in the Hills to cut a tree or finding a cedar tree out on my grandparents' land. When I got older, it involved going to a tree farm just a few miles away. That's where my parents go now for their trees. My mom is starting to suggest a fake tree more strongly because she's tired of vacuuming needles. We'll see what route that one goes. Now, that's all before the 24th. Christmas Eve is specific. Seafood gumbo and chili for supper...

I'm going to break from the family history for a bit since I'm now at home by myself, listening to Christmas music in the quiet of my apartment and thinking about how the weekend has gone. So! The blow-by-blow. My parents and sibs showed up on Wednesday after a brief detour at the very end of their trek. Turns out Mother Dearest had two sets of the turn-by-turn directions I sent her, and only one had the ever-important correction about the highway they just finished. Naturally, Mia Sorella was navigating from the uncorrected set. Anyway! They got here and unloaded the Exploder, and after a brief tour and some general chat, we hit Hereford & Hops for dinner. H&H is one of my favorite restaurants in town. They're a steakhouse/brewery, and both their steak and their brew are top-notch -- and moderately inexpensive. Having kicked off the weekend in good form, we headed back to the house and had dessert -- blackberry and cream cheese pie from Norske Nook in Osseo, WI. A-...

Well, here we are again. Another year, another February 14th. I had a good "me date" tonight -- bought myself flowers, made a nice dinner, opened a bottle of wine, and watched "America's Sweethearts" (one of very few movies where I truly like Julia Roberts). Why tonight? Because tomorrow is Thursday, which means I'll be out with my awesome fun coworkers. There are actually a few of us that don't have date-like plans ... so we can hang out together. Yay. My supreme hatred of V-Day has settled into a general indifference. Let's face it -- hatred takes too much work. General indifference takes no work whatsoever. Although I still consider it a stupid holiday.

Okay. As promised, I have pictures of this year's gingerbread "house." If you want a basis for comparison, I have a picture of the last one here , along with stats here . This year's house took over 2000 square inches of gingerbread, at least 4 recipes of hard candy, and 8 pounds of powdered sugar. It measures 49" long by 27" wide by 38" tall. (That's the tower height, which is about a foot over the top of the dome.) So -- here it is. And this is Edgar. I'll probably have a regular post soon, if I can remember what it was going to be about ... nuts. Have a good night!

After a hair-raising trip home (more specifically, a three-hour trip to take the 90ish miles from Minneapolis to Albert Lea), my sister and I walked in the door at 1:00 this morning. But we made it! And we were both thrilled. That doesn't much matter right now. We have people here, and I should be paying attention to them. So -- HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!!

Holy holiday rush, Batman. The Season is in full swing and nowhere is that more apparent than the mall. Any mall. Every mall. Even the Wausau City Center Mall, which is admittedly the smallest mall of all the malls contained in cities in which I've lived. Particularly at nine o'clock this morning. I suppose all those early bird specials are there for a reason ... I was there because I had already been awake for several hours and was antsy to get my shopping done. Anyway, everybody and her kid sister (particularly the kid sisters) were out shopping today, myself included. I hope for most people's sake that they all had better luck than I did -- not to say I was completely unlucky, but I certainly didn't finish my Christmas shopping. Seems I might have to do some more crafty Internet shopping this year than expected. In any case, Thanksgiving's coming up fast, and I'm pretty psyched. First because Thanksgiving is a spectacularly awesome holiday (I heart turkey), s...

It was an awesome weekend. I headed home for Easter, leaving after work on Friday and returning Sunday afternoon/evening. Next time, I'm taking a day off. Pretty sure I only actually spent about 40 hours in the general Sioux Falls area. In that time, I managed to get caught up with Andy (late Friday/early Saturday -- it was good to see you, dude!), get caught up with a couple of family friends (hi, Jodee), see Blue Man Group (totally awesome), and get up really really early in the morning to bake roughly 180 cinnamon rolls. By Monday morning, I was a little on the sleep deprived side. My hours of driving gave me some time to think, though, which is always good. I thought you might enjoy some of the things I was pondering. For instance: -High school is great to talk about, especially with people from my hometown who have gotten away. Nothing against the place, but I don't live there now and I don't intend to live there again. It has serious black hole tendencies, plus enoug...