I don't even pretend to understand this.

It's like Xtina got together with Netrebby and was like, "girl, you've got to spice up that opera shit of yours...here's what I'm thinking..floaties, Marilyn Monroe bathing suits, and making out..."

Hello, My name is Emily, and I'm a Technoaddict

I have a confession to make. I've become a technology junkie. Until very recently, I was content with my giant 2000 Dell desktop computer (that served me well for 6 long years), my old camera that took film (film, what's that?) and made a hideous sound when it would rewind, my twelve inch television that's been a constant companion on my various moves througout the past 6 years, my sporty radio that velcroed around my arm when I ran. Last Chrismtas, I got an iPod nano, rendering the sporty radio obsolete, although I do miss listening to WXRT as I jog. Things really began to change this summer with the acquisition of my Macbook. Slowly, the Macbook began to change my life. I was no longer chained to my desk chair, but could now do all sorts of things while constantly connected to the internet. This Christmas, I received a digital camera, completeing the trifecta of digital equipment. (The twelve inch television remains, although I rarely watch it because I watch everything on my computer).
Lately, I've been wondering where all my time goes. I calculated yesterday that I spend, on average each day, 3.5 hours in class, lessons, rehearsals or teaching. Where on earth, I asked myself, do the other 10 hours of the day go? Occasionally I have to write a paper, and I spend about an hour a day practicing, but there remains many, many hours unaccounted for. When I was working, I spent eight hours a day in an office, atleast an hour commuting, and still managed to practice and make dinner and put together application and do auditions and all that. There was no time to spare, but I still got everything done and made it everywhere on time. These days, I find myself doing everything at the last minute and running to class, usually arriving five minutes late because I just had to stop at Dunkin Donuts to grab a coffee. I haven't been to bed before 1 am all week, which means I usually require atleast an hour nap in the afternoon. What happened???

Technology happened. I was joking to Nick the other day that in his absence, my Macbook has become a substitute boyfriend. It lies in bed with me, sometimes sleeps in bed with me when I am too lazy to put it away before falling asleep, and is my constant companion throughout the day. I've become obsessed with downloading episodes of The Office from iTunes (also due in part to a generous iTunes gift card I got for Christmas) and watching them over and over again (why Pam, WHY can't you just get with Jim? I love him, we all love him, GET WITH IT!). I've recently developed an addiction to YouTube, due mostly in part to my friend from school introducing me to the vast array of operatic YouTube clips (this could potentially qualify as career buidling, but I'm not sure watching Sherrill Milnes croon "Maria" from West Side Story helped much). Add to this the newest development of "video-chatting" with my boyfriend for atleast an hour a day on Skype, and you've got one addicted gal.

Today, I decided that I must do something about it. While everything in my life is fine (despite my boyfriend being on the other side of the ocean, but that's an entirely different story), I'm singing well, and I've pretty much got my shit together, I feel that the copious amount of time I spend in front of the computer is probably unhealthy. I read once in a magazine about "technodespair" -- a depression that can develop from too much exposure to technology. So, I'm going to try to limit my "computer time" to two hours per day, including TV watching. This is not going to be easy, but I'm determind. I will do yoga, spend more time thinking about my music, read actual books...things I used to do more of before I was sucked into this technotrap.

On the bright side, I was just rationalizing with one of my singer friends about singers' "downtime". Unlike other musicans, our voices can only hold out for about an hour or two of practicing, tops, per day. So the time we spend on IM or watching television is actually time well spent -- resting our voices and rejuvenating for the stressful life that we lead. Ok, maybe I'll up that to three hours computer time per day...

foodie

Most of you are aware that I am in love with food--cooking it, eating it, reading and watching tv shows about it. I like to think that I'm a "foodie", so I decided to test my knowledge with a lttile foodie quiz. Check it out and let me know how you do. I scored 31/38, which means I was just one point shy of the top tier of foodie guru-ness. So I guess I have a few things left to learn.

Nevertheless, this week I've been on a cooking binge. Here are some photos from the past two night's dinners:


Spicy Basil and Garlic Thai Chicken with Asian rice noodles...this might be one of the best things I've ever made. I got the recipe from Rach's February issue (we're tight, me and Rach), and damn. After last week's fried ravioli disaster (her recipe SUCKED), she had lost points with me, but now she's back up there thanks to the absolute yumminess that was this recipe. Go here for the recipe.


Red Rice with Chorizo. Another big winner. I have been eating it for lunches this week, and it's quite tasty cold or hot. Recipe here.

Also, I've been meaning to post this pic since I got back from Greece:


We ordered this monstrosity on Nick's 30th birthday at Zithos bar in Marousi. It was called the "Roman Orgy" and contained three glorious feet of various meats, potatoes, breads, veggies...and God knows what else. There were eight of us at the party, and we were all stuffed by the end and couldn't finish it. I stood on a chair to take this photo of it.

So that's what I've been up to, friends. Cooking and eating...oh yeah, and I sing sometimes too.

My camera cable and iPod cord arrived yesterday after a slightly belated trip across the Atlantic. Now that I have a working internet connection and camera with cable, I intend to post pics like crrraaazy! It's just so amusing to be able to snap something and immediately upload it to my computer. Ah, technology.

So, here ya go--my new sassy haircut:

This was taken immediately post cut n' style, so of course I cannot reproduce my brilliant hair dresser's work. Her name is Bette, she's at Art and Science in Evanston, and she's FABULOUS. She's also Greek, so I told her all about my recent trip. And she does a killer eyebrow wax. Now that I gave her a free plug on the 'blog, maybe she'll give me my next wax free!

More photos later!

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Smelly Lobby

Last night, circa 2:30 am, the mystery of "why the tiny lobby of my building smells like a homeless person has been camping out at night" was solved. A homeless person has been camping out at night. Let me explain how I came to find this out:

After a fantastic audition for the spring opera (results pending), I celebrated with dinner and drinks with some school friends at Davis Street Fishmarket here in E-town. They made a fantastic dirty martini, the food was delicious, and the company was even better. Afterward, some of us girls headed to Lincoln Park for some craziness at Duffy's --a real meat market of a bar that I haven't set foot in since 2004 (the height of my party girl phase). Although I wasn't crazy about the scene, it was great to let loose on the dancefloor with the girls (despite the constant warding off of unwanted grinding immigrant men). We closed down the place (along with about a bajillion other people) and stumbled into a cab around 2 am.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up next to my apartment. My friend Katie lives just across the street, so she got out as well. I opened the door to my building and there he was: the culprit of the stench, camped out in the lobby of my building. The events that followed are a bit blurry, but I do recall freaking out, yelling to Katie to come back and make sure I got in, the homeless man apologizing profusely, and me saying over and over again to him "but I live here!" I also heard him say to Katie, "has she been drinking?", which in retrospect is hilarious -- as though my being drunk has any bearing on my reaction to finding a random stinky person squatting in my building entrance! To be honest, I probably would have freaked out more had I been sober! What amuses me the most is my Nancy Drew-like way of sniffing out the culprit and solving the mystery.

It's really the icing on the cake with this place. I've had roaches, mice, crazy overactive radiators, possums on the back porch, and now -- sharing the lobby with the homeless. Once again, suburbia seems to be calling my name...

family fun

One of my favorite holiday pastimes, along with my mother and sister, is reading the hordes of Christmas cards and pictures my parents receive -- and the inevitable "form letters" that come with them. This year, I wasn't home to read the majority of the cards, so Mom sent me a fat package with all the cards and pictures she thought would interest me, along with a note that read "call me after you read these." You see, we don't just read the cards and letters, we like to laugh at the absolutely ridiculous things people feel the need to share with family and friends. Maybe it's just my family who receives cards like this, but I have a feeling it's not. And yes, maybe the three of us are going to hell, but hey -- if you're going to share intimate details of your dog's surgeries and ailments over the past twelve months, you deserve to be made fun of a little bit.
There are always the ones we expect: Mom's saintly aunt and uncle who are singlehandedly attempting to change the world in their retirement; the cousin's wife who one year sent a sonogram picture in her card; the childhood friend of Mom's who, although single, sends an oddly unflattering picture-card of just herself each year. And the form letters -- I swear, every year they get better and better. Not only do I get to learn about who's engaged, who's pregnant, who's moved, and who's graduated, I am fortunate enough to be informed of the specifics of varous human and pet illnesses, the adoption process of a baby from China, minute details of a toddler's mental progression over the past year, and many, many other unique tidbits of information that make the reading of the Christmas cards a highly enjoyable, if not hilarious, experience. Add to that the pleasure of reading them with my mom and sister, and the fun never ends!
So last night, I sat down with a cup of tea and the cards and went through them, chuckling all the way. Then I called Mom, and we spent an hour laughing on the phone and discussing whose cards were the most ridiculous this year. Once when we were teenagers, my sister (always the comedian) wrote a "fake" Christmas form letter about our family, which made family history as one of the funniest things ever written. My mom pulls it out from time to time and we all read it and have a good laugh. I asked my mom to send it to me, so if she ever does, I'll reprint it here.
Does your family have any odd Christmas pastimes? Do you have any hilarious Christmas card stories? If so, please share!

Recap

It took a few nights of 10+ hours of sleep, but I'm somewhat back to "normal" and have resumed life here in E-town. Yesterday I returned (begrudgingly) to school -- although it was nice to see my school friends, I can't say that I'm thrilled to be back. I am looking forward to putting my recital together, and I am genuinely interested in most of my classes this quarter, so I should perk up pretty soon as things get moving. I've got to pull my shit together for spring opera auditions at the end of this week. If I want any sort of chance at a part, I've got to sing as though my heart were in it and not on the other side of the Atlantic.

But alas, I promised a recap of my trip, and a recap you shall get. I always marvel at the beautiful parts of the world that I've been lucky enough to see already in my short life -- I'll never forget my trip to Lucerne, Switzerland where I saw the sun coming up over the Alps, or the first time I laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower. Likewise, I felt such awe at the beautiful parts of Greece. It never gets old or commonplace for me, seeing new things and experiencing life in a different way. This trip was extra special because I got to learn about a part of Nick's life that was previously unfamiliar to me. Nick has been to my hometown, and although he marveled at the vast amount of cornfields, I don't think he needed much imagination to picture what my life might have been like growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Although I've seen many parts of Europe and even lived with a family in Austria, I had no idea what to expect of Greece or what his house might look like or how his family might act. Each time I would call him while he was there, I would hear a stranger answer the phone in a language I couldn't understand. It felt odd, and I was ready to come face-to-face with the strangeness and learn about it firsthand.

And oh how much I learned! In addition to all the lovely tourist sights, I went to Greek government offices and graveyards, Grandma's farmhouse in the village (don't tell Border Control I was on a farm, they'll come get me). I had odd and endearing conversations with Nick's eighty-three year old aunt and bonded with some Greek toddlers. I learned all the swear words from listening to the grubby teenagers in the internet cafes. It was a trip unlike any other I've ever been on, and I won't forget it for as long as I live.

How do you come home, by yourself, from all that and not get depressed? I'm allowing myself three days of semi-moping, and then I've got to come out of it and start making dates with friends and stop laying at home under my down comforter, watching crappy movies and pretending to be jetlagged. I went to the store last night and bought all the items on Rachael Ray's 7 meals for 7 days list for this month (my mom bought me a subscription to her magazine this year), and later discovered that all the meals make enough to feed 4 people. So, I'm inviting friends over for dinner this entire week. Last night I made chicken and wild rice stuffed tomatoes, which were scrumptious, and tonight I'm making Baja fish tacos. Nothing like cooking to brighten my spirits! If you're in the area and want a free meal, come knock on my door!

Midwest Princess A to Z

Stolen from one of my favortie bloggers, Mel

A-Available or taken? Taken

B-Best Friend? Ms. Andrea.

C-Cake or pie? yellow cake, chocolate frosting.

D-Drink of choice? dirty gin martini.

E-Essential item I use every day: John Freida Brilliant Brunette shampoo and conditioner.

F-Favorite color? Blue.

G-Gummy Bears or Gummy worms? red bears only, please.

H-Hometown? Ft. Wayne, IN.

I-Indulgence? shoes.

J-January or February? February, it's one month closer to spring.

K-Kids and names - daughter - Angela, other daughter - Maria or Anna, son - ???

L-Life is incomplete without? sex and chocolate.

M-Marriage date - sometime in the future!

N-Number of siblings: two.

O-Oranges or apples? Gala apples.

P-Phobias or fears? illness.

Q-Favorite quote? "No one can make you feel inferior withough your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt

R-Reasons to smile? good health, good friends

S-Season? Autumn.

T-Tag www.reluctantreceptionist.com and www.melissacmorris.com (i can't get the freaking links to work - sorry!)

U-Unknown fact about me: I once hunted deer in an Austrian forest.

V-Vegetable you don't like: peas.

W-Worst habit: obsessive compulsive worrying.

Y-Your favorite food? Pad thai with tofu.

Z-Zodiac? Cancer.

home.

I'm home, safe and sound, and with all luggage in tow (miracle of miracles!). Once I get some rest and feel like a normal person again, I'll do some recapping of my trip. Somehow, I have to pull my shit together and start class on Monday (only three days behind everyone else, but who's counting?). I'm rapidly plunging into that post-trip depression, not to mention the fact that I had to say goodbye to my love for who knows how long. I'm rallying all the strength I've got and trying not to be a blubbering idiot.
Peace out kids, I've got some serious sleeping to do.

The American discovers Greek junk food.

I must devote an entire post to the delectable junk foods produced in Greece. During my times in Austria, I discovered a broad range of delectable treats, however, the Greeks (specifically, my Greek) have introduced me to some amazing new junk I didn't know existed. Here is my top ten list of Greek/European junk:

10. Kinder Bueno

Kinder has a line of delicious chocolate treats, which I am now learning you can find in the States, if you look hard enough. Kinder Bueno is my absolute favorite: Crunchy chocolatey goodness with a creamy hazelnut filling.

9. Gemista cookies

These yummy little cookies are a bit like the chocolate-covered Oreos...but better.

8. Peanut butter Kit Kat bars. Enough said.

7. Ion chocolate with Hazelnuts

Basically, I love anything with hazelnuts. This is a delectable brand of Greek chocolate, very milky and rich.

6. Chocofreta bars

These bars remind me a little of Li'l Debbie's Nutty Bars. They are layered wafers and chocolate, and some of them have nuts. Super delish, and Nick's favorite.

5. Clusters chocolate cereal

The Greeks have a wide variety of chocolate cereals, but Nick and I became partial to Clusters. The cereal consists of chocolatey flakes, granola bits, and some of the flakes are covered in milk chocolate, which is amazing. How I'm going to go back to my Kashi Go Lean, I do not know.

4. Molto Way chocolate-filled croissants

I only ate half of one of these one morning, because they are too large and fatty even for me to handle. For what it is (a packaged croissant), it's pretty damn good. Nick loves these a lot.

3. Oregano flavored potato chips.
I first had these a few months ago when Nick brought them home from a trip over here, and I fell immediately in love. None of the American flavored potato chips can compete.

2. Merenda (Greece's version of Nutella)

Nutella has always been a guilty pleasure for me, and although I know you can get it in the States, I only eat it while abroad. Greece's version, Merenda, is just as wonderful, and makes for a delightful breakfast or dessert when spread on fresh bread.

Annnnnd the number 1 Greek junk food is.......

1. Dracoulinia

I cannot even explain to you how good these things are. I learned a little history of Dracoulinia from Nick. Apparently, they were not owned by Cheetos until a few years ago, but had their own seperate identity known to the Greek people as Dracoulina. Although Cheeto-like in texture, Dracoulina taste SO MUCH BETTER than Cheetos. They are oddly shaped like Dracula teeth. The taste is so different from American junk food...the flavor is cheesy and tomato-ey and...delicious. I'm going to bring back several bags and ration them---then have Nick bring me back some more.

And there you have it kids, my top 10 Greek junk foods. Greek isn't the fattest nation in Europe for nothin'! They've got something to show for it!

Happy New Year!

Final post of the year!

Wishing all my loyal readers a very happy New Year and all the best for 2007. 2006 was a good year for me, and I'm really looking forward to what 2007 holds.

We're spending a quiet-ish New Year with just a few of Nick's close friends. We've got all the supplies for a traditional Greek New Year...vasilopita(cake with a coin baked into it), good steaks to make on New Year's Day, and pink champagne(ok, that's not so much Greek...but it's damn good).

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe New Year's celebration with your loved ones.

A Very Lyday Christmas

This is why I miss these people.

Part 3: The American takes a road trip.

I hope everyone's holidays were very merry! Things have been busy busy busy for me over here on this side of the Atlantic. Until yesterday, Nick and I were sharing the house with Grandma and Aunt Aphrodite, which meant there was no end to my amusement. Imagine two Greek women in their eighties, one sassy and one a little out of it, neither of whom you can understand a single word that comes out of their mouth. No matter, their tone of voice told me everything I needed to know. One morning I heard Grandma yelling at Aprhodite in the kitchen; apparently she'd gotten in her way -- and there's NO getting in Grandma's way in the kitchen. Another example of Grandma: Nick's sister was making a salad with red leaf lettuce, and Grandma told her that it must be rotten and she should throw it out. Nick's sister tried to explain that it was a different kind of lettuce, but Grandma was having none of it, and finally said, "Fine, if you want to eat rotten lettuce, eat rotten lettuce."
Christmas day was spent at Nick's sisters', playing with kids and having a lovely meal. The day after Christmas we had a night out on the town, taking in an opera concert at the Greek National Opera and dinner at a fancy bistro in Kolonaki, the posh district of Athens. The singers were rather underwhelming; the soprano was quite good, but the tenor and mezzo were struggling. The orchestra was fantastic though, and they ended with a very funny "Symphony of the Toys" by Leopold Mozart that had unusual instruments such as bird flute and triangle, which was very holiday appropriate.
Wednesday we took Grandma back to the village and then took a road trip to Nafplio, a darling little town on the sea about 120 kilometers south of Athens. We booked a room at this quaint pension:




There was lots to explore in this little town. It reminded me a a bit of Italy: narrow cobblestone streets, flower boxes in the windows, and...GELATO! We found not one, but TWO amazing gelato places:

The nippy weather did not stop me. The peanut butter gelato at this place was to DIE for.

The main attraction of Nafplio was the gigantic 18th century Venetian castle perched on a mountain that looks over the city. We spent nearly two hours exploring the castle and taking in the magnificent views:
















It was a great little road trip. Now we are back in Athens, and last night I had the best souvlaki in town at this place called Three Pigs. Stay tuned for my next post on Greek junk food...

A Photo Essay

I am feeling too lazy to write anything today, so I will just post some pics from the last couple of days.

We bought Nick's sister a bottle of champagne as a present for finishing her degree, and it came with two champagne flutes. Angelo wanted to drink some water out of one of the glasses, which I found hysterical:


Nick's nephews love the camera:


me and the little guy:


shopping on Ermou leading to Syntagma Square:


ruins in Ancient Corinth:


view of the Aegean sea (from the drive to get Grandma from the village)


some octopus (taken during our three hour trip to the ginormous Walmart-esque store Carrefour today)


Merry Christmas everyone!

Part 2: The American learns everything she ever wanted to know (and more) about Greek people

My initial awe at the beauty of Athens has not disappeared, but the past few days have been an interesting, non-touristy learning experience about the people of Greece and the way the country works (or doesn't work, according to Nick).

My second day in Greece began with many taxi rides about town to collect necessary paperwork for Nick to put his mother in her final resting place. The traffic in Athens is pretty horrendous -- and I thought Chicago was bad! Everyone in Europe drives like a maniac, this I know already, but I guess I'd conveniently forgotten. Once we had accomplished Nick's tasks for the day, we headed to a suburb near his sister's called Glyfada, where I experienced the Greek fast food chain Goody's. It is fascinating to me that this Greek chain does better than McDonalds in this country. I had a club sandwich, which is apparently all the rage here right now (not really sure why).

After lunch, we hung around Glyfada and shopped. I went to Zara and dropped some cash -- it was a favorite when I lived in Vienna, and I needed a fix. Later, we headed to his sister's house in Voula, which is south of Athens near the sea. I got to meet her adorable children, George and Angelo, who are six and one and a half. The occasion for our visit was George's school Christmas play, in which he had one line and was dressed like a wrapped present. Of course, I didn't understand a word of the play, but it was quite amusing. After the play, we went for a souvlaki (now I've eaten two in two days mmmmmmm) in Glyfada. It was a fun evening, and I was so happy to meet the rest of Nick's family.

Other Greek things I've learned about since my arrival: gypsies, these crazy people who accost you while you're sitting in a cafe and try to sell you various useless things. I didn't understand the difference between these people and homeless people, but apparently these people have homes. I don't know, I still don't really get it. Greek government offices apparently all close at 2:30 pm, so you have to get your business done early. The Mall
(it's actual name) is the first Greek shopping mall and would make any American feel right at home -- they even have Hooters! Which is where I am now, at an internet cafe surrounded by teenage boys playing video games, so I think it's 'bout that time...must go find Christmas presents for Grandma and Aunt Aphrodite...but more about them later...

An American in Athens part 1: Arrival and First Day

Well kids, I made it to Athens in one piece and with all my luggage in tact! As anyone who has made an overseas plane trip can attest, there is always a good story that comes out of the 15+ hours of travel. Lucky for me, I made my journey with Swiss Air, which I must say is the best airline I've ever flown. I was seated next to a very nice Swiss engineer named Cyril, so I had a chance to practice my German a bit. When the flight attendants came on the intercom and I heard the words "Guten Tag, meine Damen und Herren", I had major flashbacks of my previous two European plane trips.
I only managed to sleep about 3 hours on the flight, but when I arrived at my connection in Zurich, I felt fresh and energetic. Sitting next to me in the waiting area was an adorable little woman holding a Greek passport. She smiled at me, and I decided to try out one of my newly learned Greek phrases on her -- "Milate Anglika?", I asked her (Do you speak English?). "Ohi", she replied (No), : "Yermanika, Elenkia" (German and Greek). Jackpot! So I had my second set of German conversations of the trip. I don't know why speaking German gives me such great pleasure -- but it does.
After what seemed like an interminably long flight to Athens, I finally arrived, gathered my 75 pounds of baggage, and rushed out into to the arms of my Nick. Although I'm not one for public displays of affection, the other people in the aiport disappeared for several minutes while I kissed and hugged the man I love.

My first night in Athens was incredible. A delicious dinner of dishes from Crete, white wine, raki (sort of like ouzo); then drinks in the Plaka neighborhood backlit by the Acropolis in the distance.


Today we hiked up the Acropolis to take in the ancient ruins. It was an experience that I will never forget. I'm pretty speechless, so I'll just include these pics:


Ancient Theater of Dionysus:


Parthenon:

my apartment and building management is trying to kill me: part deux

A continuation of the saga from the previous evening...

Around 2:00 am I finally fell fast asleep (assisted by Xanax). I was awakened at 8:00 am by persistent hammering, banging, sawing, and drilling coming from my neighbor to the left. To my dismay, today was the appointed day for installing new windows in my neighbor's apartment. I had received a notice that mine would be changed on Monday, after which I promptly called the managemant company to persuade them to do it some other time. I know how these worker men do business -- they trample all over the apartment and leave a filthy mess for me to clean up. Zumi over at Oak I Evanston LLC (God love her--I terrorize the woman on a bi-weekly basis) assured me that they would clean up after themselves. Riiiiight, I thought to myself, invisioning the filth I'd come home to in three weeks time.

Fast forward to this morning, circa 11:30. After finally managing to fall back to sleep, cotton stuffed in my ears to drown out the pounding, I was awakened by another banging, this one a bit nearer. Once I finally realized it was my door being banged on, I threw on my bathrobe (due to the heat I was sleeping in near nothing) and sleepily opened the door to find three worker men staring back at me. "Oh, ju are steel sleeping", one of the men said. Apparently, they wanted to come in and change my windows immediately. I sighed, giving up the thought of any more sleep, and allowed them to enter.

After getting dressed and heading out for a latte and a muffin, I returned to the apartment to find...a GIGANTIC mess. They had covered my bed in plastic, but that was about it. The rest of the apartment was covered in a layer of filth, which I knew these men were not going to clean up. I sighed again, waited for them to finish, then went out and spent $30 on cleaning supplies and set to work. I figured as long as things were a huge mess, I may as well clean up right. Luckily I bought one of these:

perhaps the greatest thing ever invented and the best $20 I've spent in a long time.

Things are far from clean yet, since I spent a delightful evening having drinks and dinner and seeing Die Fledermaus with my girl Emmy. But with the Swiffer Wet Jet, I feel in control once more...

Please let this be the end of the apartment surprises. I'm not sure I can handle much more!

we're havin' a heat wave

I am lying in bed right now, sweating through my sheets...and not in the good way. I came home from another night of singing to the jewels to find the radiator spewing heat as though it were -30 degrees outside. I called the management's 24 hour hotline, but of course they can't do anything about it til morning. Not that I really wanted a strange Polish man coming into my apartment to check the radiator at 2:00 am anyway...so I'm combatting it myself. I've turned on the A/C to 60 degrees, dusted and turned on the ceiling fan, and am lying here waiting for it all to start cooling the place down.

Have I mentioned that I'm sick of living in absurdly expensive apartments that resemble a box, with mice running amok and out-of-control- radiators? That other "I" state to my right--you know, the one in which I was born and reared--is starting to look better and better.

T-minus 4 days...

Until I am here.



And with my boyfriend, whom I haven't seen in over 2 weeks! I'm simply giddy.

home for the holidays

Dear readers, I am writing to you from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where it was a balmy 50 degrees today! I finally made it to my parents' house yesterday around 5:00 pm, where I was greeted with open arms and Mexican food night. My sister and future brother-in-law Jerod came over for dinner, and Jerod made his famous guacamole. After dinner I got to open some of my Christmas presents...one of which was a new digital camera!!!! I've never owned one before, so I'm very excited. I am getting some practice with it this week before my big trip over the ocean next Sunday. Here are some pics from our dinner at Trolley Bar tonight:

Jerod and his giant Bloody Mary with a shrimp in it:


the lovebirds:


me and mom:


In other news from the homefront, tomorrow is Mom's work Christmas party, and she is hosting it...here. Dad and I are going to sneak away to Muncie and visit my brother at school so that we can avoid the 20+ female pre-school teachers who will be taking the house by storm tomorrow night. Mom has entered the final phase of party planning, which my dad, brother and sister and I fondly refer to as "guest panic". Here is the face of guest panic:



But in all seriousness, the house has never looked better. Way to go, Mom!

Today I made the trek out to my sister's house on the east side of town to meet her two children...I mean dogs. They are precious, and they really took to their Auntie Emily:





Starburst (the Jack Russell terrier) and Lilly (the labradoodle) are simply adorable. Star actually likes wearing her sweater! They are definitely high-energy animals; they were jumping all over me when I got there. Maybe I'm not ready for that dog quite yet...

Life is good here with my loved ones. And just 6 more days until I get to see my honey! My heart is happy.