So for the first part of this post, I'm just going to paste Rena's post on here. We pretty much did the same stuff over break:


Thanksgiving with my folks was so much fun. My parents are starting to really like Chris, and he's starting to get really comfortable with them too. I baked both pies this year, and directed the hors d'oeuvers. The pecan pie was awesome. We played a lot of Cranium, and we learned that the secret to the success of Team Ninja (Chris, Evan, and I) is definitely Evan and his skill at the acting/performing cards. That's not entirely fair; all three of us contribute certain things--I'm really good at the drawing ones, and Chris is awesome at "sculpteroids", even if he does have to scream out, "I NEED MORE CLAY!!!" in the middle of a clue more often than not. (His defense? "I had to sculpt Europe.") But when Chris and I played against Mom and Dad and against Chris's folks the next day, we definitely lost despite an early lead because we got stuck on a single green square for a dozen or so turns.

I did no homework whatsoever between Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon, and it was glorious. I didn't study, I didn't even dwell on the fact that I wasn't studying. I did nothing, and it was everything I hoped it could be.

Which meant that Sunday night kicked off a week full of writing papers and trying frantically to get back on top of the readings. I mostly failed at this, but my failure would have been far more dramatic if not for the fact that two of my teachers canceled classes and postponed deadlines.

Friday Sarah and I were supposed to go bridesmaid-dress-shopping, but we were too buried in our work, and ended up leaving too late. Undeterred, we went to have dinner with my folks, and Chris met us there. It was such a good fit with the three of us and my family. We watched Survivor (hi-yah! take that, you domineering manipulative whiner!) and the Apprentice ("You weren't really selling a candy bar, were you?" in response to one woman taking off her clothes to bring in more revenue). And of course we played Cranium. Team Estrogen barely eked out a win against Team Testosterone. They were ahead for most of the game.

Saturday was the camp Christmas party. Chris and I got up early and drove to Scott's house. There, we put together a staff annual based on the questionaires staff members had filled out at the end of the summer season. It took us two hours just to type in and format all the responses, and we threw a title page together very quickly. We printed and rushed to Staples, where the ten-page annuals were copied and stapled. The finished product was definitely not what it could have been, but considering how thrown-together it was, it looked pretty good. Then we went to the dollar store so Scott could buy his white-elephant gift (five plastic disc guns) and then drove off at ludicrous speed to camp. We thought we were running really late, but only a dozen people were already there when we arrived. The decorations looked great, and the company was really pleasant. There were significantly fewer people present than past years, but it was a really good group of people. Chris and I were very proud of the gifts we brought: Beach Party Skipper doll, and a box containing a 2-liter bottle each of Mountain Dew and its spinoffs Code Red and Pitch Black. We had really wanted to include Live Wire, even though it tastes funny, so that we'd have the whole set, but we went to three stores and couldn't find it. I guess Pepsi is phasing it out--good decision. Chris and I had high numbers for the gift exchange, so we both got good gifts. Chris got a Mountain Dew in a glass bottle and a pack of Mountain Dew playing cards, and I got a gift pack of an original Wham-O Frisbee, extra-large Marks-a-Lot, large bag of peanut butter M&Ms, and an itty-bitty pocketknife. The pocketknife has a tiny blade, tiny scissors, a nail file, tweezers, and a key ring. It's definitely going on my keys. When most of the people had gone home already, those of us who were left were asked to take down decorations. A past Brinkley COPE director (a friend of mine) was there, and he and I bolted for the rafters to take down the lights and help de-tinsel the tree. That was a blast. It got me excited already for the summer.

After the Christmas Party, Chris and I went back to Scott's place where the three of us played I've Never, followed by Hoopback (another drinking game). We all got pretty drunk and had a really good time. Chris and I spent the night there on the floor, which was rather uncomfortable, but all in all it was a very fun weekend.


We're back to me again. As for my finals, I think I might pull through this week. I just finished my Choral Music Ed. portfolio, and I also did my final Sing and Play today. I took a little over and hour break from studying today to play some football. And yes, we did play in the snow. It snowed about two inches this morning, and football was slip-and-slide fun. After the game, I was soaking wet, so I went home and took a hot shower and dried off. Then back to studying for me. I have a final and an audition tomorrow, but I really need to practice a bunch. Although I think I'll get through this week in one piece, I doubt I'm going to make my jury up. I do need to practice enough not to make a fool out of myself to the jurors. Anyways, I turn 21 tomorrow and I wish I was doing something else other than finals. I guess it's my fault for being born this time of year. Good luck on everybody else's finals!