A Hippopotamus for Christmas

I feel like I'm hibernating. Seriously, all I want to do is sleep and eat sweet potato soup (well, I'll anything that's warm and comforting and right now, that happens to be sweet potato soup). But since I cannot just eat and sleep, and since I have to motivate for finals, I am trying to make my apartment conducive to studying...

...so I decorated for Xmas. The heat is back on and it's nice and warm. And Christmas decorations need thermal PJ's and Christmas music, right?? So I'm not doing much studying. I am, however, being productive in other ways. I'm making a lot of sweet potato soup and working on all your Christmas gifts!!! So you should thank me for being a big fat lazy student.

Here are pictures of my decorations. They're not much but it works. The tree is a living Christmas tree. I am hoping that he brings some good ROI for future Christmases.

Since I'm listening to a lot of Christmas music, I'm learning the lyrics to many random Christmas songs. One of the songs the local Christmas radio station plays over and over again is called I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. It's so annoying and I used to dislike it, but now I find myself humming it throughout the day.

Check out these lyrics:

No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses/ I only like hippopotamuses

Mom says the hippo would eat me up but then/Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian

What is more fun than a Christmas hippo?

The Cold and the Crab

It's cold. And they turned my heat off for the next 48 hours to fix something. I guess it's better they do this sort of thing now, before the 30/40 degree temperatures turn into 20 degree ones. All the real Marylanders would laugh to hear me complain, but I am a brand new one (been a resident for a day!) So as this California transplant sits here typing I am forced to rely on wearing fleece clothing and keeping a very old heating pad (circa 1970??? stolen from my momma) on my lap.

It's funny. The weather has become so much more a part of my life here. It's almost like a friend or neighbor. Every morning I wonder what it's got in store for the day. And every evening I wonder what the next few nights will be like. And it can vary so suddenly...it always keeps me on my toes. The thing is, I kind of like it. Sure, I don't like being too cold and I don't like when I make the wrong decision about what jacket to bring, sleeping with the window open, or forgetting my umbrella, but for the most part I kind of like it. Each season is an "event" now. It really makes the passing of time more interesting.

In Southern California, I only thought about the weather when we had some. Which wasn't very often. And, in my opinion, there were only three seasons that tended to blend together... clear/sunny/warm, hot/dry/Santa Ana's, and the days of "just-cold-enough-to-wear-that-new-scarf-as-long-as-the-only-thing-on-under-it-is-as-thick-as-a-t-shirt" cold.
Yeah. Right now, I am cold. But I like it. Soon my So Cal blood will thicken up. And then living here in the winter and sporting a drivers license with a CRAB* on it, will feel normal.

It's true...MD drivers licences do have crabs on them. Crab is a big deal here.

Duck, Duck, Goose

It’s cold. And apparently, it’s going to get colder. It made me realize, more clearly, how my Southern California winter clothes just aren’t...well...real winter clothes. My jackets are cute, but they’re not all that warm. And they tend to be all more for a professional/work-oriented look. Some of my sweaters were bought several years ago, when I spent a lot more time in Chicago. With the ever popular low-rise pants trend, my sweaters have become more and more (unintentionally) cropped. Belly-button length. So that when you reach for something everyone sees your tummy. It’s very annoying.

So during this last week, when temps got down into the 30’s and 40’s, I bought some much needed sweaters and jackets. I love them all and can’t wait to wrap up in their warm goodness. One in particular is fabulous! It’s filled with down and goose feathers and it’s like wearing a (stylish) comforter when you walk around. The other day I was walking to the bus (in the dark, at 6 AM in 30 degree weather with an even colder wind-chill) and I couldn’t even feel the wind thanks to my beautiful new jacket. It occurred to me while I stood waiting for the bus with a sweaty back, that I totally get how the ducks do it. That is, how they survive the elements. With my new jacket, I too could become a duck.

Go Straight, Then Turn

I'm a bad blogger. I realize this. And I want to write SO much more right now, but I can't. So I will just say a few quick things.

1) My favorite 7-11 guy has moved away! We didn't get to say good-bye! I told the other 7-11 guy to tell my favorite one that I said hi (they're friends). But he pointed out that he didn't know how he'd be able to let him know that the message is from me. And he had a point: we don't know each other's names. All I really knew about him was that he was from India and he worked in the mornings. So, wherever you are Mr. 7-11 man, good-bye and thanks for all the cheerful chatter on those early morning coffee runs! You added something good to my initial B'more days. And I appreciate it.

2) Is it wrong not to go out with someone again because you feel like they are just way too unpolished (in the ways of the world) and would require too much "training?"

3) I HATE HATE HATE driving in Washington DC. I get lost EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It took me an hour just to get to the highway. Streets are all at strange angles, which messes with my normally pretty good internal compass. And the names just change suddenly. I got directions saying "continue on L street then turn right on New York." Simple, right? But then L street turned into something else before New York was an option. So that meant turning around on haphazardly angled one way streets. And that lead to coming across an entirely new area with no recognizable street names. Which meant another gas station visit for guidance along the lines of "Go straight and then turn" was warranted. The good news? I made it home.

Too bad the cheap commuter train doesn't work on the weekends.