Full days make you tired, but so do dark evenings. Meeting with old friends this weekend-- it's always fabulous, in an almost bittersweet way. It's true that life does move on, but when we all get together like this the ghosts of what we all used to be hang around.

I think we're trying to find a way to be our new selves together, rather than shadows of our old selves. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it's incredibly difficult. But I hope we don't stop trying.

In a nearly unrelated note, a quote from this weekend:

Uncle B: "Well then, what's new?" *long pause* "...I got kicked out of an antique store for asking that, once."

Yeah, I laughed too. Go on, smile. 

A happy new year to my friends. We celebrated in style, and in costume, of course. Working with small children means that halloween is several days long, so on friday I got to wear a crazy fur vest and ears, leading a host of small children around the neighborhood to show off their costumes. They were ridiculously cute. The best part of walking around the neighborhood with them is how people will smile just because they see them. Even without costumes!

And last night I got to do the dry run of my Amelia Earhart costume. It is almost 100 percent complete-- one day I will own an awesome aviator's helmet and goggles. However what I did have sufficed for the small get together we had.

The winner of the costume award went to my friend KJ. She was oscar the grouch complete with trash can. Delightful.

-

So today is the new year, and I'm doing Nanowrimo. I wasn't sure how it was all going to go-- not of my ideas were meshing into words. The I pulled up Write or Die (http://writeordie.drwicked.com/ ) and just started typing. I'm around 1200 words in, now. Thanks, Dr. Wicked.

-

So happy new year! May this one be more peaceful than the last.

Hellooooooo, Wednesday. And goodbye as well, I am really ready for bed. Not much, tonight, but I feel like I must get back into the habit of blogging.

So, a list:

-Nanowrimo. I am doing it and so should you.

-Small children. They are adorable, especially when being excited about becoming skeleton monsters, kitty princesses, butterflies and Buzz Lightyear for Halloween.

-Candy. Omg too much. I love halloween.

-Costumes. If you're nice I'll put up a picture of my totally awesome costume devised mostly from crap I had in my house.

Right. Now I will stretch out on the loveseat and try not to nap before my laundry is done.

My sleeping habits have become strange to say the least. 10 pm is not an okay time for a nap, body, that is when we must go to sleep for the night. Foo.

*

A series of lucky chances led to my roommate and I purchasing lotto tickets on saturday night. We didn't win, but I think you'll understand why we thought we should take the risk.

Thursday, our next door neighbors started keeping a green sofa and loveseat in the building's garage, right near our parking space. "Hmm," I remarked to poor Stan, my roommate. "I wonder if they'd sell it for a couple hundred."

Not that I had a couple hundred just lying about, but still. It was nice furniture, and leather to boot. Stan just shrugged, because she knows I am crazy, and then I forgot all about it. Come Saturday morning, as we left to celebrate my uncle's 50th birthday, a sign was on the couches: Free, we just need to get them out of the garage!

I looked at Stan and she looked at me and I think you can tell where this is headed. We were the proud new owners of far too much furniture to fit in our apartment. (Before you call Hoarders on us, we are long-term-lending the sofa to my brother and only keeping the loveseat for ourselves.)

So, joy in Mudville, all right. Had a nice celebration for my uncle, who was kind enough to haul the sofa across town to my brother's place. As we step in for the night, our sweet first-floor neighbor lady joined us in the elevator. I once helped put boots on her dog and have been on top of the "good neighbor" list ever since. She looked at us for a second, then said. "Say, would you girls like a TV? My son bought us a new one, we're giving away the old one."

Stan and I looked at each other. Did we need a new TV? Not...really. But. Free TV!

We agreed to take a look at the thing, and it turned out to be nice, several inches larger than our current one and a couple years newer. Finally we said yes.

"Can we just roll it up on this, and then bring it back down when we're done?" I asked, gesturing to the wheeled table the TV was on.

"Oh, you can just take the table too. We don't need it!"

...

And that's how I ended up with two extra couches, one new TV, an extra black end-table, and two losing lottery tickets. The more you know.

I am recovered, but only just. Here is a tip, gentle readers: don't get bronchitis and the stomach flu on the same day. It's just....not good.

I've got more jewelry coming your way later tonight. But first on the agenda is a shower. Then food, then a wild night of Munchkin. 

I know, I lead a very exciting life. Aren't you impressed?

New jewelry post:

Jewelry in the Round: You know you want the shiny.

So, uh. Here goes nothing...

http://jewelryintheround.blogspot.com/

:D?