Lux Venit

I'm not sure if it's cute or weird that NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has a website that tracks Santa as he makes his rounds, but either way, I suspect some sort of irony.

Or maybe it's just me.

On another note, since I'm a Christian and all, I should probably make a reference to the Jesus story here, seeing as how it's Christmas Eve, and tomorrow is Christmas and traditionally that's when we celebrate the birth of Christ, even though apparently he was more likely born in April, not December, which was actually the time of some pagan celebration that the Christians were trying to avoid or talk people out of so they started Christmas. Or something like that.

And then Santa somehow got mixed up in it all, as if everything weren't already confusing enough.

Anyway, the POINT is, since "Christ" is integral to the word "Christmas" (unless you spell it "Xmas" and seriously, I just don't have the energy to go there, so let's not and say we didn't), here is the aforementioned reference: New Testament, Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.

Whew.

And here's another, which is a lot shorter, and a lot more poetic (hint: for maximum spiritual impact, read to the tune of Handel's "Worthy is the Lamb" and/or "Hallelujah Chorus"):

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)

Yes.

So anyway, here's wishing all of you and yours a merry Christmas, full of laughter, blessings, light and love. And here's praying that all those things carry over into 2009, and that you have a wonderful new year. Finally, I hope Santa brings you some cool gifts. (And if he doesn't, just give NORAD a ring. I bet they can be quite persuasive when presenting your case to him.)

With lots of hugs and kisses from the frogg princess... and absolutely no lumps of coal...


And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. (I Cor 13:13).

A Hell of a Game

I just spent a fair amount of the last hour or so (never mind exactly how much) playing Su Doku. For those of you who don't know what Su Doku is, there's this thing called the Internet and another thing called Google, and you can use them to find out. If you don't know what either of those things are, you're probably not reading this blog, so never mind.

But anyway, back to Su Doku. Who invented this game? Don't bother Googling it, because it was a rhetorical question. The answer is: Satan.

Come on, think about it. We all have a finite amount of precious time on this earth. Who else would come up with such a fiendish way of wasting it? Putting numbers inside squares to create specific patterns? For absolutely no reward or purpose except the satisfaction of knowing that you got the pattern right?! How is it possible that this game is so addictive?? It's sinful, I tell you.

(Interestingly enough, I got a fortune cookie yesterday with the somber warning: "Time, once lost, can never be regained." Hmmm.)

Speaking of the Prince of Darkness, I would not be at all surprised to discover that he is (lurking darkly) behind the phenomenon known as Facebook. Personally, I'd rather play Su Doku than fall into the black hole of the Facebook universe. In fact, I have made it a personal goal to be the last person in the world to join the online "social network" (aka Entangling Web of Evil from Which No One Escapes Unscathed). Every day I get a little bit closer to achieving my dream.

Hey, it may not be as lofty as "write the great American novel" but a goal is a goal, right?

On another note, it's nearly Christmas and I haven't finished my Christmas shopping, thanks to the aforementioned detour onto Hell's Way (i.e., playing Su Doku (in case you forgot what the whole point of this blog was about, as I did for a moment)). I guess I still have time, but I'd rather color my hair.

Vanity, vanity. My sins are really adding up today...

Blue Frogg

Do you ever feel like your life is completely stuck in a rut? Or if not your whole life, then one particular aspect of it? And try as you might to "think positive", you simply can't make yourself believe that anything is ever really going to change in that area, no matter what you do?

That's how I've been feeling lately. In other words—a little depressed.

*sigh*

On a plus side of sorts, 'tis the season for caramel popcorn in festive tins. Fa la la la la.

Post-Thanksgiving Update

Well, this is a little delayed, but I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings. Mine was great. Many thanks to Aunt B and Co. for good times on the East Coast. Here are a few fun highlights of the trip:

1) The Baltimore Aquarium, where I saw more species of turtle than I knew existed. Also poison dart frogs.

2) Thanksgiving dinner, with lots of food and, more importantly, dessert.

3) The "Merry Tuba Christmas" performance at the Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick, in which my talented cousin made a good showing on the euphonium, an instrument I'd never even heard of until last week.

4) Going to see the movie Australia with my aunts and uncles. The movie wasn't awesome, but I went to see Hugh Jackman, so I didn't really care.

Now I'm back in warm, sunny California. Yay! Except today it wasn't really all that sunny, nor was it particularly warm. Boo.

In other news, I'm slated to go to Thailand at the end of January. That is, assuming the country doesn't implode before then, due to protests/coups/whatever else may be brewing over there. More on that later, though. For now, I leave you with this thought-provoking thought:




Um, never mind. I couldn't think of one.

Brrrrr!

Well, the cold weather continues. Yesterday I was out to lunch with a friend and at one point I glanced out the window of the restaurant to see snow falling. Snow! I could hardly believe it—especially since the sun was still shining. That's just adding insult to injury.

My aunt said she couldn't understand how someone who hates the cold so much can like snowboarding. I don't know either. It's a real mystery.

Anyway, somehow I have managed to avoid developing hypothermia out here on the East Coast. Probably because I've spent most of my time these past couple days sitting on the couch in my aunt's living room with a heating pad (turned to the highest setting) at my back and a fire in the fireplace.

I have, however, developed a bit of a cold, which is depressing. I hate being sick. But in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, I'll just say that I am thankful for being sick because it's a pretty good excuse for sitting on a couch all day and doing nothing.

Not that I've ever really needed an excuse for doing that.

In other news... hmm. Actually I don't have any other news. It's hard to have news when you are in major hibernation mode.

ANYway. Here's wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving! I suppose I should have written a post in celebration of all the things I'm thankful for, but that would have taken more concentration and coherence than I'm capable of at the moment. Hey, what can I say... I'm on vacation, kids. But feel free to share what you're thankful for, if you like!

Enjoy the holiday, with lots of kisses from the frogg princess...

You May Call Me Master Now

Well, I survived the giving of my lecture, but more importantly, so did the people who attended. In spite of my somewhat-last-minute decision to scrap everything I'd written for the lecture and just extemporize off of a few notes on the handout I'd created to go wiith it, the talk went well and I even almost went over my time limit, which was kind of cool in a way, because I thought for sure the lecture was going to be too short . The bummer was that, because of my rambling, I had to cut out the second part of the two-part writing exercise I had planned, which sort of lamed the first part of the exercise, but oh well. The point was, I gave the lecture. After that, there wasn't much left to do but get through the next few days until graduation, which took place on Saturday, November 22.

So there you have it. Two years of a regular rotating schedule of deadlines, procrastination, last-minute-panic-induced creative spurts, doubts about my sanity in choosing to do the writing program in the first place, and very little social life have culminated at last in my achievement of one of the most impractical degrees currently on the market: the Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing.

Woo-hoo!

Now I'm in Maryland for the Thanksgiving holidays and no doubt inquiring minds want to know: what will I do next? Coincidentally, my own mind is inquiring the exact same thing. Weird, huh. Well, there are a few ideas knocking around in what is left of my poor frazzled brain, but I think they need the nourishment and fortification of a delicious Thanksgiving dinner before they start to make any sense. So I'll have to get back to you on that.

In the meantime, here's hoping you are enjoying warmer weather than I am at the moment. Although I'll just say that cold weather isn't nearly so bad when you get to stay inside a nice, cozy, house all day, with absolutely nothing on the schedule that has to be done...

Three Words

35 degrees Fahrenheit.

I guess technically that's two words and a number but who cares. The point is, that's the temperature outside right now.

So yeah, it's pretty cold here in Louisville, but I am surviving. My reading went well on Saturday. My mentor gave me a spectacular and moving introduction, which included phrases such as "deeply talented", "poetic language", "sharp insights", "honest voice", "thought-provoking material" and "beautiful hair."

Um, that last one made a whole lot more sense in context. Anyway.

On Wednesday afternoon I give my lecture, and I'm pleased to report that I'm still not finished with it, thus staying true to form. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll go fine. I'm not sure that it'll have anything at all to do with the lecture topic I turned in to the office two months ago, but as I said before, who cares.

OK, my darlings, I've gotta go. Need to reattach some fingers that just froze off. I know, ouch! But first, a stop at the charming hotel bar for something to dull the pain. Being able to prioritize important activities is a very important skill, one that I'm sure you know I've never learned.

Ciao for now, with kisses once again from the frogg princess...