the Dalaverse

Okay, so, Thanksgiving break. I was outta here as fast as I could manage on Tuesday afternoon, which was about 2 after I finished at work. There was stupid, not-even-rush-hour-goddammit traffic on the way home and it was gross out, which never improves my mood because people have such trouble obeying the 'if you have your wipers on, you must have your headlights on' law and it PISSES me off. Tuesday night I sat around enjoying being at home, and discovered a skull and crossbones car freshener waiting for me! Thankee doolabug! It will hang on my rearview mirror with Super Grover, "Speeding is Bad, Mmmkay" and several pieces of curling ribbon.

Wednesday, I needed to do some shopping, so I called Meg. Would've tried to get the gang together, but I hadn't realized Tina was not in Pennsylvania. Katie came too and we went to Milestone for the excellent range of stores. First stop Borders, the new U2 album for me (a day late, I'm so ashamed), Christopher Moore's The Stupidest Angel (which I want to borrow, btw) and a school book for Meg. Browsing in Kohls, where we didn't find any shoes, and then to Rack Room, where I found cute clogs that look like they're covered in an Indian blanket. Lunch at Chicken Out, then some additional shopping in Giant, then to Dairy Queen to get Mrs. S a birthday cake, then hoooooome to pack for New Jersey. I commandeered the Jeep's radio to play the tape I'd made of Atomic Bomb, which was the first real listen I'd given it. The other side was stuff from the "Garden State" soundtrack and Flogging Molly I thought Dad would like. He did; Mom slept. We stayed in Delaware for the night and went the rest of the way to Middletown in the morning. Hooray, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Howard and my cousin Michael. Melanie and the baby couldn't come down from Boston, unfortunately. I spent most of the afternoon engrossed in Doomsday Book. My Thanksgiving duties consisted of table setting, table clearing, and bringing in the plates of turkey. Mmmm, turkey. They let me have a glass of white wine, but I didn't drink but a sip because it tasted like vinegar. So white wine is not my drink, apparently. I read some more Doomsday Book until I got to a point at which I realized I was going to cry through the next eighty pages, so I saved it for the hotel room. And I really did cry for about eighty pages straight. Fantastic book. I finally got to bed, but without a blanket for my pull-out bed. It took management a half-hour to get it up to me, and it was the weirdest blanket ever. It was so staticky that every time I touched it, it would crackle. I woke up cold in the middle of the night so I went to double it up, and I could see the sparks. It looked like lightnight was shooting out of my fingertips. It was awesome. For just one nearsighted, half-asleep moment, I was a genuine Marvel superhero. Blanket Girl! With the amazing powers of...STATIC ELECTRICITY! TREMBLE!

Friday, we went to...umm...oh god, this is so sad. Some fort with an 18th century lighthouse. And there were nude beaches, but nobody nude on them because it was cold. Cold enough to freeze the tourist in me, so I was very much glad to get to Red Bank and the Irish place where we always eat. After lunch, we headed back because Dad had to work at Sears later. He ended up being late, which was not my fault -- we hit hellacious traffic at one point. My mother tsked and snapped at me while I was driving because she had to sit in the backseat. One of these days she's going to make me have an accident. Friday night and most of Saturday, I sat around and watched movies. "Bowling for Columbine," "The Ladykillers" -- good. "Something's Gotta Give" -- not nearly as good as I was expecting. "Envy" -- so bad I couldn't even make it to Christopher Walken (sorry, hannahrorlove. "In America" -- absolutely incredible. That was the second bout of tears.

Saturday night, we went to Rio for dinner and a movie. I had to exercise my best talking-Katherine-into-going-out skills, but I have been doing it since sixth grade. Had baby burgers at Hamburger Hamlet with Kat and Tina, Meg met us there, Beth met us just as "Finding Neverland" was starting. We were sitting way in the back, which was a Good Thing, because we are fricking obnoxious. I moved down so Beth wouldn't have to sit alone, and also so I wouldn't have to hear Tina and Meg's mocking. They were not impressed, but I loved it. JOHNNEH. That man is not forty-one (forty-two now?). Just no fucking way. He's aging backwards, I swear. The little boys were cute and Kate Winslet was beautiful as usual (Meg and Tina: "I believe in Kate Winslet! I believe in Kate Winslet!" *clapping*). Of course I cried. That should go without saying. We trooped over to Meg's house, where we watched the South Park movie and chatter till 3 a.m. Good times.

Sunday I spent avoiding packing or reading The Valkyrie or whatthefuckever, I don't speak the German, until the Horrible Drive Back. And now I'm avoiding revising my stupid mythology paper. Why can't I just leave it to suck in its suckiness?

Oh! And CDs came! ::smooches linaelyn::