Famous last words

Day 365

So here we are. Three hundred and sixty five days later. It has been an incredible year. I feel that I have grown a lot this year. I figured out a great deal more about who I am, what I need, and the people I want beside me throughout my life's journey. So much happened this past year, both good and bad, and I'm very proud of myself for keeping up this project through it all. What started out as a crutch turned into a fulfilling project that I saw through to the end. I'm thankful to everyone who read it, even the days that weren't so entertaining, and offered me the support and encouragement to keep writing.

I've been asked if there will be a 2012 blog. The jury was out for quite a while on that. I didn't want to do the same blog, but for a while, I had the idea to do pictures from the other side of the camera. I see so many random things on a daily basis that would give me plenty to write about. I took quite a while to weigh the pros and cons of it before I came up with an answer. Will there be a 2012 blog? No. I don't have the heart for it right now, but I may start up another project at another time, and I will link that one here so my readers will be able to find me again.

The 2011 photo blog was a fun challenge, and I'm glad I did it. I'm proud of my blog, and of myself. And I'm grateful for each event in my life that inspired one of these pictures. I thank each of you for reading; it meant a lot to me. 2011 was a pretty good year.

"These are the last words I have to say
That's why this took so long to write
There will be other words some other day
But that's the story of my life"
~Billy Joel

They can't all be winners, kid.

Day 364

The Keurig is packed, and the little regular coffee maker lives at Doug's, and even if it didn't, I don't have any regular coffee. I had gotten Starbucks gift cards for Christmas, so that's where I headed.

All I really wanted was a Creme Brulee Latte to get me through the rest of my packing. I chose the drive through Starbucks on Stewart Avenue, because one would tend to think the drive through would be faster. One would think wrong. It took forever to even get up to the menu so I could give them my order. And then they were out of the Creme Brulee flavor. So I dealt with my disappointment, took a deep breath, and ordered a Peppermint Mocha instead. And then they apparently started making my drink. Maybe they had to stop to milk the cows, or they got confused about the recipe, or they had to wait for the Peppermint Fairy to come, whatever, but you really shouldn't keep a coffee addict waiting. They tend to get cranky.

Do you know how when you really want something and have to settle for something else that you might like just as much, but you're still annoyed because it wasn't what you originally wanted? Yes, that was me today. I drank most of it during my last ditch packing effort before the movers come tomorrow. It sat on the bookshelf. I would scowl at it. Take a skip. Go back to scowling. I really wanted that Creme Brulee Latte. No fair.

Pack it up and move it out

Day 363

It has become so very familiar to me - the Great Wall of Boxes. Somewhere in my genetic code is embedded the ability to pack up an entire apartment in under a week. Or maybe it's a learned behavior. We moved around so much when I was a kid. I must have picked up a thing or two along the way. I know how to fit the maximum amount into one box without anything breaking. I know to make a list on paper that corresponds to the number on the box to ensure that the correct amount of boxes get to the destination, and also that there are no surprises while unpacking. I always said that I wanted to plant roots somewhere, but I'm so good at never staying in the same place.

Awww

Day 362

I just love it when she gets like this. She's a lot like me - she doesn't like to show her heart too much, but when she does, she really means it. The along-side snuggle is probably my favorite. She will sleep rather soundly like this too, so I get quality time with my little munchkin. She is the best thing that came out of my move to Florida.

Kitten

Day 361

Loki decided to use my foot as his pillow this evening. He loves me and has claimed me as his. This is a good thing.

Hello, I love you

Day 360

When I unwrapped my new Kindle Fire yesterday, I could not help but break out in a big smile. Yes, I was very sick, and I had a fever, and what a crappy way to spend Christmas, but everything is okay because now I have a Kindle. There is now an entire world of books literally at my fingertips, and I could not be more excited about this fact. I immerse myself when I read; I become the characters. If I enjoy the book enough, I will live and breathe the story lines and characters until I'm done, and sometimes even after that. At the moment, you may call me Sylvie, and I am learning how to move things with my mind and occasionally light them on fire.

All I want for Christmas is you!

Day 359

Out of all the things I wanted for Christmas, these were definitely in the top five. Journeys makes mismatched socks, and you can mix and match them any way you want. This appeals to my fun child like side and also my love of socks. Doug came through in a big way with this gift. He got me a nice little pile of truly lovely and thoughtful gifts for Christmas, but I have to say this was probably the most exciting. As an added bonus, guess what these socks do. Go ahead, guess. They glow in the dark! Honestly, could there be cooler socks on the face of the planet? I think not. I'm sure there are those readers out there (of the few I have) making a funny face at their computer screen and wondering what the hell is wrong with me. They're just socks. Nobody gets excited about receiving socks for Christmas. They're the lamest of lame gifts; the "oh gee thanks, where's the next gift?" gift; the gift you get simply because they can't all be winners. But I disagree with all of that. I'm the proud minority. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love socks. I'm aware that it's not normal. In fact, it may not even be entirely healthy. But I'm not hurting anybody, and everyone who knows me well has come to regard my sock infatuation with an ounce of calm affection for the things they cannot (and likely would not) change.

Ingenious!

Day 358

This was my Christmas present to myself. A GIR snuggie that makes me look... well... exactly like GIR. Only taller. My tallest!

The Eve

Day 357

Tonight was The Eve celebration at Christine and John's house. We did it on the eve of Christmas Eve this year. It was the usual chaotic fun party with the whole family.

I got to spend time talking with my cousins and playing with the kids. Julia loved my gifts, and she put the whole puzzle together during the party. Doug even got in on the fun by helping put together Sienna's toy grocery cart.

The Eve celebration is an integral part of Christmas for me, and I had a wonderful time this year. I love my family!