Post semester

The winter solstice and the longest night have passed. Although it was a rainy, foggy, day here in Kansas, we can still take comfort in the sun's 'return' and the lengthening of the days. It was a lovely time spent with family and friends. The celebrations will continue through the rest of the month, but I still have to deal with the responsibility aspects of things. I got my last paycheck until I start back in January at the graduate assistantship position so there has been a lot more baking and cooking going on at my house with making freezable meals and baked presents. Tightening one's belt in the midst of traditional feasting is oddly chaotic and somehow satisfying.

Tomorrow is the hubby's birthday. We are going for sushi, some free live music, and to watch the new Hobbit movie for a late night. It has been amusing seeing all the added creative backstory that did not happen in the book, but the movies are fun. I like them as something almost separate from the Tolkien story and I recognize that it is a trilogy about making more money for the studio that produced it. Sometimes, though, I think it is better if a film becomes its own story separate from the book that inspired it. In any case, I decided not to do a surprise party for John this year, which usually involved doing it later in the year, but instead celebrate on his actual birthday doing whatever he wanted to do.  That has not happened too often in his years on the planet so I figured it was time.

Raider is definitely on the way out, but he seems comfortable and to be enjoying himself in his last days. It's tough dealing with this, since he's been with me for the past seventeen years. Even with that, I think it is going to be the hardest on Mokona, the (now-grown) kitten that Raider simply brought home one day.

Eventually I will make it to the gym again but I need to replace the shoes that fell apart. I am not entirely looking forward to the New Year's resolution crowd that always rushes the gym especially since they tend to hog the 'easy' weight equipment and often do not know or care that they are working out improperly. I can not tell you how many times I have wanted to literally kick someone off the machines because they are just sitting there, talking on a cellphone instead of doing their sets and moving on.

The semester ended on a high academic note, with a 4.0 for the semester. I have not checked to see how much it brought my overall GPA yet, but I am sure it was helpful. One of the classes was a class I had to retake since I got a D in it on my first attempt. Sometimes, a change in professors and class format is a good thing.