On my parents’ coffee table…

Sweater Thursday XXXVI

Sweater Thursday on Christmas! What are the odds? Someone get on that math problem. A white cardigan for a white Christmas. With my favorite white dog.

In conclusion, I made it home at 1:30 Christmas morning, narrowly missing what promised to be a great time crashing Whitney and Wendy’s Christmas Spectacular in Chicago.  When it was finally time to get on a plane to Buffalo, I almost didn’t. But my sweaters were already on board.

Of special note: First sweater post from archivnoten! I bet there’s more where that came from.

Coming soon: eBay Secret Santa 2008 and how I blew it.

Live blogging the travel crisis!

I was just interviewed for Channel 6 news. They wanted a first-hand account of travel misery and I have been stranded in Moline for 2 days. When I was approached, it was 12:30, my second flight had just been canceled, I had not yet had coffee or food, and I had been standing in line for 3 hours. I must have looked particularly haggard. Or perhaps they just couldn’t resist my enormous hoop earrings. For two days, all the TVs in the airport have been tuned to OMG WEATHER CANCELS CHRISTMAS OVERTURNED TRUCK AMBULANCE BODIES PILING UP!!!

1.) I did not want to be part of the circus. What’s one circle deeper than being stranded in an airport that does not serve coffee post-security? Being forced to watch dramatically narrated footage of other people stranded in airports. One circle deeper than that is watching awkward footage of yourself being stranded in an airport while stranded in an airport.

And 2.) I thought, if Heidi ever sees this footage I will never live it down.

So while too polite to say no, I tried to be as uninteresting as possible, neither pissed off nor distraught, and with any luck I will not make the cut.

And actually I’m not really suffering. Yesterday all flights to Chicago were canceled early in the day, so I checked into a hotel and wandered around the local mall. I bought a smoothie. And actual presents for my family, rather than what I had been planning to give them, which were my best intentions to craft them something but probably not before Christmas morning. It was a nice day.

Today has been less pleasant. They officially closed the airport for a while because a plane skidded off the runway. The kind Midwestern airport employees are getting a little punchy. In a few hours I might fly to Chicago where I will probably spend the night. I don’t really care, as long as no one tries to turn the experience into a sitcom in which a Christmas tree is constructed out of styrfoam cups, spontaneous caroling ensues, and we all discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Sweater Thursday XXXV

I know I’m almost a week late on this. Have you been refreshing this page for six days in anticipation? My stats tell me you have not. Anyway, Sweater Thursday happened last week and it was a community edition. And my first night of freedom after handing in my final papers. Those are celebratory beers on the table.

No idea idea who this guy is, but he did agree to be photographed for the internet. Doesn’t he look vaguely uncomfortable?

This = human contact

I’m sick: rattly chest + snot head. And I am in the death throes of finishing a final paper that was due TUESDAY. I probably seem like someone who hands in papers late, I certainly cut it close, but I never do that. As soon as I turn it in, I graduate. Done forever. Why am I stalling? Maybe it’s a little of this:

[courtesy of Seelander]

The only people I’ve spoken to in the last 36 hours are the pizza delivery guy and my sister Meghan. Is it sad that blogging feels like talking? Because I have some pent up sharing to do.

1. I drank two liters of Diet Coke in under two hours and I have yet to pee. I think that equals two big gulps and also the definition of dehydration.

2. Have you seen the new nickels? I have no idea when they began circulating, but it startled me when I first saw one in a handful of change. He’s looking right at you. And if you put two next to each other like this it’s like he just turned his head. Creepy!

3. This video. The choreography is goofy, and I do not get the robot arm thing, but it kind of makes you want to strap on a leotard and heels. Right?

4. Second annual Ebay Secret Santa is underway. So far I haven’t won any excess muppets, but it’s not going well. My palms are sweaty. I hope you’re excited for the big blog reveal on xmas day.