Packing

Hallelujah. I have made it to Christmas. I enjoy my job, but it's time for a few days off. :)

I am able to work from home for the next few weeks when I'm not on actual vacation, which is nice. I have spent today grading + packing things for my trip home to NH. It's going to be the first trip that I'm taking with my new suitcase. I used to have a tiny little 21" suitcase for small trips -- I was really good at packing that sucker. I once too that suitcase for an 8 day trip to Seattle. Granted, it was summertime, but it was a tight fit. The new suitcase is slightly larger, 24", I think, but man, what a difference 3" makes. Winter clothes, but a shorter trip and still with room to spare, room to bring home Christmas presents. It's the first time since 2000 that I have flown home for Christmas.

I am so incredibly excited to go home for Christmas, to see my family and meet my cousin's new daughter, to catch up with old friends, some of whom I have not seen in a tragically long time. (Scary too, that, but I'm certain it will generate some funny stories.)

As Christmas approaches, I have been listening non-stop to Winterbloom, a group that is made up of 4 women, two of whom are some of my favorite singer-songwriters -- Meg Hutchinson & Antje Duvekot. Not that the other two aren't fab, I'm sure, but I hadn't listened to them before this album. :P At any rate, the songs on the short album are excellent: "Winterbloom: Traditions Rearranged." Particularly love this line, from Antje's song "Thanks for the Roses": "Your gift was three sizes too small, when have you ever seen me wear a thong?!?" Though I also love this line, from "Rexroth's Daughter": "Life is a thump-ripe melon, so sweet and such a mess."

Enjoy, travel safely, and happy holidays.