Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay since my last post; Christmas break, in some ways, has proven to be busier than school was.
I’ve really enjoyed being home with my family. I’ve spent pretty much all of my time at home hanging out in the living room with Mom and Dad (Blake only plays video games online in his room), and my cat has been hanging out with me as well. When I first got home, I was a bit jealous because Noel (my cat) seemed to be more attached to my mom than to me, but he’s warmed up to me since I’ve been back, so that’s good.
Last Friday, Dad, Blake, and I drove to the big little town (though mostly just little) of Sentinel, Oklahoma, where my grandparents (on my dad’s side) live during the winter since it’s so cold and snowy at their other home in Idaho during this time of year. My aunt (my dad’s sister) lives next door to my grandparents’ home in Oklahoma, so it was a cool little reunion for all of us, especially since the last time I had seen any of them (unless my memory has slipped) was when my Memaw attended my graduation in May of 2010; it had been even longer since I saw my Pawpaw or Aunt Shannon. At their house, I actually had my first home-cooked meal since returning home from school for the break, which was nice. Memaw fixed us a breakfast consisting of eggs and ham that morning, and we had pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and butter/bread, all of which were great (though I admittedly didn’t eat any carrots). Overall, it was just awesome getting to spend time with them after not having seen them in such a long time.
The three of us left for home Sunday afternoon. That night and the next day were particularly uneventful, but Tuesday was super exciting because I got my wisdom teeth removed! Yaaaaa- just kidding. It wasn’t that exciting. However, it wasn’t painful either, for which I’m grateful. Dad took me to the oral surgeon’s office that morning at 10; as soon as I got in the operating room, they put an IV in my arm and I was out for the count, though it seemed like I was awake in the next instant. I haven’t had any pain so far, which is awesome, but having to keep up with the meds I have to take and the task of keeping my mouth consistently clean is a bit tiring. An advantage is that I haven’t really done anything but sit around watching TV the past two days, and lots of that time was spent with my cat napping in my lap, which warms my heart. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it on here before now, but December 26th will mark 10 years since I first got Noel, so I’m glad that he’s warmed up to me so much.
As a result of my diet being mostly limited to soft foods, I’ve now had my mom’s spaghetti for dinner three nights in a row…awesome! It’s my very favorite food. Hooray!
Earlier tonight, a Back to the Future marathon came on TV. I didn’t catch it until halfway through Part II, but I watched the rest of it and then the third one, all with my parents. At the end of Part II, I had to pause the TV for a minute or two to clarify the timeline of the trilogy for Mom; she was confused as to how these characters got where and when, but I think she (mostly) understands now. I’m such a good son!
The other day, I discovered that one of my favorite childhood Saturday morning cartoons is available for viewing on Netflix Instant: Jackie Chan Adventures! Very exciting news. I’ve been watching several episodes during the past couple of days, and the more I watch, the more I’m convinced that it’s not just the nostalgia speaking: this TV show really is quality stuff. If you haven’t seen it before, I highly recommend it. It’s lots of fun, and it doesn’t dumb things down for kids. It’s action-packed and light-hearted, though it has some light moments as well. Very good!
Anyway, that’s pretty much it for now. I’ve been getting in bed a lot earlier this break, believe it or not. I’ve been going to bed not too long after midnight, though I’ll be honest: I’ll often lie in bed for an hour or so watching a TV show or listening to music before finally falling asleep, but that’s still a pretty decent bedtime as far as I’m concerned.
48 hours from now, I’ll have been at my aunt and uncle’s house in Alabama for several hours, eagerly anticipating Christmas on Sunday morning. It’s only been a few weeks since I last saw them (Thanksgiving), but I’m excited to see them as well; I usually see them maybe three or four times a year, max, so it’s always a treat to spend time with them as well.
And now it’s time for bed. That’s today’s update! I’ll update you all at least once more before Christmas…I promise! Goodnight, everyone!
Chad
P.S. – The final grades are in! Of my 11 classes this semester (I know, it’s a lot – welcome to the life of a music major!), I received 9 As and 2 Bs, bringing both my semester and combined GPAs to a bit higher than a 3.7 (though not high enough to round up a tenth). I’m very happy with these grades…this is my first semester to get an A in my music history class! Definitely an improvement.