Oh, Hey There!

Why, yes, it has been a while.  I took the month of December off, not intentionally, but still, it was a nice break.  So here's an update on what you've missed from your darling little ol' Eugene:

The holidays went by way too fast and I feel like I barely saw the smatterings of family members who were able to venture back to our beloved Ocean State.  I did manage to find the time to make yet another successful Plum Pudding (a rather disgusting but still entertaining holiday tradition, and perhaps an upcoming addition to the Tasty Tuesday section?).

There are a few reviews we have in the works (bath and beauty products, mostly) and we're also in the process of convincing a couple guest bloggers to share their wisdom and hilarity.  I'm hoping to bring in a crafting expert (you guys would not believe what this girl comes up with, it's unreal), and a social commentator with the wit and humor rivaling the geniuses you see on the celebrity roasts.

My grad school application is coming along nicely, thank you very much.  The personal essay is kind of kicking my butt.  It's hard to condense something into 300 words when there's no limits or specifications, and you just have free range to write whatever your little heart desires.  I have everything else lined up, though, so at least I'm making progress.  My GRE scores have been sent, I've ordered my transcripts, I have my letters of recommendation organized, and the rest of the application is entirely filled out.  It's just a matter of putting the finishing touches on that essay and then, ya know, actually sending the application in.  Fingers crossed by this time next year, I will be a graduate student.



The Patriots are doing ok; not great, but ok.  Really wish their first halves were played a lot better.  My nerves can't take much more of this second half comeback thing.  But they're still winning, so I guess there's not much to complain about.

We got the chance to video chat with my brother on Christmas and it was really good to see him.  Picture, if you will, a Macbook being carried around a house so that each member of the 20-person strong family could say hi.  He looks good, excited about his upcoming trip, and God knows we're excited for him.  Only my brother would travel the Trans-Siberian railroad backwards, starting in China and heading towards Russia...in the winter.  But he's supposed to get a really good view of the Northern Lights, so that should be exciting.  Can't wait to see pictures of that!

My personal life is a lot happier, so that's a nice change.  We all know I usually do not go into much detail on that part of my life, so let's just leave it by saying Eugene is very happy with what the universe has brought her way (you know it's good when the third person narrative is used).

And that, kids, is where we're going to end things today.  I promise to post the Plum Pudding recipe next week (complete with pictures because I know you love the visuals).

Stay tuned!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Did you actually make New Year's Resolutions this year or did you just continue with your life as usual because everyone knows if you make a resolution, it only lasts about a week?