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?

Oh Come On, It's Not THAT Bad

I think today qualifies as a big giant poop stain on my week.  My car is STILL in the shop despite being told at 11am that it would be ready in an hour.  My computer is hanging out in the back of a store, waiting impatiently to be fixed because it somehow fell off my bed in the middle of the night.  While it turns on and works just fine, the casing is precariously clinging to only three of the four corners of the screen.  My family have all left the area, leaving me by myself, singularly alone.  Work was, to put it simply, four hours entirely devoid of reason and sanity.  I spent the hour immediately following the end of my work day eating my feelings and, quite frankly, I don't feel guilty about it. 

Since I was using a borrowed car and my brother was originally going to take my car camping, he is now taking my borrowed car and I'm left without transport.  Thankfully, my family has stepped up, as they always do, and made sure I knew they had my back.  Hopefully, my car will be fixed and ready to go tomorrow morning, my computer will be an easy and cheap fix and will find her way back into my life by the weekend, and my family enjoys their respective vacations (none of which I am a part of).

A day like this sends me directly over the edge, clinging to whatever semblance of normality I can get my hands on.  But I have to remind myself, it's not really that bad.  I've had conversations with several friends recently who are dealing with much bigger issues.  While the combined trifecta of no car, no computer, no family may feel like too much to handle, Car RamRod will eventually get fixed.  My Dear Prudence computer will eventually be repaired.  And my family will eventually come back home.  Work will probably always be a little crazy, but some of my coworkers feel my pain and rise above and beyond what they should ever be asked to do.  I will eventually find my sanity.

It will, eventually, be ok.  In the meantime, there's wine and beer and the anticipation of the new season of "Dexter."