excitement excitement

so, first off - i'm finally going to the big apple. i've wanted to go to New York City for a very long time - but finances and logistics have held me back (plane tickets, where to stay? money? how to get around??). and now, everything has worked out beautifully. we have very close friends with relatives there, and they spontaneously (and genuinely) invited us to visit them over the christmas break. tonight, i bought our tickets on priceline.com - and on dec 26th, jim and i will jet off to NYC for a 6 day adventure. i can't tell you how excited i am to finally see NYC. i've always felt that it's an icon of america - something with which everyone is familiar. i've seen it in movies a thousand times, read about it in books, seen it in TV shows - over and over - yet i've never been there. it must be akin to living in italy and never seeing the vatican. or the sistine chapel - borders on sacrilege, eh? at any rate, we're going - and i couldn't be more thrilled than i am right now.

so, in other news. we're here in florida. we arrived on wednesday night (or thursday morning - depending on what you consider 3am) and had to be up promptly at 9am the next morning to take a picture with crosby's butterfly. lakeland had a fundraiser in which they auctioned off giant aluminum butterflies. they went for $10, 15, and 25,000 each. the point was to purchase one and design it. they were then placed all over lakeland (88 butterflies in all). someone bought one (anonymously) in remembrance of crosby and his short, but full life. my aunt andrea did the design and we all had our picture taken with it on thanksgiving morning. then it was back to the grandparents to fix the turkey feast. the day was full of work and family.

on friday, we spent the day with jeremy and amanda (with whom we're going to NYC) - arguably our two best friends (with the exception of dee and alison). they're wonderful people and i can never overemphasize how much we love and miss them when we're in TN and they're here. at any rate, we spent the day thrifting in orlando and then at a concert at the social (colour revolt, page france, and anathallo all played). i use parentheses too much, i've just realized. at any rate, i LOVED anathallo and page france, i was new to both.

today has been very low key, hanging out with the family, having a big family spaghetti dinner, and watching a ton of football. and i mean a TON. notre dame and USC - currently going on - UF and FSU, UT and KY, Ga and GaTech, etc etc.

it's been a jam packed three days, and we head back to tennessee tomorrow. i'll be sorry to go. it's been entirely too long since i was in my grandparents house. after crosby's funeral, i hadn't been back. i came for uncle buster's funeral, but that was in gainesville. at any rate, as always, coming here feels like coming home. i'm so blessed in my family and friends. i try to remember that every day, even when i'm down about other things.

and school. ah yes, school. my grades are fine. i haven't made anything lower than a B this semester (though there is definitely still time). i work hard, but i've finally caught on to the art of not panicking. i used to stress before tests and study frantically for AT LEAST 4 days before any test. now, i've realized that i can do fine and maintain Bs and As without the fuss. i've finally - now that class is almost over and done with - realized that i'm smart enough to get by without all the drama. i just wish i realized it about -- oh -- a year and a half ago.

happy belated turkey day to my 2 readers:)