Flash...Bang!

Wow, 2004 went by quickly, which is just about what everyone says, I know that. But, but, but...It did! Now we are in 2005 (obviously, I did learn how to count in kindergarten), the year in which I turn 30. It had better be good. As long as I don't drown in a Tsunami, I guess that I can count the year as successful. That was something, oh yeah, you betcha. Did you see that shot of the little boy holding a hand over his injured eye while a single tear streamed down his face? What is wrong with people?! Put the frickin' camera down and hug him for Pete's sake! My dad had an operation on his elbow so I got to see that footage on CNN for five hours while I was in the waiting room.

So, having expressed my emotion for the ravaged countries and their peoples, I can now relate my Christmas gifts, right? Too soon? Wow, it definitely made me want to put off a vacation to Thailand. Oh, wait, didn't want to go in the first place. Didn't you see that movie with Bill Pullman and Claire Danes?

I was planning to fill my unexpected vacation time (the university's president let us off the three days between Christmas and New Year's so I had a full week plus one day off) with household chores, after my dad's departure from my house after Christmas activities. Paint the bookcase that I made at Thanksgiving, clean out the garage of books -- now that I have a place to put them -- and other stuff, clean out closet and take items to Goodwill, wash every piece of clothing in my house, etc. Instead, my dad says he's having this surgery and come on up to drive Mr. Daisy. He left my house on the 27th, I drove up on the 28th and came back in time to make cookies and take them to a New Year's Eve party. There was a suggestion that we watch Napoleon Dynamite. Hmm, I'll walk the 20 miles home. We played a board game instead, thank God. I've run into so many people who love that movie, I'm beginning to think that I'm the only one with taste.