Winter Break

This has been awesome. I've already had 2 weeks off from working, with one more to go before I start at Intel on Jan. 9. My parents are still in Australia so I spent xmas down in Coos Bay with J's family, which went really well. I was worried that I would be intruding on their family celebration, but they really made me one of the family, including giving me tons of loot. For xmas J got me a glassblowing class down in SF from the people that put on the Glass Pumpkin Patch at MIT, which is totally sweet since one of my biggest regrets was never taking the class that MIT offers. I got a cookbook and a mandolin from his mom, an aluminum camping wok from his dad, chocolate from his brother, and melamine and titanium utensils in my stocking. Oh, and a porcelain salt pinch pot and a Peugot pepper grinder. It's soooo sexy! And I love the japanese mandolin: I've been slicing things up just because I can. It makes really, really good looking julienned carrots. I'm not going to have any furniture in my apartment, but my kitchen is going to be fully stocked. In addition, we ate, partied, sociallized, surfed, and did all that holiday stuff that makes you appreciate being home for the holidays. I got back into Portland on the 26th for Lindsay's birthday party, and have been furiously packing up/saying my goodbyes since. I pick up my parents from the airport Sunday, and then drive down Monday morning. I'm mostly packed, though I still have to figure out how much room I have for pots/pans. And I am sooo ready for this move. Ready, with a bit of scaryness thrown in, just because I'm not really that big on change, and this is a big change. But ready. Here's to the new year!!!