I’m home again for yet another holiday, but this time I’m between semesters and don’t have to spend this break stressed out with tests and books and studio projects in the back of my mind! I’m free to do whatever, but most of all I’m free to read whatever! Currently I’m taking a leisurely stroll through Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore and, as always, it’s a blast. I look forward to ordering one of his newest, A Dirty Job, when I get home.

Not having to worry about writing papers over the break also means I have an infinite supply of time to hang out with friends and, essentially, “go with the flow.” Last night was such a night. I went to the reunion show of our friends’ band, the Red Robot. The show took place at a pizza parlor and was opened up by The Americas. I have to admit that I’m pretty much an old lady when it comes to loud music; we don’t really get along, but I discovered the difference a wad of tissue stuffed into my ears can make!

I used to live with Mat some years back, so I heard the Red Robot perform quite often, but last night was my “first” with the Americas. I had been to their shows before, but usually spent them outside muttering about how loud and smelly it was inside. Last night, however, was phenomenal! Their musicianship just blew my mind and made me wonder what other fantastic bands I’ve missed out on while opting for the colder but quieter outdoors.

Oh, to be old at age 23. Who am I? Liz Lemon? Or maybe living in Humboldt, where the only genres of music that exist are reggae and bluegrass, has finally gotten to me and struck me homesick.

I took lots of pictures, too, but as you could probably guess, I am without my computer and editing software while away for the break. The above photo is from the “final” Red Robot show back in 2005. I’m unsure of when I’ll be able to update with new photos; hopefully I don’t have to wait until after the New Year! If it comes to that, though, I hope everyone has a wonderful winter season. Much love to you all.

I’m officially done with this semester… Finally! It was by far my most stressful semester yet at HSU, but considering next semester’s line-up* I may be in for another rollercoaster ride come January 22nd.

Regardless, right now I’m enjoying guiltless sleeping in and hanging around doing this-n-that. We’re going home for the holidays in the middle of next week and I’m working on re-installing Windows on my laptop so I can take it with me to process photos. Being able to post to my Flickr while I’m away on vacation would be ideal– it’s such a burden to come home with 2 or 300 photos that need editing!

I have made some possibly nerdy vows in terms of how I want to spend my break: lots of reading and lots of piano. Chris has been giving me lessons the last week and I’ve been catching on quite well! I’m excited to learn my favorite songs by Nobuo Uematsu that I grew up listening to, albeit, in the form of MIDI. I’m surprised by what a difference even 15 minutes a day can make, and how it all eventually becomes so fluid.

It was also my intention to read some more books by my favorite author, Christopher Moore, over the break. The Humboldt County library collection has all of his books, but unfortunately they’re spread out amongst all the individual cities. How stupid is that? I see some Half.com transactions in my future.

* Advanced Photography, Printmaking II, Beginning Ceramics, Sound Body & Sound Mind, Sociology of Altruism and Compassion, and Native American Art of the North Coast. Phew!

We’ve been making a lot of Mexican food lately– mostly tacos and burritos. Besides steamed veggies and rice, it’s one of the easiest meals to whip up in the midst of Finals Week, and certainly quite filling! We made burritos last night for the first time in months and it actually made me sick. I guess my stomach isn’t used to digesting those bulky flour tortillas anymore. Hmph!

Mexican food always makes for excellent leftovers the next day, too, that can be eaten in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a bowl of beans and rice (an addiction I picked up thanks to a camping trip with Renee and the Justin). Leftover limes are always a treat, too! I always save any unused slices for the next day and squeeze them onto tortilla chips for a light snack.

We’ve been trying to reduce the amount of clutter we have lying around our home and have turned to Half.com to help us say good-bye to our precious possessions. Chris’s user ID is mr_wimbledon if you’re interested in purchasing any of these games!

Pictured: The Urbz: Sims in the City, Cooking Mama, Nintendogs: Best Friends, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Wario Ware: Touched!.

Last year my best friend gave Chris and me a one-year subscription to Nintendo Power for Christmas. It was a blast from the past, for sure! Being December, one year later, our subscription has ultimately come to an end. But at least it went out with a bang– this month’s issue was chock full of good stuff. We both got particularly excited to discover that they are re-making a 3D version of our childhood favorite, FF IV, for the DS!