The Kickoff

It's official: the holiday season (my holiday season) has started. This year, it started with a special kickoff. Now, some things start with a bang - cars, firecrackers, nitro glycerin, you get the idea. Some things start with a spring - the ending of daylight savings time, those clicky-pens, and slinkies. Some things even start with a regular kickoff, for instance Football, as we backward Americans call it. But, very few things are good enough to warrant a special kickoff. How do you tell if something started with a special kickoff? Here's an example:

This year, my final exams ended at 8:30 pm, Thursday, the 8th of December. After that, I was free to do as I pleased (I assure you I did). I met my new roommate - and she ROCKS! Not only does she love Johnny Depp, she loves movies, toilet humor, and my new bed spread. We have so much in common that next semester is going to be great. After that, I traveled down to Charleston to spend the weekend with three of my favorite people in the world.

The weekend was spectacular! I stayed up late watching A Walk To Remember, and crying through the entire end. I love that movie, but it turns me into a weeping mess every thirty seconds of the last half. The next morning, we went to IHOP (and I found my new favorite sandwich), and then shopping (and I kind of liked it!), and then to Mama Fu's, and then to this really cool Christmas light show. There, we got to see Christmas lights like no other, drink hot chocolate, and roast marshmallows on overpriced sticks for smores. And then I spent the rest of the night playing mau mau and learning sodoku (not sure if I spelled it right). The next day my big brother bought doughnuts for breakfast and then we played Penn Stateopoly. I didn't have a chance of winning, but we were so into it that we were late getting to our movie - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I loved it! I even shed a few tears - surprise surprise. Then we went to this cool pizza/Italian place and had a buffalo chicken pizza, mmmmmm. And then it was time to go back to Raleigh.

This weekend rocked!! It was a vacation to kickoff my real vacation. I'm now totally absorbed into the Christmas spirit. I'm listening to Frank Sinatra sing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and I even redid the entire appearance of my blog just to emulate my new holiday high. That top collage - I put that together. And click on any of the links - see what color they underline. I'm so proud of myself!

I don't know when I'll write again, so until the next time, Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Gute Vaynakhtn, Mele Kalikimaka (also a very good song), Nollaig Shona Dhuit, Feliz Navidad (a song that will stick in your head), Bon Natale (will also stick in your head), 'Ave a Bonza Chrissy Mate, Srekan Bozik, Shinnen Omedeto, and Wesolych Swiat. (They all mean Merry Christmas)

Ok, So I Didn't Die...

But he did ask us to define what an American was and who was an American! I never expected that that would be the question asked of us, because of the indefinability of the concept, and thus I didn't prepare for that one. And, it was the in the third hour of the exam when I started that particular essay, so I am quite sure that my markings on that essay will be dismal indeed. The other essay I think I did alright on - but not great. I am sitting here thinking of all the things I could have said and referenced and made the essay a whole bunch greater - but I didn't. I did try to keep the paper unified, but my organization was off I know, as was the amount of my specific supporting details. To make a long story short, this was not my best exam - I don't think I made above a B on it, and I am quite sure that I will get a B in the class. But I will have earned it, and that is what counts, right? So, I am free! I'm going to meet my new roommate tomorrow, and then I'm going to Charleston for the weekend, and then I'll come back to school, and then I'll go home for Christmas. I can't wait.