I'M NOT DEAD YET!

Crikey - I knew if I fell behind at all, it would pile up. I'm referring to both homework and blogging. Fortunately, it never became a problem with homework... I'll try to get back into the blogging routine with this summary of my life in recent times.

Thanksgiving break was really special with Michelle around and we had a great time. Not to say that we actually DID all that much (weather wasn't too pretty, nothing really to do, and too little time anyway), but it was still great! We actually worked with 4 other friends of mine here to make a tasty Thanksgiving meal - quite a fun event and I don't fear my own cooking as much as I used to.

Let me cover a few of the highlights from my Thanksgiving holiday:

A free small fridge (obtained while moving furniture for some locals)
Pasting a tree outside with a moldy pumpkin pie...
Breaking a few dorm rules with Michelle (shhhhh, nobody knows)
Watching movies with Michelle
NOT doing any homework
Vast amounts of food - huge free meals once or twice a day from various sources
Michelle
Pocky and Skittles

Of course, all the fun and enjoyment meant that since break ended, I've been heaps busy doing school-related homework. Lots of studying for tests, lots of homework, some group project stuff, writing papers, etc etc. It's been intense, but I'm hanging in there. I've got finals over the next 3 days and then I'll be OUTA here for a short Christmas break.

Outside of school... Rockclimbing has been great - I would like to pick up my own gear eventually, but for now cheap rentals are the norm. It is a great stress reliever! Ran in a 5k here and managed to come in 3rd place with a decent time (considering the weather and my lack of training).

The weather has been really cold - really really cold lately. I'm sick with a nasty sore throat and I'm hoping to banish it with some excessive sleep. I'm just glad I did extra homework earlier so I can afford to be sick and unproductive for a few days.

The BOXER run was great! It is an unofficial tradition here - basically lots of guys get together in their boxers and run around campus for a while. The highlight involves assembling in the ladies dorm courtyard and singing Christmas carols for a few minutes. That might sound crazy - considering it is VERY COLD at night here and actually it was crazy. But that's part of what made it so fun. The ladies took their "revenge" with a BIKINI run the next evening... This event was followed the next evening by the Midnight Breakfast which involved massive amounts of sugary breakfast food distributed (for free) to the masses of hungry college students. A good social event, but WAY TOO CROWDED.

Many other things have happened, but I'm too far behind to give them a full description. Good Amnesty International meetings, a goodbye/Christmas party for Jannette with crepes, a children's Christmas party, and so many more things.

And I miss Michelle!