Dude, where’s my snow?

So, it’s 2012. Weird. Actually, it’s February 2nd, which is even weirder. How has an entire month gone by already?! I can answer that. By starting the year on the other side country, spending a few days in the south, then coming home to houseguests, sharing a room with a sister, and starting the semester and two new jobs. Also, readjusting to my own life in New York, social and otherwise.

But, there’s something that’s really been bothering me. Something that has really thrown me off, upset me, and generally made me feel let down.

And that would be the lack of snow.

YES, I know I shouldn’t tempt the weather gods. I should be glad that the weather has been so mild, that I haven’t wanted to die yet (ok, there were a couple of days while Jenny was here that it was so, so cold), that I haven’t had to turn around and go home because I couldn’t make it.

But still. It snowed one day and it was MAGICAL. I woke up on a Saturday morning to the UPS guy ringing the doorbell and when I opened the door to a beautiful white world. I may have squealed and giggled and the UPS guy may have been very whatever-man about it, but I loved it. I went up to my room and spent a good part of my day in bed, reading and looking out the window. It was practically perfect. So what was the problem then? I didn’t have anyone to play with! B was apartment hunting and the usual suspects were walking hither and yon all over D.C. and by the time anyone was free the following weekend, the snow was long gone.

And two days ago I walked down York Ave sans sweater and thought “damn, I totally could be wearing sandals right now.”

Confusion reigns.

The Last Week of School, or Why My Laundry Won’t Be Put Away Before I Fly Home

It isn’t that I have an enormous amount of work (because it isn’t really that bad).

It isn’t that I have to do my grad assistantship work (I’m putting it off til I get home).

It isn’t that I have one more day of my internship left (aww sad).

It isn’t that I’m planning on spending Wednesday making a Christmas present, going to museums, or making fudge (because all of those are fun things).

It isn’t because I have an apartment to keep clean (because I could really care less right now).

It’s because in my opinion it would be the dumbest thing ever to put away all of my laundry today just so tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday I can fold it all up again to pack.  Really, I’m saving time!

 

One website, one presentation, and one paper to go til my first semester of graduate school is done.

T-10 Days to San Diego

Things I’m looking forward to during my three weeks at home:

-a dishwasher.  I VOLUNTEER right now to load the dishwasher at least once a day.  You know why?  Because it means I won’t have to do any of those damned dishes by hand.

-a washer and dryer in a designated laundry room. I don’t have to get dressed to go the laundromat? I don’t have to make sure I have dollar bills to put on the card to make the machines work? We’re golden.

-animals.  Four of them, two cats, two dogs.  I have missed the chaos that comes from four-legged furry creatures running around, being Max’s hero for just opening the back sliding door, and making Charlie’s night by agreeing that indeed, it is dinner time.

-decorating for Christmas!  I have serious concerns that if I were to walk in December 24th, the house might not be decorated.  Mom, Dad, and Rachel did alright two years ago, but this year I don’t think they put up ANY of my fall or Halloween decorations (jerkfaces).

-Christmas at home. There will be coffee cake, there will be Christmas movies (HP 7 Part 2?  Hint hint), there will be stress, there will be cleaning, there will be throwing of pillows off of the floor, on to the floor, at people, and at dogs who don’t get off of the couch fast enough.

-NEW YEAR’S EVE.  ’Nuff said.

-my library, which I left far too much of at home, will once again be just a few steps away from my bed, and let’s face it, reading and sleeping are two things I plan on doing almost exclusively for at least a week.

 

Things that perhaps I’m not looking forward to so much:

-animals.  Four of them, two cats, two dogs.  Furry, smelly, attention-needing-and-demanding four legged creatures that always make my black jeans look awful, and recently I’ve been wearing a lot of black (it’s just easier).

-a dishwasher.  I may be remembering incorrectly, and the last two weeks around here completely negate this point, but five people accumulate more dirty dishes faster than one or two people do.  SO MANY DISHES.

-three weeks at home.  I want to go home so bad.  Please don’t misunderstand me, I love it here in New York, but I need to go home and see my family.  However comma.  Three weeks.  Am I a little worried that this is too much time?  Yes absolutely.  Is that enough to make me change my plans?  Not at all.  We’ll just fight it out.  It’ll be fine.

-a month away from home.  I’m going to miss out on so much fun happening here in New York, and that’s sucky. (If you’re wondering how I can be away from NYC for a month, and yet only home for three weeks, the gap week is four days in New Orleans with George and Lana!  So excited.)

 

So, what does this mean?  It means I’m procrastinating on the four papers, three presentations, and one website due by next Thursday.  Clearly.

November 21st and The Holiday Season

In Allie-land, November 21st is an important date for a couple of reasons. 

One, we celebrate my existence (yay!).  The celebration this year was especially notable for its awesomeness,with its 5, count ‘em, FIVE days of celebrating (Breaking Dawn, lunches, dinners, drinks, friends, pancakes, boxes from the 92025, CUPCAKES).  Not that I don’t remember every birthday fondly, but this one is a stand out.

Two, in accordance with reason #1, it kicks off The Holiday Season.  In order: my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.  All of these are accompanied by food, drink, music, friends, family, and a crap ton of planning, stress, cleaning, cooking, cleaning again, and recovery.  And I LOVE it.  I love having people around 24/7.  I like getting dressed up.  I like the details that go into a Cloyd Party.  I like making fudge for people.  I love getting a Christmas tree and bossing everyone around while we decorate.  I love the feeling of joy that exists when you know that the people you love are close by and happy and healthy and arguing and singing and sharing and debating and loving and living. 

Today I take off for Maryland and Virigina for Thanksgiving with the East Coast contingent of the Family, and Friday night I come back to a house full of new friends.  In between there will be henna, knitting, parade watching, and turkey eating.  Life is good.

Google Map Exercise

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Video test (again)

Love Vlogbrothers!

Again, a practice post.

For your viewing pleasure, a photo I took of one of the sunflowers in the sunflower forest at 3010.

photo credit: allison m cloyd 2011

This is a category exercise.

This is a category exercise.

It has a category!

School assignment.

This entry is part of in-class work. So uhm…hi.

 

This is me editing it again.

Six things.

1.  I went to Ithaca last weekend, and it was beautiful.  Too bad it’s a really long bus trip away, and I really don’t care much for buses.

A view of Cornell from the top of the bell tower.

2.  Seeing Katie was awesome.  She showed me around and explained to me what she does (hint: it has something to do with physics) and took to me a fun Halloween party, where I was propositioned by Richard Simmons (I said no thanks).

If I had some old pictures, I’d post one so we can compare little Allie and Katie with grown up Allie and Katie-  and you know what we’d see?  Katie is, has been, and will always be, taller than I am.

 

3. Drunk yoga is awesome.  Hungover yoga, not so much.

...yup.

 

4. Today is Guy Fawkes Day, and we’re watching V for Vendetta tonight.  I’m not sure what that has to do with the Gunpowder Plot, but I’m guessing I’ll find out.

This has Natalie Portman's face, and we like that.

 

5. There are only 6 weeks left in the semester, and I’m freaking out a little.  But, I get a midterm grade back this week, and I think it will be good.  Also, I think one of my final projects will be a website on knitting. 

The elephant I knit for Carmen. I plan on featuring this on the website.

 

6.  Chelsey said this blog post needed six things.  I couldn’t come up with anything else, so for your viewing pleasure, the stalking cat video.  I’d like to share that I found this by searching “sneaking cat ninja” on youtube.