I'm back!

As you probably noticed, I took a long break from my blog so I could relax and enjoy the holiday season. I'm now back into the swing of things this week since school started back up, and while it's nice to be busy again, I've been hitting the alarm one too many times and rushing myself to work because of it. It is definitely a challenge to wake up before dawn again when this whole break I was sleeping in until the sun came up (...or later).

Run-down of the holidays:

Vacation: Dyke and I went to Key Largo for a week and stayed with his cousin. While it was a bit overcast, I couldn't complain because I was still able to wear a t-shirt and shorts. It is funny to hear all the Floridians complain about the "cold" weather there. One guy, at a seaside bar, yelled that he was going to die of pneumonia. Pssh, please. Come visit Indiana! Anyhoo, it was great fun, very relaxing, and I definitely want to go back. We even stayed in Key West one night, and that place is hilarious. I would love to spend New Year's there sometime, because at midnight, a drag queen sits in a giant red high heel that drops during the countdown. Love it!! Here are a few pictures from our vacation:

Dyke and me at an art shop in Key Largo:

An inn lit up for a Key West holiday:

Dyke at the southernmost point in the continental U.S.A.:

A tarpon grabbing a fish during a feeding. I love that I got this shot:

Christmas: Instead of creating a giant meal this year with turkey, etc. we decided to make it easy and have several kinds of chili for the family meal. It was so much more relaxing this year because my sisters (Erin and Caitlin, in particular) weren't stressing out about getting all the food ready in time, and my mom wasn't running around complaining about all the people in the kitchen. It's funny, because my parents specifically built this house with a design that allows for an open kitchen/sitting room, but everyone hangs out in the kitchen anyways. I've noticed this at parties too... even if a kitchen is ridiculously small, it becomes the hang out space. There's something comforting about it I guess.

We then had my dad's family Christmas in early January, and since all the cousins are around college age or older now (with a couple of exceptions), the conversations tend to be more adult and inappropriate. We played a board game called "Loaded Questions" (which I recommend whole-heartedly, look for the 'Adult' Loaded Questions as well) and I think the answers definitely got dirtier and dirtier as the game went along. Some of the things mentioned: boob jobs and face lifts, condoms and redbull, and the quotes of the night from my uncle (while my other uncle was standing behind him in a suggestive manner): "If I get humped, I want to feel it." Oh dear.

New Year's Eve: Back when I was going to IU, one of my friends threw a 1920's themed party, and I always wanted to go to another one after that. As you probably figured out from my Halloween costume, I absolutely love dressing up. When I was little, my sisters and I would have bags upon bags of costumes in the basement left over from old Halloweens, and we'd go to different worlds, be different people, etc. just by putting on an outfit. I guess that's why I love it so much still today. I don't think anyone is ever too old to dress in costume.

Soooo... I threw a Roaring Twenties New Year's party! We all got dressed up in our glad rags and drank some hooch. Here are a few things I did to set the mood:

• Covered the glass around the front door with black, except for a little eye hole so we could see who was trying to sneak into the speakeasy.
• Hung up pictures of old 1920's ads and anti-prohibition announcements. There was one of a mother holding her son that read, "Help keep him pure. Vote against the sale of liquors!"
• Streamed Charlie Chaplin films on both televisions.
• Hung decorative pearls on the chandelier and lights, and decorated in black, white, and silver.
• Provided the ingredients for Mint Juleps and Gin Fizzes, two popular drinks during Prohibition.
• At midnight, played a countdown which transitioned into an old version of Auld Lang Syne, and then into the Charleston.
• Printed off a dictionary of 1920's slang and hung it up on one of the large walls so we could all learn a few things.
• Dressed up in costume and asked everyone elso too as well (of course!)
• Put all pictures from the party in sepia tone so they look old and classic.

As far as I'm concerned, the party was a great success. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I was so surprised that most people dressed up and really got into the theme. Below are some of the highlights of the party. Enjoy!

My flapper costume:

Dyke and me looking classy:

Holly and Justin, my friends from high school, gettin' serious:

Using coffee mugs so the cops don't realize it's hooch!:

Clearly, something quite hilaaarious was just said:

A view of the evening:

Well, that's a wrap folks. I hope to be back on here more often now that life is back to normal. Hope you missed me.

Peace,

Kelly

The great debaters.

Tonight, I decided to go out to dinner with my parents, my youngest sister (Mary), my grandma, and my aunt. I love them all, but about halfway through the meal, Mary and I were reading the same expression on eachother's faces: GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Reminder to the family: I love you all. BUT, every time my dad and his sister get in a room together, it ends up looking like this:

Or maybe more like this:



OR EVEN THIS:

Okay, okay, don't panic. It MAY not have been as intense as the kittie samurais. But still, it was messy enough to send the rest of us into a state of THIS:

Therefore, I hereby make a request for my dear father and his dear older sister to, from now on, refrain from "debating" (ahem...fighting) over these topics:

• Politics
• Education
• Health Care
• Race
• Wealth
• Right vs. Wrong
• Good vs. Evil
• Ignorance vs. Genius
• Vampires vs. Wolves (I just see this getting messy)

In the emergency situation where no conversation can be established, I offer these generally acceptable topic suggestions :

• The weather.
• The deliciousness of ice cream.
• How Rhode Island is neither a road, nor an island.
• How lucky they are to have me in their family.
• The weather.
• How great Irish people are.
• The Hangover (they both like the movie)
• Books (only those having nothing to do with politics, religion, health care, race, religion, right vs. wrong, ignorance vs. genius, or vampires vs. wolves)
• The weather.

I'll see if anyone else in my family is willing to sign the petition. I'm sure I can at least get their five other siblings involved. What do you think? =)


Peace,

Kelly

The wee hours.

I definitely have been trying to go to sleep since around midnight. My body got comfortable with a completely different sleep schedule due to the two days of sickness and the four days of vacation. I think over the past couple nights I've gone to bed around 4 in the morning... which is fine when I don't have to wake up until noon.

It's a completely different story when I'm supposed to be leaving for school at 6:45 a.m.! Aaaaah!

As much as it is a problem and as much as I'll probably be a tad tired at school because of it, I've heard that it doesn't do a person any good to try to FORCE oneself into a state of slumber. So, instead I've been catching up on all the blogs I've been wanting to read, checking Facebook (like the addict that I am), and watching old episodes online of "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" (because I love Tim Gunn and want a miniature version of him to carry around in my pocket so I can ask him advice at any moment. 'Oh, Kelly, you're fabulous!' he'd say, followed by a kiss on the cheek).

Since I'm up, I thought I'd also update my blog and give a description of my new Thanksgiving experience this year. Normally, I go to one. This year, I went to THREE. I definitely should have worn some pants with an elastic waist band because halfway through the day I was already undoing the top button. FOOD BABY to the extreme, I tell ya. I felt like the octomom.

Thanksgiving #1: Dyke's Family
Dyke and I have been dating since February, and before that we were best friends for three years. This past year I've really gotten to know more of his family and was happy to attend their Turkey Day festivities. They are sweet, and I was told by a Grandma of the family that I am very pretty and that "I look like a keeper." Dyke, of course, made a joke and said, "Thanks. I made her that way." He told me he never knows how to respond to those comments because it's not like he's responsible for how I look... and I see his point. It's kind of a funny way to compliment people. All in all, it was a good time and his family treats me well. We went around noon, and I ate one plate of food and had a bite of pie. I knew I had to save room for more.

Thanksgiving #2: My Family
We arrived around 2:00 and as usual, everyone was hanging out in the kitchen even though my parents purposely built this new house so there would be an open great room for people to hang out in during meal preparation. What is it about the kitchen that draws everyone into it, despite the size? Anyway, as usual things were running behind. Uncle Dave talked and talked and talked about beer brewing and bands, Mam-Ma gave me a wet kiss on the cheek, Erin ran around making pies and rolls and whatever else it is she does, Mary forced me to try her cheese ball, Pap-Pa tried to steal sweets from everyone, Dad was loud and boisterous and turned into a caveman when the turkey appeared, Hannah was pampered because she is the new baby of the family, Uncle David and Uncle Larry rooted for Green Bay, and so on and so on. If Caitlin had been there, there probably would have been some sort of battle in the kitchen between her and Erin and who was getting to make which pie and for how long and in which oven (we missed you Caitlin!). Unlike everyone else in my family, my mom was relaxed and at ease and drinking wine. I don't know how all of her children got the anxious gene my dad carries, but I envy her. I ate another plate of food, had a piece of apple pie, and then Dyke and I played some Uno with the cousins.

Thanksgiving #3: Cliffy and Mags
Cliffy and Mags are friends of Dyke's. They were having a post-Thanksgiving get together at their house that, of course, involved another entire Thanksgiving meal. I changed into jeans only to regret it because I couldn't keep them from squeezing my guts uncomfortably after all that food. Even though I was full, I managed to snack on a bit of mac and cheese. It was Thanksgiving, and I had to be a glutton, it was required. So I did that, and then of course had to lie down and not move for the rest of the night.

I've noticed since then that all my jeans are a bit tighter, and I hope the weight of this one day will not force me to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe due to my expanded behind. We'll see.

I guess I'll try to sleep now. Wish me luck.