This will be updated as the weekend progresses! Had presents at Brian’s mom’s house on Thursday night — here’s what I got from her:

• stocking: Burt’s Bees Lifeguard’s Choice lip balm, Christmas rubber duckie, stuffed Christmas moose with candy canes, lollipop, Dove chocolates, plastic candy cane filled with Hershey’s Kisses, chocolate Santa, and Milky Way Santa
• stuffed cow from Williamsburg
• “udderly Christmas” ornament
• striped turtleneck sweater (that I already have … will exchange it later)
• black puffy vest with faux fur hood

Here’s what I got from my family 3 days later:

• stocking: Sumatra Extra Bold Starbucks coffee, Starbucks gift card, SmarTrip card, and AMC Theaters gift certificate (from Dad)
• hand-knit red scarf (from Grandma)
• money (from Grandma)
• Gap gift certificate (from Grandpa)
• portfolio presentation case (from Grandpa)
• trunk organizer (from Grandpa)
• glove box organizer (from Uncle Chris)
• cell phone/sunglasses organizer (from Uncle Chris)
• back seat organizer (from Uncle Chris)
• The Matrix DVD (from Adam & Max)
• Shrek 2 DVD (from Ross)
• red cashmere sweater (from Aunt Ann)

And here’s what I got at Brian’s dad’s house:

• The Mask of Zorro DVD (from his dad)
• The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) CD (from his dad)
• The Best of Hanson: The Christmas Collection CD (from his dad)
• The Best of Hanson Live and Electric (UK) (from Brian)
• heated massage car cushion (from Brian)
• off-shoulder shawl (from the Lees)

So, I think I did pretty well Pictures and details will come later!

I made a hexagonal box.

My painting professor let our panel painting be due the Tuesday after break instead of next week.

It’s almost the weekend.

Brian has some kind of surprise for me at home.

Only one week ’til I’m in Manhattan.

Today was cold enough to wear my winter coat.

My frickin’ awesome 2006 Hanson calendar (with “Doughnut Day” marked) and t-shirt came. Happy day

Yahoo Avatars are fun (except you need IE). Check out the avatar version of me:

This is my 1,111th post!

Now for the cabin recap. It was mostly fun. The scenery was beautiful and I hope to go back sometime. I “let loose” and ate more junk food than usual (Coke, Swiss Cake Rolls, Fudge Rounds, Cheetos, french toast sticks, etc.) and drank (but didn’t get drunk). A sweet husky dog we named Cookie came to visit us a couple times a day We cooked steak, burgers, and hot dogs outside. Then we roasted marshmallows. Jason and Jasmeen’s inMotion speakers for their iPods provided ample music and their PlayStation provided entertainment (board/card games did the rest). Everyone except Brian and I got to go in the hot tub, which kinda sucked … but I guess when guys get drunk (especially Matt) and the girls don’t care, previous plans don’t matter. I realized that driving a stick on a mountain is a challenge, and that Luray Caverns is closer to JMU than I thought. I had the most fun up until last night … then it slowly went downhill. But that’s no one’s fault — my getting comfortable with people (and staying that way) is hard.

Well this weekend was interesting. Spent the night at Brian’s on Friday after making dinner and brownies, which was nice. Saturday, we watched a lot of TV, then I drove home to have dinner with my dad and Ross, who was home for a long weekend. Then I spent 3 hours (and 2 today) working on this stupid art project that consisted of filling in hundreds of overlapping shapes with paint (kinda like paint by number) — and paint is my least favorite medium. So that sucked, especially when Brian called around 1 am to tell me he was really drunk and going to bed. I was surprised since he hadn’t done that in awhile (and knows I don’t like it) … but is refusing a drink that hard? I mean, going out and having fun is fine … I just wish I could be a part of it (which rarely happens). Stupid not being 21 for another 6 months. And I know I shouldn’t get upset, but I do *sigh* Why am I always so moody?

I saw a kitty on the median of 81 tonight — it was sad because it almost ran out in front of me, and it was really hard to not pull over and take it home. I guess it knows how to cross highways since it was in the middle, but still … only homeless cats hang out there. I hope no one hits him

I also forgot my phone charger at home, and since there are no Cingular stores (or any store that would carry the right kind of charger) here, I decided to suck it up and buy one online. I found a travel charger with 1 - 2 day shipping for $40, which isn’t cheap, but oh well … the room phone sucks and having a second charger is probably a good idea. Hopefully I’ll have it by Tuesday.

Going through graduates of Yorktown in 2002 is like a mini class reunion (despite switching to Foxcroft). People I haven’t thought about in years were appearing, and it was weird to see what they looked like and where they ended up in college. I even added a couple as friends … let’s see if they approve my request. What would be cool is if Brian joined so that I could add him as the person I’m in a relationship with

Saw Elektra today. It was okay (like I expected), and the soundtrack seems good. Then I tried to take pictures of the Fairfax Corner movie theater for my art history paper, but after one flash security surrounded me (sorta) and said everything was copyrighted and that I needed to delete what I had. So I did, not wanting to make a big deal since I had pretty much walked in snapping without asking anyone (i.e., the manager, who may have let me). I was about to leave — completely content with what had happened — until Brian starts yelling at the security officers that educational use is okay by some law and I shouldn’t apologize, and when we finally walk away calls them “assholes” over his shoulder. I felt kinda embarrassed … not that he shouldn’t have said anything, but geez, not in such a negative way. What happened to asking questions instead of getting mad … or even listening to the other side first? He doesn’t completely know what the policies are there, and no matter how much you’ve studied copyright laws, you don’t have to yell at people who are simply doing their job *sigh* I hate when he gets all worked up about something and I can’t make any difference

And btw, the 2 inches of snow in the previous post was all we got … stupid weather. I knew it would skip us again.

So New Hampshire is the healthiest state to live in this year. Maybe that’s because of its New England location, since 4 other northeastern states are in the top 10 … but who knows. The only thing I care about is my home of Virginia, which came in at #22 out of 50 — same as last year. Is that good or bad?

I’ve just been introduced to the concept of namelistings — cool, more stuff to join! Aww, there’s no listing for Claire, Brian, Lynn, or Lorelei. Maybe I should make one for me. There are listings, however, for Isaac, Taylor, and Zac. Yay! Remind me to go crazy once I’m back home with my FTP

LOL, almost forgot to write about last night. Even though I got there at 6 (and missed 2 of the bands I wanted to see), I still was able to rock out to Avenged Sevenfold, some band I didn’t know, New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Taking Back Sunday, and Sugarcult (as well as buy a tour t-shirt and both Rock Against Bush CDs)! NFG and Yellowcard had to stop playing for a few minutes due to people getting hurt (one even got taken away by helicopter), but other than that and a short, cold rain shower, it was fun! I even ran into Al and Christina. Funny how I never saw my friends who said they were coming After it all ended around 9, I sat in Nissan’s parking lot for a half hour trying to get out (and another 15 minutes or so on Wellington), but once I was past the first light, it was smooth sailing. Watched Friends and had ice cream at Brian’s ’til I could barely stay awake, somehow managed to drive home, and passed out as soon as I saw my bed. Good times!

Edit: Score, Titan wants to keep me ’til I go back to school! Awesome. Every day I get more comfortable with the system and the employees, so why give up a good thing?

Aww … he said it. The guy that I thought was against loving me (lol) told me he did tonight. OMG it was so cute, at first I was like wait, did you just say what I think you said? Then it registered, and I almost started to cry … he said he actually had loved me for awhile (I wonder how long and if anything made him say it tonight), he was just scared to tell me ’cause he didn’t wanna get hurt again … which is one of his biggest fears (mine too). So I’m gonna do my best to keep that from happening.

It was after we’d come back from Don Pablo’s (where he kept saying how special I was and how much the past 8 months have meant to him and lessened his depression) and buying his bookshelves, and on the way home we’d been listening to Guns ‘N Roses in the car. Since the bookshelves took up the whole right half of the car, I sat behind him, and gave him shoulder massages at stoplights, lol. Then when we got home, he reached for my hands, and we sat in silence while he waited for the song to end … ’cause they mean a lot to him. Once inside, after putting away our boxes from dinner, he was hugging me and saying how he was sorry for being so screwed up (which I don’t think he is … I only tease him about it, and he knows it and always laughs along). Then he hugs me again, and tells me that he’s just so afraid of getting hurt. I said that I’d do my best not to have that happen, but if it does, to tell me. Then he kinda looks down (I think … we’re still basically hugging) … and says, “I love you.” I said it back (and meant it), and it was the sweetest moment … especially when he said, “I haven’t said that in four years.” I was like woah. I know I’d be going crazy if that were me … but that’s gotta say something about the seriousness of his feelings. Aww It was like a dream. Then we just hugged each other tight and kissed, and I felt like crying … I was so happy.

Afterwards I helped him carry the 200 frickin’ pounds of bookshelves into his living room, and then he walked me to my car. I felt so giddy from everything, I don’t know how I got home, lol. And while we were saying bye (only for a couple hours), I told him I loved him, and he replied, “I love you too — so much.” He’s so great, I can’t believe this is happening to me. I’m supposed to be the girl with endless back luck in guys, lol. But nevermore … I’ve found my baby *happy sigh*

So far I’ve told Brad, Erica, and Shaune about it, and both Erica and Shaune were like, aww that’s so cute! And Brad was like, yeah whatever, like that’s true. But he’s just jealous, and can bite me. He’s had his chance — multiple times — and failed. Now I have someone a million times better than him, and there ain’t no way I’m gonna give it up. It’s just going too perfect