the cold

so, in general, i've been pleasantly surprised with this winter. it took a really long time to get consistently cold. now it's been bouncing around between the 20's and 30's for the last little while, and i think i can deal with that. I've learned that 1) gloves are important if you like having hands, 2) the parts of your body that aren't covered will sometimes hurt for a while when you get back inside (like your face), 3) you can go running even before the sun comes out as long as you wear every article of running clothing that you own (it looks a little silly though).

so all in all, it's kinda fun.

bad directions

this is funny. apparently you shouldn't ask google maps how to get around certain parts of new jersey.


EDIT: ok, it's not funny anymore. google changed it because it was too funny. for a day or two, when you looked up directions to that particular place in new jersey the results came back with a couple hundred u-turns at the end. As in, turn right on US 1-N, make u-turn, go 200 ft, make u-turn, go 200 ft, make u-turn, etc... anyway, i guess this post isn't very good anymore. sorry.

Buddy

i haven't had much experience with death in my life. luckily, the people who i'm closest with have been able to stick around so far. so today when my great old black lab was put to sleep was a new and heart-wrenching experience for me. I know most people would say that he was just a dog, and one that barked a lot and wouldn't let you look away for even a moment, but he was a special guy and it's terrible to lose him. It was cute seeing how my parents went from just accommodating their son's crazy idea to actually liking the dog, and seeing my dad grow to be pals with him and dutifully make sure he got his walk around the neighborhood each night. buddy was crazy about my dad, but i think that is because he would share his breakfast and was also the most liberal with the dog treats. you know, there are a million things i could write about him, but it wouldn't mean much to anyone who didn't already know him, so i won't worry about writing them down. but we sure did love that dog.

snow

it snowed! for about 2 minutes, and none of it stuck, but it was definitely snowing for a minute there. maybe it will come back soon.

country sights

While I was home for the break, I got a chance to go on a nice country drive with my mom. It was really beautiful out there. But I already knew that and have probably mentioned that before. The important point is that there are cool animals out there. Look. Here's a lama type animal.















And here is a funny horned sheep/goat animal















Here's another angle on that one, this time with his friend.
















They were really friendly and wanted to be pet and to lick our hands. Pretty cute in an ugly sort of way.

back in nyc

alright, I'm back at school now. I got here a few days ago, but I've been so busy getting back into school that I haven't had time to post anything until now. It was about 70 degrees here when I got off the plane, which has me thinking I might want to buy an SUV and do my part to keep the whole global warming thing going. being home for those couple of weeks was great. my mom makes the best fudge and toffee. anyway, I want to write a bit more, but I really have a lot of reading to do, so I'll see if I can get that done and then post something more later.

sorry

i haven't really been blogging lately. sorry about that if you've been checking for updates. i've been home in california for a week or two, and i'll be here until saturday. it's been a nice break so far. i'll probably start blogging again when i get back to ny. right now i need to focus on other things, like not studying.