What's been going on

Gary said to me last night, "I think you're avoiding me."

"I'm not avoiding you," I replied, "I'm just busy and hectic and crazy."

That's the way I feel about you, dear blog. So here's what's been going on:

• Thanksgiving, food, family, happiness, blah
  
  
• Work has reached new levels of hellacious suck. There is so much that I want to tell you all, but you know, it's the internet and I don't want to get fired. Let me put it this way, though: Just when I think that it can't get any more horrible and that there's no possible way I can get treated any worse or be more stressed out, this place surprises me. Again.
  
  
• Yes, yes, I know. And I am, believe me. But there's nothing out there. Trust me. I've been looking every night.
  
  
• Final projects are starting to trickle in for grad school, and I seriously need to apply the seat of my pants to a chair and work like a mofo on them.
  
  
• There is also a ton of stuff that's been floating around my head that I would like to write. See above with applying the seat of my pants to a chair.
  
  
• My one professor from grad school (Talking Stick Woman, for those in the know) wants me to take the one piece I wrote for the class and seek publication for it. This is highly laughable because -- and I'm not just being modest here -- the piece sucks. For real. If I had handed this piece into Dr. McCormick he would have thrown it back in my face. But this woman lets us get away with a lot and the piece was due the week of the Conference so I fudged it, handed it in and hoped for the best. I know exactly how much time and effort I spent on that writing. If she thinks that it can be published (and I know in my head how much better it could be if I actually made an effort), then I guess that says something. Then again, she could just be, you know, misguided. But in the "Operation: Get published" file, I've registered for a writing workshop next semester. This may or may not make me carry around my laptop at all times and be in a constant state of writing.
  
  
• Speaking of "Operation: Get published," I've begun submitting my photography to places. Well, just one place, so far. But it's a step! Keep fingers crossed for me.
  
  
• Speaking of photography, my uncle and I kept up our Black Friday tradition and went thrift store shopping in Lebanon. And keeping with our thrift store tradition, we each bought cameras. 3 of the four cameras purchased still had film in them. I love when that happens. Because while it's probably nothing, it could be something. I bought a retro camera and that still had film in it, and I am dying to get that done. Only problem -- does anyone know where I can get 126 film developed? Exactly. Finding a place to get 120 film done was hard enough.
  
  
• Happy Birthday, Kelly and Luke!
  
  
• Monica came to Thanksgiving from Ireland and brought everyone presents. Obviously she knows the way to our hearts: bribery. She brought me Irish magazines and Revels, God love her. Ignore what those reviewers are saying, by the way. Raisin ones are good, coffee ones are good, orange ones are obviously the best.
  
  
• Special shout-out to Mare -- I'm thinking of you this week, kiddo.

That's about it everyone. I hope your Thanksgivings were warm and filled with lots of sweet Tryptophan.