Christmas 2010

This year for Christmas I went to Belgrade Montana. It is a suburb of Bozeman and is now home to two of my favorite adults and definitely my three favorite little ones. Is there anything better than watching kids open presents? They are so excited! I can't remember the last time I was so excited about getting a present that I screamed.

This was also the first time I had been to my sister's house in 7 years. It sounds insanely long, but every time I have seen her and the family they have been visiting us. She has a beautiful home and I was glad I got to see it. Montana is also pretty great. To get there we had to drive through Yellowstone since it was pitch dark, snowy and foggy I missed the view. Luckily the return trip was a daytime trip so I got to see the scenery. But the best part was just hanging out with my family. We played cards, laughed, ate and relaxed. It was something I really needed and I am glad I got to go even if it was for only 3-1/2 days.

Evolution

I would like to discuss for a moment, evolution. Not in the "did we descend from monkeys" kind or even my favorite "music's evolution through the ages" kind. No, instead I speak of relationships. I foolishly thought that as I matured and so did the people around me, that relationships would be easier. Man was I wrong! Even at 29 and 3/4 of age, dating still makes me feel like an angsty teenager. Instead there is a whole NEW level of worries. Instead of the normal worries about making a good impression I now have the added worry of not scaring someone. At this point in my life I know what things are important to me in a mate and have to admit that I am getting a little impatient. I want to meet someone and fast forward to the part where we both know each other well enough that it would be "easy" to tell if the relationship has lasting power. So I have to reign in my natural tendency to leap before I look, to spill everything about me all at once and allow things to progress at a more "normal" pace. It would be great if there was some kind of scientific formula. Just think about how great that would be! It would look something like this:

Age of Male + Age of Female divided by 2, multiply Male's longest relationship + Female's longest relationship (in months) divided by the median of how many children the two want.

The end number would be a relationship score, kind of like a credit score and the higher the number the more positive the outcome. So maybe I have oversimplified and taken some liberties but at the moment I am feeling pretty frustrated. I would love to think up a formula for first contact to dating to marriage timeline, but I am all thought out right now.

Dog Love!

Fishy

Soda

Rosie aka Marley aka the Beast

Penny

Diesel

Road Trip!

Keys to a successful road trip:

1. Go with people you can stand to be with for hours. It is helpful if you are comfortable enough with your travel partners to have long periods of silence and not feel awkward.
2. Layer your wardrobe, that way if you don't like the temperature the driver has chosen you can add or subtract as needed.
3. Don't over pack the car with luggage OR people. Even if you are not claustrophobic hours at a time in a confined space can get irritating .
4. Bring something to do. If you don't get carsick bring a book. I get carsick so I knit, that way I don't have to take my eyes off the road but still keep my hands occupied.
5. T-U-N-E-S are vital. There should be some kind of agreement over who controls them. Usually it is the driver. This also means that you may have to suffer through some music you don't like. Deal with it or bring an iPod so you can tune it out. I have found that classic rock is usually universal. Who doesn't love some classic Hall & Oates or Queen?
6. Snacks. Even if you buy your own prepare to share, it is common courtesy. Beef jerky is always a favorite because it is substantial and staves off hunger between stops.
7. Drinks. The key is moderation because you don't want to stop unless you have to. So if you get a big drink, pace yourself.
8. Car games. You can do the license plate game where you find different states, the billboard game, and I Spy. My new favorite one is as you pass cars that have the built in DVD players, try and figure out what movie they are watching. It helps if you know a lot of children's movies by sight.