I would not be upset if you mailed these things to me...

Yep. I am posting this at the risk of sounding tacky. And yes, I feel like a child writing home from summer camp. But it has been way too long since I've received any mail, (I'm beginning to question whether somebody is intercepting it... or if you all have forgotten about me...) and just to elbow you in the right direction, I figured I'd share with you my latest cravings and necessities. But mostly cravings. You can do whatever you want with this information. ;)

 

Letters. Cute stationary preferred, but not required.

Girl Scout Cookies. Most notably Tagalongs or Samoas.

Macaroni and Cheese. The only antidote for the blue box blues.

 

 Tootsie Rolls. Why? I have no idea. 

 

Caramel Creams. Because sometimes you need a "grandma" treat.

 

Secret Flawless Invisible Solid -- Totally Fresh scent. Supplies are running low!

Don't have my address? Why didn't you say so! Ask my mom ... or send me an email! I will gladly share it with trustworthy individuals. :)

I am not dead.

Dear blog,
I have been horrible. Really, really horrible. I am well aware that it has been 3 weeks since I have last updated you. This whole time, I knew that I should be writing things, but the more time that passed, the less I felt like doing it. So today I'm biting the bullet. I don't even have anything interesting to say, but I just want you all to know that I'm not dead. In fact, quite the opposite.

These last few weeks have been pretty awesome, actually. While it still gets cold at night, the afternoons have been nice enough to sit outside and read or paint, to have coffee with friends, and just enjoy life. So, that's what I'm doing -- just enjoying life.

Also, I currently have the world's best roommates. This is a 180° turn from where I was a month ago, when I was living alone with The Creeper (aka Radio, aka Hungry Monkey, aka Tony). Life is so much better with friends around! In a strange and totally unexpected twist in life, after months of me looking for a new apartment and trying to get out, it turns out that all of my friends (not all of them, but you know what I mean) have come to live with me. So now we're a happy family -- Me, Ivan, Meredith ... and Tony. Still Tony. But being with friends has made everything so much more bearable and life is much more enjoyable.

Also, I have been/will be traveling a bit, which is always a fun addition to life.

Last weekend I went to Cádiz for Carnaval, which, as you may or may not know, is my favorite holiday in the world, as of last year. The best way I can think to describe it is like Halloween with more alcohol and Mardi Gras with less boobs. In Spain, it is celebrated as a ginormous costumed botellon, where everyone dresses up in highly original costumes, often with a common theme among friend groups. They bring their alcohol to the public squares to drink together. It's debauchery at it's finest. Ok, so before you get the wrong impression -- I didn't go for the debauchery so much. I went for the atmosphere. It has come as a shock to me lately that I AM OLD. I can no longer stay out all night. I can no longer drink without feeling hung over almost immediately. I don't like the loud music in bars anymore, (exceptions made for good DJs or good music). All signs point to old age. So our Carnaval adventure began with a train ride to Cádiz at 2pm, and by midnight we were in the car on our way back to Sevilla. I am really happy with the way things worked out, though. We had a great night, but I was still in bed by 2am. Us old people like our sleep.

This weekend, I will be going to Granada! And the weekend after, I will be taking a trip back up to Toledo. I already know these cities (as the Spanish would say)... but they're both great. Granada is fabulous, and I'm excited to spend a few days there, mostly for the free tapas. ;) Toledo, of course, is like my home away from home, and on this trip, I'll get to share it with some of my friends from Sevilla. I am quite looking forward to these adventures.

Well... Until next time, friends! Hopefully I'll have some good updates in the near future!

Happy Retirement, Mom!

Beauty.

After 41 years of nursing, the greatest woman I know, my mother, will be retiring tomorrow. You have no idea how much I wish I were there to celebrate this moment with her. After all those days of working overtime, of taking work calls at home, of meeting people outside of work, she will finally be able to let go a little and relax! She's not giving up nursing completely -- I don't think she ever will. But she's giving up her full time gig. I am so happy for her and hope she enjoys her new part time schedule. (And I'm sure she will!)

So here is where I gush about her, and let you all know how proud I am to have her as a mom.

As far as mothers go, I don't think I could have asked for a better one. She's my best friend, my best source of advice, my example. She is one of the most compassionate people I know. She is always willing to help others, and often goes the extra mile to do so, not caring what she has to give up in return. She's a hard worker. She fights for what she believes in. She is strong, beautiful, smart, thoughtful, caring, and selfless. And I can't imagine what my life would be like without her.

My mom has always been my biggest supporter. Always. She has always trusted me, and has always believed in me and my ability to make good choices. She gave me a lot of independence as a teenager, and in return, I always knew that she had my back when I needed her. She's the kind of mom that you can call at any time of night, with any kind of problem, and she will never get angry. All she cares about is our well-being and safety. She raised my brother and me on her own, and she gave up so much of her own time and life to make sure that we were able to do what we wanted to do. She would give anything to make sure we're happy -- and she has. It's not cheap or easy to move to Spain, but she makes it work. When I need somebody to talk to, she's the first person I call -- despite the time differences and international calling rates.  I hope she knows how much I have appreciated the sacrifices that she's made for me.

I just hope that someday I will grow up to be as compassionate and caring as she is. I hope that I can have the same strength and courage that she has, to fight for what I believe in. And I hope that when I have children of my own, I can be as good of a mother as she has been to me. The world needs more people like her.

I have definitely been blessed.
Love you, mom! I'm so proud of you! And I wish you all the best!