my holiday break...in a nutshell

Hello everyone!

I had a very nice Christmas (my first ever in Portland!) and New Years with friends. The college was closed from December 23 until January 3rd so I had a nice long break from work. I spent Christmas with Elaine and Gina. I had homemade cinnamon buns (made by lainee) Christmas morning. Gina and I drank coffee and did a jigsaw puzzle and watched movies. I talked on the phone to my parents and both my brother & sister. Later in the afternoon we all went over to their aunt and uncle's house in Vancouver for a big dinner and gift exchange. For me this is the year of the scarf. My mom knit me 4 scarves (a requested item) and Elaine and Gina gave me a soft and dreamy cashmere scarf. I got some great books, a necklace, a new hula doll (for my new car) and some beautiful framed pictures from Jess' recent trip to Italy.

2006 was also the year of the champagne headache. Elaine and I went to our friends' Adam & Bridget's house. We hung out in the garage like teenagers and occasionally fired up the gigantic space heater. It's really more like a jet engine than a space heater. It was a pretty mellow affair with just a handful of friends eating snack and drinking beers. At midnight (or something close to it) we toasted with champagne. I didn't even drink very much of it but the next day I was ruined. A terrible headache and I threw up several times. I can't even remember the last time I threw up. Most of you know I *hate* hangovers and am always drinking water whenever I drink. Champagne and I are not friends though and I'll never drink it again.

During my time off of work I was hoping to go snowshoeing up at Trout Lake but the warm temperatures turned their feet of snow into soup. I was also hoping to go to the coast for one day but it was extremely stormy with high wind warnings on the coast and day after day of rain. I still had a wonderful time off. I could get used to that as I have no shortage of ways to entertain myself.

I played frisbee golf, baked cookies, weeded my garden and planted primroses (I love the Portland gardening schedule). I went to Sassy Jacks and saw Dave and Jimmy Robb play some music. Afterwards (at 2 AM) I gave Jimmy Robb a haircut and trimmed up his beard. haha! I had an incredible dinner at Elaine & Gina's parents' house with mulled wine and prime rib. It was sublime! I read a lot (The Future of Ice by Gretel Ehrlich, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey and Krakatoa by Simon Winchester...just 40 pages til I'm finished). I watched a lot of movies (Grizzly Man, Open Your Eyes, What the $#%@! do we know, House of Flying Daggers, Breaking the Waves and the Comedians of Comedy). I also did a lot of work on my photo cards. I have FINALLY put together a portfolio of cards and I sent up a batch of 70 cards to be sold at the Trout Lake Country. I made over 200 cards over the week.

So that's what I've been up to. I don't have many photos to post but I do have some and will upload them soon! Please let me know how your holidays were! I'm looking forward to the good times that await in 2006!

xoxo,
carolyn