Why did I take only two classes this quarter? So that I could take some deep breaths. And have weekends like this one.

Thursday- great teaching class! Got a TON of homework done in the afternoon. Kay and Jolie showed up around 10. We sat around watching Commander-in-Chief with Natilee, finally drinking the framboise (fancy-schmancy rasberry beer) that my parents gave me for my birthday.

Friday- Holy crap. The best day at Disneyland. Ever. I'm not kidding. I know, I know...in general, I love Disneyland. And am given over to hyperbolic expressions. But it's the happiest place on Earth. And that's not just superlatively-worded advertising. It's the truth. On Friday, it was nice out- but not hot!- we barely had to wait in any lines, and there weren't any whiny kids! Every single child in that park was adorable SOMEhow. No brattiness or loud crying. Just cute little outfits and energy and happiness. And we got to ride the tea cups. And Space Mountain. And the Matterhorn. Twice. Take that!

Saturday- Santa Monica with Kay and her sister Maki. Preliminary shopping. Coffee. Completely enjoyable hanging out. Pierogi sighting (they had a bunch of Polish food stands on 3rd St.) Diddy Riese. And then...we spent Saturday night at the Ritz Carlton. I kid you not. Jolie just started working at a Ritz upstate, so she got an incredibly good deal on a room at the one in Pasedena. We all had a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub late at night. It was great. (I probably won't ever get to stay in a hotel that expensive again...wow...)

Sunday- breakfast in Pasedena with some of Jolie's family. Decided that Pasedena is one of the cutest places ever. (Again, not being hyperbolic. That's just how it is.) And then...we went shopping. And I actually BOUGHT stuff. It was AMAZING. So I've needed a new khaki jacket for a while- my old one is four or five years old, and I got it at gap for $20, so I think I did pretty well. (Regarding this jacket, when I told my mom I had replaced it, she asked, "Which one? The awful ugly ratty one that's been falling apart for a year? That one?") I found another one at gap that I liked, and its GREAT. Deep pockets. Zippers AND snaps. Cute collar. But then... we went to DSW to look at shoes. Let me preface this by saying that for the past few months I've been envisioning a new pair of ballet flats. Olive greenish. And comfortable. As chance would have it, just such a pair was available at DSW on Sunday...on the clearance rack! (!!!) One pair of green ones left, and they were in my size. Comfort level? Let's just put it this way: I might as well be barefoot, walking through a gentle field of fresh-cut summer grass. For just one moment I thought, "well $25? could I do better somewhere else?" Luckily I had the good sense to realize that, as the shoes I had found fitted the EXACT specifications of everything I could ever want in a shoe, it would probably not be wise to put them back. Fate had sent me shoes. And you need to take advantage of opportunities like that. It just doesn't happen every day.

Anyway.

Sunday, continued- back home, lay low for a while, get dinner/play pool/ watch Grey's anatomy with Evangelista and Kay.

:::sigh:::

And now back to work...

But thanks to all of you guys who have visited me this year...Candice, Kay, Eric, everybody. It's nice to regain sanity every once in a while. :)