I’m feeling better, just with a few lingering and minor cold symptoms.  The school term is done and the holidays have already begun. All three Thanksgivings in Corvallis, Hood River, and Hermiston were awesome and just the familial and gastronomic tonic I needed to get rested and refreshed before the last big push of the term.  Today I’ve gone to yoga, eaten breakfast, stared at the walls, and wasted a chunk of time on the couch and on the internet.  It’s a divine change of pace!

Last weekend we had guests in our house for a long weekend, from Thursday for the victorious Civil War 2009 game and for the 8th annual Llamasgiving.  Chris created quite the tailgate party and Katie and Derek and their family and friends joined us for an orange and green pre-game festival in the cold:

(I don’t know why Katie isn’t doing that silly O-S-U hand gesture instead, but we’ll take an Oregon O from a Beaver fan any day!  )

It was a nerve-rackingly close game, but the Ducks won and they/we are going to the Rose Bowl!  We’ve been trying since Tuesday to get tickets to no avail, but we haven’t given up hope of Pasadena for New Year’s yet…

K & D stayed the night and the next day we went to the dog park to run the doggles around.  Lucky made a new friend in Katie and Derek’s 8 month old puppy, Riddick, and they played to exhaustion… perfect for two laboradors!

Kat and Justin showed up on Saturday and they agreed to come to our 10 p.m. indoor soccer game and then we all treated ourselves to a hot tub session afterwards.  The temps that weekend, and currently, are in the teens, so some nice hot water felt great.

Sunday was Llamasgiving and Erin and Adam decorated their house so festively.  Everyone made such delicious food… it was all so tasty.

This year for holiday caroling, I’ve set up a small instrument ensemble to carry the melody for the singers.  The caroling band had a gig session after dinner: Dylan on percussion, Micah on bass clarinet, Brendan on banjo, and I sang and played the egg shaker.

Caroling is gonna rawk this year thanks to these three.  Thanks doods!  The practice sessions in preparation have been so fun.

I have a mountainous list of tasks that I want to do during this holiday break and every day I’m gonna practice yoga and read every day in addition to all of the fun and busy tasks that are swimming in my “you-have-time-off-so-you-can-do-this-and-this-and-this-and-this” head.