positives.

This weekend was a blast. A bunch of us bought tickets to a beerfest in Smuggs, Vermont. Tickets included eight samples at the Saturday night beerfest, two ski-passes for Sat. & Sun., and a condo. We got six-bedroom condo in which about thirteen people stayed for the night. Next door was a whole other group from UVM which included one of our dear friends, Nick, and also, Erika - a girl who I've known since the fourth grade and who transferred to UVM last year. We all hung out together the whole weekend.

Snowboarding on Saturday was a blast, but I had some difficulties. I borrowed snowboots from Kelly whose feet are significantly smaller than mine. Then, while trying to get off the chair lift at one point, I landed really badly on my tailbone - so much so that for a few seconds, I was scared that I had broken it! I couldn't do anymore runs after that but I was glad I gave it shot and pushed myself to do something so I could have this weekend with my friends. I'll definitely try to snowboard again this season, but that damn chairlift scares the bejeezus out of me!

After calling it a day on the slopes, the rest of the afternoon/evening consisted of hot-tubbing, lots of food which we all brought potluck-style, lots of beers and other alcoholic beverages and the games which involved consuming them, and then finally the beerfest. The beerfest only lasted from 6 until 10, but thank goodness, because we were all exhausted and pushing our limits. The last one of us went to sleep a little after midnight - extremely early for Saturday night shenanigans. What would have caused most of us to sleep in until 10.00 , 11.00, or noon the next day, caused us all to slowly stir as early as 9 the next morning.

Unfortunately, I have never known pain like I felt on Sunday morning. My tailbone and both butt cheeks hurt, my knees hurt in multiple locations, and every single muscle in my upper and forearm hurt excrutiatingly from trying to pull myself up onto my feet every time I fell. Fortunately, the rest of the crew felt the same way I did. We enjoyed a big breakfast, cleaned up the condo and headed out.

On the way home, Mary, my roommate, insisted that we (me, her, Nick, and her boyfriend Jesse) stop at a Christmas tree farm and get a Christmas tree. I was a little reluctant - I was tired, sore, and I just wanted to get out of the driver's seat of my car and onto a plushy couch. By the end of the day though, when the beautiful tree was perfectly nestled in the corner and all lit up in front of the window (outside of which, it was snowing), I was stoked. Our apartment is such a joy to come home to now! Warm, festive, and cozy, I've never enjoyed a more perfect reading location than on our couch in our living room.

Anyway, for the next 10 days, I'll be enjoying the comforts of my apartment and anxiously awaiting to get home to California. I am SO excited to see the fam, the house, my precious little doggie, the city, my friends, my favorite food spots, and so much more. I wasn't really in the holiday mood recently but after the addition of the tree to our apartment (and the fact that I went xmas shopping last night!), I simply can't wait.