12/31/10 The End

I've found that you can do just about anything for a year. Things that are intolerable in the long run can be dealt with for a year. If there is no end in sight, it makes that thing harder to do in the meantime since you never know how long it will last. For many things it is nice to have that deadline, that end date to look forward to. Research papers, final projects, moving, leaving a job you can't stand, a business trip that takes you away from family. Small or large, it doesn't matter. Of course, there are some things we want to go on forever and we don't want an end date. A good marriage, having good friends and family, you know the like. But for the things that are hard in life it is nice to have a button at the end to look forward to. Sometimes things ending is a good thing. It helps us to learn from the experience and take it for what it is and move on. There are always valuable lessons to be learned from even the worst of experiences and we can hopefully always find at least one positive thing from a bad situation.

What I like about the last day of the year isn't that something is over, but rather, that we can transition into something new starting. Appreciate the year for what it was and look forward to building on the good things that have been started in the year. Recognize the things that didn't go so well and think about how to improve upon them. Not making crazy new year's resolutions that are too big that you can't keep that will make you feel like a failure when you can't keep them all. Look at the relationships you have in your life that are important to you. Making sure to continue to cherish the people you do. Looking at how to improve relationships that need more attention. Things come and go. Stuff wears out. The people we have in our lives will always be there. Hopefully people can focus on surrounding themselves with good people and maintaining a positive support system with people they love and who are important to them. Tell them you love them. Show them you love them. Respect people for who they are. Also be willing to let go of things or relationships that, for whatever reason, are poison to who you are and drag you down and make you miserable. Love the people who may hurt you but be willing to let them go so that you can ultimately love yourself for the amazing person that you are.

I am thankful for the past year. I have learned a lot. I have been disappointed and I have been amazed. I have had ups and I have had downs. I have lost and I have gained. Through it all I have been surrounded by people who love and care about me. Thank you all.

kk

12/30/10 French Waffles

Growing up, my dad would bring French Waffles from Larsen's Bakery over for Christmas. I don't even know how to explain them. But they are out of this world. I haven't had one in ages, but at Thanksgiving when I visited Jennifer we went to the bakery and I had one. They are made slightly differently than when I was growing up. They used to have plain buttercream filling and the ends of them were dipped in chocolate. Now, they are no longer dipped in chocolate and the filling is slightly pink due to the raspberry filling. You can't really taste the raspberry but it still makes it look different. Still delicious. I was so excited to be coming up here at Christmas because I was going to bring one home to share. When I got there this morning, they were out! They are still trying to catch up from the holiday and they haven't had a chance to make them! They had a lot of bare shelves. I was devastated. Yes, not having a treat that I've been looking forward to can do that to me. Especially since I am going to start my healthful eating with the start of the new quarter. French waffles won't be on my list of good foods so I am sad I don't get to have one now, while I still can. So instead I purchased some cinnamon bread that I think will be good. I've heard it makes good french toast so I am going to try that this weekend. I am leaving the bakery still dreaming of French Waffles.

I am thankful for French Waffles from Larsen's bakery.

kk

12/29/10 RHS Honors English/History

Today I drove back up to Seattle to visit with friends from high school. Every year a group of us from the honors English and History block class get together to visit. What a bunch a nerds we all are. I love it. They are all great people who have gone on to do great and amazing things. We share a history that we can reminisce about, but we aren't all stuck in the past. We can relate to and enjoy each other for who we are as people today. And we can have intelligent conversations which isn't always the case with people I meet, unfortunately. I arrived super early, as there was amazingly enough no traffic, and helped Meredith finish getting her house ready for 20 people to come visit. She and her family had just arrived home from a week long trip to visit her family in California that afternoon! Busy. I ate some delicious food and was able to get rid of more holiday cookies. I think they are multiplying in my tupperware... I had a lovely evening visiting people and then was able to spend the night at one friends house and I get to see her 2-year-old in the morning! I'm very excited. Eloise is so cute.

I am thankful for the friendships that I have maintained with people from high school.

kk

12/28/10 Speaking of a delicious spread...

Hooray for leftovers! They were good the first time around and sometimes even better the second. And I don't have to prepare anything. Yay!

I am thankful for leftovers.

kk

12/27/10 AK visits the lower 48

8 years ago my dad moved to Anchorage in order to work with the FAA. Despite him moving thousands of miles away, we are lucky that we get to see him fairly often. Today was one of those days. He and his wife come down for Christmas and stay with her daughter on the coast. Which means that they can make the hour and a half drive to my house pretty easily to have a Christmas celebration with me, Erika and Scott, and mom. So today was the day. They drove over and we had a nice time visiting and opening gifts and eating a delicious spread. We are lucky that they are able to take time off to come down here and visit.

I am thankful for the opportunity to visit with my dad.

kk

12/26/10 Pit Stop

We woke up this morning and had a nice breakfast with my aunt and uncle. It is really nice to stay with them because we get to talk to them. When we are at my grandparent's house we have something like 30 people to talk to. Plus with all the activity of opening gifts, eating, etc., we hardly get to actually talk to everyone. And my uncle seems to be hard to track down at big family gatherings as well. So what I was telling my mom today on the car ride home was that it is really nice to stay there so that we get to talk to him. We had nice conversation last night and a good breakfast this morning. Then we packed up and headed over to Barb's. I think we were over there for about two hours as well. We had a nice time over there and then got back on the road for Portland.

We used to stop in Centralia for gas and a restroom. But if we don't need gas, an Arco restroom is not very desirable. On Thanksgiving my mother and I stopped at exit 72 instead of 82 and used the restroom at the McDonald's there and got a hot chocolate. It was much better. So today we did the same thing on the way home. No one else wanted a beverage but as I was hacking in the car to the point of vomiting, never fun, I got one thinking it would help coat my throat. And it did. I am sorry that the preceding was so graphic and gross. I am sure that would be labeled "tmi," but I feel it is important to note how bad my coughing was in order to appreciate how awesome a 12oz cup of hot chocolate was.

I am thankful for my hot chocolate from the McDonalds espresso machine at exit 72.

kk

12/25/10 Merry Christmas!!!

This year my mother, younger sister, and I drove up to Bellevue to celebrate Christmas with our extended family on Christmas morning. Last year we drove up Christmas Eve. I drove to my mom's and we opened stockings. I got a shovel and a hatchet! And then we went and picked up Erika. We got to say hello to Scott, her fiance, who isn't able to come with us this year since he works at 6am tomorrow. Then we headed up to Seattle. There is usually a lot of traffic and some always experienced slow down areas. Today was a different day. There was hardly anyone on the road and we made amazing time. I tried to rest in the backseat. I even brought a pillow and wore comfy clothes for the trip. We arrived in plenty of time for me to change without feeling rushed and get ready for the annual family photo of my grandparents plus all the grandchildren and great grandkids. It was a smooth ride and we were all in good spirits.

I am thankful for there not being any traffic this morning!

kk