As I was blowing the dust off my last blog, I noticed a theme that I felt I had been thinking through recently. Because my last blog was a year ago, I mentioned my thoughts on Christmastime. Added to that, through a series of strange events which I will elaborate on, I am reading Siddhartha for the first time right now during the Christmas season.

So first of all the back story: Strangely, my husband gave his personal, used copy of Siddhartha to a young friend who was moving away. Now I know my husband and I are different, but it made me ponder about the fact that the book was so important to him, yet I had never read it myself. Secondly, I realize amongst educated people there are some books that are just a necessity to have a cultural literacy about. Finally, a couple of my students were reading the book two days after my husband had given it away. When I mentioned my not having read it story, the very next day one of my students brought me their copy and insisted I read it over Christmas break. So there I was, starting off reading this philosophical book in the season of indulgence.

I am nearly finished at this point, but as I was again reading through my blog from last year, a question just kept coming to my mind about the whole middle road of peace and tranquility concept: Don’t you have to experience, for example, the total and complete overindulgence of one season to truly appreciate the hunger pangs of the next?

So my husband started this all male grownup fraternity gathering of sorts named the Plaid Bastards. On Superbowl Sunday, they are hosting some sort of tomfoolery at a bowling alley. So I decide I will get the female cohorts together for a lovely spa day while they are off bowling. The problem: “none” of these guys are married or have girlfriends. The result: me and one other girl. Is that some sort of sign? Should “Plaid Bastards” not be married? Check out the website and let me know. www.plaidbastards.com

So I made it through the holidays mostly unscathed. I’m now back to yoga, diet, and no drinking. I met my goal of reading the Chronicles of Narnia and work is going smoothly. Seems like a great start. I was talking to coworkers today about the concept that people don’t really talk about work unless something bad is happening. Although I don’t fully agree with this, I can see the truth behind it. Life just doesn’t seem to be as “interesting” without the ever present conflict. On that topic I can complain that the same coworker made fun of my “moccasin” boots during our discussion, so I think I will start a wonderful man vs. man conflict story about her and I and our adventures together.

It’s official: I’m off of work for 2 1/2 weeks. I have nothing planned except a short trip to Vegas, and I’m okay with that. I plan on reading the whole Chronicles of Narnia set and not accomplishing much else. I don’t even have plans for New Year’s. Any suggestions as to what I should accomplish before 2006 looms large?

So I felt like I had this real epiphany last week. I’ve been trying to describe it to people and have so far been unsuccessful. But here goes anyway: I’ve never understood people describing themselves as “depressed” during the holidays. I mean seriously, unless you have lost a loved one, how can you fight the lights, the mood, the overall cheeriness (and shopping) of those around you. Not to mention the focus on good will and Christ. But (here comes the epiphany part) I think I finally get it this year. I realized at some point that I no longer wanted to work, diet, exercise (even yoga), basically “do” all the normal things of everyday living. I honestly love my job, but I’ve been getting up with nothing but a disgruntled attitude for the last two weeks. With the celebration of Christmas beginning sometime right after Halloween, I have begun to feel cheated. I mean why can’t I just sit at home, watch holiday movies, drink wine and live on a diet of nothing but Christmas cookies? So it’s not that I’m sad, but I’m not enthused about the normal day to day stuff of life. Is that it?

So we got our website up and kicking; check it out: www.connect928.com

My students are so nice this year. How nice you ask? They have officially started an IPod fund for me. They have already collected $15.31. Just another 185 dollars to go . . . They ask, “Will you really take the money?” I reply, “Heck yeah, what do you want me to actually donate it to a worthy cause?” I love influencing the minds of tomorrow. Maybe I will even take a picture to remember my nice students of 2005-2006.

by the end of today:

It just dawned on me that I have no celebrity crush right now. I worked past Brad Pitt as Achilles ala Troy. I moved on to illegal, under-age Stephen from Laguna Beach, but he is a little too wussy this season to really truly enjoy. I thought Jason would be a nice substitute but he is too much of a serial monogamist. What’s a girl to do?

Although many exciting and more mundane yet still thoroughly enjoyable events took place on our recent trip to California, the most personally exciting was the purchase of my new beach cruiser. Husband and I own mountain bikes, but how passe and Pacific Northwest of us. The poor things haven’t been brought out since the one time we used them in Havasu and we drove them into the house, forgetting they were even up there on the rack. Husband even gave them a new home: our roof, how sad. So as Malu was getting closer to her bike purchase, I also wanted to get a bike, but a beach bike–no complicated gears, no pretense of actual “exercise.” Just total “cruise” mentality. While in Cali, we checked out one shop, and I was pretty surprised by the prices. We hit up good old big 5 and they had one lonely lame beach cruiser. Then we found the shop where my new baby resided. The second I saw it I knew it was the only one I would be satisfied with. James made me try it out and he described that as he spoke with the young guy working there and I pulled back into view, I had a grin the size of Montana plastered on my face. Husband made one request: what kind of bargain could we get for my bike and the one Malu was stuck to, and he bought the whole shebang for us! From that point on, the three of us were cruising around the campsite, with just swimsuits and Husband on his skateboard. Malu even met a little bike-boyfriend. How cute and YAY!

We just got back from Los Gaviotas, Mexico. It was such a shockingly wonderful time. Because the husband was in charge of the planning I just didn’t know many details about where we would be staying. We crossed the border, drove through Tijuana, and eventually pulled into the beautiful gated community of Los Gaviotas. What a shock. It was beautiful in a really different way from the beauty I am accustomed to in Havasu. Then the house we were staying at: right on the ocean. Just (cheesy I know) breathtaking. There were so many memorable aspects but primarily the surf break was literally right in front of our house. I could watch husband surf from my hammock while reading, give him the thumbs up when he caught a wave, and I could even “hear” him he was so close. How cool. We got to eat everyday at Taco Surf. I’ve never heard or had a torta (?) before but it is my new fave. And we got to cruise through the Rosirito area with the pseudo-Gotti brothers, minor celebrities (the janeceks) that not only rule the town but show it by driving at high speeds in their lifted truck, blaring music. It was entertaining and a completely new experience, yay! And on top of all that, we are leaving for Doheny again on Friday. Geesh.