Like many recent weeks, the only places I drove during the week were home and work (with the exception of one evening at Advent church). Life has been extraordinarily quiet recently, which is a welcome change after a busy year of traveling.* It is a wonderful thing, not knowing when I will be traveling next 🙂
*For reference, between the end of February and the end of November, I visited Seattle (twice), Kansas City (twice), Chicago (three times), Indianapolis, the Wisconsin Dells, London, Paris, and Nashville.
This weekend was certainly more lively than the week leading up to it. I started off Friday night with Pure Barre (what a surprise) and headed home to make a delicious dinner – pizza with chicken, roasted red pepper, tomato, mozzarella, and homemade pesto (from my mom):
In preparation for next weekend’s movie extravaganza (read: we are seeing Star Wars on Saturday at 9 AM), we watched Episode V on Friday and Episode VI on Saturday. I have learned a frightening amount about Star Wars in the weeks since Kevin started playing Star Wars Battlefront. The game is true to the films and mimics the landscapes and battle scenes perfectly, and I have actually grown to a point where I can identify a planet from a picture. Not bad, considering that three years ago, a senior engineer (who I spoke with while being interviewed for a job) told me that I needed to see the Star Wars movies. 😛
The big news of the weekend was all for other people – I checked the mail on Saturday morning, and found a beautiful save-the-date for my friend Audrey’s wedding. 🙂 we met through Science Olympiad many years ago, and both ended up becoming chemical engineers! I am so excited to be able to witness the beginning of the rest of her & Christopher’s lives together.
The other exciting news of the weekend – my friend Nathan got engaged! As many of you know, Nathan was one of my closest friends in college, who I met in calc 2 honors (and other classes) in the first week of college. His fiancée, Banoo, was also in that calc 2 honors class, and I got to know her through our involvement in SWE. Finally, shortly after we graduated, they started dating 🙂 I couldn’t be happier for these two, and I am so happy to see them so happy. This is another wedding that I can’t wait to attend!
So, after squealing about all the happy news for my friends, it was time to enjoy the 70 degree weather (in December – this is unreal). We spent Saturday afternoon walking around Kirkwood, finishing off a little Christmas shopping and eyeing the cookie cutters that I want to buy from Cornucopia (read: they sell dinosaur cookie cutters). Afterwards, we dropped by Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood for a beer – Christmas ale for me, and a pumpkin ale for Kevin.
On Sunday, I dropped Kevin off at the airport and zipped down to church. Normally, I am rushing in at 7:54, so it was nice to arrive at 7:45 for a change. The sanctuary looked beautiful.
Much of the afternoon was spent on puppy playtime. I had a quality two hours with my Scout-monster – she is just three days shy of a year old! This dog has brought so much joy to my family’s lives since March. I know she drives my parents crazy sometimes, but she is a sweetheart and so full of energy. I also dropped by my aunt’s house, under the illusion of stopping by for a Christmas sweater (which I did get), but actually to play with her sweet dogs, Ishi and Elly. I love them and they love me. 🙂
Later, I went to Pure Barre (notice a theme?) and walked over to the pretty Christmas tree, before heading home for a quiet evening of Gilmore Girls and Trader Joe’s mac & cheese. (They mentioned electrochemistry on a season 2 episode – this is my thing.)
I spent the entirety of last night making sugar cookies for work (and wishing that I hadn’t been so ambitious with these baked goods). The recipe made an insane number of cookies. I’m bringing 18 to my old group today, already put a huge bag in the freezer, and still have two plates in the fridge to ice tonight…
Otherwise, it’s just a standard week with Pure Barre, airport chaffeuring, Star Wars, and finishing those last few touches for Christmas. I need some time off 😛 Just 8 days until winter break 🙂
Kate
Planes & Pink 