Paul falling in love when first meeting her.

She’s grown quite a bit since this was taken.

She’s accompanied by the usual problems: Her defecating and urination habits are getting better, but not quite there yet. Bite inhibition is making slow progress because she’s a retriever and she’ll start teething soon. She knows sit, but is still confused by her own name, “Gwen.” She pulls on the leash and tries to lead you home when taken outdoors. Sleeping through the night is a recent development. She’s not quite grasped the concept of being a “floor dog,” i.e. a critter that doesn’t jump on people to greet them. She howls and whines and cries when I leave the room. She has a radar for trouble.

I wonder if I’m doing a good job raising her a lot. However, I’m convinced I lucked out and was paired up with an extremely sweet, forgiving animal. She’s a good girl.

This is why we don’t talk anymore.

2009 was an interesting year, if you will. It wasn’t the best of times. Between having  really rough start with my first semester at college and Lena dying, I thought it would be an entire downhill slide. I was homesick and confused and unmotivated and generally not a happy camper.

Lucky for me, it had ups as well as downs. WorldCon in Montreal turned out to be a fantastic experience where I finally met my friend Cat and spent some time with Alex and made some important decisions regarding my self-esteem and who I am. San Francisco allowed me to meet up with Meg and another long-time friend. My return to college was made that much better by instantly bonding with a bunch of people – I now have friends I look forward to seeing and genuinely miss. I went to New York City for the first time in my life. I fell in love and subsequently I am no longer perpetually single.

I don’t expect 2010 to be easy. Right off the bat, I can think of several things that will be difficult: I am moving out of my aunt’s house and in with a friend right at the beginning of the semester. I have a hopefully pending transfer to California in sight. My academics are still a major priority in my life, but I have a great deal of emotional issues to sort through.

No matter how crappy my life feels, I’ll have to remind myself that I lead a very charmed life. I have a stable (if slightly dysfunctional) family, a support network that spans the globe and a boyfriend who is too good for words. I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, have the ability to attend school and live in  country that is not constantly torn by war and fear. I have access to health care. I am well-traveled. There’s nothing I truly need (save for maybe a canine companion to keep me a little more even-keeled, because companion animals are glorious that way).

So here’s to you, 2010.

I’m currently back in the UK, accompanied by Melissa. I am 21 years old as of eight days ago. I will be moving in with a friend come January. Lots of crazy stuff has been happening and I don’t know where to begin. However, I’ll attempt to keep better track of this blog from now on because I think it helps people get even a small idea of what the heck I’m up to.

The end.

Since I currently live with a cat, I find this clip and the artist’s other works incredibly hilarious.

All that’s missing is an actual CD and the contact I was supposed to receive so I’d have a bit more of an in with Berkeley. Apparently I’d be able to record our lab sessions or something? I’ll have to track down the technician for it, but I’m sure it will be an adventure.

This is incoherent, but that’s alright. I’m not feeling horribly stringent right now. Next on my list: Calling about contact lenses. I’m getting pressure marks on the bridge of my nose and some minor headaches from wearing glasses again. Blergh.

Hangin’ out in McPherson square while the rally was just filling up.

The turnout was absolutely HUGE. By the time we started marching (at noon), the rally stretched back for several blocks. We didn’t stay for the whole thing, but apparently by the time the march reached the Capitol, there was still TEN BLOCKS worth of people.

One of the many funny signs we saw. We didn’t get a good picture of one sign a gal was holding that said, “IF YOU MET MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU’D WANT TO MARRY HER TOO.” We awww’ed a lot.

Someone gave me a sign. I was leaning on it at this point, waiting for the rally to start. Lots and lots of buses went past us and the tourists gaped.

More signs!

Later we went to Adams Morgan and had lunch there. We saw a whole bunch of people dressed in pink and it turned out there was a 60 mile Breast Cancer Walk going on. Among the many things we saw, there were tricked out motorcycles (one dude had put a lot of pink fuzzy stuff on his motorcycle and a pink lace bra), pink fauxhawks on motorcycles. And then there was this guy:

He was dancing to Will Smith’s Wild Wild West. It was bizarre and hilarious.

The gold-stone put to use. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, so I just went with simple gold-colored spacers and nothing else. It worked.

Butterfly charms (silver) with glass beads.

Matching necklace – glass seed beads, silver-plated spacers, silver butterflies, silver charm bead dangly things and purple cat’s eye.

I’ve been playing around with wire and crimps. That was one of my forays into it. Glass beads, silver spacers, silver crimps and onyx.

I found genius spacers. I think, more than anything, that I love working with chains and jump rings and such. It’s the most fun. Silver-plated chain, silver-plated connector, swallow/sparrow charms.

Silver-plated connector, silver-plated chain, bird charm.

This one’s going to my mother. I couldn’t pass it up. Silver-plated chain, charm, magnetic clasp.

I’m keeping this one. It’s a key-shaped connector, and the charm says “Wisdom.” I figure it’s a good motto to live by.

Dangly necklace for my kid sister. Silver-plated chain, silver charms.

Another one for Miriam. I call this one “Things with Wings.” Silver charms, silver-plated chain.

Leaf-shaped earrings.

I was busy today. THE END.