If I had all the money in the world and a fabulous house (ok, maybe just a place with a dining room rather than slightly larger kitchen) this would be the table I'd have to have.


$1800 for an impractical dining room table isn't that ridiculous, is it?

Friday Andy came home from work and really wanted to go see Slumdog Millionaire. I didn't know anything about it, but why not? After all, it's not like I had schoolwork to worry about (and yeah, I'll pull that one a lot).

I really liked it! Of course, if I liked it, that probably gives away the ending.

If you go see it, be sure to stay for the credits. I like big bollywood dance numbers - all movies should have one.<

Why I am not able to cook at home right now:

And that's only about half of the gingerbread army, the rest that's behind me in the picture cover the rest of the counters! I made most of these Saturday and just about wore me out completely!

This year:

• Gingerbread cookies
• Poinsettia cookies (which I make with a holly cookie cutter, and are corn starch based)
• Buckeyes (with rice crispies - who knew no one makes them with rice crispies???)
• Peppermint bark
• Butterscotch cornflakes
• Cream cheese cookies (with red velvet cake!)

I didn't think I would get to make all these this year, as there's so little time between Thanksgiving, finals, and Christmas.

The shopping is all finished, and I'm pretty happy with the gifts I've picked out. Of course, this year, I really don't want anything (yeah, I'm the obnoxious person on your list like that). I've already gotten my gift from USC. And I'll enjoy the big surprise I have for my family as much as I hope they will.

We're leaving Wednesday and really hoping the weather doesn't ruin the trip.

Well, that's it. Three years over and done, as of last Thursday. It's still a little hard to wrap my brain around the fact that I won't have to take more classes in the spring, and of course it's a little anticlimactic as there is no graduation ceremony until May. But, regardless, it seems that I've finished my MBA (I have one grade already, which is insanely quick, but to be fair my other class's final wasn't scheduled until tomorrow so a lot of people haven't taken it yet).

Thursday night I pulled the last number off of the closet door countdown, had pink champagne, and even talked to my mom although it was crazy late there. Friday I went for a nice long run, decorated the Christmas tree, and went to dinner & a movie with some friends. Saturday was Christmas shopping and a going-away party (that was fun despite the circumstances), and Sunday I made buckeyes and spent most of the day at Disneyland. That's right: all fun, all weekend. I'm re-integrating into society!

Of course, I still worry about discovering a big red F in my transcript, or that there was a certain class I was supposed to take and didn't, or some other kind of mistake. Other universities make you apply to graduate, but I have to say the PM office has really taken care of most everything for me.

I don't really bring it up at work unless it's important (I had to leave the holiday party a little early to fight traffic for my last exam), and someone even asked me today where I was going to school. It makes me feel a little awkward to talk to people about it sometimes - it's this enormous part of my life, a lot of people I know are getting or already have post-graduate degrees, and yet really very few people (9.4%) do.

Either way, it appears to be over with, but there is quite a bit that will keep me busy for a while!

OK. I have 16 days left of school. And I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Las Vegas (don't judge! my homework is almost done!).

Meanwhile I started thinking about making a turkey ... today ... I have 3 ladies who need some sort of blue dress and are kindly waiting for me to pick it out, I have invitations to order, a musician to pay, and a list of things to do when I get to be a human being again. And THEN I will blog some more.

This is such a neat little gadget.

I have such an (un)healthy obsession with how many calories I burn. I think it's the little accountant synapse that gets all excited - "it's like a bank account for your body!!!" There just aren't too many formulas you can apply to yourself.

It's probably something that would get old after a week or so. But at least you don't have to wear one of those heart rate monitor bands around your chest for it to work.

Also, the display reminds me of my old cell phone. I kind of liked it.

This is so cute/pretty/sweet...And expensive. And not silver.