1 Year After Top Surgery

It has been exactly one year (well, one year and a matter of hours) since I had top surgery, and I’m feeling pretty awesome.

Ending the Post A Day Challenge

I took up The Daily Post’s Post A Day challenge in 2011, meaning that I did my best to post something every day last year. I missed a few days (mainly because I’d been out with friends later than I expected), but overall, I’ve done surprisingly well — nearly 99% of the year. Although I’m not necessarily proud of everything I posted last year, I do feel a sense of accomplishment from having stuck to it. One year, however, was enough. Obviously, I haven’t committed myself to posting everyday this year. 

Christmas Eve Dinner With the Family

Our ornament tree

For years, it’s been tradition in my family that we have my dad’s Swedish meatballs (and, generally, some kind of seafood, partly because I don’t care for Swedish meatballs) for Christmas Eve dinner. This year was no exception, and it was a delicious meal.

The festively set table

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (!!!)

I haven’t been this excited for a movie since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, back in 2003. That’s rather fitting, given that the movie I am so eagerly anticipating is none other than The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of Peter Jackson’s film interpretation of the brilliant J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantastic The Hobbit. I just saw the trailer, and it looks amazing — almost like a continuation (pre-continuation? prequel?) to LotR.

Florida Alligators

My Floridian grandparents are coming to visit for Christmas this year, which reminds me of one of my last trips to Florida. We visited a state park at which we took a boat trip and saw a bunch of alligators, as well as a variety of birds and majestic cypress trees. I was definitely glad to have my camera.

Feminist Fairy Godmother

From Sex with Timaree

I found the above comic on the Sex with Timaree website, and I like it. Giving the person a way to be financially independent (and have a fulfilling career) is totally a better gift than a pretty dress in hopes of catching a prince’s attention.

David Tennant Reading Miki, a Bedtime Story

This video of David Tennant reading Stephen Mackey’s Miki is adorable. It combines beautiful illustrations from the story with David Tennant’s voice and scenes of him actually speaking into the camera. I think it’s intended for children, judging by the way Tennant introduces the story, but I still really enjoy it. 

Chicago: The 51st State?

I saw this article saying that State Representative Bill Mitchell of Decatur wants to separate Cook County (the county that Chicago is in, my former county) from the rest of Illinois. Frankly, I don’t know what to say. It won’t happen, of course, but I’m just slightly dumbfounded. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone argue that a city should become its own state (excluding, perhaps, D.C., which is its own special case), let alone someone actually filing a bill to do so.

Back In Chicago for La Boheme

I’m in Chicago briefly for La Boheme, and I have missed Chicago so much. La Boheme was amazing, and Chicago is my favorite city.

Reflections On “A Sense Of Humor”

A Sense Of Humor, a short film written and directed by Nathan Larkin-Connolly, stars Heather Morris (of Glee), John Weselcouch and Ashley Lendzion. Premise? “Laura was born without the ability to laugh. When she meets and falls for Charlie, a struggling stand-up comedian, he makes it his life purpose to get her to crack up.”