Pin-interest

Have you ever watched Extreme Couponing? I watched a season of it on Netflix and found it mesmerizing. People have so much dedication to their systems, it's kind of amazing. They plan and tally and work the system and manage to end up spending only a few bucks on carts and carts worth of stuff! And I admire it, even though the things they buy don't always make sense to me. I don't, for instance, understand why one would need sixty bottles of mustard (or, like, even TWO bottles of mustard. Mustard isn't that good and it kind of lasts forever). What I'm saying is that it looks like a satisfying thing to be good at. I don't have the desire or storage space necessary to buy hundreds of bottles of laundry detergent and chicken fingers, but I sure WOULD like to be able to march into a grocery store or Target and buy the things I actually need and only have to spend four dollars. I'd like to coupon, but without having to spend the sixty hours a week looking up internet coupons and stealing newspapers.
Um. Anyway the purpose of that whole paragraph was to explain: there are some things I just want to be good at without actually having to work at and learn it. It's why learning to sew on a sewing machine is still untouched at #13 on my Life Scavenger Hunt even though I got a sewing machine a couple years ago. I read the instruction manual and learned how to thread the thing and sewed a few crooked lines of stitches into an old pair of underpants, but now I just want to go straight to being able to whip up complicated quilts and whimsical stuffed animals. (I was also very disappointed to learn how much IRONING is involved in sewing.)


So. I would like to be good at some things (not EVERY thing) without having to work at it. DIY home improvement is something I'd like to be good at, but I hate reading instructions and also I don't have a workroom or, like, a basic understanding of tools and construction. I can daydream all I want about creating a built-in wall of shelves behind my bed but it just isn't going to happen. For the present time I tend to stick to smaller-scale projects and even they can sometimes turn out disastrous.

I saw this idea at a friend's house the first time, and I thought it was brilliant-- an extra shower curtain rod against the wall of your shower for all the miscellaneous crap that would otherwise be cluttering up the ledges of the bathtub! Apparently it was such a good idea that it had even made Pin-interest (what my mom calls Pinterest). Examples here and here.

The idea looked easy enough, so I gave it a go:

Ta da!

I bought a shower curtain rod at Bed Bath and Beyond and then picked up some cute pink and white plastic baskets at the Japanese variety store (it's like a dollar store with bento boxes). It was a bit of a challenge getting the baskets on there and then hoisting the whole thing into the shower and sproinging it out to secure to the walls, but I did it.
And it came out perfect!

Two hours later:

*crash*

Yeah... it fell down. And then I put it back up. And it fell down again the next day. And then I had someone stronger than me (anyone is stronger than me, but in this case it was boyfriend) put it up. And it fell down again. I gave up, pulled the baskets off the shower rod, and distributed them within the bathroom as freestanding stuff-holding receptacles. I won't tell you what I did with the shower rod (nothing. It's still in the bathroom, leaning against the wall).
My first pin-interest project? Nailed it.

Potpourri

I bought so much felt food today that I could almost host a felt dinner party!
That was the sentence that I wanted to start this post with in order to explain that, hey everyone, I bought a whole bunch of felt food today that I'll be giving to my nieces for Christmas. But then I realized that's... pretty much it.

---

I don't know how to tell this story without making myself sound lame and incompetent, but here it is anyhow: I got a needlestick last week. We had a patient come in who was having knee pain so the doctor decided we should aspirate the fluid from the joint. I was all sterile techniquing and prepping the area and whatnot and then the doctor handed me the (sterile) needle and the (sterile and empty) syringe and said "Okay now you have to make sure that the needle is on really tight because if you have an air pocket you won't get any fluid when you pull back." So I diligently grasped the needle and the syringe, attached them together, and then gave them a good twist to make sure they were nice and tightly fitted together.
And then my hand slipped and the cap came off and the needle jabbed THROUGH MY THUMB and into my palm and all of a sudden I was standing there with a bare needle in one hand and a handful of blood in the other and it was all just a crappy week from that point on.

---

I was driving yesterday and I said to my boyfriend (yep, boyfriend. I'll have to tell you more about him later!) "Hey, I think that's the pawn shop where I sold some of my jewelry." And he said "Well, that's kind of sad." And I've been thinking about it and I guess it is sort of sad. Except for it was a couple of years ago and it wasn't any, like, heirloom or something from my parents. It was actually just some jewelry from an ex. I didn't wear it and I needed the money so I sold it and I don't regret doing so.
This has gotten me thinking about a couple other things. Ex boyfriend KC painted me a picture of my cat for Christmas a couple years ago and then got it all fancy framed for me. Which, at the time was nice except that it wasn't a surprise since he painted it in my apartment and also I later found out that back when he was with his ex girlfriend he had painted a picture of her cat and presented it to her as a gift and also that her painting included a love note written on the back. I wasn't sure which one to be more upset about at the time-- the fact that that mine did not include a love note or the fact that the painting itself was a RECYCLED GIFT IDEA. But I digress.
Anyhow I still have the thing, it's sitting in my storage locker and I'm not sure what to do with it. I'm not going to give it back to KC, who I haven't seen or talked to in two years. I'm not going to give it to the Goodwill because I don't want someone to buy it and have a portrait of MY cat in their house, but I also don't want to throw it away because it's of my CAT and if I'm superstitious at all (which I am) I feel like that might invite bad karma onto him or something. It's also not the best painting of a cat you may have ever seen-- he took a photo of Bowie and then enlarged it, and then traced it on a canvas and then sharpied a grid and used the grid as a guide for where to paint the colors, which means that you can see a grid in the background of the painting.
Relatedlyish, there was a dude I dated for a little bit who brought me a painting of a bicycle and then asked me to shave his back. I actually like the painting-- it is of an old-timey bicycle with, y'know, the HUGE front wheel. So I like it because it's quirky and looks like something I might have picked out for myself and I thought I might just be able to forget about the guy and his odd body hair request, but... Okay no. I just decided that I'm not going to keep it. Okay, is anybody in the market for a portrait of my cat and a painting of a bicycle?
I feel like I should circle back around here and point out that current boyfriend is a good gift-giver. He's also nice to me. Smiley face, etc.

---

I started taking my nieces and nephew to the flea market which is a win-win because I get to hang out with them and I also get to go to the flea market. At first they were shy to talk to the booth owners but now they're total pros, "How much is this? Oh fifteen dollars you say? I'll give you eight." I STILL sometimes get flustered and embarrassed when I try to haggle "Twenty dollars? Ummmmmm. Yeah okay. Here. [Runs away]", so it looks like this is yet another way that my nieces and nephews are cooler than I will ever be.

---

Whenever my dad goes to Starbucks for my mom he says his name is "Pete" in the hopes that someday someone will call out "Pete's coffee!"

Target Practice

Things I like about the new Target betwixt my work and home:
- There is a new Target on my way home from work
- It's NEW and it's TARGET and it's equidistant from my work and my home
- I could stop at Target on my way home from work
- I've been there twice now and both times they handed out $10 coupons at the register
- Tonight I bought a gift bag, which I hate buying. But it was only $1.43. (Did you know how expensive gift bags can be? The full priced ones of the same size as the one I bought were in the SIX DOLLAR range. For a thing that's meant to be the outer shell of a present!)
- Free parking
- I stopped at Target on my way home from work

Things I did not like about tonight's experience at the new Target betwixt my work and home:
- The guy in the Lady Items aisle where his girlfriend was trying to pick out the thing she needed and he was making fun of her and LAUGHING AT HER for being so picky and spending more money on the brand she liked. Oh, you think it's all a big joke, do ya, homeboy? You think it's silly for women to have PREFERENCES about those type of things that go in that very intimate, specific area? Oh, they all look the same to you, do they? I guess you'd know ALL ABOUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS, wouldn't you? Asshat. (Perhaps I was also so irritated with him for the very same reason I was in that aisle to begin with.)
- Falling up the stairs on the way to my car.
- The couple blocking the entire stairwell right after I fell and picked myself up. I thought they were making out at first (which I actually wouldn't have minded because, yeah, go for it) but it turned out that she was just shielding his face from the wind as he lit his cigarette. DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME, JERKS.
- The fact that other people seem to shop in this Target as well.

Whatever, I don't even care. There's a new Target! On my way home from work! My commute just got waaayyy better. But if this space isn't for me to air my grievances then what is it, really?

110. go on vacation with my whole family

Well this is a little (a lot) belated, but I've been accomplishing some things from my Life Scavenger Hunt so I figured maybe I should blog again, like, EVER.
Anyhow. This past summer my parents celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. They decided to go to Hawaii. And then they made the mistake awesome decision to invite all of their children and grandchildren on the trip!
That was a total of 18 people.
Nine children and nine adults (three children plus their spouses, plus one daughter who is single (one of these things is not like the other and will potentially be a spinster forever no big deal)).
ANYHOW.
It was really fun.

We swam and snorkeled* and lounged and ate shave ice and celebrated two birthdays and drank fancy tropical drinkies and ate yummy foods and swam and swam and swam and hung out all together and it was just the best.

*I have learned that snorkeling is not an activity I enjoy. I can't breathe well enough through the snorkel so I'm constantly hyperventilating and getting water up my nose and listening to my own noisy breathing is SCARY SOUNDING. So I invented a new way to do it called GOGGLING. Basically I just wear goggles and swim underwater for as long as I can hold my breath and then resurface and I feel like a beautiful mermaid.
(My nephew: "Why are you weawing dose, Auntie Julia?"
Me: "Oh, I like this better than snorkels and masks because the mask always fills up water and the snorkel makes me feel like I'm going to die."
My nephew: "The mask doesn't fill up with wawter. And the snowkel makes you feel like you're going to live.")     

Potpourri

You know what I don't understand? Those newfangled car key doodles that are not actual keys but instead electronic fancy car remote thingies. What... why? I have a whole list of reasons I don't like or understand them: They're expensive. You can get a key made for a couple bucks, but those stupid electronic NON KEYS cost a couple hundred. Oh, and water ruins them. And what if you forget them somewhere, which is much easier to do since you don't actually have to get them out of your pocket to unlock the car, start it, or exit it. What if you're locked out? Exactly whom does AAA send for you, because I feel like it wouldn't be a locksmith.

---

The last guy I dated told me that one of the reasons he didn't want to date me anymore was that he wanted to be the funny one in the relationship. I had decided to end things, but that was his parting sentiment to me. Great.

---

Today I learned and performed the Dix-Hallpike test and Epley maneuver on a patient with vertigo. It's a way to diagnose vertigo and then to treat it. It's super weird because maneuvering the person around with their head and body in certain positions ACTUALLY does help vertigo. I know that it's supposedly science or physics or whatever, but it really seems like the maneuvers are sorcery. Which, given the names, I'm semi convinced they are.

---

This past weekend I spent a lot of time with my sister. Communicating with my sister is like... Well. It's like communicating with my sister. If you ask her a direct question she might answer, or she might answer a totally unrelated question (Me: "Hey when are you buying your ticket for the 4th?" Sis: "I don't have diabetes!"), or she might just NOT ANSWER AT ALL. And you know she heard you. And it's not out of malice, it's just... how she is.

She will often tell you only part of the story and assume that you already knew the rest. I am constantly getting texts from her that read like we were in the middle of a conversation.
Sis: IV fluids.
Me: What? Who is getting IV fluids? What's going on?

This weekend she tried to tell me a story, but I got all hung up on what she apparently thought was a minor detail.
Sis: So I was walking home and I caught a snake right over there. And it was so weird it-
Me: Wait, what? You caught a snake?  How?
Sis: I was just walking and I saw a snake on the sidewalk, so I grabbed it. Anyhow, it-
Me: Why did you catch a snake?
Sis: To show it to the kids.
Me: Wait. You saw a snake and so you GRABBED IT?
Sis: Yes. Anyhow, it was so weird when we let it go in the yard it slithered all the way from the rocks to the bushes.

In case of emergency

So. It has been awhile. I have a no sleeping and horrible nightmares saga to tell you about but that can wait.
Okay, I just wrote a whole long-winded paragraph here about how PRECISELY I came up with the idea, but let me just streamline that into: My sister mentioned that she wanted a Swiss Army knife to keep in her car. So, for Christmas, instead of just giving her the knife, I put together an Emergency Car Kit for her. It was really fun to make and she loved it, so it was a very satisfying present.
Since then I have made emergency car kits for a few other people. It makes a really awesome gift, if you're someone who tends to go a bit overboard for gift giving.

Let's go through the process. First, you get a bin. You'll want to get it at Target because you'll also be needing other things at Target. Then, you put things in the bin. And then you give that bin to somebody, or you keep it for yourself and put it in your car.

Here is an example of an emergency car kit. It just happens to be MY emergency car kit.

Photo 1: Jeans, black lounge pants, a long sleevie shirt, an undertank, a short sleevie shirt, flippity flops, socks, undies, dress, hoodie. All artfully flang over my chair.

Photo 2: Fingerless gloves, fingerfull gloves, work gloves (I didn't realize I had put so many pairs of gloves in there until I was taking the pic), poncho, umbrella, sunscreen, tissues, flashlight, lint roller, rope.

Photo 3: Gross yellow Gatorade (selected to make sure that I will only drink if it is an actual thirst emergency), various undesirable snackies, vodka, 5 hour energy drink, baby wipes, extra glasses, sunglasses, miscellaneous case containing phone charger, earbuds, lighter, one birthday candle. Just in case.

Photo 4: Here we have some items that go into two cosmetic pouches. In the Chanel pouch (purchased from a thrift store)- hairbursh, earplugs, razor, toothpaste, toothbrush, tampons, cotton balls, Q tips, conditioner, floss, chapstick, condoms (hey, we don't know what sort of emergency might come up). In the little black pouch- bobby pins (or, as I like to call them, Robert pins), sparkles, hair goo, lotion, eyeshadow, nail clippers, hairbands, mascara, eyeliner, perfume.

Photo 5: Packing it all up.... At the last minute I also threw in a notepad and a tarp. Because, well, I had a notepad and a tarp.

Photo 6: Now, this is the mini/satellite emergency car kit that lives in the FRONT of my car. This one contains some tinier things and also essential items that I might need to use more often than what is in the main car kit.

Photo 7: The items in the mini front seat emergency car kit. Flip & Tumble bag, wee notebook, matches, gum, sunscreen, handsatizer (that's what my nephew calls it) spray, alcohol swabs, chapstick, lens cloth, little pouch containing tampons and Robert pins, lotion, tissues, pill box with various meds, salt, pens, and a Sharpie. Not pictured and I'm not sure why- whistle.

Photo 8: And here we have everything neatly packaged into these two bins. Oh, I also added a sweatshirt to the big bin, which is what you see on top. I had room and I tend to get cold.

I feel like I should also mention that as a nurse I have a separate box in my car that contains things like bandaids, scissors, antiseptic, tape, and gauze. Oh, and a face mask for giving CPR. I'm not going back down to my car to get and photograph those things, you'll just have to use your imagination.
I also keep bandaids in my wallet (just like my dad), snacks in my purse, chapstick in just about every bag I own, and pepper spray and a window breaker/seatbelt cutter attached to my keychain.
Things I want to add to my emergency car kit: flares, emergency blanket, book, snake bite kit, hat, safety pins. Man, I could just keep going.
What might go into your emergency car kit?

A Worrisome Bump

Less than two weeks into this brand new year for which I had such sky high hopes, I developed something worrisome on a rather worrisome area.
You should probably stop reading this if you'd like to be sexually attracted to me ever in the future. Oh, no takers? FINE THEN, CARRY ON.

It was a bump. A worrisome bump on my behind.

A worrisome bump on my behind that HURT like hell. I noticed it late one night, but I decided to, y'know, wait and see how it looked in the morning because it'll probably be fine and come ON, Universe, you can't possibly be serious with this bullshit.

And then the next morning the bump was bigger and also more painful. I limped to the bathroom and examined it in the mirror all contorted-like, as one might when trying to examine one's own tush. In the mirror I could plainly see that my right arse cheek had turned an angry bright red color.

So... yikes.

I decided to throw modesty to the wind and hauled my painful hiney over to Urgent Care where I was told that my worrisome bump was actually a worrisome ABSCESS on my butt cheek that needed to be incised and drained right now RIGHTNOW.

And that is how I found myself lying facedown on an exam table with my ASS ON FULL DISPLAY.

The (very kind and professional) doctor incised and drained the abscess and covered it with gauze, while the (very nice and understanding) medical assistant told me they saw things like this all the time. They sent me on my way with some painkillers and heavy hitter antibiotics.

The next day, I found out the culture of my abscess had grown MRSA. Because, why the hell not? Of course 2013 started out with a nice case of BUTT MRSA. Of course.
I really don't know how I got it. I have excellent hygiene and I'm persnickety about hand washing. I work in healthcare, but not in a hospital. I do wound care, but it's not like I ever touch my patients AND THEN TOUCH MY BUTT. So I dunno. Perhaps it was from a toilet seat. Which makes me feel like, okay, I guess I can't ever sit on a one ever again, even with the flimsy paper guard. And I definitely feel like I'm FOREVER UNCLEAN.

The doctor emailed me the "decontamination guidelines" and I had to go back to the pharmacy for some special nose cream and fancy body cleanser. Then I had to call my supervisor and go on mandatory sick leave. And then I had to set fire to wash all of my towels and clothing.

Everything's fine. I'm fine. The abscess has healed, the pain is gone, and I'm done with my antibiotics and my decontamination process.

But, MRSA!
BUTT MRSA!

I just don't even. So, 2013, that's how it's going to be, huh?

New Year 2012

Alternate title: Hey, Remember When I Thought 2012 Might be Awesome?
Alternate alternate title: Jump Up Your Own Ass and Die, 2012.

Well! It has been awhile. Turns out it's kind of hard to come up with a post to go after hey guys I was raped. I half wrote several drafts and saved them. There are lots of Meaningful Things I would like to talk about, but right now it feels more important to just get something out there and break the 2013 seal, know what I'm sayin?

So. Survey time....

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Took and passed my board exam and became a board certified Nurse Practitioner, got a job as a Nurse Practitioner, joined Instagram, had a sleepover with my niece at my apartment, rear ended another car, got all my Christmas shopping done before Christmas eve, rode the metro in LA, went to Kauai, started ordering something other than well drinks at bars.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I meant to write a new year's resolution post last year but then I didn't, so I don't recall what big resolutions I apparently made last year.
This year, my resolutions are generally to get out more often, to be more there for people, and to make a bigger deal out of other people's birthdays. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister! I have a wee niece! Lucky number seven!
And various other people I know less well. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Well... no. But I work with the elderly population so a lot of our patients have died. We sign many sympathy cards in our office.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just this one. 

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Peace. 

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 9, the day I passed my board exam.
March 12, the day I started my job.
June 19, my new niece's birthday.
August 5, the day I was raped.
September 23, the day of my police interview.
December 31, the day 2012 ended. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my board exam. Getting my job. Making it through my police interview. Surviving to 2013.

9. What was your biggest failure?
My love life. There are no good guys left. I've done the leg work, people.
I've learned a lot about being independent this year. I mean, I CAN get all my own groceries and heavy items into my apartment. I CAN purchase, transport, and set up my own Christmas tree, I CAN get myself to and from the airport, I CAN check my car's fluids and schedule its maintenance, I CAN sleep alone, I CAN go to a wedding by myself. I can live without the love and support of a partner. But that doesn't mean it's easy or that I WANT to. Being single is fine and all, but it's not my first choice and that's no big secret.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I think we've covered this. 

11. What was the best thing you bought?
In term of a happiness to dollars spent ratio, I would say my Christmas tree was my best investment. 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Oh goodness. Where to start? My family, who has showed me unyielding support. My friends, who went above and beyond to be there for me over and over again. Jenny and Briya who held and comforted me after my rape. Amber, Lora, and Molly who stayed up with me that night and helped me get up and out the door the next morning. Leah who told me where to go for my rape kit. Jessica who brought me to and from the hospital and stayed with me for several days. Every single person who said something kind or encouraging to me or who sent me a letter or an email or a care package or a direct message or a text or a tweet. Strangers who have contacted me and told me I am brave and strong, because I don't feel brave or strong. My trauma counselor and my legal advocate. People who answer my insomniac middle of the night texts. People who forgive me for being a mess or having a meltdown or an angry outburst. My parents for being there for me, even when it's hard for them. All the children in my life who make me smile. My coworkers for creating a great work environment and choosing me to join it. The person who found my credit card and turned it into the gas station so I could get it back.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The guy who raped me. Guys who lied to me. Guys who lied to my friends. The guy who thinks I deserved what happened to me. The guy who asked me what I did to bring upon what happened to me so he could warn other girls not to do it. The guy who emotionally abused and manipulated my friend and then tried to turn it around on her and blame everyone else for his behavior. The doctor at the hospital who made me cry. The police officer who asked what I was wearing and if I was flirting and what other substances I had been on and why didn't I scream and if I'm a "risk taker" and if I "do this often." The therapist who told me that maybe my rapist didn't mean to rape me.
The guy who asked me after I was raped if I wanted to have sex.

So, guys in general and guys in specific.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, student loans.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? 
Getting my job, getting a paycheck, vacations, the Olympics, neat finds at the flea market, holidays, visits from friends, watching football, giving presents, drinkiepies, sleepovers, my new baby niece, 2012 ending.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

This version specifically.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: 
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Probably the same
c) richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Helped others in the way that so many people helped me this year. 

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Feeling bad about myself. Blaming myself. Being hard on myself. 

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my parents' house, surrounded by family. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
No. I'm starting to wonder if that will ever happen for me again. 

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Parks and Rec, The League, Gossip Girl. 

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes. 

24. What was the best book you read?
Days of Blood and Starlight, Bitterblue, Unwind, Ready Player One. 

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That I know all the lyrics to Get Money.  

26. What did you want and get?
An awesome job that I love, an iphone, fancy heirloom jewelry, lounge pants, quality time with friends and family. 

27. What did you want and not get?
A trip to visit D in Oregon. 

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Hunger Games. 

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned the big three oh. On my actual birthday I went to work and brought treats (cherries and candied maple walnuts). After work I went straight to the airport, planning to visit my sister and her family for the weekend. My flight was delayed three hours so I spent the last few hours of 29 getting drunk at the airport bar and the last few moments of 29 asleep with my face against the seat in front of me on the plane. Then my sister picked me up at the airport and her car broke down on the freeway. We waited for AAA with semis whooshing by us on a blind turn.

The weekend before my birthday I had a family party with a ping pong tournament and fireworks. And my favorite kind of cake-- yellow box cake with chocolate canned frosting.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 
My dad not getting sick. My Trojans having a better season.
Oh, and NOT GETTING RAPED MIGHT HAVE BEEN NICE.


31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Work: Business casual heavily featuring dresses and leggings.
Other: All lounge pants all the time.

32. What kept you sane?
This question implies that I STAYED SANE and I'd say the jury's still out on that one....
My friends. Medication. Texting. Reading. Taking walks during my lunch hour at work. Giving gifts. Donating toys for the tots. Twitter. Shopping. Hot baths. My job. Buying my lunches. Therapy. Relaxation techniques. Soothing baubles. Trashy TV. Care packages. Kind words. My family. Holding babies. Liquor. Inappropriate jokes.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The USC Drum Major. I know he's too young for me! But he's cute! And he has a sword!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
All that rape stuff.
Women's rights.
The election.

35. Who did you miss?
The gals from school, especially D and Sunny.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
My tiny new niece! An actual NEW person.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Knowing when I need to ask for help and from whom I can ask it is actually a skill and a good thing, not necessarily a weakness. People are here and willing to help me if I ask, and often even if I don't.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'll be there for you-ou-ou, as the world falls down.

---

I spent New Year's Eve at my parents' house with my family. We had lots of champagne and our traditional Chinese food dinner and we played a fun charades game with my nieces and nephews. Then, the kids all decided they wanted to do their New Year's Dip that night. I haven't participated in a family traditional New Year's Dip in many years, but my 12 year old niece convinced me to do it because she said "It's to wash away 2012!"

Oh. Well then. GAME ON.

Annnd....

Leap!

I washed away 2012.

Be good to me, 2013. I'm counting on you.