Lucky number 26

Vacation's almost over. Believe it or not, I'm almost ready to go back. If only I could haul my school, home, and life down to Florida for the winter, I'd be perfectly ready.

I haven't written in awhile, so here's the quick vacation rundown since Christmas:

Horshoes and hot tubs: my parents dug horseshoe pits in the backyard- regulation size and spacing. It's a harder sport than you think. I have yet to get a ringer. Got to try out the hot tub in warm and cold, weather, too.

Gator town: took a trip to Gainesville, and visited my friend Marco. Pretty exciting since I haven't seen him in 4 years, and we've been in different countries most of that time. A lot happens in 4 years. I became a hippie. He became a cowboy. My spanish got much worse. His english got much better. Good times. I learned an interesting tidbit: in the Spanish version of Sponge Bob, Squidward's name is "Calamargo", a combination of the words for "squid" and "bitter". It's pure genius, because he is one bitter squid.

Meanwhile, mom, Gary, and Karen visited Gary's uncle, a retired chemistry professor turned poet. I'm sad to have missed it. Judging from the poems, he's a very interesting, insightful person. And I like to meet anyone who has science and art pulling on either side of his brain.

New Year's eve on the beach: the first warm, mostly sunny day we had in Pensacola. Actually, we went to Destin, because the Pensacola beaches are destroyed. Very quiet, hard to imagine it as a spring break party town. Ended the new year with mini-golf, Italian food, sundaes and anything but Regis. Low-key but nice.

New Year's day: after watching too many makeover shows in 2004, Mom, Karen and I actually got makeovers...well, haircuts. They already began the "ambush makeover" after Christmas, helping me pick out some more professional clothes. I may not be playing in the dirt forever. It's nice to still need makeovers that make me look older (than an undergrad). For the past 3 years, I've seen a Lord of the Rings movie with my Michigan friends on New Year's Day. I was missing you guys this year! I replaced the movie with Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. It's no LOTR, but at least has elements of fantasy and just the right amount of darkness for me. It also shows reptiles and herpetologists in a positive light, which always makes me happy.

New Orleans: My brother's b'day gift was Sugar Bowl tickets, so we headed to New Orleans. Raj and G. saw the Tigers beat the Hokies (what is a Hokie?), and were probably the least passionate fans in the crowd. But that's not saying much. Mom, K. and I walked around the French Quarter and checked out a lot of art galleries and other interesting shops. The next day we took a swamp tour, part of my b'day present, because I couldn't leave Lousiana without seeing the bayou. Saw some real gators, along with snakes, herons, nutria, lots of turtles, lots of water hyacinth (ugh). Learned some interesting facts about plants, Cajun culture, and history-- well I use the word "fact" a bit loosely, because the tour guide was an interesting character who referred to the gators living in his house as his "kids".

I have no more patience to write, and you probably have no more patience to read. If you've made it this far, you deserve the holy grail or something.