Harumph.

    I apologize for being MIA for the last week or so, but it's become increasingly difficult for me to meet my Thursday post goal.  I have a lot going on right now with the holidays fast approaching and my education on the line, so unfortunately blogging hasn't been my top priority.  I haven't really been in the best mood and a lot has been getting me down lately.  I'm also very VERY behind in TV, (I've only been keeping up with Once Upon a Time at this point since it's the only one I can watch when it airs on Sundays).  I'll explain...
    As you know, I've been doing a year-long internship through my university at a local high school in the English department.  So far it's been an upward struggle, with my health declining and issues with overall teaching performance.  At this point, I've been given my class back and have been teaching mostly on my own for the last few weeks.  Unfortunately I have not been as successful as I would like to be at this point.  I'm still having noticeable issues with classroom management and the delivery of lessons.  I always think that I'm doing better than I actually am, which has hindered my progress.  Because of my substituting background, I've noticed that I tend to deliver lessons directly and methodically with little to no real explanation or real-world connection.  I need to work harder at humanizing the lessons for my students and making sure that we're using discussion adequately in class instead of just going through the motions.  I also need to start pulling the trigger with discipline.  I have a bunch of kids who talk over me during class and I need to take care of that as soon as possible before I lose them.  I wasn't expecting to have as much difficulty with this as I have been, but the reality is that my future is on the line at this point.  I'm not getting credit for this first semester until I prove myself worthy, so I really have to step it up and make these next few weeks count.  Luckily I still have some time, but I've been feeling really discouraged lately and uninspired.  My lack of progress and apparent noncompliance with the regulations set down by the program have made me doubt my abilities and it's really stressing me out, to be blunt.  Hopefully I can get my shit together soon or I'll be looking at repeating the internship next year and adding another year of school to my already mounting college debt.  I understand what's at stake and that's not making me any less anxious and stressed, but maybe that's what I need.  I don't want to panic, but I might be by the end of Christmas vacation, which is not what I want.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that I make it out of this alive and worth certifying, or I'm going to be looking for a new career path when it's too late...

    Besides the obvious problems I'm having with teaching, I really don't have a lot going on.  We recently moved, (another reason I haven't been on top of the blog lately), and have been unpacking for the last few weeks as we get settled in.  So far it's been really nice and comfortable and I really appreciate where we live now.  I don't come home to an empty, cold apartment and I have access to a great kitchen stocked with food, so I really can't complain.  Having animals again has been nice too!  Money has also been less of an issues, at least on my end, and I've been working on saving as much as I can already and reorganizing my finances so they fit my new needs.  My project for this weekend is finishing reorganizing my filing crate so I can fit all my bills, paperwork and other things in one accessible spot.  It's also been nice to have some extra help and expertise with these types of things because most of the time, when it comes to budgets and other adult things, I have NO idea what I'm doing yet.  Still trying to figure out a new routine for our new space, but so far I think we're settling in nicely and everything will eventually feel more natural.

    I'm looking forward to the holiday break mostly.  Next week is my birthday week, so I have that to look forward to.  I'm turning 25, which for some people is a big deal, but I feel like it'll just be another birthday for me.  I don't really know what age I actually feel like; sometimes I feel like I'm still 18 and other times I feel like I'm 30, so 25 should be interesting.  The following week there's a day and a half of school before break starts Wednesday.  After that, we don't come back until January 5th.  It will be nice to spend more time with my family and hopefully put the worries I have about my teaching future out of my mind for a few weeks.  My little sister is flying home from Texas on Saturday and I can't wait to see her!  Spending the holidays with family is greater than any gift I could receive.  It took me a long time to realize what Christmas should be about and I'm glad that we get to see everyone from both sides and spend a little time with each family.  It's worth it to me and that's all I really need.  That and lots of great food:)

    Once Upon a Time was really emotional last weekend!  I wasn't expecting what happened, and I love when shows do that because it keeps you on your toes.  With the last few episodes being very straightforward and predictable, it was nice to see a change.  I was getting pretty sick of the crazy family-hungry snow queen thing and it was heartbreaking to find out her sister really regretted her actions form the past.  The last time we saw that bottle was the very beginning of the season, so I had been curious to see what she had written in the letter, but I hadn't expected that.  I also wasn't expecting the flashbacks to Emma's past and the fact that Ingrid was very close to adopting her.  I can understand why Ingrid took Emma's memories upon her arrival to Storybrooke.  Now that the curse has been lifted due to Ingrid sacrificing herself, everything seems to be back to normal.  But wait!  Rumple is STILL a conniving bastard!  For next week's mid-season finale, I'm predicting Rumple attempting to take over the world one more time and get that dagger off his back, someone finding out about him lying to everyone, spreading that around and it getting back to Emma, who will have to stop him with the help of everyone else in town.  Elsa and Anna will probably help too before they go back to Arendelle to return those memories.  I'm hoping we at least see the Sorcerer or something because we've kind of taken a back-seat to the whole "author of the book" mystery, so that's the only other curiosity I had.  We'll see what happens, but I anticipate a lot of Rumple hatred next week.
    That's all I have for you this week.  I had to take some time and write this during school so I don't leave you guys hanging again.  I'm not sure if there will be continuous posts from me every week, but I will try to post at least one more time before Christmas break starts.  Hopefully I'll have some good updates for you.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

The Equivalent of Screaming Into a Pillow

    Good evening everyone!  It has certainly been an exciting and hectic week...  I had lab work to get done Monday, baking and other preparations for the last few days for both parties taking place this afternoon, (hopefully the one I couldn't be at went well, or else I may be in trouble...), a team meeting during a delayed opening, finishing my pedagogy, (FINALLY), AND, to top it all off, we're officially moving in six weeks, which means they're starting to show our apartment tomorrow.  That is a long and very stressful list of things that I have had to get done without a lot of time to do any of them.

    Firstly, I did get my kidney biopsy results back with not a lot of good news, (not that I was expecting any).  My Lupus has spread to my kidneys, as we had thought, so now it's time to devise a plan for treatment.  Hopefully it won't be too difficult, but I'm anticipating at least some mildly uncomfortable side effects and/or long term damage to some other organ in my body.  It has been great feeling relatively normal these last few weeks, but I know that eventually I'm going to have to face whatever is coming and it won't be good.  Needless to say I have so much support it's ridiculous, so I wanted to publicly thank my husband for his understanding and his unrelenting patience when it comes to dealing with me when I'm needy.  I'd also like to thank my parents, both of whom have provided me with enough support, advice and love to last even the longest lifetime.  I honestly don't know what I would do without my family.

    Speaking of family, my mother has graciously offered us a place to stay.  We'll be moving back to my childhood home very soon, but it's a very different place.  We will practically have our own private apartment upstairs, complete with a full bathroom, bedroom, common area and even an office, (in the foreseeable future).  There is a lot of stigma surrounding adults moving back in with their parents, but in my situation it's actually a positive thing.  Moving back home does not always have to symbolize failure or disappointment.  It can actually be a great opportunity to get back on track, save money, live a healthier lifestyle and get in touch with your goals and aspirations.  Both my husband and I are very excited about this opportunity and this arrangement and look forward to reaching our goals so we can live the life we want to live.  If you told me six years ago that I would be living with my husband at my mother's house, I would've told you that you were crazy.  I'm very excited about the prospect of happiness and look forward to moving into a better environment.  Although, I'm not a huge fan of the moving process in general...  Boxing everything up and storing it for years at a time isn't my idea of fun, nor is moving said boxes from Point A to Point B in various vehicles.  I'm not looking forward to the process, but I am definitely looking forward to the end result.  We've already got a head start on cleaning because of all the scheduled showings, so it'll be easier to pick through the debris.  We're hoping to be out of here by Thanksgiving break at the latest.

    In teaching news, I've been working on setting up teacher observations anywhere and everywhere: within my school and subject area, outside my district, outside the state, etc.  Every opportunity is precious, so I have to make them count.  I'm looking forward to seeing how other professional teachers teach and the strategies I can take away to use in my own future teaching practices.  In seminar we've been asked to think about what constitutes a "professional teacher" and I'm hoping to find out through these observations.  If I've learned anything from this process so far, it's that the preconceived notions you may have going in aren't necessarily going to ring true by the end of your journey.  In other teaching news, I created this great lesson plan for a Halloween-themed "hero's journey" activity that I would really like to do with the kids, but don't think it'll happen because of time commitment issues, (and the fact that the 30th and 31st has already been planned...).  I just wanted to do something fun with the kids and take a break from the monotony of The Odyssey, but it may not be in the cards I guess.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes if it really does come to fruition, but I'm not holding my breath on this one.

    TV this week has been sparse, but I did get some Once in.  It was crazy confusing this past weekend.  The best part of the entire episode was Hook, (or Killian), and Emma's date, which was almost as awkward as I thought it would be.  Still very sweet, but we definitely need a second date in the near future.  That should give Hook time to sort out what the hell is going on with his hand.  I have absolutely no clue what's going on with Rumple at this point.  He seemed to have changed last season with his marriage to Belle, especially after he gave her back the real dagger.  But now, he's being a complete asshole to everyone for what seems like no reason.  The sorcerer's hat has triggered so many memories and events so far, so it's importance is imminent.  I'm excited about the prospect of introducing more elements of Fantasia into the mix, but when the poor apprentice got sucked into the depths of that black hole inside the hat I got a little scared.  The hat seemed so innocent and unknowing in Fantasia and now it's this evil black hole weapon thing...  I don't know how I feel about all this, but I do know by now that when Rumple wants something he will stop at nothing to get it.  Who knows what's going on with him ever?  I do think it's cute that Henry is attempting to infiltrate Rumple's "lair."  We'll see how well that works out.

    There's one more thing I've stumbled upon this week that I thought was interesting.  There's a community of book-loving readers on YouTube called "Booktube."  This community regularly posts videos and vlogs regarding book reviews, suggestions, book hauls, and more.  Each Booktube vlogger brings there own personal flair to their channel and I'm intrigued enough to explore this new community that might actually interest me.  I've been looking back into vlogging again and this might be an avenue I travel down, considering my profession.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  I have everything I need to start, just need the time and the confidence to do it.

    That's all I got!  Even if I don't start my own Booktube channel, I will do my best to revamp my Book Reviews page on here and keep it updated as frequently as possible.  Now that I'm starting to read more for leisure it should be a lot easier.  Fingers crossed!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Highs and Lows

    Hey everyone!  Welcome back to the work week, (for most of you).  This weekend was great for me because I met my very first nephew on Sunday!  Tanner James was born around one o'clock Sunday afternoon to a warm welcome from a very happy family.  They are coming home this afternoon so I will be making plans to visit again this weekend once they get settled in.  Welcome to the world little buddy!  I am so happy to be your auntie and can't wait to spend more time with you!!

    Unfortunately that is the only good news I have this week...  I was regrettably let go from my job last night.  It was an unforeseen circumstance and one that I will not soon forget.  I cannot begin to describe my grief upon experiencing my very first, and hopefully last, termination, but I understood the company policy and that I had severed it inadvertently.  Although I had been unhappy there as of late, I will truly miss all the friends and colleagues I have gained over the last three years there.  I wish none of this had happened, but it was my fault and I will have to live with my repercussions.  I got right on the job hunt last night, however I have certain qualifications I have to adhere to based on the rest of my schooling and my internship coming up this fall.  I wish I could have the freedom to chose any job I can get, even a job in a school system besides the one I already have, but I can't and it sucks.  Hopefully I will find a new job by the end of February, but we will see.  Keep your eyes open for me and your prayers thoughtful.
    On a positive note, after the first week of classes I've found that, yet again, both courses seem to relate well with each other, making my semester a lot easier.  I've been immersed in my reading and trying to keep myself otherwise occupied from my current predicament.  Now, on top of my readings and various assignments I'm also looking for employment, so it's a bit distracting.  In about a week I will be attending a meeting for prospective secondary intern students, so I'm excited to finally put in my picks for schools and learn a little more about the process.  Fingers crossed everything works out in my favor!  Lord knows I need some help these days...

**(SOME) SPOILERS!**

    On the television front, I have yet to watch The Bachelor due to all this drama happening in my real life, but I have heard who got eliminated and I am glad it wasn't anyone in my top three, however I also heard that Nikki was a bit cheeky this week, so we'll see if she can handle this in the long run.  I managed to watch the 200th episode of How I Met Your Mother and it was fantastic!  I'm glad they did a back track on the mother and the ending was so perfect!  I'm still not sure where Lily is going, nor do I know when or where she reconciles with Marshall before the wedding, (should be next week if they find Barney, which they should).  I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

    I've also started watching a newer show, based on my recent infatuation with Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  Dracula on NBC has finished it's first season, with little information regarding a second.  It follows the life and happenings of a really hot version of Dracula, or Vlad in Impaler, as they call him.  I find the suspense and plot line interesting, (in addition to the obvious charisma of Dracula), and hope it is renewed for a second season, however I won't keep my hopes up.
    So that's it basically.  I don't have a lot to report, seeing as the baby and losing my job have taken up the majority of the last few days.  I haven't had a lot of down time following the start of classes, so I will be back Thursday with a hopefully more educational post, (but who knows?).  I will also post my "walk my world" from this week.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Walk My World

    Here we are, on a Friday.  I apologize for the lateness of my post, but I was busy all day with reading, then a much-needed family night.  Trust me, it was entirely worth it.
    Speaking of family, I have some great news!  My sister-in-law is being induced tomorrow and will have my highly anticipated nephew this weekend!  I am so happy for her and I'm very excited to become an aunt.  My only hope is that when I have my first child I am as lucky as she is to have all the love and support that her family has given her.  They've had a pretty rough time the last few months and her family dropped everything and made room for them and the baby, gave them a place to stay and a new job to help support them.  My in-laws are the most selfless, honorable people I've ever met in my entire life.  They surprise me every day with their unwavering kindness.  I suppose that's sad for me to think that that kind of love is unnatural or special when it should always be that way.  Regardless, I have no doubt that that child will be brought up in the best of circumstances.

    On a less emotional note, I have started classes this week, as you all know, and have been engrossed in reading and other preparations for future projects and case studies.  I will be posting on a new page later today directly connected to my Special Topics course about our readings pertaining to participatory culture.  I have also been making preparations to start an observation case study on a student at the school I substitute at.  I already have consent from three different parties, so as soon as I get her class schedule we can start!  I'm super excited to start looking at her writing and see what connections and inferences I can make.

http://wiobyrne.com/walkmyworld/

    In addition to the blog posts and readings for my Special Topics course, we are trying to participate in the "Walk My World" challenge, which is a research study created by William Ian O'Byrne, (you can follow him on Twitter here).  The purpose of this project is to explore the use of digital texts to see how people connect and communicate with each other.  For ten weeks, I will be posting a picture or video snippet of my life accompanied with the hash-tag #walkmyworld in order to provide a glimpse into what my "world" is like.  There are no guidelines or requirements to the posts, but it has to be about your life.  I take that to mean I can continue to post random pictures from various moments of my life, but more diligently.  That is to say I haven't been keeping up with my Instagram as of late, so I will be posting at least once a week for the next ten weeks or so, starting next week.  Should be fun, and I'm excited to be participating in someone else's research!  If you'd like to participate or learn more about Will or the "Walk My World" challenge, you can visit his website here.

**SPOILER ALERTS GALORE**

    On a completely different note, I did get to watch the latest Bachelor, Bones, Castle and How I Met Your Mother episodes from this past Monday.  So far my current Top 3 ladies for The Bachelor are Renee, Andi and Nikki, but we'll see how long that lasts.  I'm just glad that Lucy Lewd went home, finally.  I really like these girls because they seem really down to earth, they're not too young or immature and they seem to really have his best interests at heart.  Again, not sure how it'll turn out, (my father insists that he never picked anyone at the end), but I feel god about this Top 3.

    Bones made me cry AGAIN this week.  I'm not sure what it is with all these TV shows tearing at my heart strings, but apparently they're in a phase.  Wendell was diagnosed with a rare form of terminal bone cancer, so he now has a 10% chance of living through chemo and other treatments.  I died a little, not only because he's been on the show for so long and has been an undeniable asset to the team, but because Brennan SHOWED EMOTION.  If you've watched the show for as long as I have, you'll understand that when Brennan shows emotion, it's a big deal.  Her being sad at his diagnosis, which SHE discovered, shows that it's definitely a hard pill to swallow.  I wish him all the best in this season, but I'm definitely expecting him to die in the finale...fingers crossed I'm wrong.

    Castle was your typical Castle plot again.  After the tumultuous burning building episode we kind of needed a break from the drama.  I was happy to see Alexis (hopefully) break it off with Pi, seeing as he brought nothing more to the story and was basically dead weight in her life.  We'll see if she caved next week, but I'm guessing they're officially over.  It's sad that that was the highlight of that episode for me.

    How I Met Your Mother is getting more and more daring with their story line as we saw Lily and Marshall finally had the fight they needed to have, but it ended in disaster.  Lily ended up leaving in a random vehicle after calling an unknown person for a ride out of the inn.  She didn't say where she was going either, so we could be following her anywhere next week, but I'm most curious to see who it was that she called.  Marshall will most likely be heartbroken so close to the wedding, but we all know from previous episodes that Lily makes it back in time for the ceremony with everyone else, so we'll see what happens.  We haven't seen the mother in a few episodes either, not since she helped Marshall, so I'm eager to see her during the wedding reception.
    That's all for this week.  I'm expecting to post pictures of Tanner when he arrives, so look out for those on Tuesday, but for now I'm going to try and enjoy my weekend.  Here's to more reading and two blog posts today instead of one!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Leveling Up in the World

    Hey all!  Welcome back:)  It was a nice weekend for me, despite working, (and then realizing I have almost the entire week off...lame).  Still no baby boy from my sister-in-law, but we will definitely see him by the end of next week if it doesn't happen soon.  Can't wait to be an auntie!!  Other than that, nothing really exciting has happened yet, so unfortunately it's another Tuesday rendition of Boring Blog, which, apparently, a lot of you actually like, so maybe I'll keep this going.
    Also, this is currently happening in the classroom I'm in today...not sure why someone would keep something so obviously creepy in a Social Studies classroom, but who am I to judge?...

    First things first: I start my final semester of courses today!  First class on deck is "Special Topics in English Teaching" with the wonderful Alecia Magnifico.  I am most looking forward to my classes this semester, especially this one.  The class I have tomorrow is "Teaching Writing in the 21st Century," which sounded very interesting to me.  I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons as an educator and learning more new and captivating ideas this year to prepare me for my internship this fall.

    Second thing: Pokemon update.  I have now obtained all eight gym badges and have made it to the chambers of the Elite Four, (FINALLY).  It literally took me about four hours to get through just that section, battling all of the trainers on the long and winding road up to the Pokemon League.  After reviving at least three of my top Pokemon about six times, I made it to the Pokemon Center before the main building, (thank God for that, because I don't think I'd make it very far without one.  I thought it was a little ridiculous to have THAT many trainers on the road just to enter the area where the Elite Four are.  Then each of them have four Pokemon each level 63 and higher, plus the Champion who has a whopping SIX Pokemon level 65 and higher, so I'm in for a rough night if I try to take them on.  The gym leaders were too easy and Victory Road seemed a bit too difficult for the amount of preparation I was given, so we'll see how that goes.  I might try to level up a bit more before attempting to take them all out, (I'm currently at about 75 with my top two Pokemon and around the mid-sixties with the rest of my party).  I am most proud of the legendary Pokemon, Yveltal, who I was able to catch on my first try, which almost never happens.  Props to me!

    In general, I'm a huge fan of water and fire types, however I can see now where it would benefit from having a grass or psychic type in combination with these types.  This is the type of strategy and planning I was looking for when researching this game as a type of literacy.  There are different kinds of people who play: people who play to get through the game, people who play to catch all the Pokemon they can get their hands on, people who want to get higher level Pokemon as fast as they can, people who want to find all the hidden items, artifacts and other gems around the game, etc.  Game play ultimately depends on what type of person you are, and it's interesting to see me categorized among them.  I haven't played like this in a very long time, so I'm still getting used to immersing myself completely in the game, (much to my husband's dismay).  Since I've played older versions before, I went into this thinking differently than someone who would just be starting out fresh without ever having played the older versions.  There are also people who have played every single version up until this point, and they are used to playing a different game than I am, having experienced some of the newer versions that I have not.  I'm interested in continuing to log my progress and even write in a journal to gather data so I can maybe turn this into something beneficial.  We shall see, but I'm enjoying myself nonetheless.
    So that's basically it.  Nothing exciting or substantial happening with me this week.  Starting my courses, baby maybe and possibly taking on the Elite Four before I get dragged into the homework routine again.  I will be catching up with all my shows today and tomorrow, so there might possibly be another TV review on Thursday if I have nothing else to talk about.  Also I've added two more tabs to the top of the blog: "Open Letters" and "ENGL 889."  The first tab will be dedicated to various individuals/situations I find particularly interesting/amusing/annoying/etc. while the second will be dedicated to responses for my new Special Topics course in English Teaching, which will be linked to my class' blog page.  Feel free to check both tabs out and I will keep you updated on posts via Twitter, etc.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

"Winter is Coming": BLOGMAS!

    I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend.  I know I thoroughly enjoyed mowing the delicious and glorious home-made lasagna my uncle made, (on top of the usual fixings mind you).  It has remained unmatched in my search for the best pasta dish.
    Speaking of holidays, they are finally upon us!  For me, it seems like Christmas actually started in October, because I work retail, but now since it is officially December, we can trade pumpkin for peppermint, listen to the continuous flow of Christmas music and decorate the crap out of our places of residence.  I, for one, love the holidays, so this is truly the most wonderful time of the year in my opinion.  As you can see, I take my Christmas tree very seriously and I never miss a year to go out with my dad to cut a fresh one down.  This one is Theodore and he is marvelous, don't you think?

    This year, for the month of December, I have decided to participate in "Blogmas," which is when bloggers post every day until Christmas.  Although I want to participate to the fullest extent, I honestly don't believe I'm capable of posting every day just yet, (lack of planning, plus finishing up my fall semester coupled with work and other things will make it virtually impossible).  So I compromised by setting a goal of twice a week.  Tuesdays will remain my random posting days, with a slightly more Christmas-y theme and Thursdays I will post about specific Christmas happenings and traditions, including books, movies, songs and more.  This way I can cover all the Christmas bases while still giving myself enough time to get all my mandatory work done and not overload.  I am really excited to dive head first into the Christmas spirit and can't wait to post more favorites about the holidays:)

    That being said, I would also like to inform everyone that I will hopefully be starting to live tweet certain shows on Sundays starting this weekend.  Live tweeting, for those who don't know, is when someone follows a show or movie whilst tweeting, simultaneously watching and tweeting at the same time.  I've always wanted to and since I don't have cable at my house, I will be participating while I'm at my dad's on Sunday night.  The shows I watch Sundays are The Amazing Race, (season finale this Sunday at 8pm), and Once Upon A Time.  Since they both air at the same time, I usually rely on the football schedule going over for me to catch both in one night.  Sometimes that doesn't happen, but I'll keep you posted via Twitter if I don't think I'll be able to do both.  I definitely want to catch the finale of Amazing Race, so Once may have to wait until Monday, but we shall see.
    Other than that, that's basically it for me.  I got to spend a lot of time with my families and enjoyed every minute of it!  I wish I had more time with them, but the point of the holidays is to bring families together, especially if you don't normally get to spend a lot of time with them.  Definitely looking forward to Christmas and seeing everyone again, giving people their presents, (I got some good ones already, I can't wait to see their faces!!), and eating more great food.  I've also decided to decorate my apartment this year, so I'm looking forward to going shopping this weekend again for more presents and decorations.  I'm certainly in the holiday cheer mode, so I hope you guys are too.  Check back on Thursday for my first Blogmas post!!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Thanksgiving Week!

    It's finally here!  The week everyone usually has some form of vacation and family time ensues.  But more on that later, as I feel the need to spill my guts about other things that matter, like DWTS...

    Some of you may know that I watch Dancing With The Stars with my dad, and let me tell you, if you haven't been watching, you should be!  It has been one of the best seasons I've ever seen, although there have been a few hiccups.  One being Bill Engvall, the "cat with nine lives" as they say, who persevered through this season mostly on fan votes to make it to the first part of the finale, but was sent home last night.  I have to say, if Bill had made it any farther I feel like there would've been riots in the streets, (at least in New England, where rioting serves as both a sign of extreme happiness and anger).  His last performance really got me in the heart region though, being so daddy-daughter-ish and lovely, his relationship with his professional partner really made you want to hug him.  I am a fan of his stand up comedy, so seeing him on the show doing the best a middle-aged man can do was great fun.  I will continue my undying support for Corbin Bleu, however, as he heats up the dance floor, as well as every woman's nether regions.  Can't wait for part two!

    As for Thanksgiving, I'm really looking forward to it this year.  Last year we spent Thanksgiving with my husband's family, so this year it's my turn.  My family tradition has changed drastically over the course of my lifetime so far, and I can predict more changes to come in the future I'm sure.  When I was younger and my parents were still together, we would have Thanksgiving at my great grandmother's house, complete with what my Nana called "cranberry apple relish," which is SO much better than cranberry sauce, (believe me when I say this).  Since then, I've been spending Thanksgiving with my father's side of the family, where we Italians still like to have the traditional meal, plus a heaping side of home-made, 8-layer lasagna.  Totally normal to have all of that on, let's be honest, two plates.
    I really do enjoy spending time with my whole family.  Having to live with my dad for the last almost 6 years of my life has taught me a lot about humility, values and selflessness.  I've spent the majority of the holiday seasons making sure everyone is happy, including my dad, but sometimes that's not an easy task.  We've spent a few years, including last year, without presents, in deep depression and an overall funk.  Family is what matters the most, so wherever I am I try to focus on how much I love the people I'm with and that makes all the difference.  I love spending time with both families during the holidays and I love seeing everyone smiling and laughing and joking around.  I never used to see it, but now that I'm older I think I have a greater appreciation for the simple things and quality time.

(photo credit: kivalophotography)

    My in-laws are some of the best people I've ever met.  I've never seen any family so happy and positive about everything life has put in front of them.  They have shown me the value of kindness and they have supported and accepted me from the first day I entered their home as a stranger.  I have nothing but great things to say about them, and I truly have no idea what I would do without them in my life.  It is such an honor to be a part of their family, and I thank God for bringing them into my life when I needed them the most.  I love all of them to death and I would take a bullet for any of them.  So grateful and thankful to be able to enjoy the rest of my life as one of them.  Thank you for all you have done for me Shelly, Tom, Danny and Beau.  I love you guys so much!
    I'm most thankful for my dad and my husband.  Without their love and support, I don't know where I'd be right now.  There were times where I thought things were hopeless and there wasn't a point to trying to fix everything, but they've kept me going.  Depression, hardships and personal tragedies have made the holidays a difficult time not only for me, but for my dad as well.  I can say with great certainty that I have put a lot of effort into his happiness because I love him like a daughter should always love her father.  But you can't live your life trying to make everyone else happy because sometimes people don't want to be happy.  However, when you do see them finally ready to commit to being happy, it makes it so much sweeter.  I'm feeling so much better this year and I can't wait for what next year has in store for us.

    So I will be spending the next few days shopping, working on some of my final projects for the coming weeks until the end of the fall semester, and spending time with both of my families.  Thanksgiving is such a pivotal time for rejoicing and sharing with one another.  As the gateway to Christmas opens, it will be bittersweet, partially because it'll be Black Friday and I have been dreading it's impending doom since last year...  But I will suffer through to get to the days to follow, which will bring me closer to Christmas and all the good tidings and cheer and what-not, (plus my 24th birthday!).  Hopefully it'll also bring me closer to seeing Catching Fire, since I heard it was amaze-balls.  Sunday is my sister-in-law's baby shower and I can't wait to give her all the presents we got baby Tanner!!!  I WILL BE AN AUNT in January you guys!

(credit: Literally, Darling Twitter)

    I would like to end this blog post by referring you to another blog called Literally, Darling, which is a blog run by various female 20-somethings who write about everything from academics to organics to music to foodies; they have something for everyone.  I haven't explored as in-depth as I would've liked to, (yet), but I've recently read their reviews on Pokemon: X and Y and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, which were both really good, as well as an article about "finding forever in your 20s."  You can also follow their Tumblr here.  If you need a new blog to follow, this should be it.  I have nothing bad to say about it besides, "Why aren't I writing for them?..."  Anyway, time for me to continue being productive on this lazy Tuesday.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.