Mandy Anne Cordelia gets married

Mandy is one of my favorite people, and roommate from 2005-2007. She is seriously the most awesome person you could possibly hope to meet. 


The 'Anne Cordelia' part is not actually her name. It's a nickname given to her by the Master of Nicknames, Sonia-Monique-Saenz-Breuninger, and is a reference to Anne of Green Gables. Because Anne always wanted to be named something romantic like Cordelia, and Mandy always wanted to be just like Anne of Green Gables. So Mandy Anne Cordelia was born.


Over the years Mandy Anne, Sonia, and I have had many discussions about boys. From all the way back in the day to the Cobblestone apartment, when we stayed up late waiting for Sonia to get home from her first date with Paul Breuninger, to the Rancho apartment, when we all received copies of Captivating, to when we were no longer roommates and we were meeting at Starbucks at 9:30pm to hear all about this David guy from Minnesota. It's been quite a ride.


Yesterday Mandy's dream came true in the form of her wedding day. And the event was pretty true to who Mandy is: orange accent sashes on the bridesmaids, Indonesidan food, a letting-the-bird-fly-out-of-a-wicker-basket-while-carrying-a-spear-for-show tradition, the father/daughter dance where both Mandy and her dad were attempting jump skips, and, after the final song, when everyone stood in a circle around them, Mandy announcing, "We did it! It's over, and it was awesome, right?"


I love Mandy.


It was hard to get a good shot at the wedding, so I've only got this one: the triumphant "We did it!" before walking down the aisle.

And I managed to catch warrior-Mandy out in the foyer, pre-bird tossing. I didn't get to ask what tradition this is, but you should all know that Mandy grew up as a MK in Indonesia. So maybe that's where they carry spears and throw birds from baskets after a wedding? Anyone Indonesian out there who can clear this up?

And then we're on to the reception. Chris and I sat at a table with Sonia and Paul, Jenna and Mallory, Dr. White (our English professor in college) and his wife, and Glen and Ashley (from camp).

And my baby sister was there! Now that she's all grown up, she keeps getting invited to the same events as me. Which will be a little weird when those events become bachelorette parties (her best friend was at Mandy's!), but for now it's just weddings and New Year's parties, so it's cool. She and the rest of the girls in Mandy's small group were helping out as servers all night. And then she got down and boogied like the fresh-faced college student she is. ;)

Mandy's wedding cake, which she described on Wednesday as, "The cutest thing you'll ever see- it's got elephants!"

I would've thought for sure that at Mandy's wedding there would be some cake smushing, but nope. Tame as always. When is someone really going to get into it at their wedding?

The garter! They played Mission Impossible while David "searched."

The girls weren't so into catching the bouquet (which Mandy threw directly to her sister! Rigged!) But the boys? They were out for blood.

And then the dancing got crazy!

One of the bridemaid's bouquets.

At the end of the night, for the last song, we were asked to gather in a circle and hold hands while David and Mandy danced. (That's my sister on the left. She's always on the lookout for me pointing my camera at her.)

Crazy Mandy running around the circle for high fives. David's just along for the ride. 

The last dance. Pure joy.

And the only picture I got of Chris and me all night. Sonia snapped this while we waited for Mandy and David to make their run for the parking lot. The OSF looks so good in dress clothes.

And the final picture, what would be my picture of the day if I was continuing it in 2010 (haven't decided yet). Our official roommates-at-a-wedding picture. Three down, two to go. Who's going to be next, Jordan or Jenna? ;)

Then. And now.

Once upon a time, there were five roommates. And one of them got married. And we took a picture together:

Then

Two and one quarter years later, we met again to celebrate the upcoming wedding of another of the five:

Now.

Missing Mandy

I miss Mandy.

I miss sleeping in the bunk underneath her.

I miss late nights in the living room at B22; she's the one who got me started on my late night laptop haunts, you know.

I miss her bursting into the apartment with a huge grin on her face, ready to sink into the first open chair and regale anyone in the room with the amazing things going on in her life.

I miss her hugs.

I used to miss her amazingly poetic blogs. But she's back now, so I don't have to.

http://livelaughgrow.blogspot.com/

Enjoy.

Today I...

Went to Coronado with Jenna for an impromptu beach day,

Went to work for the rest of the day and rocked out to my Spring Awakening album,

Got picked up by that cute OSF to meet the others at Ryan's house,

Was told I was feisty (and that he liked it),

Went to El Torito's for Johannah's not-so-surprise dinner party,

Forgot my camera,

Found out Rachel Bunch, from the old camp days, has a cute five month old who loves to flirt,

Was "sneaky" with Chris in the backseat on the way home, to Ryan's chagrin,

Hit up 3 McDonalds' for coca cola glasses,

Finally backed up the 2009 photos from my new computer,

Watched 3 episodes of season one NCIS.

And now I am going to sleep. See you all tomorrow.

Balance

I've spent the majority of today trying to catch up with the mundane things in life. It seems lately I've been taking my goal-part-one-word-for-the-year, FUN, a little too seriously, and have been slacking in other areas. Like laundry. And vacuuming my room. And finishing making the transfer of files between my old beloved laptop and this new to-be-named-later guy.

So today was a day to get caught up, and as I sit here now, 8:30pm, with the living room full of various friends playing Mario Party (before the ice cream social starts), I'm happy to say I was able to clean my room, wash my bedsheets, towels, and miscellaneous clothes, and even reorganize the kitchen cabinets to make more room for the glasses and less room for those twenty coffee mugs, of which only four get regularly used.

That's the kind of balance I like.

And in spite of working on all these little tasks, I was still able to throw in my fun factor: The OSF came over for a couple hours and we got lunch (In'N'Out and McDonald's - for the rad coca cola classes they're giving out with their meals!) and watched an episode of Veronica Mars. (I've got that boy hooked!) We also came up with a great plan to organize the pots and pans in the kitchen; the way they're thrown in the cabinets now makes me want to cry. Well, not really, but it makes me super irritated sometimes, so I'm stoked to see how this projects plays out. That OSF boy sure has some good ideas. I think I'll keep him around.

And now for bonus fun: Brittany's planned an ice cream social at our house for tonight. She's been going crazy lately with homemade ice cream, and tonight is her chance to share it with the world... er, our friends. Details and pictures sure to come.

Update, Update!

No.: 144

Katelyn's graduation party. She graduated from the nursing program at Biola last weekend, and after a month hiatus in her home state of Oregon, she'll be moving down here permanently. Not with us though; her new home will be wherever Sarah and Adam's new house is. I just hope it's close by, so we can keep up with our pseudo-roommate's antics.

No.: 145

Memorial Day! The OSF and I went and played miniature golf for a couple hours, then off to a short stop at Jessica and Mike's for burgers, a fifteen minute shift at Youth Venture (not my fault no kids were there), this cute little market, Vons, and then back to his house to make delicious tequila lime fish tacos. I tell you, that guy's a good date.

Now if only we could master the one-armed picture...

No.: 146

Not sure what was going on here... I think I just needed a picture of the day, and these were my three willing subjects. Love how Russ is just surrounded by food and pillows.

Mornings and Evenings

I can pretty much always count on Jen to be sitting at the kitchen table when I come stumbling down the stairs around noon each day. (I know, I know- noon! I'm getting better though, I promise!) Whether she's got her Bible and devotion books spread out, or just talking on the phone like this morning, it pretty much never fails that she's there to greet me as I grab some juice and head off to work.

.

Evenings over at the good ol' apartment have become interesting, with new friends and old finding themselves at our place in the last few weeks. Seems like there's always something going on at night. Tonight, Wednesday, we watched Once, one of the OSF's favorite movies, with Jen, Russ, Brittany, Trent (kind of for awhile), Chris, and me. Our movie night was complete with delicious popcorn and quick-cooled (read: stuck in the freezer for half an hour) hard lemonade (original, of course). While I can't say the movie's going to go on my favorite's list, it was definitely a good watch, and I really liked this one song that Kris Allen ended up singing a few weeks ago on American Idol. It's still kind of stuck in my head. :)

Adventures of Two TGO's: Coming Soon!

Well we're off now to meet Lea Michele! (Hopefully.) We've planned a few hours to hang out at Disneyland on a quiet Monday, perfect for trying out fun photos, and then on to Santa Monica for the Glee screening. Our Spring Awakening books are packed. Our rebels are packed. And I've packed some extra cough drops, because despite what Sonia says, I think I am getting sick. No bueno before her wedding... especially because she's staying with us starting tonight!

Peace out, girl scout.

This one's for you, Katelyn!

Perfect lighting + willing friends (er, maybe not so willing in Brian's case) = fun in the backyard!

And, because Katelyn likes my "picture memory things" I made one for her. :) Here's a compilation of some fun shots from our impromptu backyard shoot.

Has anybody seen my clothes?

I did some laundry over the weekend. I meant to actually take my stuff out of the dryer sometime Sunday night, but instead I went to bed early. And then it was Monday, and nothing ever gets done on Monday if you're me. So today, Tuesday, as soon as I got home from work, I rushed to get some things done before meeting Ryan for Coffee Shop Tuesday.

I made a quick dinner.

I washed the cookie sheet I'd used the night before.

I washed everyone else's dishes in the sink. (I am such an awesome roommate.)

I went out to get my laundry.

...

No laundry.

Not even another roommate's laundry in the dryer and my laundry on top. Absolutely nothing.

Okay. So maybe someone threw it in their basket to drop off in my room.

Went up to my room. Nothing on my bed. Nothing on the floor.

Went to the other room. Laundry baskets galore! Chalk full of clothes! Surely my laundry must be here.

Nope. I searched everyone's laundry baskets. Then I searched the floor. Then I went back downstairs and looked in the dryer again, just in case my laundry was playing some dirty trick on me.

Did I mention that this particular batch of laundry had my sheets and pillowcases? My bed is so lonely looking.

Grumpy Bear is not happy about this current situation:

Dear readers, particularly of the roommate persuasion: If you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of a pile of laundry and bedsheets, please let me know. Or at least tell Grumpy Bear. He lives upstairs in the southside room, on the bed currently devoid of color.

It's...

Summer time!

Finally!

I LOVE SUMMER TIME SO MUCH THAT THIS DECLARATION GETS OBNOXIOUS CAPITAL LETTERS!

Today was GREAT. I slept in/lounged in bed as late as I wanted to without feeling guilty. Then I went out to the pool to read my newest Karen Kingsbury book in the perfect sunshine, while also starting on this summer's tan. (My goal this summer is to be as brown as Sonia and I were when we lifeguarded summer 2004. That was the best tan EVER.) I talked with some of the apartment kids who came out to swim, including one little girl dressed all in pink who thought it was the coolest thing that I also had a pink cell phone and pink keychain. I just love little kids. :)

While I was reading, I came up with new ideas for my story, specifically a great plotline to tie two characters together later on. I love it when things like that click. I also discovered how to physically characterize all my blue-eyed characters. Because in a story where most of my characters are either blondes or redheads, a good portion of them come out with blue eyes. So as I was daydreaming out in the sun, I realized that Character J has fierce blue eyes (cuz she's got a fiery personality), while Character A has warm blue eyes that sometimes show a little green (because she's got a lot of compassion, but is also very passionate about certain things), and Character T has piercing blue eyes (because he's pretty intuitive. And he's hot.)

Sorry if that makes no sense to anyone else. It was a great revelation to me. :)

Then I really, really wanted to go running. Even though I thought I hated running. But it was so beautiful, and just starting to cool down a bit, with a nice breeze blowing, so I went back inside, yelled hi to Jenna studying at the kitchen table, laced up the sneaks, and took off.

It was glorious.

And apparently my only problem with running is that I don't like doing it when it's cold. Go figure. It's just so much more interesting when it's all warm outside and you can run in your bathing suit, tank top, and soccer shorts. And then when you have to pause and walk off a cramp or something, it's still just a beautiful stroll on a gorgeous day.

Oh, and I've also discovered I love running in the middle of the street. I think it's a throwback to the days when my mom wouldn't let us cross our own street until we were like eleven. (Ha. Take that, Mom.)

I had mapped out a 1 mile route from our apartment, one that didn't involve going down the specific scary street that always makes me feel like I'm going to get thrown in the back of a van or get my ipod stolen by a fourteen-year-old with a knife. (You scoff, Brian Reames, but it's freaky being a girl and seeing their eyes follow you as you go by. Or hearing cars slow down and glide along the curb next to you. Ew. It's giving me the creeps right now.)

Anyway, as I was running in the street outside the cute little junior high, I decided since I was practically there, I'd add an extra half mile and go up to the spot where we went geocaching after Jenna's birthday party. We didn't find anything that night, but it was dark, and we were depending on flashlights. So I figured maybe I'd go by and see if I could find the cache.

And I totally found it. All by myself.

No, not really. I looked in the bushes for a couple minutes for that camo bag, but nothing stood out from all the leaves and dirt. That camo is good. Oh, but I did see a baby bat hiding in the brush.

No, not really. But I just realized my day probably wasn't really all that exciting to anyone else, so I've got to spice it up somehow. Just trying to keep you guys on your toes.

I came home and Jenna demonstrated some yoga moves she learned at a class she took at the gym. I'm intrigued with yoga now. We decided to get our hands on a yoga DVD for the roommates to exercise in the living room. Sonia, Mandy, and I used to do that back at the old Cobblestone Apt. #11. It was one of our first roommate bonding moments. And then we'd have anorexic popsicles afterward.

Anyway, Jenna decided she wanted to go study at Starbucks, and lucky for me, it was one of those times when she wanted a buddy. (Jenna distracts herself too easily when she studies, so sometimes she has to go alone.) Starbucks was closing in an hour, so we went to Cosmos instead (yay!) and snagged the couch facing the street ouside, which was all lit up in pretty La Mesa Blvd. fashion. A guy was performing that night, but otherwise there were very few people there, so we got a lot done.

We took a trip to Wal-Mart to get me a new cooler for the start of soccer season. While we were there, Jenna lamented how sometimes she just wants to buy things for the sake of buying things, because she hasn't bought anything for a long time. And then she commented on how practical I was with my money and how I never let the temptation to buy unnecessary things overcome me.

Worst. Jinx. Ever.

Because then we walked through the clothes section. And I saw they'd replenished the rack where I'd bought this really cute and great fitting shirt a few weeks ago. And now there were MORE!

And I ended up breaking my no-spend pledge.

Curse you, Jenn-ay, and your terrible jinx.

After that, we came home, made cookies, and got back to work at the kitchen table. And then on Facebook I got an offer from one of my aviation buddies to go flying sometime. He suggested tomorrow morning, but I'm going to need a little more time to get used to the idea. I've never flown before, after all. And I don't like heights. Or small, cramped spaces. All of which pose a problem for flying.

But this is the year for fun and risk-taking, right?

(Now that I'm done with it, I realize this is the longest. post. ever. And it's pretty irrelevant to anything. I blame the endorphins from running and being out in the sun. Exercise makes me talk really, really fast about random things. Hmmm... maybe I should save that for my next confession.)

Not A Movie Night

I had no plans Friday night.

And as usual, when this happens, I came up with a list of productive things to do on a night alone, which included (but was not limited to) doing laundry, cleaning up my room cleaning up the house in general, and possibly dabbling in some paper scrapbooking, which I haven't gotten around to for a long time.

And of course as soon I settled into this idea, Brian texted, wanting to do something that night.

So I said sure. Because it's Friday night and all, and really, my plans were pathetic for a Friday night.

But no one else responded to Brian's text, so it was up to me to round up the usual suspects. In the end, we decided on a late movie night with the roommates, Aaron/Metro, Brian, Ryan, and Mandy. And possibly the OSF.

When Mandy got there, she and I huddled in the kitchen for girl talk (engagement story talk) and cookie baking, while Brian and Aaron chatted up computers and guitars. Then Jen and Jenna came home, and the night turned junior high style- guys in one room, girls in the other. Which was fine, because we're mostly all camp people, and camp people know how to talk. (Because there's nothing else to do during free time at camp other than sleep.) Then the OSF showed up instead of Ryan, and Mandy grilled him for about forty-five minutes (not an exaggeration), since he was the only person she didn't know yet. (Mandy quote: I just want to know people!) Luckily, Chris took it better than most people, answering all of Mandy's questions (which included (but were not limited to) age, career, schooling, parental background, living situation, hobbies, and nationality), and I'm pretty sure the OSF wasn't completely scared away from ever coming to our apartment again.

Around 11:30, with three different conversations going on around the living room, and an empty cookie plate, we came to the conclusion that our Late Night Movie Night had in fact turned into Not A Movie Night.

But you know what? I kind of liked it better this way.

A Friday Night Alone

Not!

It started out that way. I really wanted to watch a movie. But I was all by myself in the house, and anything I thought about watching just seemed a little dark and scary for an all-by-yourself movie night.

So I called Ry to see if he was as bored at his house by himself as I was at mine by myself.

Guess what? He was. So he came over, bringing Napoleon Dynamite.

I hate Napoleon Dynamite.

But ever since I found out it was Tina Majorino (of Veronica Mars fame) who plays the eccentric girl in it, I've wanted to give it another chance, if only for her.

I tried. I really did. But I just hate that movie. Even with Tina Majorino in it.

Then I had a super great idea to run to Wal-mart at 10pm for the egg dye and another carton of eggs. I figured I could beat the crazy last-minute shoppers tomorrow. But apparently a lot of others had that same thought; those seasonal aisles were jam-packed with people and picked-over Easter paraphernalia.

So we had an impromptu Easter egg dying at midnight. I suppose that means it could be considered a Friday at Midnight happening, right?

Wednesday Slump (with a chocolate coated finish)

Went to work.

Did work.

Confirmed a craigslist pick up for later in the evening (a cheap power cord adaptor).

Called around to find someone who wanted to go with me.

Ryan took the offer.

Came home to find Ryan waiting outside.

Went to Mission Valley mall to meet the craigslist guy.

Went to Fashion Valley mall to really meet the craigslist guy, who'd thought he was in Mission Valley mall.

Left disappointed that the power cord didn't fit my laptop.

Decided with Ryan and Brittany to have a movie night at our place.

Texted the OSF, who didn't want to come over. (But he got his invitation. Let the record be shown.)

Watched NCIS while waiting for Brittany to come home.

Ryan starts falling asleep.

Britt comes home.

I decide I have a craving for Dairy Queen.

I persuade everyone else that they, too, have a craving for Dairy Queen. (My night job is being a Jedi.)

We get in our pj's and sweatshirts for an ice cream adventure. (Except Ryan. He's still in his nice work clothes.)

We drive all the way to Santee. (It has the closest DQ.)

We can't find the DQ.

We call Jesse, a Santeean, and he acts as our GPS.

We find the Dairy Queen.

We are told the Dairy Queen is closed.

I beg and plead that we came all the way from La Mesa, just for some dipped cones, and they let us through.

Ryan takes this picture outside the Dairy Queen.

We drive back to La Mesa.

Ryan decides the adventure tuckered him out and heads home.

Brittany asks to watch Twilight. (She's the only one who hasn't seen it yet.)

So our "movie night" turned into more of an ice cream social, and then roommates chilling in our living room. Which is fine with me, since I was already tired out today.

P.S.- Still hating on that Twilight movie....

Just another manic Monday...

... or not.

More like a quiet, alone Monday until 6pm when I showed up for Youth Venture to a ton of rowdy kids that I'd never seen there before, plus Mark, who's always kicking it there on Monday nights. We watched some Hannah Montana on the big screen, then I kicked all the kids out early so I could come home and watch the newly Netflixed Twilight. Ryan's intrigued so far, to the point that he may even read the book to compare, and Roommate Jen decided she liked the movie better now that she's read the book.

Not so with me. This was my third time to watch it, and I found even more things to hate.

I can't handle this movie in comparison to the book. I just can't.

At least one good thing came out of the two hours spent on it tonight: I finally finished editing Jenna's birthday pictures. They're on the way, roomie!

And the picture of the day goes to... Jenn-ay!

(Jenn-ay is very happy that you're visiting her favorite roommate's blog.)

Blushing Bride

But we'll leave out all the reasons for blushing from this bridal shower because, well, some girl things should just be kept secret. And I think more guys faithfully read this blog than girls, so really, they don't want to know what goes on at these kind of things.

Let's just say we had some fun at Sonia's bridal shower on Saturday.

These pictures consist mainly of Sonia, Mandy, and myself. For those of you who don't know, Sonia is my very first non-sibling roommate ever, and Mandy was our housemate that year. Then we switched rooms and Mandy was my second roommate, until we joined forces with Sarah and Jenna over at B22. You can read about our many, many adventures on the old blog. 

We really loved being roommates.

I like how Mandy's eyes always look so amazing in pictures. Roommate, you've got good eyes.

Yep, that's a rock on Mandy's finger now, too. It's just Jenna and I left now!

Awwww....
So she had fun. And there were minimal embarrassing moments. Just the way she wanted it.

After that, Jeannette and I tagged along for her first dress fitting, and sheesh she looks cute in her dress. Even if was still too big, because Sonia's the tiniest thing ever. I got some really great pictures at Alfred Angelo's, but because I know Paul checks my blog every once in awhile, I can't post them here. Sorry, Paul! You're going to have to wait until May 16 with everyone else!

Yearbooks

So right now Jenna's in my room and we're looking through college yearbooks. Lots of good memories in those yearbooks. Good people. I can't help but see some of these old friends/acquaintances/sworn enemies and think, "Man, we shared some crazy experiences."

For example: 

Brian White: He helped me get a mattress off my truck once. 

Or Brent Bowen: We ran into a wild buffalo together. And lived to tell the tale.

How about Tim Askew? That's the Tim from the previous bee story. He's also one of the first people I remember back in freshman year. We suffered through honors English together (quite an experience, let me tell you). 

Sara Dillon: She and her husband ended up living in the same complex as us senior year; they kidnapped me from my graduation party to go back to their house and watch Veronica Mars. And I loved them for it.

Tim Addenbrooke: We were ultimate frisbee captains of rivaling (and sometimes violent) teams together.

And, Nick and Eden Morlet: They got thrown into a car with me, Jenna, and Katie on a trip to Disneyland. And we were all no holds barred best friends within five minutes.

And, of course, my beloved roommate Jenna. We used to make a game of stealing toilet paper from the AGO house. Man, that always riled those boys up. Once, they chased us all the way back to our apartment in El Cajon and we barely made it inside to lock the doors and windows.

Such wonderful college years.

Valentine's

Brittany's always  getting us little trinkets or candy during the various holidays. Stocking stuffers during Christmas. Easter baskets in April (or March, depending on the wackiness of the year). And candy boxes and cards for V-Day.

Thanks, Britt. I do like chocolate. :)

And my favorite flowers, which appeared as the new table centerpiece. I'm not sure which roommate brought these home, but they are oh so pretty.

The Loot (Part One)

Round One: The Roomies


Brittany received the book Wicked and, erm, another present I don't know if I should disclose here.

Jenna received a rockin' scarf , an Audrey Hepburn shirt complete with bling, and 27 Dresses the DVD.

And I received an awesome lavendar scented Bath and Body Works warm up heating pad, and the accessory missing from my wardrobe for the last two months- Urban Outfitters armwarmers (in black)!


Pause. Background on the armwarmers.

It all started with these kids, you see. And these kids are called the amazing tour cast of Spring Awakening. You may have read about them once or twice on this blog.

(Really? More than twice?)

Anyway, they've got this video. It's about armwarmers. And their mission to make armwarmers a new fad. And they had me in the first minute, because we all know I'm a sucker for layers, and these are freaking removable layers that also keep your arms toasty and your fingers free to go about your day in a normal manner.

They're amazing.

But I told my poor economy-crunched self that I would have to wait until after Christmas to take stock of my leftover money and make that trip to Urban Outfitters in Fashion Valley Mall. In the meantime, I got a cheap knock off pair at Target. I told Jenna about my armwarmer plans about a month and a half ago. She was supportive. And ever since, any time I've come home with, "Jenna, guess what?!" she promptly answers "You got your armwarmers!" And then I have to tell her no, and roll my eyes at her, and remind her I have the self control to wait until after Christmas, because clearly she thought I would crack any moment and carry myself off to Urban Outfitters for a little pre-Christmas splurging.

No way. I'm stronger than that.

So I went on my merry little Target-arm-wearing way, until Monday, when I began to sadly wonder if Urban Outfitters armwarmers (in black!) were really a good use of my money. Sigh. And just when I started to really get down about it, the thought suddenly struck me that it hadn't once occurred to me that most likely someone in my life knew I wanted these armwarmers, knew how much I talked about getting them for myself, and thought, "Hmmmm... that's a sure way to get her a gift I know she'll love!"

Yeah, it took me all the way up to three days before Christmas to figure that one out. I blame Urban Outfitters Armwarmer Tunnel Vision.

Also, Brittany told me there were like three of them who thought of getting me those armwarmers. Do I really talk about them that much?

Anyway, please take note of my awesome armwarmers in every picture from here until the end of this post (except for the pictures I'm not in, of course).



Next pic: During roomie presents, we also opened the gifts Aaron so kindly left for us. Here we are enjoying our presents, Aaron! A picture just for you! Oh, by the way, the universal remote works splendidly-- what a great, practical gift! (Which are the exact kind of gifts I'm most fond of.)


Round Two: Ryan, Brittany, Jordan presents



Ryan received a cologne set and a desktop picture frame thingamajig complete with various pics from our Spring Awakening adventures. (Are you sensing the theme in this Christmas?)
Brittany got a really cute sweater, that is so totally her and, um, another thing maybe I shouldn't mention without her permission. She can post a comment if she wants to reveal her "mystery" presents.And I got, da da da DA! My very own copy of the Spring Awakening official companion, so now I don't have to bum Ryan's off him. LOVE IT. And my awesome armwarmers, of course, are here.