checking in

i had thought (mistakenly, obviously) that i would have a lot more time to blog about random, potentially fun things over break.

somehow, i always envision winter break as this wonderful sort of "eye of the storm" moment where i get a chance to recharge before next semester starts and to catch up with everyone in ohio that i don't get to see most of the rest of the year.  in reality, it always (ever since WSU shifted their calendar back a week, anyway) ends up being this rush where i get back into town 2 days before christmas, then rush from about the 28th to new year's trying to see everyone that i know in the area outside of canton, then come back home to do all the work i didn't do between christmas and new year's before i fly back to pullman in my last 4-5 days in town. 

now, having said that, i've made it all sound much less pleasant than it actually is.  it's really great that i'm able to come back home for christmas every year and that i'm also often able to find a lot of time to visit with my friends in the area as well as my family.  it's just not what i'd consider a "break".  it is what it is, i guess, but it's just always a little disorienting when i get to this point in the break, three days before i fly back home, and realize that i'm really no more rested or calm or relaxed than i was rushing to the airport right before christmas right after turning my grades in. 

anyway, it's been a really great break.  got to see pretty much my entire extended family over christmas eve and christmas.  got to see Avatar again, this time with my parents and brother, and they seemed to like it.  i forgot how incredibly huge theaters are here - as in, it actually makes a difference whether you sit in the front or the back.  i was spoiled (as usual) by christmas: got a new digitech effects processor pedal, a good starter turntable (can't wait to start buying vinyl instead of CDs), and, mostly importantly, a GPS.  like an actual, legit, fancy GPS, not a phone with a GPS unit (though i also got a new phone for renewing my contract).  i haven't used it for anything geocache-wise yet; i downloaded a ton of geocache locations for the surrounding area, but then we got a billion inches of snow before i could get out and find any of them.  excited to go back and recheck the University of Death caches using it, and to start logging more caches around the pullman/moscow area.  there are a lot of 'em.

i didn't get to spend as much time up in kent this break as i normally like to, partially because of the weather and partially just because of what i mentioned before: namely, that i've just been so beat, having fun just hasn't sounded fun...if that makes sense.  had a great time over new year's, but after about two days of tromping around kent, it just sounded more fun to sleep in my bed for 12 hours than it did to do anything remotely adventurous.  with luck, i'll be able to spend some time up in kent this summer and have a chance to make up for my current lethargy.