Feeling a little blue, hence the color and format change to the blog. Also feeling a little foolish -- due to bad planning and general grinchiness (as in "Christmas? Is that, like, a holiday or something? Fffffft!"), I didn't get the research journals I'd planned to bring home with me, or get the gifts that I'd planned on buying for family members, or get to the gym, because normal people? They take off a couple days before Christmas, and everything SHUTS DOWN. Well, I guess this way I can't do any work over the holiday.

Christmas is a weird time -- it presents itself as so twinkly and happy and warm and snuggly, but when you get down to it, it's a stressful, stressful time of gift-buying, family-visiting, and the distinct possibility of a lot of sadness. A couple days ago, I lamented the fact that I am now 30 years old and still with no one special with whom to spend the holiday season. Which -- whatever, right? I've got family and friends and a place to go to for the week, and that's more than many people have. But there's a lot of pressure on Christmas to be that sparkly, smiley time of love and snowflakes, and that's just asking for disappointment.

My Canadian doppelganger and her friend were in town briefly, from Wednesday night to Thursday mid-day, and it was a joyous few hours. I spent the rest of Thursday at Def and Stave's new house -- and a very beautiful first home it is! -- watching Project Runway, eating take-out, and doing laundry. It was quite nice.

Today I'd planned on getting a lot of errands done, forgetting completely that it's the Friday before Christmas. Thus -- the law school bookstore was closed, the gym was closed, and the libraries closed at noon. Damn Christmas. I managed to get the shopping done at a different store, and put a stack of research journals aside for when I get back, but -- well, whatever. At least all my clothes are laundered, right?

You never think you need people when you're busy. It's when it gets quiet that you start missing them. The campus is empty save for a few LLMs and a couple lingering students. It's a beautiful day outside -- in the high 40s, at least. I had lunch with the French King, who counseled cautious optimism in re: the Not-Gay Boyfriend. And now I really should go through all the paperwork from the recruiting season, get my finances in order, and organize my books and papers and files from this semester. It seems like a lonely thing to be doing, somehow.