And the piano’s this melancholy soundtrack to her smile.

This is currently my favorite LOLcat:

more animals

Hehehehehehehehehe.

I think it’s funny when some of my coworkers look at me like I’m a freak when I bring in my pint of milk some mornings.  Invariably, at least 2 people ask: "Whoa…dude.  Milk?!"  Yet no one gives a second thought when people start downing their first of 5 colas at 8:30am.  Interesting.  Here’s a PSA for everyone:  Milk.  It does a body good.

The past week or so has been such a whirlwind.  My birthday was phenomenal.  Kim took me out to lunch and a few other coworkers came along, then Dante came to pick me up around 4 with stargazer lilies in hand.  My favorite J.  The first super-secret destination was a jewelry store in King of Prussia…we walked in and told me to pick out whatever I want.  I would like to wear a simple garnet, but that store didn’t have anything that wasn’t super-fancy, so we’ll go elsewhere later.  The second super-secret destination was Ruth’s Chris, and not only was the meal entirely phenomenal, but I also discovered that I am a fan of merlot – try 14 Hands.  It will knock your socks off.  When we got home, Dante presented a cannoli birthday cake.  Man.  What a generous birthday!  My folks got me a scanner (I’m a nerd), Marla gave me a “Gobias Industries” t-shirt (if you haven’t seen Arrested Development, please watch it ASAP), and Raro sent me some fancy tea and a really cute little dish in the shape of a leaf to rest used tea balls or bags.  Usually my birthdays are either a mixed bag, or just plain bad, but this is the best one I can remember having.  24 is going to be a great year, I can feel it already.

One notable update in my life is that I have a new dear old friend.  Christine and I went to middle and high school together and had a few mutual friends, but never really had occasion to hang out or talk.  I played lacrosse with her older sister; did karate with her younger brother, and our dads work in the same place, so that was about the extent of our connection.  Well…now that I actually write out the connection, I suppose it’s closer than I thought.  Hm.  Last month, I got an email from her, telling me that she had moved to Philly!  I was/am thrilled.  We chatted online and hit it off, and then we hung out on Sunday and had a BLAST.  Brunching, knitting, chatting, mutating into psychotic football fans during the Superbowl equated to a 12-hour long hangout session.  Along from the fact that we meshed so well together and felt like we had been friends for years, she felt like “home” in a way.  Even though I’ve lived in Philadelphia for awhile, there’s still something lonely about being in a place where no one knows anything about my formative years or where I came from, especially since it’s drastically different from here.  Sure, I get lonely and homesick (especially since Rocky Mountain folks and Philly natives are entirely different breeds completely), but until Sunday, I didn’t realize there was an underlying loneliness that has since been quenched.  Anyway, hanging out is going to be a priority.

Hockey last night was amazing.  I got great feedback on all the drills (including one I made up on the way to practice) and one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced is the joy and pride of watching my team improve visibly from one practice/game to the next.  Not to mention that whenever I step on a fresh sheet of ice, I immediately feel exhilarated.  Mental Health Mondays after practice at Cocco’s are also very therapeutic, but I always pay for it on Tuesdays because then I’m really tired from staying out late.  Especially last night, because there wasn’t practice last week, so we had to make up for it!

It’s snowing (real snow, not rain/snow) and it’s supposed to keep snowing.

Yes, I’m still obsessed with the song “Sometime Around Midnight,” as you can see from the Title.

Khoda hafaz!