My dad, he beat me, THIS TIME ANYWAY! Be on the lookout for more essay contests in the new year. Also be on the lookout for a post on me and J's awesome weekend, which ended in my car dying on the side of the road on a cold Sunday evening, and which, I am told, will cost thousands of dollars to fix. That's coming up soon.

I'm in an excited mood. I've just wrapped up a lot of this week's business matters, including all stressful calls to Honda, re: Why in the name of God does my car keep breaking, guys COME ON!, we're about to go on Christmas break and spend time with family and friends, and then it will be one of my favorite holidays, New Year's, which, as we all know, means turning over a new leaf, and also, a big party. I'm anxious to see what 2006 will bring, besides my turning 28, and dear Lord, how mature that sounds. I greatly enjoy the three week-or-so period in which all these things happen. Eating too much and swearing not to eat too much in a hastily-made resolution. Having too much to do but blaming that on the season and then doing too much. Making deeply-felt promises to loved ones after clinking glasses, like "I love you so much, no sooo much, seriously, this year, this year we are going to spend so much time together soooo much time I love you so much" and then you blink and it's time to make good on those promises and you're all ready because last year's over and the bleak winter months are a blank, clean slate.