November 22

To clean my piercing, I have to soak my face in a bowl of water for five minutes, twice a day. If you can't imagine what this looks like, I will help you. It looks pathetic. And degrading. And somewhat akin to an eleven year old being bullied at summer camp. However, it feels really good. I can't really look at anything other than the bottom of the bowl, so I usually close my eyes and think about things. It's during these bi-daily five minute intervals that I now engage in deep thinking, actively overhear phone conversations, write poetry, schedule my upcoming week, wonder about what kind of drama I will enounter over Thanksgiving break, wonder why there is so much drama in Butterfield, wonder why drama connotes high school while in reality it follows the average person into their late seventies, and remember my dreams.

This weekend was so fun, mostly because Liz and Steve came to visit last night. They make me laugh so much! I forgot what it was like to spend a night with people with whom I have had more than three months to form relationships. It made me all the more excited for Thanksgiving, which I anticipate feeling extremely short-lived. I can't believe so much time has gone by since I've been here. Also, the year is almost over. Weird. I was pretty accurate in my prediction that 2009 was going to be one of the most tumultuous years of my life to date.

The song of the day is "Turtle Island" by Beach House. I have two more days until I get to go home and see our new oven, which I'm pretty sure is what my mother believes to be my incentive for going home, judging by the amount of text message alerts she's sent me concerning it. Today she sent me a picture with a caption that I thought was so funny (perhaps because of my unhealthy obsession with my cat) that I want to share it here.

"Emily studies history by osmosis and Stella is along for the ride"