Something new & different...

I look around at fellow classmates and friends raring to go home.  So excited to return to a state of "normalcy" that they loved for the past 18 years of their life.  They rave about the idea of sleeping in the own bed, enjoying mom's "home cooking" and a hearty thanksgiving meal.

As I sit here and listen, I find myself lacking the same emotions.  I am preparing to go home to a completely different world than the one I left.

I will board the plane with my sister, Lindy, preparing to go home.  When we arrive at the airport, we will go down to baggage claim and instead of running outside to see a parent with open arms, we will proceed to car rental.  We will then venture onto the highway heading for a brand new home.

After my father left last year, my mom chose to leave the house we had as a family for the previous 20 years and buy a new one.  So Lindy and I will continue on, searching for our new humble abode.  Hopefully, by the time we arrive my mom will be home from work...or we'll probably be locked out.

Although I've seen pictures, I have no idea what the new house will be like.  I know it is quite small, as my mom wanted, for less upkeep.  Therefore, a lot of stuff did not get moved with her.  LIKE MY BED.  Don't even get me started.

Anyway, I will be sharing a room with Lindy...God help me.  She's a neat freak, me not so much.  It should get VERY interesting.  (Hopefully my mom has prepared herself for some cat fights because they are BOUND to happen.)

My mom has warned us that we will enter our room and find all of our belongings heaped in boxes in the middle of the room so it's easier to get down & dirty when painting the walls the next day.  So that's how I'll spend Wednesday...Hopefully Lin has some skills...

Thursday will be like any other day.   My dad was always the cook, so a big thanksgiving meal doesn't look like it'll be happening.  We'll probably just hang out all day until the long-awaited arrival of my brother, Cory, who I haven't seen in nearly a year.

After his graduation last year (I was unable to attend because of dreaded AP tests), he packed up his things at Duke and moved straight to Boston.  Now, he slaves in an office sixteen hours a day, not leaving much time to talk to his little sister.

So I guess it's a good thing we're not having a big dinner or he wouldn't have a ride home when he lands at 9:00...

Basically, everything will be different.  I won't have that "family back together" feel, or delicious turkey and mashed potatoes.  My room and stuff will inevitably be a mess and I may come back to school with a gift from Lindy in the form of a black eye.  Who knows.

This year the only thing I'm sure of is I will finally be reunited with my friends & spend some quality time with my mom, brother and sister.  That right there's something to be thankful for.

Less Gossip, More Talent

Okay so lots of people have chosen to write about their favorite trashy TV shows (Gossip Girl, 90210, etc.)  I'm all for the teen drama series, but I tend to like the more realistic, less publicized ones & I definitely encourage you to check them out.

 Okay so the first one's pretty popular, Miami Ink.  It started back in 2005 and is now in its fourth season & going strong.  On the show, people come into the shop located in Miami Beach, Florida to get tattoos.  However, it's not just about designs.  Instead, each person enters with a unique, and often devastating story about the image they'd like done. 

Then, an artist is chosen depending on who's specialty it is.  For example, Ami James, the owner of the shop, specializes in asian designs from dragons to coy fish.  Check out some of their designs at:

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/miami-ink/tattoo_flipbook/tattoo_flipbook.html

Another awesome artsy show is Ace of Cakes.  The show is based off Charm 

City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland where professional pastry chef, Chef Duff, opened his own shop in 2000.  After bringing a bunch of his closes friends to open the shop, it became nationally known for their creative and absolutely amazingly constructed cakes.

These days, they accept extraordinary challenges daily, whether it's baking a life-size cake of a grand mastiff dog or a six-foot sting ray.  There's nothing they won't do.  Using wood, wire, and even power tools, the chefs spend anywhere from a few hours to a week to construct amazing edible designs.

Check them out!!!