I'm still alive!

There is absolutely no way around this. I have been an awful blogger.

So, in an effort to catch you up on my life, I'll give you some easy bullet points.

- Since I last blogged, my sister celebrated her 22nd birthday and my brother celebrated his 21st!



- Much to our extreme happiness, my brother's leave was approved and he got to fly home for his birthday and Christmas! I don't even think I need to say this, but it was so wonderful to see him. Words cannot describe how complete we feel when he's with us. I do, however, have a few new bruises because of our semi-constant wrestling. Victory used to be crushing him into submission. Times have changed. Now that he's a green belt in karate, I consider myself victorious when I don't pee my pants.

- Like last year, I made some Penguins Christmas cookies. Unlike last year, they looked absolutely horrible. I did, however, make a little Marc-Andre Fleury in the net. Creativity points, at least?



- I must have been a good girl this year because Santa was more than generous to me. The coolest present? A Nikon Coolpix camera (with sports mode). That, of course, is a perfect excuse to buy some Penguins tickets... My favorite present? Having my brother home for probably our last family Christmas for awhile.



- Speaking of the Penguins, Santa must know I'm a bit of a fan. Between my parents and grandparents, I received Penguins slippers, an Iceburgh pillow pet, Malkin and Crosby Pittsburgh magazines, the 2009 Stanley Cup DVD, the 24/7 Penguins and Capitals DVD, a Penguins towel, an Evgeni Malkin poster, a Sidney Crosby print from Pensblog (LOVE this), and, because I'm sick of them saying 'NO' to me, Malkin and Crosby bobble heads.



- Speaking of Crosby, he kills me. Although he's been out of the line-up with recurring concussion symptoms, he still finds a way to haunt my dreams. In the most recent installment of Pens TV 'In the Room,' he interacted with a little girl by simply saying, "Hi."




Clearly, Sidney Crosby is in the business of melting my soul. Business is good.

- Two recent obsessions:

Tiny Tower. It's a free game for your smart phone that reminds me of The Sims. You basically earn money to build a tower that is made up of various stores and apartments. I suggest you play it, but I'm warning you - it's addictive.

M83. I cannot stop listening to this band. They belong to the shoegazing genre, which is known primarily for reverb effects and soft vocals. Although the band formed in 2001, they sound like the best '80s music you've ever heard. Seriously, synth-pop, cheesy narration, and saxophone solos galore. This is my favorite by them, but it's all pretty good.



- For perhaps only the third time in my life, I actually have cool plans for New Year's Eve. On Friday, I am leaving for Memphis with Jenn and her dad to see the University of Cincinnati take on Vanderbilt in the Liberty Bowl. I can't wait. Football, blues music, Beale Street, and BBQ in the home of Elvis Presley sounds perfect to me. I think New Year's Eve is remarkably overrated, but maybe this will change my mind a bit.

- I'm also not usually one for New Year's resolutions. This year, however, I have a major one: MOVE FORWARD. Whether that means grad school, a job, or even an unpaid internship, I need to move forward. I'm ready for the next step in my life. Beyond ready.

So, I apologize for the delay. I'm back with a new camera and discounted candy canes. How was your Christmas? Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?