It's Friday & I'm blogging.

Mike is finally home. Hooray. I like it much, much better when we're together.

We went to dinner after he got in last night. For our three & a half-year anniversary. And maybe I turned 26 (!), too. Mike gave me a few very thoughtful gifts, including tickets to see Ingrid for her Holiday Hop concert in New York in December. How fun does that sound? Even better- my sister (in-law) Kera is going to be here, so she gets to come too! I love Ingrid, I love Kera & I love Mike (in three different ways). December 18th will be a good day. Oh- & Ingrid has a new benefit album that just dropped. It's full of previously unreleased songs, demos & live recordings. It's heading to my apartment as we speak. Can't wait.

We decided that we're not going home (as in, my home- wherever my family happens to be congregating) for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Ticket prices are cumulatively almost as much as our monthly rent which is a very, very bad thing. I'm sad & just sort of disappointed. I love Mike's family & I'm grateful that we get to see them often- but I miss my nieces & nephews desperately, & I want to sit around & just giggle with my sisters. Sigh. Living 3,000 miles away is hard, & the fact that I see my family just a few times a year isn't so fun. The good news: We're going to try to squeeze in a ski trip to Utah in early January, so hopefully we'll be able to catch a group of family (& friends).

I got my hair cut on Wednesday. To my shoulders, & it's darker again. I like it. Bradley is so great. I told him about Adele & he plugged in my iPod to the salon's stereo system & we all listened. So fun. I love his stories. Linsay Lohan's "person" called him during my cut & asked if he could do her hair at her hotel in 10 minutes. He said no (?!), & later said that he won't work with her anymore because she's such a brat. He also said that the best time to do her hair & makeup is when she's passed out, & that she's almost penniless because of all the cocaine that she does. AND he said that she's a fake lesbian. Am I gossipping? Oops. .
.

We're doing all sorts of festive things for Halloween, which really, is so not us. I'm sort of the Halloween Scrooge. Admittedly, some of the holiday's fun is lost on me. I don't drink, I don't have kids, I don't do sluttly costumes, & I'm not especially creative in coming up with my own. This being said, I'm improvising. Thanks to my sister Joanna, Mike & I will be dressing up as Mr. & Mrs. Universe tonight. All black (well, I'll be in all black- Mike wants to wear dark blue) + glow-in-the-dark stars all over our bodies + a sash complete with our titles in big red felt letters. I made the sashes myself. I'm quite proud. We're going to The Cathedral of St. John the Divine for their Halloween Extravaganza tonight (yes, I think it's weird that a scary pagan holiday is being celebrated in a cathedral) & then to a little soiree hosted by the lovely Jill. It should be fun, although I'm already wishing that I could down a Red Bull to get things started (i.e. keep me awake past 9pm). Still no caffeine for me. I miss it terribly.

Tomorrow- we have our ward's Halloween party, then my sweet friend Mary is coming into the city from DC. We get to grab dinner together, then go see her old choir perform. She's staying with us Saturday night, then heads home on Sunday. I'm excited- that she's coming on Saturday, not that she's leaving on Sunday.

Sunday evening- we're having a Holiday Treats party at our apartment, hosted by Sarah Jane & Nathan. It's their tradition, so they get the credit for the idea. I think I'm going to make Shake Shack's hot chocolate in my crock pot, & maybe something savory to balance out all of the sugar I'm sure we'll be consuming. Any ideas?

I finished In the Time of the Butterflies this morning. I really, really loved it. Add it to your list.