The holidays

Had my first dysfunctional Thanksgiving this year. My aunt is one of those raving, viral Republican super-Christians that spawn others by shouting as loud as they can without allowing anyone to return with their own thoughts. Good for her I guess, I'll probably see worse in my career. Can't wait for Christmas.

Had some amazing conversation with my uncle last weekend about all the environmental stuff Aunt Pattie smashed through, wielding her church-camp propaganda. He was more open minded, or at least appeared to be. Regardless, we both got our points across without getting teary-eyed or pissed off. I've never really connected with that uncle (he married in), in fact I've felt downright frightful of him for years. He is definitely Republican, with a son in the Marines to boot. It took a long time to see through his chiding farm-boy, misogynistic ways. Once again, can't wait for Christmas.

At the Red Wings game I felt small and unworthy. When those thick red uniforms came screaming around the rink for warm up I could catch glimpses of their features without helmets on. Their heads were so small in all those pads, and coupled with their skill, power and agility they looked like men in mechanical fighting suits. I found my self whispering the names of some of the players I had come to remember from TV over the past half of my life. "Wooaa, Draper. Wooow! Franzen!," like Randy when he starts shouting out all the presents he sees under the tree in the Christmas Story. Osgood shut out St. Louis against a former Wings goalie, Legace, and some stadium mixed-taper cut some audio from the Wizard of Oz that the audience loved.

Back in school for the next two weeks finishing homework and a presentation on hydrogen fuels; preparing for a big cellular biology exam; and typing two papers on Sturgeon and Alternative Energy Education in K-12 schools. My policy class can kiss my ass though, I've already kissed its ass and met a nice lingering fart that smells like burning. It's a 100 level class that expects 1000 level performance; a blindside to everyone in the course.

I think I will stay in EL for the first part of break, until Christmas. 25th-30th at home, New Years in Chicago, 2nd-7th in New Orleans.