i haven't posted for two months because what comes next chronologically was the best, followed by the worst time i had in DC. both are, embarrassingly, boy-related. but i'll skip over them for now and write about them later. now i will write about christmas until the present.

for christmas my fam and i went to jasper for a few days, largely because my mom hates cooking and looks for excuses every second year to not cook christmas dinner for my immediate family and my dad's parents. for two of those days, my dad, emily, and i went to marmot basin to ski, snowblade, and snowboard, respectively. my dad's a pretty good skier, and emily and i improved a lot compared with how we started out, but we're still not very good. i've always been too scared to go on my toe edge because i don't want to catch my heel edge and break open my head, but i made myself practice those two days and now i can turn both ways onto my toe edge and back, although i can't go very fast when i do it. hooray, self.

i spent the days after christmas at my parents', finishing up the quilt i've been working on for myself for the last two years, knitting a sweater for kelsey (kels, e-mail me a picture of you wearing it so i can replace this one of me wearing it), visiting my lovely grandparents, and helping my dad make me some room divider screens for my new place in edmonton. also, kelsey and paul and i hung out at sammy's (a sort of sketchy ice cream/burger place in vermilion) and then at my house for a bit, and watched "tokyo!"

my parents drove me up to edmonton on the 30th with a truckload of stuff to make a comfortable living space for me. they convinced me to live with my sisters in the condo my parents bought a year or two ago, so that they wouldn't have to find someone new to live there when alyssa moves out in mid-february to do her practicum at home. so... i've been living in the dining room and sleeping on the floor since then. BUT i have my brand-new quilt to keep me warm, and all my craft and sewing supplies close by, and it's accessible so that the people i love can drop by easily, so i am happy.

i spent the last day of 2009 making CD sleeves with landon at my place for the four songs he just recorded. it was an unexpected hangout, but pretty great. nathan also came over in the afternoon and we played nintendo and talked. i spent new year's eve alone in my apartment (the third time i've done so on a new year's eve in four years), writing letters and crafting. it was perfect.

i spent the first day of 2010 drinking tea with darcy, and continuing the CD assembly line with jessy, landon, and jonathan.

the rest of 2010 so far has included lots of crafting (with jessica, kim, natasha, and nathan, mostly), a little bit of other sorts of hanging out (skating with nathan and alex, farmers' market-ing with nathan, movie-watching with alex, blueberry crumble at the high level diner with dr. e, ), crushing on tegan & sara with my sister at their concert, a little bit of computer work (on my cree books, on my application for grad school), wishing my gido bill a happy 90th birthday (!), and a lot of work. i'm working at a couple of different places:
1. i spend most of my working hours in a studio on jasper ave. and 104th, sewing for a young designer who won the emerging designer competition at the last edmonton fashion week. it's sort of a dream job, since i'm learning a ton and get to spend most of my work hours alone. the designer is really kind and unpretentious and great to work for.
2. i'm back at the elementary school again this year, gettin' paid for tobogganing with kids and microwavin' their lunches. the kids are really rad and adorable, and i'm glad to be able to spend more time with them.
3. i'm still tutoring. in addition to cree, i'm also tutoring one human ecology class, and the mother of the student i tutor is paying me handsomely to help her navigate the internet. she knows i need money, and her generous heart always finds sort-of legitimate ways to keep me "employed."
4. i'm editing civil engineering master's students' papers. well, i did one while i was in new york, and although i haven't done any since then, i am supposed to start one next week. it pays well and i really enjoy it. in fact, that leads into one of two classes i'm starting this week:
1. an editing class! the faculty of extension is offering an 18-hour course on copy and substantial editing. i am starting it on saturday, and i am REALLY looking forward to it.
2. a pattern drafting class! this one is offered by central sewing. that starts tomorrow. i am really looking forward to it too.

this post has been brought to you by the prodding and the internet access of natasha.