A belated happy new year

Hello to all! I'm back home in Iowa, and the weather is nice and cold, as befitting of the season ^_^ (Well, okay, it could stand to be about twenty degrees colder, but it's better than being in the fifties.) (I would also like to take this time to disclaim actually liking cold weather (snow aside), but feel it is much more fitting for our region to be cold at this time of year. And, in fact, starting mid November-ish.)

Had a great time on "vacation", actually. Got to meet Mati on Friday, which was beyond awesome ♥♥♥ Had a whole lot of fun, and subjected her to Mexican food. Didn't expect the accent, but wasn't turned off by it. Also, artses :DDD The only downsides I can think of were that we didn't have enough time together, and Mom would occasionally steal the conversation ^^a Not that I mind the second one as much, but. *luvs her mom, really*

As we were driving home on Saturday, the wind was really fierce. How fierce was it, you ask? Well, as we were driving, Mom and I saw a hawk flying by the side of the road. It was facing into the wind, and every few seconds it would beat its wings a couple of times. With that momentum, it was able to stay in the same position over the ground the entire time. (Rather than finding this incredibly cool, of course, Mom and I just laaaaughed ^^a)

Made it to Kansas City for the night. Mom was awesome and took me out to see Night at the Museam, too. Which wasn't too bad, all things said and done. I mean, a lot of the emotional decisions and stuff seemed a little too easy, but it was entertaining, and I really appreciated that it wasn't trying to be more than what it was. I missed the first twenty minutes, but Dad took me and Tomas out to see it yesterday, so I got to catch up then ^^v ( Also... )

Long story short, not the absolute best movie in the world, but definitely not the worst. And very much needing of fic. Yes.

Rewinding a bit, went out for a big family dinner at a Thai place on Thursday, at which point I knowingly tasted Jasmine Tea for the first time. And let me tell you, I can totally see what Uncle Iroh sees in that tea. It was hot stuff. And I don't mean that temperature wise, or spice wise. What I mean is, if that tea was a person/personified? I'd date it. Yum. (I need an Uncle x Tea icon now...)

They also had some really great homemade coconut ice cream there, which I really didn't expect to like at first. It had actual bits of fresh coconut in it, instead of that stupid dried flake stuff ♥ Majorly tastey. The rest of the food was great, too. The owners were friends of the family (the branch we were visiting), so we were teased and managed to fit in eighteen people with minimum reservations, even though it looked like there was only room for forty tops in the restaurant. The owner also teased the heck out of us - "No" meant "Yes" in that restaurant -_-a ("Do you have chopstics?" "No. Fresh out." *chopsticks arrive with main course* "...")

I think that's it for now? I guess I'll write more when I think of it. And now, off to work on Communications for fic_off! Er, or download stuff. Whichever.

Edit: We have confirmation! Night at the Museam is a picture book! Which, being as I'm at the library right now, I may go look for shortly. You know. Just to glance at it. PS the main character's original name was Hector :(

Oh yeah!

Now I remember! That other thing that was vaguely big news that Mom and I learned upon our return.

Dad's blood sugar levels now qualify him as diabetic. Which isn't too surprising, since his father was, too, but it means that he's going to have to watch what he eats more - as should the rest of us (though probably mostly Tomas and me).

...Also, I hate to admit it, but I'm still mostly ignorant about diabetes. And a lot of the other diseases and disorders that a good chunk of the population ends up with but they never actually teach about in school. So I'mma hafta get researching on that.


On a different note, I need to write the fic where Kaito's mom is actually this person. ...What? It could work, dammit! We never actually know what she does or what her name is, so it could so work! Unless we find out in recent stories, but I'm counting on that not being the case. Uh.


And on an even more different note, I apparently might be missing a few birthdays here, so. COMMENT HERE WITH YOUR BIRTHDAY, SO THAT I MIGHT BETTER KEEP TRACK OF THEM. Because the LJ Birthday Tracker is not, in fact, made of win and accuracy. *will not write an angry letter, will not write an angry letter, will not write an angry letter...*

PSA

And it's birthday sparkles time again apparently! *muttermuttergrumble Stupid LJ birthday thing muttergrumble*

( For Joan ♥ )

Edit: ON THAT NOTE! If you have a birthday and possibly want it acknowledged in some way, go and comment with the date here, so I am better able to keep track of them. And hopefully won't miss one again. Hopefully. *knocks on wood*