The Final Countdown to a Bitter Sweet Weekend

Bitter: 

LSAT on the brain. LSAT t.o.m.o.r.r.o.w. 

Helpful tip of the day: If you're ever taking the LSAT, this web site is phenomenal for studying -- http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/p/lsat-logic-games-tips.html

Sweet:

Starting tomorrow afternoon life will be so miraculous, especially this weekend! Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to allow myself to forget what happened in the testing room, enjoy the "Tacky Sweater Bar Crawl" in downtown DC and begin to bask in the impending holiday season! Kicking off holiday season with a festive bar crawl is just about right for me. Hopefully Monday we'll get our tree and decorations up! Super excited to make sketchy be festive and happy. He hates it -- Mr. Grinch. =)

Also, hopeful for a back to normal routine of football Sunday with friends at a local bar -- I'm more excited for this than one can imagine. I feel like I haven't seen anyone or watched football properly in weeks! My fantasy league is a little OOC right now too. Anything can happen in the next two weeks of regular season play! Sorry DC, I love ya, but thanks to AJ (opponent this week) gotta hate on RGIII and the Skins just this one week in hopes of pulling out a much needed fantasy win. 

Sunday also marks day 1 of CrockPot week! Gonna let meal one cook as I enjoy some football out and about. 

Here's to hoping I don't slow-cook the kitchen this weekend! 

Christmas is in the Air!

Too much has been going on in life the past two weeks between impromptu cruise, being unbelievably sick, funeral, Thanksgiving, home buying and LSAT in two days. I think with things calming down and LSAT hanging very heavily on my mind, things started to actually sink in and my brain and life got a little more than very overwhelmed. My pick-me-up -- ignore all important things going on in life and focus on happy things -- like Christmas! I thought about my first real Christmas and how happy it makes me just to think about it.

Two (almost three soon!) Christmases ago, in my first adult apartment (where GW could not kick me out) I made the decision to stay in DC for the holidays. I purchased and put up my very first Christmas tree.

 I took a million pictures and felt like a little child. I spent Christmas eve on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book, watching the snow fall outside my window illuminated by the lights of the Pentagon. It was perfect.

Natasha was staying with me to extend her DC living before hopping on a plane with her one-way ticket to California (she graduated a semester early). We went out to Bethesda on Christmas day and hung out and had Chinese, naturally, as all minorities do on Christmas. 

It took me a solid 22 years before I had my very own Christmas tree but it happened and it was amazing. 

That Christmas was also the day Sketchy was tossed into my life. =)

Best.Christmas.Ever.

CrockPot 7 Day Challenge

I've been holding out to get a digital touchscreen CrockPot because they're a thing of beauty but I finally broke down and just got a regular CrockPot on Black Friday. It was such a good deal -- 10.00. So now I'm going to make sure it gets some use. I'm challenging myself to make a meal in the CrockPot for seven days straight! Shouldn't be too difficult given the meal cooks itself.

I tried to get a good variety of dishes -- different meats, styles and cuisines!

Here's the line-up so far. May add and remove as I go:

Day 1: Chicken Tikka -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160811350601/

Day 2: Jambalaya -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160812371450/

Day 3: Cilantro Lime Chicken -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160811632472/

Day 4: Chicken and Wild Rice -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160812371493/

Day 5: Meatball Stew -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160812371470/

Day 6: Paella -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160812371457/

Day 7: Lasagna -- http://pinterest.com/pin/20055160812371459/

Day 1 begins Sunday. Have to get some much needed grocery. Our fridge is so sad right now.