...went home for a semester and went mad.

I knew when I took a semester off that I might go crazy. I left home at 17 and swore I didn't want to live there again--not because my parents are mean or because I don't like Woodland Park, but simply because I rather enjoy my independence. I wasn't necessarily eager to return to a house in which everyone goes to sleep at 9, a place in which I am often rather confined by snow, and a ward there are--let me count--no people my age. Things have turned out alright, however. My home is beautiful, I hike like crazy, I have a new best friend in Hoover, and on rare nights my parents even stay up until almost 10 to watch Buffy with me. Consequently, I thought my sanity was actually fairly well intact. Then I was looked through some pictures I've taken recently and...well, you can judge for yourself.

Exhibit A:

Yes, that is a plush Rudolph from Build a Bear. Yes, he is out in the snow, and yes I put him there (reindeer like snow, right?). I'm not sure what my thought process was here, except that I had time to kill while waiting for some people to come look at a car. And hey, at least this buck didn't want to kill me. Bonus!

Exhibit B:

When I was feeling slightly more festive in late October, I began working on Christmas cards--sort of. I've come to realize that none of them are really related to Christmas. I made a lovely Hanukkah-themed card, one related to literary theory, and then lots of animals. Yes indeed, that polar bear is about as Christmasy as it gets with his green background and red eyes. At least I still have a chance to redeem myself by writing festive messages inside like, "This Christmas, I really hope no polar bears seek you out and maul you!"

Exhibit C:

I really have nothing to say about this.

Draw conclusions as you will.