Happy New Years (Eve)

I'm home! (Home being in Louisiana)
Dad drove me to the airport yesterday in silence and I pretty much slept all day today. I think Harriet and Kristy and I are going to go outside later tonight and shoot some firecrackers. Shooting firecrackers is kind of a pastime around here. And Kristy, she seems to know ALL the secrets of getting the most bang out of fireworks.

Another thing we do around here is to make lists of New Year's Resolutions. I've already made one of mine -- and that is not to take too many things to heart and to take myself less seriously. I know it's one of the 'bad' things I got from mom. Along with that resolution, I've also resolved to have more fun in the coming year. Another thing I'm resolving to do is to learn more about different people and different cultures. I'm even considering becoming a Traveling Doll over the summer.

What are YOUR New Year's Resolutions?

Happy 2009, everybody. Let's make THIS year the best EVER!

Musings on Harriet

More greetings from "balmy" Lancaster, PA. I'll be back on terra firma in Louisiana before New Year's. The weather reports say it's going to get cold again soon.

It was an unusually warm day so dad and I took a stroll in the park. We talked about a lot of things, including where I'd be going to school next year. I told him that I was looking into several schools, including Hanover Academy and Parkview Ladies' College. "All of them are private boarding schools," he said, chewing on his mustache.

"I know, dad," I told him.

"Well, aren't you setting yourself up for a fall?"

"Whaddya mean, dad?"

"Private schools like the ones you're thinking about applying to cost money. And what if you don't get in?"

"I'm not thinking about not getting in, dad."

Dad managed a chuckle. "You sound like your mother." Then he sighed. "You're growing up, Scooter -- growing up a little too fast for me."

I had never heard dad talk like that before. One thing I know for sure, I'm not happy about the prospect of going back to Adams Junior High.

Later on, when I got back to dad's computer, I saw that Harriet sent me an email. She says she misses me (of course), that she still wants to have our slumber party (of course, even though she made her birthday and her party got postponed because her grandmother was in the hospital) and that some of her family is still freaking out over her new look. I think if I lopped off six inches my family would be in shock too.

Harriet before:

Harriet now:

You be the judge.

Family Ties

Hello everyone from PA! It's cold here but not as cold as it could be, so I suppose I should count my blessings.
Christmas was pretty good, actually. Mom sent me a new outfit, which is cute but still seems more like a Meredith outfit than something belonging to me. I guess it's the color that's got me. Look:



Dad is, well, Dad. I have to say, he's really improved his cooking. Either that or he's buying a heck of a lot of packaged food and reading the directions really well. He and mom still aren't talking, and I haven't seen my mother in eight months. I'm not sure whether to be sad about that or not.
Got an email from Nicki, who's still in Colorado and will be there till after the New Year. She sent a bunch of pictures, some of the mountains, some of the snow, and some of her with the new puppy she got for Christmas. From the pics she sent I couldn't tell what kind of puppy it was, but it looked to be frisky. She calls him "Sparky."

Nicki has a younger brother, Adam, who's in fourth grade, and her twin sisters were born the day after Thanksgiving, Rebecca Faith and Kristine Hope. Her email account couldn't fit all those pics, so she says she's sending pics of them too. She also says she's been trying to spend some time with her best friend from Colorado, Becca, and her other friend Kris. I tell Nicki one thing. If that dog shows up here, I'll scream.

Happy Holidays!

Welp, it's that time of the year again. I decided to go back home to Pennsylvania. But before I do, I wanna let everybody know what I've been up to lately.
I can't say I'm sure what I want for Christmas, because what any girl wants, I pretty much already have.

First, I misplaced my digital camera, so I didn't do many journal entries. But after the election (the real one, not mine) I went back to work on the student council. Being class president definitely isn't easy. You have to find a balance between all these different groups, who all want to be heard and all want you to listen to them. I don't envy the job the real president has to do, at all.
On December 11th, it snowed here. Vee had told me that it didn't snow that often here, I know back home it snowed quite a good deal. We had the day off school because of the snow. Back home I probably would have had to go to school. The shot below, I managed to take of Kristy with my cameraphone, apologies for the lack of quality.

And I've also helped Harriet decorate her grandmother's Christmas tree:

While I was at Harriet's place we sat up all night last night and watched Samantha and Felicity's movies back to back. I don't remember which one of us fell asleep first. All in all, it's been pretty busy here at Casa Hotchkiss.