end of semester: triumph, or my ultimate doom? :O

So this will probably be my last post before the end of the semester. Even writing that I cannot seem to grasp the concept that Fall is almost over. And it really should seem real, because it is FRICKIN COLD outside!!! :( If only there was a lot of pretty snow on the ground to make the cold seem worth all the trouble. ::sigh:: Whatev.

Anyway, so my prof told me Wednesday that she wants to nominate me to present a selection of my work in her class at an Undergraduate Symposium in March. To over 150 faculty and students.

?!?!?!

I am of course highly flattered, completely overwhelmed, and insanely terrified. I actually normally relish public speaking...I typically don't even get nervous, and I really do enjoy entertaining or informing people. (Or maybe I am just an attention junkie. :D ) But THIS seems WAY over my pay grade. But overall, I am very VERY psyched that my prof feels my work is "outstanding in its field," and that she's willing to nominate me for something like this. Maybe she's actually nuts or something. :)

So Thanksgiving...it was very very weird.

Positives:
*I got to hang w/ Mom's extended family in Chicago, the side of the family with about 60 people in it. Which is always fun.
*We got to ride the El into the city Thursday morning to watch my cousin Jordan play in the Chicago Thanksgiving parade. That was really fun, though really freezing.
*I got to eat tons and TONS of good, homecooked food. It was kind of like what I imagine heaven is like.
*Mom, Gina, Heather, Megan, Shelby and I got to go to the Shedd Aquarium. Which was totally awesome.
*I organized a dance party with a drinks bar (non-alcoholic of course) in my uncle's basement on Friday night. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, doing the cha-cha slide with my cousins, aunts and uncles.

Negatives:
*Since Dad, Mom, Megs and Shelby are moving to Oregon, there is talk circulating in the extended family that we will not be getting together for reunions very often anymore.
*Megan and Shelby got the flu over the weekend, so I hardly got to hang out with them. This had me highly upset, as I was just as excited to see them as I was my cousins I haven't seen since the wedding in August.
*I had to deal with a lot of crap from certain HIGHLY conservative members of the extended family about getting the dance party together, especially because some of the music I played was non-Christian, I organized a mixed drinks bar, and I encouraged dancing. (Despite the fact that the drinks were non-alcoholic, all the non-Christian music was VERY clean, and because it was all family, there was absolutely NO grinding or dirty dancing.)

::sigh:: I really do respect my mom's side of the family, but sometimes I wish they'd just loosen up a bit. I am torn in two when I have on the one hand aunts and uncles criticizing me for trying to "recreate the worldly atmosphere of clubbing," and on the other hand cousins telling me that the dance party was the most fun thing we've ever done together. Ever. It was a good reminder though that despite how hard I may try, it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to please everyone. And if my organizing this dance party was such a huge shock to everyone (after all, aren't I a good Christian girl, which means I don't dance, don't drink, and don't go clubbing??) then maybe my aunts and uncles don't know me as well as they think they do.

So I am ready for some serious Christmasing. The music, the cookies, late-night Monopoly and Scrabble with Christmas tunes playing in the background and snow on the ground...BRING ON CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! :D