So...

I've been MIA for how long? Well... I'm pretty sure Ms. Non-Sequitor is the only one who ever checks in here anyway... :)

The holidays were great... check out assorted pictures at the Aussies flickr site. There are some from his trip to Thailand for his younger bro's wedding as well. (Oh and yes, if you're wondering... he is one of 4 brothers, and he is now the only one left unmarried. Just sayin'.)

Now, it's January...oops, no, that's over... it's February. Winter has arrived in Latvia with no welcome from me. It's been snowy and last night as I walked home from the Aussie's, I heard it was -18C. Yeah. This morning I said fuck it, and actually put on long underwear under my pants. Can I just say that I am SO against long underwear? I don't ever want to live anywhere else where that many layers are necessary! If someday I suddenly desire snow, I'll go on a trip. Really. Is it spring yet?

Well, the nice thing is that even if the weather has gone to shit, at least the sun is doing it's bit in becoming a part of life around these parts again. It's officially getting light before 8am again. I'm no longer walking the whole way to school in complete darkness. That is very cool. And even better than that, it's staying light out until nearly 5:30! Whooohooo!!! Well anyway... that's the weather report.

Very cool thing? My little brother is here! When I say little I, of course mean, like two feet taller than me, but none the less younger. :) He flew in just this past Tuesday, and will stay until the 20th. So far, it's awesome to see him, and catch up. We haven't seen each other since the summer of 2005!

In other big news... I have a change of address coming in about two weeks. Yes, I am happily turning the page on my days at "God's price" apartment, and moving in with, yes, that's right, the Aussie. Yes, it will be a tight squeeze. Yes, I pray for the safety of my cat. Yes, we will have to move again soon because the Aussie's landlord is selling soon, and we'll be outta there. But, it will mean no more hlaf my stuff here, half there. No more missing my cat, and feeling like a horrible pet owner because I haven't even seen him in a week. No more not having something I want or need. No more running out of clean clothes and having to wear dirty ones. And, yes, it will somewhat officially now be "we" instead of me. And certainly "ours". :)

OK.... I have some other thought swirling in my head about things I could blab on about here... family, being a vegetarian, and why, and others...but for now... I'm going to leave it at this, and hopefully come back soon to touch on those others. I know I'm letting down my public (even if there are only two of you - AW I think you might be a loyal checker-in too). So I'll try to come back... oh, and maybe I'll even touch on the evils of "reality" tv. :)

That's it for now.