when did i become so bad about updating? it's not like i have a lot to do. seriously. one thing i can say for sure is that life is laid back in the pacific northwest. and no one really seems concerned about it. i mean, the mall is not crazy. people are not panicking. no one on i-5 is ever in a hurry. i miss 465. the speed limit was 65 and everyone drove 80. i never worried about being pulled over because there was always a more suspicious looking vehicle speeding down the road next to me. my motto was "wherever you are going, get there, in as little time as possible." that's just not an option here. and i am all for roundabouts, or ploshids, as matt calls them. but the people here just don't understand the concept. i waited, in the circle, behind a lady that stopped to let three cars, outside the circle, enter in front of her. the signs surrounding the roundabouts specifically say "yield to traffic in the circle." what is so hard to understand? when no cars are coming, you go. it's easy. my life is so boring. today i spent two hours shopping for a new winter coat for ains. and it's not like she really needs one here. even at night it's not cold. some mornings i find myself complaining about the chill in the air. and then i see the temperature gauge at the bank and it says 58 degrees and i shut up. i bought ains a raincoat the other day. really cute. purple with polka dots on the lining. i wrote her name in it with a sharpie. and yesterday she asked me to take it back to the store because the smell of the rubber/vinyl made her want to puke. even the mall is boring. how sad is it that i don't even want to shop for christmas? when matt was in school all i could think about was buying new boots, and new jeans, and more shoes. and now that he has a great job i don't want to go look for the boots and the jeans and the shoes. they don't do super target out here. the targets here are like the ghetto target off of 31 in indy that closed last winter. and who on earth shops at shopko? is it like a kmart? i can't even bring myself to go in. and believe me. i have the time. i already bought ains and myself the chestnut uggs we wanted. beckett can't think of anything he wants for christmas. he just keeps saying that he wants football jerseys. i bought ainsley's american girl doll (molly). coop's getting the wii. and grady? i think he's getting a new car seat. he doesn't know any better. anything i want to buy is on ebay. i have become a very lazy shopper. for years i have wanted this beautiful, buttery, yummy navy blue coach bag. and the other day i found myself telling matt to forget about it. what is the deal? he offered to buy an elliptical. another sincere desire of my heart for the last five years. and again, i said no. when did i become so content? it's a little disturbing. i would seriously question my mental state, but crazies aren't lucid enough to wonder if they're crazy. i feel myself being pulled towards the emotional wonders of the season. i find myself wondering what my mom's tree will look like this year. and how long meg and jason's tree will sit in their living room, lit and unadorned. i wonder what ridiculous gifts weed and mor will buy finn for his first christmas. everyone goes a little crazy that first christmas. i hope my house will smell as good as my mom's house always smells this time of year. i hope my dad finally breaks down and buys a real tree. and decorates it. i hope the blues are not blizzard-style snowy when we try to cross them next week on our way to utah. i hope grady sleeps through the night. and i hope ains and becks snuggle one another and do not climb into my bed to snuggle me. mean, i know. but it's only a queen. i feel like that person whose blog you read. and then you sit for a minute, digesting. and then you decide not to check their blog for a while. until things return to normal. i need a physical hobby. any suggestions? i am not much of a runner. or a scrapbooker.