Cooking, and gifts

We've been having fun this week. While at my parents house for Christmas we've been doing lots of Indian cooking. They buy the spices, we do all the cooking. Lots of joy for all. Not often you get guests who do most of your cooking for you.

We were a little surprised when my parents told us we could keep the spices they bought. And then even more surprised when they gave us jars to put them in (we brought a few jars for mixes we would blend, but why do spices come in such massive plastic bags?), and then gave us book ends for our shelves, ties, a dress coat, and a blazer. The ties were available because my dad won't wear them once they start showing wear, and the other clothes because he outgrew them but fit me perfectly. And for while we were here they stocked my old bird feeder, which had been lying empty, with premium birdseed from a specialty store. Growing up I used to pay for the birdseed myself if I wanted something nicer than standard grocery store blend.

And this is after the official Christmas presents had been sent.

Streaks of generosity are welcome, but this kind of blows my mind sometimes.

Thanks :)

Credits Restored

The last of my language credits have finally been approved, making me that much closer to graduation. Feels nice to have some progress, even if that progress comes in the form of reminding the registrar that I really did take said classes. One day GWC will not lose credits. The Registrar claims that day has already come. But until I hear them proclaim they've migrated their computer systems for keeping track of records without any unexplained changes to transcripts I'm keeping close hold on all my old transcripts.

Car and Books

After our last car trip I told my palm pilot to calculate my MPG, and it tells me we are averaging 40 miles to the gallon. That makes us really happy.

In other news I just finished another book recently entitled The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin. It is one of the most beautiful stories I've read in a long time. Too bad the library doesn't have any more of her books that I haven't read.