New Year's Resolution...hmmm

I really, truly, wholeheartedly suck at New Year's resolutions. Usually by April, I can barely remember what it is, anyway. Last year's attempt at my monthly goals ended at May - although, justifiably, the months I did complete were rather succesful. I guess what I'm trying to say is I seem to have turned into a non goal-oriented person, except for two key situations: 1) competition - if I'm in it to win, then I will do everything I can, or 2) someone tells me I can't - that's a guaranteed way to get me to do something. Then again, I'm always thinking about the next best thing, or what I can do next, or where I'm going. So, not sure where that leaves me exactly, but obviously I haven't learned my lesson, as I am once again going to make a New Year's resolution.

But first I should say that 2008 has been both an eventful year for me, as well as an uneventful year.

Confused yet? So am I.

This past year, I lived in one city for the whole calendar year - that hasn't happened since I was in high school. I stayed at the same job for a whole calendar year for the first time ever. I took French classes all year, made new friends and kept the old. I've really enjoyed Chicago and witnessed some great events like Obama's election partay. However, my wanderlust is starting to appear slowly, yet persistently. So, what's a girl to do?

That's where my resolution comes in. In 2009, I commit to being more adventurous, more spontaneous, more willing to try new and unusual things.

I was recently inspired by these guys. Now, I'll be honest, by no means will I be attempting to do the same thing...ha! That would be incredible, but maybe something a little less ambitious, yes?

To that end, I'm leaving the resolution extremely general on purpose. Hopefully being adventurous will mean creating new experiences and just pushing myself out of my comfort zone in general. I really have no idea. What I do know is that I'm ready to live fully in the moment and push my limits. While I have set my 100/10 goals, and I love working on them, I also don't want to be defined by just those, but instead hopefully they will evolve with me.

I have no idea what 2009 will bring - and I really can't wait.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Gnome

So, on our NYC Christmas adventure, the Hall fam decided that it would be more fun if we took along a "Hall Gnome" in which to include in our pictures and generally take all over the city. And I have to say, it was quite fun. Although, my sis might disagree - she had to carry him all of the time. I'm pretty sure after she returned home the words, "the Gnome is dead to me," may have come out of her mouth. Anyway, you can relive the moments below:

New York, New York

One: Like all Notre Dame graduates, I have the ability to make a tradition built out of nothing. We love tradition and tradition loves us.

Two: Yet, it seems I was also born with a wandering, vagabond self that dislike repetition, commitment, and sameness.

This year for the holidays, it appears that my second self won. Instead of heading home to Indy to celebrate Christmas as I had the first 25 years of my life, I packed my bag to the City that Never Sleeps. My parents and I took the train east to meet my sis who took the bus north where we all met up in a cute boutique-y just opened Hampton Inn in Soho to celebrate the holidays. And I have to say, it was quite a rockin' time for all. Despite the fact that the train ride took 9 hours longer than it should have and our first day there was wicked cold, I have to say this has been my favorite Christmas so far.

Day one of three was spent on multiple bus tours - we were total champs. We covered downtown to uptown and saw all of the Christmas lights to boot. We took a jaunt out to the Statue of Liberty, shopped at the UN Building, took in the lights of Time Square, judged the various windows of the major department stores, and saw all the major museums in 30 minutes or less. We froze our butts off, bonded with our tour guides, bought hand warmers from a street vendor, and stayed out late.

Day two of three we spent the morning shopping in Soho (where I got the cutest Betsey Johnson jewelry and my sister nabbed a fabulous Marc Jacobs bag), and then headed out take in all the Met Museum of Art has to offer, from beautiful Greek statues to historical musical instruments. We almost made it through a really fun Christmas Eve service until I unfortunately began to suffer from some sort of 24 stomach flu:(

Day three of three was Christmas and we woke up to gifts in the hotel room (sometimes parents are so clever) and my fam enjoyed breakfast while I drank hot tea and continued to try and recover. New York being New York, the city was saturated with activity and people both shopping and just out for the day. We began at Grand Central Station - a mecca for all train buffs such as my Dad - where we enjoyed a light show that was projected across the inside of the station. We then browsed the temporary shops set up in Bryant Park, and then enjoyed a gorgeous carriage ride through Central Park. We dared enter FAO Schwarz which was overrun, and then enjoyed the beauty of the Plaza Hotel. The evening was spent taking in vintage Jim Carrey through his new move Yes Man, followed by Christmas dinner at a true Irish Pub in the East Village.

Could it get any better? Yes it could - thanks to this fun-filled trip, I've also fulfilled two more of my 100/10 goals:

50) Go on a family vacation

89) Visit the UN building

Done and done.

Next post: the introduction of the Hall gnome

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So maybe Christmas isn't the most wonderful time of the year -but it's got to be close. And call me old-fashioned, but one of my favorite Christmas traditions is sending Christmas cards. Actual cards that require envelopes and stamps. I love it! I started my freshman year in college and have sent them ever since. Some years' cards have been better than others, but it's the thought that counts, right? What I look forward to every year is sending and receivings cards to and from old friends, new friends, and family - across the U.S. Great days include ones where I hear from someone that I haven't talked to in quite a while - but I always know that I will hear from at Christmas.

Sometimes when I'm halfway through the 60 some odd cards I send, I'm cursing the process. But, Christmas is a time to spread joy and reconnect, and this is my favorite way to do so. I can't imagine a holiday season without fun cards and Christmas stamps.

Perhaps starting a new tradition this year, the Hall family is headed to NYC to celebrate, so I won't be blogging next week, but Happy Holidays to everyone and be safe wherever you are!

My being famous...sort of

So last night, in an effort to further procrastinate on my Christmas cards (although all of them are now in the mail!), I was messing around and discovered that I'm on YouTube - albeit an extremely short amount of time. But, nevertheless, it brought back good memories.

I'm in the second row of trombones after the Irish Guard - right in front of the camera - totes.

Rewind (my life in bulletpoints)

Since Thanksgiving I've...

• had three close friends become engaged in one weekend (add those to the two that were engaged in the few weeks before - yes, that totals 5!)
• made one trip to the Chicago Emergency Veterinary Services (but Sugar's all better now)
• seen one performance of The Nutcracker with me Dad (keeping the tradition alive)
• read 8 great books (which means I haven't been getting much sleep)
• burned through 23 tealight candles (mmm...apple cinnamon for the holidays)
• decorated one apartment for Christmas (my tree changes colors)
• signed over 60 Christmas cards (not all have been mailed)
• written one essay in French (know how to say "gold fever" en francais? I do.)
• seen the the temperature dip to 9 degrees more than 3 times
• spent one hour sitting on the Megabus on the Indiana Toll Road (after waiting for it for an hour when it was late)
• downloaded two albums on iTunes (and rediscovered my love of Enya)
• thought about blogging every day (but just now got around to it)

Bisoux

~K

This ain't your mama's Thanksgiving

Ringing in the season of Thanksgiving means one thing to me...turkey pizza.

Ah yes, the Hall family tradition remains alive and well. In my mother's neverending quest to avoid the kitchen entirely, she remains a spectator with the rest of us as my father creates the glory that is the turkey pizza. And there's no turkey on this pizza kids, it's all in the shape...oh, yeah...totes. See below for the gloriousness:



But, nay, a girl cannot survive Thanksgiving on turkey pizza alone. There must be the shooting of the BB gun and the riding of the tractor.

Like every 17 year old girl, for my birthday, I wanted a Daisy BB gun, and my parents humored me. It still serves me well 9 years later as I wipe the floor with my competition using nothing but a steady hand, six tin cans, one wood sawhorse, and an uncanny sense of the direction that the wind blows. See below for the gloriousness:

Yet, while my mother may not be a deft hand at whipping up the traditional Thanksgiving spread, she is a expert behind the wheel of a tractor, even one that only is sort of still alive and running...nothing like jumping a tractor with a battery, eh? Brought back the good ol' days of jumping my truck...tear. She, being the benevolent maternal figure that she is, chose to pass those mad skills onto me. See below for the gloriousness:

To all of you whose Thanksgiving does not include any sort of pizza-making/gun-shooting/tractor-driving goodness...I pity you, and give thanks for my own good memories.

P.S. - One more down...51) Drive a tractor