It's the Penultimate Countdooooown!!!

I was going to title this post "final countdown," after the rockin' awesome song, but really it's not 'final' for us, is it? The next finals, now those will be the real deal. Eponymously final.

Ah, anyway, we've had a fun past 24 hours preparing for penultimates. Last night, the four of us had Family Time for the first time in a while. We finished chapter 9 of the Book of John and then debated blindness and seeing. But mostly we talked about how we've been doing this semester and touching base with each other again. I tried to think of a pun about 'touching base' but everything that came to mind was too Jo-worthy to publish.

Anyway, today Grace, Jo and I schmucked around the house working on papers while Stuart was at work. About two pages and two episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series into my architecture paper and I had pretty much lost it. Utter madness ensued. Finally Grace and I fled to the library to reestablish our work ethic. Hoo boy. The 5pm deadline was met, but there were casualties.

Anyway, at 5pm was a Taize prayer service that Jo organized. Then at 7 was a DELICIOUS meal cooked for us by Michelle. She baked chicken with five spices: anise seed, turmeric, cloves, ginger, and something. She thinks cinnamon. Then topped with onion, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and salt. And there was rice, roasted butternut squash, and, of course, kimchi. For dessert, because the banana bread was burned, we finished 'poppy chow' that Grace made yesterday. It's 'puppy chow' but with popcorn. And it's fan-friggin-tastic.

Overheard after dinner:

Grace: "Wow, NYU is like a hipster factory!"
Jill: "I can't believe I just ate all that poppy chow..."
Jo: "I kind of wish I was a demigod. You know?

ANYWAY, after dinner Michelle found a Christmas songbook and started singing some carols. When she got to "O Christmas Tree," however, Goseph leaped to his feet, urging her to be quiet lest he, in his words "hurt the bush's feelings." He was referring to our beautiful Christmas Tree, which, if one is wishing to be botanically accurate, is more of a 'bouquet' than a 'tree' but is in no way a 'bush.' Jo tried to compliment the Tree, but all he could come up with was "I like how it's...post-symmetrical." "Three sizes too small..."

Well, the singing continued:



ANYWAY, good luck with finals and penultimates and all sorts of crazy cooking adventures, and happy holidays! Here's to hoping we'll finish Boys Over Flowers one of these days...

ADDENDA:
1) Michelle would like it to be known that she and I are totally gangster. Homey.
2) Grace and I were talking today about starting a "TA37 Dictionary" page, which I just did! I'm compiling words to define first, then I'll get set on defining them. The link is in the upper right hand part of the blog, or you can click here.