I guess I should get a peace lily.

Thanks for the plant ideas. Mom also sent me an email about a Chinese Evergreen, which sounds pretty good to me too. I think the real problem is the cold more than anything. I don't know. I just know that my money tree and my coffee plant are losing lots of yellowish leaves, and my schefflera is pretty much dead. I think overwatered it. I think also that I need to repot my coffee plant and move the money tree away from the heat vent. The prayer plant from Kendra is doing okay. Could probably stand to repot that too.

I forgot to mention that last week I bought a new coat at H&M. It's black and awesome. I also got new mittens and a hat. Julie B said my new winter gear was "unstoppable."

I am excited for Christmas. You know how some years people ask you what you want for Christmas and you have no ideas? This year I have five million ideas. I want some big things though, and I'm trying to decide if I want to sacrifice all the CDs and clothing for musical instruments. I am also trying to figure out buying presents for other people. I like to get in the holiday spirit, and I'd love to send Christmas cards and get presents for everyone I know and make lots of cookies and decorate a lot, and I hate having to set a limit on spreading Christmas love. I'll just have to do it on the cheap so I can dole out a lot of goodies.

Ben and I are trying to plan a trip to London in January or February, and I'm kind of nervous about having money for that too. We have to figure out details and buy tickets soon. It's hard for me to conceptualize becaue I'm not that much of a traveler and even though it will be really awesome I have to stop myself from thinking of all the little Chicago-based things I could do with my money instead. It still feels like something I am somehow not allowed to really do. I can just.... decide to go to London? I can buy a ticket and go there? It seems impossibly extravagant, even though flights are fairly cheap, and we'll stay for free. I start to think instead about the new shoes/pants/socks/shirts/jewelry/awesome stuff I could buy, or how I could worry less about food prices. Too damn bad, cuz I'm taking these holey jeans to London.

And then I get back to Christmas and how maybe I should ask for some new jeans.

I guess when I get into this loop I start to think that maybe I don't have enough money to do this after all. And the week of work I'll miss. It's not like I get any vacation days. And I think about more important stuff to buy, like health insurance. Well. We'll see. Ben really wants to go and I know we'd have fun.

This computer is making a really high pitched sound that nobody else here can hear and it is giving me a headache. Aghh.

Thanksgiving very soon. Lots of food, lots of family. Workin on some pies. Looking forward to it!