Yesterday was fun. We had my brother’s birthday party. The pizza was good, as was the cake and ice cream. Then Blaine open his gifts. He loved his present from me - Rob Zombie’s Halloween. He and Mitch watched it while Allyson, Trey, Bart, mom, grandma and me played Phase 10. Then I went to Wal-Mart with my mom, Bart, Blaine and Trey. We stopped by Culver’s for ice cream after we dropped off Trey. All in all, a good day.

I don’t have any plans for tonight. I think I’m just going to stay in and work on some random stuff I’ve been meaning to do. Not the most exciting way to ring in the New Year, but oh well.

I need to redo the layout here. Hopefully, I’ll be able to manage to come up with something. I’ve been trying for months. It’s ridiculous. I did manage to make a new layout for my fanlisting collective last night. One that I was actually pleased with, so apparently it’s possible.

My grandparents seem to be on the go a lot the last few days. Not that I’m really complaining. That means I get the house to myself, which is nice. They’ve been on the hunt for a new Bunn coffee maker. The old one broke, and it’s basically the only kind they’ll settle for since they’re so fast. They tried using another kind, but it just took too much time. Impatient bunch, they are.

I was looking at some Samsonite luggage, and while I don’t actually need any since I’ll probably never go anywhere, there was this red hardside one that I liked and thought looked so cool. I suppose I just have a thing for window shopping and thinking about what I’d buy if I had the money or need for something like that. I was doing a lot of the same the other day when I went shopping with my mom since I wasn’t able to find much in the way of my size of clothing. It’s so frustrating and annoying, but what can you do?

Well, today is my mom’s birthday. She just turned 41. I don’t think she looks her age, honestly. I don’t know. I guess that’s a good thing, though. Maybe it will be a genetic thing. God knows my dad looks old, so my mom looking young might help balance things out. Of course, my mom dad smokes and drinks and that’s sure to age him quite a bit.

Anyway, dinner was good. My mom seemed to like all of her gifts as well, so she seemed rather happy. It was a good time. I, honestly, like when we get together for birthdays and stuff. It’s nice to have the whole family together and just talk. We don’t seem to do enough of that.

The weather’s been weird. It’s supposed to warm up a bit for the next couple of days before it gets cold again. I think the snow and ice has been taking it’s toll on my internet connection. Sometimes it will go out for an hour or so at a time. It’s rather annoying, honestly.

My grandpa ran Norton’s to scan the computer last week. There were a few files on the computer that needed to be fixed and some other security fixes. It would be nice if we used cisco. They have firewalls and intrusion detection systems, but that’s more for bigger networks, so it’s way out of our price range. Oh well, I guess Norton’s will do for now.

Note to self: pens are not the best writing utensil when trying to sketch or outline something. I learned this today while trying to write Trey’s name on his birthday card. I wanted to make it pretty, but I was in a car and only had a pen to use to do this, so it looked a little shady. Oh well. Not like he really cared that much anyway.

His birthday party was at Pizza Hut. Can’t believe he’s ten! It just seems insane. I, of course, ate too much. I only should have had one breadstick. I think that’s what did me in. Oh well. I doubt I’ll ever learn. The cake was delic as well. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Blaine tried to take over my iPod, and then Tori decided she wanted to hear “Girlfriend” by Gable. That’s what she calls Avril Lavigne. I really have no idea where she got that from, but it’s cute anyway.

I got my hair cut yesterday. I would say I got about five or six inches cut off. It feels and looks so much better. It’s just weird, though. I’ll go to try to pull it back in a ponytail, and I can’t. Well, I could but it would look ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous, the weather has been horrid today. It poured on the way home from Trey’s birthday party. It was dark by four and just all around yucky. I hate this time of year.

Well, I am all ready for the family pictures. I might go touch up my lipstick before my mom gets here, but let’s just hope my hair doesn’t frizz out on me.

The last time I checked my iPod shipping status, it was in Indianapolis. I was kind of hoping I’d get it some time today. If not, I expect I’ll get it Monday. I’m getting antsy, I must admit.

Tomorrow is Allyson’s birthday party. We’re having sloppy joes, chips and macaroni salad. Yum.

I’ve been trying to figure out what I need to get everyone for Christmas. Blaine is pretty much covered. I know what my mom wants. Bart, Allyson, Tori and Grandpa are still undecided. If I had the money, I would buy my grandma a fire glass for the front porch. I think that would be something she’d really like, plus it’s really neat looking. As it is, I’m pretty much broke, and what little money I do make over the next few weeks will be going toward small, affordable gifts. I can’t believe it’s this time of year already.

This weekend is different. For the last couple of months, starting with the weekend before my birthday, we’ve had a birthday party every other weekend for someone in the family. This is an off week, but I think we’re in the clear for now. Allyson’s birthday is up next. Then after that we have a ton of birthdays in December. I’m kind of sad. My brother will be fourteen, which means he’ll be too old for kids party invitations and things like that. He’d probably rather have money and be left alone since he’s a picker eater and probably wouldn’t be too impressed by whatever anyone made him.

It’s so weird, growing older. It feels like time passes by so quickly. I feel extremely old saying I remember the day when my brother was born. I was only ten years old. Here I am fourteen years later wishing he was still just a little kid. The same goes with Allyson. I can’t believe she’ll be nineteen. What’s more is a can’t believe that Tori is three already. Time flies. Way too fast, in my opinion.