Bloggin Toboggan

Tonight as I'm writing this, it's a little on the cool side (And by that I mean 23, maybe). I'm sitting here wearing sweat pants (no shirt, too hot for that), with a steaming mug of apple cider by my laptop. I'm determined to feel like it's fall weather no matter how hard I have to try! Once all of you poor fools are in winter's icy full-nelson, though, I'm going to be soaking up the sun and posting plenty of pictures to make you jealous (But rest assured that I'm going to be jealous of your skiing selfies).
After a lot of asking around I finally purchased a guitar this week! Actually I've purchased one guitar and gotten two guitars. The first one I got was blue and I found that one of the inner struts was broken, so  I exchanged it for a red one the next day. I was worried that they might not let me exchange it, but happily they obliged. Happily for me. They didn't seem happy, but they did it without complaining. At any rate, I'm so excited to finally have back my preferred medium of personal expression (once I replace two of the strings that I broke jamming a little too hard. They came with the guitar, so they lived up to the typical expectations).
Two weeks ago I got measured for some shirts at a tailor recommended by a coworker. I got them today, and was really pleased with how they turned out! The three shirts I received are a good range from a solid, subtly textured pattern to one that's rather on the more cultural side (read: flashy) which is what I was hoping for. They are well designed, and the material feels like it should last a long time.
I finally am able to make palatable tomato sauce! In the past I've had trouble getting rid of the acidity in the tomato paste, but I nailed it this last time. Added fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil...    It was delightful. In other food-related news, I have found out that with good technique and the right amount of pressure, a completely pulverized, unrecognizably crumb-ified Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie (Still in its individual wrapper), can be reconstituted into some semblance of its original form! This is wonderful information people! I don't know if Little Debbie's R&D department realized this, but if so they are true masterminds. There are two analogies that come to mind for this particular trick (which I've named the Adventist Pastry Recrompression Maneuver). The first is that it struck me as not unlike the technique of making a flat snowball (Not to be confused with the "potentially decapitating ice Frisbee" - completely different technique). The other analogy that came to mind and helped me perform this wonderful exercise was envisioning that I got a stocking full of coal and was trying to turn it into a diamond with just my bare hands. Considering that I just wrote nearly a whole paragraph on it, this discovery probably ranks as one of the highlights of my week.
In the past few weeks I've given two more injections, bringing me up to a grand total of three since getting here. I hope at this rate I will be able to say I've given more injections than I've received by the end of my stay. Not sure what the count is for receiving, but I've got a ways to go! I've also received one injection since arriving, so I may have to work hard to keep ahead.
As I was writing my journal entry for the evening last night, my computer seized up and instantly went into hibernate mode. The screen was showing some disarrayed flashing bars. I was worried that I must not have connected the video cable tightly enough after disassembling it to clean the fan a couple weeks ago. After a quick but enthusiastic prayer and disconnecting the battery, I fired it back up again and fortunately it came to life. It wasn't a spring to life like a brand new sportscar either, it was more of a slothful sputtering to life like an old Pontiac. Cleaning the fan sped it up a lot, and this may have been a recovery startup that needed a little extra time. I don't really know. Either way, I'm hoping and praying that at a minimum it lasts me until I get back to the States, after which I don't care if the rack and pinion fall out on the road (or whatever the computer equivalent to that is).
Thanks for reading! Your collective outpouring of love and support (as well as shipments of absolutely marvelous American junk food - you know who you are!) has not gone unnoticed, and I feel almost undeserving of all your care and concern! But please, do continue! It really helps me get through the rough days, knowing that I have a giant support base at home rooting for my personal growth, and safe return to the best side of the pond.
TL;DR Okay, this entry is really not that long, but condensation is important (learned that studying the rain cycle in 2nd grade) so here goes: The leaves don't change here, but any time it rains or gets cold I put on sweats and pretend it's autumn and drink hot beverages in my room by myself. I think that makes me a "hypstercrite". I have a guitar now! I also got 3 tailored shirts and they're super dope (There are upshots to cheap labor). My past failures at making spaghetti sauce finally culminated in success, and I found that you can squash the dry crumbs of an oatmeal creme pie back into a patty shape. Since being here I've given injections, gotten injections, watched injections, and expressed interjections. Hoping to give a lot more shots in the future, because let's be candid: It's better to give than to receive. Please pray that my computer doesn't blow a spark plug through the hood until I'm back home where I can go to Best Buy and get a new one! Computer that is, not a new spark plug.

One of my new shirts! This one's probably  my favorite of the 3

Quickly tried one on as soon as I got them to make sure they fit alright!

My successful spaghetti attempt.

The new axe!

Skippy may want to hire some better trademark attorneys...    Note that the price label conveniently conceals the phrase "super crunchy". The storeowner told me it was smooth. I'm a little miffed.