I’ve been up since 3am after a fitfull restless half-night of half-sleep. I gave up at 3am. Cedar fever is so painful. There’s people out there that say that people with allergies are big whiners, that it’s only allergies. I get really angry at those people. They’ve never had cedar fever. They’ve never had a runny nose and aching head and been sneezing for weeks! With cedar fever you are sick for weeks! It lasts from the end of December to the end of January. I still have two more weeks to deal with this!

This sucks. Matt and I talked about it last night and we’re going to England next year in January. We’re spending Christmas with my family and then we’re leaving the entire country for two weeks of the cedar hell.

Kentucky doesn’t seem so bad anymore. No more blistering summers, no more cedar fever. I could live there.

We just finished watching Bridget Jones’ Diary, and I started to wonder how many people were inspired by the movie to keep a similar diary– a diary where they innumerated their “misdeeds” (for lack of a better word) that they wished to control and change.

I have lots of diaries. I kept personal diaries for the longest time, and let me tell you, those are wonderful to read again years later. You can obviously tell when you’re happy or when you’re depressed. During the personal diary years, I also kept diaries that documented my food and exercise habits or my activities as I tried to change something about myself.

Then I quit keeping any kind of diary because I figured email was documenting my life well enough. I just don’t throw away any email. But then one day at Barnes & Noble I was seduced by the cutest little book full of blank pages. I had no use for it, so I couldn’t sensibly buy it. So I made a use. I decided to write my mom letters and when it was full, I would mail it to her.

Then Dudley started to keep an online diary that was a lot of fun to read, so I started doing that. So I have two diaries running at once right now.

However, neither diary is entirely “personal.” The cute book is eventually going to my mom, and some of my family and friends read the online diary (I think). There’s certain thoughts that I can’t broadcast. So I think it’s time to take up the personal diary again.

And having just recently watched Bridget Jones’ Diary, I think I might take up the “monitor, control and change certain habits” diary as well, being the New Year and all, time for resolutions.

Ramble ramble ramble. I believe that was the end of that rambling thought. Except for a piece of advice: keep a diary. Even if you don’t change. Even if, years from now, you still weigh the same and have the same habits you’ve been trying to change for years. Diaries remind you of what you were like when you were younger and that’s never a bad thing. And this advice pertains to all people, even if they aren’t so “young” anymore. Thoughts captured in time are always fun to reread years later.

I have to go!!! Four people, one bathroom, and a stack of magazines– for the love of all that’s good in the world, don’t ever create this combination!

I realize now that The Brady Bunch was implausable at the very root. There is no way six people could share one bathroom… ever. End of story, no argument. This was a basic failure in plot point that the writers did not address.

It’s free! I’m free! Bye!

So last night was quite excellent. I was not expecting to have a very good time because I’m socialized out, but I had a very good time. It was the Woodings, their friends the McNoughtons, Sam’s girlfriend Bev, and long time friend of the family John. So I knew everyone pretty well, and we had a good time. We counted down to midnight and then sang Auld Lang Syne while drinking champagne. I think Damian was the only one who knew all the words but he has such a booming voice that everyone else could mumble along and it sounded fine. Then we called Mom and Carla and sang Auld Lang Syne to them and wished them a Happy New Year. It was lots of fun.

We watched Memento today. That is a very good film. I recommend it.

I haven’t fleshed out my New Year’s resolutions yet. I desperately want a shower but Ben has beat me to it. We have four people sharing one bathroom so you have to be quick or you miss your chance. Also, they keep magazines in the bathroom. This means that a single bathroom visit by any individual can last quite awhile. I’ve learned to snatch the chance when I can.

I’ll work on my New Year’s resolutions while I’m waiting for my opportunity.