Never too early to talk about yule logs.

Those who know me well know the fervor with which I celebrate Christmas. It is the apex of my year. In fact, just the other day, I was thinking "Wow, summer is almost over. It's almost Christmastime!" That's right, in my mental calendar fall is not fall, but rather the prelude to "Christmastime."

I'm not too proud to admit that one of the main reasons I'm excited about living in New York this next year is being there for the month of December. The Christmas decorations, the Rockefeller Christmas pomp and circumstance, the department store windows, the lights on the Empire State Building, the Rockettes, the general feel of the holiday hustle on a scale larger than I've ever seen before. This is a town that does Christmas.

So, imagine my surprise, nay goddamned falling-out-of-chair-with-excitement-ness , when I read this:

The campus Tree-Lighting Ceremony is a relatively new tradition at Columbia, inaugurated in 1998. It celebrates the illumination of the medium-sized trees lining College Walk in front of Kent and Hamilton Halls on the east end and Dodge and Journalism Halls on the west, just before finals week in early December. The lights remain on until February 28. Students meet at the sun-dial for free hot chocolate, performances by various a cappella groups, and speeches by the university president and a guest.

Immediately following the College Walk festivities is one of Columbia's older holiday traditions, the lighting of the Yule Log. The ceremony dates to a period prior to the Revolutionary War, but lapsed before being revived by University President Nicholas Murray Butler in the early 20th century. A troop of students dressed in Continental Army soldiers carry the eponymous log from the sun-dial to the lounge of John Jay Hall, where it is lit amid the singing of seasonal carols.[7] The ceremony includes readings of A Visit From St. Nicholas' by Clement Clarke Moore (Columbia College class of 1798) and Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus by Francis Pharcellus Church (Class of 1859).

The more I learn about Columbia, the deeper in love I fall.

Bibliononsense

So I've been grappling with the idea of writing a book. My hesitation lies in the fact that I feel that just by saying "I'm thinking of writing a book," I've catapulted myself into a very special circle of hell reserved for self-indulgent know-it-all assholes. But I do really want to write one. At some point.

What, at nearly 25, do I have to contribute to the world, save for a knapsack full of crude jokes and some optimism and a subpar vocabulary (according to the GRE)? Well, that's very much TBD, but I'm going to use the next year to start recording some blah blah blahs and whathaveyous. I'm envisioning something about education (shocking!) ... maybe some sort of memoir about going from a three year old who sat in my bedroom teaching my Teddy Ruxpin how to read; through an iffy public school system in which Mr. Stamp laughed at my 16 year old self when I told him I wanted to go to Harvard; to a Jesuit University; to, finally an Ivy League school where I'm going to study ways in which I can make education more accessible and equal and just plan exciting for kids back in the communities in which I grew up.

People seem to think it's funny that I'm a bleeding hearted liberal athiest borne from a conservative Christian family (my family doesn't know what to think of it) ... I wouldn't have it any other way, but in large part, I have my education and the incredible folks I've met along my academic way to thank for Katie ver. 2008. I'm a nerd to the core, always have been, and I love it and I want to write about it.

So, anyways, here's to spouting off some big words that I hope to live up to this year ...

I need company

So there are a couple of things I am currently, desperately, physical-pain-in-gut missing at the moment. 50% of that couple-of-things, well, I am too coy to blab on about on my blog (though you know I'd love to shout it out). The other 50% of that couple-of-things is my cat. Last night it was raining (it is taking a marked effort on my part to not focus all of my energy right now on hating this horrible, horrible prolonged winter, fyi) and after a long day at work, a longer than usual workout, and a confusing (to the brink of tears) discussion with the financial aid dept at TC, all I really wanted to do was sit on the couch, pop in my "John Adams" dvds (nerd) and not think about life. Once I accomplished this, however, I realized what I really wanted to do was sit on the couch, pop in my "John Adams" dvds and not think about life ... while cuddling with my cat. I miss her desperately. I miss having a weird little personality around to contend with. You should never underestimate the impact of a fuzzy ball of fluff and purrs on your happiness.

It also does not help the situation (warning: most selfish statement of all up ahead) that she is currently living with her sister and happy as a clam. And at the end of August, I'm going to take her to New York so she can be a lonely apartment cat again. Am I the worst mother ever? Perhaps.

Me? Sad sack.

"Do I sound like a musical robot?"

So, full disclosure, I'm sitting at work right now watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee online on ESPN. It is one of my favorite events of the year. One of the best things about the Bee is that once you've completed the 8th grade, you're no longer eligible to compete. So, essentially what you have is an enclave of oily, gangly, awkward pre-teens who, while their peers are out obsessing over Miley Cyrus and plotting to ruin each other's social lives and passing "will you go out with me? yes no (circle one)" notes, these kids are obsessing over words. As a world-wearied nerd myself, I feel a special pang every time I witness one of their awkward tics, their bowl-cut bangs, their geeky air-writing-and-erasing, the facial hair/soprano voice dichotomy and just want to gather them in one big bear hug and tell them it's going to be okay! You nerds shall inherit the earth! A spot on the middle school volleyball team does not a success story make! (Okay, okay, now it's getting personal)

The Bee feels like a safe haven from the zitty, catty, self-esteem-teeter-totter that is Middle School. In fact, the only genuinely painful part of the broadcast is when the dolled-up correspondent, a Paris Hilton clone all veneer-y mouthed and frosty-locked (never a nerd, I'd venture to guess) tries to engage the kids in breezy backstage banter, when it's clear they'd rather be discussing the etymology of the word "eremophyte" at home with their mothers.

Hang in there kiddos. You'll be laughing in the faces of those who laugh at your dog-eared dictionaries soon.

And on a final note, one of our favorite blogs around these parts (lawyer nerds!) http://throwingthings.blogspot.com/ has a guest blogger covering the Bee. None other than Shonda Rhimes, writer/creator of "Grey's Anatomy." He posts almost make me forgive her for the clustereff-waste-of-airspace that has become "Grey's." Almost.

And my money/heart is on Rose Sloan.

In case you aren't already celebrating

Today is Pi Day! Today at 1:59:26 p.m. is Pi Minute! Not to be confused with Pi Approximation Day, because, obviously, that would be held on July 22!

All of those of you awaiting your acceptance letters from MIT, fear not! They're in the mail today! Because any other day would just be unacceptable!

MY LOVE OF NUMBERS NERDS JUST REACHED A NEW PEAK