Coronation of a Peppermint Princess

It's so strange to be home. My room has doubled in size since I've been gone. When I told mom I was gonna practice in there (I usually practice in the living room, or outside), she asked me, deadpan, if I'd have enough room. I just laughed. Yes, I think I can manage.

Also, Daniel went and grew up on me! He's taller, broader in the shoulders, and he's got this unmistakable dark shadow on his chin... he's nobody's little boy anymore, that's for sure (though I'm still going to call him Squirt. You know I'll always call you Squirt, Squirt). He's changed in other ways too, not just physically, I can't quite figure out what it is. He's calmer now, maybe, or more in control? I don't know. He says I haven't changed "at all", but that was right after I misplaced my keys (for the first time since I've been at Oberlin, ironically enough), tripped down the stairs, and ruffled his hair, so I really don't think that's fair.

There is one way I've changed, which mom noticed right away ("have you been eating right?" "Are you going to meals?"): I've lost weight. Put another way, I'm slightly less padded in key places than previously. :-) It's just a little difference, I didn't even believe mom until I got home and tried on an old skirt that I'd sadly put in storage before I left (for fear I'd squeeze into and break it for sheer stubbornness). I was very excited to have it settle comfortably around my hips, no popped buttons or stretched seams or anything! This is going to sound extremely girly and vain, but I'll admit, after I discovered this I pulled out a whole pile of old too-small clothes and tried them on. Rachel, I can now fit into that sparkly minidress you gave me! Look out world! (Don't worry, I wasn't trying to lose weight, and mom's doing her best to give it back anyways, what with her german chocolate, carrot cake, and potato casserole...)

Midterms and Other Assorted Factors (OAFs) have kept me from sharing my week with you in real time, so I'll describe some of the more interesting parts for you now:

-10:00 Wednesday: The Epic Pillow Fight of Doom on north quad. You probably heard the screams. And yes, it was as awesome as it sounds. Really, there aren't many better ways to relieve midterm stress than to attack your friends with pillows. This pillow fight was particularly entertaining because of the nerdy tendencies of the participants (author included). For instance, every few minutes, all warriors were ordered to freeze while some poor soul crawled around in the dark, feeling for their glasses (my own glasses had to be retrieved this way twice). Also, among the various battle cries were things like "For Science!" and "Prepare to meet your doom!" and light saber noises. It was glorious. Afterwards I lay in the grass panting, watching my breath rise through my steamed glasses, and thought about...nothing. And that is quite possibly the best part.

-The swing workshop was fantastic. I'm starting to understand the basics of lindy hop and the Charleston. East Coast swing, the easiest, is still my favorite by far. The leads were excellent, and very patient, as always. I had a lot of fun with this guy from Kalamazoo who knew just a little more than me about east-coast, but was a good dancer in general. Best of all, he had a sense of humor for all the times I stumbled. The regular Obie leads were, of course, charming. Also, Madison Crawl, the live band they brought in for the Saturday dances, is fantastic. I had as much fun watching them as dancing to them, I think. The bassist was a hoot, he spun his bass around, and held it over his head sometimes! The bassist was also the vocalist, and he had this raspy, jazzy voice that was fun to listen to. I can't describe the other instruments in great detail, but nobody cares about them anyway.

-Midterms. I had them, and now they're done. But I should say more, let's see...they weren't as hard as I thought they'd be. I only had three: developmental psychology, aural skills, and music theory. Developmental psych was the one giving me nightmares, but I actually think I did fairly well on it. I got extremely lucky, some of the questions on the test were things I'd reviewed that day. I know I screwed up one of the dictations for aural skills, and did ok on the practical. I'm fairly confident about how I did on Music Theory. I guess I'll find out soon enough. It feels pretty good to have them over with.

I'm sure there's more to say to you, but I've got a week to say it, so I'll take my time. Goodnight!
----------------------

Coronation of a Peppermint Princess:

Hot liquid hisses and groans through a copper maze before plunging. It pounds, echoing off the tiles. Slap-slap, as a thin layer rises to meet the new liquid, then gurgling and glugging with cheerful splash-chatter. Viscous red syrup makes it's lazy way to drip in the center of this churning mass, and is transformed. A thick cloud rises from the union and brushes my face. It's warm, but it smells like cold, like candy canes and colored lights, and it zings through my sinuses, penetrates my senses.

I sink into my 3x5x3 palace . The royal robe, swathes of minty frosting, sloshes and swirls around me in peaks of pure white. Tiny crackles, pops, and sizzles melt onto my skin. On my head rests a crown of soft white roses, on my chest a necklace of fluffy mint pearls, and on my chin, the royal peppermint goatee, complete with mint sideburns and a fine mint mustache. I am wrapped up safe in my cloud cradle, and with each breath unleashed I let the bones melt out of my body. The steam enters my skull and crowds out thoughts, reducing me to sensations. Warm. Soft. Candy Canes. Colored Lights. Heartbeat. Sinking.

On my head, a crown a of soft white roses- I rise from the foam, drips and clumps of white bubbles run down my skin. I breathe deeply, the scent fills me up again, and it is fresh and New.