Happy Last Year on Earth!

Well, friends, it's 2012. I feel like this first post of the year should be somehow epic. After all, this could be our last year of existence, if you believe those wacky Mayans. I've had an amazing holiday break at home, which included a trip up to Maryland for New Year's. Not only did I go up to Maryland, but while there, I participated in a 1920s-themed murder mystery. 'Twas delightful! I played a character known as "The Baroness." That is a real mink that belonged to my great-grandmother. Baller!

There was a minor snag in our festivities when we discovered that we didn't bring a proper corkscrew, but we made do.

On New Year's Day, we all partook in a Saratoga Springs New Year's tradition called the Peppermint Pig (TM). You have this little pig made of peppermint and you go around the circle and each person says something that he or she was grateful for in the past year. Then you hit it with a hammer! You can read about this tradition in detail by clicking on the picture below. It was both touching and slightly dangerous, so it was perfect for New Year's.

My sojourn up north also included a brief visit to DC, during which I got to visit the wonderful cupcake store Baked and Wired in Georgetown. Because it was early in the day, I decided to go for the "breakfast cupcake" as I called it: a pancake batter cupcake with maple frosting and, get this, candied bacon! It was really tasty, but way too rich.

That's about all I have to report for now, dear readers, but before I go I want to tell you about my two other side projects, both of which have tabs up at the top of this blog. The first is my creative writing blog, aptly titled Pretentious Writing Blog. Feel free to leave comments on my poetry. I hope you like it, but you're not required to. The other new blog I started is brand new for this year. It's called A Year in Lunch. It is my 366-day photo challenge, for which I will be photographing my lunch every day of 2012. Both of these blogs are longing for followers, so check them out and if you like them (or me), follow them. Thanks! Happy New Year!