2010 in pictures, sort of. Not really

I'll go from best to worst.

 We stayed at my sister's house for Christmas--I love my sister.  Well, they got a 3D puzzle for a few dollars from a local Goodwill-type store.  You know, the kind of puzzle that retails for anywhere from $50 to $200.  Well, we decided to buy one as soon as we got home, also from Goodwill.  We paid $5 and I just found it online for about the same amount of money.  We spent the last day and a half of our vacation putting this thing together, and then we're taking it back to Goodwill.  Best $5, 2-day date we've had in a while, I think.

Next on the list: the Christmas beard.  I was growing it out so I could just trim it back to a mustache.   My wife is almost adamantly against mustaches.  I disagree with her on this one, whole-heartedly.  The only reason people think they look sleezy is because of what Hollywood has done to them: portraying them on all the villains.  I feel a law-suit coming on....  So the good news is that I grew out the Christmas beard.  The bad news is that I shaved it for New Year's day.  Here are a couple of my favorite shots.

 Ya, this one was because of the Princess Bride.

I have to admit, I am very proud of this last picture.  I realize it looks like a British used car salesman, but it's still awesome.  Actually, I think that's why it's awesome.






Alas, I get sick of the facial hair itch, and I don't want to bother my wife more than 1 month out of the year and so I will not keep it.

And the truly bad news is that I just got diagnosed with mono.  Yep, the virus you get in high school that makes you want to sleep all day and do nothing.  Fortunately I just got it in my last semester of my Master's program when I have to write my MA report and apply for PhD programs and jobs instead of like my sophomore year of high school, or any year of high school when I had real obligations and work to do.  On the other hand, getting it as an adult has its advantages.  First of all, the symptoms are not as bad.  I scored a 101 degree fever twice, instead of 102 to 104 degrees as I have heard about.  And the sore throat is not very painful.  Just feels like I have a sheet of paper in my throat instead of pins or sandpaper like I remember from childhood.  Okay, so that's the only plus side I can see, but it's a good one.  I opted to not upload pictures of me being sick.
     So it seems that I've had these symptoms on and off for the last month.  However, I recall needing inordinate amounts of sleep since I moved to Austin.  I've never needed 8 hours before, and for the last 1.5 years I've been really sluggish if I get anything less than that.  Ya, I know.  A year and a half is a lot even for mono.  But since I walked to school most every day no matter the weather--we're talking a 20-30 minute hike to school with my massive backpack in the Austin humidity.  And after that it's been a running program that has pushed me quite quickly--I was planning on my first half marathon in April.  And then I started onto a weight program.  And I've been dehydrated.  I mean: me, dehydrated.  Anyone that knows me knows it's impossible for me to get dehydrated with how much water I drink.  All that adds up to finally explain some things.  I had thought Texas was just cursed or something.