happy december!

I've decided to scribble off a super-quick update while I'm waiting on my laundry--I'd make it longer if I didn't have so much work to do. Anyway! Here are the basics:

• I went to Florence a couple weeks ago (wow...it seems like so much longer!) with my friend Kristen. We saw the major sights (David, the Uffizi, the Duomo), drank a LOT of hot chocolate, and spent most of our time hunting for the perfect pair of Italian boots, which we eventually found. YES!!!
• Thanksgiving at the Centro was, despite all odds, pretty amazing. We had all the typical dishes (turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes) and pasta (because the Italian cooking ladies couldn't restrain themselves). But the highlight was the dessert table, which offered many dozens of pies, at least half of which were pumpkin.
• My friend Luke came to Rome last weekend with a couple of friends. We all went to the Villa Borghese, did some window shopping downtown, and then stood in line at Mondadori to meet the Backstreet Boys (yeah, you know you're jealous)! We were seriously almost crushed to death by BSB's crazy Italian fangirls. But it was worth it, my 11-year-old self can die happy now.
• Finally, after many long months of searching, my quest for a shot glass with the Pope on it has come to an end. Sweet victory! There was only ONE left, and I snatched it up! HA! And I found it in Tivoli, of all places--weird, huh? Perhaps there's a ban on papal shot glasses within a 10-mile radius of the Vatican.

As you can see, I've had a very productive past couple of weeks. However, that is rapidly ceasing to be the case in light of the two presentations, one huge paper, three finals and oh yes, all the regular work I have to do in the next two weeks. But the good news is...I'll be home in 15 days, baby! WOOHOO!