I've seen this on a few blogs recently, and since I have nothing more specific to write about today, here goes:

Yesterday, I was stuck in holiday traffic, in the rain, driving home from my Thanksgiving trip with my family. We were all cranky but so glad to finally be (almost) home.

Last week, I was prepping and packing for said Thanksgiving trip (you can see photos of the trip here). Every time we travel, even for a weekend, it always amazes me how much stuff we end up bringing for a kid who could easily fit into the suitcase himself with plenty of room to spare.

Last year, I was 4.5 months pregnant and feeling great.

Two years ago, I was recently returned from my two-month delayed honeymoon in Southeast Asia--a life-changing trip. I had also just had surgery to remove a cancerous mole from my upper chest, and we were still reeling from the recent passing of Byrne's Uncle Rob, of prostate cancer.

Three years ago, I was getting ready to host our first Thanksgiving at our house and to have my first New Orleans Christmas a few weeks later.

Four years ago, I was planning my wedding to the boy of my dreams.

Five years ago, I had no idea that in just two weeks' time, the boy of my dreams was going to propose marriage.

Ten years ago, I had just transferred to Berkeley and was feeling simultaneously thrilled, humbled, intimidated and totally at home.

Twenty years ago, I was in the sixth grade at Garden Grove Elementary (or, as we kids used to call it, Garbage Grove Smellementary). My class was "team-taught" by Ms. Seal and Ms. Rand. Ms. Seal was a real character--I still remember that she had a pet cockatoo named Aloysius and that she ate a Granny Smith apple every day. If you were misbehaving in class, the punishment was "Willies"--scenes from Shakespeare classics that the teacher would force you to write a number of times in proportion to your offense. I had my share of Willies, mostly for talking in class. Once, Sean M. and I were chatting in the back row of Ms. Seal's class and something one of us said had both of us in an uncontrollable giggle fit. We both got Willies that day (I think it was Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy). I had a total crush on Sean M., but then, who didn't?