Words Used in Weather.com's 10-day forecast for my ZIP code

1. "Mostly cloudy" (2 of the 10 days)

2. "Snow" or "snow shower" (the other 8 days)

3. "Winds WNW at 10-20 miles per hour"

4. "Feels like 7 degrees Fahrenheit" (currently)

5. "UV index: Low" (you think?)

Too bad all that's standing between me and a flight to Ft. Lauderdale (current temp: 73 degrees) are 2 take-home exams, a 4-hour in-class exam, the remaining 80% of my 20-page paper, and 57 memos to grade. UGH.

Fun Things We've Done in Religious School This Semester

1. Made our own model Torahs and arks

2. Baked and decorated cookies to donate to a nursing home's Hannukkah party

3. Read lots of picture books...I'm amazed with what good listeners they are and how much they like being read to.

4. Gone on a scavenger hunt (to find things like "two water fountains," "three Jewish stars," etc.) around the temple

5. Looked at pictures of synagogues around the world and built our own "dream synagogue" out of blocks

I can't believe that next week marks the halfway point for this second grade class! I've got some fun things up my sleeve for next semester, too....

Awesome Names for Pets

1. Aspiradora: For the puppy that eats EVERYTHING. It's Spanish for vacuum cleaner. I'd use Dora, for short.

2. Carrie Chapman Cat[t]: A famous suffragist, and what I'd name a cat if I got one (C.C. for short). Too bad my dad is allergic.

3. Schrodinger: not my first choice (see #2) but I dated a physicist who was totally obsessed with the idea of naming a cat this, because of the famous thought experiment.

4. Pork Chop: what I named the hamster I got in 7th grade. Get it? PORK CHOP? Because it's a HAMster? I thought I was pretty damn clever.

5. Grandma/Grandpa. Because how hilarious would it be to yell across the dog park "Hey Grandma! You stop sniffing that!"

DC Neighborhoods I Might Live In Next Fall

1. Shaw (I'll be working here, so it makes good sense)

2. Logan/Dupont Circle-ish (there's a bus that runs all along P Street, which would be convenient for getting to work)

3. Columbia Heights/U Street-ish (easy Metro commute, plenty to do, and I have my fingers not-so-secretly crossed that if I decide to live with roommates, a certain owl-roofed house might have a spare room)

4. Eastern Market (because I love it, not because it is particularly practical or affordable).

5. Kalorama/Adams Morgan-ish (see 4)

Meanwhile, it is way too early to look for housing for next August or September. Especially since seriously 2/3 of the listings on craigslist are for housing for the inauguration.

Things I've Cooked Recently That Turned Out Surprisingly Well

1. Moroccan vegetable stew over quinoa

2. Apple upside-down cake

3. Tomato-eggplant curry

4. Butternut squash and sage lasagna (this also froze really well in single-serving portions...it was like making my own fancy-pants organic TV dinners, but cheap).

5. Moo shu vegetables

Nicknames My Friends or Relatives Have Used for People They've Dated

1. Stretching Strap

2. Hamlet

3. The Abortionist

4. Mr. Red Line

5. 1984

How I Celebrated Getting a Job Yesterday

1. A cupcake

2. Calling family, friends, recommenders, etc.

3. Not working on my land disputes paper

4. Volunteering at the Community Kitchen (I made delicious carrots) and chopped a bunch of peppers and tomatoes

5. Sushi for dinner.