Life is a Banquet

...And most poor suckers are starving to death!

I managed to be blessed and fed, however. Last night, we had another semi-annual Alternate Banquet. We invited a lot of people, but many of them were not able to make it, so it was an intimate event.

The November 2006 Banquet was held at Portofino's in La Habra, and it was a great choice of restaurant: the food was great, the prices reasonable, the atmosphere perfectly classy (the only flaw being the occasional loudness of the live singer/pianist duo in the bar right on the other side of a partition). We had good conversation and reaffirmed the importance of family and friends.

With my friend Will Thorpe.

















Mum and Dad in the restaurant.















The whole crowd by the fountain on the Terrazo at the restaurant.














BFF! We have so many photos of the three of us, and I'm always the tall one in the middle!

The Ladies (Elizabeth, Deb, Mum, Sara) and the Gentlemen (Will, Jeffrey, Jeremy, Dad, Bryan).

Friday evening

We were going to have Book Club, but it was cancelled due to schedules and stuff.

I had a busy but satisfying day at xxxxxxxx Middle School. My students acted like little demon spawn today. Yes, we are nearing a full moon...

Note: A young man told me that he thought my method of smiling sweetly all the time, and never yelling at my students, but rather coming up to them and whispering instructions was very scary. It really is effective. I seldom raise my voice in my new classroom. I simply crouch next to their desks and say things like, "It would be in your best interest to stay in your seat and do your math worksheets" in a quiet little voice. Heheh.

Halloween

We went to a Halloween party with our Bible study. People came in costumes of varying extravagance and originality.

The M&Ms thought this was their best side.



















Glenn's roommate (whose name I can't remember, for some reason) was "Liger" Woods (i.e. the opposite of Tiger Woods).



















Sarah didn't wear an entire costume, but she had a plastic skull ring artistically arranged on her nostril... and festive socks.




























Dylan came as the SuperGadgetMan, Dylan 5000



















Alisa was The Beach (high-concept!).



















Melinda came as some sort of Indian or Pakistani woman. She said it was the most comfortable costume ever.



















Glenn WAS Napoleon Dynamite, up to and including the lanyard keychains.



















And Deb and Jeff came as happy Hogwarts students. Jeff was a wholesome Gryffindor wizard, and Deb represented Ravenclaw. We were most proud of the fact that we assembled our costumes with things we just had lying around the house (e.g. the wands were chopsticks that we colored with Sharpie pens).

I do have a rep to maintain...

Believe it or not, I occasionally enjoy my job now. I'm making my way back up the list of meanest teachers at xxxxxxxx Middle School. It helps to be the teacher in the class that kids are supposed to hate. I just make everyone be absolutely silent, and help kids with their work if they want it. If they mess around, I smile sweetly and kick them out to be suspended. I walk softly and carry a big walkie-talkie.

At home, I'm trying to finally do some cleaning and organizing. I wish we had less stuff.

We're getting caught up on Bones, and I'm getting ready for Alternate Banquet this weekend and Dan's wedding (*gulp*) the weekend after.

Always strange

And full of plot twists.

Well, I am no longer a science teacher at xxxxxxxx Middle School. I'm still teaching there, but it was decided to switch me to a special classroom: "transition", which is basically in-school suspension. I was really hating life, and couldn't communicate well with middle-schoolers and keep them in line well enough. So they made a decision to put me in charge of the juvie punk division! But it is actually a good fit, so far, as I can focus on just a few students, in all their core subjects, and I also get to be as strict as necessary, without reservations, since everyone in my classroom is a troublemaker. Kids come in and stay for a day, a few days, a week, however long the administration chooses to place them there... Teachers are supposed to send assignments over, but it's usual that they can't get them right away (after all, teachers have real classes and 150 students to attend to, as I know too well), so I'm also inventive in creating assignments and directing learning on an individual basis. I even have the flexibility to arrange to have the school counselor come in and have a discussion session about issues like gangs or racism, if I think it's important for the group I have on that day.

I switched in mid-morning yesterday, and the former transition teacher (who disliked his assignment and wanted to get into a regular classroom) went to teach science, possibly permanently. I get to cover multiple subjects and focus on a few students at a time who need academic or personal direction. Today was the first day in a while that I didn't cry before, during, or after school. It may not be my ultimate destiny, but teaching transition is okay for now. Who knew?!?!

In other news

Christina is now married! Mrs. Martinez. Very strange.

It was a crazy and high-impact weekend for me. There was a lot going on in terms of the wedding, such as a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, bachelorette party, and of course, the main event! There was also lot going on, emotionally, for a lot of us, I think. Christina was very stressed, and the presence of a lot of different aspects of her life, coming together all at once, created a maelstrom of feelings. In the end, however, the ceremony was beautiful and meaningful, and they were married, by hook or by crook, so it was all good. One of the loveliest moments at the reception, by the way, was the video that they played of Chris' dad singing "Butterfly Kisses" while she danced with her uncle (dad's brother); it was recorded at Heather's (sister's) wedding nearly 8 years ago, and it was the closest thing to actually having Christina's father there with her on her big day. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!

I really, really appreciated being there and being part of everything, and two of my fellow bridesmaids made it extra-special: Sharon Campbell and Kristin Nassau. We are BFF now!!

Hello, dear readers! At least, I hope there are still readers out there...

Sorry I've neglected you. As most of you know, I've been busy with work and weddings. The stress is really getting to me. I've been having trouble sleeping and staying focused.

Work has been a problem for several reasons, some of which I've avoided mentioning for the sake of discretion. I've been working through some paperwork issues that indicate to me that the human resources department in my district is operated by incompetents. It seems to be getting cleared up now, which is good, and I will be at liberty to explain more. However, my job satisfaction is extremely low at the moment. So I'm exhausted, frustrated, and very unhappy.

Oddly enough, I don't regret leaving my former position at the SATC. There were plenty of good reasons for me to leave. But I do wonder, where do I belong? Will I ever find something that is, for me, worth doing?

In SoCal for wedding.

Learning much in life.

Taking a break

Jeff and I are cleaning the house and rearranging our bedroom.

I'm taking a break to check my e-mail in the living room. Omar is watching something he recorded on the DVR--some sort of benefit rap concert. I really don't get rap. The people all look SO TRASHY, and they're completely unintelligible. Opera makes more sense, and it's usually sung in Italian or German!

Okay, back to work...

Ah, Friday night

The most magical time of the week, because it's the furthest we'll ever be from work...

The Stargates are between seasons, so our only Sci Fi on this Friday is Battlestar Galactica, but we didn't watch it yet, as we forgot to record last week's episode (I thought the season premiere was this week, not last week, so I didn't remember to record it, and Jeff forgot, too.

We have fun with Omar and Kendra.

So... tired... I'm recovering from illness, and I was on the run all day. *sigh*

Stuffy

I now have some sort of cold or flu bug. Bah! I might have to miss some school. My head hurts, and my sinuses are all stuffy.

This weekend was rather nice. We went down to Los Angeles for Mia and Tim's California reception. I saw several relatives (I was impressed that I recognized some of them) and acquaintances, although most of them were friends of my parents or the happy couple. However, Sara and Elizabeth were there, so it was a fabulous time. I got to talk with them a lot, and then we went to dinner with them (and Jeremy, of course).

I could write more about school, but I really can't think of anything funny to share at the moment. It's been mostly frustrating, although things seem to be turning around. Some classes are more unruly than others, but eventually, they'll have to fall into line. It's hard spending several hours each day with children I don't understand. They really are illogical. I can't comprehend 99% of what they say or do.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Janet Gaynor (would have been 100) Winner of the very first Academy Award for Best Actress, in Seventh Heaven.













Carole Lombard (would have been 98) Adored screwball comedy actress. My Man Godfrey!

Officially the meanest teacher at xxxxxxxxx Middle School

Adventures galore.

Well, not really, but I have learned a lot in the past several weeks. My students generally fall into a category I'll call "monsterific". A lot of them are pathological liars. I had my first parent conference yesterday, and the student in question had done a lot of bad things and then flat-out denied them, even in the face of hard physical evidence of her misbehavior. The end result was that I was vindicated, and the child was moved to a class under a different science teacher, which suits me just fine. The thing that really bothers me, though, is the casual manner with which she threw out her lies and deceit (to no purpose, ultimately). Sheesh, people, if you're going cheat and lie, do so in an intelligent fashion, and make it worthwhile! I'm probably the worst teacher in the world, because I tell my students, "If you don't want to be here, then I don't want you here, so go talk to the administrator to find a way to get you out of here," and "If you're going to lie, make it believable! Don't insult my intelligence!"

I yell at nearly all my classes, nearly every day. It wears out my voice, but it's cathartic, and slowly but surely, I'm picking my battles and winning. I get told that I'm mean and a bad teacher, on a daily basis, and I confiscate hate-filled notes and find all kinds of things written on desks and in books. These are unpleasant, unprincipled children.

One funny story: A troublesome little guy in my first period showed up tardy to my class one morning, even though there was a "tardy sweep" going on (i.e. teachers close their classroom doors and don't let tardy students in, and administrators sweep them up, take them to the gym, chew them out, and give them special detentions).
Me: Didn't you get caught in the tardy sweep? If you don't show me your administrative detention, I'm not going to let you in.
Him: No, I was too late for the tardy sweep. I just went to the office, and they told me to come here.
Me: Then, where is the blue tardy slip from the office?
Him: I don't got one. [Note: One of the WORST things about my students is that their English is ATROCIOUS. I correct their grammar all the time in class. Some day, the language arts teachers will kiss my hands and thank me.]
Me: [Knowing now that he is not being entirely truthful] Well, let me just call the office and check.
The Office: No, that boy didn't come to the office this morning.
Me: Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. [To the student.] Now, why don't you pop off to the office for real, so they can take care of getting you your blue tardy slip?
Him: [Goes to the office, muttering.]
Now, while he was gone, a student aide came to my room from the office, bearing a summons for the very student that I just sent out. When he returned from the office with his blue slip of paper, I pulled the office summons out of my pocket.
Me: You have to go to the office now.
Him: But I just came from there!!
Me: Sorry, but here is a summons with your name on it. Off you go!
Him: [Retreats, grumbling all the way.]
*snicker, snicker* Oh, well, I guess you had to be there...

Anyway, I am getting to know how things work with juvenile delinquents, social workers, and so on. And, yes, The System is even more messed up than I would have imagined.

Allow me to reiterate that I am not well suited for middle school teaching. Adults! Adults!!! Much better for me.

Well, I must say

The first several minutes of tonight's Family Guy episode, with the terrorist video, was some of the funniest television I have ever seen.

I'm trying to post, but Blogger won't let me.

Update

A lot has happened since I last posted. I worked on some posts about various stuff, but have really been swamped and tired over the past few weeks.

I will write more later, I promise. But in summary:
-Bekah got married. It was a great time.
-I learned ever more and more about the problems with the US school system. Things are messed up. You have no idea.
-I learned ever more and more than I'm not very good at teaching middle school children. This bothers me less that it might, as I already knew that middle school wasn't an ideal age group for me. I want to help young people become enthusiastic about science, true, but I am really just getting my feet wet teaching while waiting to go back into grad school. If one wants to teach at college/university level, it looks really good on one's resume to have some teaching experience at any level, so whenever I get really frustrated, I remind myself, "You won't be here forever, and you're building up your CV!"
-On the plus side, teaching socially- and academically-challenged adolescents has given me many humorous anecdotes in a relatively short amount of time. Heehee!
-MIA GOT MARRIED. I can't believe it.

I'm still alive.

I am keeping busy.

On my way to Illinois.

Gotta get crackin'

Yes, dear bloghorts, I have neglected you! Sorry!

I've been having fun and working hard, settling into lesson planning and grading. I think that once I get everything started and set up, it will be easier for me, but right now, I've had to set up spreadsheets to track grades, so I've had to enter all the names and enter all the assignments that have been turned in thus far, and it's been tedious. It should be better from now on, though.

I have even planned my first few days (can't get any farther than that, though, until I touch base with my fellow Science 8 teachers and get some info on what they'll be doing in their classes). We're studying the scientific method and scientific measurements this week.

Friday night was Book Club, and we watched a movie version of Hamlet, to correspond with having read Prince Caspian and Hamlet the past few weeks. I had intended to rent and watch the 1948 Laurence Olivier version: it's an Academy Award-winning classic, after all. However, it turns out that there is not a single Blockbuster or Hollywood Video in Visalia that stocks that version. We had to make do with a modernised 2000 version, made with Ethan Hawke in the title role. Hmm, not what I had in mind, but it served its purpose. I guess I still can't get over the fact, though, that no movie rental place in the whole city had a section devoted to classics or Oscar winners, but had at least 50 copies of Poseidon or Benchwarmers.

Saturday, Jeff and I were both exhausted, so we had a lazy movie day. We watched Date Movie and Scary Movie 4 (I would not recommend either movie), Corpse Bride (Blah), and Rent (Meh). As you may have guessed, none of those movies were chosen by me.

Today, we went to church, then Jeff worked on his thesis and worked on lesson plans. We watched a few episodes of Star Trek: Voyager (we're falling behind with Netflix!) while I prepped Bible study, then we went to Bible study. Acts 8.

Now, it's time to: print things out, get everything together so that I can just grab stuff and run out the door in the morning, and fall into bed.

To: Marguerite Gautier

Cc: Mimi, Satine, Violetta Valery

RE: Consumption

Ladies,

I regret to inform you that I will NOT be joining your august assembly. I have been tested for tuberculosis and been determined to be TB-negative. These are circumstances most fortunate, I having been provided with BCG vaccination as a small child, and thus having the distinct possibility of testing TB-positive, due to the antibodies being already present in my system (yet another of the oft-hidden pitfalls of a third-world upbringing). I was actually pretty stressed about it, as a positive test would have necessitated a chest x-ray and all sorts of nonsense, despite my documentation of medical history and vaccinations.

At any rate, please enjoy your dubious immortality with the wasting disease.

Sincerely yours,
Kiti Fantastico Feely

It's real

Or at least, I think it's real.

I finished up my paperwork today.

I went to my school and met with some of the administrative staff, and saw some of the campus.

I looked at my classroom (A104) and got the key. I received a teacher's handbook. I got a school lanyard for my official school badge. I picked up my textbook and some other stuff, and brought them home to look over. I'll meet with the science department head tomorrow to discuss curriculum and standards and lesson plans and other fun stuff.

I'm meeting my students tomorrow, and will be going through the day with the current sub, so as to have a helper to answer questions, etc., on my first day.

I am SO EXCITED. No joke.

By the way, I have not altered my stance on public education, but this [failing] socialist burden is not going away any time soon (I'm sorry to say), and as a taxpayer, don't you rest more easily knowing that I make it my job to let at least some fraction of your tax money do its job? Because ultimately, I don't really work for the school district. Ultimately, I (along with the entire school district) work for YOU, the taxpayers who are being forced to subsidize the education of other people's brats. Be assured that I consider myself accountable.

What a difference a day makes;

Or, [Mama]’s got a brand new [job]

Well, despite the fact that one of my greatest fears is that I’ll become utterly uninteresting, life with me usually ends up being anything but boring.
Case in point: On Friday, I got a new job and quit my old one!

There are a lot of things that went on recently that influenced my decision, but the bottom line is that on Thursday, due to unforeseen circumstances, I made a choice to switch gears and begin on the path that will lead me to my dream: being a college professor! It's a long path, but it will be worth it. Anyway, here's to the start of my teaching career, as a science teacher for a middle school. I interviewed on last Thursday night, was offered the job on Friday, went through orientation and signed a contract Saturday, and am now just waiting for some bureacratic hoops to be jumped (in particular, completion of my TB skin test). School began yesterday, so they are pretty desperate, but I say, if they knew they had vacancies, they should have worked a little harder to fill them before three days prior to the start of the school year. Ah, well, things should be operational on Thursday or so.

My employers were hardly thrilled at my decision, but I signed an "at-will employment" agreement when I was hired, so I was perfectly within my rights to just walk out, if I so desired. And I did. I had no animosity toward my employers, but it just was not where I wanted to be. Now, I just have to ensure that I can attain proper closure, i.e. getting paid properly for all my hours on my final paycheck. *sigh*

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to the great Maureen O'Hara!

Tujuh belas Agustus

Yes, indeed! And that means that Republik Indonesia is 61 years of age.

This is of some importance to a Papuan-Indonesian-American person, such as myself.

So Excited!

I have been welcomed into the College of the Sequoias Master Chorale! I'm so excited to be singing again.

It is not really very hard to get into the chorale, but you really have to know what you're doing once you're there, as we began sight-singing rather difficult music (Bach, "Magnificat"; Mozart, "Regina Coeli"), right off the bat. I get the sense that people who can't actually hack it get washed out very quickly.

You all deserve photos from the wedding, as well as a full report.
But you'll have to wait for them.

I've had a busy productive day, involving 8 hours of work, 3 loads of laundry, 4 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, and some practicing of instruments.

Belated, but...

Happy birthday, Fidel Castro!

And Alfred Hitchcock.

And me.

August 13.

All aboard!

And now, I am going to hop in my car and head down south to enjoy Sherida's wedding!

Anniversary

Jeff and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. I had a wonderful evening with my hubby. But more about that, later.

Good times

Jeff and I had a busy weekend. Saturday, I worked on scrapbooking projects with Debbie and went to the library book sale. Then Jeff and I went to the gym (I exercised quite hard) and joined the all the Feelys for dinner at Little Italy. It was ostensibly a birthday celebration for me, and everyone was very nice.

Sunday, Jeff and I went up to Fresno to celebrate our anniversary. Can you believe it has been 4 years? I appreciate my husband so much! We've both done a lot of growing in the past few years, and I haven't been this happy in more than 16 years. Being me, I'm waiting for something horrible to happen, since happiness obviously cannot possibly last, but I'm also trying to enjoy it right now. As a habitually reticent person, I don't care to share much of my feelings, so that is all I'll say right now.

Aw, how sad:
MTV Curse Meets the Barkers.

And I thought these two crazy kids just might make it. But when the drummer from Blink-182 (who makes Lydia the Tattooed Lady look like an amateur) marries a Playboy Playmate (whose exes include Oscar de la Hoya and Dennis Quaid), lollipops and roses are too much to expect, I guess.

Blink-182. *sigh*

Following up on my paragraph about Dan: I didn't mean to give Mia short shrift on July 31, but when I posted, I was really tired and couldn't think of much to say.

Mia's birth is something that I remember very clearly. Mulia, Irian Jaya, Indonesia - Dan, Mike, and I were so excited to have a baby sister! She really was a beautiful baby, and fortunately, she stayed beautiful. Mia is a sibling that has occasionally been a challenge for me; Not only do we not always see eye-to-eye, but we often seem to be existing on different planets! We're growing closer as we get older. Still, I never let her forget who's older and really in charge, and she never lets me forget who's The Princess... But seriously, I've been so proud of her growth as a Christian and as an intellect, in the past few years. She went to college, developed an interest in history, archaeology, and science (three of my pet passions), and suddenly we have SO MUCH to talk about. But I would have been equally proud, had Mia chosen to do something else entirely with her life, because she's becoming her own person and doing a great job of it.
Mia, please don't have kids any time soon, because I don't know how I'd handle my Baby having a baby.

Happy Days

Today is the birthday of my Kakak Dan! Dan is the person, together with my parents, that I have actually known my entire life. That is many, many years of knowing each other. We don't always agree on things, which just goes to make life more interesting, but we always have each others' backs. Some of my best memories of life with Dan include that time in Meyokda that he cut my hair (end result: disaster), that other time in Meyokda that he got me lost in the jungle (end result: disaster averted), all those years of boarding school (end result: well, we are both well enough educated to have masters degrees), and our occasional theatre work (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Virtue is Her Own Reward, at Sentani, and The Promise at Cedar Mill Bible Church--Dan portrayed Satan, and very well!). He followed me to college, and then grad school, and it was a very sweet time in December when we both graduated with degrees from Talbot.
Today, Dan is 31, and a very accomplished scholar, theologian, and minister, not to mention officer in the US Army.

In other news, Sara and Jeremy left for Africa today. I wish them good luck and much health as they seek the LORD's will, exploring possible locations for their future ministry with Wycliffe. I'm so envious! It may sound crazy, but sometimes, I really miss living in a third world country. =(

So... tired...

Yes, I really am tired. Work has been taking a lot out of me. Jeff has been working a lot, too.

I can't think of anything interesting to write.

Checking in

Things are going fine with Bible study, book club, etc.
I need more than 24 hours in a day.

My brother is getting married.

It is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mia!!

Counting down

Well, things are moving along, life-wise. We are heading into the craziness of wedding season, with one down last weekend, and five more to go by mid-November:
Sherida - August 12
Bekah Newell - September 2
Mia - September 23
Christina - October 22
Another wedding that is yet to be publicly revealed - November 11 (most likely)
My employers are pretty tired of me requesting days off, but they are being very understanding, since they know that weddings are important and as a friend and sister, I NEED to be there for the lucky people.

In other news, Jeff and I are now virtual parents! No, really. We have had a young lady, in her late teenage years, move in with us. She is a relatively recent Christian, needed a place to live, and wanted to be with Christian folks that could mentor her in her faith and in life skills. Jeff and I had an open room or two, so we were happy to take in a token waif. Pray for Kendra!

Work is getting busy. I have new responsibilities, what with people leaving the company while things are heating up, business-wise, and I would prefer to just be doing what I was hired to do. I'm an INTJ! Let me do my problem-solving thing! I really enjoy being a solutions specialist, helping people improve their lives and their enterprises with technology. Business development and product management? Not my strength, and not what I want to do. Oh, well, we can only do our best, and no more.

The exercise thing is going along nicely. Now I remember why I didn't really exercise for the past few years: it takes too much time! Yeesh! Exercising for an hour? That's 1/24 of my day! Going 3-4 times/week is fine so far, though. Pilates is pretty easy for me, so I think I'm going to just do that once/week, and then challenge myself with cardio and lifting weights the rest of the time.

Finally, Jeff and I might have found an almost-decent Chinese restaurant in this town. I thought it was bland, but didn't order anything that would normally be really zippy, anyway.

Catch you on the flip side, all! It's bedtime.

D.E.A.R.

Do we all know what D.E.A.R. is? It comes from, I think, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and means Drop Everything And Read. And so I have done, or shortly will do.

I've joined a book club! Or more accurately, I've started one. I really want to be motivated to read and discuss great literature. So, with people from Bible study, as well as a few other places, we're going to begin reading books and meeting together. We want to be Christian in focus, although not necessarily strictly Christian in designation. We decided to have our first book be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as it is short, easy reading, and has the added benefit of being familiar and accessible.

So, fun for me!

Not much to report at present. Perhaps there will be more tomorrow or the day after.

Recently, I've amused myself by thinking of various unique ways to say "He's not very bright."
There are the old standards, such as "Not the brightest bulb on the tree" or "The elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor". Here are a few of my new ones:
-Not the sharpest blade in the Swiss army knife.
-Not the highest-rising muffin in the pan.
-A few donuts short of a squad car.

We're a good way through Season 4 of Angel, and I must say, I don't much care for the writing this season. A lot of it can be summed up with the word, "Ew!!" It's interesting, though, to see a few of the ways that Joss Whedon managed to find employment for his out-of-work Firefly actors.

Great Angel quote: "For a taciturn shadowy guy, I've got a big mouth."
Great Groosalugg quote: "Hail to you potential client."
Great Cordy quote: "Am I wrong in thinking that a "please" and "thank you" is generally considered good form when requesting a dismemberment?" Aw, Cordy!
Bonus Cordy quote: "Hey, the last thing I want is to show up at the office and find that I'm working for a homicidal monster."
Great Wesley quote: "If you've come to tell me you killed your parents, could it wait until another time?"
And remember, the Gateway to Lost Souls is under the LA post office!

Wedding, Part the Third

After the whole she-bang was over, and Jim and Sharon departed to their destination, a flock of us went over to Cheesecake Factory in Fresno. I got to talk with Dan, Kevin, and Will (mostly Will).
REPRESENT!!! (And check out Mike kissing his girlfriend in the background of the second picture. Mweheheh.)

Then I went back home with six guys in tow, found places for all of them to sleep, and crashed into bed myself. Sunday morning, I woke up, cooked pancakes for breakfast (it's all about the Bisquick, people), went to church, snoozed on the couch, and planned a Bible study around Acts chapter 1. Jeff came home (from his trip to Montebello), we went to Bible study, and that was that. The spectre of Monday had returned...

Wedding, Part the Second

At the reception, the punch was excellent and the cake was decent. I did sit with Joi and Jessy, along with Tracy Chappiari, Marcy Ratcliff, Andrea Haddock (dressed, as per usual, as though she were headed next to a Renaissance Faire), and some people (not known to me) named Ben and Bonnie.
Photo credits (in order): me with Joi (Ah you ready, Weavah?!), me with Reverend Dan in his dress uniform, Will with Jessy (whose romance I somehow intuitively picked up on during the ceremony, looking at Jessy in the pew next to me and thinking, "She'd be so great for Will! I wonder if there's something going on between them".), me with Will, and the bride and groom (I don't think Sharon knew I was taking the picture).

Wedding, Part the First

As promised, here is a chronicle of the weekend events, mostly focused on the wedding.

Saturday was the wedding of James, whom I like very much, and Sharon, whom I do not know and therefore cannot honestly claim to like, although I'm sure I would like her if I did know her. I was very happy for the groom and bride, but also happy for me, as I had a chance to bless people and have much fun, serving as a hostess for several of the men involved with the wedding. They were around for three nights, and they kept multiplying!

It started on Thursday night, when Kakak Rev Graf Spee and Mike Davis arrived. Friday night, we added Lemming-Will and K-W, and Saturday, post-wedding, Matt Herchenroeder and Ted Jager. All the guys were in the wedding in some capacity: Will was best man, the others were groomsmen, except for the Reverend GS, who offered scripture during the ceremony. It was interesting, since I've known GS my whole life, know Will and Kevin pretty well, Mike and Matt slightly, and Ted not at all. For my part, I was just a dull and ordinary guest, so I had fun most of the weekend, not having to wear a tux or military dress uniform. That was significant, because it was HOT. I hear you ask, "How hot was it?" It was so hot that the plastic cup in my car melted on Saturday afternoon. I kid you not. Exhibit A. On the left is a normal Starbucks cup; on the right is the Starbucks cup that was in my cupholder in my car.



Okay, well, anyway, the wedding was fairly standard, as weddings go. I had fun playing "spot the homeschooler" (yes, there were some women in jumpers), "spot the missionary" (I'm allowed to play that one, and yes, they were wearing cotton print short-sleeved button-up shirts, which is perfectly respectable formal attire in Africa and Asia), and my personal favorite, "spot the homeschooling missionary" (yes, I am evil, but what else is new?). I got to sit with Jessy Wall and Joi Weaver (who grinned and whispered, when I sat down in the pew, "Welcome to the Buffy row!"), and all three of us were proper hymn-singers, in that we sang the correct Ebenezer line in the congregational hymn, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing". Heehee! Anyway, there was a pronounced Lord of the Rings theme, which isn't heretical or anything, but I find it hard to accept as wedding material, even if we are in the thoroughly modern 21st century. Dear Dr. Sanders was one of the officiants, and I kind of think he doesn't like me, since he looked awkward and sort of muttered "Hi" when he saw me at the reception, but I'd rather think that he was merely stricken dumb with envy, having to wear long sleeves while I was cool and comfortable in my dressily flower-printed racerback tank top. But I digress. Jim and Sharon were properly married, and that is the important thing. It was truly sweet and lovely.

I saw some people I hadn't seen for a while, including Dustin and Katie Guenther, who have just passed their anniversary of their first year of marriage (I went to their wedding last summer), and Rebecca Carroll, who was one of the bridesmaids, and is to be commended for escaping from Visalia and getting a good job in Southern California.

Going, going, gone...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1218438.php
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing22jul22,1,3606743.story?coll=la-headlines-business

Oh, that historic Anaheim campus!

Hi, Cricket!!

I didn't know you read my blog regularly. I knew you read it at least once, but now I must welcome you to my regular readership!

PS If you have a blog, I couldn't get to it by clicking on it in your profile.

Great weekend

Wow, I'm so tired, and not ready for the beginning of a new week.

I had a fabulous weekend, though. You'll hear all about it tomorrow.

Excitement

This weekend, Jeff and I made yet another whirlwind trip down to the LA area. We were going down to see friends and family at the more-or-less annual Alternate Banquet, which became smaller and more intimate this year through necessity.

Jeff and I interrupt our cheesecake-eating to pose for a photo.



The whole gang: Sandra and William, Jeremy (sans Sara, who was at her grandfather's funeral in OR), Mum and Dad, Deb and Jeff, Elizabeth, Mia, Christina and Will. I love these people!

Sister pose! We're practicing for the future, when we'll rule art gallery openings, embassy balls, and the proverbial red carpet with a double set of well-manicured iron fists (in velvet gloves, of course).

We returned on Sunday to have Bible study. We are starting a study of the book of Acts. People had originally wanted to speed through Acts in 10-12 lessons, but after my introductory overview, they agreed to a happier 23-lesson plan. Heheheh.

We've both been working hard, and we've also been to the gym a few times. I'm trying Pilates, which is actually really easy for me, as I have (for some unknown reason) naturally strong abs. I am making an effort to have a good attitude about exercise.

Fug Watch: Warped Tour 2006

I am terribly sad that I didn't think to start taking random pictures before the end of our time at the Warped Tour, as these are only a small sampling of the bizarre and downright inappropriate outfits I saw then, all of which just begged for a mocking.

For example, these guys just didn't even try. This isn't the Middle-class White Sports Fans Convention! Would it have killed them to put forth a little effort, and gotten at least a fake tattoo?



















And, of course, Sallie Sue was utterly confused, because the Rodeo Slut Ball isn't even being held anywhere near Fresno County this year.









This girl's hair clashed with her shirt clashed with her tutu (!) clashed with everything else at the event!!!













I can only imagine the conversation that went on at the entrance booth, when this girl showed up.

EVENT STAFF: We're sorry, miss, but we can't let you in. Our rules clearly state that you must be wearing a shirt in order to enter the premises.
GIRL: I am wearing a shirt. See? It's a tank top, and it's draped around my shoulders.
EVENT STAFF: We can't argue with that logic. Our apologies, miss. Please come right in!









And a tip for the guys out there: When chicks are out in warm weather, and flip up their shirts to expose their tummies, it's totally HOTT (as long as the chicks ain't fat and ugly, am I right?), but when bros do it, it's NOT ATTRACTIVE, especially if they are wearing baggy pants that droop to expose tacky, clashing boxer shorts...

I was in San Francisco. Had a good time doing training with my buddy Alice. So... tired...

KNN (Kiti News Network)

This just in: Drama drama drama at the SATC!!!

What do you think about business trips? They are tiring, but a sad necessity. What would you think of a man who didn't go on a business trip because his girlfriend wouldn't let him? What would you think if the backstory was that the girlfriend (non-employee) had been under the mistaken impression that she was going to be allowed to go on the trip, too, and threw a tantrum when it was made clear that she simply wasn't going to be joining him in the company-paid car? And the man had been told (by the boss) that she was not allowed, but he still tried to convince his co-workers (who had also been briefed by the boss) to take her anyway? And he kept his co-workers waiting in the parking lot for 30 minutes while he fought with his girlfriend, and then he just came down and said, "I won't be going with you, then"?
True story. Seriously. I know. I can picture your jaw dropping as you read the above paragraph.

Honestly, the girlfriend must be uber-scary, because this guy thought it was preferable to piss me off in an effort to placate her! And how useful is it to try to convince me to do something that I've stated that I will not do, especially because (1) it's unprofessional, (2) the fellow in charge (who is paying for the trip) has said must not happen, and (3) I just don't want to? [Answer: Not useful at all.]

Anyway, events followed their natural course, and the man no longer has a job. I'm guessing he won't have a girlfriend for much longer.

And that's just the tip of the drama iceberg. Working at a Humongous Anonymous Technical Company did have some advantages, such as the fact that people's personal problems were not readily in evidence, not to mention the fact that it was easy to hide in the crowd and avoid crossfire.

John Gay meets Damon Runyon

Last week, while in San Francisco, Alice and I went to a play. This was no ordinary play. This was a Marxist-cum-Fascist (although I think the latter bit was an unhappy accident of human nature, not authorial intent) musical by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. Left-wing propagandist entertainment in San Francisco? I'm stunned!

Happy End is a tale of a murderous gangster who reluctantly falls in love with a plucky Salvation Army lass, and of the cast of wacky (if ultimately unpleasant) characters surrounding them. [No, it's not Guys and Dolls, but you're forgiven for being confused.] The score wasn't that great, in my opinion, but then I have only slight appreciation for Weill and Brecht, since experimental German theatre has never been my thing. There were a few good songs, such as "The Bilbao Song", "The Mandalay Song", and "Surabaya Johnny", but the sum of the parts is really greater than the whole, in this case. However, it was a good experience just to see live theatre again.

The Girl at the Rock Show

Or, I Couldn't Wait for the Summer and the WARPED TOUR!
Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love* the West.

Today, I went to my first ever real rock concert. And it was a whole bunch of concerts rolled into one! Yes, Jeff and I went to the Warped Tour in Fresno. I can't even begin to summarize everything that we saw, but I can say that it was quite an experience and I had a blast.

We arrived before 11, which was good, as some bands started playing around 11:15. We wandered around and visited a lot of the smaller stages, as we liked a lot of that music better. We made sure to see Motion City Soundtrack, who were headlining the tour this year, because we think they're okay but mostly because hey! we'd heard of them. We also made a point of checking out Cartel. There were many booths among the stages: record companies and radio stations, bands, clothing brands, political action-type groups (like PETA--very odd), etc. There was even a Trojan booth, handing out condoms; I wasn't entirely sure what the condoms were for, unless Jeff and I were going to get a lot more show for our money than we'd anticipated (actually, no; oh, well). Jeff bought some CDs and signed up on a few mailing lists (he even signed up at the PETA booth, just to get a free DVD). We had to buy some food and drinks, which were reasonably priced for an event like this, except for the water: $3 for a 24-ounce bottle.

The bands kept interspersing their sets with commentary on how hot it was: 104 F. It didn't feel quite that hot to me, but I was warm. I guess even with touring all over the continent in the middle of summer, the Warped Tour bands don't always encounter such intense conditions, even though I had assumed that the east and midwest would be almost as hot and twice as humid. The whole event was on blacktop, in a parking lot, so there was a lot of heat coming up from the ground, as well as beating down from the sky. I got sunburned, despite putting on sunscreen.

We only stayed till c. 4 pm, as poor Jeff was tired and hot and hurting from walking and standing all day. I must say, when it comes to events like concerts and dancing, I'm the one with a lot more stamina. I would have been happy to stay for another 3-4 hours!

Bands we saw, that we at least liked:
Amber Pacific
Cartel
Dork
8 Fingers Down
Hit the Lights
Motion City Soundtrack
Saves the Day
Meg & Dia
Helmet

Bands I wish I'd seen, but we were listening to something else:
Saosin
Rise Against
Everytime I Die
Pretty in Stereo

Bands I wish I'd seen, but we left before they played:
My American Heart
Less Than Jake
The Academy Is...

My friends and family know that I have not always embraced my enforced tenure in the Western world. I still do not feel comfortable in the US. It is my belief (no longer a fear, but a simple acceptance) that I never will. However, my experience with punk and alternative rock music has proven to be of such value in my life, allowing me to see another part of this culture and understand something of what the unsaved are like in this corner of the world. Yes, God uses punk rock to change lives. Who knew?!? Anyway, I'm resigned to my plight, and even learning to embrace it. After all, they don't have the Warped Tour in New Guinea.


*Or at least, Tolerate.

Life Report

What have I been up to for the past few months?

Obviously, I've been working a lot, and traveling a lot. In between times, I've had a bit of fun here and there.

Last month, I went down to the LA area to attend Sara Brown's graduation from Talbot. I'm so proud of her! She and I know the true evils of Talbot's ICD program.

Last weekend, Jeff and I were treated to an impromptu visit from Sara and Jeremy, as they were driving north on the 5 to see Jeremy's family for the holiday weekend and one of their tires failed. They were a reasonably short distance from our house, so they drove across the 198 and spent the night, got their car fixed in the morning, and were on their way again... It was just fun to have them with us for a short time.

Our US Independence Day celebration (i.e. our celebration of the move from taxation without representation to taxation with representation) was fairly low-key. We had dinner with Jeff's family, and set off some [entirely legal] fireworks once it was dark. Jerry and Debbie were watching a Prairie Home Companion televised special, and I realised, once again, that Garrison Keillor is absolutely unfunny. I do not understand how that man has managed to sustain a dull and pointless radio show for more than 20 years, and probably even made some money at it. Why would anyone make a movie of it? Lame, lame, lame, ad nauseum a la H.L. Mencken.

The biggest recent news is that Jeff and I have joined a fitness center. This is notable because I enjoy participating in exercise just about as much as a cat enjoys doing synchronized swimming. I love to dance, but exercising simply for the sake of exercising is just so difficult for me. Have you ever noticed that many gym machines look like medieval torture devices?* Coincidence? I think not.


Anyway, we did the preliminary fitness evaluation and everything, and the exercise physiologist set my goal as losing 1 pound. My real goal is to trim down enough to wear that size 2 bridesmaid gown in Christina's wedding in October. I'm going to try and be a good girl, and eat right and exercise.

Overall, I'm doing well at present, but I really miss my family and friends down south. Fortunately, I'm going to be seeing many of them next weekend. I'll just have to hang on till then.

*Note: If you ever do a Google image search for "medieval torture device" or something along those lines, be prepared for some pretty bizarre and eye-opening hits. That's all I have to say.

Thursday random fifteen

I put my iPod on shuffle at work this afternoon, and here's what it spit out:
Look at Us Now, Serena Paris - I think this was the dance mix. I remember when they used to play this song on the radio, in the early 2000s. It seems so very long ago.
She Will Be Loved, Maroon 5 - Hey, I still like Maroon 5. I think they have talent. They need to stop flirting with boybandhood, though, and put some solid music in their next effort.
We are the Waiting, Green Day - Ah, yes. I know I am anxious see what Green Day will do after their American Idiot success. For one thing, it doesn't bode well, long-term, to constantly vilify one's target market (unless, of course, one is Groucho Marx).
Track 15, Various Artists - I admit it. I have no clue what this song is, or what album it was from. It was a random sort of jazz thing.
Du bist die Ruh, Renee Fleming - I like opera, but found this aria somewhat colourless.
Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year, Fallout Boy - Not emu. Emo. There's a difference.
Mutt, Blink-182 - *sniff* Blink-182 is still my favorite band. Ever.
Marie Marie, Marlene Dietrich - This takes me back to high school. I spent a lot of time with the old vinyl records I'd check out of the library, becoming acquainted with music of another time. I met Dietrich, Piaf, and Connie Francis.
Stay Together for the Kids, Blink-182 - More Blink-182. Huh.
Vittoria/Ave Maria, Opera Babes - It's time for another good idea/bad idea. Opera? Good idea. Techno opera? Bad idea. Oh, well, Opera Babes, it was a noble effort. PS The mezzo is fabulous, the first soprano not so much. Look into it.
Don't Tell Me That It's Over, Blink-182 - Wow, what are the odds? I mean, I don't have that many Blink-182 songs on my iPod...
I Would Walk 500 Miles, Less than Jake - Fun punkish cover of a well-known song.
Get Happy, Judy Garland - One of the greatest pop/jazz recordings of the 20th century. That's all.
O Little Town of Bethlehem, Jewel - I deleted my Christmas playlist, but apparently, that didn't delete the songs themselves from the iPod's song library.
I Wanna Be Loved, Helen Kane - Oldie but goodie. Boop-boop-be-doop! Helen Kane was something of a real-life model for the cartoon character Betty Boop.

I neglected to mention a special birthday a few days ago (Monday): HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTIE HALLETT! Christie does not really participate in this blog, but she is a wonderful, adorable person that I've loved for many years.

I am making sure not to be late with this special birthday greeting, so I'm posting it now:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to SARA BROWN! Best friend since age 13. I hope you have a great year of being 29 (*gulp*).

Here we are in Zion National Park (Utah 1998--Pure Adventure! Great memories!). I always love looking at pictures of myself with Sara, as she is a tiny petite woman who makes me look like an oversized Amazon by contrast. Heheh.

It is, it is a glorious thing

Best Operetta Ever


I have memorized all the songs and practically all of the dialogue. If you see only one filmed/televised '80s Broadway adaptation of a 19th-century operetta this year, it should be this one!

Eat your heart out, Johnny Depp. You'll never be even half the pirate that Kevin Kline is.

I wish more people were devoted to operetta. Gilbert and Sullivan, in particular, are surprisingly relevant. After all, with their wordplay and funny songs, crazy situations, and outrageous characters (satirizing well-known personages of the day), the Savoy operettas were the Victorian equivalent of Saturday Night Live (the primary difference being that at D'Oyly Carte, real talent was required; Ashlee Simpson would never have gotten close enough to a mic to even think about lip-synching).

So far, I've advanced the cause of Gilbert and Sullivan, light opera, and the 1983 production of Pirates of Penzance; made casual reference to an upcoming pirate film, likely to prove popular; and laid a smack down on Ashlee Simpson: All in a good night's blogging.

Notes in passing

Yesterday was the birthday of the lovely Eva Marie Saint, remembered primarily for winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar opposite Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront and climbing around Mount Rushmore with Cary Grant in Hitchcock's North by Northwest. The Saint is still working today, of course, releasing two movies in 2005, and having a featured role in no less than this summer's popular film Superman Returns.

A cursory check of IMDB revealed that this is also the birthday of the fabulous Leslie Caron and Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAUREL!

24 today!

Classic beauty

I'm realizing that I just got to be sending out the shout-outs to our living legends--more and more are dying every year, and a sad thing it is...

And so, I say:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND!!!!
She is 90 years old today.

Perfectly photogenic Olivia de Havilland began in films in 1935 and achieved stardom with amazing rapidity. She was only 19 when she won critical and popular attention with lead roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream (she portrayed Hermia) and Captain Blood (beginning a teaming with Errol Flynn that would last several years; notorious womanizer Flynn was deeply in love with Olivia for a significant portion of those years, but she resisted his advances). However, lovely Miss de Havilland was not content with being just a pretty leading lady in costume pictures; she began fighting (taking it all the way to court and winning a landmark legal battle) for better roles, despite studio opposition. I, for one, am glad that she did not immediately succeed in her quest, for her Maid Marian (opposite Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood) is a cinematic treasure. However, she found a solid place in the Hollywood pantheon with her sweetly steely Melanie in Gone With the Wind, earning her first Oscar nomination and her only one in the Supporting Actress category (she lost to costar Hattie McDaniel). Her first Best Actress nom came with Hold Back the Dawn; she lost the award this time to younger sister Joan Fontaine! Olivia had the last laugh, though: she received three more Best Actress nominations, winning two of them, for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949). With the 1950s and cultural changes, film roles became scarcer for Olivia, but she kept working some in theatre and television. She is now retired in Paris, France, but active in church work.

Furthermore

We wish a very happy birthday to John Gay, the playwright who wrote The Beggar's Opera.

It is also a birthday of beautiful and gifted silent film star Madge Bellamy (who would have been 107 today), early talkies tough girl Glenda Farrell (aka Torchy Blane, who would have been 102), beautiful and talented Susan Hayward (Oscar winner, would have been 88), comedienne Mary Livingstone (wife of Jack Benny, would be 100), and playwright Lillian Hellman (paramour of Dashiell Hammett, who would be 101). Then there is Lizzy Caplan (24, who portrayed Janis Ian in Mean Girls, one of my favorite movies).

And don't (despite the fact that I did) forget Jamie Alexander, Biola's own actor-currently-going-nowhere. I met him (he lived in Emerson) when we were both undergrads, and I thought he was pretty lame. He was supposedly this talented performer, but he wasn't very interesting as a person.

So, there we go. Everything from a producer/writer of a centuries-long hit to a boring Biolan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LENA HORNE!

Dear Lena Horne,



I know you'll never read this, but I just want to say, I'm a huge fan. I have been since 1990. I first encountered you when Dad showed us That's Entertainment, very soon after we had moved to the US. You were singing "Honeysuckle Rose" in a beautiful white gown: it was a clip from Thousands Cheer. I thought, "Who is that beautiful singer?" Over the next few years, I was to learn more, and gain respect.


Now I have some of your recordings, and listen to them on a regular basis.

I loved your performance as Julie in the "Show Boat" vignette from Till the Clouds Roll By, although I understand why MGM didn't let you play the role in the the Show Boat film (But wouldn't it be so interesting if they had?).

You are classy and talented, and I hope you are healthy and enjoying life at 89.

Sincerely,
Kiti Fantastico

Home again, home again

Jiggety-jig.

Wow, I really HAVE been terrible about updating my blog. If you must know, however, it's largely because I have a rather boring life at the moment.

Another reason is the fact that I've been in Tallahassee (Florida) for the past four days, with inconsistent internet access. There was a business center in my hotel, but the hotel also had hundreds of teenaged children (they were hosting some sort of 4H mock legislature convention), so the business center was monopolized by adolescents who were trying to be cool, flirting awkwardly, and checking their MySpace accounts. Ugh.

In the realm of Deb trivia, it was fun to visit Tallahassee, as I almost decided to go there after college for the Ph.D. in Geochemistry program at Florida State U. Obviously, the Lord took me in a different direction, but it was kind of fun to see what Florida is like. On the whole, however, Tallahassee is pretty podunk; it looks kind of stereotypically southern redneck trashy, and the vast majority of people there are associated with either government (as it's the state capital) or the universities (both FSU and Florida A&M are there). Sadly, I didn't get to drive down to the coast (no rental car, this trip), so I didn't get to spend time at a real beach.

I'm back

More or less.

I thought I'd jumpstart my blogging with a list.

Things that make me happy:
Wedding invitations from people I care about
Fuse TV
The Simpsons
Angels & Airwaves
Watching Fuse and The Simpsons, or listening to Angels & Airwaves, with my husband
My kitty cats
Classic movies
Amusing Georgette Heyer books
Gilbert and Sullivan operettas
Getting some good work done
Fashion articles that really are about fashion, and the clothes are cute
Softserve ice cream
The way that your teeth feel after you've flossed them
Singing along to musical theater soundtracks I play while driving
Good theology
Dancing around the house to music in our stereo
Solving a challenging physics problem

Dear Blog

How have I neglected thee? Let me count the ways.

Actually, I've neglected pretty much everybody and everything in my life. I've kept up with work, but that's just about it. Oh, and I've been spending time with Jeff, so that's good.

I'm sorry, everybody!! I really am. I don't mean to be such a horrible, neglectful friend, daughter, sister, and blogger.

I will do better, I promise.

I guess I should finish my tale of travel woes. But I don't feel like it. I'm just feeling contrary this weekend.

Jeff is working on some photos, and I was looking at some old portraits he took of my sister. I'm not over-stating it when I say that Mia is really so gorgeous and photogenic. She is so utterly beautiful, it makes me sick! She could totally be a model. *sigh* It's difficult to avoid being envious.

More Global Nomad

I am cold and tired and miserable and stuck in the Las Vegas Airport for several more minutes. I am in this predicament because my flight from Grand Junction to Phoenix was 30 minutes late (not sure why, since when I checked in, I was told that it was On Time) taking off, so I missed my connecting flight to Fresno. I had to get a flight from PHX to Vegas, and then wait around to get a red-eye to FAT, after which I'll have to drive home in the dead of early morning. I have bitter hatred for America West. I have traveled all over the world, in third-world countries, what have you, in conditions most of you probably cannot even imagine, and never* have I had such horrible airline experiences as I've suffered in the past month. I'm writing America West/US Air a nasty note, and may choose to boycott them if they don't put forth their very best effort to make things right.

I told Jeff that I can't imagine what sins I've committed, to be receiving such hefty karmic retribution. It's a bummer that I can't even remember them; they were probably fun and exciting.

Oops, time to board. At least there is free wireless internet in this airport.

*Exception being that one hour or so in Heathrow in January 2003, but at least it was over quickly, and I had my winter coat and my Jeffrey to keep me warm.

ICE ICE BABY

Dear Airport Management: Sorry, but I forgot to bring my PARKA. Did you notice that it is JUNE and you are in a DESERT?! Maybe you should keep with tradition and be HOT instead of FRIGID. Look into it.

Hey, folks, remember the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back? That is what the Las Vegas Airport is like. They have the air conditioning pumped up to a level that even large self-heated people would consider chilly; for a Reynauds sufferer like myself, it is ghastly.

I keep expecting the Abominable Snowman to come sauntering into the waiting area...

Rocky Mountain High

Greetings again from the Global Nomad. I have not yet finished chronicling my previous adventures, and here I am on yet another.

I'm in Colorado. Grand Junction, to be specific. I flew in this afternoon. The flight from Phoenix to Grand Junction was, by the way, the most turbulent one I've ever experienced in the US. I'm so blase about it, though. I always tell myself, "No matter how bad it seems, I've been through worse!" All those years of flying in helicopters, single-prop planes, and goodness knows what they had with Merpati, have definitely provided me with a high tolerance for turbulent air travel.

And speaking of Merpati, I have to say that the Grand Junction airport is probably smaller than even Rendani in Sowi. They seriously have only two baggage claim carousels, and there is no monitor or marquee to mark which flight's baggage is on them. Not that it matters, since there are probably no more than two flights in at any given time, so all a passenger must do is go stand between them and glance side-to-side until his/her baggage is clearly in view.

In summary: Today, I have traveled several hundred miles, completed two crosswords and two sudoku puzzles, and posted on my blog.

Sorry I'm not home right now

I'm walking into spider webs...

Or bears' dens or snakes' lairs.

That's right, I'm going camping. I loathe camping, for many good reasons which I may or may not reveal. The only good aspects of camping are (1) the camp fire and (2) the s'mores. In fact, Jeff persuaded me to go only by telling me that I could be in charge of the fire. Warms my little pyromaniacal heart.

I'm still taking my laptop, but I won't have internet access. *sigh* I'll miss you all. *mwa mwa* Bye!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

A very happy birthday to Firefly cutie Jewel Staite, who is 24 today!
Blogger wouldn't let me load pictures, for some reason, today. So, see Jewel here.

We watched X-Men: The Last Stand on Monday. I loathed it. The best thing I can say about it is that I hated it less than The Fantastic Four. Jeff didn't like it, either, and he says it's because of the director. I think it was just a bad script.

But I found out something: I have my own superhero! One of the mutant people was named Kitty (which is, of course, an alternate spelling of my nickname Kiti), so I looked her up, and she is a popular X-men character, Kitty Pryde, also known as Shadowcat. At last, I have my own superhero with whom to identify. Heheh.

Which leads me to ask, Dear Readers: If you were a superhero, what would your powers be, and what would you name your superpowered alter ego?