Catching up on Meme's While Running Out the Door

I really should be leaving right now, but here I am blogging to catch up on these things before I leave for a week. Is this a sign of addiction?

Before I start, I got a guy to come look at my heater first thing. Tripped a switch, and he showed me how to fix it in the future, so I don't have to spend money to do it. Which means my roommates will have heat if they want it while I'm gone.

Ok, this week's TV Tuesday.

1. What is your favorite Christmas special?
Either A Charlie Brown Christmas or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

2. Do you have a Christmas special that you don't care for as much?
I've never seen Rudolph all the way through, but didn't really like what I did. Then again, I was an adult at the time. I think that makes a huge difference.

3. One recent trend is making sequels to popular or successful Christmas specials. Do you like or dislike this trend? Why?
I hadn't really noticed, except for the Peanuts specials, which I don't like because they aren't as good.

4. Is there a book, story or song just waiting to be turned into a great Christmas special?
"This Gift" by Gary Chapman that I used for my first Trixie Belden Christmas story at Zap's.

~ BONUS ~ Share some of your favorite memories of Christmas specials growing up. Also, if you have kids, what is the one Christmas special that you look forward to sharing with them either when they're old enough or each year?
When I have kids, I'll look forward to sharing my favorite two with them. Can't think of any special memories, however.

Due to technical difficulties, there doesn't appear to be a Thursday Threesome up right now. So I'm outta here! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Winding Down for the Year

Found out today that Phil's giving us all of tomorrow off, so I won't have to come in. Except I need to download statements, but that should be quick and easy. Which will mean I get to make an earlier start for my parents', which is a good thing.

But the last couple days? I got all my Christmas specials watched. Loved them, too. And got three loads of laundry done, too. So now all I need to do is wrap presents and pack. Drew will be working tonight, so I can crank up the Christmas music and enjoy.

Of course, I wouldn't mind a little company tonight. I'll be busy, but knowing there's someone around or could be someone around is nice. Which is probably why I'd be unhappy to live alone for more then a week.

Went out to lunch with my co-workers Tuesday. Macarroni Grill. Hadn't been there in years. Very good. And lots of fun. I really would like to go out to eat a little more often.

My heater has stopped working. It does nothing but blow cold air. :( I'm trying to get in touch with some from my church to see if he can fix it. Sure was nice when that was my landlord's problem and not mine. Not sure what to do if he can't. I guess Drew won't freeze to death while I'm gone. Although it's supposed to be in the 30's at night and the 60's during the day. Benjamin would be thrilled when he gets back, however. :)

I Feel a Rant Coming On

Today is seven weeks after the election. And if these comments are what we have to look forward to for the next four years, it's going to a long one for Republicans. Why? Let me show you.

Ove on Lee Goldberg's blog, he posted a story he'd found about a teacher who is being harrassed in her community for teaching murder mysteries in an English class and having her students write a murder mystery as a school assignment. While I don't agree with what's happening to her, I was insenced by this comment from his brother:

What a stunning development this recent rash of book banning stories is...could it be connected to a certain presidential election where conservatism ruled the day and crazed thumpers of certain other books had their views validated? This stuff sickens me to no end -- especially when you consider that whack job in Alabama who wants to have all books with gay characters, ideas, or themes in them removed from public libraries. Somewhere, Karl Rove slowly pets a fluffy white cat and plans his next move....

Naturally, this got a rise out of me. Of course, as far as this guy is concerned, I'm still evil because of my views even though I agree the one parent involved and the community response is over the line.

Then, I ran across this article thanks to Oh, That Liberal Media. It starts out:

Emboldened by their Election Day successes, some Christian conservatives around
the country are trying to put more Christ into Christmas this season.

Has this reporter missed the last 20 years? This is a fight we have every single December, with the ACLU sueing anyone who dares to sing "Silent Night" at a school or put a nativity scene up next to snowmen at city hall.

I've got a news flash for these people. There is a conservative backlash happening in this country. But it has nothing to do with the recent election. It's because conservative Christians are tired of being shoved aside, out of the public square, and told our opinions don't matter. See, we live in a country were every voice matters. That means we can and should be heard. That means our holidays can be celebrated just as much as everyone else's holidays. And I, for one, find it offensive that we can't dare speak the name Christmas when it's a federal holiday.

As to the teacher, I think she's being mistreated and the parent is going too far. However, there are things that aren't appropriate to be taught in schools. Are R rated movies censorship? Why can't parents object to what their kids are being taught without being called names? We protect kids from movies they might not be ready for, letting the parents decide if a kid should go see a certain movie or not. Why can't we do the same for what they are forced to read in schools?

Do me a favor. Don't accuse every conservative who dares to speak up of being emboldened by Bush's reelection. And don't even think about writing them off. We really aren't evil people. We view the world differently from you. But maybe, if we're both willing to truly listen to each other, we can not only heal the nation, but find ways to work together on important issues.

Or is that too radical a concept in this day and age?

Dead as a Doornail

Campus sure gets quiet when the students leave. And with people taking off for Christmas, this week will be quieter then Summer. Which is probably a good thing because this is a busy week for us. Since we're off from Thursday at noon until the fourth, the final payrolls need to be run before Thursday. At least this year we aren't running the W-2's until after the break. Takes one layor of complexity out of the system.

Ok, not only did I post a new Trixie Christmas story at Zap's, but I also got a cell phone this weekend. Can you believe that? Still not sure it's a good idea and still not sure that I need it. Especially for the money. I just keep looking at the money and thinking I could better spend it on something else. Well, this is a 30 day trial, so if I decide it's not worth it over break, I can always return it and not be committed to a contract. Of course, it might be my phone as well. Not as happy with that as I had hoped.

Of course, I did download a couple rings for the phone yesterday. "What Child is This?" for the next week, and then the Alias theme song for the rest of the year. Doesn't sound quite right, but it's still fun.

Let's see, finished my Christmas shopping Saturday as well. I'm very happy about that. Now, I just need to wrap presents.

And watch Christmas specials. I have yet to start, including Charlie Brown, The Grinch, both VeggieTales, and The Santa Clause. Add on to that laundry, packing, finishing my book, and working, and I'll be busy until I leave Thursday.

Speaking of reading, I finished Access Denied Friday night. Wonderful ending, and I'm certainly read for the next book already. Wish I didn't have to wait.

And I'm over half way through Snuffed Out. I don't think I'm enjoying it quite as much as I did the first in the series, but it's still good. Also, short. Started it Saturday, and I have 70 pages to go.

Saturday was also Stephen and Natalie's annual Christmas party. Lots of fun as always. We played Taboo, which I don't think I've played in a long time. And obviously, the teams were even because we wound up tied. :) And, they gave me a gift for being the most faithful attender of their parties, a mug with a penguin on it. Now I'll be able to go insane every time I drink (remember, one of my new bumper stickers is "One by one, the penguins slowly steal my sanity.") Some friends they are, actively helping me become more insane. :)

Started loosing roommates to the holidays today. Benjamin is gone and Tom leaves tomorrow. Drew won't be leaving until after I do, so it'll just be he and I for a couple nights. It'll be nice having a few less people around the place. I need some down time right now.

Word Association for December 19th

I've finished my Christmas shopping. Have you?

This week's word association.

1. Perfect Gift:: What they really want
2. Santa:: Claus
3. Lucy:: Ricky
4. Buckets:: Raining
5. Recital:: Piano
6. Stamp:: Act (Think I just finished a US Revolution history class? :)
7. Teacher:: Professor
8. Matchbox:: 20
9. Spit:: in the Wind
10. Feeling:: Happy

And My Grade Is....

An A! I got an A!!!! Finally, I got a 4.0 in a semester of college!!!!!!!!

I found out this afternoon, and I'm a tad excited. In case you missed it somehow.

I love the grades being posted on the network. You don't have to wait two weeks like when I was a full time student.

In other news, the Durons are back in town for a few days. They were at Bible study last night, which was really a Christmas party. And I had lunch with Dave and Beth this afternoon. At Baja Fresh, where Dave and I would always meet for lunch. It's great to see them again. Sounds like things are going very well for them in Idaho. Unfortunately. That means they won't be coming back here! (Have I ever claimed not to be selfish?) Seriously, I'm glad to see them so happy with this decision. Looks like God really was calling them there after all. :) (Kidding again! I'm kidding!)

Of course, spending my lunch hour with them meant I didn't get to spend it with my book. Only 45 pages to go, and it's killing me! But it was so worth it. I can finish this weekend, no problem. I'm really enjoying it, so all you Turing fans, look forward to another great adventure.

Well, I'm trying to get out of here early, and I need to fill out a timesheet and record a couple more deposits, so I'd better hit post now.

Thursday Threesome for December 16th

Bet you thought I wasn't going to do this, didn't you? Well, I did sorta forget it was Thursday. Anyway, this week's is brought to us by calendars (also taxed by the Stamp Act, which I forgot to mention in my final), and The Back Porch.

Onesome: Christmas--Hey, an easy start for you, what with the new layout and all: What is your favorite Christmas song? ...and sung or played by whom? You know, the one you tend to listen for on the radio or hit 'repeat' on the player...
Easy. Easy, they say. I have so many favorites, it's hard to choose. But I do really like 4Him's version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." And it's not Christmas without Evie's "Come on, Right Those Bells."

Twosome: Is-- Is the longer "Holiday Season" this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas making it easier to get your Christmas act together? Last year's was short; has this year flowed any better for you?
Yes. It's given me more time to listen to Christmas music. And, ultimately, that's what time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is all about. :) I had most of my shopping done before Thanksgiving this year.

Threesome: Coming-- Ready or not, here it comes! Are you ready? What do you have left to do with just over a week to go? ...or are you just cruising?
Figure out for sure what I'm getting one uncle, buy it, wrap presents, and pack to head to my parents. And watch all the Christmas specials and movies I want to watch every year but haven't had time to watch yet. Seems like I run into this every year about this time. Hopefully I'll have a chance next week or over the weekend of both. Or I can always do what I normally do, watch the specials while wrapping presents. Every year I say I won't do that, and every year, it comes down to needing to do that to get everything watched.

This and That. Mostly That

My final was this morning, so I'm now officially through with my class! I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I discovered this by looking at my notes on the way back to my office. :) Still, I hope I did ok overall. After all, I did do the extra credit. But I have no clue how I did on the paper. Never got it back.

Watched Karroll's Christmas on A&E last night. For a twist on Christmas Carol, it was pretty good. I got a huge kick out of it anyway.

On Thursday's post, Matt asked how I got started doing the surveys. When I started this blog, had just joined The Back Porch, which was a group blog at the time. That's kinda died out and now they just do the Thursday Threesome. Anyway, they started doing the TT about the first week I was blogging, so I decided to do it, and I've done every one since.

The word associate I found on Diann's blog, thought it looked like fun, so I started doing it, too.

And I don't remember how I found the TV Tuesday, but I thought that would be appropriate for me to do. :)

So, let's do some, shall we? First up, Sunday's word association.

1. Plot:: Fiction
2. Farce:: Funny
3. Unexpected:: Guest
4. Siren:: Call
5. Ben:: Jerry
6. Freshman:: English
7. Quicksand:: Sink
8. 24 hours:: Day
9. Spunky:: Mary Richards
10. Vicious:: Mean

And now, this week's TV Tuesday.

1. What's the best holiday-themed episode you've seen this year? (Or you can go with the worst).
Let's see. Reba and Joey are the only ones I've seen, and Reba was a Thanksgiving episode. Don't know if last night's Veronica Mars was holiday themed or not. Of the two, I'd have to go with Joey being the best.


2. What's your all-time favorite holiday-themed episode of any show?
Mary Tyler Moore. Feeling alone at Christmas and then having her co-workers show up to cheer her up is just great. Enjoyed several from Sabrina, but that's the one that sticks out in my mind the most. Of course, if you want to go Halloween, you can't top the "Ghost of A. Chance" episode of Dick van Dyck.

3. Is there any show that did a holiday-theme episode that you avoid like bad eggnog?
None spring to mind. For the shows that I normally watch, anyway.

~ BONUS ~Jaded and cynical, sweet and sappy, somewhere in between. How do you prefer your holiday-themed episodes of your favorite shows?
Obviously, it would have to depend on the show, but I'd have to so with sweet. I'm not too jaded and cynical when it comes to Christmas, so I don't enjoy that in others at this time of year. :)

Abadonded Blog for Sale. Cheep!

I can't believe it's been so long since I was here. I'm sure I have some excuse here, somewhere.

So, news....

I finally got back in touch with the guy whose Frisbees we borrowed for the Frisbee golf day for the jr. high back in September. He's supposed to stop by and pick them up today. So far, so word from him, however.

I left work early Friday due to a pain in my stomach. Dragged one of my roommates to the doctor's with me. Finally concluded it's got to be a pulled muscle from my month of coughing back in October. :( It's been coming and going for a few weeks now. Hope it gets better soon.

Saturday I got very little on my to do list done. Did finish Chocolate Puppy Puzzle, which I started Thursday night. Loved it! Then I ran some errands. Finally swapped out the pipe in my shower, so it's no longer leaking around the shower head. And put my old "rain" shower head on. I'm thrilled to have that back. Got a longer extension chord as well, so I was able to rearrange the lights on my balcony. I think they'd be better for they were white, but I'm happier with how they look now. This is quite a change for me, because I usually don't like white lights.

And the weather was gorgeous Saturday. In the 80's. So, naturally, I took the opportunity to go swimming.

It did feel wrong, however, to go Christmas Caroling that night. I only put my jacket on at the very end!

That was something else. The kids seemed to want to do nothing but push my buttons all night. I wound up yelling on more then one occassion. It didn't help that the staff member in the car with me was egging them on. Like telling them to open the doors when I locked the controls for the windows. And they were trying to do things like tickle me, which is unsafe when I'm driving. No, not one of my better youth activities.

Sunday, I went with Matt (the other one) and Casey to see National Treasure. Fun movie. Give it it's own logic, but lots of fun.

And I've started Access Denied. Finally getting back to Turing Hopper! I'm enjoying it. Would like to be going through it faster, but I also need to study for my final tomorrow. Can't wait until that's over and done with! Feeling pretty good about it, however. We'll just have to see how I feel after tomorrow.

Thursday Threesome for December 9th

Welcome to this weeks Thursday Threesome, brought to us by Jingle Bells and The Back Porch.

Onesome- Dashing through the snow: Do you get much snow where you live? Do you enjoy winter sports like skiing or would you rather stay in by the cozy fire?
I've never gotten a lot of snow where I live. And I'm rather proud of it, too. :) As a result, I've never much gotten into winter sports. Beside, it's too cold out there!

Twosome- In a one horse open sleigh: Have you ever been on a sleigh ride or a carriage ride? Do you even like horses? Or would you just rather travel by your own two feet?
No on the sleigh ride for sure. Think I've been on a carriage ride at one of the living history places I've been to, but I wouldn't swear to it. Horses are fine, but I haven't been around them too much.

Threesome- O'er the fields we go: What's the first thing that pops into your mind when someone says field? Corn? Football field? Outfield?
Must admit, it's a corn or wheat field rather then a sporting field of some kind. Heck, even over an ultimate Frisbee field.

Frustration is the Name of the Game

I'm just feeling very frustrated with life.

There's me and the lack of work I get done during a "work" day.

There's the money I'm trying to track down that was deposited into our bank account last month and no one in our office knows why. Furthermore, I keep hitting nothing but brick walls at our bank.

There's trying to decide on a laptop computer. Too much info, do many decisions! Make it stop, make it stop! But I'd really like to have one by the time I head to my parents for Christmas so I can get on line on my own when I'm there.

And I'm trying to decide something on a wireless phone, too.

Between those two, it obviously means the world's about to end, which frustrates me because I'm not ready for that yet.

I'm frustrated with politians for continuing recounts in Ohio over the Presidential election and Washington over the governor. (And guess who's supporting both of these recounts because they lost. I'll give you a hint, it's not the Republicans.)

I'm frustrated with CBS news for not firing Rather by now.

But most of all I'm frustrated by my social life, or lack there of. Except for a brief interlude the last few months, I once again am without anyone to hang out with. My roommates have made it very plan that they don't consider me someone to hang out with. Maybe because I'm always in my room watching TV. Then again, they're always in the living room watching something I have no desire to see or playing Halo 2, which I can't play to save my life.

Still, hanging out with Matt these last few months was fun. And it meant I saw more of Matt and Casey, too. But now I look around for someone to do something with on a weekend, and I don't see anyone. I actually got depressed for not being invited when two of my roommates went over to someone's house to play Halo 2. Yep, depressed because I wasn't invited to do something that would have bored me to tears. And I'm frustrated with myself for it.

Honestly, the thought has crossed my mind that maybe it's time to look for a new church. One with more people my own age. But I just can't leave my church. I'd feel so guilty for it.

Welcome to my world, where any answer can only make me feel worse. :)

And in a non-depressing subject, I've met my reviewing goal for the year. I hit 600 reviews Monday night. I'm currently sitting at 603 with probably 3 more to go this year. I feel so accomplished. :) And it's nice because I plan to review one DVD and then just review books as I finish them. Give me the rest of the month off to recharge my ever present, "What can I review next" batteries.

Hm, maybe I need to worry about reviewing less next year and release some stress from that and focus more on other areas of my life. Like loosing weight or finding other ways to make friends.

Well, maybe I've rambled on long enough. What do you think?

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

At least at my place. I decorated this weekend.

Friday night I dug the tree out of the garage and put it together and put the lights on it. Then I got my other boxes out of the storage closet and went to bed.

Saturday, I set off to catch up on Survivor, the only TV I was behind on. Unfortunately, my VCR in the living room had other ideas. It wasn't registering the tape at all. Took it to a repair place down the street from me, and he figured out the problem, just maintenance issues. Fixed it no problem cheaply!

Then I put the lights on the balcony. From a distance, they just look like a mess, but up close, they look nice. Either way, they're very colorful. Then I put the decorations on the tree. With the memories associated with them, that's always fun. With Grandma's ceramic Christmas tree in my room and a nativity scene on the entertainment center, I think we're all set.

Saturday I also talked to lots of people. Donald, Seth, Carol, Mike Lovell and Mike & Zoe. Really is amazing all I was able to get done. Found out ML is recently married. Another of those I thought would never marry takes the plunge. There really is hope for me!

Finished my book last night. Second half of The Shilo Sisters was definitely better then the first. Looks like that may end the series, which would be ok with me. I honestly don't know if I want to read any more.

And last night was family fellowships after church. Enjoyable evening.

Looks like my book package from Amazon still hasn't shipped even though the DVD's have. Considering those are my next three books, we might have a problem. And their recent order part of their site has been down all day, so I can't go in and check for sure. :(

But that's ok. I need to concentrate on stuff for class the next couple of days. That way, when the books do get here, I'll be able to read and enjoy them.

Word Association for December 5th

Also, a good friend's 30th birthday.

Anyway, today's word association.

1. Delightful:: Lovely
2. Impact:: Colision
3. Consolation:: Prize
4. Donation:: Check
5. Blue moon:: Once in a
6. Grinner:: Happy
7. Smoker:: Unhealty
8. Muse:: Inspiration
9. Tweet:: Bird
10. Guitar:: Worship Chorus

O the Weather Outside is Frightful

Actually, the temperature has increased from Wednesday. It's probably in the mid-50's to about 60 today. It's the wind. The wind is absolutely bitter cold and blowing hard and dry. I think we're finally getting the Santa Annas we usually get in the fall. I was hoping maybe they'd passed us by this year. Brr! It just seems to cut through everything. And, it also bugs my allergies.

Maybe that's been my problem this week instead of a cold. Either that or I got the world's mildest cold. Bit of a sore throut, bit stopped up, but not really that bad at all.

Yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather, why do you ask? :) That's why I live in Southern CA.

So, we turned in our papers today. After class, I went up to ask the prof. a question about the final, and he mentioned that he was looking forward to reading my paper. (We'd turned in topics at the mid-term). Great. It wasn't a strong paper to begin with. If he's looking forward to it, it's sure to disappoint him and get me a bad grade. :( Which means I really need to do the extra credit questions he gave us. Something else to pile onto my weekend, I guess. Along with decorating and trying to call a few friends I haven't talked to in ages.

Worship went well last night considering we hadn't practiced for a week and a half. And we're permanently moving worship time to the choir room. Smaller room so we can actually hear the kids sing instead of just ourselves. Makes all of us happy. At least those of us on worship team.

And I got another comment on my bumper stickers today. Seems people get most of them. They just don't get the "One by one, penguins slowly steal my sanity" one. So, what does it say about those of us who do get it?

Meme Catch Up Day

Time to get caught up on these things!

First up, Sunday's Word Association.

1. Limited time only:: Offer
2. Voluptuous:: Full
3. Nutritionist:: Health Food
4. Belt:: Pants
5. Star crossed:: Lovers
6. Snakeskin:: Boots
7. Athlete’s foot:: Itch
8. Boom:: Bust
9. Freezer:: Cold
10. Store hours:: 9-9

And now Tuesday's TV Tuesday.

1. What's your favorite thing you've watched in the past week?
CSI and Without a Trace were both excellent last Thursday. And Veronica Mars was great as well Tuesday. For that matter, so was Lost last night. Can I say everything?

2. Have you found anything new you liked? (You can use disliked or any other adjective you want.)
Nope

3. For those who had access to them, did you see any really cool parades on TV?
Nope

~Bonus~ Holiday dinner: TV on or off?
Off

That was easy after the first one. :)

And, finally today's Thursday Threesome. This week, it's brought to us by weird animals and The Back Porch.

Onesome: Dancing-- Dancing? Does anyone go dancing anymore? I mean, disco died, and the club scene? Hmmm... Is dancing dead? ...or are we just here on the web instead of out for the evening?
I'd love to go dancing. I miss my ballroom dance days. If Master's ever changes their rules against dancing, then I'll start dancing again, trust me!

Twosome: Polar-- Polar bears seem to do well in the snow... How about you? Is snow just another thing you deal with when it shows up, or is it shutdown time? ...and if you're posting from a non-snowy locale, do you make trips to actually see snow? It's okay to admit it...
Considering I'm freezing to death in a 50 degree with strong wind climate, I think we know how well I'd do in snow. :) Often take a trip to see it, but usually with the youth.

Threesome: Bears-- Bears? Christmas Bears? Have you seen the number of bears on the shelf this year? Are you getting one for anyone? ...or are you looking forward to receiving one? ...or do you still think that inguana in the elf outfit is more your style ?
I'm really not into stuffed animals, period. And if I did, I don't know if I'd put out stuffed Christmas bears. My roommates would probably revolt. :)

I forgot last week's, didn't I? I'd better correct that. Two Thursday Threesomes for the price of one this week. :) Last's weeks was brought to us by the Salvation Army.

Onesome: Christmas-- Is it Thanksgiving? ...or just the day before the start of the "Christmas Season"? (...and how are you supposed to shop if you're all stuffed with food?) Hey, is anyone going out tomorrow to save tons of money standing in endless lines with 10,000 of your closest friends? Just curious...
I dont' think I've ever shopped on the day after Thanksgiving. And this year was no exception. And last Thursday was definitely Thanksgiving.

Twosome: Bells-- Okay, we'll give in and admit that maybe the season has started: what decorations are you looking forward to seeing in the next few days? ...the lights in the downtown? How about knowing you'll soon have a tree with that memorable ornament? The Toys for Tots drop off? What makes you comfortable knowing the Christmas season is really here?
Looking forward to digging out some of my favorite ornaments this weekend. But I also plan to head down to one very decorated part of town this year. The neighboorhood is amazing. Haven't been for several years, so hopefully it will hold up to memory.

Threesome: are Ringing-- ...in your ears? What song are you just dreading to hear this season? Come on, the one that just makes you scrunch up inside and want to duck into an iron foundry so you can't hear it? Weird Al? Something from "The Nutcracker"? Those dogs? I mean come on, there's some bad stuff out there ...
I might hear a Christmas song I hate once or twice my the jr. highers. But for the most part, I can't think of anything I hear that I hate. I love too much Christmas music and concentrate on that.

I'm Baaack!

Sorry about not making it over here to update yesterday. The afternoon just got away from me.

I had a fabulous time in Dallas with my family.

I left later then I wanted to Wednesday afternoon, but I still caught the 1 PM shuttle to the airport. Got there in plenty of time, too. My flight from Las Vegas to Dallas was delayed an hour, however. My family wasn't happy about that, since it got me in at 11:30 PM. But it did allow me to finish reading the textbook for my class, which I was thrilled about.

Thursday, we just hung out at my bro's apartment. It's very nice, and the complex is beautiful. Very jealous here. Dinner was great. As if Thanksgiving dinner could be anything but.

Friday, we explored downtown Dallas. Went up in reunion tower. And walked around the square where Kennedy was shot. Blanking on the name at the moment. Saw a special on it a few months back, but being there was interesting. And, for some reason, being at this particular historical place was more special then some of the others I've been. Anyway, we also walked around some of the historical/shopping disctricts.

Saturday we headed out to Bridgeport. My parents lived there for 9 months before I was born, so it was neat for me to finally see this place they've talked about all my life. Certainly a different part of Texas then Dallas.

Sunday we went to church. I really like my brother's church. Great worship. I got to hear the assisstant pastor, and he was great. Then we went down to the seminary and walked around and drove to some rich areas of town.

Monday, Mike took me to Half Price Books before we left town. It's a huge used book, music, movie store. No Trixies, but I did get a couple mystery novels I've been wanting to track down, so I was happy about that. And a bonus Amy Grant CD that I didn't know existed but I had to have.

Then we flew home. Mom, Dad, and I were on the same flight to Phoenix. No delays or anything getting home, but I swear I got the slowest shuttle driver possible. It took us an hour to make all our stops along the way. Probably because it took him about a minute to load luggage under the bus. And wouldn't let anyone on until all the luggage for that stop was loaded. Yes, that means it would often take 15 minutes at a stop to load all the luggage. But I did get lots of reading done.

In fact, I did a pretty good job on the trip. Read Sugar Cookie Murder (loved it) and reread Happy Valley Mystery. I'm in the middle of The Shilo Sisters. I don't think I'm going to be disappointed to see this series end, but you never know.

Last night, I finally got the footnotes into my paper and printed it out, so it's all ready to turn in Friday. And I bought the Beach Boys Christmas CD. Sounds a little too much like their normal stuff to be Christmassy, but I think I'll like it.

Right now, however, I need to head to dinner.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Not much news in my life. About the only thing to report is I'm on my way out the door from work for Thanksgiving. I'll be flying to Dallas, TX to spend the long weekend with my brother, sister-in-law, and parents. Should be lots of fun.

But right now, I've got to run. See you all Monday night or Tuesday.

And so a mild fall turns into winter

Friday night was the last time for the current group to all hang out together. We watched Muppet's Christmas Carol and then talked and looked at pictures Paparazzi Matt has taken this semester. He delights in obnoxious pictures, too. Like the ones with me with my mouth full. It was one before I got home.

Saturday, we took the jr. highers up to Palmdale for a service project. Each Sunday School class was supposed to do something nice for one of our church's missionaries during the holiday season. Most sent care packages, but our missionary is planting a church just 40 miles from us. So we headed up there. The ladies cleaned the house and we took care of the yard. Raking leaves, mowing the lawn, washing cars. Fun stuff like that. It was a nice day, temps in the 70's.

When we got back, I sat myself down in a chair and started working on my paper. It was slow going, but I did it! I still need to get the works cited page and title page done and turn my notes from parantethical references to footnotes, but that's the easy stuff. Hope to get to it tonight or tomorrow.

While I was working on it, I heard something hitting the window. Turns out it was hail. It was bitter cold yesterday. I'd be surprised to find out it was above 60 all day. And they had snow in Palmdale. That's right, 24 hours after I was enjoying a nice day in short sleeves, they got snow, something that might happen once a year or two. Winter has arrived with a vengence.

Wrote 6 reviews yesterday. I'm only four away from my goal of 600 by the end of the year. Should pass it with flying colors. I was planning to quit for the year when I hit it, but I'm just going to keep going and see how far I get. I have about 8 I'd really like to write between now and then, but I'm not going to push for any other number. And I plan to not write another one until after I get back from Thanksgiving.

Speaking of which, I don't have any class until I get back. And I have lots to do tomorrow before I go. As always, I'm trying to cram tons of stuff in before I leave. :)

Like decide on a lap top. I'd really like to have one before Christmas so I can get on the internet at home this year without getting on my parent's computer. But I just can't decide what to get and find it for the price I want to spend. Maybe they'll be on sale when I get back and I can find a great deal then. We'll just have to see.

Word Association for November 21st

As always, I take them from here.

1. Reconnect:: Old Friends
2. Gearshift:: Clutch
3. Mania:: Pac-Man
4. Manhattan:: NYC
5. First date:: Tennagers
6. District:: of Columbia
7. Yearbook:: High School
8. Breakup:: Sad
9. Episode:: TV Show
10. Costume:: Halloween

Something to say

I need a topic to talk about. I really should have a blog post today, but nothing much has happened.

I think I may have made some progress on research on my paper this week. Guess we'll see when I start writing this weekend. I still don't really feel like I have any clue what I'll be talking about.

And here's the worst part. I'm going to have to use footnotes or end notes! I was always able to use paraenthetical references when I was a student. The main reason I'm not looking forward to this? I hate trying to make word do what I want it do. That could take longer then the paper itself. Still, that' minor compared to getting the paper written.

And this is the guy who said a 5 page paper would be a breeze. LOL.

I'm really enjoying Jeremy Camp's new CD. Not as hard rock as his first with some great lyrics. Hope to get a review up next week.

And I got Clay Aiken's Christmas CD. Instant classic. I love it!

Youth group last night, we were in the music room for the school instead of the huge gym/sanctuary. It was more crowded, but we could actually hear everyone singing, which was so nice for a change. Small room, better accustics for a small group. Must remember that.

Wednesday night, of course, was the end of an era. The last night Matt would come over to watch sci-fi. Of the group that started three and a half years ago, he was the last one. Now it's just down to Matt. The other one.

Weather's been really nice during the day. Low 70's. Cools down to the 50's at night. Haven't had to run the heater or AC much this month at all. My electric bill will love that next month.

I bought a new coat Wednesday night. My old one got ruined by my airbag going off in my accident 3 years ago, and I finally replaced it. Got it on sale at Kohl's. 50% off. Can't beat a deal like that. It's heavier, too, which will be nice.

Look at that, I managed to find something to ramble about.

Thursday Threesome for November 18th

This week's is brought to us by gluttons and The Back Porch.

Onesome: No one-...to talk to? Nah, who is it you look forward to seeing at one of the holidays just to be able to sit around and chat with? Sure, even someone you see during the rest of the year!
My uncle and aunt. I don't see or talk to them nearly enough. Maybe I should change that. Will only see them for Christmas again this year, but looking forward to it. Haven't seen them since my brother's wedding.

Twosome: diets- Have you ever tried one of the "fad" diets out there? Yes, I include Atkins in this category! How did it work for you? Would you do it again or try another one?
Nope. I don't believe in dieting. Which is why I could stand to loose 10-20 pounds. :)

Threesome: on Thanksgiving- What's your favorite dish? Would you be happy just pigging out on turkey, or do you need all the fixings? Does the pumpkin pie make the meal or do you prefer Mom's green bean casserole?
I have a couple of favorites. Stuffing is a must. My mom makes the best stuffing you ever tasted! And my mom's yams, apples, raisins, and cinnimon is a must for us as well. And I really do love pumpkin pie for desert, much to my mom's dismay. She hates it!

I've Got Bad News and Good News

Actually, I've known the bad news for about a week now.

Matt, who has made a few appearances in my comments and almost constantly the last few months in posts, is leaving town this Saturday.
:( And we still have 2/3rd's of season 5 of Babylon 5 to go, too. Seriously, we've become very good friends in the last few months. Better then we were before. I thought I had until May, but now it's now.

Why do my friends keep doing this to me? Don't they realize that when you become my friend you sign a contrap to stay in town forever and ever amen?

We were talking about Heaven in both services in church Sunday. That forever things, while hard to wrap my brain around, sounds so good when I think of all the friends I'll be able to spend forever with. Like Matt, the Durons, Donald, Jeremiah, Grandma.

Got the good news last night. Effective January 1st, I'll be getting a raise. And a better raise then I'd hoped for, too. Considering it's been several years, I'm very happy. Not enough to allow me to kick out my roommates, but enough that Trixie camp by myself should be no problem what-so-ever.

Meanwhile, I am stressing about my paper big time. I have no clue when I'm going to get it written or even find research to be able to write it when I find the time.

And I've decided to get a laptop. Preferably before I head home for Christmas. Any thoughts are more then welcome. The sooner the better so I can get on-line at home again.

TV Tuesday for November 16th

Time one again for the TV Tuesday.

1. Any holiday favorites you can't live without?
A Charlie Brown Christmas. I don't know if I've ever missed it in all the Christmases I can remember. Close behind it is the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas and some version of A Christmas Carol. I'm rather partial to the George C. Scott version, but also love the Muppet version.

2. Holiday viewing: Parades or Football?
Who has time to watch TV on the holiday itself? I'm too busy eating or spending time with family.

3. What's your favorite holiday TV memory?
Linus quoting the gospel of Luke comes close. Have I mentioned how much I love that special?

~Bonus~ Holiday remakes, are you a faithful fan of the old classics or do you prefer the newer versions?
Well, I already mentioned that I prefer the 1984 George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol, so I think you know where this is going. I tend to like recent versions. Of course, on TV, I don't know if there is a classic episode of any show that gets played over and over again except on Nick and Nite. And people don't remake TV shows. At least most of the time.

I'm not ready for it to be Monday yet!

I need at least another two or three days on my weekend.

Of course, that would be because I didn't really do much Saturday that was at all productive. Other then talk to my family. And three loads of laundry. But I spent most of the afternoon playing around on the internet, not working on my paper, not working on the Sunday School message for Sunday morning, not working on either Trixie fan fic idea, not working on finishing the book for a group discussion on a mystery board I belong to. Yeah, other then that I got a lot done. :)

I did finally get the message prepared enough that I didn't look like a complete idiot Sunday morning. Went really short, but I was at a natural breaking point in Matthew 5, so I figured I should stop there. Which meant I dealt with Divorce and Oaths. Two topics that are sure to be part of every jr. higher's every day life. :)

Then Sunday afternoon, I went to my friend Debbie's house for an afternoon of praise. I brought my guitar, and we sang for at least an hour after we shared some praise from the Bible or songs. A really great afternoon. Couple that with the messages from both services Sunday (about Heaven from Revelation 20 & 21), and I was flying high.

Sunday night I finished the book for the discussion. Frankly, I was less then impressed with Sick of Shadows. Very weak plotting and not funny like it was supposed to be. I guess it was supposed to be a social satire on Southern culture, but not being a Southerner, I just didn't get it.

And I'm rather tired, too. Probably because I stayed up Saturday night to try my hand at Halo 2. Went to bed about 1 AM. And I stink at first person shooter games. Too many controls to try to keep track of.

Frankly, that game is going to cause some serious problems. All my roommates want to do is play it. On line if they can. Well, to do that, they have to be plugged into the DSL server. The same place my computer plugs in. Which means if I want to be on-line, I have to kick them off. And, getting the TV in the living room is even a bigger problem. Honestly, they play that things probably 12 hours a day between the three of them. And when Tom goes to bed early, I have no choice but to be out there. I wonder if they'd suspect me if the game suddenly got broken.

Finally got my new bumper stickers on magnets and four of them are on my car. Found them at bumperart.com. The four I have on my car read like this: "I used to be indecisive. Now I just don't know." "Hi!, I'm the dread pirate Roberts #3690. Ask about franchise opportunities in your area." (I know Mary will want to get that one.) "One by one, the penguins steal my sanity." And finally. "I'm not paranoid! Which of my enemies told you this?"

Looks like it's dinner time. Have a good night.

Word Association for November 14th

On line for a few minutes, so thought I should get this taken care of. As always, found here.

1. Childhood:: Home
2. Ransom:: Note
3. Melissa:: Gilbert
4. Trust me:: Board Game
5. Report:: Paper
6. Give up:: Quit
7. Nightgown:: Sleep
8. Smokes:: Chimney
9. Cookies & cream:: Ice Cream
10. Gameshow:: Prizes

My Week in Review

Not that there's too much to review.

Tuesday night, I went with Matt, Casey, and Stephanie to see The Incredibles. It was incredible! Seriously, it was loads of fun. Pixar has yet another hit on their hands. I hope their winning streak lasts for a long, long time. I'm thinking I'll probably go with my roommates this weekend, too. Disney was stupid to let them get away.

Last night we did a new song at youth group. "Pour Out my Heart." At least it was new to me. But I really like it. It'll definitely be making a come back.

I have done nothing toward my paper or the Sunday School lesson for Sunday yet. I guess that's what tomorrow is for.

I officially hate Halo 2. It will be months and months before I am able to use my TV in the living room without kicking someone off. And to hook it up to the internet, they have to unhook my computer. Not to mention the fact that it's a shoot 'em up game, which I dispise because I'm horrid at them, get lost, and they're pointless. Other then that, I like it. :)

Got our annual jr. high thanksgiving tonight. It's when everyone brings a food that starts with the first letter of their last name. I'm bringing my standard, bread and butter. Worked through lunch so I can get off at 4:30 and actually buy it and change clothes and get there on time. Should be fun, as always.

Thursday Threesome of November 11th

But first, a public service announcement.

Happy Vetrans Day! And thanks to all those who have served to keep us safe and free.

Now, on to the business at hand. This week's edition brought to us by jet lag and The Back Porch.

Onesome: World-- Okay, you've been here; you've been there. ...or maybe not. Is there someplace you think it would be cool to spend a holiday? Christmas in the Alps? St. Patrick's Day in Erie? Oh, sure, take the entire family if you'd like!
I'd love to spend the 4th of July in Washington DC. Along with everyone else in the country, I'm sure, but it would still be cool.

Twosome: Weary-- Have you ever had to deal with jet lag? How have you handled it? ...and which direction is worse for you, going East or going West? Just curious...
I've noticed it when traveling to the East Coast, but it's not as bad as Europe and Israel. Israel was the worst cause I was only there a week, had just adjusted, then got hit again going the other way. I think coming back was the worst from both because you get tired so early but must stay up. I had little trouble going to sleep on the going end because I had slept so little in the plane. But coming back it suddenly hits me and I can't keep my eyes opened another minute.

Threesome: Traveler-- When you've traveled, what conveyance has bothered you the most? That camel in Morocco? The train ride through the Rockies? Your brother-in-law's Dodge? What just set your nerves on edge?
My dad's driving in Europe. :) We had such a hard time following the signs. We got lost multiple times and even wound up in a pedestrian only place once.

Thoughts on Uniting

(Yes, this post will be political. Read accordingly.)

So, over and over again, we hear the Democrats calling on President Bush to unite the country. Heck, there were lots of complaints because he didn't unite us in his first term. Kerry brought up the idea of unity in his concession speech. Other leaders have called on Bush to unite this country in the week since then.

And yes, President Bush does have a responsibility to reach out and work with everyone in government to do what is best for the country. But there are some things it doesn't mean.

This does not mean that Bush needs to scrap his agenda for the Democrat agenda. He was elected because of what he said he'd do, so he now needs to follow through and try to do that. Yes, work with Democrats to get all sides of the issue and pass the best bills/reforms possible. But don't surrender what got him there in the first place.

But let's look at the other side. See, unity, like everything else in life, is a two way street. And I'm holding the Democrats to a much higher standard then Bush for his second term. After all, it was the Democrats who filibustered every single one of Bush's judge nominations for the past four years. That's hardly doing anything toward unity.

And, frankly, it's people like this who are helping divide our country. (Warning, there are some very graphic signs here, at least for what you'd normally find on my blog.) I mean, really, will these people ever unite with Bush over anything? I think if he came out and did the opposite of everything he's done for the last four years, they'd think he was still evil.

Then there's this article. I'm sorry, but that just sounds like a bunch of whiners. Who again, will not be uniting with Bush even if he were giving $1 million to every person who voted against him.

Then there's the talk of succession. States in this country tried that when they didn't like the outcome of an election. In 1861. Remember studying a little thing called the Civil War? And in this case, there are lots of people in the blue states that wouldn't go along with it. CA went to Kerry with only 54% of the vote. That means almost half of the people voted for Bush. That's a lot of your fellow citizens who would resist a move to take us away from the country because of Bush.

Or those talking about moving to Canada. I'll believe that when I see it. And I'm sorry, but that's just petty and childish.

You see, it's called a Democracy. That means that majority picks it's rulers. Ok, so we're actually a Republic (happy now, Matt?) where we pick leaders to make the rules for us. But the majority still picks the leaders. That means sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. When you loose, you need to be gracious about it and work toward the next time. Power will shift yet again. It's happened time and time again in this country.

But it will not help anything to call those of us who voted for Bush (you know, the majority of the population) stupid, moron, idiot, or worse. How is that going to unite anyone? We both looked at the same facts and the same candidate and reached different conclusions. That doesn't make either one of us smarter or dumber then the other. Just different.

I had originally intended to lash out at this point in my post and say I was going to start taking these comments personally. Fortunately, God whacked me upside the head with a reminder from the Sermon on the Mount about praying for those who persecute you. So, God helping me, I will continue to work at my friendships with those who agree and disagree with me.

A comment for my friend "The Truth." This was an American election. We were electing our leaders. I didn't tell you who I thought should be your leader nor did I insult you after the results. Please extend the same courtisy to me.

One final point. I have never called anyone who disagreed with me unpatriotic. I reserve the right to do so in the future, but then it will be for something truly outrageous like calling for another attack on our country or some such thing. It will not be for simply disagreeing with Bush. This country has lots of room for disagreement and I will always support that. Encouraging the enemy is unpatriotic. Disagreeing with our government isn't.

TV Tuesday for November 9th

I'm going to see The Incredibles in two hours! Sorry, where was I?

That's right, time for this week's TV Tuesday.

1. Do you watch political coverage? If so, how much?
I watch lots of Fox News, many the political news shows. Maybe 5 or 6 hours a week, depending on my schedule and what is happening.

2. Does political coverage effect how you vote?
Not really. It did confirm for me why I voted the way I did, however.

3. Do you think the up to the minute coverage of returns effects those who haven't yet voted?
There are some people who will let it decide if they get out and vote or not. I've heard it really did when the networks called Florida for Gore 4 years ago and the polls in the panhandle hadn't closed yet. But there are plenty of people like me who will vote no matter what.

~Bonus~ Do you think there should be guidelines for political ads? For example, banning putting other candidates down.
The biggest one I'd like to see? Ads must be 100% truthful. They can not say or insinuate anything that can't be backed up by facts. And they facts must be verified by the other political party. I think that would make for some very interesting ads next go around.

Relaxing, but Unprofitable

That's how my weekend was. How about yours?

I was going to hit my paper hard this weekend, reading through the books I got in the library and at least formulating the outline for the paper for my class.

Instead, I came in to play ultimate Frisbee. There were only six of us, but we did play for about 20 minutes. Then I went home and finished my book. And tried to cut my hair in something other then a straight buzz. After an hour of it getting worse and worse, I gave up and shaved it off. Tried to go see The Incredibles with my roommates but at 2:30 it was sold out until 10:15. So we wound up going out to play miniture golf instead. Which was really nice. It's the first time all four of us have done something other then hang out in the condo together.

Sunday was church. And I didn't get anything done in the afternoon, either. So now I'm stuck with a pile of books I need to start reading through tonight. We'll see if it happens.

I did get my Christmas list put together for my parents. They only ask for it two weeks ago.

But I have this fan fic idea that has taken over my brain. All stemming from the Jim and Dan fight thread over at Zap's. I've hardly been able to think about anything else all day, which is amazing considering how much work I've gotten done. Still, when Tom goes to bed early, I won't have any choice but to join Benjamin and Drew in the living room studying.

Ah, the joys of peer pressure.

Word Association for November 7th

Welcome to this week's word association.

1. Small Talk:: Chit Chat
2. Evidence:: Clues
3. Drifting:: Topics
4. Hostage:: Rescue
5. Beauty:: and the Beast
6. Automatic:: Garage Door Opener
7. Asking for it:: Behaving Badly
8. Visene:: Know Nothing
9. No strings attached:: Pinnochio
10. Frizz:: Bad Hair Day

TGIF!

Of course, I've got major plans this weekend. I plan to go home and work on my paper for my class. It'll be a thrill a minute this weekend, let me tell you.

I just hope I have the self-controll to sit down and actually write it. :) Or at least read the books I checked out to use for research purposes.

See, I have a couple hours of TV yet to watch from the week (hoping to knock those out tonight.) And I have 80 pages left in my book. And you can bet that finishing Fall into Death will be a major requirement this weekend. Probably finish it before I start working on the paper tomorrow.

One thing in my advantage is the weather. It's supposed to be cold and rainy tomorrow. The kind of day to make you stay inside. On the other hand, I usually want to curl up with a good book. And I've got a couple fan fic ideas swirling around my head like you wouldn't believe. Not to mention two reviews I've been wanting to write for over a week now. Three once I finish my book.

In other news, my guitar strings stayed on last night. And my guitar strings stayed tuned while we played, too. Always major pluses and always something I worry about when I've just changed my strings. Especially after Tuesday night.

So, I've managed to write a post about what I want to get done this weekend with one paragraph about what I've been up to the last couple of days. Think that about sums things up right now. Have a good one.

Thursday Threesome for November 4th

Welcome to this week's Thursday Threesome, brought to us by Disney and The Back Porch. (Yes, I know A. A. Milne actually wrote the Winnie the Pooh books. But the title that we're using here is from Disney, hence the reason I went with them.)

Onesome: Winnie the Pooh-- What was your favorite book series as a kid? Was there one you tried to find the complete set to read? ...or maybe just one book you remember well?
Any guesses? Why yes, I'd say Trixie Belden. Had to get all of them. And as an adult I've started collecting more of them. And I still read them.

Twosome: and the-- holidays are just around the corner? Are you ready for things? ...or are you too immersed in life to even think about it?
I'm looking forward to them, but my class is catching up with me. I've got to get my paper written before Thanksgiving or it will be late. And my parents are probably very upset that I haven't come up with a wish list yet for Christmas, but I haven't had time to do that, either.

Threesome: Blustery Day-- Hey, what do you like to do on a stormy day when you're not working or in school? Do you curl up with a book? Watch TV? Bake? How do you pass the time when you don't feel like going "out in it"?
A walk in the rain followed by curling up and reading a good book or watching a good movie would make for a perfect rainy day for me.

Victory!

Ok, so I don't think it's been any secret that I support Bush. I am thrilled by the results of yesterday's election. This time, Bush won the popular vote (by more then Clinton ever did) and the electoral college.

Guess we should have seen this coming. After all, the Red Sox did win this year, so obviously previously held superstitions about football teams and kid's votes in mock elections weren't meant to hold up. Heck, even mine didn't hold together. I've been pointing out that the only other time we've had father/son Presidents was John Adams and John Quincy Adams, both of whom served only one term. Now we have Bush I, who only served one term. Yet this predictor meant nothing as well.

Frankly, I think the thing I'm happiest about is that we have a winner. I was so worried that things were such a mess that we wouldn't know the outcome for weeks just like last time. I must say my respect for Senator Kerry grew by leaps and bounds today. We listened to his concession speech on the radio here at work, and it was very gracious. Probably the best thing I heard out of him all year because it was well thought out and seemed honest.

Of course, I can't help but gloat some. I've gone back to the Amazon Customer Review Board to watch the Democrats over there loose it. And sure enough, they are so distraught about how stupid the rest of the country could be. I'm taking this as a personal victory over them. And yet another one is threatening to move to Canada. Either move or don't, but don't say you will if you don't mean it. I'm sick of people leaving a country because of their side loosing an election. And I'm also gloating over Dan Rather and Michael Moore. Seems more people saw through the lies then you thought they would, huh?

Ok, I'm done now. I'm really happy, can you tell?

The thing is, most of those who read this who disagree with me are from the Trixie community. And there we've kept with our normal civil selves. Of course, we've pretty much ignored the issue completely, but even when we did discuss it at Zap's it managed to be decent. Unlike four years ago. So for those in the Trixie community, know this was not meant at you in any way. It was meant for those Democrats who think conservatives are stupid idiots who need to be told how to think.

Had a condo full to watch the results come in last night. They had to leave at 11:30 when Fox News had called it 269 to 242 for Bush. We'd been waiting for over an hour to see Bush finally go to victory with Nevada and New Mexico both looking promising. I felt like I was in that old Mary Tyler Moore episode. "A trend is definitely developing." I stayed up until 12:30 when I couldn't stay awake any more. Then when I got up this morning, I found out things hadn't changed. :) I think no one wanted to call it for Bush too early after what happened last time. When class was over this morning, we found out that Kerry had called Bush to concede. That will go futher then anything else toward smoothing over boundries.

Ok, on to other topics. I am an idiot. :) (And one who was just complaining about being called one.) I was trying to restring my guitar last night, and the strings kept slipping out. Took it into a music store today and had to be shown how to do it. So now, after wasting hours, it's done. So I will be able to play my guitar tomorrow night. Now, if I can just figure out what happened to my tool to help crank the knobs, I'll really be happy.

And I got a massive leg cramp last night for no reason I could tell. I was rolling over and it hit me. My leg is still sore and it's 13 hours later. Hope it doesn't happen again tonight.

TV Tuesday and other Things

I've voted today. Have you?

Starting off today's post is today's TV Tuesday. This week, reality shows.

1. Do you watch reality shows? Which ones?
Survivor and The Amazing Race are the only ones I watch on a regular basis. Faithfully watched The Mole when it was on. Most of the others have no appeal for me whatsoever. I like the competition factor of these shows and most of the others seem to be excuses for people to make fools of themselves on TV. At least these two have things going on beside that. :)

2. What's your favorite all time reality show?
I'm going to have to go with The Amazing Race. That's the only show I'd actually love to be on. Can't wait for it to come back in two weeks, even if it's on opposite Veronica Mars.

3. Do you feel "reality" shows are real or are they faked?
I think they're real while being manipulated by the producers to make a good show. I mean, every leg of TAR finds all the teams on even footing or close to it. And they mix things up on Survivor enough that you never quite know until the end what will happen. Not to mention the way things are edited give us heros and villians. So yes, the outcome is real, but what we see if fake to make for a better/more engaging story.

~Bonus~ If your life was a reality show what would it be called? What would be the story line that kept people coming back?
Can't really think of anything. I've often said my life is a soap opera, but I really don't think anyone would want to watch it on TV.

~Bonus 2~ If you could create a reality show of your choosing what would it be about?
Maybe a combination of The Amazing Race with a literary theme. You must race to author's birthplaces based solely on titles of their books.

Can you tell I'm not feeling super creative today?

And now, it's been forever since I did any of the other kind of quizes, so I thought I'd steal a couple. First up, from Anna:

You Are a Social Blogger!
Your blog is more of a semi-private affair for your friends. It's how you keep in touch... sharing stories, jokes, and pics.

What kind of blogger are you?

No surprise there.

But can anyone tell me if it's me or blogger that messes up these things every time I take them now? The pictures always come up horrid and throw off the rest of my post.

In 1975 (the year you were born)

Gerald Ford is president of the US Evacuation of US civilians from Saigon as Communist forces complete takeover of South Vietnam FBI agents capture Patty Hearst, who is indicted and convicted of bank robbery Teamster Jimmy Hoffa disappears without a trace Marines rescue the crew of the American ship the Mayaguez near Vietnam First Lady Betty Ford says in an interview that she thinks her children have tried marijuana Natalie Imbruglia, Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Enrique Iglesias, Angelina Jolie, and Tiger Woods are born Cincinnati Reds win the World Series Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl IX Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup Production begins on Star Wars Jaws and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are the top grossing films Soul Train premieres on television in the United States "The Way We Were" (performed by Barbara Streisand) wins the Grammy for best song Saturday Night Live and Wheel of Fortune premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Some of this I knew. Some I didn't care about. Like the sports stuff. :)

And now, two weeks after she posted it, via Aleta, comes this quiz.

"You are just as interesting as your weblog!"

You have an interesting weblog and an equally interesting life. You don't need to exaggerate to make your stories sound exciting. They already are. You have a small circle of friends, both online and offline, and they all love having you around. You're an all around nice person and the best friend anyone could ever imagine having.

The Happiest Place on Earth

That's where I spent Saturday. Not that I've recovered from it yet. :)

I was supposed to meet Matt, Casey, and Stephanie at Master's early Saturday morning. Like 6:45 AM. I got here about 6:55. Something about leaving when I was supposed to be arriving. Anyway, we headed down and arrived at the park at 8 AM. And started waiting. Angelique ran into a detour that got her there much later then she had planned, but we were finally all set and headed into the park.

I was afraid it would be a nightmare on some of the big rides since Matterhorn was closed and Space Mountain is still under major renovations. But it was the least crowded it's ever been. We hit everything we wanted to at least once. Except for the Snow White musical. I just couldn't get anyone but Casey on my side for that one. We only used the Fast Pass a few times since most of the time it was just as fast to walk onto the ride. Don't think we waited longer the 15 minutes for most things, although we did wait 40 minutes for Indiana Jones the second time around. They were out of Fast Pass, so we decided waiting was the best option.

Highlights? Screaming at all the wrong times. And getting directly on Alice in Wonderland thanks to the ladies paying attention to a worker offering us a short cut through the exit line.

And then there's my new name. Saturday was Master's day at Disneyland, so they were selling discounted tickets here for a week and plan a couple group meetings for anyone interested. Since I bought 4 of the 5 tickets in the group, four of the five little fliers talking about that stuff came to me. The top one came to Mark Baker, and I thought nothing of it. The other three, however, were addressed to Mark Bark. Naturally, everyone got a kick out of that. :) And instead of going into the trash, I bet those fliers are still around for quite some time.

Normally, my 8 AM to Midnight day in the park kills my legs, but they were hardly tired by the time we were done. I think after last weekend, Disneyland was nothing.

I had forgotten how they changed "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." The "pre-presentation" includes sending us to 1863 Washington DC. They give us headphones, and all the sound is in them. The amazing thing is how real it is. There's one point when someone is cutting your hair or a fly is buzzing around you. It sounds so real it's creapy.

I have got to get back to CA Adventure, though. It's calling me. I really think I'm going to get an annual pass next year at some point. After all, with the 50th Anniversary next year, I'm sure I'll want to go more then once.

Of course, we got back very late Saturday night/Sunday morning. And, even with the extra hour of sleep, I still haven't recovered sleep wise. I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight. Especially since tomorrow could be a long night, waiting for election results.

Which brings me to my public survice announcement for the day. If you live in the US, tomorrow is election day. GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!! I'm sure (Bush) you've figured out by now (Bush) who I support (BUSH) but the most important thing is to vote. Voter turnout keeps declining, and it's one of the most important freedoms we have in this country. It's how we hold our representatives accountable for their actions in office. So please vote.

Word Association for Oct 31st

Happy Halloween! And now that that's out of the way, time for this week's word association.

1. Right now:: Current
2. Halloween:: Today
3. Provider:: Worker
4. Rescue me:: From Evil
5. Confidence:: I Can Do It
6. Fungus:: Mushroom
7. Candy corn:: Not as good as others claim
8. Reunion:: Class
9. Winner:: Loser
10. Tradition:: Fiddler on the Roof

Hopefully This One Takes

I really did try to post Wednesday. I had a great post all typed up, hit submit, and Blogger decided to go down and loose it for me. :( So I blame them for my lack of a post on Wednesday.

I went to the doctor Tuesday about my cough. Gave me some medicine that seems to be helping, although it's been a little worse today. Maybe because I went to bed last and got up early for class. I'll have to try to go to bed earlier tonight.

Of course, I couldn't start my medicine until Wednesday, so my cough decided to give me one last night to remember it by. Tuesday night I was up half the night trying to cough up a lung. I was beat Wednesday morning, so I skipped class and came into work late. Got some great notes from a student today, which I really appreciate. Basically, this has not been a good week sleep wise. Which is unfortunate since tomorrow is Disney day. Some friends and I are meeting up with Angelique at 8 AM tomorrow. It's always a long day, but tons of fun.

In other news, we had an explosion here on campus Tuesday. No, it wasn't like that. A fire inspector came through Monday and found some chemicals in our science lab that were old. He told us to dispose of them properly. Well, early the next morning, someone else saw the report and paniced. Sent fire trucks and the bomb squad out to take care of those chemicals for us. My understanding is this was an overreaction, but they dug a safe hole and blew them up. Rattled the windows, but that was about all, except for the bad publicity this will give us with our neighbors.

Speaking of bad publicity, I forgot a story from this last weekend. A group of us that were in the same van were having lunch at McDonalds. Many had Bush/Cheney shirts and/or stickers on. I was cleaning up my table when the rest went outside and I heard this one woman comment really loudly, "What is wrong with those people? Are they all brainwashed or something?" I didn't say anything, although I felt like it. Nice tolerance there, lady.

Let's see, what else is going on.

Didn't play guitar last night since I had missed practice Sunday night. But I did put the powerpoint slides together in 20 minutes once the others finally showed up and I found out I needed to. Fortunately, I had brought my disc with that info on it with me. And I had the songbooks in my car as back up if I needed them.

Think that's about it. Have a great weekend, everyone. I know I will. You can't go wrong with Disneyland!

Thursday Threesome for October 28th

Hopefully this will work, unlike last night's post.

Anyway, this week's Thursday Threesome is brought to us by furniture makers and The Back Porch.

Onesome: Roll-- On a roll lately? What have you been up to where things just keep falling into place (maybe you're a Red Sox fan)? Yeah, what's working (even if it's just the TV)?
Getting the Frisbee golf together for the jr. highers went well. But still haven't gotten ahold of the guy to return his discs to him. Last weekend came together, and this weekend's trip to Disneyland seems to be coming together as well.

Twosome: Top-- Top of the world? What's the highest point you've ever been? No, the airliner doesn't count, I'm talking about standing somewhere . Have you made it to the roof? ...the Eiffel Tower? Mt. McKinley? How high is high for you?
I've been to the Dead Sea. O wait, the question is the highest point I've ever been. I've been in the Canadian Rockies (not the US Rockies, however). Getting to my parents, I regularly cross a 4000 foot peak. I'm really not sure where the highest place I've ever been is. Hope that's not too pathetic.

Threesome: Desk-- Hey, what type of setup do you have for your computer work? Are you working from a laptop while sitting on the couch? ...or maybe you have a high tech workstation/hutch combo with mood lighting and soothing music? No? How about the kitchen table? Where do you post and work from?
My computer at home is a desk top and it sits on a cheap computer cart with wheels we got so I could roll it around my dorm room years ago. The printer sits on my old desk next to it. Nothing fancy. Just a step up from the kitchen table.

Catching up on Memes

We'll start with the word association I missed because I was out of state Sunday.

1. Blackout:: Power Outage
2. Platinum:: Plated
3. Leather and lace:: Odd Combination
4. Court:: Reporter
5. Mind your own business:: Leave Me Alone
6. Gambling:: Vegas
7. Lily:: of the Valley
8. Evasive:: Action
9. Turn-on:: the TV
10. Suspect:: Murder

Evasive Action? Must still have Star Trek on the brain.

Now today's TV Tuesday. The topic is animal shows.

1. What's your favorite or least favorite "wildlife" show? Why?
I used to watch Wild, Wild World of Animals or whatever it was called on PBS when I was under 10. Don't remember much other then I really enjoyed it. Can't stand Crocodile Hunter. That kind of danger really raises my adreline.

2. Who's your favorite animal TV star?
Don't have one.

3. What animal (pet or wildlife) shows do you watch?
None

~Bonus~ For pet lovers, if your pets had their own TV show what would it be called? Why?
I don't have a pet, but any animal show I was on would be called "Get That Thing Away from Me" because of my allergies. I'll wait by the phone waiting for Animal Planet to call. :)

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas

Until I come home and post about it on my blog. (It's sorta like that Trixie camp rule).

Yes, that's right, I spent the weekend in Vegas. And boy are my legs tired.

See, I went with STOMP, Strategic Taskforce to Organize and Mobilize People. (Yes, Matt, I really did look it up. This is that it stands for.) Went with Matt and a bunch of other people from town. We went to campaign for President Bush, and Congressman Porter. Basically, we walked neighborhoods leaving campaign literature on front doors. So yes, it involved lots and lots and lots of walking. And did I mention that we walked?

We left Friday night after work. Right after work. Which is why my being late to dinner mattered. Of course, they had sandwiches for us, so we didn't have to rush to dinner. Anyway, we got a late start waiting for a few people to show up, so we didn't get to Vegas until after midnight. Naturally, I went right to bed (really!) and slept. Even so, it was after 1 before I was asleep.

Saturday started early. We left the hotel by 9 AM and by van went to Henderson, right next to Vegas. And we started walking. We started with each person being assigned a neighborhood. We broke for lunch and most everyone finished their neighborhood in the early afternoon. So they picked us up and gave us new neighborhoods in groups. My groups of three finished our new neighborhood as well before we were picked up and taken to dinner. It was at a sports bar with the World Series game going full force. But not that many people stayed very long. Still, Matt and I had a hard time getting a rid back to the hotel, which was kind of a necessity. We had already bought tickets for Star Trek: The Experience.

And let me tell you, if you're a ST fan and ever in Vegas, it's worth the money. They now have two attractions. The original one is Klingon Encounter, which is a simulator ride. They incorporate several actors from Next Gen in it. We're about to board a simulator when suddenly we find ourselves on the deck of the Enterprise. Which is truly amazing since they really transformed the room while we were in the dark. I couldn't believe my eyes. They take us to several sets including the bridge and a transport tube before we get in a shuttle (the actual simulator: think Star Tours at Disneyland). After that, it's a standard simulator ride getting us back to our time.

New (and Matt had never been on it), is Borg Encounter 4-D. After the set-up, this one turns out to be a 3-D ride with things happening to us (things poking you, wind blowing, etc.). We're on board a space station when the borg attack. They try to get us to shuttle and get us out of harms way, but the Borg are following us. Frankly, even though I knew they wouldn't harm us, this was very creapy. Of course, the Borg always creap me out. Anyway, once we get in the theater, our shuttle needs to get away. The Doctor and Janeyway from Voyager make appearances in this one.

In addition to the two rides, which are very well done, they have exhibits of props and a timeline. Naturally, there's a giftshop, which sells all kinds of Star Trek stuff. I didn't buy anything, but Matt did buy a book. There's also a restaurant based on one from Deep Space Nine, but it was closed for a private party that night. I was really bummed.

We had talked about walking the strip and at least looking at the outsides of some of the famous hotels. We didn't for two reasons. First, I barely made it back to our hotel. Second, we spent lots of time in the museum part of the attraction. Matt blames it on me looking at stuff, but since this is my blog, we'll post the truth. Matt was reading much of it. Which was fine in the long run. But don't tell him I said that.

The stupid part about this was that we were on our feet all night after having been walking all day. I was beat by the time we got back, but Matt and I got to talking and didn't go to sleep until Midnight.

Sunday was up early again and more walking delivering literature. This time, they sent us out in pairs. Matt and I borrowed a cel phone and tackled several neighborhoods together, which was much more fun then doing it myself the day before. Plus the fact that I could leave extra stuff in his backpack. (What's the point of having friends if you can't take advantage of them?) I was stiff in the morning, but once I started walking, I stopped hurting. We finished up about 2 and headed back to the hotel. There was a delay with the bus, so I was able to ride the rollercoaster in our hotel before we left. Called Speed, it was short but memorable. And expensive. Still, money well spent.

All told, we got back very late last night. But I didn't let that stop me from finishing my book. Hey, I only had 30 pages to go. And I really did enjoy A Penny for Your Thoughts. The others in the series will be on my Christmas list for sure.

Frankly, I often thought about backing out. I kept hearing stories about the robberies and vandalism going on at Republican headquarters all over the country and wondered if we'd be safe. Personally, everyone I did talk to (people out in their yard) were friendly. Some people did have problems with angry Democrats yelling at them and following them around removing their literature. Fortunately, I didn't have any of that happen to me because I don't know what I would have done. Nevada has had early voting for a week already, and I was surprised at the number of people who told me they'd already voted. I guess about half of their voting takes place before the election. Personally, I dont' feel right unless I'm voting on election day, so I'll wait another week and a day, thank you very much. :) Anyway, I'm glad I didn't back out because it was a fun and tiring trip and I feel we did some good. Heck, we ran out of literature to pass out both days from at least one of our three pieces. And they were surprised at how much more we were able to do then they had planned for us to do. Apparently, this stuff really does make a difference. There were Democrats out doing the same on Sunday, lots of us saw them. So we'll just have to see which grassroots campaign is more effective.

I'm paying for the weekend today, however. When I sit too long, I find myself walking around like an old man. And my cough, which was getting so much better, is so bad it literally hurts. More sleep seems like a good idea. I think I'll go to bed early tonight.

I was glad I got up for class this morning, however. We got our midterms from last week back! And I got a 92. I think he misgraded one of my answers, but I'll let it go. It's only a point and I'm in A- territory. I'm very happy about the result.

Little News

Really don't have that much to report tonight. Wednesday night went off as planned. I feel even more strongly this time around then I did before. Murder with Peacocks is a funny book but a very poor mystery. Donna Andrews seemed to better balance the humor with a good mystery plot in her later books in the series.

I blew it for the first song at worship last night. The others went fine. I don't know what it is that makes it so I can't play with Jared on some songs, but I wish it would quit. I don't know about him, but it frustrates me. Especially since we'd done just fine a few minutes before we started.

This is alumni weekend here at the college. Had a chance to catch up with Brian, a good friend from the first time I was a student here. Heck, my junior year, we were inseperable. Then he went to IBEX and we didn't hang out as much when he got back. Anyway, it was nice to catch up with him for a few minutes. And I found out he reads my blog. So I guess I'd better watch what I say about him. :) Hi Brian!

Speaking of which, looks like Matt's nephew may be stopping by tonight, too, so I guess I'd better say hi to him as well. Hi Chris!

And on that note, I'd better take off for dinner. Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday Threesome for October 21st

Welcome to this week's Thursday Threesome, brought to us this week by directors and The Back Porch.

Onesome: Lights!- What do you think of the trend to light up houses for *every* holiday? It used to be just Christmas and maybe Halloween, but lately the stores have been full of Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day lights. Oh, and Thanksgiving/Autumn and...
I've only seen Christmas and Halloween lights around here. Personally, I think it should stick to Christmas. And I can't wait to get my Christmas lights up this year. After all, I finally bought some after years of talking about it.

Twosome: Camera!- What's your preference? Digital or film, black and white or color, portraits, candids, or just whatever catches your eye?
35mm film color prints. I'd finally have a way to print out digital myself, but prefer to get them on film and then get a photo CD in addition. Of course, if I had digital, I'd already have my pictures that I took from my brother's wedding instead of them being in my camera.

Threesome: Action!- Do you have a favorite sport? Do you follow the local high school or college team, trek to the kids' games each weekend or are you all about the pros?
I don't have a sport I like to watch, and I don't have kids, so I don't have to go to any. But if we're talking about playing, I love ultimate Frisbee, in spite of the fact that I've hardly played it recently.

How to Stand Out in a Crowd

Ok, so it was a small group.

Monday night I went to that book club meeting that Joanne Fluke was at to promote/sign Sugar Cookie Murder. When she was discussing what was coming next, she started by saying that she's finished Peach Cobbler Murder, which is coming in March, and that she's working on the next book, Cherry Cheesecake Murder. At that point, I let out an enthusiastic "YES!!!!" and raised my hand in the air. I've been campaigning for that title for two and a half years. I'm very excited. No word on if she'll actually have poison be the murder weapon, which I've also been campaigning for, but I rather doubt she will. This is enough of a victory for me since it's the only one I ever expected to win.

Amazing what I can get excited about, isn't it? And, yes, I did overreact. It just kinda happened and I realized what I'd done two seconds later. :)

Other then that, I've been studying for my mid-term this morning. It went surprising well. I think I did fine. Would have done better if it was multiple choice instead of short answer. But I feel very confident with what I did answer. Should have at least a B easily if not an A.

And has it been raining the last couple of days. Mostly a light rain off and on, but it really decided to come down last night. Led to flooding here in the canyon like it always does. But a trailer park entrance got blocked by water and debre last night. No one hurt, in danger, no damage, so that's a good thing. And one of the birch trees on campus blew down in some wind last night. The sun's been trying to come back today, so I think this storm is over. Frankly, it's been nice. I could use a lot more rain this winter.

Matt has too much homework to do tonight, so it looks like the Matts won't be coming over. So plans are to watch 7th Heaven, Lost, and finish Murder with Peacocks. Sounds like a great evening to me.

Meme Time

So, guess it's time to catch up on Meme's again. Starting with Sunday's word association.

1. Dimension:: Another
2. Roger:: That
3. CSI:: Great Shows
4. Passenger:: Plane
5. Thankful:: Thanksgiving
6. Has-been:: Hasn't done anything in a long time
7. Bambino:: Should know what this is
8. Wrinkles:: Face
9. Cable TV:: Great!!!!
10. Voicemail:: Phone Tag

And now, today's TV Tuesday. I think it's going to be easy for me this week. :)

1. Do you watch home shows regularly? If so, which ones?
No, although I did watch This Old House and another couple on PBS for a while when I was in high school. My parents really liked them.

2. Have you ever followed a tip that you learned from a home show or TV?
No, although my parents used info from some of those shows to cut back a wall in their house.

3. What is the best (worst,stupidest,coolest...) thing you've ever seen on a home show?
Been so long, I don't really remember.

~Bonus~ If your home had it's own show what would it be called? Why?
Too Much Stuff in Such a Small Space. I think it's rather self-explanatory. :)

It's Raining Today!

And rain is wonderful. In the proper season of fall and winter of course. :)

Actually, it started Saturday night. I'd opened my window to let some cool air in and a few minutes later couldn't figure out what that strange noise coming from outside was. Turns out, it was rain. It's been raining on and off, mostly off, ever since. Not too hard, but enough to count as rain, that's for sure.

Saturday, we had a video scavenger hunt with the youth. Thought we might cancel because very few people seemed to think they were coming Thursday night, but 15 kids showed up, so we went for it. Broke up into three teams of 5. Even brought my team to my condo for a couple of the items. (Everyone in a bathtube and Trick or Treating.) Basically, the idea is to get everyone to do random things on tape. Like a female trying on a formal. Or someone proposing to a stranger. I had fun. Hope the kids did, too. They seemed to.

Earlier in the day, I headed down to Mysteries to Die For to a signing with Diana Killian. Bought both High Rhymes and Verse of the Vampyre for my aunt for Christmas. It was nice to meet her after two books.

Of course, this met I got no studying done Saturday.

Yesterday, I came to the caf for lunch since a friend was supposed to be in town. She didn't wind up making it, but I had a nice lunch with the Matts and Casey. Got home in time to talk to my family, then I headed over to church. And we had a SNYF last night. So I got no studying done yesterday, either.

Did study at lunch time today.

Won't get too much done tonight since tonight's the night that Joanne Fluke will be at my local library signing her new book. And I'd told her I'm going so she'd bring my new poster.

Good thing my grade doesn't really matter, right?

Friday, I got my latest ebay purchase. Both of Evie's Christmas records. She was an early Christian artist that my parents and I love. Her Christmas albums are must listen tos every year. They're long out of print, so I got a copy on CD with them. They sound incredible! Better then I had hoped for. And I didn't even scratch one of them up when my CD player in the car tried to eat it and not spit it out again. I wonder if it's going to go bad soon. Maybe I should stick to easily replaced CD's for a while to make sure. If I loose a CD, I'd prefer it be one I can get a new copy of easily.

But I should head to dinner so that I can get to the signing on time. With getting off work late like this, it's hard to get back on that side of town by 6:30.