Wednesday, November 24, 2004

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.

Monday, November 22, 2004

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.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

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

Friday, November 19, 2004

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, November 18, 2004

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!

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

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.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

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.

Monday, November 15, 2004

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.

Sunday, November 14, 2004

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

Friday, November 12, 2004

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, November 11, 2004

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.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

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.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

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.

Monday, November 08, 2004

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.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

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

Friday, November 05, 2004

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, November 04, 2004

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.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

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.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

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.


Monday, November 01, 2004

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.