Monday, March 20, 2006

Pictures

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When Lissa, Heidi and I made our There and Back in One Day trip to LA to see Boheme a couple of years ago, we went to the LA Public Library. They had a Doisneau exhibit at the time.
I laughed so hard at this picture, I had tears in my eyes.

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This guy passed me on the street and insisted that I pose with him.
*cough*

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Do I need to say anything about this one?

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What a life.

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Four peas in a pod.

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ZoZo and the Nameless Snowman

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Me and the Honorary Great Old Chestnut of Thornfield.

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I usually bawling at this point.

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Good times.

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My Grandpa crush.

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I would my horse had the speed of your tongue.

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She was brilliant.
She made a bad guy the hero.

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I still like pink.

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My Fairy Godmother

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I love all that patriotic shmooey.
I want Fourth of July.

I love pictures.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

eeeeee.....

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

Joshua Bell is going to be in Napa on July 16.

Allow me to repeat that.

JOSHUA BELL IS GOING TO BE IN NAPA ON JULY 16.

*chokes*

Long story.
Find it here...
http://www.copia.org/content/node/264

Bless you, Robert Mondavi and your dumb Copia.
But, I have the feeling that the little people won't even have a chance to get tickets to this thing.
*sigh*

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Wow.
I sound like a hyper chipmunk.
Do I sound like that all the time??????


this is an audio post - click to play

Saturday, March 11, 2006

I knew I liked him

The smallest feline is a masterpiece.

Leonardo Da Vinci

A million dollars

So, if you had $1 million dollars and you could only do one thing with that million, what would you do?

I would either buy a house or travel around the world.
And I'm leaning towards the travel right now...

Thursday, March 09, 2006

This is hilarious.

Finger Break Dancing

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Bah.
I've been getting sick for some days now and I think it's finally hit me.
Bah.
Don't want to be sick.
Don't want to have a chaffed nose.
Bah.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Rambling

I decided I should post something since it's been over a week and I changed the background.

So.
Uhm.
It's been raining here.
Cloudy and sunny during the day and then rain at night.
Yep.

I tried the Twinings tea bags again.
Yuck.
No more.

Bravo to anyone who learns English as a second language.
English is crazy.

The boys were lovely.
Right, Sal????
;)

My friend wearing a turban is learning new songs on the guitar and working on his tan.
Yeah.
Those are your tax dollars in action, folks.

I dreamed about a bunch of weird things last night.
Had one about JB that was at church.
At least I'm consistant.

The choir is singing at BAPC, which should be nifty.
Cause you know we're the bestest choir ever.
:)

I know I have faults.
In general, I like me.
I try to work on those faults.
Sometimes I wish I were smaller or had curly hair or all those normal things that we wish for.
But I'm happy with me.
I imagine what I would think of me if I were someone else.
That's hard to do.
Have you tried to imagine if you would like you if were someone else?
Try it.

Well, I'm hungry.
Time for chow.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

JP put up a version of The Moon that is a bit different from the one on the cd.
It's got a trumpet.
The record company decided to nix the trumpet on the final cut.

I think I know why they did.
It doesn't sound bad.
In fact, it changes the whole mood of the song.
They nixed it because it was the red tulip in the bed of yellows tulips.
Nice, but just doesn't belong.
You're not sure why it's there.
So, I agree with the nixing.
It was the right thing.

Hang it all, that guy is brilliant.
He's killing me with three new songs.
Get the cd out already!!!!
Yeesh!
I think one of the newies might be another Moon.
I've never been one to listen to a song just because of the lyric.
Voices are why I listen.
Anyways, yeah, might be another Moon.
Which isn't necessarily a good thing, because I still haven't figured out why I'm fascinated with Moon.
Very odd.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

My "friend wearing a turban" (as he says) sent this.

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Did you know that there are males under the age of 60 who read Shakespeare?
I guess there's hope for the world.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Circles

The curving of the stream
The Moonlit path
The furtive tears
Dashed away
By the mistral
Hailing winter’s rain

The escape, to flee
What binds the heart
Finding stillness
In the chase

To know not
And know all
To fall and rise
Hand in hand

Reaching
Holding
Releasing
Coming around again

The water and the moonlight
The stream racing to the ocean
Running to the edge
Finding its whole

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Church

I would just like to say that I like my church.
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It's a nice place to be.
Not perfect, but then what place is?
Stop by and see us sometime.

Honey, I need to be shrunk!

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I need a way to shrink myself to nine year-old size so that a tall man with an accent in a suit will pull me onstage and serenade me.
Any suggestions?

Snow

Ooooohhhh....pretty....

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There's over two feet of snow in Central Park.

I love California.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Heroe

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Como un libro
Que no sabes el final
Y te asusta lo que lees
Así la vida es
Cuando naces
Ya te expones al dolor
Y de a poco y con valor
Logras crecer

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Y como libro el corazón
Nos enseña que hay temor
Que Hay fracasos y maldad
Que hay batallas que ganar
Y en cada página el amor
Nos convierte en luchador
Y descubres lo común
No hay un héroe como tú

Son muy pocos
Que se arriesgan por amor
Pero tú tienes la fe
Y eso lo es todo
No decaigas
Que vivir es aprender
Y no hay nada que temer
Si crees en ti

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Solo Dios
Sabe donde y cuando
La vida nos dirá
Los has echo bien
Sólo, con un sueño sólo
Sabrás como vencer

Y como libro el corazón
Nos enseña que hay temor
Que Hay fracasos y maldad
Que hay batallas que ganar
Y en cada página el amor
Nos convierte en luchador
Y descubres lo común
No hay un héroe como tú
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The Queen and I had a great time on Saturday night.
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The place was packed and the playlist was lovely.
Bach, Vivaldi, Handel...
*Kathey slips into Baroque trance*
Spiffy keen, as Bethany would say.
I tell ya, I love my Baroque guys.
They make me happy.
The other thing that made me happy was the absolutely magnificent dessert I had at Max's Opera Cafe.
Oh people.
Just its name is great - Max's Fantasy Torte.
Gah.
I still have some in the refrigerator.
That, my friends, is what dessert should be.
Alright, this is priceless.
I practically shrieked the first time I heard it.

(David)
I'm the middle child of the group, the American trying to make peace with everyone.....by going in and starting fights.

Is that not hilarious??
I love being American.
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Not that I had much choice in the matter, but still...
What a bunch of wackos we are.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Someday I'll find you...

Well, major cheers for David who sang Celine's part.
All I can say is...Who needs 'er!!
;)
Oh, and bless all pirates and bootleggers.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Dishes

I had a lovely dream a few days ago.
A tall dark and handsome singing feriner helped me wash the dishes.
To quote him, "I love to rinse!!"
He was even nice enough to brush my hair and pull it back so it wouldn't get in the way.
*sigh*
My dreams about attractive men involve household chores.
I sometimes think I must be a boring person.
The two hottest chicks in Napa!

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Sunday, January 29, 2006

Keys

Music is the key to the female heart.
Johann G. Seume

Thoughts?
Comments?
Yes?
No?
Maybe so????

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Chocolate

So, since I have been a very good girl, I decided to open the Cadbury stocking.

Woooohoooooo.

Oh people.
It's lovely.
I opened the caramel one and broke off two pieces - one for me and one for mother.
That beautiful smooth sheen, the clean break....ah, lovely.
Then I just sat there and sniffed mine for a while.
Bliss.
I shared this with someone who shall remain nameless and their reply was "You're a sick girl, Gooch."
I said "Well, there's my life in a nutshell."
:)

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Goals

Right!
Update on my New Year goals...

The soda thing has been a breeze.
Really.
I basically only drink water and the occassional cuppa.
Also, I've only had fast food a few times.
And I still haven't even opened the Cadbury combo that Brandon got me.
I'm doing very well.
*pats self on back*

I tried to get some dolmas from Oakville Grocery, but they didn't have any.
Sheesh.
What is the world coming to.

I have Friday and Saturday off so I'm going to Landmark Friday night.
Always amusing.

Today I introduced myself to Sis.Price.
I saw them at Walmart.
She seems very nice, maybe a tad shy.
Bro.Price told her (about me) "She's #1. You can't find fault with her."
Later on, I thought Well, I know that isn't true, but that's cool that he thinks it...
:) :) :)

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Moaning

Bah.
Garrison is going to be in Yountville, but it's on a Wednesday night.
The Dudes are going to be at Davies, but it's on a Sunday night.
Gretchen is in NY, so I can't get together with her on my days off this week.
Having major issues with my UK trip, since someone has changed the dates on me again and it's going to cost more than I had planned.
I hate everyone.
Stinky day.
Later on I'm going to have some tea and one of the marvelously butter-laden pastries that I got from Sweetie Pies.

In other news, I'm wearing mother's gigantic ring that she got in Mexico.
Good grief.
It's like having a rock strapped to your finger.

It's cold.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Colors!!!

Alright, people.
You know how much I like my colored Sharpies that Bethy got me.
I got a 12 pack of Expo Dry Erase Markers for Sunday School.

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Can't wait to try them out.
:)

Woohooooo!!!

Got this today -
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*jigs around to Oh Happy Day*

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

-George Eliot

Hah!

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated.
At work and school, you do best when you're organizing.
When you love someone, you tend to worry about them.

In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic.
Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management.
You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Romy and Julie

I am currently listening to
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I'm working on my list of goals for this year.
Gotta learn Je Veux Vivre.
:)

Time flies

I was going through the archives and reading posts about that tortuous Physics Lab...

Bethy, do you remember the little hammer I made out of the clay? And the handcuffs?

Anyways, I've realized that this blog used to be amusing.
Now it just seems witless, boring and depressing.
Sorry, folks.

I Read

I do not read to think. I do not read to learn.
I do not read to search for truth
I know the truth, the truth is hardly what I need.
I read to dream. I read to live. In other people's lives.
I read about the joys, the world
Dispenses to the fortunate,
And listen for the echoes.
I read to live,
To get away from life!
No, captain, I have no illusions.
I recognize the limits of my dreams.
I know how painful dreams can be
Unless you know they're merely dreams.
There is a flower which offers nectar at the top,
Delicious nectar at the top and bitter poison underneath.
The butterfly that stays too long and drinks too deep
Is doomed to die. I read to fly, to skim -
I do not read to swim.
I do not dwell on dreams.
I know how soon a dream becomes an expectation
How can I have expectations?
Look at me.
No, captain, look at me -
Look at me!
I do not hope for what I cannot have!
I do not cling to things I cannot keep!
The more you cling to things, the more you love them,
The more the pain you suffer when they're taken from you ...
Ah, but if you have no expectations,
You can never have a disappointment.

--Stephen Sondheim

Wilde about Chopin

After playing Chopin, I feel as if I had been weeping over sins that I had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own. Music always seems to me to produce that effect. It creates for one a past of which one has been ignorant, and fills one with a sense of sorrows that have been hidden from one's tears. I can fancy a man who had led a perfectly commonplace life, hearing by chance some curious piece of music, and suddenly discovering that his soul, without his being conscious of it, had passed through terrible experiences, and known fearful joys, or wild romantic loves, or great renunciations.

--Oscar Wilde

Gifts

Brandon got this for me for Christmas.
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It's the real kind that's imported. He was listening.

A lady came into work today and I brought out the patriotic cards from the back room for her to look at.
She was looking for a Get Well card for a soldier who is in ICU.
He was with her son.
Her son was killed.

I don't want to eat the chocolate.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

O Canadaaaaa!!!

This didn't work too well, but if anyone is wondering, it's my new ringtone - Buble singing America the Beautiful...with a twist at the end. ;)

this is an audio post - click to play

The first one!

I think I'm creating a monster. :)

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Friday, January 06, 2006

Frogs and Princes

Him: I should go before I turn into a pumpkin.
Her: Better a pumpkin than a frog.
Him: If I were a frog, you could kiss me and I would turn into a prince.
Her: You're already a prince.
Him: Well then you could kiss me and I would turn into a frog.
Her: *laughing* I think we just better leave things the way they are.

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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Hope

Hope Was but a timid friend;
She sat without the grated den,
Watching how my fate would tend,
Even as selfish-hearted men.

She was cruel in her fear;
Through the bars one dreary day,
I looked out to see her there,
And she turned her face away!

Like a false guard, false watch keeping,
Still, in strife, she whispered peace;
She would sing while I was weeping;
If I listened, she would cease.

False she was, and unrelenting;
When my last joys strewed the ground,
Even Sorrow saw, repenting,
Those sad relics scattered round;

Hope, whose whisper would have given
Balm to all my frenzied pain,
Stretched her wings, and soared to heaven,
Went, and ne'er returned again!

-Emily Bronte

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I can't stand it when normally irresponsible people suddenly become the Responsible Mafia of the World. It doesn't last, however. They'll go back to their usual MO soon.
Makes me want to hurl.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

A cuppa lesson

Alright.
I am about to elaborate on Earl Grey.
You've been warned.

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I love Earl Grey.
It isn't actually a type of tea, like green tea, etc.
It's just black tea with bergamot. It's the citrus angle that I like. It's like those neon gummi worms - sweet and sour.

And tea bags.
Tea bags are not evil by definition.
The bigger the leaf, the better the tea.
The problem is that tea bags usually contain the leftovers, the dust, or the "fannings" if you want to get really technical.
By the time the leaves are broken down, all the good stuff is gone from them.
It would be like taking a rose and squeezing all the oils/scent out of it and then handing it to someone. It isn't very impressive. :)
So when you see someone (maybe me *cough*) turn up their nose at tea bags, just think of that squished and scentless rose.
Capice?

Happy New Year!

One of the good ones from the photo shoot with Percy... ;)

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Percy wishes you a Happy New Year with lots of kitty treats and catnip.
:)

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Happy New Year

Well, we had a swinging time around here last night....two hours of talking vegetables, pizza, bubbley stuff, Gin (the card game, not the drink) *cough*.
I have never seen Derek so low-key, poor fellow. I said "Did they tranquilize you??"
:)

Bummed that people couldn't come because of weather and previous engagements.
*sigh*

More rain coming today.
Yay.
I can't stand the excitement.

It's so weird not being at church on Sunday. Just feels wrong. I might need to get out some crayons and gluesticks to make myself feel better.

I don't do that whole New Year Resolution thing, but I do have some goals.
Some of these aren't necessarily things that I have never done and some of them are rather silly. :)
I want to:
-Go to Scotland
-Spend the night in a castle
-Eat at least one dolma a month
-Drink less soda
-Attend a recital in which Bach is played ----already have the ticket:)----
-Try a bunch of different shampoos
-Learn Je Veux Vivre
-Learn to knit
-Buy more Chopin and classic Jazz
-Fill up my iPod
-Memorize some Psalms

I might add more to this list in the coming days.
:)

Have a great year, everyone.
Don't take any wooden nickels.
:)
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Water, water everywhere

I swiped this AP photo from CNN.
This is looking east on Lincoln, Walmart is on the right -

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Amazing.
Anyone need a towel?

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

My Christmas was lovely.
How was yours?

Reina is leaving tomorrow and she'll be gone for a week.
Brandon is leaving on Monday and he'll be gone for months.

*insert sad-faced Kathey*

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Happy Sunday!

Rain, rain, rain.
Better than snow, snow, snow, I suppose.

Anywhoo.
The Youth Christmas party was Friday night.
I went and helped Reina who had volunteered to help Bethany.
We ended up washing dishes and all that jazz and I roped Brandon into assisting us.
To go from launching grenades in *reverent hushed voice* The Field *end reverent hushed voice* to washing dishes... What a shock for the poor boy.
*mwahahaaaa*
He showed me a bunch of pictures of *reverent hushed voice* The Field *end reverent hushed voice* and people I don't know in Idaho.
I gave him the Army ornament this morning and the card almost made him cry.
*tear*

Work is crazy, but I've probably said that already.
People.
They're dumb.
There are some nice ones here and there, but still...

I'm trying to decide if I want to have a Christmas party.
I'm thinking Tuesday or Thursday night. Gotta find out schedules.

The parents are home.
Mother got out of the car and her diamonds almost blinded me.
I picked up her hand and looked at the solitaire and said "Uh, is that bigger than it was before??"
The answer is yes. It's big. Not like gaudy big, just big enough that you notice it's big. Like a carat and a quarter big. But it's beeeuuutiful. And big. She said something this morning about it poking a hole in her gloves. Did I mention that it's big?

I've got to take a picture for the Christmas card so I can send those out.
Don't worry, they're coming.

Time for dinner!
See yaaaaa!!

Thursday, December 15, 2005

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I got a Vermeer calendar.
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It's totally rad, dude.
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And there's no other junk on the actual picture, so I can frame them.
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Woohoo.
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I love Vermeer.
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He was a genius.
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Statistics final went fine.
Work is crazy.
I'm poop-ed.

Merry Christmas.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

My Grandma

Yesterday, Grandma Gooch said to me "I can't wait until you get married and have a baby."
I said "I can!!!"
She said she wonders what it will be like.
She tells me that she's proud of me.
I hope she lives long enough to see my husband and kid(s).

Friday, December 09, 2005

Tea and Sympathy

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For all you poor people who are buried in snow and getting slammed with these storms, I am so sorry.

*hugs the state of California*

Monday, December 05, 2005

D - “There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil--a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”

E - “And your defect is a propensity to hate everyone.”

D - “And yours,” he replied, with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them.”

Jane Austen

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Becca told me today that I should go into literary criticism.
I think I'm going to be content as a professional amatuer in the field.
:)

Saturday, December 03, 2005

To Bach or not to Bach

After not giving a specific answer to that question on the survey about goals for the coming year, I thought of one.
I want to go to a performance of the Concerto in D minor for two violins by Bach.
This particular piece is on an ancient video we have of Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Zubin Mehta at Lincoln Center. It's one of my first memories of classical music.

Now, after I thought of this, I realized that choosing one piece of music from all those millions that are out there and hoping that it will be performed soon in my area is a bit of wishful thinking.
BUT!!!!
Guess what the San Francisco Symphony is doing on February 4????
You guessed it!!!
However, Joshua Bell is doing a recital at Davies the Saturday after that.
Ach!
Such decisions!!!!
What ever shall I do????
The Bach concerto or Josh???????
If I choose Josh, I decided I can't do the terrace seating. I gotta see the guy, even if it's from the nosebleeds.
The problem is then that I don't know what he's going to be playing. I think it might be Tchaikovsky, which isn't exactly a favorite, but JB can make pretty much anything enjoyable.

I was in the car the other day and I turned on KDFC and I knew right away that the piece playing was Vivaldi. It just couldn't have been anyone else.
I love my Vivaldi.
I feel like I grow about two inches when I hear his music.

The parents think that the Messiah we just went to was better than the one two years ago.
I think not.
The bass was blah this year. We saw Nathan Gunn in 03. Helloooooooo. Need I say more?
But the conductor was better this year. He could probably sing the entire score in his sleep. He was the most animated that I've ever seen. We got to the "and his name shall be called" bit and he sort of looked like I felt.

Davies is a great place to people watch. There is everything from twentysomethings in their jeans to old ladies with two inches of face powder who reek of alcohol, the latter of which are infinitely more entertaining.
Sheesh, it's cold!
In the 30's last night!
That's cold for us!
All you people who are three feet deep in snow can just stop rolling your eyes right now!
Dry cold and wet cold are two different things!
So there!

Anyways.
Been sick.
Yucky.
Been tired.
Work.
Busy.
But out of the blue, I was told that I got a raise at work.
Very timely, since my nice parents are still paying my health insurance and it went up again, so the raise will probably go towards helping that bill.
We make more money to pay for more things to make more money to pay for more things.
Endless cycles.

Found out that Grandma Gooch has more tumors. They can't operate because the tumors are too close to her heart. Don't know if they are b/m or what yet.
Steven Ray is probably going to come out this week.
Guess that means I need to spiffy up "our" room.
I love my uncle. He's a peach.

The parents are leaving Friday night for their cruise.
This means a week alone with the sister.
Yay for me.
Dad tells me to think of easy meals while they are gone.
I said Uh, we can cook ya know...
He cracks me up.
When I was sick and woke up in the middle of the night with the fever and was having bad dreams, he found me crying in the bathroom. He asks what's wrong. I say I think I have a fever - need medicine. What does he do? He goes and gets Mother. I bet Adam went and got Eve the first time one of their kids had an owie.
It's very interesting to note that in general, mothers are the ones who fix bodies and fathers are the ones who fix things. Dads are the ones who hear about the clogged toilet. Mothers are the ones who hear about your skinned knees.

I am sooooo ready for this blasted Statistics class to be over.
Only one more week of regular classes. Yippee.

You know those Christmas cards that are a picture and just have some type on it that says Merry Christmas (or what you will) Love, So and So?
I hate those.
So insultingly impersonal. No signature, no nothing.
I have nothing against the picture thing. My cards this year are a photo holder.
But those mass produced ones where all you do is throw them in the envelope...
Don't like them.
They disturb me.
If I ever get lazy and want to do one of those, I'm going to remind myself of this post.

I've been thinking about something.
Jane Austen did not write real people. She wrote caricatures.
The Brontes wrote real and dreamlike people.
Elizabeth Gaskell wrote real people.
If we randomly selected a Joe Shmoe off the street, I think it's safe to say that he would know the caricatures, not the real and dreamlike ones.
Why is that?

Becca went to a conference put on the JAS across the pond and one of the speakers theorized that period re-enactments (when done by anyone other than the JAS) are morally wrong. He said it's the equivalent of painting yourself black and pretending to be a slave.
That guy has way too much time on his hands.
He needs more cookies.