BOY!
We're so excited. Of course, now I'll have to either explain to Clint why we're not naming him Clint, or lie and say that we are!
Just got Barbara's vote for John (also a no, there are entirely too many Johns in my family already), and a vote for Ezekial from a guy at work, and a vote for Gabriel from Gabrielle. My brother is currently trying to teach my niece Zoe to call him Little Fellow.
But you'll never find out until he's here! It's a secret.
See you all later, we're off to Pismo Beach!
10.21.2004
10.11.2004
The Happiest Place on Earth
Today someone at work said something about the Tiki Room. And it reminded me. I've been to Disneyland hundreds of times and so I have a lot of good memories of the place (and some bad: grad night was a total nightmare). But today I was reminded of probably the most fun time I ever had at The Land.
I was eighteen and in the middle of my first year of college when my friend Tim and I decided to spend a day at Disneyland. It was the middle of the week, so it was pretty deserted there anyway, and the overcast January skies weren't attracting any crowds, either. This was in the days before California Adventure so we could still park close to the gates and walk in instead of waiting for a tram for 15 minutes. Once inside, we began making all the rounds to the best rides, waiting 5 minutes at the most. Somewhere in the middle of the morning it began to rain, and then it began to rain pretty hard, but we didn't care. We found a forgotten umbrella on Space Tours and used it for a while, then ditched it when we realized we were getting just as wet as we would be without it. At Space Mountain we discovered that the flooring in line was slippery when wet. The lines were totally clear, and with a good running start we could slide all the way down the ramps. Line surfing!
We took refuge in the afternoon inside the Tiki Room. I hadn't been in since I was about four. We were two of only about six people in there, and I couldn't understand half of what the animatronic birds were saying. At about four o'clock Tomorrow Land closed due to flooding and the whole park was under about a foot of water. Then at six they finally gave up and closed the park altogether. Tim and I had long since given up any pretense of trying to be dry and were happily jumping into the deepest pools of water. We slogged arm in arm down Main Street toward the exit in water up to our knees, waving at all the people who were riding out on the trolley. They were laughing at us and snapping pictures, and I'm sure they now all tell their friends about the "crazy Americans" they saw acting like lunatics in the rain!
Back at the car Tim dug out an Army blanket for us to wrap up in, and we stopped at a Taco Bell on the way home for food. They treated us like we were refugees! The workers turned up the heat for us and were very concerned for our health. We couldn't stop laughing.
Happiest place on Earth? Maybe that day it was.
I was eighteen and in the middle of my first year of college when my friend Tim and I decided to spend a day at Disneyland. It was the middle of the week, so it was pretty deserted there anyway, and the overcast January skies weren't attracting any crowds, either. This was in the days before California Adventure so we could still park close to the gates and walk in instead of waiting for a tram for 15 minutes. Once inside, we began making all the rounds to the best rides, waiting 5 minutes at the most. Somewhere in the middle of the morning it began to rain, and then it began to rain pretty hard, but we didn't care. We found a forgotten umbrella on Space Tours and used it for a while, then ditched it when we realized we were getting just as wet as we would be without it. At Space Mountain we discovered that the flooring in line was slippery when wet. The lines were totally clear, and with a good running start we could slide all the way down the ramps. Line surfing!
We took refuge in the afternoon inside the Tiki Room. I hadn't been in since I was about four. We were two of only about six people in there, and I couldn't understand half of what the animatronic birds were saying. At about four o'clock Tomorrow Land closed due to flooding and the whole park was under about a foot of water. Then at six they finally gave up and closed the park altogether. Tim and I had long since given up any pretense of trying to be dry and were happily jumping into the deepest pools of water. We slogged arm in arm down Main Street toward the exit in water up to our knees, waving at all the people who were riding out on the trolley. They were laughing at us and snapping pictures, and I'm sure they now all tell their friends about the "crazy Americans" they saw acting like lunatics in the rain!
Back at the car Tim dug out an Army blanket for us to wrap up in, and we stopped at a Taco Bell on the way home for food. They treated us like we were refugees! The workers turned up the heat for us and were very concerned for our health. We couldn't stop laughing.
Happiest place on Earth? Maybe that day it was.
10.10.2004
Yes, I'm still alive
Poor readers, did you think I had left you? Are you even still here? I apologize for the unforgivably long absence! Please forgive me. Again. I have a really really good reason this time, I promise! It's because.....I have seen the future.....and it wears tiny hats and diapers. But not yet. Right now it just makes me sick and moody. Yes, there is a baby on the way! It's due March 13th, and I've just begun to feel better after months of nausea and exhaustion. Needless to say, we're so excited! We get to find out if it's a boy or a girl on the 19th of this month, and I can't wait to stop referring to it as "it." How rude! I'll keep you all posted on the details (because I'm sure you want to know). So far it's been an interesting experience, and I don't regret a thing and I'm so happy. But I will admit that a glass of merlot would be really nice....
So anyway...haven't done a whole lot since China, for reasons listed above. Mostly I've been lying around enduring the heat. I'm so glad it's finally cooled down! We're getting ready for our annual camping trip to Pismo Beach in about a week and a half. It will be nice to get away for a few days.
Went to my 10 year class reunion last night. What a trip. There were only about four people that I wanted to see, and I got to see three of them. The fourth, Elisa, is forever lost to me, I suppose. I can't find her anywhere. But I got to see the other three, and two of them were an absolute delight. The third was one of those disappointing experiences where you find that one of your best friends has become a stranger to you because of too much elapsed time and too few common experiences. Sad, but I know it happens. It was interesting to see what had become of my classmates. Some things were expected, some a total surprise. A couple of the guys had returned recently from Iraq, some people are in full time ministry, some are in medicine, some have done well in their own businesses. Everyone seemed so happy and successful!
But of course, that's the only kind of person you see at a reunion, right?
So anyway...haven't done a whole lot since China, for reasons listed above. Mostly I've been lying around enduring the heat. I'm so glad it's finally cooled down! We're getting ready for our annual camping trip to Pismo Beach in about a week and a half. It will be nice to get away for a few days.
Went to my 10 year class reunion last night. What a trip. There were only about four people that I wanted to see, and I got to see three of them. The fourth, Elisa, is forever lost to me, I suppose. I can't find her anywhere. But I got to see the other three, and two of them were an absolute delight. The third was one of those disappointing experiences where you find that one of your best friends has become a stranger to you because of too much elapsed time and too few common experiences. Sad, but I know it happens. It was interesting to see what had become of my classmates. Some things were expected, some a total surprise. A couple of the guys had returned recently from Iraq, some people are in full time ministry, some are in medicine, some have done well in their own businesses. Everyone seemed so happy and successful!
But of course, that's the only kind of person you see at a reunion, right?
6.20.2004
Home again
It feels strange. I feel like so much has happened in the last two and a half weeks and I'm a different person, and yet, I came home and nothing here has changed. It's all the same. Weird.
China and Thailand were great, as expected. The area where Tom and Sue live in China is very different from what it was when I was there three years ago. They live in a new apartment complex now, and it looks less like the China I'd known and expected and more like the Irvine and Newport I see all the time. Their apartment is WAY nicer than ours, and they pay about a quarter of what we pay. Location is everything, I guess.
Thailand was just as gorgeous as I remembered, so green and humid and beautiful. And the island we stayed on! I'd never been there before, and it looks like something Hollywood invented. It's insane! Water so clear you easily see the bottom 20 feet below, islands jutting straight out of the water with no beach at all, just sheer cliffs, beaches with sand white enough to blind you at first sight. And enough cheap, tacky souvenirs to fill a suitcase. We had a contest going to see who could buy the worst souvenir, and out of all the junk in Thailand Nathan and I acutally picked up the same thing! When we revealed our purchases on the last day, we all about died laughing.
Seeing Tom and Sue and Thomas was definitely the highlight. Thomas was with us the whole time, and I loved hanging out with him and seeing the person he's become. He's so thoughtful and intelligent and fun. It hardly seems possible that he's graduated from highschool! And what's even more impossible is that as we left the airport in Kunming there was a girl crying and breaking her heart over him. Is he really that old? I can't believe it...
We got home late last night. Without our luggage. It's in San Francisco. Seeing the sights, I assume. Babs, would you mind picking it up for us? Just kidding. We'll hopefully see it tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I'm off to bed. Don't know how I'll sleep, I'm totally jet lagged. But I guess I'd better try. Until next time!
China and Thailand were great, as expected. The area where Tom and Sue live in China is very different from what it was when I was there three years ago. They live in a new apartment complex now, and it looks less like the China I'd known and expected and more like the Irvine and Newport I see all the time. Their apartment is WAY nicer than ours, and they pay about a quarter of what we pay. Location is everything, I guess.
Thailand was just as gorgeous as I remembered, so green and humid and beautiful. And the island we stayed on! I'd never been there before, and it looks like something Hollywood invented. It's insane! Water so clear you easily see the bottom 20 feet below, islands jutting straight out of the water with no beach at all, just sheer cliffs, beaches with sand white enough to blind you at first sight. And enough cheap, tacky souvenirs to fill a suitcase. We had a contest going to see who could buy the worst souvenir, and out of all the junk in Thailand Nathan and I acutally picked up the same thing! When we revealed our purchases on the last day, we all about died laughing.
Seeing Tom and Sue and Thomas was definitely the highlight. Thomas was with us the whole time, and I loved hanging out with him and seeing the person he's become. He's so thoughtful and intelligent and fun. It hardly seems possible that he's graduated from highschool! And what's even more impossible is that as we left the airport in Kunming there was a girl crying and breaking her heart over him. Is he really that old? I can't believe it...
We got home late last night. Without our luggage. It's in San Francisco. Seeing the sights, I assume. Babs, would you mind picking it up for us? Just kidding. We'll hopefully see it tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I'm off to bed. Don't know how I'll sleep, I'm totally jet lagged. But I guess I'd better try. Until next time!
5.31.2004
My brain color
Quiz stolen from Barbara's blog. Thanks Babs!
What Color is Your Brain?
brought to you by Quizilla
At work or in school: I like to be with people, sharing with them, inspiring them, and helping them. I work and learn best when I can take into consideration people and the human element. I flourish in an atmosphere of cooperation.
With friends: I always look for perfect love. I am very romantic, and I enjoy doing thoughtful things for others. I am affectionate, supportive and a good listener.
With family: I like to be happy and loving. I am very sensitive to rejection from my family and to family conflicts. I really like to be well thought of and need frequent reassurance. I love intimate talks and warm feelings.
What Color is Your Brain?
brought to you by Quizilla
At work or in school: I like to be with people, sharing with them, inspiring them, and helping them. I work and learn best when I can take into consideration people and the human element. I flourish in an atmosphere of cooperation.
With friends: I always look for perfect love. I am very romantic, and I enjoy doing thoughtful things for others. I am affectionate, supportive and a good listener.
With family: I like to be happy and loving. I am very sensitive to rejection from my family and to family conflicts. I really like to be well thought of and need frequent reassurance. I love intimate talks and warm feelings.
Excuses, excuses
Sorry, sorry guys. Haven't been here in a while. I was discouraged from blogging recently by the word wrap situation, which apparently is still a problem. It's killing me. It's retarded. I can't figure out how to fix it, the only thing I can think of is to change my template. And I really don't want to. One, because I really like this one, and two, because I don't have time right now to sit around and figure out how to change it and then work out all the bugs that come with the change.
Secondly, I haven't posted lately because things have just gotten out of hand busy. I think we've had something to do every night for about three weeks. This last weekend alone went like this: Wedding rehearsal Friday night for Joy. Shower Saturday morning for Joy. Birthday party Saturday afternoon/evening for Zoe. Bryon and Joy's wedding Sunday morning/afternoon/evening. Monday morning figuring out my iPod with Jeff and downloading CDs. Then birthday party for Nathan and me tonight. And now we're doing laundry. It's been quite the weekend. And we leave for China Thursday!!! Yay!!!
So, I'm still out here. I'm just drowning in details! And if there's anything I hate, it's details. I need a weekend to recover from this weekend. I will try to post something more interesting tomorrow, but for right now I'm out. I'm going to read Barbara's blog, which I've been neglecting lately.
Toodles!
Secondly, I haven't posted lately because things have just gotten out of hand busy. I think we've had something to do every night for about three weeks. This last weekend alone went like this: Wedding rehearsal Friday night for Joy. Shower Saturday morning for Joy. Birthday party Saturday afternoon/evening for Zoe. Bryon and Joy's wedding Sunday morning/afternoon/evening. Monday morning figuring out my iPod with Jeff and downloading CDs. Then birthday party for Nathan and me tonight. And now we're doing laundry. It's been quite the weekend. And we leave for China Thursday!!! Yay!!!
So, I'm still out here. I'm just drowning in details! And if there's anything I hate, it's details. I need a weekend to recover from this weekend. I will try to post something more interesting tomorrow, but for right now I'm out. I'm going to read Barbara's blog, which I've been neglecting lately.
Toodles!
5.12.2004
My growing readership!
Fanfare, please.
Are you ready? I now have THREE READERS that I know of! Here they are:
1. Barbara
2. Jude (maybe...are you still here, Jude? Hey Jude....)
3. Arpie (Ta da! My newest reader!)
I'm so excited! And I've never even met Arpie! But Nathan says she's cool, so she
must be. Plus, her friend has a really cool art display up at Plush right now. I'd
tell the other two of you to go check it out, but it wouldn't do much good since one
of you is in Redwood City and the other is in Wales. Whatever, you two. Guess the
OC just wasn't good enough for you. :P
Okay, that's quite enough writing for the night. See you all later!
Are you ready? I now have THREE READERS that I know of! Here they are:
1. Barbara
2. Jude (maybe...are you still here, Jude? Hey Jude....)
3. Arpie (Ta da! My newest reader!)
I'm so excited! And I've never even met Arpie! But Nathan says she's cool, so she
must be. Plus, her friend has a really cool art display up at Plush right now. I'd
tell the other two of you to go check it out, but it wouldn't do much good since one
of you is in Redwood City and the other is in Wales. Whatever, you two. Guess the
OC just wasn't good enough for you. :P
Okay, that's quite enough writing for the night. See you all later!
Quiz thingy
My friend Alyssa at work is the trivia queen. So every once in a while she starts a
competition for us and passes out quizzes every day for about a month. Today's was
right up my alley. So I'm posting it! It's titled "Do great books make great movies?"
The rule is that you can find your answers anywhere you want, except on the internet.
Have fun! Oh, and also: I don't have the answers. But when I get them, I'll post them!
1. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy took director Peter Jackson seven years to
complete. How long did it take writer J. R. R. Tolkien to complete the books?
a. One year
b. Three years
c. The exact same amount of time it took to make the movies: seven years
d. Over ten years
2. In the 1994 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Winona Ryder
played Jo March. Who played Jo in the 1933 version of the film?
a. Bette Davis
b. Katharine Hepburn
c. Judy Garland
d. Joan Crawford
3. Which award-winning war film was based on Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness?
a. The Bridge on the River Kwai
b. The Great Escape
c. Apocalypse Now
d. The Deer Hunter
4. There have been several movie versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Which of the
following actors has not played the role of Hamlet in a movie?
a. Richard Burton
b. Kenneth Branagh
c. Sir John Gielgud
d. Laurence Olivier
5. Clueless, the 1995 film starring Alicia Silverstone as the teenage heroine Cher,
is based on which classic novel?
a. Sense and Sensibility
b. Emma
c. Great Expectations
d. My Antonia
6. Which actor made his motion-picture debut as the reclusive Boo Radley in the
1962 film of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? (Tequila Mockingbird?)
a. Sam Shepard
b. Warren Beatty
c. Robert Duvall
d. Gregory Peck
7. Nicole Kidman won an Academy Award for her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours,
which was based on Michael Cunningham's 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the
same name. Which of Virginia Woolf's works was central to the story?
a. A Room of One's Own
b. To the Lighthouse
c. Mrs. Dalloway
d. The Waves
8. Although the name of Harry's owl is used in the book Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone, it is not mentioned in the movie version. What is the owl's name?
a. Harold
b. Hugo
c. Hedwig
d. Hootie
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won 5 Academy Awards, including best actory, best
actress, best director, and best picture. How did Ken Kesey, who wrote the 1962
novel, react to the movie?
a. He loved it
b. He thought it was OK
c. He hated it
d. He laughed, he cried -- it was better than Cats
10. When Rhett Butler declared "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" in Gone With
the Wind, he uttered one of the most famous lines in movie history. In the book, the
line was slightly different. What was it?
a. "My dear, I don't give a damn!"
b. "Frankly, I don't give a damn!"
c. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a darn!"
d. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hill o' beans!"
competition for us and passes out quizzes every day for about a month. Today's was
right up my alley. So I'm posting it! It's titled "Do great books make great movies?"
The rule is that you can find your answers anywhere you want, except on the internet.
Have fun! Oh, and also: I don't have the answers. But when I get them, I'll post them!
1. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy took director Peter Jackson seven years to
complete. How long did it take writer J. R. R. Tolkien to complete the books?
a. One year
b. Three years
c. The exact same amount of time it took to make the movies: seven years
d. Over ten years
2. In the 1994 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Winona Ryder
played Jo March. Who played Jo in the 1933 version of the film?
a. Bette Davis
b. Katharine Hepburn
c. Judy Garland
d. Joan Crawford
3. Which award-winning war film was based on Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness?
a. The Bridge on the River Kwai
b. The Great Escape
c. Apocalypse Now
d. The Deer Hunter
4. There have been several movie versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Which of the
following actors has not played the role of Hamlet in a movie?
a. Richard Burton
b. Kenneth Branagh
c. Sir John Gielgud
d. Laurence Olivier
5. Clueless, the 1995 film starring Alicia Silverstone as the teenage heroine Cher,
is based on which classic novel?
a. Sense and Sensibility
b. Emma
c. Great Expectations
d. My Antonia
6. Which actor made his motion-picture debut as the reclusive Boo Radley in the
1962 film of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? (Tequila Mockingbird?)
a. Sam Shepard
b. Warren Beatty
c. Robert Duvall
d. Gregory Peck
7. Nicole Kidman won an Academy Award for her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours,
which was based on Michael Cunningham's 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the
same name. Which of Virginia Woolf's works was central to the story?
a. A Room of One's Own
b. To the Lighthouse
c. Mrs. Dalloway
d. The Waves
8. Although the name of Harry's owl is used in the book Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone, it is not mentioned in the movie version. What is the owl's name?
a. Harold
b. Hugo
c. Hedwig
d. Hootie
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won 5 Academy Awards, including best actory, best
actress, best director, and best picture. How did Ken Kesey, who wrote the 1962
novel, react to the movie?
a. He loved it
b. He thought it was OK
c. He hated it
d. He laughed, he cried -- it was better than Cats
10. When Rhett Butler declared "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" in Gone With
the Wind, he uttered one of the most famous lines in movie history. In the book, the
line was slightly different. What was it?
a. "My dear, I don't give a damn!"
b. "Frankly, I don't give a damn!"
c. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a darn!"
d. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hill o' beans!"
Frustrated!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS THING!?!? Since they reformatted blogger, I don't have word wrap!
It just keeps typing on and on in one big line unless I hit return. What is that
about? I feel like I'm using a typewriter!! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!! I'll have to ask
Babs how to fix it.....
It just keeps typing on and on in one big line unless I hit return. What is that
about? I feel like I'm using a typewriter!! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!! I'll have to ask
Babs how to fix it.....
5.06.2004
Hymn for a Wednesday (or Thursday...)
Choir tonight. Or last night. Or whatever. The stupid Old Navy site has kicked me out twice now while I was trying to order a shirt. So I'll try it tomorrow. So I thought I'd come here and post my favorite hymn instead. I've had it since Sunday, but am just now getting around to it. Here you go. Love it like I love it!
Safe in the shadow
Safe in the shadow of the Lord
Beneath his hand and power,
I trust in him, I trust in him,
My fortress and my tower.
My hope is set on God alone
Though Satan spreads his snare;
I trust in him, I trust in him,
To keep me in his care.
From fears and phantoms of the night,
From foes about my way,
I trust in him, I trust in him
By darkness as by day.
His holy angels keep my feet
Secure from every stone;
I trust in him, I trust in him,
And unafraid go on.
Strong in the everlasting name,
And in my Father's care,
I trust in him, I trust in him
Who hears and answers prayer.
Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
Possessed by love divine,
I trust in him, I trust in him
And meet his love with mine.
Safe in the shadow
Safe in the shadow of the Lord
Beneath his hand and power,
I trust in him, I trust in him,
My fortress and my tower.
My hope is set on God alone
Though Satan spreads his snare;
I trust in him, I trust in him,
To keep me in his care.
From fears and phantoms of the night,
From foes about my way,
I trust in him, I trust in him
By darkness as by day.
His holy angels keep my feet
Secure from every stone;
I trust in him, I trust in him,
And unafraid go on.
Strong in the everlasting name,
And in my Father's care,
I trust in him, I trust in him
Who hears and answers prayer.
Safe in the shadow of the Lord,
Possessed by love divine,
I trust in him, I trust in him
And meet his love with mine.
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