I am dragging the kids and several friends to the Air Force Museum today. It will finish off The Boy's aviation merit badge requirements. It is about an hour away, but it is free! We will see how things go, then I'll be sure to post a photo.
I'm just glad The Boy is interested enough in Scouts yet that he will do whatever merit badge we can sign him up for! This one is through a class the space Center at our school offers. He's up for Geology there next, but he has a conflict with one night's class-his play performance is the same time. Ooops. We may have to shuffle things for him to complete both. I'll keep you
posted.
Have a great weekend!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
I Have Friends
I wasn't completely sold on the whole Facebook Phenomenon when I joined. However, it has been very interesting to see who I have run into there in the past couple of months. A lot of high school classmates have added me as their Facebook friend. It is kind of flattering, really. Some were real close friends and other just acquaintances. Maybe, they are just trying to run up their Friend Count. Who knows. But it is interesting to see how reconnected I have become recently.
My favorite reconnects are the ones from our church youth group. I grew up with some of the the best kids! We had a lot of fun and did a lot of stupid stuff, but all in all we were mostly out of trouble and just enjoying being high school students.
This morning there was a confirmation notice from a friend I haven't seen since the last summer I lived at home, about 1988. Of course, I confirmed. He was my friend then, and I am happy to know he still wants to be my friend now.
Sure, Facebook isn't the same as meeting these old friends for lunch at the Barn and catching up in person, but it sure beats thinking these guys must have fallen off the face of the earth. Besides, a lot of my HS friends were guys who are now married, and their wives may not appreciate me trying to meet their husbands at the Barn for lunch anyhow.
Plus, we seemed to all have moved away from our hometown--there are still a few loyal hangers-on, but most have dispersed to all parts of the West. A few even snuck back East, but most are on the West Coast somewhere. It is funny to see the spreading.
Facebook is a pretty informal, loss pressure collection area. You can be as active or inactive on the boards as you like. But sometimes it is fun to just poke around and see what everyone has been up to for the past 20+ years. I guess it can be helpful for Class Reunions and the like, but we aren't up for one for several more years, so in the meantime I just like to see what they might be getting into as grown ups, living away from home. It is a little voyeuristic, but kind of fun too.
My favorite reconnects are the ones from our church youth group. I grew up with some of the the best kids! We had a lot of fun and did a lot of stupid stuff, but all in all we were mostly out of trouble and just enjoying being high school students.
This morning there was a confirmation notice from a friend I haven't seen since the last summer I lived at home, about 1988. Of course, I confirmed. He was my friend then, and I am happy to know he still wants to be my friend now.
Sure, Facebook isn't the same as meeting these old friends for lunch at the Barn and catching up in person, but it sure beats thinking these guys must have fallen off the face of the earth. Besides, a lot of my HS friends were guys who are now married, and their wives may not appreciate me trying to meet their husbands at the Barn for lunch anyhow.
Plus, we seemed to all have moved away from our hometown--there are still a few loyal hangers-on, but most have dispersed to all parts of the West. A few even snuck back East, but most are on the West Coast somewhere. It is funny to see the spreading.
Facebook is a pretty informal, loss pressure collection area. You can be as active or inactive on the boards as you like. But sometimes it is fun to just poke around and see what everyone has been up to for the past 20+ years. I guess it can be helpful for Class Reunions and the like, but we aren't up for one for several more years, so in the meantime I just like to see what they might be getting into as grown ups, living away from home. It is a little voyeuristic, but kind of fun too.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Appalled!
I am a talk radio news junkie, at least until the lunchtime news is over. I can't stand the venom the afternoon guy spews. Yesterday morning the Morning Talk Show Guy was taking calls about the most irritating piece of news; he called it The Outrage of the Day. He read the news story of disgraced CEO of Lehman Brothers, Dick Fuld, who sold his $13M+ home for $10, to his wife! He was headed to a civil lawsuit and was quick to divest himself of any assets that the lawsuit might demand.
This guy, Fuld, has been called in print a 'financial terrorist'. Remember, he was one of the first in line at the bailout window. He drove his company into the ground and made off like a bandit, then this?!
I was so furious I had to shut off the radio. Good thing I found the Classic Rock station. I needed a little old school head banging to make myself feel better.
What is this world coming to? How far will be have to go before the Apocalypse? It makes me, almost, wish for the Second Coming just to watch some of these narcissistic, delusional, self-entitled, out-of-touch-with-reality, corporate pirates torched and turned to dust. How do they live with themselves?! I get a nickel too much in change and I have to take it back to the store.
OK, now I need to go do some deep, cleansing breathing just so I don't want to take out my carpool kids today. Or maybe, I just need to stick with the Classic Rock station and bypass talk radio all together. Ohhhmmm. Oooohhhhhmmmmmm.
This guy, Fuld, has been called in print a 'financial terrorist'. Remember, he was one of the first in line at the bailout window. He drove his company into the ground and made off like a bandit, then this?!
I was so furious I had to shut off the radio. Good thing I found the Classic Rock station. I needed a little old school head banging to make myself feel better.
What is this world coming to? How far will be have to go before the Apocalypse? It makes me, almost, wish for the Second Coming just to watch some of these narcissistic, delusional, self-entitled, out-of-touch-with-reality, corporate pirates torched and turned to dust. How do they live with themselves?! I get a nickel too much in change and I have to take it back to the store.
OK, now I need to go do some deep, cleansing breathing just so I don't want to take out my carpool kids today. Or maybe, I just need to stick with the Classic Rock station and bypass talk radio all together. Ohhhmmm. Oooohhhhhmmmmmm.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Masterpiece in January
This month PBS stations across the country brought us a new season of Masterpiece Classic. The features presented in January were Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Wuthering Heights. Both are generally considered classic pieces of English literature, making them perfect candidates for Masterpiece on PBS.
I have read both books, or at least made a valiant attempt in the WH case, in the "classic slot" for our book club over the years. Tess made me very upset--the injustice of it all! And I never made it past the wind on the moor for eternity at the Heights. Of course, I tried to read it in January, mid-inversion, so you know how I must have been feeling about it. I had high hopes for the Masterpiece presentations this month.
It would be rather biased of me to talk in any detail about Masterpiece without formally disclosing that last year's Classic season was essentially a Jane Austen love fest. I believe that brought me through the winter in much higher spirits than one would expect. Each week I would watch, TiVo and then rewatch the Bertrams, the Tilneys, the Bennets, the Woodhouses, the Dashwoods and the Elliots along with all their characteristically telling ensembles. I still have three versions in the DVR that can pleasingly fill a Sunday afternoon for me.
So, I had high hopes for this season. Knowing I would not visit with my Austen favorites (until this weekend, however, as they are presenting an encore of Sense and Sensibility), I braced myself to other authors' works.
Tess, a classic novel by Thomas Hardy, was highly scandalous when it was first printed in a serialized form. Mr. Hardy was devoted to his characters and the social commentary they depicted. He would not edit out the particularly "upsetting" chapters that might offend some of his more gentle readers--as demanded by his planned publisher--so he took his novel and walked, eventually publishing it elsewhere.
Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was first published under a pseudonym and was horrifying for the mental and physical abuse it depicted. Even more shocking to the readers, critics and closeted devotees, was when it was revealed that Miss Bronte was a clergyman's daughter! Shock! Awe! Her novel, shocking and disturbing as ever, has never been out of print.
OK, English literature lesson over. I had really wanted to like both of these filmed adaptations. If I were a reviewer of such films, I would have to say that I liked Tess much better than the Heights, but neither of them made me feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe that is where my expectations were unreasonable.
If you have never read the books, then by all means see these Masterpiece adaptations. They are not strictly "by-the-book" but you get the overall feeling of the books and the spirit of the characters.
If, however, you are looking for a feel-good, all-works-out-in-the-end, the-good-guys-are-rewarded-for-their-goodness kind of Sunday afternoon or evening movie, then be sure to watch Masterpiece Classic this week (and the following 2 more Sunday evenings, I believe) and tune in to see Elinor and MaryAnn Dashwood overcome trouble and eventually find love on their own terms in Sense and Sensibility.
You can't tell it is my favorite Austen adaptation, can you? Even without Colin Firth!
I guess I am just glad that PBS still plays shows like Masterpiece regularly, as there is so much other junk and mindless drivel on TV. I'll keep watching it, even if it is Hardy or the Bronte sisters instaed of my dear Jane Austen. Beggars can't be choosers, right?
I have read both books, or at least made a valiant attempt in the WH case, in the "classic slot" for our book club over the years. Tess made me very upset--the injustice of it all! And I never made it past the wind on the moor for eternity at the Heights. Of course, I tried to read it in January, mid-inversion, so you know how I must have been feeling about it. I had high hopes for the Masterpiece presentations this month.
It would be rather biased of me to talk in any detail about Masterpiece without formally disclosing that last year's Classic season was essentially a Jane Austen love fest. I believe that brought me through the winter in much higher spirits than one would expect. Each week I would watch, TiVo and then rewatch the Bertrams, the Tilneys, the Bennets, the Woodhouses, the Dashwoods and the Elliots along with all their characteristically telling ensembles. I still have three versions in the DVR that can pleasingly fill a Sunday afternoon for me.
So, I had high hopes for this season. Knowing I would not visit with my Austen favorites (until this weekend, however, as they are presenting an encore of Sense and Sensibility), I braced myself to other authors' works.
Tess, a classic novel by Thomas Hardy, was highly scandalous when it was first printed in a serialized form. Mr. Hardy was devoted to his characters and the social commentary they depicted. He would not edit out the particularly "upsetting" chapters that might offend some of his more gentle readers--as demanded by his planned publisher--so he took his novel and walked, eventually publishing it elsewhere.
Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was first published under a pseudonym and was horrifying for the mental and physical abuse it depicted. Even more shocking to the readers, critics and closeted devotees, was when it was revealed that Miss Bronte was a clergyman's daughter! Shock! Awe! Her novel, shocking and disturbing as ever, has never been out of print.
OK, English literature lesson over. I had really wanted to like both of these filmed adaptations. If I were a reviewer of such films, I would have to say that I liked Tess much better than the Heights, but neither of them made me feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe that is where my expectations were unreasonable.
If you have never read the books, then by all means see these Masterpiece adaptations. They are not strictly "by-the-book" but you get the overall feeling of the books and the spirit of the characters.
If, however, you are looking for a feel-good, all-works-out-in-the-end, the-good-guys-are-rewarded-for-their-goodness kind of Sunday afternoon or evening movie, then be sure to watch Masterpiece Classic this week (and the following 2 more Sunday evenings, I believe) and tune in to see Elinor and MaryAnn Dashwood overcome trouble and eventually find love on their own terms in Sense and Sensibility.
You can't tell it is my favorite Austen adaptation, can you? Even without Colin Firth!
I guess I am just glad that PBS still plays shows like Masterpiece regularly, as there is so much other junk and mindless drivel on TV. I'll keep watching it, even if it is Hardy or the Bronte sisters instaed of my dear Jane Austen. Beggars can't be choosers, right?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Random 25 Tag
I feel very lazy this morning, and didn't sleep at all well, so I am taking the easy way out today by posting another tag that has been waiting for me to do. This one is a 25 Random things (facts, habits, goals, quirks, etc.) about me. Then, if any of you are takers, feel free--but there is no pressure to perpetuate this!
1-I prefer pebbled ice to any other kind of ice in a drink.
2-Diet Coke tastes better at Hart’s than any other Gas ’n Sip in town.
3-I can’t understand how someone can live in the same town their whole life, marry someone else they went to high school with in their home town and then raise their family in the same town.
4-I love to hear the Harry Potter books read to me by Jim Dale, but only after I have read them once myself. After that, I can listen to him read it every time.
5-I consider books and the films based on those books (i.e., Harry Potter, Twilight, Jane Austen’s works) to be separate stories.
6-I love butter cream frosting on cake.
7-I love raspberry filled white cake with butter cream frosting the best of all.
8-I don’t love ice cream.
9-I am terrified of snakes.
10-I can kill spiders with my bare hand, even when I am naked in the shower.
11-I can’t believe I put that mental picture of myself naked in your minds just now. Eeeewwww.
12-I believe sheep to be the stupidest animals on the face of the earth.
13-I don’t care to shop for clothes.
14-I don’t like shoes, either.
15-If I had to live in another country besides America it would probably be Australia, New Zealand or Great Britain. Right hand driving is the biggest obstacle.
16-I think that Monty Python is hilarious.
17-I sometimes wonder who first figured out how good crab was to eat.
18-I worry that I am not doing enough good in my sphere of the world.
19-I generally put hand lotion on every morning as I wait for my computer to boot up.
20-In my mind I am a humor columnist, a la Dave Barry.
21-I’ve never tried smoking, but did try drinking alcohol and was sicker than I have ever been in my life.
22-I regret not appreciating my grandparents more when they were alive.
23-I am grateful for parents who let me try lots of different things growing up.
24-I feel like I am still just out of high school, but am beginning to see the reality, and necessity, of being far older than that in real life.
25-It makes me happy when I can make people laugh, even if I end up being the butt of the joke.
1-I prefer pebbled ice to any other kind of ice in a drink.
2-Diet Coke tastes better at Hart’s than any other Gas ’n Sip in town.
3-I can’t understand how someone can live in the same town their whole life, marry someone else they went to high school with in their home town and then raise their family in the same town.
4-I love to hear the Harry Potter books read to me by Jim Dale, but only after I have read them once myself. After that, I can listen to him read it every time.
5-I consider books and the films based on those books (i.e., Harry Potter, Twilight, Jane Austen’s works) to be separate stories.
6-I love butter cream frosting on cake.
7-I love raspberry filled white cake with butter cream frosting the best of all.
8-I don’t love ice cream.
9-I am terrified of snakes.
10-I can kill spiders with my bare hand, even when I am naked in the shower.
11-I can’t believe I put that mental picture of myself naked in your minds just now. Eeeewwww.
12-I believe sheep to be the stupidest animals on the face of the earth.
13-I don’t care to shop for clothes.
14-I don’t like shoes, either.
15-If I had to live in another country besides America it would probably be Australia, New Zealand or Great Britain. Right hand driving is the biggest obstacle.
16-I think that Monty Python is hilarious.
17-I sometimes wonder who first figured out how good crab was to eat.
18-I worry that I am not doing enough good in my sphere of the world.
19-I generally put hand lotion on every morning as I wait for my computer to boot up.
20-In my mind I am a humor columnist, a la Dave Barry.
21-I’ve never tried smoking, but did try drinking alcohol and was sicker than I have ever been in my life.
22-I regret not appreciating my grandparents more when they were alive.
23-I am grateful for parents who let me try lots of different things growing up.
24-I feel like I am still just out of high school, but am beginning to see the reality, and necessity, of being far older than that in real life.
25-It makes me happy when I can make people laugh, even if I end up being the butt of the joke.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mid-Winter Blahs
Well, it is Monday again. How does THAT happen so quickly?! And we got more snow last night. But at least the air will be clean. We have been in an inversion for over a week now and I think I hate that more than the cold and snow.
The inversion keeps the cold air at the valley floor. The air becomes increasingly dirty and unhealthy, and the cold just gets colder. The mountains and resorts are not affected, as they are at high enough elevations that the inversion doesn't reach them. So it could be 19 degrees on the valley floor and almost 40 at a ski resort. Just doesn't seem right, does it?
I think it is interesting that the inversions happen about the same time as the mid-winter blahs settle in for me. Actually, the inversion probably escalates the blahs, but the idea is the same.
A couple of years ago, our PTA did a Teacher's Drawing on Friday for several weeks (we even called it the "Inversion Diversion"!) during the winter time to give the teachers in our school a little "pick-me-up". They get the blahs too, but then they have to deal with our kids every day! I know the teachers really liked that recognition, even if it was as simple as bright colored post-it notes, or new colored pens for grading papers, or good smelling hand soap for their classrooms.
I know it won't be long into February before I will be aching for Spring to show up. When I get that way, I'll do my best not to whine at you about it. We are in this together, right? Like it or not.....For the duration......How soon is Spring?!
The inversion keeps the cold air at the valley floor. The air becomes increasingly dirty and unhealthy, and the cold just gets colder. The mountains and resorts are not affected, as they are at high enough elevations that the inversion doesn't reach them. So it could be 19 degrees on the valley floor and almost 40 at a ski resort. Just doesn't seem right, does it?
I think it is interesting that the inversions happen about the same time as the mid-winter blahs settle in for me. Actually, the inversion probably escalates the blahs, but the idea is the same.
A couple of years ago, our PTA did a Teacher's Drawing on Friday for several weeks (we even called it the "Inversion Diversion"!) during the winter time to give the teachers in our school a little "pick-me-up". They get the blahs too, but then they have to deal with our kids every day! I know the teachers really liked that recognition, even if it was as simple as bright colored post-it notes, or new colored pens for grading papers, or good smelling hand soap for their classrooms.
I know it won't be long into February before I will be aching for Spring to show up. When I get that way, I'll do my best not to whine at you about it. We are in this together, right? Like it or not.....For the duration......How soon is Spring?!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Irony: Defined
Today at church our five year old friend, Kyler, who sits in the pew behind us was giving his sweet mom more than just fits. He was in major meltdown mode.
Meanwhile, The Boy was trying to "pass off" some of his Articles of Faith memorization. He was working specifically on the sixth one today.
The Boy leans in to me and begins to quote: "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, antagonists, and so forth."
I was trying to be reverent, and didn't want him thinking I was laughing AT him, but that was hilarious! I also didn't want to laugh via snorting as that is the least ladylike thing I do--and there are plenty to chose from.
Of course, the word he meant was 'evangelists' and currently one set of characters in their 6th grade play call themselves 'antagonists' so it was an honest word fumble mistake. But in light of young Mr. Meltdown behind us, the irony was too perfect!
Meanwhile, The Boy was trying to "pass off" some of his Articles of Faith memorization. He was working specifically on the sixth one today.
The Boy leans in to me and begins to quote: "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, antagonists, and so forth."
I was trying to be reverent, and didn't want him thinking I was laughing AT him, but that was hilarious! I also didn't want to laugh via snorting as that is the least ladylike thing I do--and there are plenty to chose from.
Of course, the word he meant was 'evangelists' and currently one set of characters in their 6th grade play call themselves 'antagonists' so it was an honest word fumble mistake. But in light of young Mr. Meltdown behind us, the irony was too perfect!
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