Deep and Shallow

How to Train a Dragon.

2010-04-03T19:56:00.003-05:00

Today I saw the new 3D movie How to Train a Dragon. I was quite impressed with the movie, which I find very much the equal of Finding Nemo, but while the 3D effects were cool, I really didn't pay much attention after the first fifteen minutes. So 3D was rather a waste.

I particularly loved how things all seemed to dove-tail at the end of the movie. It suddenly struck me (and just the right moment, from the director's perspective) that the different types of dragons were perfectly suited to the characters associated with them. Lovely detail. I really should read the book to see if it's included there. And I adored the main character, Hiccup.

If I'm going to compare it to Finding Nemo, however, I'd say that while I find dragons much more entertaining as subject matter than clownfish, this new movie is a little less desirable in the plot than Finding Nemo. One finds at the end of Finding Nemo that the father comes to understand his son, and the son understands his father. But here, the father understands the son, the son understands himself, and the whole culture changes to accommodate them. Less meaningful, if you know what I mean, but more fun.

Asking Parents

2010-03-14T20:56:00.002-05:00

While I'm on this genealogy kick, Hun and I have found it useful to consult our family members for additional clues. Hun's father sent us a chart he had composed rather than verbally trying to explain everything. We called Hun's mother tonight, and from memory she listed over 100 people. It was rather astounding how many names, multiple marriages, and family stories she can remember. Of course, most of her information only goes back to her grandparents and their descendents. (There were a LOT of descendents.) She also gave us the names (and relational positions) of a couple of people who can give us even more detail.

After such an exhaustive list, I'm tempted to contact my mother for her assistance. If she remembers a tithe of what her father told us growing up, she could be extraordinarily helpful. It's the aftereffects of contact that I'm leery of. It's to be debated. I have to be particularly careful since there are people I'm close with who want nothing to do with her. And Mom can be particularly ... abrasive ... when you get her going.

At any rate, I have a dearth of information about her patrilineal forbears without consulting her. I really need her for her mother's side, though. We shall see.

Genealogy

2010-03-13T18:00:00.002-06:00

I've been watching a new show called "Who Do You Think You Are?" wherein several celebrities trace their family histories. And it made me a little nostalgic for my genealogical background. Grandparents on both sides of my family were very interested in our family history, and they passed a lot of that down to me.

But the oddest thing happened. While I was looking for the obituary of my maternal grandfather, I ran across something I did not expect to find. An obituary for my great-aunt Mary. Who passed away three days ago. The funeral is on Monday, not that I can go, and it is surpassingly odd that this is how I found out.

Cooking and Looking

2010-03-13T15:46:00.002-06:00

I love having Saturdays off...

Today, I made banana muffins, did a load of laundry, got rid of some stuff at Goodwill, shopped at a thrift store, made croutons, and studied my Sunday school lesson. It was lovely!

Hun is finally learning that in order for me to be able to do chores properly, he needs to get out of my hair - preferrable out of the apartment - and not come back for several hours.

Clean Car, Clean Sweep

2010-03-06T07:42:00.000-06:00

Don't you just love the look of a freshly cleaned house? Everything is finally put in order - no more random piles moved from room to room... I need that. I'm getting so tired of being behind on everything. If I wash the dishes, there's always something left over. If I wash the laundry, there's always a couple of socks that I missed. That kind of thing.

I've been doing a lot of baking recently, since Hun and I are moving from Cheerios for breakfast to yummy homemade muffins. I just use bags and bags of flour. And make a lot of dirty dishes. (A bowl for mashing the bananas in, a fork for mashing the bananas, a bowl for storing the chopped pecans, a bowl for the dry ingredients, a bowl for mixing it all together, a spoon for stirring, a spatula for getting stuff off the spoon, a muffin pan used twice because I make a double batch, a cooling rack, a cutting board laid across the sink to make more space...) It's very worthwhile, but very tiring at the same time.

Anyway, we finally had a string of gorgeous days here in Tejas, so I decided it was time we washed the car on Thursday. I actually have a bucketfull of car washing stuff that I picked up from a free pile back while I was in college and have NEVER used. The only problems are that we are technically not supposed to wash our car in the condo parking lot and that I don't have a water hose. The caretaker lady didn't seem to care when she saw me starting, so the first problem was easily solved. The second problem I had to get more creative with.

I have a small bucket, but in order to rinse the car, I needed a larger supply of water. So I got one of our plastic totes and took buckets of water out -- I think maybe five trips? Anyway, after I got all that done and after I cleaned the inside as best I could without a vacuum, Hun finally agreed to help me. He washed, and I rinsed. And then he dried. And then I scrubbed the tires, and he rinsed. And the end result is a beautiful shiny car! Finally, something that is completely finished. It's a relief to know that I don't have to go back and do it again immediately after I finished it. (Unlike dishes.)

Choice of the Dragon

2010-02-15T16:33:00.003-06:00

If things continue true to form, you're going to love me.

I introduced my husband to this game, but he already loved me.

Then I found out that you can download it as a free app to your iPhone, and my friend Minnie loved me (more than she did before).

And I love JayIsGames for showing me where it is.

Play Choice of the Dragon.

Cool Day at Work

2010-01-29T17:21:00.002-06:00

Just as I was leaving work today, I got a big surprise. A lady pulled up to the drive-thru with an animal in her lap (and a large dog in the backseat). My coworker greeted her and asked about the animal, "Is that a rabbit?"

Actually, it was a kangaroo.

What in the world is a baby kangaroo (and an albino one, at that) doing in a bank drive-thru in Texas? This lady was bottle raising it for a wildlife preserve. Cool, huh?

And you thought I was going to talk about the massive winter storm sweeping through the southeast. Pfegh.

Good For Me

2010-01-29T06:03:00.002-06:00

I've been doing a really great job this year at putting some effort into the meals I prepare. For example, instead of just munching on dry cereal for breakfast, I've been eating homemade banana muffins. Yum! I'm going to have to start expanding into cinnamon or corn muffins soon, though, or this could get monotonous. :) We've also been eating a lot of Italian soup or tacos (and believe me, Hun is ecstatic to see the demise of Hamburger Helper). Last night, I made meatloaf, too. So good for me!

I'm really trying this year not to just fall back on old standbys - or better yet, to make new standbys that aren't so lazy. So far I'm doing a good job, but I really have to work to keep it up. I really need to get better about washing the dishes afterward, though.

Minnie the Moocher.

2010-01-27T07:03:00.003-06:00

Hun and I have this policy with our friends - come over any time. If the door is unlocked and we know you're coming, just walk in. If we don't know you're coming, give a knock or something so we don't crap ourselves. And if the door is locked, give us a sec to put some clothes on. ;) Most friends don't take advantage of the extensiveness of this policy. They make plans with us for next week, next month, or a special occasion. They call to confirm. But not Minnie.

If we're lucky, Minnie will usually give us about 20 minutes notice. Since she gets off work before I do, if she wants to come over, she's usually there before I am, playing cards or grading.

She used to invite herself over for dinner until I finally told her that, yes, she's welcome to come over, but if you expect me to prepare for you, you need to give me some advance warning. Like, before I buy groceries for the week. A few days later, I come home from work, and she suggests a plan wherein we feed her every Tuesday after she gets out of Mass, and she feeds us every Thursday when we're watching Project Runway at her apartment. Okay - at least that's a plan.

Last week, she fell asleep, and I ended up cooking on Thursday night, too. When she came over yesterday (skipping Mass), I got annoyed with her and was very rude, which I regret.

I understand some of where this hyperattachment to us comes from, or at least I think I do. She's just started living on her own in the past few months, and she lives alone. Most of her day is spent working or sleeping, and she needs someone she can hang out with. I get that part. And I do like hanging out with Minnie, but she's a very forceful personality, and she's never content to just sit and read a book. When she comes over, I end up feeling steamrolled by the time she leaves.

I also end up feeling like she needs us to take care of her, which can be rather draining. I'm concerned at how much money she spends -- for example, she makes twice as much as I do, but she's repeatedly told us in the past week that she's worried about making it to her next paycheck. I'm concerned about her health, because I've seen her pantry. Et cetera.

I don't know exactly what I want from this situation, though. On the one hand, Minnie is my friend, and I honestly do like spending time with her. But I really need some space -- or perhaps the better word would be maturity -- in our relationship. I'd like to pass an evening when neither one of us tries to sit on the other, tickle the other, or anything like that. I'd like an adult meal, with adult conversation, that ends at a respectable hour.

This His.

2010-01-26T09:49:00.002-06:00

So Hun is still working on his thesis. People keep asking me how his classes or coming or if he's still in school, and few realize that you are allowed a long time to work on your thesis. He's really working hard to get it done this semester so he can graduate in May. Several things stand in his way -- not the least of which is finishing the paper itself. Things such as an incomplete grade that his teacher has taken over a year to correct.

It's hard for me to sit and wait while other people aren't doing anything. I want to march over to the school, knock on doors, beat some heads together, and get things done, but not only would Hun be mortified if I did, it probably wouldn't make much difference. And the alternative - bugging Hun to go bug them - wouldn't help either. I end up being a mass of inactivity in the midst of a slough of unfinished things. It drives me bonkers!

Between the Folds Trailer.

2010-01-25T07:23:00.004-06:00

I very much want to be able to see this movie. From some of the clips they've got here, I think I've seen bits of it -- this may include scenes from a piece on Eric Joisel.

Etiquette.

2010-01-23T07:57:00.002-06:00

Where I'm from, if you make plans with someone and decline to keep them, it's called snubbing. If the snubbing was accidental (i.e., your plans changed, but you forgot to call), then one typically apologizes and explains the oversight.

Doing this once or twice can be forgiven as absentmindedness, doing it three or more times with absolute politeness begins to be insulting. I'm giving Mr. Swing one more chance before I get angry with him for insulting my husband. (He's only "snubbed" me once, so far, so getting angry on my own behalf is not called for yet.)

As my husband knows, I am dangerous when defending or standing up for one of my own. If you know him, have him tell you the story of when someone got ahold of his password for his telephone messages in college and locked him out of it while his sister was in the hospital.

Abandoned.

2010-01-22T07:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the second week of this year's season of Project Runway. Somehow I got really into it last year, set up a weekly night with another friend, and roped Hun into coming with me. This year, since the premier was on Hun's birthday, we watched the first and second episodes together. We set up another Thursday night routine visit with my friend, and all was going swimmingly.

I got off at 3:30 or so, but Hun had a guy thing he was doing until about 4, so I didn't come home for a bit. Went to the lab and started researching ovulation, as I recall. :) She called Hun at 5:30 and said dinner at her place was going to be at 6:30 or 7. We duly showed up at 7, knocked on the door.... and silence. The lights were off. We knocked again. Were confused. Called her. Went down the stairs to check and see if her lights were on. Called again. Waited and knocked again. This prompted her neighbor across the way to open his door and tell us that he didn't think anyone lived there. We find this funny since our friend has lived there for six months or so.

At this point we think she has either taken a hard nap, gone to the store to pick up something for dinner, or has died. We decide to look for her car, find it, and further decide we'll wait a while in her car to see if she gets up or needs us to call time of death. We wait fifteen minutes, chatting, and call her one more time. FINALLY, her lights come on.

She feels bad (and groggy from her nap), but we're hungry (and nice), so Hun washed the dishes while I started dinner. We watched the show and headed home somwhere around 10 since I had to open at work today. Fun evening, and she eventually got over the mistake.

(We found out later that the neighbor thought Hun looked "shady," which is hilarious.)

Trying To

2010-01-21T17:02:00.004-06:00

I never realized what an emotional rollercoaster it can be when you try to get pregnant. I haven't been "trying" for very long, but I do find myself anticipating that next period. Will it come? Will I be late? It doesn't help that the length of my period tends to bounce around a bit.

Today I finally went out and bought a pregnancy test. It was rather weird walking through the store with it in my hand, and I definitely didn't want to bump into anyone I knew. I wasn't hiding it, but I feel very private about it. I've played with the idea of not telling Hun I bought it, but he's just as antsy as I am to know.

I don't know anything at this point. I still have to wait a couple of days to use the test, so we'll see. I'm mostly banking on this month, though.

I don't know what I'll do if I actually get a positive result, though. Hun predicted a long time ago that I'd have a panic attack. :) Thanks. I think I might cherish it for a while and then tell people. And go make Hun get a job. And then have a panic attack. *sigh*

Christmas Sweets

2009-12-31T20:24:00.003-06:00

It is December 31 (for a few more hours, anyway), and while other people are out getting soused and sloshing their way from party to party, my husband and I are still celebrating Christmas. We take a full twelve nights and wait until Epiphany to take down our decorations. Don't get me wrong, I think it's lots of fun to celebrate the New Year, but I have way more things on my mind than the advent of a new year.

We are hosting our second annual Twelfth Night party this Tuesday, and it promises to be much fun. I still need to get around to folding the King's crown and preparing a few more foodstuffs - like the King Cake. I'm really looking forward to playing Telephone Pictionary again, and we have a whole new cast of characters for everyone to roleplay throughout the evening.

I have a lot of baking planned for the next few days, too, since I bought another recipe book with part of my Christmas money. Tonight I tried a simple sugar cookie recipe which Hun and I both agree needs more sugar. I'd like to take another crack at cheesecake since I have a lot of cream cheese that needs to be used up. And when I get around to cracking some of these pecans I got from a man at church, maybe I'll make a pecan pie or something. I definitely have to try Hun's grandmother's recipe for peanut butter balls. Or even better, make a peanut butter pie.

Have I mentioned my sister-in-law's PB pie? Delicious stuff. She gave one to Hun for his impending birthday, and I have decided that I really like it. I think she perfected her technique after the thirty-billionth one. (She's got a growing pie business.)

I need to finish this post because my beloved husband wants to cuddle with me and eat more sugar cookies. And just for the record, I do intend to celebrate the new year tonight - by going to IHOP at midnight. I hope I'm over my current sugar poisoning enough to eat a pancake. I mean, it's the International House of Pancakes, for cryin' out loud. I can't just order an omelette.

I Fear IKEA

2009-12-29T07:27:00.004-06:00

Speaking of bookcases, since they've been on my mind for a while - what with our cheapo laminate one from Target collapsing - I found this hilarious song about IKEA that tickled my funnybone.

"I don't want a bookcase called Billy, or a table called Sven!"

Kroger Marketplace.

2009-12-26T09:08:00.002-06:00

I am amazed and astounded to discover that the Kroger where I grew up now sells furniture. This is just weird for me. And not only is it beautiful, but it's also stuff that I would kind of like to have. I'm really going to regret passing it up right now, but they have solid wood, 3-shelf folding bookcases for $45. *whimper* Space is such a premium for us (especially since we're taking about 50 books back to TX) that we have to get more bang for our buck, but OH am I tempted.

Christmas time is here.

2009-12-19T05:11:00.002-06:00

Christmas is almost here! It's rather snuck up on me, too. I still have to finish making my sister-in-law's present, and I just know I'm still going to be working on it at the last minute. (Don't tell her, but I'm making her a cable afghan. I just have one more skein - out of 8 - to go, and then I'll be done!)

One thing I'm NOT looking forward to is the drive to TN. It's 10 hours or so to Nashville - which is doable but exhausting - and a whopping 13 hours back from Knoxville. We're spending Christmas Eve in the car to TN, travelling across the state visiting family on Christmas Day, finally resting on Saturday, and hauling out back for TX on Sunday. Totally worth it, but I hope I don't catch something and end up miserable for the next week.

Cousins

2009-12-03T21:03:00.005-06:00

I feel vindicated.

My maternal grandfather was really interested in his family tree -- in fact, he was the genealogical expert of Nicholas Co., KY. He contributed research to Descendants of James Burden, 1740-1806, James Whaley, 1684-1750, Henry Talbott, 1745-1819 by his cousin Karl Rosenberg. (My mother keeps promising she'll send me his copy of the book, but somehow it keeps not happening.) Grandpa's idea of a fun afternoon with the grandkids usually involved driving us around to all the local cemetaries and pointing out tombstones. Or stopping to eat at a diner and introducing us to all of our cousins. I became pretty familiar with relationship terms like "first cousin, twice removed."

My husband's family is from a rural area of TN, where everyone knows how they are related to everyone else. And all of the families have lived there so long that whenever you meet someone new, they are probably related to you in some way. Aunts, uncles, nephews, neices, cousins, grandparents - you have to describe your family tree in order to get acquainted. And going to family reunions, I heard lots of relationships described. But I was very confused by their understanding of degrees.

If two brothers have children, their children are first cousins - let's call them Jane and Jill. (Or in my case, I have a double first cousin because two brothers married two sisters.) If Jill has a son, John, then my understanding is that John is Jane's first cousin, once removed. To my husband's family, though, he would be her second cousin. If Jane has a son, Bill, then I would call John and Bill second cousins, but Hun's family would call them third cousins. This made no sense to me - but for years I have accepted it as a different system of measuring.

Until I found this website at Genealogy.com. I'm so relieved. The world makes sense again.

Great Bumper Sticker.

2009-11-19T06:17:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law emailed me with a great bumper sticker she saw. It was so great that I felt I should share it with the world. :)

Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8.

Fajitas.

2009-11-14T08:01:00.005-06:00

I found a very educational website on Wednesday -- The Mixer. It's a series of online cooking classes hosted by the Betty Crocker test kitchens. They take a theme (fajitas, in my case) and follow it through a few meals.

I find Mexican food intimidating, partially because I just don't like spicy food and partially because I don't even remotely know how to prepare it properly. When we first came to Texas, I attempted a few taco nights. Unsuccessfully, I might add. Hun liked them, but I was unhappy trying to gather bits of torn corn tortilla off my plate. Having a predilection for tortilla chips over potato chips is the only claim to Mexican food I can make.

I have had several Hispanic coworkers who greatly enjoyed Mexican food, and since every potluck in the state of Texas seems to require a theme (and it's usually a Mexican theme if it's not BBQ), I really wanted to figure this out. I don't always want to be the one stuck bringing the shredded cheese.

So I watched this cooking class, Viva the Tortilla!, and I felt a little less intimidated. First of all, flour tortillas are the way to go. Pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and you don't have to fiddle with oil and a skillet. Nice. Second, I finally SAW someone properly roll a fajita and a burrito!! Mine were always falling apart.

On Thursday, I got inspired, purchased a 20 pack of flour tortillas, seasoning, and a pre-cooked chicken, and gave it a whack. And you know what, those fajitas were delicious. I was even confident enough to ask a friend to stay for dinner Friday night. My only regret is that Hun enjoyed them so much that he piled his fajitas too full to actually roll up. :)

The Thanksgiving Chicken Dance

2009-11-11T16:12:00.003-06:00

This will be my third Thanksgiving in the ranks of the married -- and I still must atone for making tuna sandwiches that first year. So my little brain is churning quickly, sorting recipes into time slots, making grocery lists, and trying to figure out just how much two people can be expected to eat before they explode.

Last year I had an accomplished cook friend teach me the joys and agonies of making my very own Thanksgiving dinner. That friend is now in California. That means it is time to make the meal my own (no more rosemary green beans, please!) and figure out if I can actually make this by myself.

The first lesson I learned is that for two people, a chicken makes infinitely more sense than a turkey. I've had a whole chicken sitting in my freezer for a couple of months now (because I bought two when they were one sale). I think I'll have a bit of fun with it and tempt fate with this beer-brined chicken recipe from Betty Crocker.

The next lesson I learned was that light desserts are a must. Nothing is more horrifying after a delicious (but very filling meal) of starches to look at the (normally enticing) German chocolate cake and think, "I can't possibly eat that without vomiting!" My friend's light pumpkin pie (courtesy of Cool Whip) was fabulous after the heaviness of the actual meal.

And the most important lesson (besides don't be afraid to touch the raw bird, don't burn anything, and don't get too fancy) is to do things ahead of time. If you are going to be using your oven for the bird, you can possibly use it for only one other dish. Be wise -- make ahead and reheat (use the microwave if you must).

My potential meal plan this year includes:
Beer-Brined Chicken - from Betty Crocker
Sweet Potatoes
Yeast Rolls - from Betty Crocker
Wheat Cornbread Dressing
Spinach Apple Salad
Light Pumpkin Pie
Bacony Green Beans -- I haven't decided on a recipe yet, but this one is promising.

Silent Conversation.

2009-10-12T22:38:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if I even like this game, oddly. The concept (using text from a piece of literature to construct the landscape and challenges) is fascinating, but most of the levels are so LONG. And have I mentioned the author's sigular taste for H. P. Lovecraft? *vomit*

Still, it's worth trying out. And if you grow to despise the word "descent" (you'll know what I mean when you get there), then the author has done what he intended.

Happy reading!

Burning Legs

2009-10-05T10:31:00.003-05:00

My calves have been really hurting since Saturday, and I didn't know why. I mean, I don't do anything more strenous than walking to my car. I was worried that standing for hours at work might be hurting my legs somehow, and I was starting to get worried when I had an epiphany.

There's this big tower at Hun's college that was open this weekend for Parents Day. And I have always wanted to climb it. So I did. And apparently I am just that out of shape. *sigh*

SPAM.

2009-09-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

I am frightened by how much the islanders of Hawaii love SPAM.

TV on El Red.

2009-09-12T16:45:00.003-05:00

I don't own a television. Hun and I purposely did not buy one when we moved into our apartment, mostly because I would just sit and watch tv all day if we had one.

Now I've discovered Hulu.com, and it's just about as bad. :) Currently, I'm watching Eureka, House, Pretender, Star Trek TOS, and Project Runway. And whenever they release the next part of Doctor Who, I'll watch that, too.

Someone stop me...

Bizarre Dream

2009-09-11T07:02:00.002-05:00

I had the most vivid dream last night. It was really, really odd.

I was at the bank, and a customer presented a traveler's cheque to be cashed. But it was from 1931 or so, and I was unable to cash it for them because it had expired. It was also in British pounds. For some reason the customer left the cheque and the envelope it came in with me. I didn't think about it for several weeks.

Then I decided to find out a bit more about the cheque and who had written it. The cheque itself had just a signature (which was in retrospect unreadable though I could read it in the dream) and a date on it. The envelope had a return address from Nicaragua prettily stitched in bright thread on the back. So I Googled the name and found out this person was a famous artist or writer from England. And the British Museum had a collection on display regarding him.

I called the British Museum for more information (because it's totally normal for me to make an international call to the British Museum in a dream), and told the man who answered the phone what I had. I heard him step away from the phone and tell his boss, who immediately and unexpectedly responded, "Offer her 5 million pounds!" We then set up that someone's going to come tomorrow to inspect the items and finalize the deal.

At this point I stupidly write these details on the front of the cheque. And get nervous that something might happen to it, so I hide it in my sock drawer. :) When they come the next day, I pull out the envelope but can't find the cheque for several minutes. When I do find it, no one cares about the scribbling on the front of the cheque; all they care about is that has been signed by this artist/author guy.

Someone helps me book a flight to England, and then they write me two checks. One for the traveler's cheque in question and one to reimburse me for my flight. (Why they don't just take the cheque themselves instead of flying me to England, I don't know.) Then I sit back and decide what to do with the 5 million pounds and ultimately decide to spend 1 million paying off debts and buying stuff for people and to invest the other 4 million.

At this point my alarm goes off.

Parents on Facebook

2009-09-01T14:26:00.002-05:00

While there is some questionable content on this site, on the whole that only reflects its reason for existence. This is the kind of crazy stuff we moved away from home to escape. And now it clutters our inboxes and graffitis our walls.

My Parents Joined Facebook jives very much with how I'm feeling. My mother can be extremely embarrassing.

Birthday Wishes

2009-08-27T06:35:00.002-05:00

Good morning, and happy birthday to me! :) I'm about to go to work, and when I get home I need to get ready for the party at my place.

Everyone keeps calling Hun and asking him what I want for my birthday, and I really don't know what to tell him. Most of what I want I already have or have the means to acquire. Other things aren't exactly affordable or the type of presents you give on a birthday (ex. car).

I just finished writing an email to my father, and he seems really, really down. He's never been the most optimistic man, but life has not been kind to him. With an unfaithful, roaming wife, two kids who are still dependent on him (one recently divorced within a year of being married, I think), and a low-income third-shift job with no prospects, he doesn't have much to hope for. On the other hand, there are many people who, with the same description, would be ecstatically joyful.

Pastor's sermon last night was all about the difference between happiness (which is based on circumstances or "luck") and joy, especially the true joy that comes from our hope in Jesus Christ. When we lose focus on what we really have to look forward to, when we place our happiness in the things around us, that's when we are unhappy. You can be joyful when you aren't happy. In fact, that's pretty much been the story of our summer here in Texas. Lots of unfortunate circumstances, but we've remained joyful for the most part, because it's been easy to see God's hand in everything.

Nothing has been as bad as it first seemed. Hun's injuries from the assault were mostly superficial and he thankfully had no concussion or broken bones. We were able to afford all his medical bills within our current budget, so we just have to wait for reimbursement. The car being totalled turned out to be a blessing since it was on its last legs. I learned that public transportation is a viable option, and as long as I have friends to take me to the grocery store and church, I really don't need a car. (This bodes well for when Hun will need the car to get to work, for example.) And being unable to get a loan for a car is probably the best thing for us after all. An anonymous benefactor has made it possible for us to afford pretty close to what we're looking for, and we can establish credit with something less expensive (such as a student credit card).

A lot of these are things most people might get depressed over. My wish for my birthday is that you look at your life and find the joy that's hiding there. God is in control, and he's watching over his children.

Paul and John Mark at Pamphylia.

2009-08-17T07:27:00.002-05:00

The title of this post reflects two things that have been most in my thoughts for the past few days: Star Trek and, more importantly, faithfulness in ministry. Star Trek appears only superficially, as the phrasing of the title reflects language from the TGN episode "Darmok." Therein, the Enterprise (and specifically Picard) learns to communicate with an alien race that speaks only in situational metaphor. "Achilles in his tent" might be a reference to sullen anger, or "Theseus with a black sail" could mean a tragic mistake. Referring to some common story, the aliens communicate images which convey their intended meaning. The trouble is trying to communicate with people (such as the Federation) who are not familiar with the stories.

So why "Paul and John Mark at Pamphylia"? Pamphylia is the place where John Mark turns back from his first missionary journey and goes home. Paul severely disapproves, and when it comes time for his next journey, refuses to take John Mark with him again (rightly so). Barnabus, Paul's original travelling companion, gives John Mark a second chance (also rightly so). From this incident God gets two missionary teams instead of two, and John Mark gets a chance to prove himself. In fact, Paul sends for him in his last days as someone useful to him in the ministry.

I have a mildly analagous situation in my mind. There is someone at my church who is not fulfilling his obligations. Unlike John Mark, he is not completely faithless, but he is certainly shortshifting people who depend on him. The problem seems to lie in how he perceives his level of responsibility, for he seems to think that as long as he can find someone to cover for him, he can leave to do other things (from visiting family to another ministry) whenever he wants.

I feel like Paul -- I almost don't want him around anymore. If he's not going to personally ensure his obligations are being met, he needs to find another form of ministry. Hun is more like Barnabus, trying to encourage him to do a better job.

Trekkie.

2009-08-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

Hun and I went with a friend to see the new Star Trek movie yesterday. Generally, I enjoyed watching it and came away very entertained. After coming home and thinking about it, however, there were a couple of things that began to stick in my craw.

First, my personal grudge: the monologue. You know, "These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise..." If you're going to make a movie about Original Series characters, why don't you use the Original Series monologue? It should remain: "...new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before." (By the way, having Leonard Nimoy saying it was pretty darn perfect, I thought.) I can possibly forgive the "no one" substitution, but "lifeforms"?!?!? What a piece of crock. Yeah, I know Spock said "lifeforms" in The Wrath of Khan, but I hated it then, too. It just doesn't flow properly.

Second, the unresolved plot: the alternate timeline. If you are going to break off a chunk of the Star Trek universe and shove it down a different timeline, then you darn well better put it back by the end of the movie! What would the Temporal Integrity Commission say?

Crazy Summer

2009-08-12T07:25:00.003-05:00

This summer has been so jammed full and upset so many plans that I just have to share. First, Hun was assaulted by two men, and we had to deal with the legal and medical effects. Thankfully we should be reimbursed for the medical bills, but none of that has been completely decided. Then I got rear-ended at a stop light just a couple of days before we were supposed to drive to TN for camp. We had been planning to rent a car anyway because our car was so old (and I didn't trust it to make the trip), but the insurance company graciously understood and provided us with a rental until we got back from vacation. Then they promptly totalled our car and took away the rental so I had no way to pick up the check. After half an hour on the phone (while at work!), I finally talked to someone who said, "Oh, we can get someone to drop the check off where you work! Would that help?", and I said, "YES!"

Getting a new car has been put on hold until we can a) find one we can afford for cash or b) get a loan approved with no credit history. So I'm bumming rides and bussing. In fact, we have a friend (who is unfortunately for me finished with his summer class and visiting family out of state) who let us borrow his car during the day while he was at the school. Since he had no job, I could use his car to go to and from work and run errands. It was wonderful. My brother also came to visit for a week while he was on vacation from working at a summer camp in Galveston. So we had him for transportation for a while. :)

While my brother was here, Hun got his wisdom teeth out (he's been doing very well), and I had a job interview on the same day. I was interviewing for a full-time position with the public library. I didn't get the job, primarily because I don't have enough Spanish for the type of patrons they have. This branch is located in the Human Services building next to the immunization clinic and downstairs from the food stamps office. They apparently have lots of new immigrants who speak no English. But I'll keep looking for a library job.

What else? While we were gone at camp, a lady at our church in TX passed away, leaving a husband and a small daughter. We helped a newly graduated friend move into her first apartment. And I found out that my other brother (the one who was living in England) has moved back to the United States without his wife and may be getting a divorce.

It's getting difficult to keep up, you know?

Spanglish Shirt

2009-07-29T17:33:00.002-05:00

I had an interview today with the public library in my town. I'm not sure how well it went. On one hand, I'd be a great employee. On the other hand, the branch is primarily hispanic, and I'd REALLY have to work on improving my Spanish bigtime. And I don't interview well -- I get really nervous and talk too much.

After the interview I thought about a button I got on Facebook. It had a great saying that just stuck in my mind -- especially in regard to the crummy Spanish that came out. I decided to design a t-shirt, and I thought I'd share it with ya'll.

Living Won't

2009-07-21T20:10:00.002-05:00

The past few weeks have been very exciting. In addition to having my car totalled, spending a week at camp, spending 20 hours driving home, and dealing with my annoying niece and her cracked rib, medical bills have started coming in from Hun's two recent trips to the hospital. Every time we get an update, we start complaining about this one particular hospital that had such a horrible ER. Per my request, Hun has composed a Living Will expressing his wishes should he ever need medical treatment again:

I, Hun the undersigned, being of sound mind and body, herein declare that I would gleefully, happily, indeed cheerfully bleed to death on a sidewalk rather than return for treatment or any other cause to the C------- M-------- Hospital of D----------, Texas, hereafter called "the Hospital of Doom." I hereby forswear my right to all treatment at said Hospital of Doom and preemptorily refuse treatment there, at any such time as treatment is required and I am no longer of sound mind and body, or am not legally able to make such decisions. My spouse, descendants, heirs, and executors (shall any of the above be granted power of attorney) shall respect my decision on this matter (and perhaps shall do so with great glee).

Exception shall be made for cases of pregnancy, in which case medical personnel may take me to any hospital they choose, having first called the National Enquirer.

Standing On the Promises.

2009-07-10T04:56:00.002-05:00

It is absolutely idiotic to praise God for his providence one minute and then be apprehensive about the future the next. On Wednesday I was blown away by how God had taken care of us--even our tiniest needs--and yet by Thursday I was doubtful and afraid again.

On Tuesday as I was getting off of work, a very nice lady in a Ford F150 decided to accelerate while we were stopped at a red light. I think she was trying to get into the turn lane next to us, because her truck only smashed out the right side of my lights and rear bumper. The car was still driveable, though not technically safe, so I drove it a few miles to finish my errands for the day. First I stopped at Christian Brothers to use their phone and call the lady's insurance. After that I dropped some books off at the library and drove back to work to use a more private phone to call Hun and to actually file the claim.

When I drove to work the next morning (over Hun's protests), the car died about half a mile from our apartment. I managed to start it again and get it to work--it seemed to be part of an ongoing problem that we thought we'd fixed by replacing the spark plugs (it may be the distributor, which I'm told has an oil leak). ANYWAY, when I finally got to work I was afraid that I would not be able to get to church that night, and it was my night to cook for the youth group. We also had a doctor's appointment to get Hun to--somehow.

But God was still there, working things out to the good, as he always is. I got a call from the claim representative that very day while I was at work (forwarded from Hun). He arranged with Christian Brothers for me to drop off the car after work (and that day I got off at 4pm, which NEVER happens), and their shuttle would take me to pick up my rental car. They even gave us the car for the length of my vacation. And Hun's doctor appointment was scheduled early enough that I can take him there and get back in time for him to drop me off at work.

After all this working out in just the way we needed it (free rental car for our vacation, timely service from the insurance company, perfectly timed appointment, car with people I trust, shuttle to rental car, etc.), I was simply amazed and praising God. Funnily enough, the accident itself may be considered an act of providence. I had just had to replace the light bulbs in my taillight--again--so if it gets fixed rather than totalled, it may correct the issues we've been having with that light. If the car is totalled, then I get more money for it than I probably would have gotten for selling it. And we were thinking we'd have to get a newer car in the next few months.

But by Thursday I was already freaking out. I tried to figure out how we were going to afford a new car if ours gets totalled (which would actually be the best resolution, I think), and I got nervous about that. I also saw a job opening with our public library system, which I've been looking for for two years, and applied, so I got nervous about that. And now I'm driving a squeaky clean Ford Focus with less than 3K on it, and I'm really nervous about that. After the mountaintop of Wednesday, how quick I was to start doubting God!

God will provide for all these needs, I know. He's done it already! I just have to make sure to pray for HIS will not MINE to be done.

Garfield minus Garfield

2009-07-06T07:14:00.001-05:00

Someone shared this with me on Facebook, and I was amused enough to share it with the world.

Garfield minus Garfield

Weekend Jaunts

2009-07-06T06:59:00.002-05:00

I was off this Saturday because of the 4th of July, so Hun and I decided to do something fun this weekend. In a way, we were making up for the insanity of last weekend -- which was unpleasant in a way that is completely private and involved my skipping work, a five hour drive, and two doctor's visits.

Anyway, THIS Saturday, we went yardsaling. The first few hours weren't productive, but at the last sale we found a beautiful glass carafe in Coke-bottle green, a cooling rack, tons of plastic cookie cutters, and the Game of Life. All for $5. We played that game three times on our own and twice when a friend came over to see the fireworks with us.

Speaking of fireworks, the show that our town put on was much smaller and more subdued than last year. Perhaps they were cutting back on the budget. But I prefer to think they didn't want to set the field by the lake on fire again.

By the way, Hun and I found a great cartoon while we were researching what the missing sticker was in our Game of Life. You need to read it.

Up to Date

2009-06-24T22:26:00.003-05:00

I don't know how long it's taken me to watch House MD from the first episode to the most recent one. All I know is that I've finally watched the last episode of season 5 and I don't know what to do with myself. It's how I occupy myself when Hun is gone.

So I guess I need to find another show. Any suggestions?

Communicating

2009-06-15T06:28:00.002-05:00

Last night Hun and I had yet another huge fight about his thesis (or lack thereof). Theoretically he's been working on it since December or January. In actuality, he hasn't picked a topic yet, picked his readers yet, or even visited the library since the cruise. Anyway, it's been driving me insane. He keeps insisting that it's his life, and I shouldn't be worrying about it since it's not my responsibility. And I keep pointing out that anything that affects him affects me, and the longer it takes him to finish his thesis, the more money we spend on it that could be properly spent on other things.

At the end of it all, though, we do love each other. And for us, while little bickering fights really drag us down, the big, drop-down ugly fights are the ones that usually bring us closer together at the close of the day. That's when we finally feel that it's okay to air all the unpleasant things we've been holding back and only picking at. (I mean, you don't want to go about each day telling your husband you think he's incredibly lazy and cowardly, but once and a while it's okay as long as he knows you mean it in love. *smile*)

On the whole we'd both prefer to be encouraging rather than brutally honest with each other, but sometimes that's not possible. Especially when problems like this one start messing with your marriage. Hun says that having a horribly bitter fight like this one only proves how really closely interwoven we are -- otherwise we wouldn't be able to get each other so angry. And afterwards we end up really talking. I guess it only goes to show that sometimes you have to yell to get yourself heard.

Roast Chicken.

2009-06-09T07:07:00.001-05:00

Last Thanksgiving I cooked my first turkey, and I've been meaning ever since to do something similar with a chicken. Yesterday when I was buying groceries, I noticed tha the price was down to 69 cents a pound, and I thought, "Why not?" So I bought two, one to cook and one to freeze.

Now I have to get around to cooking the darn thing. The last time I bought chicken parts (to try learning to fry them), I let them sit in the fridge too long and had to throw everything out. I won't make the same mistake with this bird.

Tippetts.

2009-06-05T03:40:00.004-05:00

Last night at FWBBC there was a celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Tippett's years of service. It's particularly important because Mr. Tippett is currently battling aggressive bone cancer. I really, really wish I could have been there. They've both done so much for me.

I tell everyone that the best preachers I've ever known have all been former English majors, especially Mr. Tippett! He's passed so much wisdom on to me in the form of sermons on Wednesday nights or little snippets of advice. There are a few events from my time at FWBBC involving Mr. Tippett specifically that really stick in my mind. The first is that he told Hun and me (repeatedly) to move far away from home for the first years of our marriage so we could learn to depend on each other -- excellent advice. (He hauled me out to Texas. Thanks.) The second is when I told him after chapel that he had mastered the art of smiling benevolently. :) And the third is when he played a tape one Wednesday night of his mother talking, and she said that her Elbert was "a good boy."

Those two people are very special to me (and to a lot of other people). They both have profoundly influenced my years at FWBBC, my marriage, and my walk with God.

---

Random blog moment involving Mr. BT.

Freebie -- Museums on Us.

2009-06-05T03:01:00.003-05:00

I just found out about this yesterday, and it is so totally awesome that I had to share it with you.

If you go to a participating museum and show them your BofA debit or credit card this weekend, you get in for free. For my friends in Nashville: Frist Center or the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. For my friends in DFW: Dallas Museum of Art or the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.

Dressing Up

2009-06-03T07:35:00.002-05:00

Ever since we got our tax return back, Hun and I have been trying to figure out how to equitably save or spend it. We finally decided to put a large chunk in the emergency fund and the car fund, and then we *said* we'd spend the rest. I was budgeted $200 for the purchase of a new camera. Hun was budgeted $350 for the purchase of a new suit and dress shirts. The rest was to go into "stuff we've put off buying for our apartment." We have yet to spend most of it.

Still, we have made progress in the dress shirts area. For Memorial Day (and the Tuesday after), Hun and I went shopping. It was amazing. He actually tried things on. We spent a couple of hours browsing through one store and matching shirts with cool ties. And we even bought a couple. He found one shirt he really wanted to buy at Kohl's -- an Azure "Arrow Sateen" -- but they didn't have it in his size. We've been browsing the internet for a good price ever since, and I was about to buy one from Amazon.com for $25 when I got an email from Kohl's that they were having a Father's Day sale. Whoot!

By the way, I am so proud of my husband for taking control of his wardrobe and trying to buy snazzy clothes that fit right. I'm all for getting by on what you have, but there's no reason to look like you got all your clothes from Goodwill (though Goodwill is the source of some of my favorite clothes).

Digital Dilemma

2009-05-12T20:39:00.003-05:00

Our digital camera, an HP M-something or other that I got about five years ago, crapped out during our vacation in January. And ever since then I've been browsing around for a camera to replace it.

I'm really leaning toward the powerzoom category of digital cameras because they are an upgrade from the point-and-shoot variety and much less expensive than the SLR that I really want. I think of it sort of as a training ground for the Nikon D60 I intend to buy sometime in the distant future.

My father-in-law has a Kodak Easyshare z710 which Hun and I loved to borrow when ours died. That said, I purposely chose the original HP camera because I did not want a Kodak. Perhaps it's time to give them a second chance.

There are other cameras out there with better specs and more features. There are even cameras in the powerzoom category that are more affordable than Kodaks. But after all the reviews I've read (and all the pricetags I've seen), I keep coming back to the Kodak Z-series.

There used to be a refurbished z1012 IS for sale on the Kodak website for $190. I found another one on Amazon for about $30 cheaper with a 1 year warranty. My only real problem is that the seller has been there less than a year (though he gets pretty awesome reviews), and I'm a little shy of buying something so expensive via the internet. Electronics are tricky, and you can end up with crap when you are promised great stuff. In other words, I'm either suspicious or paranoid.

I'd like to get a camera in time for Hun's ordination on Sunday, but I know that's not realistic. So I can hold off on buying the camera just long enough to find out his returns policy and check the local Wolf Camera out.

Poverty and Avarice.

2009-05-02T17:11:00.005-05:00

Have you ever been poor? I have. My two brothers and I were raised by my essentially single dad who was employed as a night shift security guard. Not a lot of money to go around. This was after he got laid off from being a civil engineer for TVA and after my pharmacist mom finally got her own place and left. So I used to be rich, too.

Then I went to college, which my mother paid for in a weird arragement where she sent me $200 a week. For years I gave $175 of that to my dad and kept $25 as a reasonable allowance for a kid in high school. With that allowance and various Christmas and birthday gifts, I saved up $2500 of my own money just before I went to college. I spent $1500 of that on a laptop and put $1000 in my first single checking account. Then I got a job and earned my own money. With mom paying for tuition, room, and board, I had very few personal expenses. I also didn't spend a lot. My bank account climbed, and suddenly, for a college student, I was rich again.

I could buy anything I really wanted, but I didn't. I didn't get a cell phone or an Ipod. I already had a (dated) digital camera that my boyfriend's parents bought me for my birthday/Christmas. I bought most of my clothes at Walmart and rummage sales.

I have been hailed as being wise with my money, declaimed as being tightfisted. So I don't really trust myself to determine when I should let go and spend/give a little. I really like the feeling of socking away money and watching the balance go higher. Because I've been on the other side of things, watching my dad work overtime and skip vacations to pay for his kids' needs and his wife's mounting debt.

Now I'm married, working at a bank, and supporting my full-time student husband. I technically have more money than I've ever had before, but the income I make really only supports day-to-day stuff. We have an emergency fund that is growing so slowly, but it really wouldn't be wise to use that to a) replace my broken digital camera, b) make payments on a newer, better working car, c) buy Hun a wardrobe that fits, or d) afford better health insurance or the high deductible on my current insurance. When Hun graduates, I sure as heck won't have the money to go to graduate school myself.

And on the flip side of those depressing thoughts, I know that God has a way of making the most impossible things affordable. And compared to many, many people, I am rich. But I still hate myself for spending every waking moment thinking about my budget, for hating my ugly, squealing car every time I have to drive somewhere, for coveting other people's things.

Here's a story to explain. Today we drove nearly 2 hours to Hun's credentials examination. Our car made it's usual weird noises and stalled at a stopsign along the way. A man from our church was worried about us driving our car all that way and was afraid we wouldn't make it. My pastor told me that he admires us for sticking with the car we have, that most young people wouldn't have the self-control not to blow their money on a shiny new car. And my greatest temptation right now is literally that. I felt like such a two-face because that's exactly what I want to do, and Hun keeps telling me it's a bad idea. I mostly agree with him. But I still really, really want to replace our car.

I work in a really great part of town, in a bank with customers who make tens of thousands more than I do. I find myself watching the cars as I drive to work, noticing the Lexus or the BMW in front of me. And I am torn between being frugal and wanting a shiny reliable car.

Meetings and Examinations.

2009-05-02T14:51:00.003-05:00

Hun and I drove 2 hours today so we could be 15 minutes late to his examination before the credentials board at the annual meeting of the West Fork Association of FWB. Because we were late, the deacon from our church who was on the board kind of filled them in as to Hun's character, and he only really had to answer one question -- explain what you meant on this point of the questionaire. He was very nervous about it, and it turned out to be no big deal.

So all that remains is his ordination service on May 17. Tons o' fun.

Tomorrow's Plans.

2009-05-01T18:46:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Hun is going to be examined to see whether or not he should be a deacon (even though apparently everyone thinks he should). Lots of stuff to do to prepare -- I have laundry to wash, meals to cook, episodes of House to watch... The list goes on.

Soup and Sandwich

2009-04-22T22:02:00.003-05:00

Tonight I cooked for the entire youth group and the random adults that come by after service. I made three batches of my dad's Hearty Italian Soup recipe and prayed that I'd made enough. There were 17 kids there tonight plus 5 or 6 adults to feed as well. Most of the soup stuff was done ahead of time, so we just dumped it all in a pot and simmered while making the grilled cheese sandwiches.

Praise God, but we had exactly enough soup. Perhaps 2 bowls left when it was all said and done. And I used 2.5 of the 3 loaves of bread I brought. We had one extra sandwich left, but that was basically it. Everyone left full, and I received multiple compliments from the adults and the KIDS. The pastor's wife asked for the recipe. I was very happy with the reaction. I don't know if God multiplied the soup or if I was that good a judge of how much we'd need, but I was also happy that we had so little left. (I don't want to eat spicy Italian soup for the next week, thanks.)

Hun and I have been having a really productive week. We get stuff done; the house stays clean; we get along well. It's all really very pleasant. We had a nasty shock when we found out how much it would cost to get our car fixed, but we also had a nice surprise at how little it would cost to remove Hun's wisdom teeth in a couple of months. Now I just need to decide if we can afford to replace our car with one from Carmax or if we should just cough up the repair money and fix our 18-year-old car.

Errands and Bills

2009-04-20T15:14:00.002-05:00

While I usually maximize my days off by relaxing around the house and reading, today I finally spent my day well, running errands. First, I stopped at the dentist to get a refund from being double billed for a visit in February. Second, I got directions to the nearest oral surgeon to schedule a visit to remove Hun's wisdom teeth (finally!). Then I stopped at Christian Brothers Automotive to have a 28-point inspection and estimate for repair of my car. The Yota Rolla is old enough to vote, and she's starting to feel her age. Then I walked to the library and spent some time there before walking back to hear the fateful news.

First off, the people at CBAC were really nice. They walked me though the problems with my car and showed me everything personally. The total estimate came to about $600 in parts and $800 in labor. Um... yeah. That's really expensive. The biggie that really needs to be fixed is replacing the distributor. And the boots on the axles are cracked -- that's another biggie. (I'm so proud of myself, learning all this mechanical stuff. When I first got this old car, I barely knew where the engine was.) Then there were little things like a new air filter and cleaning/adjusting the back brakes. They also recommended replacing the belts in the engine, and I already knew that the serpentine belt was beginning to fray because of an incident with another garage when our alternator was replaced.

The manager said that if we decided to get the work done, he'd "put some discounts on there" for us, so I really don't know how much everything would cost. Hun and I have discussed just scrapping her and buying another used car, but frankly I'd rather have an old car that I know is fixed than a new-to-me car with unknown problems.

So we're anticipating a few really hefty expenses in the next few weeks. I need to call and find out what to expect for the oral surgery, too.

When I got home, I went into this frenzy of productivity. (It feels so good to cross things off your list. You know?) It's our turn to cook for the youth group at church on Wednesday, and I've planned to prepare a bit each day. Last night I chopped most of the vegetables, and today I browned/sauteed everything I'll need for the soup. All that's left is putting all the ingredients in the pot and simmering for about 30 minutes. Hun also has a friend coming over tomorrow, so I'm cleaning some, doing the laundry, and making a casserole so they can have lunch at the apartment.

I'm going to get so lazy after this that I won't cook for a week. But right now I feel great!

---

Here's the recipe for my dad's "Hearty Italian Soup"

1 lb bulk pork Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 (8oz.) cans of tomato sauce
2 (8oz.) cans of water
3 roma tomatoes (or equivalent), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp/3 cubes chicken bouillon
3/4 cup macaroni shells
shredded cheddar cheese/american cheese

1. Brown sausage, onion, tomatoes, and garlic in pan, drain.
2. Add everything except the macaroni and shredded cheese, and simmer 15 minutes. Add the macaroni and simmer 10-12 minutes.
3. Top individual portions with shredded cheese and serve.

Holy Saturday

2009-04-11T16:35:00.004-05:00

Today Hun and I went yard-saling (?) and picked up a few things. We got a Monopoly game (still shrink-wrapped) for $2, and then played it when we got home. Hun won quickly. I also got a dvd (Master of Disguise) for $1 and a couple of books for 25 cents a piece.

While Hun was setting up the Monopoly game, I set up my egg-dying stations. This may have been why I lost the game... I hadn't dyed Easter eggs in YEARS, so I had forgotten how messy it is. I have 3 favorites: 1) a really weird brownish one that I stuck back in the blue for about 15 minutes turned a beautiful midnight blue; a bright yellow egg with a smiley face drawn on it in white crayon (made after I lost Monopoly); and 3) a watermelon egg with one side red, one side green, and a white stripe in the middle.

I also cracked a really cool green/yellow striped egg when I dropped it, so I made Hun eat it. Turns out that my eggs are actually soft-boiled. (Ew.) Now I'm really curious about what happens when you reboil eggs that are already dyed.

---

Turns out, the color dissolves in water. *sigh*

Crime

2009-03-21T00:09:00.003-05:00

So Wednesday I felt very much the victim. I had the day off of work, so I spent pretty much the whole day inside (except for 40 minutes of getting sunburned while trying to read on the lawn). I have no idea when my car got broken into, but I found it at 6:30 pm as I was about to drive to church.

We don't lock our car because the locks don't work very well, so thankfully the windows weren't broken. They did take the faceplate off our radio and throw it in the floorboard (probably realizing it wasn't worth stealing). They broke the plastic around the radio. They rummaged through my things and threw my Bible. They smoked a cigarette in my car and left their lighter in the driver's seat.

It's the first time I've ever been the victim of such a personal crime, and it really shook me up. I felt violated and very vulnerable. I called Hun at 2am (3am for him) crying because I didn't feel safe in my own home and couldn't get to sleep for worrying. The police can't do anything about it and probably aren't even going to investigate the report I called in.

The next day I felt much better and realized I had probably overreacted. I still don't feel great about leaving the apartment at night, but I'm gradually getting over my fear.

That Particular Dance Step

2009-03-18T00:36:00.004-05:00

When I was a kid, my father would only rent "classic" movies. I was force-fed a diet of Shirley Temple and Broadway musicals. And oddly enough, while I was clamoring for James Bond and Young Frankenstein, some of the "classics" stuck on me. I memorized songs and sang them in front of my mirror or while walking to school. I scrutinized dance steps, and while I could never dance, oh, how I wanted to.

There was one particular dance step from Gene Kelly's famous scene in Singin' in the Rain that I tried and tried until finally I could do it. He starts at 3:32 in this clip: hopping on and off the sidewalk.

When I saw this GE ad years later with an elephant doing the same routine, I was so proud of myself when I recognized the same move in 0:31.

Tonight, I was actually looking for lyrics to a song ("Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks") I barely remembered. And I found the song in a movie (It's Always Fair Weather) which had starred Gene Kelly, so I went browsing through the videos. He has a scene very similar to the one from Singin' in the Rain: guy in daze after meeting with girl breaks into song'n'dance while beaming with amazed joy. (I will never be a headline writer.) It's really a rather cool routine because he's tap dancing in roller skates, but imagine my surprise when he breaks into the exact same dance step at 3:28! I just about hooted in the middle of the computer lab.

Eating Out

2009-03-13T00:03:00.003-05:00

It's only been a few days, but it's very weird for me to be spending this much time alone. I've never really been completely on my own before -- living on my own away from friends and family. In college I was surrounded by tons of friends, and even here in Texas I've almost always had Hun. So I'm not used to the experience of coming home to an empty house, sleeping alone in my bed, and preparing meals for one person.

Case in point: I'd been subsisting on cereal and sandwiches when I decided to cook for myself on Tuesday night. I made a grilled cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs, and a skillet of cornbread. I only ate half the cornbread, but the other half was my dinner on Wednesday night. Tonight I didn't want to try cooking again just yet, so I thought I'd go out to eat.

I've had a coupon for a gourmet pizza place in my purse for several months, so I thought I'd try it out. Eating out by yourself is REALLY weird. First, I left my book in the car, and when I finished perusing the menu, I realized I needed something to read. (I mean, what else was I supposed to do, watch the other patrons?) But when I started to get up to get the book, I realized I had to take my purse and coat with me. And I had no fellow-diner to hold my table. Unsettling. The food was good, though it was way to spicy for me. (To be honest, black pepper can be too spicy for me.)

I'm looking forward to my husband coming home. I even booked him a flight already, so I can now count of the days on my calendar if I so wish. I just hope things work out so he can come home then and not have to postpone.

Bad, Lonely Day

2009-03-11T22:49:00.004-05:00

I've been really, really lonely since Hun went back to TN to visit friends and family. And to be honest, I've spent some of my time feeling sorry for myself because he seemed to be having such a great time while I was so lonely.

This blog post kind of put things in perspective for me. And I have to applaud the photoshop effort put into making the last picture. Here's the snopes explanation.

Ooo, lookie

2009-03-07T21:12:00.001-06:00

This is another funny video.

Followed by one further funny video.

Video Surfing

2009-03-07T20:41:00.003-06:00

While Hun is completing a cross-country drive in his rental car, I'm trying to while away the hours by watching tv. And lacking a tv, I have to do this in the computer lab. Currently I'm on my fourth episode of House today and am trying to finish off the fourth season. Unfortunately for me, the video loads slowly enough that I can watch other things at the same time. I've been reading Wodehouse, so I thought I'd revisit Jeeves and Wooster. From there I found a link to this delightful clip that I thought you'd enjoy.

Don't you love how my mind works?

Morning Email

2009-02-28T07:23:00.001-06:00

I generally detest receiving these things, but sometimes I find chain emails funny enough to share.

The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the Director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.

'Oh, I understand,' I said. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'

'No.' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?'

Intellectual Stimulation

2009-02-19T21:56:00.003-06:00

I've seen only a few Peck movies (The Guns of Navarone, To Kill a Mockingbird, David and Bathsheba), so when I saw Gentleman's Agreement, I knew I could expect to see him playing a character who lives by very strong convictions. Other than that, I didn't know what to expect.

It's a great movie, sure to spark plenty of debate on its content alone. But Hun and I found most interesting its resemblance to another anit-racism movie of Peck's: To Kill a Mockingbird.

I'm not a great movie critic; I'm just saying I enjoyed comparing the two movies, and I recommend that you watch them both.

Thirsty Car

2009-02-07T19:55:00.003-06:00

My car has suddenly developed a powerful thirst for liquids (above and beyond gasoline). Or, shall we say, I have recently noticed this thirst?

In the past week I have had to add transmission fluid, oil (which is nothing new), and now power steering fluid (which thankfully is the same as ATF). I hate my car sometimes, rather in the way one can grow to hate a cantankerous old woman who yells at you whenever she doesn't feel well. Of course, there are lovable thinks about my Yota Rolla; mostly that she's mine and completely paid for, barring excessive thirst.

Confused

2009-02-05T00:43:00.002-06:00

My mother has just recently joined Facebook, and I really don't know how to react. She's been almost completely out of my life for the past 8 years or so, and now she can chat with me (if she can figure out how to use the site, of course).

This is really weird.

Theoretically, I'm all for regaining contact with my mother and letting her back in, but it's a struggle to reverse the learned responses of a lifetime.

1000th post

2009-02-01T20:37:00.005-06:00

I have no idea what would be appropriate for the 1000th post on my blog. So I'll just bypass this little milestone and continue with my day.

I did not watch the incredibly unimportant football game on TV today partially because I do not own a television and partially because I had better things to do. Sleeping was involved.

Also, I have discovered a lovely game that I think you will enjoy. In Hangman Cheat the computer is trying to guess the word you are thinking about. And I taught it the word Nahuatl, so you'll have to thing of another one.

Cruising

2009-01-19T17:45:00.004-06:00

Well, Hun and I are officially back from cruising the Caribbean with NCL. We managed to buy/acquire something in every port of call, break our digital camera 2 days before the cruise was over, and have a great deal of fun.

My favorite part (which I keep telling everyone) was the food. Between eating whatever I wanted in fancy restaurants and tasting fresh pineapple (ripened before picking, unlike what you get in the States), I spent most of my trip reveling in a feast of yumminess. And I got to eat dessert whenever I wanted. There was literally one day when I had six meals. I was so full that I only tasted some of Hun's lobster in our last "dinner" of the day.

My second favorite part was learning how to make a dozen different towel animals. They had a demonstration from the housekeeping staff on the last day at sea, but I didn't really get to practice any of it until I asked our room steward, Wayjon, to show me some. He taught me a better way of making a monkey head and a few things they didn't cover in the seminar. I can now make a: monkey (sitting or hanging), puppy dog, bull dog, rabbit, elephant, rabbit, frog, snake, peacock (my favorite), <3 swans (also called the Honeymooners), lobster, and alligator. Check out this pamphlet from Royal Caribbean International for a few of the ones I learned at NCL.

It was also great to spend so much quality time with the family. And I got to see my baby nephew!

28 Hours

2009-01-10T10:36:00.002-06:00

Due to an all-night lock-in at church and preparations for leaving tomorrow morning, I haven't been to sleep all night. I can tell a difference in my cognitive abilities and memory, but oddly enough I still feel rather alert. I remember other times when I've been awake 25 hours or so, and I was ready to collapse from exhaustion. At the moment, though, I still feel like I can function.

Really Happy New Year

2009-01-01T16:30:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd cap off the last post on a high note. Here's a beautiful piece of origami that I'd love to try making when I have the time.

Very peaceful and soothing.

Lotus Flower

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T16:23:00.002-06:00

It's been a long week, but with the new year starting, I figured I might as well put some of the junk behind me. I had a great visit with an old friend on Sunday. I found/confirmed the source of some recurring pain on Monday (though I'll have to wait to get it checked out until after we get back in town). Work was rough -- people go crazy about their money during Christmas and New Year's. Now I've got to get ready for a party that Hun is really interested in throwing on Twelfth Night. There will be wassail (non-alcoholic), hot chocolate, king cake (only in the broadest definition), and whatever else people want to bring.

I thought I'd relax and watch some House, but after four hours, I've got a MASSIVE headache. And I don't want to move because I'm a girl, and it hurts. But I still have stuff to do.

Friendly Visit

2008-12-29T12:28:00.002-06:00

Hun and I had a "surprise" (read: extremely short notice) visitor last night and this morning, and we had a blast hanging out with him. Thilo is a friend of ours from high school (my ex-boyfriend, though that doesn't keep us from remaining extremely good friends), and he was visiting family in Texas when he joined Facebook on Saturday. He found us and asked to come visit while he was here.

He arrived after church Sunday night, and we stayed up talking with him to some obscene time in the A.M. and played Battle of the Sexes. (Man, that game takes forever.) Then I woke everyone up at 8 am or so in order to go out to eat breakfast together. With how much we love to talk, we didn't actually leave the house until about 10. He had to go meet someone for lunch before he headed back to his family, so our time was limited (and unfortunately for him, so is his stomach, and he'll have trouble consuming lunch after IHOP so late today).

It was tons of fun to see him. I wish he could have stayed longer. Then I would have introduced him to some of our other friends (I'm curious what insights about us they would share with each other) and perhaps set him up or something. ;)

Christmas Morning

2008-12-25T10:21:00.003-06:00

Okay, so what I said about not getting on the internet this morning was a big fat lie. Hun and I were up late last night at IHOP with a friend of ours. We both got a late start this morning, but he started even later than I did (recuperating from papers before starting up again). I woke up in time to make a ham, cheese, and spinach strata which is currently cooling on top of the stove. Be proud of me: I used a sausage breakfast casserole recipe as a guide and kind of made it up as I went along! It looks and smells delicious.

This morning I went hunting for beverage recipes for our prospective Twelfth Night party. I've bought a gallon of cider for experimentation, and a block of baker's chocolate in hopes of making truly excellent hot chocolate. In my search for recipes, I came across a dessert I really want to try making: baked hot chocolate. In fact, I want some right now, but I'll have to make do with my strata.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T18:46:00.004-06:00

Merry Early Christmas, everyone! I'll probablly not get online tomorrow, so I didn't want to miss my chance.

Work today was awful. We've had lines literally to the door for the past few days, and a higher percentage of customers have been grumpy or downright rude. It kind of makes it hard to keep up the appropriate cheer and to appreciate the Christmas season.

The day has not been a total waste, though. I got off at 2pm and chillaxed with Hun (well, he was supposed to be finishing a paper) until supper. I also made him some rice pudding, for which he was very thankful. He's been asking me to give it a try for a while, and I thought it would be an easy way to start off my Christmas cooking blitz. He says it turned out very well; I thought it tasted like oatmeal. To each his own, I suppose.

Now I have to rewash the dishes and get my ham and spinach strata ready (also known as a breakfast casserole) to bake tomorrow morning. I'm also planning on making chocolate chip cookies with some of the Christmas-colored chips I bought earlier this year (maybe last year after Christmas?).

It's just going to be us again this year, and I'm not even inviting anyone over for dinner from work (like I did last year). We have fewer presents to open because everyone in our family is saving up for the cruise we're taking in January. Actually, Hun is the only one with anything under the tree at the moment; my gift hasn't arrived yet.

Well, I've got lots to do, and I have to give Hun his computer back before he falls asleep.

Bipolar Weather

2008-12-16T19:41:00.003-06:00

Today was very cold in Texas. We had a high of 32 Farenheit. This is December, so that should be weird, but the really odd part is that it was 70-something degrees on Sunday. And tomorrow we have a projected high of 54. It's supposed to be even warmer on Thursday.

And guess what. It actually snowed for like twenty minutes.

This morning after I got my car to start (it takes about 4 tries on a cold morning), the ride to work took FOREVER. First of all, there were a couple of wrecks in that one 5-mile stretch of highway. Traffic was literally bumper to bumper all the way to work, making the usually 15 minute drive about 40 minutes long. That's worse than football traffic.

Most Dangerous Cake Recipe Ever

2008-12-16T19:31:00.004-06:00

I got this in an email recently and just had to share.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Early Saturday

2008-12-13T11:27:00.004-06:00

So I woke up this morning at 6am ostensibly to get a head start on all the stuff I have to do today. Am I getting it done? Well, I've done three of the twenty-billion things on my list at the moment. In no particular order...

So far I have:

Gone to the 7:30 meeting at work.
Returned library books.
Renewed library books.

I have yet to:

Clean the apartment.
Do laundry.
Wash dishes.
Cook for tomorrow's party.
Prepare for Sunday School.
Check out more books.
Finish UT Newlywed Study self-reporting survey.
Take a shower.
Put up Christmas decorations.

Instead I have:

Played games.
Checked my email.
Researched future jobs for my spouse. (I've convinced myself that he's going to have to get his PhD. There's no way around it at the moment.)
Read other people's blogs.

Charger Escape

2008-12-13T11:23:00.002-06:00

Do you like horses? Good, you'll like this game. But if you love unicorns, transmogrification, and random and completely inexplicable bursts of magic, you will (like me) leave this game scratching your head and saying, "Whu-huh?"

Try Charger Escape.

At first I thought it was one of the point-n-click games where you are trying to escape a room in which you are locked for little to no reason. However, I found out differently. It's actually an interesting twist on the genre.

Winter Weather

2008-12-09T19:45:00.003-06:00

Hey, it's sleeting here in Tejas! It's as close to snow as I've ever seen it get. (Of course, it did snow last March when I wasn't here to see it.)

And it's butt-munchingly cold. And I have a really annoying cold. So I can't enjoy it as much as I'd like.

Seriously, though, I've felt the cold building since about Saturday. First it starts with a scratchy throat and feeling thirsty all the time. Then throat drip. Then nose drip. And today at work I felt so congested that my TEETH hurt, of all things. And I was sneezing up a storm. Have you ever felt three sneezes come right on top of each other? I'm not talking: A-CHOO! A-CHOO! A-CHOO!. No, these were more like: Aaaaa-CHA-CHOO-CHOO! It's also very difficult to talk to customers when your face is scrunched up waiting for a sneeze for about 10 seconds.

At least I feel better now than I did a few hours ago. Maybe all that sneezing helped.

Dangeresque Roomisode 1

2008-12-02T19:53:00.002-06:00

Total awesomeness! Gotta love the point-n-click-iness of it all, too. The solution is very typical of Strongbad and very clever, too. I enjoyed it, and I think you will as well.

Sorry, can't think. Watching House.

Great Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T09:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a LOT of fun for me. After washing dishes for 2 days in preparation for Thanksgiving, I didn't have to get up until 11am. At first I was just laying in bed reading until Hun woke up, and then I was laying in bed with Hun not wanting to get up. ;)

At noon, my culinarily-inclined friend came over and helped me start my portion of the cooking. I'm amazed that my contributions turned out as well as they did. He made his fancy dishes the night before: sweet potatoes, green beans (with artichokes?), cranberry/blueberry sauce, pumpkin pie. I made the cornbread stuffing (to which I will add an egg next time -- it just fell apart), mashed potatoes with skins, and the grand turkey. My friend helped the most with the turkey b/c I was unfamiliar with most of what I had to do. However, after having done one turkey, I think it should be pretty easy to do another one on my own. I may even move on to cooking chicken, too. My husband will be happy - the largest meat component of our diet is usually ground beef.

Our friend, Hun, and I stuffed ourselves silly. We had literally cooked enough for about 3 or 4 times the people there. We took pictures and video of most steps of the process -- there is a particularly funny one of Hun trying to figure out how to carve the turkey from instructions I printed out from Cooks.com.

We retired across the room to the couch and just let everything settle so we could have room for dessert. Whew. And we played a few games. My favorite conquest of the night was winning 6 rounds of Mexican Train Dominoes in a row. Hun won the seventh and final round, and that's when we decided to call it a night at about 12:30 in the morning.

I found out this morning that some seeds I planted earlier had born fruit: I apparently convinced my British sister-in-law and brother to celebrate Thanksgiving, and then she convinced her entire family. Yes!

Post-deluvian Post

2008-11-11T14:05:00.002-06:00

Our apartment has a tendency to flood during heavy rains. By which I mean that the floor of the kitchen and the bathroom (on the other side of the apartment) get flooded and the water leeches into the carpet. Yesterday was particularly soppy, so Hun and I have spent the day alternately stomping on towels spread over the carpet like so many vats of grapes to be pressed and spinning/drying the towels until they can be reused.

At least the floor no longer squishes when we walk on it (in most places). From previous knowledge, I'm not looking forward to the mildew smell that takes days to clear out. Thankfully one does not get too many heavy rains here in Tejas.

French Twist

2008-11-09T21:52:00.003-06:00

I finally figured out how to make a French Twist in my hair today! Learning from multiple failed attempts was instructive, but I got the most help from random people on Youtube who post videos about hairstyling. These are the true experts, the young women who do nothing more with their brains than think about their appearance and what guys to flirt with today. I think there was a Gilmore Girls episode about that. Something when Paris and Rorie were at Yale.

Anyway, I did a great twist on the second try, pinned it up, wished I'd waited until I put on a sweater, wore it to church, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

On Committee

2008-11-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

Today was the big day. We've been building up to this for months -- should we hire a youth pastor for our church? Our pastor has been working with one guy from a local school, and today the Personnel Committee met and interviewed him. He'd been to visit a few times, and we even had him and his girlfriend over to our apartment for lunch (totally impromptu but delicious and entertaining). I didn't actually know I was on this committee, but they called me in just as they were about to start.

With my recent experience job-hunting last year, it was rather strange to sit on the other side of the table, as it were. We had a preconceived list of questions and a guy to head up the interview, but all NINE of us were allowed to ask our own questions as they came up. That's gotta be a little nerve-wracking: having nine people sitting around a table all looking at you and listening intently to your answers, judging your responses. All in all, I think our guy did pretty well, though. (Off topic, I did notice he used the word "encourage" an awful lot to describe everything from his personal testimony to how he would deal with individual scenarios.) The committee voted to recommend him to the church as a candidate, and the church will vote next week on whether to hire him.

We are a little curious as to where the funds will come from, but we're kind of stepping out on a limb and praying that God will provide. The church has funds set aside, but it would be nice to be able to regularly fund a youth pastor from the weekly offerings rather than dipping into our savings.

Hairsticks Break

2008-11-08T20:00:00.003-06:00

I searched long and hard for the right style when I purchased my first pair of hairsticks. They were about 4.5", spiral curved bone and reminded me of unicorns. However I discovered that bone has the disturbing tendency to develop cracks when put under stress. (From what I read on various forums and websites, it's pretty common for hairsticks to break.) The first stick snapped a couple of weeks after I got it, and the second has cracks down the sides and will snap any day.

What to do?

I didn't trust metal because it will bend on you (as the comb I bought for my wedding hairstyle can evidence) and eventually snap. However, Ron Quattro's stuff has changed my mind.

One day when I have money I'll buy one of his gorgeous (and STURDY) pieces.

Real Spanish

2008-11-08T18:09:00.002-06:00

The memory can be a tricky thing. Miss one letter when you're trying to remember the Spanish word for "purple" and you get a Mexican slur for an illegal immigrant. I'm so glad I thought to ask my Hispanic supervisor before I tried to use the word.

Political Opinions

2008-11-06T18:34:00.004-06:00

I am a victim of the media hype to "get out the vote" and "rock the vote" for youth. I am also the product of a father who feels deeply the honor and responsibility of voting. So I voted in the presidential election for 2008.

I felt pretty conflicted about it, actually. Like the lazy young American that I am, I didn't really know a whole lot about the politicians in question other than some of their basic platforms. On the other hand, I felt a strong desire to exercise my right to vote. I felt I had to vote, but I just didn't know whom to vote for.

I never liked Mr. Obama as a presidential candidate. Not when he was sparring against Hillary Clinton and definitely not when she was stumping for him after the primaries. I also never really liked John McCain. We agreed on some important points (pro-life, for example), but in general he wasn't as conservative as I'd prefer. If I'd had my druthers, we'd be swearing in Mr. Fred Thompson as the next President of the United States. Sadly, the American public (and the media, for that matter) were not enticed by a man who vocalized detailed plans and made definite stands on key issues. (Unlike "Change...What?" Obama.)

Many people are celebrating this "historic election" because we've elected our first African-American president. In my opinion, his race should not matter one little bit as to whether he's fit to be President. And sadly, many people voted for him because of his ethnic origin. Personally, I believe that just as one should not discriminate against President-Elect Obama because of the color of his skin, it is equally wrong to advocate him as presidential material for the same reason. His race has nothing to do with the content of his character.

That all being said, he IS now our President-Elect; hence, all the media now calling him "Mr. Obama" instead of just "Obama." And as a Christian I do owe him a certain amount of respect for his position of authority.

On that topic, I point you to Eric Redmond: "Living Soli Deo Gloria Under Obama", as a former professor of mine pointed it out to me via Facebook.

Books Romana

2008-11-06T17:35:00.003-06:00

Isaac Asimov admitted to "a tiny bit of cribbin' / from the works of Edward Gibbon" when he created his Foundation series. Asimov was referring to how he essentially ripped the historical bones out of the Roman Empire (via Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) and refleshed them with a science fiction setting thousands of years in the future. The Trantorian Empire falls apart for the same reasons that the Roman Empire did and is replaced by the Foundation on the other side of the universe. Asimov creates the character of Hari Seldon as the genius "psychohistorian" to mastermind the rise of the Foundation -- his new science predicts and to some measure dictates/molds what civilization will become.

I really enjoyed reading the Foundation series and would recommend it to any rabid science fiction fan like myself. I would caution that it loses its appeal after the classic "Foundation Trilogy." Asimov picked the story up again after nearly thirty years, and he strayed quite a bit from the original premise (follow the history of the Roman Empire) into very strange waters.

With all that backdrop in mind, I recently began reading Orson Scott Card's Empire. In the exposition, he introduces you to his hero, Captain/Major Malich. The second chapter outlines/foreshadows the book's plot: while studying history at Princeton, Malich meets genius Professor Torrent whose political theory compares America to Rome. However, Torrent believes that America is not yet an empire (and therefor can't fall in the same way as the Roman Empire):

America is at the end of its republic. Just as the Roman Senate and consuls became incapable of ruling their widespread holdings and fighting off their enemies, so America's antiquated Constitution is a joke. Bureaucrats and courts make most of the decisions, while the press decides which Presidents will have enough public support to govern. We lurch forward by inertia alone.

Malich then follows that track to its obvious conclusion:

The Roman Republic ended because the people got sick of the endless civil wars among rival warlords. They were grateful to have a strong man like Octavian eliminate all rivals and restore peace. That's why they were thrilled to have him put on the purple and rename himself as Augustus.

This classroom dialogue is the foundation for the basic plot of the book. Because the President and Vice President are assassinated. And rebels claiming a desire to overthrow the current "unconstitutional government" begin to tear the country apart. And Malich is in the center of it because he's being used the whole time. America ends up fighting against itself, torn along lines such as "liberal" and "conservative," "left-wing" and "right-wing." And she is plunged into what amounts to the same thing as the "civil wars among rival warlords" that destroyed the Republic.

But in the background someone is controlling everything. Someone used Malich to move arms around the country; someone also used him to poke holes in the President's defense, effectively framing him; and someone is manipulating the rhetoric of left and right to destroy the country.

The real question is who is going to become the next Augustus, the man who, as Torrent puts it, "kept most of the forms of the old system. He refused to call himself king, he pretended the Senate still meant something. So the people loved him for protecting their republican delusions." Whoever it is has successfully manipulated the American government, the Army, and the people into carefully orchestrated chaos designed to set himself atop it all as benevolent dictator. He's the evil counterpart to the wise and gentle Hari Seldon.

---

I'm still not finished with the book (though I know who's been pulling everyone's strings -- and their trigger fingers), but I am intrigued by the idea of ripping off history and playing it off as fiction. Asimov did it successfully enough by showing the decline and fall of his galactic Empire. And now Card is attempting something similar at a different stage of Roman history, the transition between Senate and Caesar, Republic and Empire.

Computer Issues

2008-11-02T23:58:00.003-06:00

Hun's laptop is getting all screwy. His battery has refused to charge for several months now; his AC adapter is getting really touchy (and it's a 1-yr old replacement part from HP when his last adapter shorted itself out); and now his wireless card won't work. Thankfully, we have solutions to all the above problems.

First, HP is offering an extended warranty thingie with free repairs for the wireless card. After spending several hours with tech support confirming everything I already knew about that (i.e. that it was a hardware issue and that we qualified for free repairs), that's getting fixed. But who knows how long Hun will be without his laptop in the middle of paper season.

As for the power supply issues, I've already got experience with a great company in Canada that refurbishes computer batteries. Ours is going to cost $60. Well, $55 with the $5 coupon I found online. *sigh* And as long as the battery works, hopefully Hun will quit abusing his power cord and just let the laptop charge without moving it.

Halloween and Sewing

2008-11-01T18:52:00.004-05:00

Last night Hun and I went to a Halloween party where one couple came as Dante and Beatrice. His costume was quite clever, but the woman's dress absolutely stunned me. She'd taken up sewing during a long boring bout of mono and had decided to make a lovely medieval dress in white.

I'd love to learn to sew. I have a favorite jumper/jean dress that I'd really like to recreate before it gets worn out, and it would be nice to be able to make my own dresses. I can't wear any from the store because I'm different sizes on the top and bottom. *sigh* But I don't have a machine or the skills/time necessary to complete such a task. Besides, I already have so many crafty hobbies (origami, crochet, cooking) that I might have trouble adding one more...

Still, it would be truly wonderful if I could. I found this pattern set for sale online that I rather liked.

Strep

2008-10-29T22:59:00.002-05:00

There's been a bout of strep throat going around, and so I thought I'd beef up my knowledge on the subject.

I got it first: two weeks ago on a Sunday night, I developed a fever of 101.something. It broke after a few hours of siege from acetaminophen, but I still had a sore throat and some serious coughing for a week. And an on-and-off battle with laryngitis. Last Monday, Hun got the fever (which also broke quickly) and the cough. He was coughing so much on Friday night that we decided to take him to a walk-in clinic. They diagnosed the strep and gave him a butt-shot of antibiotics. (He's still not removed the band-aid. Very funny.)

From what the internet tells me, he's not considered contagious now that he's had antibiotics. On the other hand, I, who took no medicine at all, am contagious for 2 to 3 weeks even if I no longer have symptoms. Yay! I'm a germ factory! And I work in a very public bank, handling germy money all day long.

My symptoms had pretty much disappeared (except for cough and some laryngitis) 5 days after my fever. We went to a party that Friday, and I may have given it to our hostess who has a 2 month old baby. :(

So if you have a sore throat (pain when swallowing) without the usual cold symptoms (runny nose, etc.), you should at least think about strep.

Illness

2008-10-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

I can't recall the last time I had a fever, let alone a high one. So what are the odds that on my first three day weekend in months, I spend the entirety of it in the clutches of illness? Saturday began with a headache, which on Sunday proceeded to joint-ache and a fever of a whopping 101 degrees (barring the ache and sensation of being hot, I felt basically fine, though). It unnerved Hun to the point that he called his mother for advice. I had already taken the Acetaminophen prescribed by both his mother and constantly ill (hence pharmacologically savvy) sister. Thankfully, this treatment broke my fever, or within a few hours I would have been subject to alternating rounds of pills. ("Give her Tylenol, and if that doesn't take her fever down in two hours, give her Ibuprofen. Then give her Tylenol again at the earliest possible time. And if she still has a fever in the morning, take her to the hospital.")

And at the root of this, I felt ill but capable of surviving.

Monday I didn't have to worry about the fever, but I still had a lingering headache and persistent sore throat. I should have called in sick today, but I knew they'd need me at work. As a result, the sore throat is now full-blown laryngitis.

Should I call in tomorrow or just show up and try to spend the next 10 hours coping with sign language?

Game Night

2008-10-05T07:24:00.002-05:00

Last night Hun and I attended a large (for me) party at a friend's apartment. Ostensibly, it was for the purpose of playing games such as Apples to Apples and Imaginiff, but we really ended up talking most of the time (7:30 to 11:30).

Differences in personalities come out pretty clearly when at a party, so I find. For example, it becomes extremely obvious that one of our hosts is even more introverted than I am when he retires to his bedroom before we even start playing games. Just like me, he sometimes needs a break from the press of people to recharge his social cells. (Of course, this is the same guy who stayed at OUR apartment until 5 am one night talking to Hun.)

I was extremely pleased that my cookies were completely eaten. Well, partially pleased because I had wanted to take more home for me to eat, but I don't need any more junk food, frankly.

--

I find that since college I tend to lean towards certain types of parties over others. While we have attended the occassional party where you are intended to mingle the whole time, most of the time there are games or movies involved. And usually the parties never include more than 6 or so people, which is a far more comfortable number for me than the whopping and noisy 10 of last night.

To My Regular Fans (AKA Old Friends)

2008-09-30T21:20:00.004-05:00

I just got emails from two dear friends that I haven't seen since graduation, and in addition to completely brightening my whole day, it also woke me to the fact that I have not been writing much here. Some people have no idea that I'm semi-religiously addicted to Facebook, and this is their only way of knowing what's going on in my life.

I guess I haven't been blogging as much because most of the things consuming my mind are day-to-day drivel. For example, I had to go to Kroger and buy some vinegar for a pot roast recipe today.

By the way, on Thursday I am going to attempt to recreate my famous "what to serve when your father-in-law gets bitten by a copperhead when you're on your honeymoon and no one got any supper because they rushed to see him in the hospital" recipe. Right after finishing my first attempt at pot roast (courtesy of a donated chuck roast from my father-in-law's freezer, donated to him by a castrated calf from his farm) during my honeymoon, we got a call from my mother-in-law. *cue copperhead story* As we obviously could not leave this roast in the crockpot because we would be gone for a while, I packaged it up and took it with us.

Keep in mind that this was my FIRST ATTEMPT AT COOKING BEEF, and my husband's family raises cattle. What was intended to be a cozy experiment for two ended up being the only food that most of his family had to eat that night. Thank God it was delicious, but I am not entirely sure how I made it. I know I got a recipe off the internet and had to substitute apple juice for something, but as for the original measurements and cooking time, I am not very sure. I think I found the original BBQ Roast recipe online, and now it remains to rediscover my changes.

Alas, but this is COMPLETELY off the topic. *AHEM*

Why I Don't Blog Like I Used To:

I dwell on boring things, like household errands and chores.

Keeping to a steady routine of church, home, work, and reading lots of books, I don't do much that is all that new from day-to-day.

No one needs to hear about random arguments between newlyweds trying to figure out how to run a household and compromise with another person.

Some of the most interesting things that happen at work are unethical for me to write about/not my business.

I can tell Hun what I'm pondering at any given moment, and his opinions matter more to me than yours. But I love ya'll too.

All that being said, I've kind of given up on getting feedback from readers and keep this blog more as a journal. And it's way easier to stalk people on Facebook than it is to be a creative/dutiful diary-writer.

István Orosz

2008-09-19T20:41:00.004-05:00

I don't really know how I came upon the works of this artist. I started out looking for origami diagrams, and I think someone had on their site a link or a picture of something he did. Anyway, I was intrigued and started looking for examples of anamorphosis. In short, this art is designed so part of its meaning is hidden unless viewed from an unusual angle. Often mirrored cylinders and pyramids are used which distort the original image into another one.

This gallery shows examples of his works from both points of view.
This is his official website.

His art is often composed of very complex optical illusions.

And check out some of the street paintings of Kurt Wenner. They will blow your mind.

Playful

2008-09-14T07:07:00.003-05:00

While I was in college, babysitting other people's offspring, I had no dreams of having children of my own any time soon. I thought children were great, but the realistic part of my brain knew that they were expensive, labor-intensive, and painful to expel from one's body. These points are still valid, but somehow, I find myself occassionally wishing I had my own little boy or girl.

It's all the fault of that nannying job I had after I finished classes. I got used to taking care of a baby day in and day out, and now that I've got all this "free time," I kind of miss it. And I went from getting to play with someone's baby every day to living far away from anyone who would let me play with their baby. It was actually a pretty difficult adjustment soon after we moved to TX because the only person I ever saw regularly (before I found a job) was my husband. There was a whole nurturing part of my nature being neglected, even though I lived in a complex with tons of young families. Just last Sunday, as a matter of fact, there was a huge baby pool party with perhaps 10 families.

I still miss getting to play with kids, but as I get to know more people, I sometimes get to exercise my more playful side. It's not as bad as it was a year ago. But my body keeps telling me it's way easier to take care of your own child than make friends with local parents. :) Stupid biological clock.

Hurrying for the Hurricane + Hair Product Review

2008-09-13T03:13:00.002-05:00

I usually get gas every Thursday when I open at work. The gas station is right across the street, and I like going when it isn't so hot and crowded. Unfortunately, this week I was rushed and didn't make it early enough to get gas at my usual time. So I ended up pumping gas after work on Friday with the whole panicked "must get gas before prices go up further because of the hurricane" crowd.

It was insane! There were lines behind each pump, and some moron decided it would be funny to speed around inside the parking lot, squealing his tires. As for the price, other people are welcome to freak out (it went up five cents between the time I went to work at noon and when I got out at 6:30), but the difference is really minimal to me. Because I have a 10 gallon tank, it could never matter more than 50 cents or so at a time. And we do so little driving that I rarely have to fill up more than once a week, and usually only about half a tank then.

After I got gas, I went to Kroger and purchased two bottles of Aussie's "hair insurance" leave-in conditioner. It was actually pretty difficult to find -- Kroger was the only place I found that carried it. Plenty of stores had Aussie products, and some even had an entire row of shelves, top to bottom, for the display (Target). Yet while I consistently found "mousse+leave-in conditioner" and "deep conditioner" treatments, leave-in conditioner by itself was curiously missing. Thankfully, though, I did find it. And ironically, I spent $5 buying two bottles istead of $3.25 buying just one because I had a coupon.

The product works very well. I tested it out on my dry hair when I got home, and it tamed my humidity frizzies a bit. My hair felt smoother, too, like it does right after a haircut. I may post another review after I've actually used it properly (i.e., combed into damp hair and allowed to dry). I'm curious about whether it will allow me to leave my hair wavy rather than having to straighten the frizzies out.

Missing Hubby

2008-09-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

Hun's semester started last Thursday, but his longest night of classes is on Tuesday: 5pm-10pm (with a break for supper, which he never uses). So on Tuesdays I only get to see my husband before I go to work and after he gets out of class. Unfortunately, he's usually asleep when I go to work, and I'm usually asleep when he comes home from class. We make extra efforts on Tuesdays, but as today is the first Tuesday of the semester, I find myself missing my husband. *sniff* Poor pitiful me. :)

Hair - Long as I can grow it

2008-09-06T22:31:00.002-05:00

I got a haircut yesterday, and for the second time in a row, I don't regret it. It was actually LOOOOONG overdue; I hadn't had a trim since last September. I had three inches cut off, and it's back to bra-strap length again instead of almost down to my waist. But the bright side is that it's down to bra-strap length again and it's a fresh cut. I can get a few more inches of healthy growth out of it before I need to chop anything off.

In the meantime, I really need to refocus on treating my hair right. No more pony-tails that shear hairs off at the rubber band. Regular deep conditioning treatments. The addition of a regular leave-in conditioner. I've been looking around for something affordable -- the one the stylist showed me in the salon was $7.50. Pfft! Aussie is looking good. And the label is a real winner: "hair insurance." So for about three and a half bucks I'll be appeasing my guilty conscience for the abuse my hair has been suffering. And I'll look pretty, too! :)

So Tired of Being the Fastest

2008-09-06T19:24:00.002-05:00

Much has been made of being fast at work recently. Managers buzz about getting transaction times down and decreasing customer wait time. And above all, you must work faster. Accuracy is included in increasing smaller letters in this drive to get our customer satisfaction score up.

I experienced a particularly nasty whiplash from the current order to go, go, GO. Today I set up my teller station next to the cash dispenser. On the third or fourth transaction of the day the blasted thing jammed up. Some new bills got stuck, and it wouldn't dispense. I was afraid I was out of balance, so I hastily tried to balance my drawer. My supervisor tried to get me to stop, and the overwhelming response from my manager was to "fix it later." Don't record the weird cash amount that came out of the dispenser, don't try to remember the transaction that screwed everything up, don't even try to figure out if the malfunction is going to throw you out of balance again -- just GO, GO, GO. I was one of three tellers on the line, and there were perhaps 4 customers waiting. And I was not allowed to spend 20 seconds trying to at least get my head on straight before plunging into the customer pool.

I felt so... so... betrayed! My God, is the customer SO right that the employee is completely unimportant? Why can't a customer wait 20 extra seconds so I can calm my nerves enough to do my job right? I was shaking from the stress (I've been out of balance a lot recently, and it is something I'm super paranoid about right now).

I know that we are there to serve our customers and that dealing with issues like getting people out the door faster is a huge, stressful monster on everyone's backs right now. But I feel like a giant target is plastered on my forehead because I have recently been "recognized" as the teller with the fastest transaction times in the bank. It was doubly worse because the other two tellers on the line today were the two slowest. I was carrying most of the lobby traffic by myself -- a customer even told me he was amazed at how quickly I was doing his transaction. "I didn't want to say anything, but some tellers here take a really long time." (Our new cash-counting machines at every station have really helped me go even faster, and they make me calmer about accurately counting cash at increasing speeds.) This commercial customer even went so far as to say that with the machines at every station, he'll only use our branch from now on. I know that speed is important to people; that's why I try to be fast. But it shouldn't ADD to my stress if I'm doing what I'm supposed to do.

I realize that I am over-reacting somewhat. If everyone is stressed out on this issue, it's only natural that some of that stress is going to trickle down to me. But today it hit me really hard, and I thought it very unfair.

Unique Alarm Clocks

2008-09-05T08:38:00.003-05:00

I've been dealing with a bit of insomnia for the past week, so while I definitely don't need a new alarm clock to wake me up in the morning, I am curiously amused by what is out there.

Take this Flying Alarm Clock for example: when it goes off, it launches a rotor that you have to find and return to the clock base in order to shut the thing up. And if you really want to snooze, you have seven minutes after you return the rotor the first time before it launches again.

But that's not nearly as aerobic as Clocky: for a whopping $50, you can get a little robot alarm clock that will jump 3 feet off of your night stand and run around the room until he gets stuck on a piece of clothing or runs into a wall. You must first catch him to shut him up. Also, the alarm apparently sounds like "R2D2 going crazy."

Eeeeeevil Girlie Doctors

2008-09-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

I just got a bill from my gyno yesterday, so I checked out the claim on my insurance. When I was at the office, I thought I was supposed to pay a $15 copay. But when I looked online this morning, the website said I was not responsible for any part of my bill. Not one red cent.

The doctor's office, on the other hand, apparently thinks I'm supposed to pay a $25 copay, so they sent me a bill for $10. I emailed my insurance, and I hope they'll take care of it. If not, I'll print out the claim information and pay a polite visit to my doctor's office telling them to give my $15 back.

Oh, and by the way, the bill that the doctor is sending me does not reflect the actual amounts paid by the insurance. Apparently what happens is that the doctor bills the insurance, and the insurance company says, "Nuh-uh! We agreed to a lower price than that before!" and only pays what was agreed upon before. My doctor's bill doesn't reflect any of that. It just says I paid $15 and owe $10. Boo.

Ah, Girlie Doctors

2008-08-26T15:02:00.005-05:00

I had what is known as a "well woman exam" today. I like to call it a "girlie parts exam." It sounds funnier. :)

This time I didn't feel nearly as humiliated as the first exam I had last April. Last time I didn't know what to expect, I was uncomfortable with being naked in front of someone, and I still had a hymen. This time I knew pretty much what to expect, and what with being married for a year, the last two issues weren't problems anymore. I still made Hun go with me for emotional support, though. I was pretty nervous.

Still, the nurse practitioner was really nice -- unlike the doctor in Nashville who repeatedly doubted my virginity until the exam and made jokes about having to use the smallest speculum. I also liked the gown better. Rather than an open-fronted gown (heck, why wear anything?), I got this poncho thing that buttoned in front and a sheet to wrap around my legs. A less-comfortable person wouldn't have to see the examiners hands all over her breasts during the exam; I approve.

I had been apprehensive about seeing the nurse practitioner instead of the actual ob/gyn, but things worked out really, really well. I even got a different birth control prescription to help with a couple of issues I'd had with my last one. And she addressed some sex issues, too.

Speaking of talking about sex, I really wish I had known more about what can go wrong and the actual mechanics of how to have good sex. Supposedly, some of that stuff should have been covered during our marital counseling classes, but it really wasn't. Here are a few things from the woman's perspective that I've picked up along the way (a couple of which came from the NP earlier today):

If it hurts enough to keep you from enjoying it, stop. Fear of pain can cause your vagina to squeeze up, and it also stops the arousal process.

If you're not aroused, you're not lubricated enough. Need extra lube? The NP says: Astroglide is better than KY.

There are more ways to have sex than vaginal. Be warned; they are messier. Get a mattress pad or a towel.

And all of that was probably way more information than some of you needed to know. Sorry.

Uneasy

2008-08-17T16:47:00.002-05:00

So my youngest brother is married as of yesterday to a girl from the U.K. He's even going to be living there for a while. I don't really know what to think about it.

It feels weird to think that he's that old, first of all. (Or that young; he's only 20.) And I still don't know how wise it was to get married without a way to provide for his new family. Still, I pray that they'll be happy, faithful, and kind. I think that my brothers and I are looking for everything my parents didn't have in their marriage. It's also interesting that while my parents got married in their 30s, two of their children have barely made it past their teens before getting engaged.

I'm certain that I married a good man. (Whether he married a good woman remains to be seen.) At times I feel like a time bomb, waiting for the wrong thing to set me off and turn me into a self-absorbed emotional junkie who can't take stress and runs away from her family. And perhaps my brother will one day flip a switch and become a self-absorbed bitter man who can't take people and runs away from conflict.

I have no idea what kind of person my brother married, though I find some of the stuff on her Facebook deeply offensive (perhaps her friends sent it to her -- if so, poor choice in friends). I have some idea what kind of person my brother is, but he's obviously changed in the 5 years since I lived at home. To be brutally honest, I don't think that change is for the better -- he's more crass, angry, and hurt than I remember.

God, please help marriage teach them about themselves, teach them to work as a team and to depend on each other. Help each to find the other dependable. I pray that they grow up a wiser, stronger, more compassionate couple. And if it is your will, let their marriage last happily, nurturing their children. I strongly doubt that either is remotely familiar with you, God, so they'll need more than a spiritual nudge to do the right things. But because you love them, I know you'll take care of them as much as they'll let you. Protect them from themselves at times and from the vagaries of life.

God, help my family.

You Have a Parasite

2008-08-14T21:45:00.003-05:00

One of my latest hobbies is watching through an entire tv series on the internet. I started with Eureka and have now moved on to House. This particular interchange between Dr. House and a woman in the clinic was hysterical.

"You have a parasite."
"Like a tapeworm or something?...Can you do anything about it?"
"Only for about a month or so. After that it becomes illegal to remove, except in a couple of states."
"Illegal?!"
"But don't worry. Many women learn to embrace this parasite. Name it, dress it up in tiny clothes, arrange playdates with other parasites."
"Playdates?"
"It has your eyes."

Hun has announced that this is how he wants to tell everyone when we have our first child. I thought he might. That's why I showed it to him. *evil grin*

Orthodontia -- My Open Bite

2008-08-10T13:28:00.002-05:00

When I was a child, I knew I had an overbite. I sucked my thumb at school until I was six and continued at home until I was eight years old. And I distinctly remember a time when my front teeth bit into my thumb and a time when they had molded to fit around my thumb. At least by the time I was nine, dentists began recommending that I get braces.

Oddly, my overbite was not all that noticeable to others. My front teeth are pretty evenly spread out -- they look straight to the uninitiated. And I inherited a large lower lip from my dad; the overbite helps to mask that a little.

So when I went to the dentist recently, I was expecting to hear that I needed braces. What I didn't expect was that my overbite has transitioned to an open bite. When I close my mouth, only my back molars touch. Apparently, in a normal bite only the front six teeth don't touch.

Through personal research, I've discovered that there are several reasons for an open bite that might apply to me. The thumb-sucking is the most obvious. There is also something known as tongue thrusting -- the tongue pushes against the teeth when you swallow -- that can move your teeth out of alignment. On my mother's side of the family, my grandma had horrible jaw problems, and I've learned to use my tongue to compensate for some of the jaw pain I felt as a child. When I hold my mouth in a relaxed position, the sides of my tongue are usually between my back molars and the tip is pressing against the back of my top front teeth.

So should I get braces? It all depends on which of these various factors is causing my open bite. Braces may only fix things temporarily if some chronic bad habit is the root cause.

Also, I just don't want braces. Hun and I have other dental issues to worry about, most notably his root canal and three crowns. And he needs some scaling and planing done on his gums, apparently.

I just can't seem to get this off my mind.