Weekend Report

So, my good friend (should it be "e-friend" since I've never met him in person?) Paul likes to ask his readers what their weekend plans are. Well, I like to tell my readers what I did over the weekend. Maybe if I ask instead of tell, I'll get more responses? A question for me to ponder while I type....

Saturday was, well, Saturday. Yvonne went to her class (part two of the Access class we went to the week before) in the morning. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I went to swim class, something I endorse but don't enjoy participating in. Something about looking like a young gorilla makes me a bit self-conscious. Yes, young gorilla. I may be going grey, but I'm not that hairy.

After swim class we came home and I cleaned Yvonne's van. Full vacuum, dust, and window cleaning. Plus a wash (but no dry). After that, I took a nap. Yes, I was tired, but from lack of sleep, not from washing the van. Elizabeth was nice enough to color, play with her puzzles, and generally do a good job and not burning down the house. Glad she hasn't learned too many of my bad habits.

Oh, almost forgot. She locked me out of the house too. She's known how to lock the glass/screen door but for some reason decided to do it while I was getting the paper and trashcan. Luckily she let me in. And she got a talking to about it.

After Yvonne got home, I cut our grass. I pulled a few weeds, but nothing major. And technically, I guess it was crabgrass, not weeds. After that, I went to Dad's house to cut his grass. Amazing what bizarre memories come to the surface when you're cutting a yard you haven't cut on a regular basis since high school.

I came home, showered, and we went to the local pizza place to pick up a dinner.

Sunday was a little more laid back. Elizabeth was nice enough to wake up and join us in bed (like it isn't crowded enough). She went back to sleep for a bit then developed a case of antsy pants. So we sent her off to the latest and greatest Sunday morning indulgence (which we've used twice now) ------ Noggin. I hate using the TV as a babysitter, but it's so damn convenient.

We got up a little while later and had waffles before going to town to shop. And that was about it for the weekend. Everything else that occurred wasn't really worth mentioning (do you really want to know about washing clothes or doing dishes?).

So, those are the highlights of my weekend. What did you do?

I'm a star!

Well, this ranks right up there with my not quite staring role on the Snakes On A Plane DVD!

Thanks Paul!

Get those stitches ready

Because your side is going to need them.

I've taken the liberty of proving, yet again, that I'm a spaz. But in today's post, you'll see how it's been a condition I've carried since high school.

* for those having trouble reading the poem, here's a transcription:

Oh, Christmas tree,
oh Christmas tree
watch out for the bumble bee.
But don't worry,
he landed on my knee.
And then he stung me.
It hurt so bad I had to pee.
That's when I saw the bee stinging the flea.
That made me very happy.
'Cuz i don't like fleas.
And they don't like me.

But not to worry. In college I got help. I learned that I'm not the only spaz out there. Though she was not as bad as I was, she was pretty close. Her name was Yvonne Rivera.

Huh? What?

I'm in a daze at the moment. You know when you eat a meal and your body decides to send some much needed energy to your stomach to digest things you start to slip into a post-lunch coma of sorts?

Well, that's where I am at the moment, doing my best not to turn into a narcoleptic.

And along that vein of thought, I'll be keeping myself awake by putting you to sleep with the boring events of my life. No, no. No need for a sleeping pill. And please don't read this while you're driving.

And you might want to put a pillow between you and the keyboard in case things go drastically wrong.

Reading
A Game of Thrones by "Rail Road" Martin - I haven't touched this one in ages. I've just about given up.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Trying to make my way through this one, but I've got limited amounts of interest at the moment.

Writing
War Wagon - Still stuck on hold as I gather steam slowly to return to the writing habit I've lost. I'm awaiting feedback from a professional editor on my first 15 pages as well as feedback from Epheros on the same 15 pages (no rush, whenever you're done with your reviews).
Unnamed 1 - I have an interesting idea around a container ship on the ocean. Simply an idea now.
Unnamed 2 - I have another interesting idea about a modern pirate ship. Same as above, simply an idea.

Listening
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Almost done with this one. Kind of depressing, but a decent account of how things were in Nebraska in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Harry Potter #1 - Waiting on deck.

Watching
Survivorman - If it weren't for Les Stroud, I would not know half what I do about survival. Here's to hoping I never have to use it.
Hell's Kitchen - Just finished but I'm curious to see how Ramsey's Americanized version of Kitchen Nightmares will do. His BBC version is pretty good.
Monk - Monk isn't my idol, he's just what I could become under the wrong (or right) circumstances.
Psyche - The funniest show on TV right now.
Deadwood - My guilty pleasure. Plus I need to catch up so I can get into Season 3.
M*A*S*H and Friends - These are during dinner or dish time.

Eating
A bunch of chili for lunch. That's why I'm sleepy and full of hot air.

Sleeping
Clearly not enough if I'm tired. It sounds odd, but I'm hoping to get more sleep once the baby arrives. At least then I know I can get a decent night of sleep every other day.

Upcoming
More family history (hopefully from Dad's Nebraska trip)
A final edit on my video for work (only 4 months late)
A new USB drive (2 GB just isn't big enough)
A new knife (a chipped blade isn't pretty)
New sunglasses (it's been a few years and I'm due)
A final grade in my class (I know what it is, it just isn't "official" yet)
More writing.....well, maybe now I'm getting in the dreams section of life
And let's not forget the new baby (which I still think will come before the end of the month)

Asleep yet? No? Well congratulations.

A little Meme in the morning

So, my cousin's wife Melissa tagged me with this little Meme.

4 things about me you may not have known:
1. I was named after my great aunt and uncle (Neil from my uncle, Lee from my aunt)
2. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive
3. It takes me at least 30 minutes to fall asleep
4. I learned to drive in a Suburban on I-10 in the middle of Texas

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Shipping Clerk (two different places)
2. Baker's Assistant
3. Security Guard
4. Lifeguard (three different places)

4 Movies I can watch over and over again:
1. Star Wars (obvious, isn't it?)
2. The Great Escape
3. Goonies
4. Back to the Future

4 Favorite TV shows:
1. CSI (all of them)
2. Psyche
3. Deadwood
4. M*A*S*H

4 Favorite Hobbies:
1. Reading and collecting books
2. Attempting to write
3. Genealogy
4. Ephemera

4 Places I have lived:
1. Shelby, NC
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Edinboro, PA

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Cheeseburgers
2. Steak (on the grill)
3. King Crab legs
4. Pasta

4 Places I would rather be right now:
1. At home in bed
2. Half Moon Bay, Antigua
3. Anywhere in Europe
4. In Arizona

4 Websites I check daily:
1. Gmail
2. Google Reader (which lets me check hundreds of other sites in one place)
3. Vintage Mustang Forums
4. My credit union

4 People I tag:
1. Epheros (if he isn't too busy to crawl out from under his rock)
2. Mom (because she's one of the few people that will read this)
3. Paul A. (because he might draw a comic about it)
4. Anyone that wants to be my friend (or enemy)

A patron of the arts

Yvonne and I have been going to the local dinner theater for some time now and have had many a good evening on the town. Well, afternoon actually since somebody gets sleepy after dinner.

Anyway, yesterday was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. It was fairly funny, but not anywhere near the hilarity of Nunsense. But a good 2nd or 3rd place over all the shows we've seen. And I could clearly see Larry Gelbart's hand in this as there was a very M*A*S*H-like flavor at times to the comedy. And did you know he wrote And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself?

Anyway, the play was good, the food was decent (should have skipped the teriyaki steak for the salmon), I even ate some asparagus, but the coughing lady behind us had to go. She sounded like a 2-pack-a-day smoker with lung cancer and emphysema that had a touch of bronchitis.

Saturday, I cut Dad's grass while he's on vacation. It brought back some odd memories of cutting that yard as a kid. I even used the same damn John Deere mower. It moved slower than I remember, but I think my legs got a bit longer since middle school. In the morning, Yvonne and I went to an Access I class. Very basic, which is what I needed, but I learned that I'll never be using Access unless I have to. I can work much faster and cleaner in Excel.

And Friday I took off to get my eyes checked. Yvonne is a bit upset because she's only slightly better than 20/20 where I'm a perfect 20/10. She doesn't like to loose. We spent the rest of the day (Friday) shopping before going home where I cut (and trimmed) our grass.

So, that was eyes, shopping, and grass for Friday; class and grass on Saturday; laundry and a play Sunday. Long weekend.

But good.

This coming week I hope to finish O'Pioneers! by Willa Cather (on audio CD) so I can start my Harry Potter marathon. Then I have more Deadwood to watch (almost done with all the extras on Season 1). And I'm sure something else will come up along the way.

A Challenge-edited-

So, my cousin's wife Melissa, issued a challenge on her blog a few days back asking for anyone that found this particular blog (or post) to post a message.

But I want to take it a bit further.

So here's my challenge:

Simply post your name and where you are (geographically, not emotionally or mentally......unless you really want to).

I'll start.

My name is Neil and I'm either -edited-

7 Things You Need To Know About Barbers

As inspired by Paul's comic yesterday, here are “7 Things You Need To Know About Barbers.”

First, never say your haircut looks bad when they ask. After all, they are holding scissors or some other sharp object that can easily be thrust into your jugular.

Second, if a barber asks what guard number you prefer, he (or she) is NOT a barber in the truest sense of the word. A real barber will know what to use when you ask for a “long crew” or a “flat top.” Most even know what you mean when you ask for “handlebars” or “fenders.”

Third, I hate to be sexist, but I’ve never met a female barber. I’ve met some that pretended fairly well, but they wouldn’t know the difference between a straight razor and a Gillette Mach 3.

Fourth, a straight razor across the back of your neck is right behind sex and chocolate as one of the best feelings you’ll ever experience. Assuming of course that the individual using it is qualified. Otherwise you’re better off with that damn Gillette.

Fifth, a good barber will know when to speak and when to shut the hell up. My old barber would make some small talk but knew when to keep his trap shut. If I didn’t speak, neither did he. My current barber speaks too much. And it’s because of his open mouth policy that I’ve learned he’s rather bigoted and possible racist. And to top it off, he’s a Republican. Maybe I should cut my own hair.

Sixth, to even out the “sharp object” ratio, I simply carry my gun when I get my hair cut. Now I can say he missed a spot without fearing for my blood spilling on the floor.

Seventh, a good barber will provide you porn and coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, only half of this is important to me. But what’s odder still, my old barber (who has been cutting my hair and my father’s for 20+ years) must still see me as a child because he only gives his copies of Playboy to my Dad.

And the scary part about all this? I came up with these 7 things off the top of my head. Maybe I should do some work today, no?

A letter from Yvonne

Hello all--

We have gotten several calls and emails about the Fisher Price Toy Recall. I have checked out the site with pictures of all the toys and all the information. Elizabeth does have several of the toys listed, however her toys were not purchased in the time window given by Fisher Price (May 1, 2007 - August 2007). The items she has were purchased prior to those dates. She is safe and so are her toys. She does not currently need any "replacement" toys.


On another note, we have been teaching her how to do some typing by color coding the keyboard for her. She seems to be doing well and really enjoys IMing people. We have been using the desktop computer in the baby's room more this summer even though the camera is not hooked up to it she is still having a blast typing. So if you don't have Windows Live Messenger yet, now is a great time to get it. It is free and Elizabeth would love to IM you. She knows how to look to see if people are signed on and how to tell if they are typing to her.

She is learning her phone number and can almost always tell it to you. We are still working on it everyday. She can tell you the name of her street, but not our house number. She is learning to recognize and name her letters as well as how to make them using sign language. She is able to tell you her full name (and will correct you if you call her something else - as many of you know last summer she called her self Bizzy - she became very upset at one of her friends who called her this yesterday at the pool. She told him my name is Elizabeth Leona Richard. The little guy just turned 2 in June and didn't really know what to make of her comment.) She is also able to tell you the baby's full name and will correct people if they try to shorten it. We are also practicing counting and 1:1 correspondence daily. I have been tutoring a girl going to kindergarten and a girl going to 2nd grade and I think she does better than they do on some of the tasks (like counting). She has great recall of stories we read and just stuff in general. But she loves reading and that makes both mom and dad happy.

She has also been very interested in the two hummingbird feeders we have put up on the porch. She likes to watch them and can't seem to understand why they fight over the food. Honestly it is pretty neat to see them out there. We often get about 12 -15 birds buzzing around at a time. Prior to putting the feeders up, I had no idea how feisty they little birds can be, but now I have learned they are like little dogs -- and will fight it out and make themselves known no matter how big the opposition is. (They continue to fight with the finches that have made a nest in one of my hanging baskets). Neil has put some video of the birds on his web page if you are interested.

Well that is about all for now. Have a great weekend.

Yvonne

A little Mustang Paparazzi

Saw this car awhile back and snapped a picture with the camera phone. Totally forgot I had it.

Doing a jig-edited-

So, the minor news first, so it won't be overshadowed by the big news.

First, I've sent a file to a grad student at the University of Wisconsin to be translated. The letter is one of many that I've obtained that are in Norwegian. I have a friend, Kai, in Norway, but don't want to impose on him too much. So, with a little help from the grad student, I hope to have most if not all of the letters translated. Here's one of the envelopes:

From The Richard E...

Second, I've sent the first 15 pages of my story off to a published author (Jeff VanderMeer) for an edit and critique. This is likely my biggest news and the scariest moment for me right now. Not many people know I've been writing anything, let alone a story. We'll see what happens. And apologies to Epheros, as he's been my right-hand man in writing this story (I'll be sending you more to read when you finish what you have).

-edited-

What makes you different?

So I've been scrounging around recently in an attempt to gather family history items. I have been fortunate enough to get a large collection from my aunt in Nebraska as well as a large amount of photos from my uncle in Arizona (one of them). My dad is on his way to Nebraska for a family reunion (his mother's branch) so I can only hope to get more info.

Genealogy is one of those hobbies I dabble in when I get time. To date, with the help of many, many others, I've amassed a family tree that has 29,000 individuals spanning back to 1331.

Let that sink in for a second.

1331. That's before the Black Death in Europe. That's before the Ming Dynasty in China. That's before Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Frightening and curious all at once.

So, needless to say, I enjoy it. And so far, I've enjoyed the letters and documents I've been able to find (and scan) dating back to 1863 (with most in the 1900-1930 range). Well, this morning I came across one about me.

One that clearly explains why I'm a bit "different" than others. Read this excerpt and tell me what you think.

Status Update

So, where are we now? Hopefully out of the woods. But to get out, I'll need to lead you on a long path from topic to topic, so bear with me. Or skip ahead. Whatever tickles your pickle.

School
I've finally finished all of my assignments for my last week of class (Managerial Communications). I still have another week of posting and responding to do, but the writing is done and turned in. The professor was, well, a bag of hot air. I could get more information form a pile of shit in the street than from this guy. But my fellow students were great and I learned a lot from them. I'll be sitting out the next couple of months due to the pending baby and lack of money and will start again in October.

Weddings
Well, really only one wedding, but anyways. A good friend of ours gets married this weekend. We both want to go, but neither of us feel comfortable being that far from the doctor if the baby decides to come early. So, we're sitting tight and playing it safe. And with Yvonne having contractions everyday, I'd rather play it safe. So sorry, Hutz and Molly, we'll be thinking about you. Guess I have to start calling you Dave now. Or should I call both of you Hutz?

Work
Well, some things don't change. That's good.

Reading
I finished S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire and promptly took up the next in the series, The Protector's War. Way, way too much Wiccan in it for me, but seeing as one of the main characters is Wiccan, I slog through it. So far The Protector's War has started slow, but there's new characters coming in from Britain, so it should be interesting. After I finish this, I don't know what's next, guess I should look into that. I've also been listening to the Essential Lewis and Clark in the car. Not too bad as it keeps to the interesting parts of their journals, like York getting frostbite on his, well, that "certain male anatomy." I'll listen to Captain Blood next courtesy of LibriVox.

Writing
Ha. No update here. Haven't written a lick in a long time, but I have resolved my issue of where to go next with War Wagon. Epheros, the Chinese invade. That's all I'm saying until I write more. Hopefully soon. And I came up with another idea for a story. Not sure how long it would be, but it's interesting enough to make me curious how everything would work. Think Waterworld meets BioDome. But without the humor.

Survivorman
Les Stroud is back on TV tonight with Shark Week (I'll be skipping that one) and back with new episodes of Survivorman next week. He's the real deal folks, not the faker like Bear Grylls with his conjured bear attacks. I hate to badmouth the guy, but Les humps his own camera gear while Bear has someone else do it for him.

Watching
I've been re-visiting Deadwood lately. I picked up Season 3 on DVD and felt I needed to go back to the beginning to make sure I caught everything. It's been my lunch-time addiction of late. At home, I've been revisiting Firefly. Just a hands-down great show. Dad also picked up a few new movies (Shooter - not so hot, Davy Crockett - decent Disney, and the entire series of Daniel Boone - haven't seen it yet). As for "regular" programming, it's been Hell's Kitchen on Mondays with Monk and Psych on Fridays. Not too much worth my time at the moment.

Waiting
Dad's away shortly to Nebraska for a family reunion and to visit the family farm. I'm eagerly awaiting the goodies he should be bringing back as well as new information for the family tree.

Well, that's about it for now. Catch you all later.

Videos and Photos

So I've uploaded three new videos, two of Elizabeth, one of the killer hummingbirds. Here's one of Elizabeth counting to ten. Not too shabby for a three year old.



Then we have a slew of new photos. Nearly all from Yvonne's camera as I don't download that one very much. I think my favorite is this one.



And in other news, I've stumbled upon my cousin's family blog (why didn't you tell me they had one mom?). Anyway, it's nice to get caught up, even if it is virtually.

And that's about it for now. The weekend is quickly approaching. And what's in store for Neil this weekend? First goal is to fix the plumbing from the water supply under the sink to the backside of the ice maker in the freezer. What should have been a fairly simple fix last night turned into a "we need to remove all the dishes under the sink, pull out the copper, drill the holes larger, snake through the new braided hose, remove the dishwasher, run hose behind dishwasher, turn everything on and hope it works" kind of project. After that's done (hopefully by Saturday afternoon) I'll be able to do some work outside. I might even feel ambitious enough to wash the cars. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will rain. I also have three major papers due for class Sunday. Hope to have those in on time. Then there's the standard chores that always need to be done.

No rest for the wicked, right?

Hope you have a great weekend!

Oh, almost forgot. For those few out there that have even heard of Kurt R. A. Giambastiani (author of the Fallen Cloud Saga), he's doing well and is looking to get back to writing this fall.

Almost there, almost there.....

So I'm almost done with S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire. It's actually a continuation of his older Island in the sea of Time series. I wasn't impressed with Conquistador, but Dies the Fire is decent. Good enough I want to read the next book in line.

On the flip side, I'm still struggling through GRRM's A Game of Thrones. Everyone keeps telling me it's an awesome book (and series), but I'm still struggling. I just got to the point where Ned get's a dagger shoved into his chin. Well, I guess what they say is true, when Martin gets tired of a character, he kills them.

No estimated start date for the Deathly Hallows. I want to pull a marathon and start from the begining. But I did download Captain Blood on audio so we'll see how that floats.

Harry who?

That potter kid sure has taken the world by storm. Over 8 million copies sold in a single day? That's crazy talk.

Sure, I started reading about harry back when books 3 and 4 came out. I was even lucky enough to work in a bookstore when 4 (that's the Goblet of Fire) made its debut at midnight. And I've enjoyed reading the series since then. I find it hard to knock any book or series that gives kids (and a nation) a reason to read.

But I'm actually more inclined to re-read The Name of the Wind before I take a crack at the Deathly Hallows. What?! you might exclaim. Well, it's like this. Potter is, well, a kid's book. Kvothe is, well, a kid, but so much more.

Source: http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/2007/07/kvothe-vs-harry-potter-cage-match.html

Random Ramblings on Friday Night-edited-

I read today that Google reported their second quarter profits of $3.86 Billion, up 58% over last year's second quarter. Woof!

And, via -edited-, Google wants to or is buying the 700 Mhz bandwidth. I'm guessing they'll be looking to become their own service provider in the cell phone market.

Then we have Microsoft apply for patents to use some sort of search technology or ad technology to search your hard drive and develop ads based on the content. I can't say if they are going to produce the ads or block them. Guess we'll see.

I can't wait for somebody to rip a copy of the latest Die Hard movie online so I can see it. I keep hearing about Pirate Cove from -edited-, but I have no desire to actually download the movie. I know, I know, watching a pirated movie and downloading one are the same.

My college roommate, Dave, let me borrow one of his audio books, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Well, I hate to stop half-way through, but I couldn't finish it. I don't know how to explain it, but it was just, not right for me. So, I'll look at listening to Harry Potter or one of the classics that can be found for free on LibriVox.

And, I have made progress with War Wagon. Not in writing more, but in getting past my writer's block. I actually have something to write about now, but no time to do it in. Sure, I could write instead of blog, but then what would you read? A newspaper?

Well, blogging is distracting me from Psyche. I'm off!

A big update of sorts

Baltimore

Yvonne, Elizabeth, and I went to Baltimore last week to spend a day walking around the Inner Harbor and visiting the National Aquarium. Overall, it was a decent trip. The Aquarium was so-so with the dolphins being the most exciting thing there. After that we walked around the Inner Harbor a bit. Most exciting thing there for me was the USS Constellation (a really old sailing ship). The most disappointing thing there was that the canons on the piers were plastic, not cast iron. Check out the pictures here.

Seven Years Ago

So, seven years ago, Yvonne and I got married (seven years this past Saturday to be precise). We've been dating since October of 1994 and were engaged a couple of years before we married in 2000. It seems like forever, but at the same time, it's like yesterday. There are days where I get so caught up in going to work and doing chores and trying to relax that I sadly don't pay enough attention to the lovely woman next to me. She's become my best friend, my wife, and the mother of my children all rolled up into one. I've lost myself many times just staring into her eyes. But enough of the mushy stuff.

Shenandoah

We went to see Shenandoah yesterday at the Riverside. A decent play, but too depressing for an anniversary celebration. I love Jimmy Stewart, but I doubt I'll buy this movie.

Flipping for Trash

Now, for the funny stuff. Yesterday I took out the trash and ended up looking like this.

Not to worry, I didn't end up in the trash can. But I came close. As I sometimes do, I took out the trash in my bare feet yesterday morning. I leaned over the railing on the porch to open the trash can (it sits on the ground, about 4 feet below the bottom of the porch). Well, I must have shrunk since the last time I did this because I lost my balance and flipped over the railing. In the instant of falling I happened to notice the nice brown wood and nails as my head passed by. I couldn't tell you how I landed or what I landed on, but I did knock the trash can over. After putting the bag in the can and coming back inside, things went like this:

Elizabeth said "You fell down Daddy."

I said "Yes, Daddy fell down."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Daddy's okay."

Elizabeth said "It's okay Daddy, I fall down sometimes too."

"Okay honey, Daddy needs to sit down for a second."

"Do you want me to read you a story?"

"Sure Elizabeth."

So she started to read me a Dora story. Halfway through, she stopped and said "Daddy, you need to use the steps."

"Yes, Daddy will use the steps. Mommy's done with her shower so why don't you go tell her Daddy fell down."

Needless to say, if we had security cameras, I would have been on TV with a chance at winning some money. But sadly, all I got was a beat-up face, some scratches on my arms, a sore elbow, and a sore gut from laughing at myself.

Les Stroud and Survivorman News

This just in from Les Stroud:

- Season 2 starts August 10th on Discovery (October 2nd on OLN).

- Les is hosting all of Shark Week on Discovery (July 24th through August 4th).

- Les is swimming with the sharks in a one-hour special (July 31st at 9 pm EST on Discovery).

- Read about Les' latest adventure in Labrador Canada on his blog.

That is all.

Where oh where have you been?

Busy.





















No seriously, I've been busy. And a little lazy. And a little stressed out. And, well, here's a partial list of what I've been doing lately.
- Attending school - I'm now in my second week of my Masters program at the University of Phoenix
- Scanning - I've been scanning letters, documents, legal papers, photos, tons of family history stuff
- Writing - and all of it is for school, haven't had any time to even think about War Wagon
- New baby - there's been lots of prep work getting the spare bedroom rearranged, well I guess it's the baby's new room now, furniture, clothes, etc.
- Work - while the rest of my peers are enjoying the week off, I've been busy at work trying to catch up on things

And I'm too tired to list anything else. Mom went to Salt Lake for a couple of weeks (she's back now). Yvonne and Elizabeth went to Pittsburgh this week (due back in a couple of days). Ugh. And I forgot all about the reading I need to do for class.

Life never is easy.

So I've been busy, just like I said before. believe me now?