Sunday, July 23, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Sabbath Is Coming...
It has been one busy busy busy week. Most of you know by now that that the majority of Monday was spent shopping. I don't think I ever want to go shopping again. The endless "oohing and aaaahing" over clothes that just don't really work, it's a grievous injustice. Anyway, I got a few things. Woopdedoo.
Tuesday I was at the lake from 10-3!!! It was very fun, thanks Valerie and Nika (as well as Spencer and Sage) for a wonderful time!
I'm finishing up last year's school, and my mom wants me to get a minimum of three hours done each day. (Fifteen hours a week.) I didn't do any school at all on the first two days of the school week, so the past few days have been spent cramming five hours of school in. I did it! Praise the Lord for the Sabbath, though. I am sooo tired.
Ryan asked me to play some soccer with him the other day, so we sauntered down to the lawn and kicked the ball around. Our goals we were using were not so great. One has large holes in it which have been there since a few years ago when my dad cut the neighbor's cat out of the net. It had strangled itself. Suicidal feline. The other nets are miniscule. About two by two feet. We stick two of them together to make one net. So Ryan and I puffed and kicked around for a bit. For a while we were running around doubled over laughing with that sort of exhilarating, spluttery, gaspy feeling you get when you laugh while you run. So that was fun fun fun.
I keep saying things in threes. (fun fun fun, busy busy busy.) It makes me feel like Nanny in the Eloise books
A good Sabbath to all! I go now...
Tuesday I was at the lake from 10-3!!! It was very fun, thanks Valerie and Nika (as well as Spencer and Sage) for a wonderful time!
I'm finishing up last year's school, and my mom wants me to get a minimum of three hours done each day. (Fifteen hours a week.) I didn't do any school at all on the first two days of the school week, so the past few days have been spent cramming five hours of school in. I did it! Praise the Lord for the Sabbath, though. I am sooo tired.
Ryan asked me to play some soccer with him the other day, so we sauntered down to the lawn and kicked the ball around. Our goals we were using were not so great. One has large holes in it which have been there since a few years ago when my dad cut the neighbor's cat out of the net. It had strangled itself. Suicidal feline. The other nets are miniscule. About two by two feet. We stick two of them together to make one net. So Ryan and I puffed and kicked around for a bit. For a while we were running around doubled over laughing with that sort of exhilarating, spluttery, gaspy feeling you get when you laugh while you run. So that was fun fun fun.
I keep saying things in threes. (fun fun fun, busy busy busy.) It makes me feel like Nanny in the Eloise books
A good Sabbath to all! I go now...
Monday, July 17, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Say These Really Fast
Today after dinner, Bria, Aaron, Ryan, and I spent a few minutes reading Fox in Sox. We each read it through once (out loud) seeing how far we could get without stumbling over our words and muddling the sentences. I know that the difficulty of the book is mostly because of all the difficult phrases in a row, but here are a few of the most challenging. They are not as hard when set apart from the others, but they're still enjoyable. What a genius Dr. Seuss was! So say these, fast! It's guaranteed fun.
Clocks on fox tick.
Clocks on Knox tock.
Six sick bricks tick.
Six sick chicks tock.
Here is lots of
new blue goo now.
New goo. Blue goo.
Gooey. Goeey.
Blue goo, New goo.
Gluey. Gluey.
Gooey goo
for chewy chewing!
That's what that
Goo-Goose is doing
Do you choose to
chew goo, too, sir?
If, sir, you, sir,
choose to chew, sir,
with the Goo-Goose,
chew, sir. Do, sir.
Bim comes.
Ben comes.
Bim bringgs Ben broom.
Ben brings Bim broom.
Ben bends Bim's broom.
Bim bends Ben's broom,
Bim's bends,
Ben's bends.
Ben's bent broom breaks.
Bim's bent broom breaks.
Ben's band. Bim's band.
Big bands. Pig bands.
Bim and Ben lead
bands with brooms.
Ben's band bangs
and Bim's band booms.
Luke Luck likes lakes.
Luke's duck likes lakes.
Luke luck licks lakes.
Luke's duck licks lakes.
Duck takes licks
in lakes Luke Luck likes.
Luke Luck takes licks
in lakes duck likes.
Through three cheese trees
three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew,
freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made
these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made
these trees' cheese freeze
That's what made these
three free fleas sneeze.
When tweetle beetles fight,
it's called
a tweetle beetle battle.
And when they
battle in a puddle,
it's a tweetle
beetle puddle battle.
AND when tweetle beetles
battle with paddles in a puddle,
they call it a tweetle
beetle puddle paddle battle.
AND...
When beetles battle beetles
in a puddle paddle battle
and the beetle battle puddle
is a puddle in a bottle...
...they call this
a tweetle beetle
bottle puddle
paddle battle muddle.
AND...
When beetles
fight these battles
in a bottle
with their paddles
and the bottle's
on a poodle
and the poodle's
eating noodles...
...they call this
a muddle puddle
tweetle poodle
beetle noodle
bottle paddle battle.
AND...
Now wait
a minute
Mr. Socks Fox!
When a fox is
in the bottle where
the tweetle beetls battle
with their paddles
in a puddle on a
noodle-eating poodle.
THIS is what they call...
...a tweetle beetle
noodle poodle bottles
paddled muddled duddled
fuddled wuddled
fox in sockx, sir!
Fox in socks,
our game us done, sir.
Thank you for
a lot of fun, sir
(I had to include the whole tweedle beetle part. It's too wonderful to leave out.)
Clocks on fox tick.
Clocks on Knox tock.
Six sick bricks tick.
Six sick chicks tock.
Here is lots of
new blue goo now.
New goo. Blue goo.
Gooey. Goeey.
Blue goo, New goo.
Gluey. Gluey.
Gooey goo
for chewy chewing!
That's what that
Goo-Goose is doing
Do you choose to
chew goo, too, sir?
If, sir, you, sir,
choose to chew, sir,
with the Goo-Goose,
chew, sir. Do, sir.
Bim comes.
Ben comes.
Bim bringgs Ben broom.
Ben brings Bim broom.
Ben bends Bim's broom.
Bim bends Ben's broom,
Bim's bends,
Ben's bends.
Ben's bent broom breaks.
Bim's bent broom breaks.
Ben's band. Bim's band.
Big bands. Pig bands.
Bim and Ben lead
bands with brooms.
Ben's band bangs
and Bim's band booms.
Luke Luck likes lakes.
Luke's duck likes lakes.
Luke luck licks lakes.
Luke's duck licks lakes.
Duck takes licks
in lakes Luke Luck likes.
Luke Luck takes licks
in lakes duck likes.
Through three cheese trees
three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew,
freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made
these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made
these trees' cheese freeze
That's what made these
three free fleas sneeze.
When tweetle beetles fight,
it's called
a tweetle beetle battle.
And when they
battle in a puddle,
it's a tweetle
beetle puddle battle.
AND when tweetle beetles
battle with paddles in a puddle,
they call it a tweetle
beetle puddle paddle battle.
AND...
When beetles battle beetles
in a puddle paddle battle
and the beetle battle puddle
is a puddle in a bottle...
...they call this
a tweetle beetle
bottle puddle
paddle battle muddle.
AND...
When beetles
fight these battles
in a bottle
with their paddles
and the bottle's
on a poodle
and the poodle's
eating noodles...
...they call this
a muddle puddle
tweetle poodle
beetle noodle
bottle paddle battle.
AND...
Now wait
a minute
Mr. Socks Fox!
When a fox is
in the bottle where
the tweetle beetls battle
with their paddles
in a puddle on a
noodle-eating poodle.
THIS is what they call...
...a tweetle beetle
noodle poodle bottles
paddled muddled duddled
fuddled wuddled
fox in sockx, sir!
Fox in socks,
our game us done, sir.
Thank you for
a lot of fun, sir
(I had to include the whole tweedle beetle part. It's too wonderful to leave out.)
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Fun Times
My life has been so busy and full of fun the past few weeks. I am amazed at how many memories have been created in so small an amount of time. Friendships are stronger, new ones are made, and life is pretty much just great.
Girls' week was so wonderful. Thank you, thank you, Andrea. We did so many amazing things: shopping, uh, shopping, and um, shopping, SHOPPING! Yes, we did shop a lot. No wonder the week was such a blast! I had never realized how much fun it is to shop with a group of girls who share similar tastes to you. And hey, even if someone didn't like what I got, there was at least one girl who did! The benefits of a large shopping group are many.
The most amazing part of the Girls' week was the devotions and meetings. Our theme was "Intimacy With God." We would do a quick Bible study of a few Psalms, and then write down our heart response to the message we had read. I know that I grew in my friendship with Jesus, and I believe the other girls did as well.
I am still so thankful that Uncle Tim was our driver. I love him! Van rides were pretty much the coolest time ever. A few times some girls performed skits in the back seat (Meredith and Indiana Jones was a title of one), we sang a few songs, but the best parts of all were the waving and the honk signs. Every now and then, as we were cruising down the highway, we would all plaster ourselves on the window of the van and wave for all we were worth at the poor people who happened to be passing us. We also made signs that said "HONK!." Ah, that was the most fun of all. We got so many people to honk, and if someone was too embarrassed or too non-obliging to honk, we would stare at them and wave and bang on the window until they turned red in the and zoomed off down the highway. Good times. Once we were waving to some guy in a truck, and apparently we amused him so much that he took a picture of us. That was funny.
The family convention was fabulous. Thank you to Paul and Laura. (No, I don't usually call them that, but I try not to use people's whole names on my blog. So those of you who thought I was being incredibly disrespectful can rest easy. I wasn't.) I would list my favorite activities I participated in, but that would pretty much be the whole convention, and if you want to read about what we did, just go to Craig's blog.
However, there are a few things not in his post that I enjoyed IMMENSELY. I spent the first afternoon on the lake with many of my good friends. We canoed and swimmed (swam?) and laughed until I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. Since when was this much good fun allowed on earth? A few of the boys came very close to tipping my canoe, which I shared with two other girls, but they were gentlemen and right before we were thrown into the watery depths of the lake, they rowed to shore to get us a bailer. And here I am ashamed to say how we repaid them: We tipped them! Apparently, later one of the guys thanked us for it. It was delightful to see the canoe sink down down down. Somewhere we had a glitch in our canoe tipping plan, because we ended up with the under water canoe of the guys, and the ended up with ours which was above water and floating. We ended up swimming with the canoe (under water) toward shore until someone came and rescued us and emptied the canoe of water and blah blah blah you've heard enough of this story.
Basically, it was a good time had by all.
Girls' week was so wonderful. Thank you, thank you, Andrea. We did so many amazing things: shopping, uh, shopping, and um, shopping, SHOPPING! Yes, we did shop a lot. No wonder the week was such a blast! I had never realized how much fun it is to shop with a group of girls who share similar tastes to you. And hey, even if someone didn't like what I got, there was at least one girl who did! The benefits of a large shopping group are many.
The most amazing part of the Girls' week was the devotions and meetings. Our theme was "Intimacy With God." We would do a quick Bible study of a few Psalms, and then write down our heart response to the message we had read. I know that I grew in my friendship with Jesus, and I believe the other girls did as well.
I am still so thankful that Uncle Tim was our driver. I love him! Van rides were pretty much the coolest time ever. A few times some girls performed skits in the back seat (Meredith and Indiana Jones was a title of one), we sang a few songs, but the best parts of all were the waving and the honk signs. Every now and then, as we were cruising down the highway, we would all plaster ourselves on the window of the van and wave for all we were worth at the poor people who happened to be passing us. We also made signs that said "HONK!." Ah, that was the most fun of all. We got so many people to honk, and if someone was too embarrassed or too non-obliging to honk, we would stare at them and wave and bang on the window until they turned red in the and zoomed off down the highway. Good times. Once we were waving to some guy in a truck, and apparently we amused him so much that he took a picture of us. That was funny.
The family convention was fabulous. Thank you to Paul and Laura. (No, I don't usually call them that, but I try not to use people's whole names on my blog. So those of you who thought I was being incredibly disrespectful can rest easy. I wasn't.) I would list my favorite activities I participated in, but that would pretty much be the whole convention, and if you want to read about what we did, just go to Craig's blog.
However, there are a few things not in his post that I enjoyed IMMENSELY. I spent the first afternoon on the lake with many of my good friends. We canoed and swimmed (swam?) and laughed until I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. Since when was this much good fun allowed on earth? A few of the boys came very close to tipping my canoe, which I shared with two other girls, but they were gentlemen and right before we were thrown into the watery depths of the lake, they rowed to shore to get us a bailer. And here I am ashamed to say how we repaid them: We tipped them! Apparently, later one of the guys thanked us for it. It was delightful to see the canoe sink down down down. Somewhere we had a glitch in our canoe tipping plan, because we ended up with the under water canoe of the guys, and the ended up with ours which was above water and floating. We ended up swimming with the canoe (under water) toward shore until someone came and rescued us and emptied the canoe of water and blah blah blah you've heard enough of this story.
Basically, it was a good time had by all.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
| You Are Batman |
 |
What Superhero Are You?
Sunday, June 18, 2006
In Which I Reduce My Body To Charred Remains...Almost
Today I was going to make chicken on the grill. I went out side, turned the propane on, opened the valves, and lit a match to light it. (The bottom of the grill is so full of charred remains of meat; it's too clogged or something.) Anyway, the match wouldn't light right away. I got it on the third try. Third try is the charm, right? I hate that saying... I tossed the match into the grill and WHOOMPH! A gargantuan amount of flame flew into my face. I shielded my face with my arm and stepped backwards. After the flames died down in about one nanosecond, I quickly checked my hair to make sure it was still there. It was. But then I smelled the stench of frizzled and fried hair. All the eensy weensy hairs on my arm are reduced to a half a millimeter. My mom told me to pray next time I start the grill. The End.
Friday, June 16, 2006
When I was in NY, Klara and I had fun dressing up...something I hadn't done in a looong time. She was Nanny McPhee and I was Mrs. Quickley, though you have to use your imagination to tell she's the person I'm trying to look like. Hurray for fake beauty mark and crocheted and yarn hair! The funnest part of dressing up was saying: "Behaive" and "Aw, look at the little small things."
Update
Vacation was wonderful. It was glorious to bask in the sun, not worry about school, run around playing and being crazy, and to just relax. Hurray for the summer.
I came home to a very different house and room. My walls are now a beautiful red, instead of the flowered wallpaper they were a few weeks ago. I have wood floor instead of rug, and that is perhaps the greatest blessing. I am very very hard on clothes, furniture, and things like that. My rug was well worn and had definitely payed for itself, but it was looking very sad and sorry. I also got a fan/light fixture installed. Three cheers for home improvements! Maybe I'll post pictures later.
I was gone the last few days to one of my favorite places. I had a wonderful visit with some of my favorite people. Thanks to the Holschers for a lovely relaxing time at their house.
Since War and Peace, I have read two Lemony Snicket books (I figured I had to read them sometime.), and half an Alistair MacLean. My reading skills are almost completely exhausted. However, I have the whole summer ahead to enrich my mind and vocabulary with other great literature.
I came home to a very different house and room. My walls are now a beautiful red, instead of the flowered wallpaper they were a few weeks ago. I have wood floor instead of rug, and that is perhaps the greatest blessing. I am very very hard on clothes, furniture, and things like that. My rug was well worn and had definitely payed for itself, but it was looking very sad and sorry. I also got a fan/light fixture installed. Three cheers for home improvements! Maybe I'll post pictures later.
I was gone the last few days to one of my favorite places. I had a wonderful visit with some of my favorite people. Thanks to the Holschers for a lovely relaxing time at their house.
Since War and Peace, I have read two Lemony Snicket books (I figured I had to read them sometime.), and half an Alistair MacLean. My reading skills are almost completely exhausted. However, I have the whole summer ahead to enrich my mind and vocabulary with other great literature.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Mission Accomplished
Last night at 10:30, Cara officially finished War and Peace. It took me approximately five weeks. The last part of the epilogue was the hardest. My dad says that I'm now officially a nerd. Ha. Now I can relax with a nice cosy Alistair MacLean. H.M.S Ulysses, here I come!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Fasting From Blogland
I have decided to have a blog fast for the next few days. I'll be working to get us ready for the Cape, to get the house ready for home improvements, and to finish up school. Because blogging is my #1 time waster, I'll refrain from the enjoyment of visiting each different site and seeing what people have to say. So tata for now, and perhaps you'll hear from me when I'm at the Cape.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Shoe Quotes
1972: The first woman falls of her cork sandals. Millions follow. ~Vogue 
When a woman pulls on a great pair of boots, she not only walks differently--she behaves differently. ~Catherine Wilson
You want to fall in love with a shoe, go ahead. A shoe can't love you back, but, on the other hand, a shoe can't hurt you too deeply either. And there are so many nice-looking shoes. Allan Sherman
You want to fall in love with a shoe, go ahead. A shoe can't love you back, but, on the other hand, a shoe can't hurt you too deeply either. And there are so many nice-looking shoes. Allan Sherman
Give a girl the correct footwear, and she can conquer the world. ~Bette Midler
If shoes don't hurt, they don't have style. ~Emma Bombeck
If the shoe fits, it's too expensive. Adrienne Gusoff
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. ~Frieda Norris
A pair of shoes must be perfect like an equation and adjusted to the millimeter like a motor piece. ~Andre Perugia
If shoes don't hurt, they don't have style. ~Emma Bombeck
If the shoe fits, it's too expensive. Adrienne Gusoff
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. ~Frieda Norris
A pair of shoes must be perfect like an equation and adjusted to the millimeter like a motor piece. ~Andre Perugia
Always wear expensive shoes. People notice. ~Brian Koslow
Stilettos--not combat trousers and pierced tongues--are a real source of girl power. ~Lesley Thomas
Stilettos--not combat trousers and pierced tongues--are a real source of girl power. ~Lesley Thomas
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Something I Read Recently Which I Found Intriguing
In order to persuade the public to support a particular viewpoint, environmental activists often exaggerate some risks and downplay others. By using true but misleading statements, practically any substance on earth can be made to sound like a menace to society. For example, consider the following true statements about the chemical dihydrogen monoxide(DHMO):
- DHMO is a powerful solvent that can corrode many metals.
- At high temperatures, DHMO decomposes into explosive gases that can be used as rocket fuels.
- Chronic exposure to solid DHMO can cause severe tissue damage and gangrene; exposure to the liquid form causes temporary changes in the skin. Contact with DHMO vapors can cause severe burns.
- Laboratory animals fed large amounts of DHMO exhibit nausea, vomiting, edema, and electrolyte disturbances; only a few grams injected intravenously can be fatal.
- DHMO is used in the manufacture of pesticides, plastics, and nuclear weapons; it is also used as a general-purpose solvent and coolant in the chemical industry. Many industries dump DHMO into the environment. It is often stored near populated areas.
Based on the above facts, would you think DHMO should be banned? Carefully regulated? Or not regulated at all? Actually, banning dihydrogen monoxide would be a grave mistake. Even though all of the above statements are true, human life would be impossible without DHMO--which most people call water.
Although no one seriously proposes to ban water, many current environmental debates--from chlorine bans to the elimination of pesticides--are based upon similar exaggerated fears. Although there are many legitimate concerns about pollution, keep in mind that not everything that sounds ominous is a threat to the environment.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Movie Which Guarantees Enjoyment To Almost Everyone...
Check out this amazing movie I just came across. ;) Here it is...
Friday, May 05, 2006
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Driving
My first days of driving have gone really well. Wednesday was spent anstily waiting for my Dad's automatic to be available for me. I worked hard on school and even cleaned the house a little. Then I called Daddy to see if his car was ready for me to use, and guess what? He had to go to Portsmouth. Well, that left three options.
Option #1: To wait till he got back
Option #2: To illegally drive the uninspected GMC Safari
Option #3: To attempt the standard.
Option 3 being the most appealing to me, I decided to drive the standard. (Here's where I heave a long sigh.) Mama graciously set aside somet ime for driving with me, and we set out in the Camry. Starting went really well. I smoothly started, got out of the driveway and accelerated on our road, and then...I forgot that there's more than one gear. Yes, I know, it's embarrassing, but I totally forgot that I had to shift and then I did it really hasty and then I freaked out and decided to have my mom drive me to the parking lot and to practice driving there. Some more humbling things happened which I'll leave to your imagination...
The parking lot was good. I practiced shifting between gears, and starting on hills. It all was good, until little kids started to run in directly in front of me. Then I had to back down a hill to let someone pass me, and from there on it was downhill...no pun intended. I had difficulty starting up again. Lots of mothers at the playground nodded their heads sympathetically when they heard me stall. They all knew what it was like...argh. After a while I got tired of people watching me, and I had Mama get me out of there.
When Daddy came home around nine he asked if I still wanted to drive with him in the automatic. We decided to give it a try. I got the crash course (my dad laughs when I say that, then he starts making jokes about the "crash" course...) in driving that evening. We went on some back roads, jumped on the highway for a few minutes, took some shortcuts to a gas station, Daddy had me pump the gas, then we went to Hannaford and I parked, then we got back on the highway and went home. It was all so unbelievably easy and uncomplicated. I want to drive to Fairwood and visit Bria now...
So that is my saga about my first day of driving. I have attempted the standard one more time since then. I drove it to my house from my grandfather's, about two and a half miles. It was a magnificently flawless ride. My spirits were boosted and now I'm ready to shift again.
Onto other things--
Highspeed Internet is the most glorious thing in this world. A few hours after we had it installed, Aaron was looking up some stuff online. I needed to call mom, so I was hunting around for the cell phone. Then Nancy pointed out to me, that I didn't need one. I could actually use the phone and be online at the same time. Thank God for wireless and highspeed.
I've been chipping away at War and Peace for the past couple of weeks. I had expected it to be a totally baffling, boring book. On the contrary, it's very easy to read. It also has an enjoyable story line. The most daunting part is the length. My copy is 1384 pages. The Russian names are sometime difficult to remember. I get Anna Pavlovna and Anna Mihalovna mixed up now and then. But for the most part, it's a straightforward book. I wouldn't say that Russian literature is my favorite stuff to read, but it definitely isn't too bad.
The pool is open! Come on over and swim, everybody! The majority of the leaves have been skimmed out, but there is still a layer of dirt which needs vacuuming. However, with a little zap of the heater, and a little warmer weather I'll be in it, dirt or no dirt. I can't wait to start this year's lap chart. Last year I started counting laps in the end of July/beginning of August. (A lap is there and back across the pool) I got 200+ something in, but I've already blogged about that. Maybe I'll get 500 in this year...
That's about all the news I have right now. Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!
Option #1: To wait till he got back
Option #2: To illegally drive the uninspected GMC Safari
Option #3: To attempt the standard.
Option 3 being the most appealing to me, I decided to drive the standard. (Here's where I heave a long sigh.) Mama graciously set aside somet ime for driving with me, and we set out in the Camry. Starting went really well. I smoothly started, got out of the driveway and accelerated on our road, and then...I forgot that there's more than one gear. Yes, I know, it's embarrassing, but I totally forgot that I had to shift and then I did it really hasty and then I freaked out and decided to have my mom drive me to the parking lot and to practice driving there. Some more humbling things happened which I'll leave to your imagination...
The parking lot was good. I practiced shifting between gears, and starting on hills. It all was good, until little kids started to run in directly in front of me. Then I had to back down a hill to let someone pass me, and from there on it was downhill...no pun intended. I had difficulty starting up again. Lots of mothers at the playground nodded their heads sympathetically when they heard me stall. They all knew what it was like...argh. After a while I got tired of people watching me, and I had Mama get me out of there.
When Daddy came home around nine he asked if I still wanted to drive with him in the automatic. We decided to give it a try. I got the crash course (my dad laughs when I say that, then he starts making jokes about the "crash" course...) in driving that evening. We went on some back roads, jumped on the highway for a few minutes, took some shortcuts to a gas station, Daddy had me pump the gas, then we went to Hannaford and I parked, then we got back on the highway and went home. It was all so unbelievably easy and uncomplicated. I want to drive to Fairwood and visit Bria now...
So that is my saga about my first day of driving. I have attempted the standard one more time since then. I drove it to my house from my grandfather's, about two and a half miles. It was a magnificently flawless ride. My spirits were boosted and now I'm ready to shift again.
Onto other things--
Highspeed Internet is the most glorious thing in this world. A few hours after we had it installed, Aaron was looking up some stuff online. I needed to call mom, so I was hunting around for the cell phone. Then Nancy pointed out to me, that I didn't need one. I could actually use the phone and be online at the same time. Thank God for wireless and highspeed.
I've been chipping away at War and Peace for the past couple of weeks. I had expected it to be a totally baffling, boring book. On the contrary, it's very easy to read. It also has an enjoyable story line. The most daunting part is the length. My copy is 1384 pages. The Russian names are sometime difficult to remember. I get Anna Pavlovna and Anna Mihalovna mixed up now and then. But for the most part, it's a straightforward book. I wouldn't say that Russian literature is my favorite stuff to read, but it definitely isn't too bad.
The pool is open! Come on over and swim, everybody! The majority of the leaves have been skimmed out, but there is still a layer of dirt which needs vacuuming. However, with a little zap of the heater, and a little warmer weather I'll be in it, dirt or no dirt. I can't wait to start this year's lap chart. Last year I started counting laps in the end of July/beginning of August. (A lap is there and back across the pool) I got 200+ something in, but I've already blogged about that. Maybe I'll get 500 in this year...
That's about all the news I have right now. Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Long Awaited Day
The big day has come! The moment we've all been waiting for! I start driving today! Unfortunately, the long awaited moment has to wait for a few more moments. My parents are gone for the afternoon, and Mama still has to dig out my birth certificate. Anyway, I now can drive on the road without breaking the law. Hurray! No more furtively avoiding eye contact with policemen in case they'll read my inner thoughts...just kidding. Just you wait tomorrow! I'll be cruising New Hampshire's roads.
Monday, April 03, 2006
A Story For You To Enjoy
The Dinner Party
by Mona Gardner
The country is India. A large dinner party is being given in an up-country station by a colonial official and his wife. The guests are army officers and government attaches and their wives, and an American naturalist.
At one side of the long table a spirited discussion springs up between a young girl and a colonel. The girl insists women have long outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-sight-of-a-mouse era, that they are not as fluttery as their grandmothers. The colonel says they re, explaining that women haven’t the actual nerve control of men. The other men at the table agree with him.
“A woman’s unfailing reaction in any crisis,” the colonel says, “is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, yet he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what counts!"
The American scientist does not join in the argument, but sits watching the faces of the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, the muscles of her face contracted slightly. With a small gesture she summons the native boy standing behind her chair. She whispers to him. The boy’s eyes widen: he turns quickly and leaves the room. No one else sees this, nor the boy when he puts a bowl of milk on the verandah outside the glass doors.
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing. It is bait for a snake. He realizes that there is a cobra in the room.
He looks up at the rafters—the likeliest place—and sees they are bare. Three corners of the room, which he can see by shifting only slightly, are empty. In the fourth corner a group of servants stand, waiting until the next course can be served. The American realizes there is only one place left—under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows the commotion will frighten the cobra and it wills strike. He speaks quickly, the quality of his voice so arresting that it sobers everyone.
“I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count to three hundred—that’s five minutes—and not one of you is to move a single muscle. The persons who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Now! Ready!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying “...two-hundred and eighty...” when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of mil. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to slam shut the verandah doors.
“You certainly were right, Colonel!” the host says. “A man has just shown us an example of real control.”
“just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess, “there’s one thing I’d like to know. Mrs. Wynnes’ how did you know that cobra was in the room?”
A faint smile lights up the woman’s face as she replies: “Because it was lying across my foot.”
by Mona Gardner
The country is India. A large dinner party is being given in an up-country station by a colonial official and his wife. The guests are army officers and government attaches and their wives, and an American naturalist.
At one side of the long table a spirited discussion springs up between a young girl and a colonel. The girl insists women have long outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-sight-of-a-mouse era, that they are not as fluttery as their grandmothers. The colonel says they re, explaining that women haven’t the actual nerve control of men. The other men at the table agree with him.
“A woman’s unfailing reaction in any crisis,” the colonel says, “is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, yet he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what counts!"
The American scientist does not join in the argument, but sits watching the faces of the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, the muscles of her face contracted slightly. With a small gesture she summons the native boy standing behind her chair. She whispers to him. The boy’s eyes widen: he turns quickly and leaves the room. No one else sees this, nor the boy when he puts a bowl of milk on the verandah outside the glass doors.
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing. It is bait for a snake. He realizes that there is a cobra in the room.
He looks up at the rafters—the likeliest place—and sees they are bare. Three corners of the room, which he can see by shifting only slightly, are empty. In the fourth corner a group of servants stand, waiting until the next course can be served. The American realizes there is only one place left—under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows the commotion will frighten the cobra and it wills strike. He speaks quickly, the quality of his voice so arresting that it sobers everyone.
“I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count to three hundred—that’s five minutes—and not one of you is to move a single muscle. The persons who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Now! Ready!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying “...two-hundred and eighty...” when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of mil. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to slam shut the verandah doors.
“You certainly were right, Colonel!” the host says. “A man has just shown us an example of real control.”
“just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess, “there’s one thing I’d like to know. Mrs. Wynnes’ how did you know that cobra was in the room?”
A faint smile lights up the woman’s face as she replies: “Because it was lying across my foot.”
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