Another wonderful Thanksgiving with the family. I am thankful for a family that doesn't just get along, but who actually likes each other! And especially this year for the good health of all.
Afterwards I went with my parents and Craig to the new Muppet movie. Man, that brought back memories! It also made me laugh harder than I have laughed in a very long time. Wakka. Wakka. My favorite song in the movie was Cee Lo sung by chickens. Here it is. The Muppets originally aired when my parents were closer to my age, but in my early years (back in NY), I had videos of the shows that I would watch over and over and over and over. Something about those characters reminds me of childhood, a place where everything is new and magical and special.
I feel like America has a soft spot for the Muppets. Maybe it's just my generation... or maybe it's just me. I love Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Beaker, the Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle, and all the others. I'm a fan!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Some news (with accompanying photos):
-My league team, "The Isobars" got second place in league this season. I should be upset that we lost in finals by one point, but in reality I am simply out-of-my-mind excited to have played in finals at all.
-I had to give my kitty-on-loan back. :( I miss him already.
-I bought a pretty sweet hat.
-One of my students won first place in a flute competition!
-My car hit 200,000 miles. It's only a 2001 model!
-My grandma was back in the hospital for a overnight, but she is back home now. Prayer on this matter would be nice!
-Thanksgiving is this week, and I will be back in Florida in less than 48 hours!
-My league team, "The Isobars" got second place in league this season. I should be upset that we lost in finals by one point, but in reality I am simply out-of-my-mind excited to have played in finals at all.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Band concert tonight. Lovely music and piccolo that made my ears hurt. I both love and hate piccolo. It's kind of like candy in that way. I immensely enjoy them, but they are both bad for my health. Also, the first time in my life when a composer has shaken my hand after his piece. Yeah! Milestones!
THEN. Speeding to the Isobars game. I played two points and scored two points. That's the first time in my life where I've had a 100% scoring rate!
There is a kitty in my apartment right now.
Loving life right now!
THEN. Speeding to the Isobars game. I played two points and scored two points. That's the first time in my life where I've had a 100% scoring rate!
There is a kitty in my apartment right now.
Loving life right now!
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
I have four living grandparents. They are all in relatively good health--they still walk around, make food, live by themselves--all the things expected of a normal independent couple. As if this is not blessing enough, they all live within a mile of my house in Florida. Walking distance! They are friends--my grandmas go garage saleling together, they play cards, watch sports, gossip. I get to see them a lot when I am at home, but obviously, not so much when I am in Arizona.
They're all very loving, and have unique personalities. I love them all, and it is very interesting to try to figure out from whom I have inherited my personality traits and appearance. I have my maternal grandmother's eyes but the Stahl nose. The shortness came from my mom's side and the thinness came from the Stahl side.
Today one of my grandmas had heart surgery. She has a strong family history of heart disease, and it scares me that she, who is possibly the healthiest of all four, would require this surgery. The procedure apparently is common and not very dangerous, but she had some unusual complications afterwards.
My mom called me and told me about these complications today, and once I hung up, I just started crying. I always knew that my grandparents were getting old, but I have never truly faced the reality of losing one of them. That thought just makes the tears well up all over again.
I am considering moving back to Florida next year, and being able to see my grandparents would be high among the reasons why. They aren't going to live forever. I should be there with them.
They're all very loving, and have unique personalities. I love them all, and it is very interesting to try to figure out from whom I have inherited my personality traits and appearance. I have my maternal grandmother's eyes but the Stahl nose. The shortness came from my mom's side and the thinness came from the Stahl side.
Today one of my grandmas had heart surgery. She has a strong family history of heart disease, and it scares me that she, who is possibly the healthiest of all four, would require this surgery. The procedure apparently is common and not very dangerous, but she had some unusual complications afterwards.
My mom called me and told me about these complications today, and once I hung up, I just started crying. I always knew that my grandparents were getting old, but I have never truly faced the reality of losing one of them. That thought just makes the tears well up all over again.
I am considering moving back to Florida next year, and being able to see my grandparents would be high among the reasons why. They aren't going to live forever. I should be there with them.
Friday, October 21, 2011
I haven't really written in a while. So world, I'm still alive, haha.
Friends Danny and Erin are in town visiting, and tomorrow we are headed to the Grand Canyon! It's so cool that when I live here, I can just head to the Grand Canyon whenever I want like it ain't no thang.
So much performing lately, but I am lovin' it. I wish life could be these endless days of rehearsals and practice and endless nights of performances.
Isobars are still on a hot streak. 5-1 now!
Friends Danny and Erin are in town visiting, and tomorrow we are headed to the Grand Canyon! It's so cool that when I live here, I can just head to the Grand Canyon whenever I want like it ain't no thang.
So much performing lately, but I am lovin' it. I wish life could be these endless days of rehearsals and practice and endless nights of performances.
Isobars are still on a hot streak. 5-1 now!
Friday, October 07, 2011
This is the first week since I have been back when Phoenix hasn't been excessively hot. I've flung open my windows, opened the blinds, and am currently enjoying the sweet 75 degree naturalness. It's hard to be in a bad mood with such a welcome change as this.
I'm traveling to Flagstaff this weekend to play some ultimate. It's going to be fun! Apparently it snowed there last night, so I'm thinking that this cold (actually cold) weather may be quite a shock to my system, as today has been one of the first under-90 days we've had for many moons.
I love warm weather, don't get me wrong. But there's something kind of magical about coolness in the air. It feels better to be with other people, somehow...
I'm traveling to Flagstaff this weekend to play some ultimate. It's going to be fun! Apparently it snowed there last night, so I'm thinking that this cold (actually cold) weather may be quite a shock to my system, as today has been one of the first under-90 days we've had for many moons.
I love warm weather, don't get me wrong. But there's something kind of magical about coolness in the air. It feels better to be with other people, somehow...
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Saturday, October 01, 2011
When I am at home, working at the Health Department, I do a lot of alphabetizing. I get to know the alphabet very well. In fact, I start to have feelings about certain letters. For example, A is the leader of the letters. Assertive, adult, American. B isn't one of my favorite letters. Boys. Bugs. Brown. Beaten. Butts. As soon as you start to think crazy thoughts like this, like letters actually have personalities, it starts to make sense...:
C: cool, chill, creative
D: driven, dad, determined
E: eccentric, exciting, evocative
F: freedom, flaming, flagrant
G: gauche, gentle, girly
H: happy, healthy, hearty
Well I just got bored with writing this post so I guess we will end at H.
(When you're in a room by yourself with thousands of files, you have a lot of time to think about stupid things like this.)
C: cool, chill, creative
D: driven, dad, determined
E: eccentric, exciting, evocative
F: freedom, flaming, flagrant
G: gauche, gentle, girly
H: happy, healthy, hearty
Well I just got bored with writing this post so I guess we will end at H.
(When you're in a room by yourself with thousands of files, you have a lot of time to think about stupid things like this.)
Monday, September 26, 2011
There has fallen a splendid tear
From the passion-flower at the gate.
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
She is coming, my life, my fate;
The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;"
And the white rose weeps, "She is late;"
The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;"
And the lily whispers, "I wait."
She is coming, my own, my sweet;
Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat,
Were it earth in an earthy bed;
My dust would hear her and beat,
Had I lain for a century dead;
Would start and tremble under her feet,
And blossom in purple and red.
From the passion-flower at the gate.
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
She is coming, my life, my fate;
The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;"
And the white rose weeps, "She is late;"
The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;"
And the lily whispers, "I wait."
She is coming, my own, my sweet;
Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat,
Were it earth in an earthy bed;
My dust would hear her and beat,
Had I lain for a century dead;
Would start and tremble under her feet,
And blossom in purple and red.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I lived in Buffalo for 7 years of my life, but they were the first 7 years so I don't really remember what the freezing cold winters were really like. But I have heard many stores about very long winters, snow every day, cold that seems to last forever. Then suddenly one day the temperature will rise to about 50, and everyone will celebrate by walking around in shorts and tshirts. In normal circumstances, 50 degrees is much, much, much too cold to walk around in shorts. But given that the cold lasted for so long, people are eager to celebrate any small victory, and temperature that is not freezing (literally).
Here in Phoenix, we have the opposite problem. The highs have been above 105 every day since I have moved back from Florida. For much of the time, they were above 110. There was a day when--I kid you not--I rode my bike to school in 117 degree weather.
It is about 5:45 PM right now, and it is a lovely, sweet 92 degrees. I have turned my air off, opened my windows, and am attempting to meditate on the small delicacies that life gives us. A high below 100 degrees... the opportunity to open my windows without getting heatstroke... these are the things that Phoenixian do not take for granted.
Here in Phoenix, we have the opposite problem. The highs have been above 105 every day since I have moved back from Florida. For much of the time, they were above 110. There was a day when--I kid you not--I rode my bike to school in 117 degree weather.
It is about 5:45 PM right now, and it is a lovely, sweet 92 degrees. I have turned my air off, opened my windows, and am attempting to meditate on the small delicacies that life gives us. A high below 100 degrees... the opportunity to open my windows without getting heatstroke... these are the things that Phoenixian do not take for granted.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
I have been thinking about getting a kitten for a while now. I've always wanted one and this is about the only time in my life when I have actually been able to get one. I went to the Humane Society today, not to adopt one, but just to look, sort of get an idea of what I am getting myself into. I looked at many doggies and many kittens, and I got to play with a few! When I first got there, they made me very happy. But the longer I was there, the more sad they made me. The doggies were the worst. They look at you with their big sad puppydog eyes and whine, and you just want them to have a good home, and they just want some love...
Whenever I walked over to a nice dog, he would get super excited that I was there, and he would lick my hand and wag his tail, and basically show me that he appreciated me. He would be sad when I walked away, and he would watch me from his cage for as long as possible.
These dogs don't care who you are, where you came from, what degrees you have or how attractive you are. They love everyone. They don't judge. As long as you give them attention, they will love you. The love is unconditional. I wish people were like dogs in this way.
Whenever I walked over to a nice dog, he would get super excited that I was there, and he would lick my hand and wag his tail, and basically show me that he appreciated me. He would be sad when I walked away, and he would watch me from his cage for as long as possible.
These dogs don't care who you are, where you came from, what degrees you have or how attractive you are. They love everyone. They don't judge. As long as you give them attention, they will love you. The love is unconditional. I wish people were like dogs in this way.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Video games are fun, especially if you play them with other people. But if you turn down the chance to go on a date, or interact with other people, or make connections with your fellow human beings so you can play a video game in a room by yourself, please examine yourself. As people grow up they learn what the important things in life are.
Adolescent boys spend hour upon hour upon hour playing video games, often by themselves. I have to admit that at one point, I was there too. These games swiftly become the most important things in our lives. We get wrapped up in the goals of the game, forgetting completely that these goals have NO bearing on real life whatsoever. Sadly, some of people never grow out of this phase. It's okay to still enjoy video games and to still think that they are fun. I do. But PEOPLE are what make life worth living. It saddens me that some full-grown adults are so deluded that they think video games should take precedence over real relationships. At some point you will have to grow up and face reality.
On that note, I want to admit something: I don't have a smartphone. I have never played angry birds or words with friends. I don't even have a keypad on my phone, so while I can text, I can't text as fast as others. Yes, I am behind the times. But being different from everyone in that respect gives me a unique perspective. And my perspective is that I HATE what smartphones have done to society. I hate them. I hate talking to someone while they are texting someone else. I hate feeling like I am competing with a stupid game which, again, has absolutely no bearing on real life, for attention. I hate trying to interact with a friend who is sitting next to me, reading an article on his phone. And most of all, I hate that people can't see this themselves and don't even know what they are doing when they are doing it.
I'm not the only person who feels this way. Every time I have to compete with a smartphone for someone's attention, I feel very, very sad, because I don't see this changing. In most situations, I have no problem saying, "HEY. YOU'RE BEING RUDE." I know that a lot of my friends have heard this from me.
(One note: I'm no angel here either. I text in my friend's company. But since the smartphone revolution, I have realized the implications of doing this, and I now try to keep it at a minimum. Watch yourself.)
So do me a favor, readers. Don't forget the value of a human relationship. Is playing that game really worth making someone feel that they are second-place for your attention?
Adolescent boys spend hour upon hour upon hour playing video games, often by themselves. I have to admit that at one point, I was there too. These games swiftly become the most important things in our lives. We get wrapped up in the goals of the game, forgetting completely that these goals have NO bearing on real life whatsoever. Sadly, some of people never grow out of this phase. It's okay to still enjoy video games and to still think that they are fun. I do. But PEOPLE are what make life worth living. It saddens me that some full-grown adults are so deluded that they think video games should take precedence over real relationships. At some point you will have to grow up and face reality.
On that note, I want to admit something: I don't have a smartphone. I have never played angry birds or words with friends. I don't even have a keypad on my phone, so while I can text, I can't text as fast as others. Yes, I am behind the times. But being different from everyone in that respect gives me a unique perspective. And my perspective is that I HATE what smartphones have done to society. I hate them. I hate talking to someone while they are texting someone else. I hate feeling like I am competing with a stupid game which, again, has absolutely no bearing on real life, for attention. I hate trying to interact with a friend who is sitting next to me, reading an article on his phone. And most of all, I hate that people can't see this themselves and don't even know what they are doing when they are doing it.
I'm not the only person who feels this way. Every time I have to compete with a smartphone for someone's attention, I feel very, very sad, because I don't see this changing. In most situations, I have no problem saying, "HEY. YOU'RE BEING RUDE." I know that a lot of my friends have heard this from me.
(One note: I'm no angel here either. I text in my friend's company. But since the smartphone revolution, I have realized the implications of doing this, and I now try to keep it at a minimum. Watch yourself.)
So do me a favor, readers. Don't forget the value of a human relationship. Is playing that game really worth making someone feel that they are second-place for your attention?
Thursday, September 01, 2011
I just received an Amazon order in which I ordered an Owl City CD on a whim. Sure, I like one of their songs, why not try some more? I got it today, and.... I am so happy! I love this music! I can't help but smile when I hear it. Put these guys on my list of favorite bands, stat!
Here's a sample.
Here's a sample.
