The Great April 28

Happy 24th birthday to my sister Ardith!

Let's see, what nice thing should I say about her?

Sometime back there... before we had even started thinking about college... despite the fact that she had already read through Lord of the Rings at least twice, she agreed to read it out loud to me, just because I preferred to experience it by having it read to me rather than reading it. I don't know that we finished, but I do remember hearing about the Company approaching the mountains. The point is her generosity.

And that is just one small example of how great she is.

What makes an adult

Yesterday I reached a real milestone. I finally locked my keys in the car!

The police officer had a great time trying to get into the car. First he tried the right front door with a rubber pad to allow his metal hooker in to try to grab the lock. Then he tried the long rubber-tipped rod. Then I suggested he try the right front door, which usually isn't quite as persnickety. When that didn't work, he tried the right rear door. Then he came back to the right front door, which suddenly popped open -- of course, at the exact moment I had turned away to talk to his colleague. Bummer.

Oh well, I guess we know the little blue Toyota will make it through another six weeks of this crime-ridden town, as long as the police are still more adept than thieves!

What's wrong with this picture?

Look -- how can it be that a younger sister, who works full-time and even overtime hours, and goes to school part-time, and organizes a friend's bridal shower, and researches post-graduation job possibilities, not to mention just lives -- how can this girl have more time to post than her older sister who merely works 8 hours a day? Someone must be busy reconfiguring her L. Kernel.

By the way, family influence can have serious consequences. Outsiders have almost mistaken this same younger sister for a computer geek just because she was the first to mention Linux by name in a conversation.

That was fast

Night class done in under 45 minutes! How can you beat that? Apart from the extra time and the beautiful evening, it's kind of sad. Education is getting so casual these days.

Graduation can't possibly be here in two weeks. Where did college life go? Apart from no more homework and real living, it's kind of sad. People are getting so spread out these days.

But that's not quite enough kind-of-sadness to get me enrolled in graduate school!!

If walking down the commencement aisle is anything like walking down the Buenos Aires street Villanueva away from the university for the last time, I'm afraid I may positively burst from sheer, sheer delight!

But it's still kind of sad.

And so the adventure continues!

Driving home

While we were cheerfully working in the Language Department this afternoon, Profesor N. let out a whistle and informed us that there were "veintidos matados". Prof. B. suddenly was surprised - the last she had heard was 2 dead. I hadn't heard anything, probably due to work and class. It was a shock. But not so much as driving home and having the music station interrupted by a Fox special news report informing that 33 were now dead on the southern college campus.

I just don't understand how anyone could do that.

A few minutes later, on the last road to home, a commercial came on.

Music: "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."
Announcer: "Do you need to replace your wiper belts?"

That was hilarious! Just imagine what a pathetic car would let you know you need your wiper belts replaced by the raindrops hitting you. What kind of reasoning process did that script writer have? Sorry for laughing at him, but it was really funny.

Frankly, I don't understand that either - how sadness and joy in life get so curiously juxtaposed. It must be the goodness of God to keep us sane.

A very Good Friday

Grandpa Hoyt died on April 6th. Today was the funeral. I found this obituary to share.

I thank God for my wonderful Grandpa - for his good and faithful life, for the heritage he leaves in his family, and most of all for his presence with our Lord right at this moment.

I miss you, Grandpa, but I know it won't be for long.

Even downhill can be funny

Grading quizzes is amusing, especially when one comes across spelling such as "technoligy" and "boardered" -- and I cite mild examples.

22

Okay, I have to admit that I did have a birthday, but this is more to celebrate wonderful people than the birthday.

Saturday before last, some friends surprised me - along with the other friend I thought we were surprising - and Sue Ann gave us roses (my first flowers ever!). Monday was the day, and I came home to find that Aunt Vici was making homemade pizza and Rachel had frosted that cake -- that cake that she was baking the night before and she said that no, it wasn't exactly for work; what was it for? it was for some devotional -- a dark chocolate cake with cut-up dark Dove's and even dark frosting. What a good liar she is! We all devotedly devoured it. They even had presents, many of them to stock up my chocolate stash. Two friends left cards in the mailbox, another friend mailed a package, and then I finally got to open what that Mommy sent out - an Irish Tenors CD and all of Milton's poetry! How lovely!

This afternoon at work in the Language Department, they told me they needed me to take notes for their departmental meeting. When I came in the meeting room, they had a cake and started singing. My four language and culture profs are just wonderful!

The best part of these 22 years has been sharing them with you all.