Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Please, no!

Let's not have winter yet!

The other day, after we had been getting up several mornings in a below-60-degree house, Stacey finally decided to turn on the heat. Unfortunately, that set off the smoke alarm. Which we thought was extremely funny, but of course it's extremely disastrous. Oh my, I can't even imagine how many clothes we'll have to wear in a few months if that happens again. At least the dust seems to be burned off now.

Then, after she'd turned on the heater in my room, I couldn't get it off all the next day. The closest thing on the knob to "Off" was "Lo". Finally I tried turning it all the way in the opposite direction of "Warmer", and that killed it. Heat is wonderful, but not heat you don't want.

I'm not sure why I agreed to stay around for a northern Indiana winter. Then again, would an Iowa winter be any better? At least this means my blog address is staying valid a few more months.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Better old than nothing

Last weekend I typed up a blog post, then never had a chance to post it. So I may as well do it a week late!

This was not the plan

Life never goes like it’s supposed to. Isn’t it great?

Here it is Friday night in a cozy little house where the TV is on. The plan was to watch a movie picked up at the library specially for tonight. That’s what a good, modern-day college graduate would do, right? She should have started it right after supper. Instead here she is, after getting sidetracked on things like calling a friend to chat, and washing the dishes, and turning on the TV just to see what fraction of those four channels come in with a little delicate antenna adjustment… and out of the fuzz appears the baseball game on FOX. Now, the Red Sox are playing, and they’re probably playing somebody, but it’s hard to say who they’re playing because the announcers never get around to mentioning them, and it’s probably not important who they’re playing since they are, after all, the Red Sox. For all we know, the other team could be the Yankees, since they’re so frequently referenced…. Oh, wait, no, that other team is Cleveland.

Okay, that’s it. I’m going to be a typical annoying Hoyt and settle on a team without any background information whatsoever. Anyway, these announcers are annoying me, so Cleveland it is. Go Indians! Oh my goodness, they’d better really go. I just saw the score, 1 to 8. It’s the top of the 6th.

Cleveland is in Ohio, isn’t it? That’s a lot closer than Boston. Yes, I picked the right team.

Best of all, I can almost guarantee you my family is sitting around watching the exact same game. Most of them will be for the Indians, maybe a few for the Red Sox, just to be contrary (you guys know I know who you are). That’s really why I’m watching the game, of course. To spend the evening with my family. They all feel close via the TV, and via my laptop, since I know whoever isn’t watching it is on their computer. And I’m spending the evening with you by thinking of you all – whoever, wherever you are – while typing this out in tranquility at home, instead of hastily dashing off a post tomorrow during those few precious hours online.

It’s now 2 to 9 and only the bottom of the 6th. I think this is really promising.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Oops

Really? There was a tornado warning last night?

Is that why it was so windy, stormy, and wild.

I guess I should turn on the TV once in a while.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

So far, so good

The wolves haven't caught me yet, and tonight there is actually Internet to let you know. So much to be thankful for!

It is time for a little update from this corner of the world, despite all the more important events occuring elsewhere.

Last week, my colleagues and I were expecting Friday to be our last day of work, since that was the end date given. But our supervisor has extended it since the project will take several more weeks. Temporary jobs are excellent for developing a day-by-day perspective on life.

This week was the call-in for the 90,000 mile checkup on that well-cared-for car. But it's not respectful to laugh because it is apparently a Volvo.

I woke up this morning and thought that it felt quite late. Yes, it was, already after 6:00 a.m.

It is already October, but Winona Lake doesn't seem to have realized this. This weekend brings temperatures in the 80s. It makes one afraid that the heat will keep going and going until, one day in November, everything crashes and blizzards hit. Till then, the heat is lovely!

Missions conference is coming up at church. Somehow, my housemate, who just happens to be running it this year, has decided that I would be the perfect person to take care of the flag ceremony. This involves the 5th and 6th graders marching through the auditorium with all the flags of countries in which our church supports missionaries. But it should be fun, since half of the work is ironing all the flags.

Last night was Friday night, which means movie night! Fortunately I was prepared, because while at the library for Thursday's Chinese lesson, browsing through the movies, I almost skipped for joy on coming across O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Ardith showed this one to me some years back while she was in school, so I passed the torch by having Kendra over last night to watch it with Stacey and me.

Don't forget that it is just one week and one year till the presidential election.

[Edit: Make that one month and one year.]