Wandering through E-Space

D.W.Q.M.: "The ceremonial gift merely symbolizes friendship. We have no need for symbols, you and I." -K'anpo, from the 3rd Doctor story, Planet of the Spiders 'Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock...I'm talking to Au-n-ntie!' -Boo, today on the phone. :) It's hard not to love that! :-D I called my sister today to see how she was doing and it turns out she already got the packages I sent the kids on Monday! Woo! They all loved the books, and Boo especially loved the new clothes (she starts kindergarten next week-I don't believe it!) Al said she got pictures of them with their new books, including Mellon, holding hers up with the 'so big' expression and a huge smile on her face. Oooh! I can't wait to see 'em!!!! Yesterday they went to the Minnesota State Fair and had a great time-they got a new wagon. (the kids and mom seem very excited about this new wagon) I was going to ask the kiddies if they had tried Norweigan on a stick, b...

D.W.Q.M.: "It takes all sorts to make a galaxy." -the Fourth Doctor Ah, yes, we are coming to the end of the August blog challenge, so I thought I'd talk a little bit about a couple of things that are really important that make me happy. :) The first, of course, is my family. :) Of course, now that I want to write about them I have complete writer's block. LOL. Seriously, though-I have alot of happy memories of my family-weddings, reunions, graduations, picnics, the holidays, Sunday dinners. How many have played a family reunion volleyball game, with, like, 20 people on each side? (ok, maybe only 15) At one reunion back in 1990, I remember we played guys against girls. One of my second cousins was serving-she served the ball, and her husband, who had casually walked onto the court, just stuck his arm out in mid-stride and the ball bounced off of it with such force we all had to run for cover. Family volleyball games are cool, 'cause even the smallest kiddies get ...

D.W.Q.M.: "Well, you see, Mr Scarman, I have the advantage of being slightly ahead of you. Sometimes behind you, but normally ahead of you." -the Fourth Doctor Three cheers to Perseph , who won Settler's on taco night! Yay, taco night! This past taco night we watched the first episode of Farscape that I saw. It brought back a fond memory. My friend Jeff needed a place to stay while visiting, so I offered him my apartment. He accepted, but about a week before he came over, he asked if we could watch this show called Farscape (apparently it was starting it's second season that week) He said, 'you gotta love Farscape .' I said, sure, okay. Well, the Wenesday before he came, I noticed that USA was going to be airing a two part story from the show. I decided to watch it to see what I had agreed to. By the end of the first episode, I was like, 'wow, this is pretty frellin' cool.' By the end of the second, I was like, 'I want more! I want more!!!...

D.W.Q.M.: "It's so peaceful, like Earth after a thunderstorm." -Tegan Jovanka Happiness is...the middle of August and the temp's less than 70 degrees. Bliss. Ahh, I can let my hair down. Yesterday it was sunny and cool-and I loved it! So did Perseph! ;) Today it was cloudy, and we had some lake-effect rain (much needed rain, I think) but the temp is still cool, and it's not muggy-perfect for a lunch break walk! (Since she's back at KSL, Shar and I are determined to start walking during lunch on a regular basis again!) Before I forget-I'd like to thank Andy and Adam for showing up for the evening procession the last day of the Feast! Since they arrived after we had lined up, I didn't see them. During the evening procession, since we are playing constantly, the only people I am aware of are those who are right next to me. "Thanks, you two!!" :-D (special thank you to Perseph, too-who let me know they were there) :) Happiness from Saturday: Di...

D.W.Q.M.: "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." -the Fourth Doctor *hee* You are the Fourth Doctor: A walking Bohemian conundrum with a brooding personal magnetism and a first-rate intellect concealed somewhere beneath your charmingly goofy exterior. You are perhaps the most terribly clever of all the Doctors, though your occasional bouts of childishness get you in trouble. You never go looking for a fight, but when someone messes with you... good heavens, are they ever sorry they did. Which Incarnation of the Doctor Are You? brought to you by Quizilla

D.W.Q.M.: "You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delight and satisfaction of the arts... the gentle art of fisticuffs." -the First Doctor Tuesday Jerm and Adam introduced me to disc golf. Even though my arm was quite sore, and I was so much over par that I lost count, I still had a great time! Adam's been doing this for several years ago, so he is the expert. Jerm just started last week, but he's looking pretty good out there. :) We went to play again this evening, and although I still sucked, I was able to keep track of my score this time around. :) Both Adam and Jerm say they can see that I'm improving, so that made me happy!! :) We play again this Saturday-I hope to improve even more! ;) It's going to be a slow process, but well worth it. :) Also-we made Adam happy-he's really excited that we like disc golf. He was afraid that he'd take us, and we'd be like, yeah, this is cool,we should do it ah...

D.W.Q.M.: Sarah Jane Smith: "Boot cupboard? But it's enormous!" the Fourth Doctor: "Oh, I've seen bigger boot cupboards." First, apologies to those who read my blog who got my email on the subject-this entry will pretty much repeat it. Maybe a couple more comments-feel free to voice your opinion on the new dorms! Case has finished building the new dorms. 7 new dorms-buildings 1-4 for the upper classmen, buildings 5-7 for the second years. Today Shar(also a case alum), Brian, and I took a tour of the new dorms... OMG. Where to begin? The common room: A working fireplace. Working fireplace! , big flat plasma screen tv. Comfy chairs, a kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, and full oven/stove. The stove is one of those flattop ranges...WOW. My sister was willing to sacrifice an awesome fridge just for one of those stoves... Starbucks (open 7 days a week-7am to midnight), a convience store... Fancy staircases (as we were walking down, Shar said, 'it's t...

D.W.Q.M.: Barbara: "What's that awful noise?" the First Doctor: "I beg your pardon... 'Awful noise'? A good way to talk about my singing!" Barbara: "No, Doctor, not that awful noise -- the other one!" Surviving the Feast! :) Yup, I survived, and had a good time! I have to admit, though-I was quite worried. The first night of the Feast, Friday, was extremely hot and muggy-add to that the 3 hours of sleep I got the night before, I was very crabby by the time the evening was done. Since it was very cloudy, we didn't see any meteors, either. :( Although I was bummed, Perseph knew exactly how to cheer me up-a late night trip to the IHOP for dessert! ;) And, despite the fact that we didn't see anything, it was cool to hang out on the farm with Perseph, Foofy, Jerm and Mike(who came up from Dayton for the Feast) Although, the past three astronomical events that we have tried to see have been spoiled by clouds and haze (comet, planetary alignm...

D.W.Q.M.: Cornish: "Control to capsule: do you have visual contact?" the Third Doctor: "Do you mean 'Can I see it'?" Keep your fingers crossed for a break in the clouds tonight!! The Perseids are coming, the Perseids are coming! ;)

D.W.Q.M.: "Our lives are different from anybody else's. That's the exciting thing. Nobody in the universe can do what we're doing!" -the Second Doctor Awnings are up, tables are up, trucks are blocking the road, signs, and lights are being draped across buildings, and Mama Santas is closed for the week... Must be time for the Feast!! I love the Feast of the Assumption-I'm sure I've said this before, but the Feast is my favorite Italian Band gig. :) And it starts tomorrow!! We'll be there Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday-starting at 6 (the neighborhood walk), with a sit down concert around 8:30 or so (weather permitting, of course) For the neighborhood walk, Father Racco gives us a list of Parish members who can't make it down to the Feast. When we go play for them, they are happy for the visit, often moved to tears. I can't really find the words to describe how I feel when we visit each home-the simplest way is to say that I feel happy when...

D.W.Q.M.: Barbara: "What's that awful noise?" the First Doctor: "I beg your pardon... 'Awful noise'? A good way to talk about my singing!" Barbara: "No, Doctor, not that awful noise -- the other one!" Ooh, the August blog challenge is really challenging, not because I don't have enough things that makes me happy, but rather, I don't have enough time to post every day! ;) That's ok, though. As Michael had mentioned in his comments, the way we go about it is up to our own interpretation. :) So, I have another small post. ;) In my opinion, if you are laughing, you are happy, so I'll post something that I heard on the program, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue that made me burst into laughter: The song, 'I've got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts' sung to the tune of 'Girl From Iponema' Enjoy!!! :-D

D.W.Q.M.: "If only I could find my recorder, I could play you a little something to pass the time." -the Second Doctor ...Suite. ;) Several weeks ago we drove past a sign advertizing Neil Diamond's concert at the Gund. Jerm said, 'I'd like to go to that...' A little over a week ago I won 4 tickets to that very concert. Last night we went to an awesome concert! Originally we were going to go with Perseph and Foofy, but due to last minute injuries (arm and big toe-I'm sorry guys! I hope you're both feeling better) they decided not to go. So I invited the Doctor, who, upon seeing my tickets, had exclaimed, 'holy $h*t! I'd even consider going to that.' and my friend Kim, who wasn't doing anything that night and loves spontaneity. It was awesome-our seats were pretty high up, but we were next to the stage and could see the band, the backup singers, and most importantly, Neil Diamond. ;) Also from our perspective we were able to get the ful...

Well, originally I was going to have a nice long post about what makes me happy-related to my August Night Sky post. ...unfortunately my lunch hour is just about up, so I'll save that for tomorrow. :) Instead I'll just post two little things that made me smile: Yesterday I was out sick (no, that did not make me happy-my ear was killing me!) Anyhoo, Perseph gave me a call to see how I was doing, and mentioned that Karen noticed I wasn't in and hoped that I felt better too. That certainly brightened my day and made me feel a whole lot better! :) Thanks, guys! The second happened this morning. I was riding the bus with my coworker Barb and we got off at the library and saw Ron, another coworker who rides the bus with us, walking towards us. So Barb calls out, 'I see somebody got the early bus today!' Ron, with a semi-serious/mock-horrified look, replies, 'You mean it isn't time to go home yet?!?!' LOL-that totally made my day.

D.W.Q.M.: Duke Juliano: "There's this man in Florence- claims that by arranging ground glasses in a certain order, it's possible to see the moon and stars as large as your hand." Marco:"Is that a good thing?" (from the Fourth Doctor story, The Masque of Mandragora) Woo-hoo! August! What a great month for backyard astronomy! :) This astronomy post is brought to you by Sky and Telescope Planets ...vs. the moon. ;) August 7th: Crescent moon close to Venus at dusk. Neptune comes to opposition. August 9th: Crescent moon close to Jupiter at dusk. August 24th: Moon near Mars after 11pm (EDT) August 25th: For the next week, Mercury is below Saturn near the eastern horizon about 75 minutes before sunrise. Don't forget your binoculars! August 31st: Moon near Saturn in twilight this morning. Uranus reaches opposition tonight. ---------------------------------- Meteors! August 11th-12th: Perseids peak tonight! The best known, most reliable shower (dubbed ...

D.W.Q.M.: "Oh, my giddy aunt!" -the Second Doctor My second entry for August blog challenge. :) I actually have two today. One-my sister found a job! Yay! :) She had been looking for a while, but it was hard finding something part time for the hours she could work. But now she has one, so we're all happy! :) Of course, this always makes me happy: Mellon: 'I've got to get away from these weirdos!' LOL ;) My sister took this while we were stopping for gas, right after they had picked me up this past June. Whether it's just them saying, 'I miss you! I love you!' over the phone, sending me an email through Grandma's account, a hand written note, even just the pictures my sister sends me through her cell phone-they always makes me happy! Whenever my sister sends me a new picture, I have a habit of printing it out and running around and showing it to everybody. One of my coworkers, Mary, once commented, 'I thought I heard a squeal of delight!...

D.W.Q.M.: The Third Doctor: "Your paper on DNA synthesis was quite remarkable for your age." Prof. Jones: "A promising youngster, huh?" Third Doctor: "No, no; I mean for the age that you live in." I thought that I would start Micheal's August challenge by posting something that made me smile over the weekend. :) I was in the children's section of Half-Priced Books looking for something for Mellon and Boo when I heard this tiny voice say, ''scuse me.' I looked down and saw this little boy who was politely waiting for me to move so he could put a book back onto the shelf. His mother, who was keeping track of at least 3 kids, had just turned around to look at him as he said it, looked up at me and said, 'Oh, my gosh! He said it unprompted!! ' Then, with an embarrassed laugh said, 'I'm sorry, it's just that he's only 2! I'm so proud of him!' I smiled and told her it was ok, and that she should be proud. As ...