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By Demand May 28, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 2comments

Richard and Peter commanded me to put a quote from Peter on my blog. As a bit of background, we were talking about standardized tests which we’re required to take, and how much we all enjoy them, because we get off from our other work that day. :) And, frankly, they take less time than a regular day’s school. And you get to go out of town, and all that… it’s rather geekishly fun. Sam (Peter’s brother, not Samwise) doesn’t seem to agree. At that point, Peter comes out with

Tests are always easy — unless they’re the kind you have to study for.

…it’s a little surprising that Richard was able to tell me to write it down, and that I was able to do so, we were laughing so hard.

Anyway. In other news.

I’m looking forward to college.

(What? Did someone just remind me that first I have to get my eval on Monday [I stand corrected, it’s on Tuesday]… and pass… and before that, I need to finish up my portfolio… which means finishing my science paper, and my text log… and… boy. Thank you so much for bringing that up.)

Anyway. I am looking forward to it.

But there’s a nice amount of Greek for me to do between now and then… finish the test I’m on, five or so chapters of Mounce’s, another test, and then I John.

That will be fun. Dr. W (who will be my Greek prof, HURRAY!) is pleased with how I’m coming along…

…still, I’d appreciate prayer that the Greek will sink in.

Pop Machine! May 21, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , add a comment

Tonight at youth group we were supposed to get in groups and act out a machine — group charades, I suppose you could call it, with an assigned area to do our charades in.

My group was rather large.  Arika, Mikaylah, Miss Dance, Richard, me, Aubrey, Caleb, and Peter.  Also, I wasn’t too sure that group charades were a good idea.  I mean, the last time I tried this I was in a group with a bunch of guys (Jordan, Josh K, and Greg, and someone else, if it matters) and we were being a forklift.  And as I was the lightest one in the group, I was elected to be the “load”.  They dropped me.

Anyway, Aubrey (who is not exactly the shyest girl on earth… I realized this when, after not having been in the US for long at all, she began doing the “Miss Hong Kong” act, leaving me rolling on floor laughing.) was spitting out random suggestions.  Finally she says, “Pop machine!”  It sounded promising so I told the other people “POP MACHINE!”  As we were in a state of great disorder, they all listened.

So, uh, yeah.  We were a pop machine.

Peter was chosen to be the pop.  First of all, he’s the shortest, and he doesn’t object to doing things like rolling on the floor.  Secondly, he was wearing a red shirt, and was thus a perfect Coke.

What I had not foreseen was that as Aubrey takes great delight in tormenting Peter.  She was the customer getting the pop.  She decided to “open” the pop can.  This meant grabbing Peter by the hair and tipping/twisting his head.

We all seemed to find it hilarious.

Window into Our Dining Room May 18, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 2comments

This is the oddest family that I’ve ever had.

Case in point: supper tonight.

Miss Dance: “But what if some perfectly nice Christian guy proposed but I only liked him as a friend? What would you say to him?”
Dad: “I’d want to know what he was lacking that you wanted in a husband.”
Ibey: “Looks!”

We were also discussing ideas for a care basket for an elderly man…

Ibey: “Silly String!”
(there followed much discussion of the merits — or demerits — of Silly String.)
Miss Dog Lover: “I’m gonna get Silly String for your graduation or wedding.”
me: O_o “Graduation, please!“
Mom: “You should only use it at her wedding if you can get it in white!”
me: “Application to court my daughter: Are you prepared to be sprayed with Silly String at your wedding?“
Mom: “When guys need that application, let us know and we’ll mail it to them. Or, if they’re exceptionally good, we’ll email it to them — it’s faster.”
Dad: “I was thinking Pony Express.”
Mom: “You don’t HAVE a pony.”
Dad: “I’d have to get one.”

He is obviously in quite a rush for us to get married.

*back to care packages*
me: “Does he collect anything?”
Miss Dance: “You know, coins or stamps or flies?”
me: *rolling on the floor laughing*

FLIES? As in, houseflies? I asked. She said that yes, that was what she meant. Um. Okay.

We (Miss Dance and I) were making cards today. We ran into a bit of trouble. I went to put the one for Glen into its envelope and discovered why Miss Dance had been complaining that it seemed to be sticking shut. No fake. She had addressed it upside-down. So she got a new one. This time we made certain that it was rightside-up, but she wrote “Gleu” rather than “Glen” on it.

*when we quit laughing*

Miss Dance: “How do I fix this?”
me: “Give me that.” *grabs pen and envelope from her in the futile hope of turning the u into an n* *sees the vanity of such hope* *glares* “Give me the stickers.”

So we got the envelope fixed… it looked fine… and I went to put the card into it.

Anyone care to guess?

Yep. The envelope was too small.

I laughed. And laughed. Miss Dance came to see what was going on. “It do–” I began, and couldn’t get any further.

For some reason, she just gave me a strange look. The why are you laughing for no obvious reason type of look. I tried again but really couldn’t speak, so I just threw the card and envelope at her while laughing hysterically. She tried comparing the relative sizes and saw what the problem was. “Oh nooooooooo,” she said, laughing and falling backwards onto her bed. I was crying from laughing so hard.

Oh well, it’s what paper cutters are for, right?

Not, to be just, I really need to tell as story about myself which is the sort that makes me wonder how well the NMSQT people do in picking students who actually have any measure of intelligence….

Here it was. Yesterday I was emailing out the presby’s newsletter. As Grandma Millie emailed me about a while later, I forgot to actually attach the newsletter to the email. Duh, that would be rather helpful. So then I sent out an email apologizing for my scatterbrainedness.

And, uh… forgot to attach the newsletter again.

At least that time I realized that I had forgotten to attach it and thus I quickly sent everyone a third email. (YES. I attached the newsletter that time.)

Oh boy. I felt rather… dumb. Dumb as a bug, we could say.

Cheri teased me about it at church today. “*cough* Anya, were you having a little computer trouble yesterday?” she asked, with a rather evilly innocent twinkle in her eye.

Thanks, Cheri.

She added that when the SECOND email came through with no attachment, she thought that maybe the attachment just wasn’t coming through… I wish that I could blame it on the computer, but the attachment was not what wasn’t coming through.

She also says that she was really amused though… amusing a mother of six young children is worth making myself feel like an idiot, right?

What I did not mention was that I also forgot, when I was first submitting this letter to Christine, the wonderful crafts lady from camp who puts it all together, to attach the newsletter in my first email to her.

Auuuuugh.

In Honor of AIM May 9, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 3comments

Anika and I were talking the other night about instant messaging.  Both of us have had it for about a year.  And in addition to all the wonderful, enlightening conversations, there have been a lot of funny moments and hours.  So here are a few.

Andune: This is so impractical it’s almost funny.

Rats, I had some with A1 but the computer ate them… maybe another time…

(This was one of my favorite conversations…)

Me (9:48:17 PM):

You’re back!

Madeline (9:48:21 PM):

yup

Me (9:48:27 PM):

*grins*

Madeline (9:48:39 PM):

*glares*

Madeline (9:48:48 PM):

*eats popsicle*

Me (9:48:56 PM):

What are you glaring at me for?

Madeline (9:49:00 PM):

*rolls eyes*

Me (9:49:04 PM):

Huh?

Madeline (9:49:05 PM):

*acts indignant*

Me (9:49:12 PM):

What’d I do??

Madeline (9:49:15 PM):

she’s not glaring at you, she’s glaring at me

Me (9:49:22 PM):

Who…

Me (9:49:25 PM):

is this Atanvarne?

Madeline (9:49:25 PM):

*laughs*

Madeline (9:49:29 PM):

no

Madeline (9:49:34 PM):

Atanvarne says no

Me (9:49:40 PM):

Oh, I begin to see.

Me (9:49:50 PM):

Never mind, I’m utterly confused.

Me (9:49:58 PM):

But hopefully not irretrivably so.

Madeline (9:50:23 PM):

*sighs*

Me (9:50:28 PM):

Who’s eating the popsicle?

Me (9:50:30 PM):

M or A

Me (9:50:32 PM):

?

Madeline (9:50:49 PM):

madeline

Me (9:50:58 PM):

Who was glaring?

Madeline (9:51:02 PM):

madeline

Me (9:51:09 PM):

At Atanvarne?

Madeline (9:51:15 PM):

at her poor amanuensis

Me (9:51:24 PM):

What’s an amanuensis?

Madeline (9:51:29 PM):

O_O

Madeline (9:51:54 PM):

you’re a greek student and are unacquaited with the term amanuensis!?

Me (9:51:55 PM):

Even I can’t know everything!

Me (9:52:04 PM):

uh…heh heh… yes?

Madeline (9:52:08 PM):

tsk

Me (9:52:11 PM):

I agree.

Me (9:52:14 PM):

What is it?

Madeline (9:52:43 PM):

an amanuensis was a scribe who would take dictation

Me (9:52:56 PM):

ohhh

Madeline (9:52:59 PM):

and was used by the likes of paul and peter in writing the new testament

Me (9:53:01 PM):

So who is typing?

Me (9:53:03 PM):

Atanvarne?

Madeline (9:53:09 PM):

Atanvarne says no

Me (9:53:17 PM):

WHO?

Madeline (9:53:18 PM):

and asks how she would know all that

Madeline (9:53:26 PM):

madeline says she thought you were smarter than that

Madeline (9:53:35 PM):

and continues eating her popsicle

Me (9:53:40 PM):

I’m SO confused.

Me (9:53:43 PM):

This can’t be Andrew

Madeline (9:53:44 PM):

Atanvarne says no, it’s a new popsicle

Me (9:53:48 PM):

it doesn’t sound like him

Madeline (9:54:00 PM):

madeline says you don’t know him well, then

Madeline (9:54:23 PM):

Atanvarne says he’s always logical when you’re around or when visitors are around, but not so in private

Me (9:54:24 PM):

???

Me (9:54:29 PM):

I know that!

Madeline (9:54:35 PM):

Atanvarne says poor Anya

Madeline (9:54:44 PM):

madeline says she is so confused

Me (9:54:45 PM):

Is this Tom?

Me (9:54:48 PM):

I agree

Madeline (9:54:51 PM):

who’

Me (9:54:51 PM):

with Madeline

Madeline (9:54:53 PM):

s tom?

Me (9:54:55 PM):

TOM

Me (9:55:01 PM):

He lives on your roof.

Madeline (9:55:01 PM):

madeline’s boyfriend tom?

Me (9:55:04 PM):

Don’t you know anything?

Madeline (9:55:12 PM):

HE LIVES ON OUR ROOF NOW!?!?!?!

Me (9:55:20 PM):

Last I knew, anyway.

Me (9:55:25 PM):

I guess that this is not Tom.

Madeline (9:55:28 PM):

I shall have to talk to that girl, this is completely unacceptable

Me (9:55:39 PM):

Okay, I like this game.

Me (9:55:41 PM):

Is this Andrew?

Madeline (9:55:48 PM):

is it not?

Me (9:55:56 PM):

That’s what I’m asking you.

    Madeline (9:56:08 PM):

and thus I asked in reply

Me (9:56:18 PM):

you’re sounding more like Andrew now.

Madeline (9:56:49 PM):

Madeline just choked on her popsicle when she read that

Me (9:56:52 PM):

LOL

Me (9:56:57 PM):

Oops, I mean, is she okay?

Madeline (9:57:30 PM):

I would guess I sound more like andrew to you now because you knew him back in his debate days, and would have more exposure to this side of his personality

Me (9:57:41 PM):

true

Madeline (9:57:41 PM):

madeline’s on her third popsicle

Me (9:57:45 PM):

which side?

Madeline (9:57:51 PM):

with a fourth in her other hand

Me (9:58:01 PM):

She’s going to go into sugar shock

Me (9:58:09 PM):

so… is this A2?

Madeline (9:58:19 PM):

isn’t it?

Me (9:58:20 PM):

Please give me an answer without teeth and without horns!

Madeline (9:58:35 PM):

ok

Madeline (9:59:35 PM):

im typing with my big toe now

Me (9:59:46 PM):

That’s disgusting.

Me (9:59:53 PM):

no wonder it took you so long.

Madeline (10:00:02 PM):

Atanvarne says she’ll never touch the keyboard again

Madeline (10:00:13 PM):

looks like she’ll need an amanuensis, too

Me (10:00:14 PM):

Of course she won’t, she’s germaphobic.

Me (10:00:22 PM):

I guess I’ll be talking to you a lot, then.

Madeline (10:00:36 PM):

she says she’s just extra-aware of her surroundings, not germaphobic

Me (10:00:48 PM):

*skeptical look*

Madeline (10:00:55 PM):

I bet if she lost a leg she’d be “handi-capable”, then, too

Me (10:00:55 PM):

actually *disbelieving look*

Me (10:01:07 PM):

Rightho

Me (10:01:12 PM):

Why don’t you get on your own name?

Madeline (10:01:19 PM):

madeline says she thought you said rigatoni

Me (10:01:20 PM):

Assuming that this is still not-Madeline?

Madeline (10:01:28 PM):

I have my own name

Me (10:01:43 PM):

Is this the internet equivalent of cross-dressing?

Madeline (10:01:48 PM):

but directly answering questions goes against the socratic method

Me (10:01:59 PM):

Oh, so now you’re Socrates.

Me (10:02:00 PM):

Great.

Madeline (10:02:06 PM):

no

Madeline (10:03:03 PM):

socrates’ philosophy, though narrative based and recognizing the need for a higher standard in value judgments, failed to provide an acceptable account of the divine

Me (10:03:13 PM):

Puh-leeze. 

Me (10:03:19 PM):

I read that stuff.

Madeline (10:03:22 PM):

madeline’s on her fifth popsicle

Me (10:03:30 PM):

I’m classically educated, for goodness sake.

Me (10:03:35 PM):

Good for her!

Madeline (10:03:51 PM):

then we could have an intelligent discussion of socrates

Madeline (10:03:54 PM):

or descartes

Me (10:03:57 PM):

Did you want to?

Madeline (10:04:01 PM):

descartes also erred greatly

Me (10:04:06 PM):

No, please, I don’t really like Descartes.

Me (10:04:09 PM):

Too much math.

Me (10:04:15 PM):

How ’bout about superstring theorum?

Madeline (10:04:20 PM):

hence his error

Madeline (10:04:38 PM):

a little bit too scientific for my tastes

Me (10:04:46 PM):

The wheels in your head go round and round, round and round, round and round…

Me (10:04:55 PM):

Oh, but it’s meta-physics.

Madeline (10:05:17 PM):

*shrug*

Me (10:05:47 PM):

Does this mean that you don’t know anything about it?

Me (10:06:00 PM):

or that you prefer your brain un-exploded.

Madeline (10:06:41 PM):

I have not looked into it in a while

Madeline (10:06:52 PM):

is that the theory that proposes additional dimensions?

Me (10:07:39 PM):

Si, senor

Me (10:07:50 PM):

(or senorita, depending on whom I’m talking to.)

Madeline (10:07:53 PM):

ah, okay, i remember that then

Me (10:08:02 PM):

it’s interesting.

Madeline (10:08:13 PM):

somewhat

Me (10:08:45 PM):

weird, for sure.

Madeline (10:08:50 PM):

it’s rather difficult to wrap one’s mind around

Me (10:08:55 PM):

Heh, yeah.

Madeline (10:09:09 PM):

madeline’s on her sixth pospicle now

Me (10:09:17 PM):

Do you think that I care?

Madeline (10:09:21 PM):

she’s glaring at her amanuensis

Madeline (10:09:31 PM):

she’s shocked that you don’t care

Madeline (10:09:38 PM):

on the verge of tears, I’d say

Me (10:09:40 PM):

I didn’t say that I didn’t

Madeline (10:09:49 PM):

she’s crying so hard she’s convulsing

Me (10:09:51 PM):

I asked if you thought that I did?

Me (10:09:54 PM):

Yeah, right.

Me (10:09:56 PM):

She’s laughing.

Madeline (10:10:11 PM):

my, she can’t speak she’s so shocked

Madeline (10:10:18 PM):

nor can she stand straight

Me (10:10:22 PM):

*she’s laughing so hard

Me (10:10:29 PM):

Let me guess, she’s rolling on the floor.

Madeline (10:10:33 PM):

Atanvarne says she can only make hideous gasping noises

Me (10:10:39 PM):

I believe it.

Madeline (10:11:04 PM):

now Atanvarne wants to clarify that it’s madeline, not her making the hideous gasping noises

Madeline (10:11:14 PM):

CLARIFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me (10:11:14 PM):

I knew that

Madeline (10:11:25 PM):

quoth the Atanvarne

Madeline (10:11:33 PM):

er, madeline

Madeline (10:11:36 PM):

er…

Madeline (10:11:39 PM):

someone

Me (10:11:41 PM):

*laughs*

Me (10:11:47 PM):

Call the paramedics

Madeline (10:12:02 PM):

madeline just fell into a cabinet

Madeline (10:12:09 PM):

she hurt herself ratehr terribly

Me (10:12:20 PM):

poor girl.

Me (10:12:29 PM):

I sympathize greatly.

Madeline (10:12:31 PM):

she’s putting pressure on it to hold the blood in

Madeline (10:12:43 PM):

and by pressure I mean her seventh popsicle

Me (10:13:13 PM):

What, is she now addicted to popsicles?

Me (10:13:27 PM):

What flavor?

Madeline (10:13:29 PM):

no, she’s attempting to osmose it through her foot

Me (10:13:37 PM):

EWWWW GROSS.

Madeline (10:13:38 PM):

she keeps sobbing

Madeline (10:13:47 PM):

I think she’s still sad about earlier

Me (10:13:49 PM):

From so much laughing?

Me (10:13:55 PM):

I am deeply sorry

Me (10:13:58 PM):

*cough*

Madeline (10:13:59 PM):

no, she says it hurts

Me (10:14:06 PM):

From laughing so much?

Madeline (10:14:11 PM):

and there will be a big bruise there forever

Me (10:14:12 PM):

Or from falling into the cabinet?

Madeline (10:14:15 PM):

probably on her heart

Madeline (10:14:18 PM):

from your insult

Me (10:14:29 PM):

Um, Madeline, tell him that he sounds like Antion.

Madeline (10:14:29 PM):

she says I think i’m so clever

Madeline (10:15:03 PM):

madeline says it’s cool

Madeline (10:15:15 PM):

Atanvarne says it’s all good

Me (10:15:17 PM):

What, him sounding like Antion?

Madeline (10:15:23 PM):

no, the popsicles

Madeline (10:15:26 PM):

sheesh

Me (10:15:43 PM):

What flavor are your siblings eating?

Madeline (10:15:45 PM):

madeline claims she’s about to die

Me (10:15:48 PM):

Are you eating them too?

Madeline (10:15:50 PM):

no

Me (10:15:53 PM):

Can I have her scrapbooks?

Madeline (10:15:57 PM):

they’ve run the gambit of flavors

Madeline (10:16:04 PM):

she says ew

Madeline (10:16:08 PM):

they look like dandruff

Me (10:16:08 PM):

if she dies, I mean

Me (10:16:14 PM):

The scrapbooks?

Me (10:16:16 PM):

O_O

Madeline (10:16:18 PM):

yes

Madeline (10:16:19 PM):

oh

Madeline (10:16:22 PM):

she says no

Madeline (10:16:27 PM):

apparently that was another conversation

Me (10:16:29 PM):

I think you’re confused

Me (10:16:39 PM):

Well, may I have them if she dies?

Me (10:16:43 PM):

The camp one, anyway?

Madeline (10:17:18 PM):

no, Atanvarne wants it

Me (10:17:22 PM):

Sheesh

Madeline (10:17:28 PM):

she says photos make wonderful fireworks

Me (10:17:46 PM):

Oh, BAD Atanvarne

Me (10:18:09 PM):

Where have your capitalization skills gone?

Me (10:19:11 PM):

oh, and Madeline?  I still don’t know how to put my own picture in the avatar place.

Madeline (10:19:41 PM):

madeline burps in response

Me (10:19:47 PM):

TMI

Madeline (10:19:47 PM):

and then hits her amaneuensis

Me (10:19:53 PM):

Good for her.

Madeline (10:19:56 PM):

TMI?

Me (10:20:03 PM):

*hits her amaneuensis as well*

Madeline (10:20:04 PM):

is that some sort of acronymal assault?

Me (10:20:12 PM):

Too much information

Madeline (10:20:34 PM):

you have an amaneuensis?

Me (10:20:49 PM):

They’re called my fingers!

Madeline (10:20:52 PM):

ah

Me (10:20:56 PM):

I said that I hit HERS

Madeline (10:21:22 PM):

which could equally have been a pronoun referring to you in the third person, given the narrative form of your statement

Me (10:21:38 PM):

I meant you.

Me (10:22:02 PM):

I’m at a safe distance.

Me (10:22:11 PM):

Hasn’t she finished that popsicle yet?

Madeline (10:22:27 PM):

she’s on a new one

Madeline (10:22:33 PM):

I think it’s her eighth

Madeline (10:22:34 PM):

ot ninth

Madeline (10:22:36 PM):

I lost count

David:  could you please start ranting about something so I have something to do?David:  sooooo how was whateveryoudo? [Districts]

David (10:33:08 PM): yay?
Me (10:33:16 PM): YES!
Me (10:33:19 PM): *confetti*
David (10:34:05 PM): *vacuums wildly in air*
David (10:34:10 PM): NO MESS!!!!!!
David (10:34:14 PM): 8G
Me (10:34:17 PM): *actually smiles*
David (10:35:26 PM): erm
David (10:35:32 PM): whassat mean?
Me (10:35:38 PM): about you vacuuming in the air
Me (10:35:58 PM): Well… I’m tired.  And you got me to smile.  Fairly close to laughing.  I’m impressed.
David (10:36:31 PM): allll—-RIGHT
Me (10:36:52 PM): *more confetti*
Me (10:36:56 PM): *evil laughter*
David (10:37:00 PM): NOOOOOO
Me (10:37:18 PM): *laughs*
David (10:37:18 PM): *VACUUMS ALL POSSIBLE AND INHALES THE REST*
Me (10:37:23 PM): *Abbie asks why I am laughing*
David (10:38:07 PM): must..*cough* …not… *wheeze* let it… touch floor
Me (10:38:15 PM): Why?
David (10:38:23 PM): I dunno
Me (10:38:57 PM): Hmm
Me (10:39:07 PM): I don’t think you ought to kill yourself for reasons which you know not why.
David (10:39:21 PM): well
David (10:39:24 PM): it’s just asterisks
Me (10:40:58 PM): That’s good to know.
Me (10:41:03 PM): Reassuring, and all that.
David (10:41:21 PM): yuh-huh

Antion:  I like the lawyer… he makes things more interestingAnd mhmm.  I could find a lot more amusing stuff, but I don’t feel like continuing to do that… it has been amazing.  A lot of goofiness, a lot of thought-provoking stuff, a lot of blessings.  Things ranging from, “goodnight… get a good sleep” to “ve con la amor de Dios”.  It’s like an online L’Abri.  :)

Districts II April 27, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 5comments

Various other quotes and stories…

The church was hot. VERY hot. So hot that I just walked in and opened the window in Mr. S’ room, without asking if it was okay if it was opened… (Rachel, who was keeping score, is always cold!) Samwise: “Hace muy calor.” [It is very hot.] I realized that he was sort of addressing me and finally agreed with him. Peter said that it took me long enough.

Speaking of windows and Samwise, he almost jumped through a closed window on Friday. He was going to run out the open door and re-enter through the open window. However, as soon as he exited the room, Andrew slammed the window shut. We all laughed. Sam came flying at the window at rather top speed and came to a screeching halt. Hadn’t quite forseen that happening…

Anyway, when I opened the window, the guys on the team in front of the window threatened to sue me!

Ben L: “If a bullet comes through that window and hits me, I’m going to sue you.” (I want to see how he’s going to do that!)
Evan: “If [something, I forget what] happens, I’ll sue you.”
At least they wouldn’t be suing me for dying of heatstroke.

I was high-fiving Miss Dance’s team. I got her, got Tim, got Sarah, got Michael, and was standing there waiting for Johnny. Given the fact that he was coughing his head off, I decided NOT to high-five him and instead just go with, “Have a good quiz.” But then he continued to cough and I added, “Are you okay?”
Johnny: *very convincingly* “Yeah! *cough* I’m fine! *cough cough* *choke* No problem at all! Have a — *cough — great quiz!” *whacks himself in the chest* “Okay, good. I’m good now.”

Also as we were going into Mr. S’ room yesterday (this was before I opened the window) I realized that it was the especially hot room…
me: “Oh no! Not this room again!”
Meghan: “AAAAH, no!”
me: “Everyone take a deep breath!”
Meghan and I: *GASP*
everyone else: *stares at us* *starts laughing*

I’m just realizing that I have a lot of stories from Mr. S’ room…

Johnny: *jumps on a quote the two verses* *says them* *goes to sit down*
Mr. S: “I need your reference please.”
Johnny: “Oh. Yeah. Eight and nine.”
Mr. S: “No, I’m sorry, that’s wrong.”
Johnny: *heart stops* (You could literally see him freeze.)
Mr. S: “It was verses eight and twelve.”
Johnny: *verrrrry slowly starts to breathe again* “Hahaha. Wow. You scared me. I was like, WHAT????“
He explained to me later that he had almost passed out. I don’t think that was an exaggeration.

Also in Mr. S’ room, I was watching a quiz. Mark got one right. (He is in the habit of doing that, having come ridiculously close to have a perfect year.) Danielle started going crazy. Sarah, who was sitting beside her, gave her an odd look and then also started jumping up and down. After a minute, everyone in the room turned around to see what they were screaming about. A spider. Things took a few minutes to settle down. :P Uhhh yeah. Relevant quotes: “I had no idea what was wrong! I thought that you were so excited about Mark getting a question!” “Timeout for the audience!”

My team this year was fun. It was an all girls’ team — Joanna, Sarah, me, and Mary Beth — and Joanna rather suddenly realized that we all had blue eyes. Okay.

During the one time out Joanna whipped out her calculator (which is named Connie) and started calculating her average. (”Her score is so high she needs a calculator!”) This was obviously much to the amusement of everyone in the room. As I said in the last post, easily amused.

And to be fair, I ought to include myself in the “easily amused” category. During the top 15 quiz offs… where I’m not sure that a single question made it past the second syllable unless part of the reference had to waited for… Griffin decided to start finishing the questions and answering them for me. (Quietly, so that the kids quizzing couldn’t hear.) I actually started laughing. Oh dear. It really cannot have been that funny. Adrenaline does funny things to people’s minds.

Joanna: “Filthy language from your lips.”
Quizmaster: “Shame on you! That’s correct.”

Michael: *answers*
Mr. C: “…I’m sorry. You were in Galatians two.”
Michael: “Oh. Okay.” *walks dejectedly back to his seat*
Mr. C: “But so was I. Good job.”

(We seem to have some rather sadistic quizmasters who enjoy watching us squirm!)

Jordan and I were making plans for a new kind of Districts. Plans which involved everyone promising not to jump until at least the third syllable of the questions. There would be fewer errors, more points, and it seemed like it would make everyone happy. Jordan was in, and I was watching, a quiz this year where everyone in it (okay, there were only five people in it, but still) had perfect quiz outs. That was lovely. We should do it more often.

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite manage to get everyone else on board with that plan.

Abbi: *is sitting by herself in the corner*
Peter: “She looks lonely.” *goes to check on her*
Abbi: “Oh no, I’m just humming.”
Peter: *comes back* “She says she’s fine. And she sent me away.”
me: “Don’t bother her, she’s busy!”
Peter: “She’s humming!”
me: “Yes! She’s busy humming!”
Peter: *rolls eyes*

He and I tried pretending that we had never met before. I don’t think it was very convincing. ^_^

Griffin was sitting beside me during some of the top 15 quizzing (obviously, as he was telling me the answers, and you can’t be yelling them across the sanctuary!) and cheering for everyone. I don’t know if I made a face at him or what, conveying something like, Griff, that is my ear, and I used to be able to hear out of it!

Griffin: “Sorry if I yell.”
me: “You do.”
Griffin: *laughs* “I know.”
If?

Michael: *freaking out* “I don’t know what to do! I don’t know what to do! Call a timeout!”
…meantime…
Joanna (who was not on Michael’s team): *jumps up to call her own timeout*
Johnny (Michael’s captain, and Joanna’s younger brother): *jumps up frantically to call a timeout* “Timeout! Hey! Timeout!”
Joanna: “Um, Johnny –”
Johnny: “TIMEOUT!”
Joanna: “Haven’t you used up all your timeouts?”
Johnny: “I need a timeout!!!!”
Quizmaster: “Um, yeah. You used them all.”
Joanna: *grins* “I’ll call a timeout for you.” (Which she had been going to do anyway!)

us: *looking for our coach — Mrs. B, Sarah’s mom*
Sarah: *sighs* “I bet she’s at the health food store. We drove in here and she goes, ‘Aah! LOOK! A health food store!’ and I’m like, “Moooooommmm!’”

*talking with Johnny between the top 15 quizzes* (He was very close to being in the top five at that point. Talk about wound up.) We decided that really, quizzing is simple. “Jump! And answer questions. Correctly. Two steps to success.” *grins*

Johnny did make it into the number five position, thus saving many people a lot of nail-biting. (The top ten go to Internationals.) So… I caught Johnny — that is, he caught me — out in the foyer. He was talking to Emily and began yelling at me. “Wasn’t it? WASN’T IT???”
me: “Wasn’t what? And good job Johnny!” *starts to walk away*
Johnny: “GET BACK HERE. Now tell Emily. Wasn’t it?”
me: “Wasn’t what?”
Johnny: “Wasn’t that last quiz AWESOME????”
me: “YES.”
Johnny: “Woo. Dude. I am just so obnoxious up there.”
Emily and me: “No you aren’t!!!”
Johnny: *grinning* “Yeah I am! I’ve got this jacket, and, wow, last year I had…” *runs fingers along face*
me: “Yeah, blue stripes… which I missed seeing.” (Actually, I did obviously see it, as he had used my paint, I just didn’t get to watch him quiz that way. *sigh*) “Augh, that was incredible.”

So then I got a hug from Johnny. Which was also incredible. (Johnny just is incredible. You have to know him.)

And I’d like to add that I was really pleased with how my friends did this year. Aside from all the top 10 people, who are good quizzers. I was proud of Michael (who as a first year quizzer did some absolutely phenomenal quizzing — Michael: “Hopefully next year I’ll know what I’m doing.” For a guy who “didn’t know what he was doing”, he did very well.) and Samwise did some great quizzing. He was content with how he did. I was impressed with how he did.

I know I’ve thought of a few more stories from Districts, but I think that’s mostly it for now.

And I did cry yesterday, but it was because I was hacking slicing an onion up. I came pretty close to it walking out of the building though. Oh well. To quote Antion, Hasta luego. I am confident that I’ll be seeing many of those kids again. Our citizenship is in heaven…

It’s Districts! April 25, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 3comments

Okay, so this is not actually live-blogging (are you insane? If I was trying to live-blog quizzing, I would not get to talk to anyone and hence there would be very little for me to blog about!) but it’s pretty close. :)

Let’s see. Districts is actually at our church (well, not *my* church but the church where I go to youth group and quizzing… yes, I’ll try to can the parentheticals, or at least cut back on them…) so I don’t have lots of quotes from the car ride. Which could be a good thing, considering how last year it was all about Sam, Josh, and Andrew singing “We Are The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything”, and of course it was beautiful weather so we had the windows open… moral of the story: It is most difficult to pretend that you don’t know people when you’re in the same care as them.

ANYWAY. So we got to the church and I spied Peter running at us. I was extremely high on adrenaline — I still am — so I was yelling to him before we were even out of the car. Fun stuff. He told me that no one I knew was there yet except Bethany T… this was not entirely accurate as I know several kids from other districts, but it wasn’t far off. So I went inside and paced around and ran up and down the stairs and waited for people to get there and opened doors so we could get the bench seats in and all that good stuff.

And then… someone hollered my name… and then Dad hollered at me that Griffin wanted me. He was driving *gasp* and needed to know when we started quizzing. I’m so helpful. “Six? Six thirty? Something like that? Um… would you like me to find out?” Griffin: *sounding mildly sarcastic* “Yes, that would be nice.” I suppose so. I never know that sort of thing, though!

We went to announcements. Mr. S asked if there were any questions. someone [not Peter!]: “What’s for lunch?” Mike: “What’s quizzing?”

Mhmm. Thank you guys.

Then we headed in to our first quiz. And waited, because the H family was not yet there. This throws a wrench into things when the boys (Mark and Alex) are captains, and their dad is a coach, and their mom was handling stats. Unfortunately, they’re another cell-phone-less family, so we were compelled to be patient (!) and wonder for a few minutes.

Sarah: “You’d think they’d have been here a day early!”
us: *wait wait wait*
someone: “It’s a helicopter! I bet it’s them!” [It wasn’t.]

They did get there, and proceeded to confuse us by switching which team Mark and Alex were on! The only explanation which we could get, from either of them, was, “It’s a long story.” Oookay.

I did remember to show Griffin the clock and the shrubs. He laughed. Some people are easily amused…

…such as Dakota. He kept “killing” me with a truck until Samwise finally told him that it was mean and started playing more peaceably with him. Well, sort of more peaceably. They were building, but then it turned into wrecking. We are thankful that Samwise is studying chemistry, NOT engineering. Then I somehow started playing with them. Dakota: “Again and again and again and again and…”

Mrs. O (Dakota’s mom): “Next he’ll want to take you home!”
Dakota: “Ah you comin’ to da hotel? We’ going swimmin! Come swimmin!”
Sam: *blinks*
me: “No, we live here. Well, not here, but…”
Sam: “Close.”
Mrs. O: “PLEASE don’t tell him that you live at the church! He’ll want to spend the night!”

…Dakota wasn’t the only one confused about where we were staying.

Johnny D: *very hopefully* “So. Are you staying at the Holiday Inn?”
me: “Uh, no. Johnny. I live here. You can almost see my house from here.”
Johnny: “Oh yeah. DRAT!”
(He just wanted to play Marco Polo again, probably.)

He was also busy launching paper from a (fiberglass?) rod in the parkinglot… unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me…

But there it is for the night.

Quiz Practice Strikes Again April 20, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 2comments

That is, Samwise was striking. The light. He suddenly jumped out of his chair and whacked it. He was trying to knock the dead flies (ew) out of it. Our tangent could have stopped right there. But oh no. Mr. G. looked into his cup (which had been on the table underneath the light) and made a face at Sam. “Thanks, Sam,” he said. “Now there’s flies in my cup.” We all laughed about hat for a minute and sat back down to practice… it could have ended there but, as I’m posting about it, it obviously didn’t…

Samwise cupped his hands and held them out to Andrew.
Sam: “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!”
Andrew: *laughs* “No, there isn’t.”
Sam: “Yes, there is!”
Andrew: “No, there isn’t!”
Sam: “Yes, there is! Look for yourself!”
Andrew: “No, there isn’t. I don’t need to look. We don’t put flies in the soup.”
Sam: *sigh* *fishes “fly” out of “bowl”* *holds it up* “Look at this. This fly. It was in my soup.”
Andrew: *coughlaugh* “That is not a fly.”
Sam: *looks at it* *indignantly* “Yes, it is! Then what is it?”
Andrew: *laughing* “It’s… erm… it’s an olive.”
Sam: *looks at it again* “That is not an olive. It’s too small for an olive –”
Andrew: “It’s a baby olive.”
Sam: “A what?”
Andrew: “A, uh, baby olive.” *grins*
Sam: *blink* “If it’s a baby olive, why does it have legs?”
Andrew: “It doesn’t have legs.”
Sam: “Yes, it does. Look.”
Andrew: “Those aren’t legs.”
Sam: “Oh yeah, really? Then what are they?”
Andrew: “They’re twigs. Olive twigs.”
Sam: “They’re what?”
Andrew: “Olive twigs. Look, do you grow olives?”
Sam: “Well, no –”
Andrew: “See? Then just trust me. They’re olive twigs.”
Sam: “Well… I didn’t order my soup with olives. Or flies.”
Andrew: “Yes, you ordered olive-tomato-parsley soup.”
Sam: “No, I didn’t.”
Andrew: “Yes, you did.”
Sam: “No, I didn– look, I remember. I did not order… olive-tomato-parsley soup.”
Andrew: “I distinctly remember that you did. Wait.” *pulls “notepad” out of pocket* *looks at it* “Yep, here it is. Olive-tomato-parsley soup.”
Sam: “WHA–?” *grabs “notebook”* “No, no. That says oregano tomato soup. Nothing about olives.”
Andrew: “Oh well. I thought that you said olive.”
Sam: “What? Look. How much do you get paid to bring my soup to me? From there to here.”
Andrew: “Um… how much is in your wallet?”
Sam: *thinks about this* “I don’t have a wallet.”
Andrew: “You don’t?”
Sam: “No. I am definitely absolutely positive; I do not have a wallet.”
Andrew: “Well, then, there is no way I’m getting you a new bowl of soup.”
Sam: “What? I think I want to talk to the manager.”
Andrew: *cough* “Well, I am the manager.”
Sam: *stunned silence* “…well, how about one of the other waiters?”
Andrew: “I am the Other Waiters.”
Sam: “What kind of restaurant is this?”
Andrew: “Actually, they’re out to lunch.”
*laughter*

It did have a rather Hitchhiker-ian feel to it.

But if you’re coming to Districts, watch out for the flies.

Quizzing… the Last (Regular) Meet April 5, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 2comments

Peter: “You are coming in my car.”
me: “Why?”
Peter: “Because I have one of the best movies that you have never seen yet!”

We watched the first half of Spider-Man 2. I still haven’t seen 1, just 3. (Thanks a lot, I will probably now have NIGHTMARES about being killed by flying glass shards or deathly head locks from nasty metal octopus arms. UGH.)

Peter: *stops movie right in the middle of a very tense scene* *begins telling totally unrelated story*
me: “PEEEEETER!!!”
Peter: “Oops. I do that all the time.”

Peter: “You know, I was really getting bored of watching this movie. But it is a lot of fun to watch it with you because you bring a unique perspective to it.”

*cough* My “perspective” consisted mostly of cringing whenever things crashed in to each other and saying, “OW!” about every two seconds.

And then at the quiz…

me: “ABBI! What grade are you in?”
Abbi: “Um, tenth.”
me: “I thought for sure that you were a senior!”
Abbi: “I’m sorry!”

Then on the other hand there was Samantha to me… “I had never realized before today that you would be graduating!” Okay, maybe it is flattering to look younger than you are, but… I’d prefer if at least people weren’t so surprised to find out how old I actually am…

Lizzie and Samwise went to an 80’s style dance last night, and Lizzie was most dreadfully excited about it. She had promised to show me pictures from the dance. Note to self: You cannot really see pictures very well when they are on a tiny camera viewscreen and you are running up the stairs which prove to be uncommonly trippy-type stairs anyway. Oh well. She had a good time, and Samwise was a good brother to go along with her.

The stairs were quite a thing in themselves. They had a rather Narnian feel going as we scrambled up and up and yet upwards, trying to find our quizzing rooms. Then, as I mentioned before, I kept tripping on them. Both going down (which is understandable) and going up (which just makes me feel like an idiot). Peter called down something to me about being careful on the staircase — except he said scarecase by mistake. We called it “The Scarecase” the rest of the day.

Griffin: *says something about being surprised*
Peter: “Well, at least Anya didn’t FAINT!”
me: *trying (rather unsuccessfully) to ignore him* *blush*
Griffin: *stare* “WHAT?!?”
Peter: “You know. She has this habit of fainting around you.”
Griffin: *stares blankly*
me: “Uh… remember… that time you talked to me…”
Peter: “And she “passed out”…”
Griffin: “Oh. That was ONCE. I hardly think that qualifies as a “habit”.”
Peter: “But you DID cause her to faint!”
Griffin: “Uh… I’m gonna come up with a good comeback for that, give me a minute…”
Peter: “Why do you need a comeback?!? Look at her! She’s turning red!”
Griffin or someone: “It is warm in here.”
Mr. K: *mercifully sends Griffin on an errand and the subject dies*

Edited to add: The reason I had “fainted” before around Griff was as a result of him talking to me and not pretending that he didn’t know me. I was being overly dramatic. As usual.
Whatever the errand was, it apparently involved running down and back up the Scarecase, which almost led to Griffin’s demise… which would have been terribly sad.

Peter: *tells me to do something*
me: “Yes, your highness!”
Peter: *gasp* “Don’t CALL me that!”

Yes, your highness!

me: (as Andrew’s family was leaving a bit early so he could be at his play on time) “Break a leg, Andrew!”
Samwise: “Thanks!”
Andrew and I: *look confused*
Andrew: “Haha, thanks!”
me: *doubletake* “Sam… are you in a play too?”
Sam: *laughs* “No, sorry…” *laughs*

Randomness…

I got a gummy worm in Mr. K’s room (as I quizzed out — this was the candy quiz). My team wanted me to share it with them. Now did David inform me of this before I took a bite of it? *sigh* No. Gross.

I managed to sit at an extremely “mature” table — there were no adults. That is, I guess Samwise and I were the oldest ones there (which, to be perfectly honest, means that I was the oldest one there) and it was rather crazy. Loud and headache-inducing and crazy… and fun. There was glitter all over the table. Then people discovered that if you blew on it, you could get it all over the other people at the table. Boy. Thanks. Or on their plates. Or in their cups. The glitter was sticky, too… I got it on my hands and had to scrape it off with a plastic knife. :P Samwise remembered from last year that you can catapult things across the table at people with your plastic forks. He and David had knife-catapulting necklaces. The rest of us had ducking contests, not wanting to end up looking like the pirate with the wooden eye on Pirates of the Caribbean.

David, being bored, opened a package of butter and ate it raw. I refrained from gagging, grabbed the rest of the butter, and gave it to Molly (who was at the next table) for safekeeping. She is a lifesaver. :) I figured that after she controlled her team of little boys this year and they took third place overall, she would understand why I had to get the butter away from the guys at my own table.

Lizzie said she doesn’t get angry. I said, “Oh yeah? Hey Lizzie! Pete and Repeat were in a boat…”

Lizzie: “AARRRRRGGGGGGH!!!!” *picks up her fork with murderous intent*

This led to me saying that I’d really like to see something about Pete and Repeat were at a quiz on our shirts for next year.

Samwise: “Bartholomew and Rebartholomew were in a boat…”
me: o_O “I don’t think that quite works.”

When we went up to make our graduating senior speeches (which I did not cry at, aren’t you proud of me?) I randomly moved my foot. Er, tried moving my foot. It was stuck to the floor. I tried this several more times and there was definitely some kind of attraction going between the floor of the gym and my foot. (That is quite possibly why I didn’t cry… I was far too distracted.) Finally I whispered to Samwise (so that he wouldn’t think that I had gone completely off the deep end as I kept doing what Mom says looked like a dance scene from Hitchhiker’s Guide — the one with Zaphod and Ford), “My feet are sticking to the floor.” Sam, being extremely loyal as he is, tried it for himself. He looked at me with some surprise as his own foot stuck.

Thank goodness. I thought that I had gone bananas there for a minute.

Let’s see. There are quite a few other things but I’ll mention two more for now…

1) I did almost start crying when we were watching the video with pictures and movie from the last year of quizzing. Something about it saying “Class of 08″ made the whole graduating thing seem real in a way which it hasn’t been up to this point. Thank God (and I do not say that irreverently, but with “the utmost of intent”) for friends and laughter. Samwise started laughing so much at the pictures of himself in his cowboy hat that I couldn’t help it, and, well, it is difficult to laugh and cry at the same time. So I laughed.

2) I also vastly appreciated Johnny D making a challenge for me. Especially given the fact that we have managed to exasperate each other quite a bit on the issue of challenges over the last few years. I pointed out that I had, for once, agreed with him on a challenge. He and I acted as if we were going to die out of shock at this and that was a lot of fun. And the challenge was upheld (so the answer was ruled correct, after all) and that was nice, but the whole thing was just awesome.

The Trip, Part One March 28, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you, I won't keep things purposely vague , 3comments

Saturday, March 15

We left home and drove, and drove, and drove. By 3:45, we were seeing the beautiful and majestic blue mountains of Virginia. And forests which looked as if orcs had been through. We also saw quite a few deer, who were all facing the wrong way for pictures. Either that, or I didn’t have my camera out. Of course. Murphy’s Law of Cameras. We then proceeded to get sadly lost as it was raining, but finally got to Staunton. :) We had dinner and got lost again looking for the OPC. It doesn’t work to well when you have actually mapquested the directions from your hotel to the Wal*Mart. Oops. Anyway, we got back in time for the Andy Griffith show. We love Barney Fife. Oh yes.

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Sunday, March 16

We went to church in Staunton, which was lovely. (Yes, we found it! Don’t look so surprised!) We were (I’m not joking, and if you’re OPC, you ought to understand) the second people there even though we were only five minutes early. Ohhh yeah. But it worked out alright. In fact, we had a wonderful time after church with two of the kids — a brother (about a year younger than me) and his sister (about a year older). Almost everyone at the church said something like, “Oh! You must be our visitors from ________! We’ve heard all about you!” *wondering WHAT exactly they have heard about us* Sunday school was from Calvin’s Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, the sermon was on Revelation 17.

Then we went to the pastor’s house for dinner. That was also lovely! We had a grand time with his three girls (and their dog), going on a long after-dinner walk. We tried what I’m coming to believe is the typical activity for OPC kids… singing hymns loudly (if rather off key) on our walk… sound familiar, anyone? :) But none of us could remember more than one verse, so we gave up. Our walk became so long that we started to wonder if we were going the whole way back to our house or what! But we did finally turn around and head for home (well, not home for us, I suppose). It took a much longer time to get back then it had to reach the point where we turned around, because we all kept freezing in place every few steps. :D

Unfortunately, when us foot-sore and weary walkers did get back (well, okay, our feet weren’t that sore. We had switched out of church shoes into sneakers!) it was time for us to be leaving. The good news was, that meant heading for Williamsburg! :D

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So, for your enjoyment, some conversations/quotes.

Background: Andrew had been insulting our state.
me: “Well, your squirrels are STUPID! They just sit in the middle of the road!”
Andrew: *smiles and nods* “Yeah, they probably are stupider. So our our neighbor’s dogs. They lay around in the middle of the road.”
me: “At least our squirrels aren’t that stupid. They tend to get off the road when a car comes, not sit there.”
Anne: *begins listening*
Andrew: “They probably learned from experience.”
me: “Mm, yeah, probably.” *blink* “ANDREW! How can you learn from experience when it involves being hit by trucks?!?”
Anne: “WHAT?”
Andrew: “It probably comes from seeing all your friends and relatives hit and killed.”
Anne: “What are you TALKING about?”
me: “Ohh… hmm. Maybe.”
Anne: “WHAT are you talking about?”
us: *laugh*
Andrew: (finally taking pity on her!) “Squirrels.”

Anne: “Protozoa are so cute!”

Elizabeth: “So what is normal, anyway?”

me: “I do not like nail polish…”
Elizabeth: “Me neither!”
me: “…my fingernails feel like they’re suffocating! Which everyone else finds strange!”

Elizabeth: “It feels too thick… no, it doesn’t feel good.”

Finally! Someone who understands me! :)

Elizabeth: “Oh, no!”
me: “What?”
Elizabeth: “Someone cut from the wrong side of the butter.  Again.”
Ruth: “DADDY!”
Elizabeth: “It is most uncouth of him.”
me: *burying face in napkin*

Back to the story of the trip:

Everyone should get to drive towards Colonial Williamsburg after a day full of church and fellowship, friendship and laughter, with the sun shining through the trees on Palm Sunday.

But as wonderful as it can be, no where on earth is really home for us. So I look forward to another Homecoming; one which will truly be home, which won’t mean saying goodbye to other Christians, in which there will be no darkness at all. When the Last Battle shall be won. But I look forward to it in eager expectation, while enjoying the good gifts of God here.

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Laughter is good for you, right? March 7, 2008

Posted by Anya in : spontaneous degeneration, smiling is good for you , 3comments

[This was supposed to be posted last night, but reformedblogs went bananas.  Oh well.] 

Last night the guys were running around in the gym.
me:  “Samwise, it’s fun to watch you all being crazy with the football.”
Sam:  “Really?”  *look of mild agony [is that an oxymoron?]*  “I drank too much ….”
What I heard:  wine.
What he said:  ‘wian… punch.
That took me a minute to figure out.

Sam L sent me a picture of when he was a baby.  He’s sitting in a paper bag.  I have no idea why.  It’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages, though.  His description:  “im in like a bag haha“  Haha is right.  I laughed so hard that Ibey came down from where he had been supposedly asleep to see what was so funny. 

Ben B, who was going for the Sounds-Most-Like-A-Fortune-Cookie award said to me: 

New experience happen to us all the time.

They make life exciting.

Seriously.  Couldn’t he get a job writing fortunes?  Well, probably not a good occupation for a Calvinist.  Rats.

Christine remembered to send me a Garfield comic.  With one pathetic snow-thing (not really a flake) falling and Garfield saying, “Great.  Now I’ll be stuck here till the snowplows come.”  It would not have been as funny before I had friends in warmer states.  :D

And I’m re-reading A Severe Mercy, which is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read.  It makes me laugh.  And cry. 

And I really had been planning to do a more serious post, but after Sam’s picture it was not going to work out tonight.  My apologies to anyone who was really terribly disappointed; feel free to read some of the old ones. 

And finally, much as I dislike some of Relient K’s songs, the one which goes “I just wasted ten seconds of your life” amuses me immensely.

Goodnight, and God bless you.  I enjoy the comments, I enjoy posting, and yes, I enjoy laughing.