Checking in

Ok, so last week another long one I didn't care to mention. Last weekend was our annual Trunk or Treat activity, though. That was fun. I was golidlocks. No, I didn't get any pictures, but other people did. I may have to go find them. I told everyone that I break into people's houses, eat their food, break their furniture, and then go to sleep on their beds. One little boy, dressed as a police officer, gave me a ticket. Cause I was bad.

I went to the doctor yesterday to get the results of the tests I did about a month ago. Results are, he couldn't find anything wrong. Whew! I'm thinking diet and exercise may clear up my problem (now where have I heard that before?). now I need to call the Red Cross and let them know I'm ok to donate blood again.

As for other things, life's about to get crazy again...

At work we have our Critical Design Review coming up, and I get to present (stand up in front of the room and talk to my 7-8 slides). Speaking in front of a group is really not a problem having been a Mormon all my life--they start us when we're very small giving talks and stuff. It's good preparation, really. The tricky part is that the review board gets to ask you questions and interrupt you and stuff like that. Practicing a talk no problem, but the ad libbing stuff gets to me sometimes and I say thoughtless things (those HOPE guys!). Whatever Nicky says, I did NOT use the 'd' word to describe those HOPE guys (HOPE is the name of one of our instruments). Although it does make for a better story when she tells it. So the next month I get to prepare for that.

In the Mormon Choir we have a fireside coming up, and after that the Interfaith Concert. That's pretty cool because choirs from all over DC, all religions and aspect, come and perform. It's done to encourage cooperation and peace between people of different faiths. But what this means for me is Tuesday Night Rehearsals. And Thursday Night Rehearsals. Not to mention we have the Temple Lighting Ceremony the week right after Thanksgiving, so the first week of December will see me at rehersals and performances. Yay. Busy busy busy. No time to sit and watch tv :(

Speaking of TV, November is Sweeps month. Which means all the best tv episodes will be played. Can't miss that, but I don't think my DVR can hold more than 40 shows at a time, so exactly when will I be able to watch them? I'm at rehersal twice a week, remember? Yikes.

but I may have my weekends off. That would be nice. Stay home and veg. Oh, wait, clean house, that's it. I have to clean my house. And get ready for Christmas.

So if I don't blog quite so much the next few weeks, you know why.
Have a great day!

I work in a scary place...

Now don't get me wrong, I love where I work and what I do. I'm in the Space Department at JHU/APL. I get to fly satellites for a living.

This week I had PSOP--basically orientation for new employees. I know, I've been at APL for over 2 years now, but this is the first time I haven't had a conflict. It's a four-day orientation, with presentations in the morning and tours in the afternoons. Every department at APL gives a presentation so you get an idea of what goes on in the other departments at the lab.

Really cool stuff, for the most part. There's a lot of work going on for development of a prosthetic arm right now. There's also a lot of work on building a human-like mannequin they can stick sensors into and see how it reacts to different types of trauma. Like what happens when a person puts on a bullet-proof vest and gets shot. Ok, so the bullet didn't go through, but what happened to the person's innards?

Scary stuff too, though. I learned that, during the Cuban Missle Crisis in 1962 at one point the guy in charge of the arrmed forces went into President Kennedy and told him that we had a huge command and control problem. There was no way to stop some guy out in a sub from starting the next nuclear war. Up to that point our focus was just to have more bombs and whatnot than the Russians. Once the crisis was resolved they decided we just needed enough to insure total anihiliation. I.e. the guy who shoots first dies second. APL was asked to step in and do some of the command and control work. Like I said, scary stuff.

I knew there was a lot of military stuff going on here--it was formed during WWII for just that purpose--but I had no idea what. I like my nice, safe, little bubble in the space deparment, working on the civilian space side of the fence (i.e. NASA). We do cool stuff too, discovering new things on other planets and determining the environment outside of our atmosphere. I'd much rather be involved in the work I'm doing. Far more positive. Though it is kind of nice to know some of the things we're doing to help our troops overseas. And under the seas as well. And I'm thinking I really need to get my brother (the unemployed one) to take a look at applying here. I think he would do well in the technical services department.

As for the rest of my week, it's just been long. So glad it's the weekend.

Oh hey, I didn't mention my trip to NYC! Shannon and I went up last Saturday on the train. We had lunch at a place serving New York Pizza, and then went to the theater. The play ("A Steady Rain") was ok, I think it suffered a little by being so time constrained, but there are no complaints at how well it was acted. Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman did FABULOUS!! They're so cute. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go. I'm really glad Shannon keeps up with what's going on around here. Next month we're going to the Star Wars concert at the Baltimore Maritime Arena. So cool!

Long boring week

Hmmm, nothing of note really happened this week either.

Saturday and Sunday I watched General Conference on TV. It was good, per usual. I need to work on noticing the Spirit more in my life and temperance. I also did some yard work and let the lawn guy cut my lawn. I do pay him for it...

Monday I went to work then went home and crashed on the couch and watched TV. Donny danced very well on Dancing with the Stars. I really like Louie and Chelsie too.

Tuesday I went to work then went home for dinner before going to the Chiropractor. He straightened me out. Oh, and Donny's safe for another week.

Wednesday I went to work then went home and crashed until time to go get my vegetables. Got these weird bulb things attatched to what looks like chard. No idea how to cook that. Maybe boil it and eat with butter, salt and pepper? A stir fry? Hmmm. Spent the evening watching NCIS on USA. Totally hooked. Yikes. Seven seasons to catch up on. Not clear if the current season is 7 or 8.

Thursday I went to work and then went home for dinner, programed my DVR to record NCIS off of USA, then went to Choir Rehearsal. Tried really hard not to be jealous of the beautiful talented alto that gets all the solos. Not her fault she's so talented. Not her fault the directors don't seem to choose anyone else for the solos, even with auditions. Not her fault I have no breath control (I did audition, just in case you were wondering).

Today I'm taking the Sister Missionaries for dinner before going to the store to get some stuff. I've been on restriction from shopping this week, but I got paid today so all is well. And I really need some new pants. Oops, not going to make the RS Social. Not a very social person anyway, so I guess that's ok. I do better in small groups. Large groups, even if I know everyone, intimidate me.

Tomorrow I'm going to NYC to see Hugh Jackman on stage. Live, in person. In a show. With Shannon, my partner-in-crime. Well, not crime. She's in Law Enforcement, so no illegal activities. Then again, she did tell me to bring restraints to make sure she doesn't leap over the balcony onto the stage to get closer to the Most Handsome Man Alive. Must remember to take credit card in case I need to bail her out of jail... Oh, and don't ask me what the name of the show is, it's enough that Hugh is in it. I'll know more when I return tomorrow night. Yup, quick trip, on the train, up and back. You won't even know I was gone...

Wish me luck!

Ahh, October!

I just have to say, that I love Fall. I love the cool crispness of the air, I love being able to leave my windows open all day and all night (with a good comforter and my kitty for warmth). I love when the trees turn briliant colors. Hasn't quite started yet here in MD, unless you count my poor tree in my front yard that's been losing leaves all summer. Poor thing. It gets so confused and doesn't know what season it is.

Last weekend was pretty tame. I was on a committee for the Relief Society dinner before the broadcast on Saturday, so I spent most of the day at the church setting up and helping out. Sunday was nice and laid back, complete with a visit from my HT and his wife (my other HT was in the hospital :( ) This week has been fairly calm too. I know a lot of that is due to my recovery from my cold--I just don't have the inclination to do a whole lot. I am much better now, though, and all ready for a night of singing. Choir rehearsal, you know.

This weekend I have the opportunity to listen to General Conference at home. I'll spend time before and between sessions in my yard, trying to make some sort of order there, but for at least four hours I'll sit on my couch and listen to the General Authorities in Salt Lake and try to get a feel for what I should work on for the next six months. I just love Conference Weekend.

Kitty and I had a cat-fight the other night, though. I sat on the couch and was drinking some juice when she latched on to my leg with both front claws and her mouth. I don't think she was trying to hurt me, she didn't draw any blood, but my juice spilled all over the place, including me, and I was unhappy. She knew it. She ran down to the basement to escape my wrath. I am really tired of her attacking me. She might find herself with a new home. Actually, what I will try first is to get a cat trainer over to my house to help us. And maybe play with her more.

I've gotten into NCIS now, too. My Fall TV-Watching schedule is greatly reduced from last year--mostly because half my shows were cancelled and part of the others don't start until January. I have two whole nights where I'm not recording anything. That is just amazing. Throw in the fact that I'm only recording one or two shows on about two other nights, and now you really get a sense of it. fortunately (unfortunately?) USA runs up to 6 hours of NCIS nearly every day. That's a lot. That's more than I can do, actually, but I usually only catch one or two episodes. Lori is going to laugh at me when I tell her. She told me to try it last year (or maybe the year before) but I didn't. She was right.

Life is calming down?

Well, summer's over, and along with it all the family visits and visiting. Erick and I went to my sister's over labor day weekend, and had a blast. We walked through Congaree National Park with the kids, and Malena had to read all the points of interest along the trail. Since it was a swamp, there was a boardwalk all the way around it. And the Mosquito index was 2 (mild). I was glad of that, but still put on bug spray. Just so you know, the index goes up to 6 (war). On Labor Day Beckie took us to Charleston where we took a carriage ride and walked through the Market. I even bought a sweetgrass basket. Kind of expensive, but should last forever (unless Kitty decides to shred it for some reason). So that was fun.

I dropped Erick off at the airport, and it was time to get back to life. Rehearsals for the Mormon Choir of Washington, DC (MCW) have started up again. I auditioned for a duet, and was asked to come back again. I have to work on my breathing. Last week I had a work conference/workshop at Goddard Space Flight Center, so I drove to Greenbelt on those days. Not a bad commute, really. Took only 20 minutes to get there and back. The key is to only go on the Parkway for as little as you can get away with--in my case, from Powder Mill Road to 197. Worked very well.

Last Friday night (the 18th) I had so much fun. My Realtor, the McGinn group, was having a Customer Appreciation Night--an interactive viewing of The Sound of Music. I invited my friend Kelli to come with, and it was so fun. I wore one of the dirndl's I bought in Germany last year. We were encouraged to participate in the movie, so we sang along with each song, and tried to tell Maria to be careful. By the end a lot of the families with smaller children had gone home, and I think most people were getting tired, but I was having too much fun. I kept going, telling the Captain not to go out from behind his tombstone ("NO!!! Don't do it!!"), among other things. It was great. I do hope I wasn't too annoying, Bob McGinn and Chris (my realtor, the one that helped my find my house) both told me I'd done well, trying to keep it going. I also got to talk to one of my little nursery girls, and she even came to stay in Nursery on Sunday (she'd been having issues about going into Nursery, but not last week *g*)

Saturday I was supposed to go to the RennFest (Irish weekend!) but I had a headache. Now, don't think I was flaking out. I'd had this headache since about 6:45pm Thursday. Yes, I do remember exactly when it started. I just didn't have any time to slow down and try to sleep it off, and the headache medicine I take would make me hyper (imagine how hyper I would have been Friday night if I'd taken it). So I got up Saturday and went to my Pilates class hoping that would help, but when it didn't I took my medicine and laid on the couch watching tv shows all day. And taking a nap. Which may not sound like it made me hyper, but that's because the pain really didn't go away until mid-afternoon. Kitty was ok with the nap thing, but I think she was getting a little annoyed I wasn't playing with her.

This week, so far, we are indeed back to 'normal', whatever that is. I get up, go to work, count my points (I've re-joined Weight Watchers, and it's a good thing, too, since I gained back 10 of the lbs I lost last year just this summer), do some exercise, and watch my tv shows. I'm watching a lot less this year, though I did include Dancing with the Stars since Donny Osmond is on it. He's so cute. And Marie was in the audience, cheering him on. Of the men, I think there's only one or two of them that could be considered major competition. The ladies dance tonight. But I digress. And I can't believe September is 2/3 over. And I can't believe my birthday is on Friday. The number on the calendar is definitely not how I feel. I think my age should be 32 this year. Sound good? Think people will believe me if I tell them that?

Book Meme from Cami

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack? Sometimes. Chips, popcorn, sometimes fruit. Nothing sticky or messy. But usually it's too annoying to try to eat and read at the same time

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? It horrifies me. Books are meant to be pristine, pure volumes that don't get messed up by the readers but are left in a condition that others can also read them without having to deal with the previous reader's opinions.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Bookmarks. Sometims I use the flaps of the dust covers. I never dog-ear. Sacrilige!

Laying the book flat open? My books don't stay open unless I hold them. Not sure why.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? I read both, mostly fiction, and of that, mostly of the science variety.

Hard copy or audiobooks? both. Hard copy (i.e. actual books) the majority of the time, but I do like audiobooks for trips.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point? End of chapters, or if there's a break between paragraphs, or it's a good stopping place. I can't just put it down whenever or it takes too long for me to get back into it.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Nope. Like Cami, I do context.

What are you currently reading? Heir to Sevenwaters by Julliet Marillier.

What is the last book you bought? If I recall correctly, it was the Anthony and Cleopatra one by Colleen McCullough

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? I've read up to 5 books at a time before, but anymore I find I just get confused about what I've read where. So I try to stick to just one at a time.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? I tend to read just before going to sleep, but I have been known to read on the couch, at the table, outside, at the beach... wherever I can properly lay down.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? I like both, but if a series is more than 3 books long I don't want to start it because it will take too long to finish it.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? The Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. I just love wizards named Harry.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?) by genre first and author's last name second. Except for my Star Wars books. They are organized by chronology. But my physics books are organized by size (the big books to one side, the little books to the other). so I guess it really varies within the genre. The genre's are not alphabetical, more like each genre has a particular place in my house.

too much fun

My nephew Erick is here, visiting from California. This is kind of a graduation/vacation/birthday trip, as his birthday was last Sunday. We have been going all over.

He got here Wed Aug 26, and on Thursday we went into DC. We went to the Smithsonian, and had lunch with a friend of mine who works at the Holocaust Museum. Erick just graduated with a Bachelor's in Art History, and was a little lost as to what to do next. Clare was able to give him some really good ideas, and he's already found two internships to apply for.

Friday we went into Baltimore, to the Baltimore Museum of Art. We had lunch at the Paper Moon Diner, which is a great little place close to the JHU Homewood campus. Better now that they've painted the previously naked manequins that cavort all over the ceiling, I must say ;) They're cute, and not doing anything bad, but now that they're painted I think they look better. Erick appreciated both the diner and the Museum, which I hadn't been to before either.

We went to Medieval Times that night, and gues what! I won four free tickets to the Renaissance Festival!! I may have to find a friend to go with me, I already bought the tickets I needed for this year, and now I have more.

Saturday we went to the Rennaissance Festival. Yay!! We saw Fight School! And then Don Quixote, this year's play. And then Johnny Fox, and O and some of the Medieval Babes. I atually hadn't made a point to see the Medieval Babes before, not sure what type of show they do, but it was really good, celtic music. Not bawdy like the O'Danny Girls (who are to be avioded by all those with children). I may have to look up their website, since this was their only weekend there. We also saw the Squire of the Wire, who is pretty funny, does a lot of 'little boy' humor as well as walking a tightwire in a kilt. Yes, a kilt. Pick your seats carefully. Then of course more Fight School! and the final joust of the day. Good as always.

Sunday we rested. Church too, but mostly rested. We was ti-red.

Monday I had to go back to work, seeing as I really don't have enough vacation time, but I allowed Erick to use my car, and he was able to do some stuff he wanted to do. He dropped me off and picked me up, and even made dinner for me!

Tuesday more work for me, back to DC for Erick. Went to Red, Hot, and Blue for dinner--a Southern BBQ place that is very good. Wednesday more work for me, Erick did his internet research, and for dinner we went to La Palapa Too, a fairly decent Mexican restaurant (and believe me, Erick would know!). Today I'm back at work again, he's meeting a friend for lunch, and tonight I have choir rehearsal in VA. He may come with me.

Tomorrow we head out to South Carolina. I still need a friend to watch my cat for me, otherwise I may fill the bathtub with water and leave her plenty of food for four days and see what happens. *cross fingers* Hopefully she won't tear the house apart while I'm gone, but I know there are no guarantees if I do that.

Just wanted to post a quick up date for what I've been doing. And leave you with this picture. Fires in California. Pretty dramatic.