I need to do a photo-shoot involving 5 people before Tuesday. So anyone just sitting around in Seattle, let me know, and I'll put you to work (work meaning stand in one place, then shift to the side, then shift to the other side). Word!

I think that sometimes people think I am being gossip-y, when in fact I am just trying to work on my relationship with them. Sometimes I don't understand people's actions, but I'd be uncomfortable asking them about it, so I ask someone else (usually someone else who knows them to get a better judgment). I just better want to understand motivations and intentions. And even if I am not particularly working on them, I am often curious about people and their behavior. I think I need to be more clear about this in the future.

Oh my, this is fun when you're distracted!!

The Amazing Meganame Generator

My rock star name was Caramel Cheetah. =)

Last night Jim & Susan got married! It was wonderful, one of the best weddings I've ever been to. It was very nice to hear only positive things said about the union, I don't think anyone could ever doubt that they are perfect for each other. The vows (and the ceremony itself) was short and sweet, very affecting. Afterwards there was an Indian buffet, the speeches, a bride & groom duet, and then tons of dancing.

I had to scold a woman who was being very very bossy with all of us. She even interrupted me during my speech because I didn't start by saying my name. And she called my outfit "unique". I knew that it wasn't a compliment. Grr. She frequently gets on the bad side of people, her personality clashes with nearly anyone else's. I've also learned that she just can't accept that people might have a world view that is different from hers. I just try to stay neutral, or not talk to her very much. I don't like to argue.

As part of the wedding committee, I blew up several hundred balloons, at one point the pile was up to my waist. I'm not sure about the diameter, but it took up the whole corner of a traditional sized gym. I should have learned the technique of tying them off using forceps (which the bride's father discovered) it would have saved me some skin.

Not many of my pictures turned out well. People moving, bad lighting, etc. Luckily there were several professionals, many amateurs, and lots of people with "prosumer" cameras who know how to use them. I'm sure some will be shared in the near future. I did get quite a few interesting ones during the set-up time, there is a great one of a bunch of people working, with just one blurred person racing through the middle. :)

I gave a small speech, I hope it was okay. Since I hardly write anything creatively (or to deal with emotions) anymore, I don't feel like I express myself very well. I should work on it.

Today I spent quite a few hours working on albums for my real web site. Once I figure out how I want to link to them, and maybe publishing *this* on that server, I'll provide some links. The album program I'm using is a little annoying (JAlbum), but it might just be that I don't know how to use it super well. So, there are some boring pictures included, and pics that won't rotate, etc. I think it's easy enough to skip the boring ones...plus, maybe they aren't boring to everyone. If anyone else knows of good web album software, let me know. I want to host them on a specific server, since I'm paying for the space!

Anyhow, if you need a song to perk you up, listen to Gigi D'Agostino's "The Riddle". We call it the Hobbit Dance Song around here. I've got a great little dance to go along with it, too. :)

Word.

I just don't understand the appeal of "lip plumping" lipgloss. I guess they're like a push-up bra for your lips; uncomfortable and a total lie. I can imagine our thin-lipped heroine dashing to the ladies room every ten minutes in order to re-plump her lips. I'm sorry, I wish I was more sympathetic.

Those lovely cortisone shots didn't help, and I don't recommend allowing needles to put into the joints in your spine w/only a local anesthetic. I was trying to be brave, and avoid having to spend hours in the recovery room, but having a resident & doctor talk out the whole procedure was pretty freaky ("Now when you push the needle in, you'll feel it hit the bone, and it will be very spongy....just twist it, and then twist a little more.") Eep! That's my spine! At least they didn't do any damage. But my back is still killing me, when I sneeze or move the wrong way it feels like flesh & nerves being ripped from the bone might feel. I start physical therapy on Wednesday, and hopefully acupuncture soon after if I can muster up the cash.

Good news! I was accepted to the UO, and I will start in June (3 days after I finish physics here, that's gonna be a fun couple of weeks...). I'm going to room w/the lovely Ms. Davina, we are beginning our apartment search now. Hopefully the coolest 2BR2BA/wheelchair accessible apartment will become available for us. I am very, very excited! Ross will be staying in Seattle, because he has the perfect job right now, and after years of working in crappy jobs, he deserves to do something he enjoys for awhile. I don't think that there are many engineering firms in Eugene offering positions to mechanical engineers with a focus in oceanography (physical oceanography, that is). Hopefully he'll join me in a year or so, or whenever he gets bored. I think that for the first year I'll be so busy it will be better for him to not be here, otherwise I'll feel guilty for making him move & then not spending any time with him.

The sad news is that since we aren't sure where I'll be living, and since we weren't supposed to have pets in this apt. anyway, Glenn has moved to Montana. She was originally my sister's cat, when Emily got married & had her baby she left her w/my parents. While they were building their new home, they lived in a travel trailer (with periodic breaks housesitting for friends), and a 20lb active cat can't live in a travel trailer w/two adults. So she joined us, and I got anti-social and spent a lot of time home with her, and now I am feeling like she died or something....it's terrible, I keep hearing noises that make me think it's her, or seeing shadows that look like her, and I start sobbing. At least I managed to return her improved! She lost 5 pounds, learned to use a scratching post, and improved her social skills.

Speaking of Montana, while returning Glenn, we stayed for a week and enjoyed a bit of the springtime splendor it has to offer. We visited the Rocky Mountains (they're huge!), witnessed a variety of wildlife, and somehow portions of my hair are now "violet red".... :) Most national & state parks are closed right now, usually because of snow, but there isn't much this year. Instead grizzlies are coming down into the valleys early, and mountain sheep are making their pilgrimages elsewhere. Yes, Glenn will be kept safely indoors!

I've been reading a lot, but I'm beginning to end my hibernation phase, I think. I'll let you know.