Just to get all caught up on stuff: Deb turned the big Four-Oh on August 4th, and we had a nice little bash for her in the backyard. She received a Palm PDA and--breathe deep--all seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." She's such a geek--who am I to dissuade her interests? 

 

Bridgette had a successful run in "Grease" and everyone who saw it agreed. She's renewed her faith in doing theatre, especially after the hellbroth that has been her High School experience. Simply put, the Drama dept. at SoPasHS is run by a certifiable lunatic, and I understand that there are now lawsuits pending against her...no matter, the worst offense she could've suffered was to have a former student dis her publicly by going on to win two Oscars. The actor in question? Why, Hillary Swank. In any case, "Grease" was a great show, peopled by really terrifically talented kids, and I'm sure Ms. B will be there again next year.

 

We recently returned from our Vacation in Hell, aka Scottsdale. Nothing but insane urban sprawl-- including lots and lots of malls. What did we do there? Mostly saw movies (see the Movie page) and shopped. Too hot to do hiking, too hot to sunbathe, almost even too hot to swim! But we spent some great quality time with relatives we actually like, so all was not lost.

 

Meantime, I'm heading out of town again this coming week for a few days, up to the Portland area to see my mom and her hubby, and to visit some elder relatives in order to fill in some gaps in my ongoing Genealogy project. It has pretty much become something of an obsession, and I admit I should be spending my remaining summer time prepping for my class...but I get so happy when I find a new source of information about some long-ago relative, such as the story of my great-great-granduncles Foster and Rueben Griffith, who were active in the Iowa branch of the Underground Railroad. Stuff like that just keeps me going! Real, honest-to-Gawd history. Anyway, this trip will be the first dedicated solely to uncover other family roots.

 

AND...I turned 47 years old day before yesterday...and I got TWO CARDS in the mail.  Two cards!? Don't I know more people than that? To be fair, I did get some nice things--mainly a closetful of new teacherly duds and a docking station for my Creative Zen mp3 player, along with a new wall map that shows the world upside down. Very cool. Next year, though,  I'm sending out word well in advance, so's I get more cards. Looking at our sideboard, I see Deb's cards, number probably 25 or so, and my measly two. Humph. Sour grapes, you say? Damn right. Hey, I'm old, I get to bitch a little.

 

Hope everybody who reads this drivel is in fine health and good spirits, and at least has something better to do with their time!