Happy fourth of July!!

In honor of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfRaWAtBVg

Today I went to the Ames Fourth of July Parade, and was witness to lots of candy throwing and,  MORE IMPORTANTLY, the senior citizens coalition (or whatever they call themselves) came through dressed as roosters (red rubber glove combs, yellow paper beaks, and white plastic table cloth cloaks), holding signs saying "no more chicken noodle soup."

I think you'll agree that this sight was the highlight of the parade, clearly superior to the various gymnasts, the Miss. Rose Bowl Queen Pagent Car, and the sewage pump truck. The only close second place runner up was the high school drum corps, who I thought actually rocked a whole hell of a lot.

Unfortunetly, no shriners.

I have never seen these shriners, but my housemate told me about them. She said they were old men in funny hats riding around on tiny motorcycles. Clearly this is worthwhile. I dont' think we have these people in Baltimore. We have greeks in Baltimore, who dress their middle schoolers up in blue and white petifores and do dances in circles. We also tend to have large bands full of bag pipes, and frequently those bagpipers are old men in kilts. I'm ok with this.

Other things I'm ok with: The old people channel. Sometime this afternoon the old people channel had a whole show about trains--not really ABOUT trains (because that would be too complicated) but merely showing the trains coming and going at different junctions along a route somewhere in Nevada. Sometimes we were told what the train was carrying. The trains started off going through snow but towards the end of the program they progressed into spring.  I think this is a worthwhile use of air time.

Today I visited the house I'm going to be moving into in august. I'm a little nervous--it doesn't really feel like my house yet. But I'll be able to do a lot of rearranging of the bookshelves, and I'll add more plants and I'll put my pictures up in various places, so that will be good. This house has a beautiful backyard, with trumpet vines (!!!) climbing up the garage, and lilies and a magnolia tree, and a screened in porch. I'm pretty sure it's going to be heavenly. The cats are going to love it, no doubt.

Happy fourth!

Order of the Phoenix

Today I've been making a grocery list in my head. I need some more beef hearts (yes I said beef hearts, they're delicious--get over it!), more basmati rice, more of all the staples, and more miso soup. Also more of other kinds of soups. 

today I've also been reading order of the phoenix. The first time I read it (I was like, what, sixteen? seventeen?) I didn't like it because Harry's super angsty, also because I raced through it, barely skimming the top. Of course I've read it since, but today I was marveling at how she plants bits and pieces of information early on and then those small pieces of info return in a more significant way. Except it's not just limited to one book--she's doing this over the course of seven books. I mean, do you realize what kind of planning that takes? Little things, continuity things, like, oh there have been a bunch. Like what happened to Neville's parents, and and like how the Trio taught Harry all kinds of jinxes before the third task in GOF, and then in OOTP he teaches those to the DA. The one I burst out laughing about today was less about foreshadowing and more about continuity--Harry's being angsty, comme d'habitude, and is stomping back up to the castle when he runs into Peeves. Peeves (who's not in the movies, and I have opinions about that) says something like, "What's wrong, Potty? Hearing Voices? Seeing Visions? Speaking in," he stops to blow a raspberry, "tongues?"

I thought that was absolutly hysterical because Harry has done all those things! What a small, funny way for Rowling to remind us not only of the last four books, but also to give us this outsider's perspective. The Prophet has been hinting that Harry's a lunatic, that he routinely has hallucinations, that he can speak to snakes and shouldn't be trusted. And Harry's all, "that's rubbish! Of course I should be trusted!" but in actual fact, he HAS been having visions and hearing voices and speaking in sketchy languages! brilliant!

Tomorrow West Wing is coming in the mail. Also tomorrow I'm going to go grocery shopping, and then I'll get quarters to do laundry.

I haven't been writing lately, and I feel guilty about that. But on the other hand, I have all of july and august. Also, tomorrow I think I'm going to order new running shoes. The situation is getting desperate.

First post

This is my first time using a blog. I set this up for my comp 150 class, to get them into the world of blogging, and to keep them sharing their thoughts and opinions with each other throughout the semester.

Yesterday I got the first disc of season two of the West Wing, and I'm almost finished with Goblet of Fire. I fell asleep half way through the graveyard scene--how sad is that?

I've been thinking, recently, about how nice it is to be completly without supervision. I'm not doing anything wild and crazy, and I am keeping myself to a schedule, but I don't think I've ever had an extended period of time like this where I'm not answering to anyone but myself. I'm not using my time as well as I could be, but I feel like I'm still rebounding from last semester. I'm not worried.

Yesterday I was watching the light come through the tree outside my window, the splotches of light and dark on our carpet, moving back and forth, and I felt like I could sleep for days.