It's (almost) Time!

So last weekend we had the baby shower for Ginger (my cousin Joey's wife). I just wanted to post a few pictures because it was a beautiful day and Ginger looked just lovely. I swear, she's the world's most gorgeous pregnant lady. Joey's one lucky guy.

That's Loreen in the background. She's a very nice woman...

So, the baby (a boy) is due in early October...just a couple of weeks now, so it could be any time! I'm so excited...this little guy will be the first born of our generation (of brothers sisters and cousins on my dad's side of the family).

I like this picture because Ginger and Anna are both pregnant. Oh by the way, for those of you who know her...Anna M is pregnant!


And i love this picture...soon to be mom and dad. Daddy Joey is a little tired. They're so cute.


No name for him yet...i can't wait to see him!

"Why don't you light the candle?"

...Sarah just asked me. It's late and i'm very sleepy and a little stressed out. I just thought i'd drop a little note besides my scandalous pictures of the Pope...

Hopefully i'll soon be getting the internet down in the OC soon! (yes...i just called it the OC)
Then i can actually update more than a few sentences a week. Because things are crazy.

Be safe everyone...

Too important not to post...

Cellar Door

Hey...Sarah and i are, at this moment, watching deleted scenes from Donnie Darko. I had never seen it before...what a bizarre, fantastic, disturbing peice of film.

The second week of school went better than the first...mostly just because i'm starting to get used to it.

The highlight of my week?

Getting to shake the hand of Glen Keane. If you have even the tiniest knowledge of anything concerning animation, cartooning, design...you'll have heard his name. He is responsible for bringing to life such characters as Ariel, Aladdin, the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast), so many others...his most notable being Tarzan. Absolutely brilliant.
This afternoon he came to the school and gave a 2-hour lecture to a packed room of giddy art students...showing us pages from his sketchbooks, stories of his inspiration, and even gave an impromptu animation demo based on input from the audience.
It was greatly inspiring. And incredilby Daunting.

About to read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. it aught to be very interesting.


There's a lot more to get into. I'd type more, but i'm pretty tired. So until next week!

learning feels good

My my...a whole week done and gone! I'm only at home for this one evening and i still don't have internet access where i live so i figured i'd jump on and let you all know i'm still kicking...
School went fairly well for the first week, and i'm having to do some major re-adjusting to get into the rhythm of living and breathing art. Most of my classes look like they're to be fantastic and challenging, and i'm looking forward to all of them. My life drawing class is a 6-hour immersion in figure drawing and painting that i attend Mondays and Wednesdays...my feeling is i will derive a lot of pleasure out of these 12 hours a week! I also am taking what seems to be quite an entertaining perspective class, and a writing class called "critical reasoning". I can't remember the names of the literature we'll be covering there for all you scholars out there, but when i do i'll let you know.
The only class i'm not that excited about is one aptly titled "human evolution"...which is as it sounds, a course with the goal of teaching the evolutionary theory as fact. oooh well. i'll live. It will still be interesting.

Part of me is still terrified...i don't do well in new social situations (or, at times, even old ones). However, providence would deem me, in this case, to "suck it up", as it were, and move along. My nerves and yearnings for things comfortable and familiar are resisting in a big way. So i'll be finding challenges in more things than keeping my apartment clean and completing my homework on time...

Today when i was in the Art Store buying graphing triangles and marker paper, some young hip thug dude guy was standing near me when his phone rang, and when he picked it up, he actually answered it: "where you at?"

i nearly lost my lunch. right there in aisle of art bins.


have a splendid week, everyone...


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Started school today...um-yesterday...won't have a computer for the rest of the week.

Things are dandy.

Back to Save the Universe

So Radiohead fever has begun again...and i'm definitely coming down with something!
(wasn't that clever...)

Firstly, thank you Dave for the heads up, Radiohead has their own blog! wow! You can see pictures taken by the members of each other, track their progress on their next album, and read Thom's ramblings on his lack of direction and lack of energy...which are surprisingly coherent, if you ask me. quoth Thom...
"everybodys wasted. expended i mean. energy wise i mean.
all in need of bowl of coco pops."
Just click here: Dead Air Space

This is a small semi-interesting article about their new album...thanks Myles.

And last, but not least, head on over here to check out an amazing new song; it's live, but very very beautiful...things just keep on getting better!

3 things...

1. Yesterday i blazed through a book called
Holes and thoroughly enjoyed it. A well-written children's book is such a treat to find these days! Often reading this, i was very surprised that it recieved so much praise and attention...only because parts of it are extremely violent and disturbing. But the story is enticing, and i've never read anything like it. Simple and complex, i recommend it as a companion for a good afternoon sit-down.

2. I am hopelessly addicted to Sudoku.

3. I finally watched the European version of Léon: The Professional and enjoyed it immensely. Far superior to the 20-minute shorter and less controversial American cut.

And there you are.

nearly thursday

Seeing as i don't have a computer down where i'm staying for school yet, i haven't been able to get online since Sunday! Heavens!
Hopefully that will change, as LCAD requires all students to have purchased a laptop through their laptop program. i should be getting mine before the weekend...a new Powerbook G4 to have and enjoy. (:

So as i mentoned, sort of, i stayed down there for about 3 days for orientation mishmash and such.
I can't believe how beautiful the campus is. Check out the website and take a look at the virtual tour. See the front entrance, Visit the grassy knoll, stroll throught the handicap parking (it has a good all around scope of the front of the school). Take a look at the student galleries, as well. Some of the work ot absolutely breathtaking...i recommend skipping the foundation section...though there's good stuff in there, too.
I'm mostly just excited about getting really down and dirty with the art classes. I got my schedule, and i'm taking 15 units of portraiture, figure drawing, figure painting, figure sculpture, and less that wonderful classes like perspective and human evolution (uuuugh. like i haven't heard all of that before). I'm taking a writing/critical reasoning class that sounds interesting...but i just wish i could focus on art! Oh well. Praise God i transferred out of all the lower writing classes.
Otherwise i'm kind of freaking out. An upheval in family crisis(es??? what the hell is plural for crisis?), relationships on the rocks and me just being quite an emotional wreck. I won't go into details...but lets just say the last few weeks have involved a lot of literal blood sweat and tears in quite a variety of ways.
Seeing as i'm not actually starting until Monday, i came back here to Pasadena. And my parents are getting back from Arizona tomorrow, so i'll get to see my mom...smile.

I'm not really listening to anything right now...i can fix that...

Hear hear...
Werewolf by Cat Power

what? you've never heard of Cat Power!?? Well, now you have. And you'll like it. Just ask JeffBishop.


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Peace Be Still

Pedro the Lion:

Secret
of
the
Easy

Yoke

Technical Difficulties

Well, due to some aircraft malfunctions...Sarah's not coming home until this afternoon. Dad and i will be leaving around 3 to go pick her up at LAX...ugh. But at least she'll be home!
It's August...and it's cold. It's cold. whaaaa?

In other news, We're all trying to figure out how to handle quite a delicate and mystifying issue...
What do you do with someone who's sick...but wants to die?
You all who have read my blog for a while (and my friends, naturlich) know that my family and i live with my grandparents and are caring for them, along with regular 24-hour help from 5 excellent ladies. Anyone who has read my blog for a while also knows what a charming guy my grandpa is. (dripping sarcasm)

Doctor's visits consist of his excalamations of, "I should be dead by now," when he takes his meds at breakfast and dinner you can hear him muttering under his breath "why do I take these damn pills," and nearly every morniing as he struggles out of bed, he wonders why he just won't die.

For a few months now he has been developing congestion in his chest and throat, and in the last few weeks it's evolved into a terrible rasping, grating cough that literally makes it sound as if we'll see a lung or something popping out of his mouth. He's also gotten more and more bitter...threatening to strike my grandma, and actually taking swings at some of our caregivers. He radiates unhappiness and malcontent...and the only time you see him smile is if he feels he's made a particularly brilliant little joke on someone else's behalf. He's lost any ounce of politeness, manners or cooperation...he won't even take a shower once a week with a helper unless forced to. And now that he's feeling so lousy, you can imagine how his attitude has far from improved. And he won't go to the doctor. Flat out refuses.

A couple of months ago, mom was alone with him in the house when she heard him calling her name.
She went out to find him in the middle of the hallway, leaning on his walker. "What is it, dad?" she asked him.
His unfocused gaze passed her as he answered wearily, "Where do I go to check out?"
Mom, a bit taken aback had to mull over this a moment, and asked him what he meant. He merely repeated himself. It was apparent that a little heart to heart was in order.
She sat him in the living room and leaned on his knees like a little child, and again, tried to figure out what to say.
"Do you mean 'where do I go to die?'" she asked him. He said yes.
"Dad, I don't know. If I knew I would tell you. But you're just going to have to wait until the good Lord decides to take you."
She told him she loved him, and she told him that if he went, grandma would be taken care of. We figured long ago that really the only thing keeping him around is my grandma. So she wanted him to understand that.


A week or so ago, my grandpa was literally making the house a living nightmare...fits of rage, cursing and insults plagued the house and one of our caregivers almost left us for good. This time the talk my mom had with her father wasn't so gentle. She flat-out told him that if he didn't make an effort to display even an ounce of kindness or cooperation we would be forced to put him in a home...because we can't keep him around if he won't let us take care of him.
She then went on to an even deeper issue...his relationship with God.

We don't know if my grandpa is saved or not. My grandma, though very ritualistic and nonchalant at times about her faith, i know has a relationship with Jesus...no matter how small, it's there. And that's all it takes. A wonderful example of this can be seen here.
Mom told him that he needed to start thinking about where he's heading, and where he stands in God's eyes. "There are qualities that I see displayed in the lives of older people I know that know the Lord, dad. And I don't see those qualities in you and it scares me." She addressed his cursing, his taking of the name of Jesus in vain, and telling people to go to hell. "If you really know what you were saying when you said that...you would not be saying it." When he got all upset and told her to give it a rest, she only stood firmer. "I'm prepared for you to not like me, if only i can tell you the truth. You have to think about these things...you have to do it now." She told him, on the verge of tears, "I want to see you in heaven, dad."
I really wish i could remember the whole thing...it was really beautiful what she told him.

When she said "I love you" to him, she was thrown back the usual, "Yea? Do you really?", delivered with the utmost bitterness.
And things were a bit better for a day or two. Until his cough worsened.

As of a few days ago, things have gotten pretty bad. He'll lay on the couch coughing and fighting to breathe. His body is under so much strain from the wracking spasms in his chest, we're having to give him pain medication regularly. But he denys having a cough, and when my mom told him the other night that he was wheezing, he said to her, "No I'm not. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Then, literally toying with her, he wheezed his breath in and out, exaggerated and pained, and snickered at her as she stood over him.
Mom says that he knows exactly what he's doing. "I think he even knows what's wrong with himself," she told Susan (our primary helper) and i the other night. "I think he's excited because he know that if he lets this go, it could turn into pnemonia and he could die." My grandpa used to be an incredible doctor, so it makes complete sense.

What he doesn't know, is that their doctor is doing something almost unheard of these days...she's making a house call and is coming today to see him. My mom is coming home from work early so she can be here.
And it is not going to be pretty.

We almost wish we could just let it go...the man is 91 and has no will to live, for heaven's sake! But we can't just sit around and do nothing. If we can at least keep him comfortable until he passes that will be okay. There's a reason why he's stuck around so long. I know that God is trying to break throught to him. But the last thing we want to do is pump the guy full of medicine that will only prolong his suffering. Last night my mom broke down, and i wished so badly i could do something.
All i can do is pray for peace...and the hope that someday my mom will see her dad in heaven.

I just wonder how long things can go on this way...

Gotta See Gotta Know Right Now

So tired. This weekend has been one of lifting, shoving, cleaning, driving and organizing.
In other words, i've been moving all weekend, getting ready to live down by Laguna Beach. Today i had the help of (besides my mom) my cousins Jeff and Joey, friend Matt and very pregnant Ginger (Joey's wife)! She helped wash some dishes...being unable to do any lifting or much bending over.
It's been nice to go through all my stuff, get boxes out of storage and see things i haven't laid eyes on in over a year! That's always one of the best parts of moving i think...starting out so fresh and non-cluttered. My apartment looks awesome...i'm so happy with it! i'll have to take some before and after pictures of it and post them.

Sarah comes home from Russia tomorrow...i'm so excited.
How many people can honestly say they are excited about seeing their sibling?

And on Wednesday we leave for Sedona...my only real vacation this summer...though i only get to stay until Sunday because i have to be at school for a "new student orientation" Monday and Tuesday. oh well. :(
I'll get to sleep in my new digs! :D

So tired. That was redundant. Which reminds me... the other day i was in Old Town and i saw a "hip artsy chic" guy walking around with a T-shirt on that said:
"Department of Redundancy Department"

hahaha!
night.

now hearing:
Modest Mouse: Graivity Rides Everything (gooood song!)

"This is from...Mathilda..."

So...why did it take me so long to see this movie? I'm not sure. but i watched it last night, and i can say without a doubt that very few films have succeeded in moving me as much as this one did. Which is probably why i'm writing a little bit about it.
It features Jean Reno and the film debut of an amazing pre-teen Natalie Portman as the two main characters...Leon and Mathilda...flawless casting that shakes off any restraints that threaten to hold the story down. Luc Besson's direction is also beautiful to watch.

"The Professional" tells a story that sounds almost laughable and completely unbelievable: a hardened italian hitman taking in, and, in a sense, falling in love with a twelve-year old girl...and she with him...sounds a tad bizarre and terribly inppropriate. But the sensitivity and skill with which their incredible relationship is pulled off is what makes this film so worth watching.

Well, i don't want to say too much or scare anyone away from it; as i had really no idea what i was about to see, i watched with undivided fascination as it unfolded...and ultimately ended in the best and most brilliant way it possibly could (despite what i may have been hoping for). I honestly don't think i've ever cried so hard in a film as i did near the end of this one.
I just wanted to recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet seen it...though being late to jump on the bandwagon i may just be preaching to the choir.

Actually, just to be clear, I haven't seen this particular version here that i have a picture of. The uncut European version thought "too disturbing" for American audiences; with over 24 minutes of footage included that was cut from the version released in the US. But i plan on seeing it at some point.

ok, that's all for now. Is it stil Thursday? good. just barely.
I think i'll go watch it again...seriously.
(:

What the...!??

Yes, we are mature twenty-something young women...seen here filming an intelligent, gripping...ah...drama...thriller called "B Heroes". Watch as our brave heroines battle to save the earth from unsanitary conditions; namely excess moisture and um, lint. Following the exploits of the incredible "Dry Heaver" (Bettina) and the courageous "Lint Buster" (cough-me), we see them rise, and ultimately fail miserably against the cunning of their foes, water and lint, (both played by Kristina).

Yea. I wouldn't even have mentioned it if Kristina hadn't asked me to post these so she could show--i mean--i'm proud! PROUD to be a part of such a marvel of film history! And i want the WORLD to know!!! ha ha ha!

It boasts state-of-the-art effects, expert editing by yours truly, and a killer soundtrack. And hey...clocking in at around 12 minutes, it's a real bona fide short film!

If only i could get it online so you guys could all see it. he he he...

Sarah's News from Russia pt 3...

Excerpts from her e-mail...i'll start after the family greetings...

"SO! Then english camp! Well, we went fishing, and you know how very very much I love fishing! All those times we went to Arizona and stuff and I was always asking to go fishing....you remember, right? Well our good friend for many years, Joshua.... you know Joshua, dad introduced him to mom in college? Well, Joshua taught us how to fish, and it was really a wonderful experience. We caught quite a few. It was really great. I didn't catch any personally, but Joshua assured me time after time my role was important." he he he...that made me laugh.

"Man, guys, I've made some friends, I pray that we'll be able to keep in touch. Ashley and I bonded most, and I'm really sad, she's going to be leaving. All of the people I've bonded with except for Jessica are NOT going to St. Petersburg.... so I'm kind of sad about that. Saransk was really cool, The first few days I was there were sort of hard. The food here in Russia is not so bad at all. But Russian CAMP FOOD is AAAAAAWWWWFULLLLLL!!!!!

"The last couple days at camp I couldn't even walk into the cafeteria anymore because the smell made me want to vomit!!! My tummy couldn't take it anymore. Praise God they had a 'Bar' there where they sold bottled water and snacks! I would have died of thirst because I did not even want to drink the tap water after I neutralized it with my 'seri pen'. The water there SMELLED!!! After you took a shower you still felt gross! And it was hot! They bought us some big jugs of bottled water (for us americans) But then to our horror a day later we found tons of brown floaties in the jugs, so I had to keep buying the bottled water from the Bar. So anyways, the last two days, I stopped eating the camp food, then I started starving... so itstead I started living on potato chips juice twix bars and mars bars. Guys, I have never felt so gross in my entire life. Next time Sarah goes to russia, she brings lots of trailmix, dried fruit, and beef jerky for HERSELF. I hate to say it, but I ended up eating some of the beef jerky I brought with me [as gifts] just to keep from feeling like I was killing my insides!!!!

"Everything else was cool though! We saying in the morning and the evening.... taught the kids all kinds of cool songs.... it was so awesome how at the very end of the camp on the last morning everyone was singing the worship songs so loudly when before it was only us Americans that were singing.

"I'm pretty tired. But I'm excitied. This has been a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and also, it some ways harder. It's weird.... there's stuff I miss about home, and I know I'm going to be dieing to get home soon (I alread sort of am) The Lord has been so faithfull to sustain me!!! He's so good, guys. I'm going to really miss some of these people. Tomorrow, Ashley Shawn and I are going to go Hang out with Vova and Oleg (the two russian guys) which should be fun. It's weird... the boys at the camp were WAY more open than the girls. It made it sort of hard, quite a few of us American girls got frustrated at the lack of connection we got with some of the girls.

 
"Okay Gotta go! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU! MISS YOU SO MUCH. I think if I think too much about home, I'll maybe sort of crazy. Love you again!

                                       -Sarah"

Keep praying everyone...she's got another week and a half there!

last day of July- work in one hour

So as of today...i have about 3 weeks until i move down to start at Laguna. wow. As is often the case with my emotions pertaining to big events like this, in the last 4 months i've gone from ecstatic (when i found out i was accepted), to terrified, to anticipatory, to proud, to joyful, to completely numb, to uncertain, to nervous...aaaaand now back to terrified, again! Joy! talk about a wild ride...

The approaching start of a new chapter in my life, however, has unfortunately been plagued with old weights, insecurities and proverbial thorns (though at times i swear they are real) that cloud my vision almost to the point of panic. Such drastic shifts in my relationships, interests and prospects have made me question so much about myself...and i'm feeling less ready to go off and begin the next leg of my lifelong journey now then i did back in March.

One of the hardest things about this is that some of the most important people in my life (and to some extent nearly everyone else, as well) have no idea what is really going on...it's just so hard to disappoint the people you love.
Sometimes i wonder if "being strong" is just a form of weakness because you're too afraid of everyone knowing how you really feel.

In which case i'm not sure what the heck i am...thank the Lord he knows, anyway. even if i don't.

more from Sarah...i got this on Monday

Title of e-mail: icecream chocolate pancakes with sourcream

That is what I have been eating. Not all together. icecream... and pancakes (sort of) that have sourcream on them. Yesterday I had them with this yum yum yummy jam and today I had them with currants. It was tasty.

Please keep praying because I'm a bit worn out and camp hasn't even started. Everyone in this group likes to do do do do do here, and I kind of would like some time to soak things in pray and contemplate. We're leaving for the english camp tomorrow. It'll take a few hours to get there, and i'll be there until I think next monday. So a week.

Tonight we're going to a youth thing. I have to be back at the hotel in an hour. I'm tired, but the Lord will get me through. Lets see.... we went to the field the otherday. I sat and talked to someone I made friends with. That was fun. There was some really beautiful singing at the service today.But I'll tell you more when I get home. I got a spider bite on my leg right next to a mosquito bite. They itch; and the spider bite is super big. Yuck. There was this cute little green bug on my bed last night, and today I saw the most beautiful butterfly. We've taken the bus quite a bit lately. We're the only ones who talk on the bus, and when there's the whole group of us running on and getting off saying "Get on quick!!!" or "this is our stop!!!!" it's gotta be kinda funny. I like walking around. The other day we walked all around and went into these stores to find some euro hairdryers because within one morning, like, three of us blew out our converters. Tell jeff I'm sorry, but his converter sort of blew up and filled our room with the most horrible smoky smell I've ever smelled. It wasn't my fault either. Donna was using it at the time.... well.... sort of. I'll tell you later.

Thank everybody for their prayers. Me and Donna and Matt and Lindy and 2 interpreters went to a resturant yesterday and it took them about an hour to give us our food. Donna didn't even get hers until after the rest of us had finished our icecream for dessert. So we spent about 3 hours at a resturant playing american pop music videos on their plasma screen TV. The food was good. I got  this pork that had cheese and tomatoes with dried aprocots. I liked it. And of course, the icecream was great. They have these 'department stores' where basically they have everything, but it sort of reminds me of the way those big china town areas are set up. There aren't any real stores or anything... and they sell all kinds of weird stuff. I'm sort of going to wait until St. Petersburg to get the rest of my gifts for people. They have these really cheep guitars at the department store for like 1000 roubles. That's like... between 30-40 american dollars. I kind of wanted to get one, cuz it would be funny.. But I really don't want to carry it to st. petersburg. Besides, I've gotta get stuff for other people before I get anything for me. Did I tell you tomorrow I've got a 2 hour busride? The buses here are not nice like the one we had in moscow. They're really funky and old.

Please pray for me. I'm tired. But I'm so thankful! Why? Because I was expecting things to be a LOT harder. I haven't had any real culture shock. I think the closest thing I've had to culture shock is having to be around all these go go go americans. (don't tell anybody that, though!) They're so sweet, but also very different from me. Which is very very good for me... but I think it's going to get a little difficult for me in the next few weeks. So please pray for me, and my relationship with the Lord, and for my camp room mates I'm going to have. I think that's what I am most nervous about.

Please, all of you whenever you think of me say a prayer. Tell everybody thank you. I miss you. Lots and lots and lots of love love love love.

                                          Sarah


Keep in mind, these were just exerpts. Please do keep praying, everyone!
~colleen

little sister

So my sister, Sarah, has been in Russia for about a week, now. I think it's safe to say that i miss her...but it's nice to have a room that stays clean for more than 24 hours!
She's been sending us some great e-mails, talking about the people there, the food, the culture, and the ministry work they're doing and the hardships they have come up against. I'll include a few excerpt from her e-mails, just because they are highly amusing and very interesting. I got this one last Wednesday...

On food:
"Lets see... what have I done lately? I've had lots of iceream. The girls here really like to eat it. (yeah, caus it's so so so good!) I had to fight to get some real food tonight. Me and Ashley and Lindy (two girls in our group) were out at dinner tonight and the girl that was at our table knew very little english. So it was really really funny because we were asking if they had all these different foods and they werent on the menu, and when we asked her what she was getting she said "icecream". So that didn't help we finally ordered these pasta thingies filled with meat and we asked what was on them and they said mayonase! Ugh! So we ordered pasta... w/o mayonas and then ice cream for dessert and Pepsi. Well. First came the little tiny cups of pepsi, and then our icecream came FIRST. Okay.... uh.... whatever. Then they brought out our 'pasta' (very round brown thingies) I stuck one with my fork and it went flying of my plate. The were hard and fried and reminded me of round tacitos (I don't know how to spell it!). So we ate those for dessert after our icecream."

On people, etc...
"All the girls here wear short short shirts, high pants and PLATFORM shoes all around the city. We rode the bus today and jaywalked across a busy street. (mind you these people don't stop for anyone) Ashley almost got hit by a car in the parking lot today. At the bus stop you could see all the heel prints of the girls shoes in the sidewalk. We went to the russian zoo. It smelled really bad and all the animals were pacing around. It sort of depressed me. We saw a satue of pushkin. I took a picture of me in front of it. Breakfast was good. We had eggs with bread with this yummy jam on them. Mmm."

On how she's doing...
"I've slept pretty well. I smell like bug spray. Everybodys got mosquito and spider bites except me. Hope I didn't just jinx myself. I don't know if I'll be able to mail you at camp so I'll keep writing until then. I love you all. So so very much. Colleen... I got you something in Moscow, I forgot to tell you. I hope you like it. The water here tastes different. I've already started to get used to it. The Lord is good, and so good stuff happened today. Please pray for everybody's health. They need it."

Anyway...i just think she's awesome. And as she mentioned lastly, if you all could keep the group in your prayers, i'm sure they would be very thankful. There's some really shady stuff going on over there right now, and it's hard for them to let us know exactly what's happening without getting into serious trouble.
The only way we've been able to learn about some things is through coded e-mails sent by one of the guys in her group to his dad, who then informed everyone else. So prayers are good!

Still hot. Pool good. I've been getting stuff for my apartment i'll be living in, so that's been fun. Bettina and i started re-drawing characters for one of our old comics yesterday...he he he.

You know who's awesome, Ross? Tom Waits!!!!

well...i tried.

In response to John's comment on my last post...
and it wasn't very good. after this picture was taken i threw away the bag...a waste of good sour gummy worms.

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My Gummi Worms...um...melted.

Praise the Lord for great big tubs of 85 degree water in your backard.
It's the only thing good (in my opinion) that comes from triple-digit temperatures! I haven't swum enough this summer.

Mark my words...i'll be doing a lot more of this.
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