Olympic Fever

 I have Olympic Fever today!

I am remembering all the great things London and the Olympics have done for my life, and I am a happy guy. Above is the cardboard cut-out I made a year ago for Multicultural Day at school. Students took photos with it and enjoyed the beauty that is Kate. But that is in the past, so here are today's decorations:

 Yup, you are seeing correctly. A piggy bank shaped like a red-phone booth, complete with British currency. Next is the Queen, a solar-powered hand-waving lass. Next to it is the Brit-Red Tea holder with a working model of Elizabeth Tower (you probably mistakenly have been calling it Big Ben, but you're wrong). Then comes the "This is London" children's book we use to indoctrinate Westly with all things British. And finally, at the front is the beautiful double-decker that Westly plays with. All of these items are displayed above the TV to enhance our viewing pleasure.

Here is Westly in front of our new drapes. Well... They will only last for two weeks, but still.

Here is our viewing schedule, thanks to EW.

Here is the Sherlock Holmes wreath Suz made for Fauf. It normally hangs in another room, but for the Olympics I have moved it to the family room.

So there it is! Bring on the goat and all good things British this week!

More Dreams

I had another weird dream.

I was teaching at my high school and suddenly the administration decided I could teach a preschool through 10th grade Honors class. I had two preschoolers, about five K-2 kids, then 20 high school students. It was the first day of school and we all gathered round to hear about the schedule. The first class was, I think, my 10th grade Honors class--of course there were two preschoolers in this class.

I wasn't ready for the additional two kidos, but I went with it because I know better than to argue against an income. So the morning started and I said "crap" or something like that and the little kids started to cry because they thought their teacher was cussing. I rolled my eyes and gave them play dough and told them to make a sculpture of whatever we were doing.

I then yelled at half of the class because they didn't do their Summer Reading homework. I sent about three of them to the office to transfer out of the class. Suddenly a kid named Adam shouted, "A twister!"

I look out the window, which my white board had now magically transformed into, and I saw a giant black twister whipping through the campus. I shouted for the kids to evacuate, but I had no clue what to do. I didn't know if they should run outside, hide under the desks, or what. I told them all to stand really still like an arrow. In my mind this was the best way to stay safe, so long as you hadn't gained too much weight, the tornado would zip by you without any trouble.

Well, eventually I lost control on the class and they all ran outside to see their friends who had evacuated. Soon, my class was gone and I was now wrangling up about 50-60 kids on the lawns. The administration came by and told me how happy they were that I took on the extra preschoolers and elementary school kids. They said I would be featured in a teacher journal or newspaper.

After that I think I was handed the keys to the bus and was told to take the kids home.

I'm not sure, but I think this dream means I am worried I will have too much work in the fall. Just a guess.

Doofus.

I still don't know if this is a telescope, megaphone, or a bottle of something. Either way, this guy is a doofus.

Curious

I tried to recreate a character from Curious George... It is OK, but his chin got a little Drazin-ish. Still learning...

Grandpa at the Movies

And the Facebook Caption Winner goes to:

(I'll post on here once I pick a winner!)

Random Kid

Still learning how to use my e-Doodler...

06-24-04

Happy 8th Birthday to my blog... I missed its June 24th blog-day birthday, so I will wish it a happy one on my anniversary instead.

07-07-07

Five years ago.

Wow.

I can't believe I have been married to the girl of my dreams for 5 years.

It has been really cool to watch her develop and grow over the years. As a wife, artist, author, teacher, mother and home-maker... So great.

Five years ago I remember folding napkins on the ivory tablecloths. I remember meeting her in the orange grove. I remember praying for our futures. I remember the violin music playing as she walked down the aisle. I remember hearing "Boot Scootin' Boogie" from the "Cowboy Hats and Butterflies" wedding that was going on at the place next door. I remember carrying around a cardboard cut-out of one of my groomsmen. I remember our first dance. I remember our Thriller dance. I remember the smell of the coffee beans on the tables and the people in the barn. I remember walking across the bridge to Sycamore. So many memories... Some of them have probably already faded... But...

Most of all I remember the excitement and love I had for my wife... It isn't hard to remember that part of it... 'Cause I've still got it for her!

Hooray for love.

Dreams

Last night I was tossing and turning. I had a weird dream. A stressful dream:

 I was cast in a murder mystery by Mz Jean Byrne who made me play Maggie Smith from Downton Abby. My favorite character from the show, who reminds me of my mom (though Maggie hasn't had as much botox).

I told Mz Bryne I was a man with a beard so I wasn't the right person for the part. She assured me I was right for it since she casts people based on their ability to become a part. She also added, "Women of a certain age have beards too."

But somewhere in the middle of the two week rehearsals, I took ill. I had to ride my bike through UCSB to get home, which was exhausting. Somewhere in the middle of it I saw a giant dinosaur model/skeleton. But in the end, I got home.

I got home and went to bed early in the evening... Maybe 7, 8 or 9. Then the next day I wake up and it is the day of the play. I had slept a long time. It was 1 pm and the play started at noon.

I race over to Telephone Road where the play is being housed. I find out they still want me to do my part--I am told all this by Cindy Giorgi who has a part as a southern belle. I argue with the group that I'm not confident, I don't know the part. But they say I can do it.

So I agree to do the part. I read through the play... Well, I skim it, and discover my lines are fewer than I thought. But I keep forgetting to mark my lines.

Suddenly, Mz Byrne's stage hand comes calling for me.

This is it.

I walk up the stairs, only to discover we are looking out on a lake. There are 8 people in the room. All of them senior citizens ages 80 and up.

I stare at the room and Mz Byrne says, "What did you think of the murder? Was the man violent to you? Did he beat you?"

I look at her and say, "Preposterous!" with a spitting emphasis on the P's and S's.

She smiles and sits down and lets me do my thing as on old man laughs finally realizing I am a man dressed as an old woman. I wobble around the room, mimicking the walk I had seen in "The Rivals" at PCPA.

I continue on, "Preposterous! He didn't beat me. I beat him with my cane." Lots of laughter. "But he was violent. It's preposterous to think he wouldn't be. You saw him."

I look out the large window behind me, the lake sparkles as the sun starts to set.

I ramble on about Americans and their stupidity and Mz Byrne interviews me in front of the group, then sends me on my way.

I waddle down the stairs and am greeted by laughter from the other actors. Farah shakes her head at me and says, "See. He does this all the time. I knew he'd pull it together. He goes from deathly ill to the star of the show."

I run over, cane still in hand, and give her a kiss. She smiles. Perhaps she's never kissed an old British woman.

Door-to-Door

I am working on a campaign for SLOCRA (the local reading association) to put on their yearly (well, this is the second year they've done it) Membership Drive. In years past I'm not sure much came of the drive, but this year I am in charge of it and I want it to be as good as it can be.

My mind starts to fill up with ideas on how to do this. And yesterday my feet were on the move.

I visited 42 businesses here in my hometown city asking for donations. It was odd to me how some were excited and ready to give while others questioned me. Some said they needed to check with the other managers but they were going to certainly give something and some just looked at me and said things like, "See's Candy doesn't donate." What kind of a statement is that? They had their reasons (they do school fundraisers in store ONLY), but still.

Needless to say, if my wife is right about me, I will be consumed with this concept for awhile. Such is life.

:-)

4th

This is a great time of year.

I love the 4th of July...

Flags flying...

Fireworks crashing...

Hotdogs cooking...

Hooray for Independence (though, I would like to live in England)...