We all have recurring dreams/dream themes. I have my own little handful, some common, some unique.
For instance, the classic flying/falling dream-- in my dreams, it's manifested as leaping/bouncing high into the sky, soaring for a moment, and then feeling that sickly drop in the pit of my stomach as I plummet to the ground. You know-- the ticklish sensation brought on by freefall. I wonder if it's because I really loathe that free-falling sensation, probably more so than most people. It is why I won't ride the aptly-named "Freefall" ride at Magic Mountain, and why I won't bungee jump or parachute out of a plane.
Another common recurring dream is a bit more unusual-- I dream that my mouth is stuffed with food or gum. Then a situation arises where I have to spit it out-- either the food is dry and chewy and I don't want to eat anymore, or I need to do something like speak, but can't chew and swallow the food fast enough (or HAVE to spit it out, if it's gum) to empty it. Only problem is, the food refuses to come out of my mouth! I end up having to use my fingers or a spoon to manually scrape the stuff out of my mouth-- but despite my best efforts, it never completely empties! This one is interesting to me-- I can't even begin to fathom what it's supposed to mean.
And then there's the dream where I am driving a car, and the brakes don't work (or if they, do, they're extremely sluggish to respond). Usually I'm in the middle of a turn, or trying to back the car up, and wind up jamming my feet onto the brakes HARD, hoping desperately that I won't hit anything. Eventually I do slow down, probably due more to losing momentum due to friction rather than the brakes working at all. A corollary to this dream is the opposite scenario: my accelerator won't work and I find myself lugging the car up a steep hill, Flintstones-style.
It comes naturally that when your head is deeply mired in something (like school or work or a particularly pressing situation) you'll take it to dreamland with you. More than once have I found myself doing programming or working out formulas in my dreams, during the time when I'm supposed to be RESTING and taking a break from it all! :-P A few times, however, it's served me well in that I've discovered a solution to the problem/task at hand in my dreams :-) Now that's what I call productive sleeping!
Finally, an entertaining note: have you ever been sooo furious or yelled so loud that you could hardly make a sound? I have not, in my waking life. But quite a few times I've dreamed that I've gotten so incensed that I could hardly speak, or yelled so loud I could hardly form sensible noises. Who do you suppose was my chief source of aggravation in such dreams? Why, none other than Allan, of course! ;-)
How about you? What recurring dreams do you have? Are they fairly common or unique to you?
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/419651721)
La Maison des Tortues: One third of the "heckled trio" writes...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Fridays are for...
... being thankful that the week is at a close.
... Happy Hour!
... staying up late and then sleeping in on Saturday.
... dragging yourself into work, tired and sleepy because your upstairs neighbors awakened you far earlier than normal with carpentry-like sounds of pounding on the floor. It sounded like they were on a treadmill. Irritated and wide awake anyway, I leaped out of bed and pounded my fist on the wall. I hadn't expected it to reverberate as loudly as it did, but they got the message. The pounding was reduced to rhythmic tapping before dissipating. I am soooo glad that in just a couple short weeks, we move out of there and into an UPSTAIRS unit, where we won't have to contend with lead-footed neighbors anymore.
It was 2.5 years ago that we moved. Those of you who have been reading my blog that long might remember the first time I ranted about the neighbors. If not, allow me to refresh your memory:
http://heckledtrio.blogspot.com/2006/03/neighborly-rants.html
... oh, and Friday Fives!
1. What drink wakes you up best in the morning?
2. During the day, what do you drink to keep going?
3. Do you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day? Why/why not?
4. What are the ingredients of your favorite mixed drink? (Doesn't have to be alcoholic!)
5. Are you a coffee drinker? How do you take your coffee, if so?
... Happy Hour!
... staying up late and then sleeping in on Saturday.
... dragging yourself into work, tired and sleepy because your upstairs neighbors awakened you far earlier than normal with carpentry-like sounds of pounding on the floor. It sounded like they were on a treadmill. Irritated and wide awake anyway, I leaped out of bed and pounded my fist on the wall. I hadn't expected it to reverberate as loudly as it did, but they got the message. The pounding was reduced to rhythmic tapping before dissipating. I am soooo glad that in just a couple short weeks, we move out of there and into an UPSTAIRS unit, where we won't have to contend with lead-footed neighbors anymore.
It was 2.5 years ago that we moved. Those of you who have been reading my blog that long might remember the first time I ranted about the neighbors. If not, allow me to refresh your memory:
http://heckledtrio.blogspot.com/2006/03/neighborly-rants.html
... oh, and Friday Fives!
1. What drink wakes you up best in the morning?
2. During the day, what do you drink to keep going?
3. Do you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day? Why/why not?
4. What are the ingredients of your favorite mixed drink? (Doesn't have to be alcoholic!)
5. Are you a coffee drinker? How do you take your coffee, if so?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Twenty years flies by fast
... so does 15. But 20 is more :-D
This past weekend, Allan and I went down to Irvine to the Crowne Plaza Hotel to celebrate his 20-year reunion. Hard to believe it has been 20 whole years since he and his cronies graduated from Rowland High School. Time sure flies! I had a surprisingly good time-- though I did not know anyone there, the ones I did meet were fun to talk to.
Since we had to drive 150+ miles to make it, we booked a room at the same hotel and stayed the night. I was worn out before midnight, and it was nice to be able to come up to our room, soak my feet (I hate heels) and relax a bit while Allan stayed downstairs to reminisce with his old friends.
In 5 years I will celebrate my own 20th reunion. I attended my 10-year in 2003. Although the turnout was small (only about 100 out of a graduating class of 500 showed up) the evening was fun. 10 years is a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that long, either. Now that I've found so many of my old classmates on Facebook, I am hoping that my 20-year will have more attendees. More of us will have had kids, and we'll all be a bit older and wiser. And I'd be curious as to how most of us will look, pushing 40! No doubt some will look older than that, some will have aged well, and others aged not at all!
Speaking of aging, during the evening, each table was asked to nominate one person who they thought looked most like they did in high school (i.e. aged the least). Our table nominated Allan. I think they did it in jest. Judge for yourself, Allan 20 years ago and Allan today:
More pictures uploaded in my photo albums... too lazy to post them here, you know where to find them :-D And the complete set can be found on my Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/hellykwee/Reunion2008
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/416994942)
This past weekend, Allan and I went down to Irvine to the Crowne Plaza Hotel to celebrate his 20-year reunion. Hard to believe it has been 20 whole years since he and his cronies graduated from Rowland High School. Time sure flies! I had a surprisingly good time-- though I did not know anyone there, the ones I did meet were fun to talk to.
Since we had to drive 150+ miles to make it, we booked a room at the same hotel and stayed the night. I was worn out before midnight, and it was nice to be able to come up to our room, soak my feet (I hate heels) and relax a bit while Allan stayed downstairs to reminisce with his old friends.
In 5 years I will celebrate my own 20th reunion. I attended my 10-year in 2003. Although the turnout was small (only about 100 out of a graduating class of 500 showed up) the evening was fun. 10 years is a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that long, either. Now that I've found so many of my old classmates on Facebook, I am hoping that my 20-year will have more attendees. More of us will have had kids, and we'll all be a bit older and wiser. And I'd be curious as to how most of us will look, pushing 40! No doubt some will look older than that, some will have aged well, and others aged not at all!
Speaking of aging, during the evening, each table was asked to nominate one person who they thought looked most like they did in high school (i.e. aged the least). Our table nominated Allan. I think they did it in jest. Judge for yourself, Allan 20 years ago and Allan today:
More pictures uploaded in my photo albums... too lazy to post them here, you know where to find them :-D And the complete set can be found on my Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/hellykwee/Reunion2008
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/416994942)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Kids are expensive!
For those readers who have kids (esp more than one), I know I don't need to tell you that twice.
There's the obvious up-front expenses of diapers, baby wipes, formula, bottles, baby food and all that miscellaneous baby equipment that's essential (strollers, car seats, high chairs)... not to mention clothes that they outgrow every couple months. Or couple weeks, if you're a freak like Allan.
Then they get older and stop using diapers, start sleeping in normal beds and start eating regular grownup food alongside us at the dinner table, sans booster seat. They even help with the housechores! Yay, progress!
But then they get even older and it's time to start thinking about where to enroll them in school. If you're lucky and you have a reasonably well-mannered child AND live in a place with low crime and an excellent school district, then... well, you're lucky. For some of us, private school is the only option. Especially with an easily-influenced hardhead like Todd. It goes without saying that the word "private" by definition implies that you pay tuition (unless you live in the UK-- strangely enough, what the Brits call "private" school is what we call public school. Go figure). But if both parents work full-time, then there's the added cost of after-school care, too. Fun. Nothing quite like carving out $1000/month in our budget, knowing that's just an average estimate and could very easily go up.
I just spent some time perusing the websites of potential schools I want to enroll Todd in this coming Fall. Some had scant information, some had volumes. I did my comparisons and narrowed it down to a top handful of choices. At that point I downloaded and printed off application forms, just to make sure I had a checklist of things I would need to supply (like immunization records). What I wasn't prepared for, however, was flashbacks of 15 years ago, when I was applying to various universities. Not the mindless humdrum of filling out basic info multiple times, but the agony of formulating the perfect admissions essay. And the hesitance of bothering my teachers to supply letters of recommendation.
Some of these grade school applications could rival college applications! Detailed questionnaires. Goals for your kid. His strengths and weaknesses. His development history. Expectations. References. Time to sharpen my pencil and put my thinking cap on!
There was an episode of Law and Order (CI) on recently, about a deranged mother who shot 3 parents of toddlers at a prestigious preschool so that her own son could move up in the waiting list and be offered admission. Madness, you say, and you would be right.
But when you consider just how much it costs to get your kid a good education, and how much effort it takes to get him INTO a good school in the first place, I can understand how frustrating it is to sit on a waiting list, unsure of your next move.
Onward we shall forge. We get to do it all over again if we move. If we don't, and we remain in Santa Barbara, we get to go through this process all over again when Todd enters high school (or middle school, in some cases). And then comes college. At least THAT will be paid for. With costs rising ever more, we started saving when he was born. One less thing to worry about a dozen years from now :-)
There's the obvious up-front expenses of diapers, baby wipes, formula, bottles, baby food and all that miscellaneous baby equipment that's essential (strollers, car seats, high chairs)... not to mention clothes that they outgrow every couple months. Or couple weeks, if you're a freak like Allan.
Then they get older and stop using diapers, start sleeping in normal beds and start eating regular grownup food alongside us at the dinner table, sans booster seat. They even help with the housechores! Yay, progress!
But then they get even older and it's time to start thinking about where to enroll them in school. If you're lucky and you have a reasonably well-mannered child AND live in a place with low crime and an excellent school district, then... well, you're lucky. For some of us, private school is the only option. Especially with an easily-influenced hardhead like Todd. It goes without saying that the word "private" by definition implies that you pay tuition (unless you live in the UK-- strangely enough, what the Brits call "private" school is what we call public school. Go figure). But if both parents work full-time, then there's the added cost of after-school care, too. Fun. Nothing quite like carving out $1000/month in our budget, knowing that's just an average estimate and could very easily go up.
I just spent some time perusing the websites of potential schools I want to enroll Todd in this coming Fall. Some had scant information, some had volumes. I did my comparisons and narrowed it down to a top handful of choices. At that point I downloaded and printed off application forms, just to make sure I had a checklist of things I would need to supply (like immunization records). What I wasn't prepared for, however, was flashbacks of 15 years ago, when I was applying to various universities. Not the mindless humdrum of filling out basic info multiple times, but the agony of formulating the perfect admissions essay. And the hesitance of bothering my teachers to supply letters of recommendation.
Some of these grade school applications could rival college applications! Detailed questionnaires. Goals for your kid. His strengths and weaknesses. His development history. Expectations. References. Time to sharpen my pencil and put my thinking cap on!
There was an episode of Law and Order (CI) on recently, about a deranged mother who shot 3 parents of toddlers at a prestigious preschool so that her own son could move up in the waiting list and be offered admission. Madness, you say, and you would be right.
But when you consider just how much it costs to get your kid a good education, and how much effort it takes to get him INTO a good school in the first place, I can understand how frustrating it is to sit on a waiting list, unsure of your next move.
Onward we shall forge. We get to do it all over again if we move. If we don't, and we remain in Santa Barbara, we get to go through this process all over again when Todd enters high school (or middle school, in some cases). And then comes college. At least THAT will be paid for. With costs rising ever more, we started saving when he was born. One less thing to worry about a dozen years from now :-)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Name that duo
A bit of geekish background:
As part of his work, Allan has written a program to combine sound files, not only flush, but at varying intervals, kind of like when you sing "Row Your Boat" and the next person chimes in as you're halfway through, etc...
We had fun reading parts of my old blog entries out loud, recording them, and then mixing the ensuing sound files. When we mixed 6 different voice clips (3 of his, 3 of mine), the resulting cacophony didn't sound as bad as expected-- it actually sounded like you would expect a small room full of people to sound, each conversing with another.
Then I hit on an idea: what would it sound like to mix singing? Even more cacophonous than talking, I speculated. So he put together 2 voice clips of the same song, recorded separately. The amazing thing? Despite the fact that both were recorded independently of one another, the timing just happened to work out perfectly. Enjoy the results:
The mp3 (75KB):
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/2/725759/duet.mp3
In case, for whatever reason, the mp3 won't play for you, here's the original WAV file (1.2MB):
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/2/725759/duet_wav.wav
Can you identify the two singers?
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/415252556)
As part of his work, Allan has written a program to combine sound files, not only flush, but at varying intervals, kind of like when you sing "Row Your Boat" and the next person chimes in as you're halfway through, etc...
We had fun reading parts of my old blog entries out loud, recording them, and then mixing the ensuing sound files. When we mixed 6 different voice clips (3 of his, 3 of mine), the resulting cacophony didn't sound as bad as expected-- it actually sounded like you would expect a small room full of people to sound, each conversing with another.
Then I hit on an idea: what would it sound like to mix singing? Even more cacophonous than talking, I speculated. So he put together 2 voice clips of the same song, recorded separately. The amazing thing? Despite the fact that both were recorded independently of one another, the timing just happened to work out perfectly. Enjoy the results:
The mp3 (75KB):
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/2/725759/duet.mp3
In case, for whatever reason, the mp3 won't play for you, here's the original WAV file (1.2MB):
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/2/725759/duet_wav.wav
Can you identify the two singers?
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/415252556)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Smoke, fire and campouts
Well, my blog entry before the weekend got cut off due to a power outage, one of many this week. I was basically outlining what was going on with the fires near where we live-- specifically, the Gap Fire near Goleta/Santa Barbara.
It started Tuesday night, and by Wednesday thick smoke obscured the mountains, and we could even see the flames from the street outside our work building! We had several power outages, each at least a few hours long. I had a brief respite when I went to LA Wednesday night to pick up Todd, but Thursday, upon our return, provided yet another evening sans electricity. Ash and smoke filled the air, and the sun glowed cherry red from behind the brown haze.
We were glad to leave Friday morning and head out to Rancho La Scherpa for a little campout with our church. This was the first time they had organized something like this, and though our numbers were small, we had a great time and hope our experiences will lure more folks into coming next year :-)
Since 8 years of hardcore "camping" (i.e. military field training exercises) have left me thoroughly "camped out" for the rest of my life, we opted to stay in cabins rather than tents. Not like we own tents, anyway. Our cabin was basically one large building divided into 4 rooms, each housing 4 sets of bunk beds. Allan and Todd got one, and I got another. Todd, of course, immediately clamored for the top bunk, which he enjoyed :-)
After a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken with rice, Todd and I enjoyed a splash in the pool. The weather was SO nice and warm, highly unusual for Santa Barbara. I got to break in my new bathing suit :-D The evening brought a dinner of hamburgers and after I put Todd to bed, the grownups enjoyed a rousing game of "Taboo". It was the first time most of us had played the game, and I have to say-- it definitely ranks among my favorites now! We had initially intended to see some fireworks from a nearby city, but the fire hazards prompted fireworks cancellations throughout the entire county. Bummer :-(
The night would've been peaceful and serene except for the fact that by midnight, the fire, which had previously seemed so remote to us in the fresh mountain air and clear blue skies, shifted and sent plenty of smoke our way. It was too hot to close the windows, but I was afraid to turn on the ceiling fan for fear the racket would wake everyone (as it turns out, most of the folks sharing our room had earplugs anyway!) So nobody really enjoyed a good night's sleep, even Todd seemed restless when I checked on him at 5am.
Morning left the three of us dragging our heels, despite a delicious and nutritious breakfast. That is, until we hit the paintball field to play some Bocce Ball! The first time I had ever played was when Allan and I were first dating, over 5 years ago. I had forgotten how much we enjoyed it until we played again today. Even the little kids could play, and Todd played on our team-- performing surprisingly well for a 4-year-old without much ball-throwing coordination! I will definitely vote for more Bocce Ball games in the years to come :-)
One note of surprise-- considering we were surrounded by dense brush nestled deep in the mountains, my allergies did not flare up once! Normally I'd have to stuff myself with Claritin before rolling out of bed, to make it through the day, but this time, despite being up close and personal with the plants most notorious for triggering my hay fever, I did not react once. Maybe they've died down a bit, now that I haven't been exposed to the outdoors in 7 years (that's how long it's been since I was in the Army)? I sure hope so!
It started Tuesday night, and by Wednesday thick smoke obscured the mountains, and we could even see the flames from the street outside our work building! We had several power outages, each at least a few hours long. I had a brief respite when I went to LA Wednesday night to pick up Todd, but Thursday, upon our return, provided yet another evening sans electricity. Ash and smoke filled the air, and the sun glowed cherry red from behind the brown haze.
We were glad to leave Friday morning and head out to Rancho La Scherpa for a little campout with our church. This was the first time they had organized something like this, and though our numbers were small, we had a great time and hope our experiences will lure more folks into coming next year :-)
Since 8 years of hardcore "camping" (i.e. military field training exercises) have left me thoroughly "camped out" for the rest of my life, we opted to stay in cabins rather than tents. Not like we own tents, anyway. Our cabin was basically one large building divided into 4 rooms, each housing 4 sets of bunk beds. Allan and Todd got one, and I got another. Todd, of course, immediately clamored for the top bunk, which he enjoyed :-)
After a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken with rice, Todd and I enjoyed a splash in the pool. The weather was SO nice and warm, highly unusual for Santa Barbara. I got to break in my new bathing suit :-D The evening brought a dinner of hamburgers and after I put Todd to bed, the grownups enjoyed a rousing game of "Taboo". It was the first time most of us had played the game, and I have to say-- it definitely ranks among my favorites now! We had initially intended to see some fireworks from a nearby city, but the fire hazards prompted fireworks cancellations throughout the entire county. Bummer :-(
The night would've been peaceful and serene except for the fact that by midnight, the fire, which had previously seemed so remote to us in the fresh mountain air and clear blue skies, shifted and sent plenty of smoke our way. It was too hot to close the windows, but I was afraid to turn on the ceiling fan for fear the racket would wake everyone (as it turns out, most of the folks sharing our room had earplugs anyway!) So nobody really enjoyed a good night's sleep, even Todd seemed restless when I checked on him at 5am.
Morning left the three of us dragging our heels, despite a delicious and nutritious breakfast. That is, until we hit the paintball field to play some Bocce Ball! The first time I had ever played was when Allan and I were first dating, over 5 years ago. I had forgotten how much we enjoyed it until we played again today. Even the little kids could play, and Todd played on our team-- performing surprisingly well for a 4-year-old without much ball-throwing coordination! I will definitely vote for more Bocce Ball games in the years to come :-)
One note of surprise-- considering we were surrounded by dense brush nestled deep in the mountains, my allergies did not flare up once! Normally I'd have to stuff myself with Claritin before rolling out of bed, to make it through the day, but this time, despite being up close and personal with the plants most notorious for triggering my hay fever, I did not react once. Maybe they've died down a bit, now that I haven't been exposed to the outdoors in 7 years (that's how long it's been since I was in the Army)? I sure hope so!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Is it really July already!?
Wow, how time flies. Like Scot, I've been remiss in blogging lately because I haven't had much to write about. Well, I guess I HAVE, I just haven't found the time or motivation lately.
Todd's spending the summer in LA. After a couple straight months of not seeing my parents at all, his Chinese was VERY rusty. For the first time in my life I heard him speaking English to my Dad (the person with whom he solely converses in Chinese)! Meanwhile, the break has been nice-- no more early mornings, no more worrying about Todd not eating/drinking well enough. And I can now head off to the bedroom to read while Allan watches TV in the living room.
Timely enough, we are also moving at the end of this month. With Allan finishing up school this summer, we have to vacate student housing by Aug 30. We put in applications for the apartment complex behind work, and lo and behold, vacancies started popping up. Summer is a popular time to move! We landed one with a lease starting Aug 1. It is still only 1 bedroom, but nearly twice as large as our current apartment, much newer and only a 10-minute walk from work! Good way to get exercise in during the day :-) Unfortunately, the mover we hired for our last 2 moves no longer does moves in Santa Barbara, as the cost of gas makes driving up here prohibitive :-(
Week before last marked the beginning of summer. Our company heralded the season with its annual summer party at a local park. Lots of good food, drinks, great weather and amazing performers from Cirque du Soleil. It was like the Amgen Summerfest in some respects-- the food, the performances, the children's play area... but at a fraction of the size. This meant that I knew a whole lot more of the people we ran into throughout the evening. It was amusing to run into the CTO, one of the founding fathers of the company-- he expressed amazement at how huge the company has gotten, with all these unfamiliar faces. Yet from my perspective it was very small, much more cozy, and ample opportunity to see plenty of familiar faces. I've got some pictures, I'll be sure to post them as soon as I can.
With the advent of July comes my favorite holiday of the year-- America's Independence Day. We've done so many different things each time, from enjoying fireworks and festivities at a local park to visiting family in Salem, OR. This year? A campout with our church. I know what you're thinking: "But Helly doesn't do camping!" Well, it's only for 1 night, it's jam-packed with activities, we're opting for cabins instead of tents, and most of all, I'm looking forward to getting to know some of our fellow parishioners better. We usually join many of the younger couples in getting together after services for lunch every week. And while I enjoy the camaraderie, it would also be nice to meet other couples with kids, and let Todd make some new friends, too.
Hmm... I suppose one advantage of not blogging so frequently is that I tend to have more to talk about, as there's always stuff to catch up on.
Hope everyone else's July and summer are shaping out nicely. Any interesting plans?
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/410900487)
Todd's spending the summer in LA. After a couple straight months of not seeing my parents at all, his Chinese was VERY rusty. For the first time in my life I heard him speaking English to my Dad (the person with whom he solely converses in Chinese)! Meanwhile, the break has been nice-- no more early mornings, no more worrying about Todd not eating/drinking well enough. And I can now head off to the bedroom to read while Allan watches TV in the living room.
Timely enough, we are also moving at the end of this month. With Allan finishing up school this summer, we have to vacate student housing by Aug 30. We put in applications for the apartment complex behind work, and lo and behold, vacancies started popping up. Summer is a popular time to move! We landed one with a lease starting Aug 1. It is still only 1 bedroom, but nearly twice as large as our current apartment, much newer and only a 10-minute walk from work! Good way to get exercise in during the day :-) Unfortunately, the mover we hired for our last 2 moves no longer does moves in Santa Barbara, as the cost of gas makes driving up here prohibitive :-(
Week before last marked the beginning of summer. Our company heralded the season with its annual summer party at a local park. Lots of good food, drinks, great weather and amazing performers from Cirque du Soleil. It was like the Amgen Summerfest in some respects-- the food, the performances, the children's play area... but at a fraction of the size. This meant that I knew a whole lot more of the people we ran into throughout the evening. It was amusing to run into the CTO, one of the founding fathers of the company-- he expressed amazement at how huge the company has gotten, with all these unfamiliar faces. Yet from my perspective it was very small, much more cozy, and ample opportunity to see plenty of familiar faces. I've got some pictures, I'll be sure to post them as soon as I can.
With the advent of July comes my favorite holiday of the year-- America's Independence Day. We've done so many different things each time, from enjoying fireworks and festivities at a local park to visiting family in Salem, OR. This year? A campout with our church. I know what you're thinking: "But Helly doesn't do camping!" Well, it's only for 1 night, it's jam-packed with activities, we're opting for cabins instead of tents, and most of all, I'm looking forward to getting to know some of our fellow parishioners better. We usually join many of the younger couples in getting together after services for lunch every week. And while I enjoy the camaraderie, it would also be nice to meet other couples with kids, and let Todd make some new friends, too.
Hmm... I suppose one advantage of not blogging so frequently is that I tend to have more to talk about, as there's always stuff to catch up on.
Hope everyone else's July and summer are shaping out nicely. Any interesting plans?
(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/410900487)
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