I got my questions for class finished in plenty of time, and found out about a possible way to make money in my field over the summer! That would be good. We also had a good discussion in class, which was a lot of fun. For lunch, Patsy and I went over to the student union food court. We had a good meal, and a chance to let off some steam. I was okay on the drive home and on the way to teach my Friday students. Well, they were on a sugar or something, because they were running around like a couple of yahoos. Asking them nicely to stop didn't help. Telling them to stop didn't help. I was seriously at my wit's end, and had to leave the room for a minute or else I was going to lose it. The good news is, the girls settled down and eventually had a good lesson.

Tonight, David and I have a dance lesson. As I was playing on the internet after lessons, I found this article. It's about being a Super Bowl Christian, and I thought it was a great article!!!!

Last night, David and I went to an Animal House style toga party, which was held at my aunt and uncle's house. We all wore togas, some were rather creative. I found some red bandanna-type fabric, while David had midnight blue with silver sparkles (sparkles isn't the right word, but I'm not sure what is. Glitter, maybe? At any rate, it was neat looking.) We feasted on sumptuous cuisine, such as pizza and nuts and Ding-dongs. My aunt had made a cd of music from the movie and gave those to everyone as they were leaving, as well as a bag of marbles for each of us. (For anyone who doesn't understand the marble reference, go watch the movie!) It was a fun party, and now I have an attractive toga to wear forever! (So, someone have a toga party!!!!)

This morning, I had intended to get to church and meet up with some of the people from yesterday's workshop to practice my signing. I didn't see anyone yet, so I went to the choir room to drop off my stuff and come back to the fellowship hall. Well, a couple of my choir kids saw me go in the room, so they came in, too. (It was fifteen minutes before rehearsal was supposed to begin.) So I didn't get to practice with others, although I've been practicing by myself. After an absolutely insane rehearsal (it went well, however, I think all the kids went to Starbucks or something right before rehearsal, because they were WIRED!), I went to the church library, where I work after rehearsal. I found some books on singing, so I checked them out! So, I have three weeks before they're due back, and I can decide if I want to buy them from the bookstore.

I've been surfing the web this afternoon, and found some cool links. The first is the Presidential Prayer Team, which is a group of Americans dedicated to praying daily for our president. The other link is Tales from Band Camp. It is a comic strip that revolves around band geeks. (Of which I am one). So check them out! Tonight, we have River at David's church. Tomorrow, it's Monday and the start of a new week.

Well, I am going to go do something productive.

Grrrrr!!!

This weekend is going to be a good one! Tomorrow, I have my Child Assessment class in the morning, and then piano kids in the afternoon. Saturday morning, my mom and I are going to a sign language workshop at church! I have wanted to learn sign language for some time now, and am really, really excited about the opportunity! Yay! Then on Monday, we have our dance lesson! Yay!

Birthday greetings: Happy Birthday, Barbara!!!!

Saturday afternoon, David and I helped Jeffrey and Samantha move out of their apartment in Denton. Most of their stuff was packed, but there was a lot of other stuff to do, too. Saturday evening was spent enjoying a lovely dinner with everyone, at this little Italian place in Frisco called Leonardo's. David and I had eaten there before and the food was absolutely marvelous! We weren't disappointed this time, either. And a good time was had by all.

When I got home, there was a message on my machine from Suzi, who is the assistant director for the Carol Choir, of which I am the director. Well, the other choir was starting rehearsals on Sunday, so she thought we should too. So I did. Amazingly enough, twelve kids showed up! I was really excited, and we had a GREAT rehearsal! Sunday afternoon, I had two of my piano students playing in the Jazz & Blues Festival, which is put on by the Carrollton Music Teachers Association. They both did well, and I was very proud of them! Sunday night, it was David's turn to do the junior high lesson. We played a couple of games that were really fun, and the Bible study time was great, too. Great job, David!!! While we were waiting for parents to arrive, a couple of the kids and I went to the sanctuary, because I love playing the piano in there. After reading some of the sheet music they had laying around, I started making up songs. We made up one song called "Alone in the Sanctuary Blues." I smell a Grammy here! Okay, I seriously doubt it, but we were having fun, which was the whole point.

Yesterday was one of my days at the Health Science Center. I wound up not seeing any patients, however, I did get a report finished, so I was pretty productive. Last night was awesome! I got home from the clinic, and Heather had called and invited me to dinner at her house. So I got to visit with her, and eat some scrumptious veggie fajitas! I slaved over a hot stove and cooked up some Ding Dongs for dessert. (Okay, okay, I bought them. But they still were wonderful!) We had a nice chat, and then it was time to jump in the car and go to our introductory dance lesson! I misjudged the time, so I arrived at the studio thirty minutes early. (The studio was next to a dry cleaner's called "Y Pay More Cleaners." I didn't see the "Y" on the top of the sign, and wondered why anyone would go somewhere called "Pay More Cleaners." I was amused.) I got to watch the group class while I waited for David, and also our lesson time. I really enjoyed watching them, and they certainly looked like they were having a great time! It was then our turn to meet with our instructor and decide on our dancing goals. He showed us the basic steps, which are the foundation for any dance that we want to learn. We also learned a foxtrot step and a swing dance step! We are going to focus on ballroom and swing dancing, with some country/western thrown in. Yay!!! I am so excited about these lessons!

Today was my morning at the clinic. I got to witness a patient being hypnotized by my supervisor. That was really interesting! I was productive today too, got another report accomplished and tuition paid. And on an exciting note: my passport came in the mail today! It has forty-seven pages, so now I just have to decide which forty-seven countries I want to visit! (Just kidding. But I was excited.) Well, kids, that's a wrap. Go make it a great one!

My class on Wednesdays is called Biofeedback Methods. We get to learn how to use all sorts of equipment and measure all sorts of things, like muscle tension, pulse and temperature. I think it'll be an interesting class. On most Wednesdays, I will go to Grand Rounds after class. However, I was scheduled for a meeting with my supervisor from my last practicum rotation. The purpose of the meeting was to go over my evaluation and discuss it. Let me tell you, having your gums scraped is more fun than this meeting was. Actually, the evaluation wasn't bad, and I learned some things that I need to work on. However, my supervisor was very tough, and it was not a fun event.

This past weekend was a good one. Friday night, David cooked up a great meal on his George Foreman grill. He cooked a steak for him, an eggplant for me, and also some zucchini and squash. Mmmmm! I'd never had grilled eggplant before, and I really enjoyed it!

Saturday, David got his new television set! It is really cool and he is very excited about it! We also had a project that we worked on for the afternoon: replacing my driver's side headlight. David promised to help me replace the bulb, so I bought the lights and we started the task. It was very frustrating, as my car manual had a bad picture, so we weren't sure of what we were supposed to pull on to remove the headlamp assembly. We finally got it out, after a quick trip to Auto Zone to buy a new manual for my car, one with better pictures. We then got the assembly out of there (well, I say we, but David was the one who got it out). We gone it done, and I am very glad it is over and done with.

Monday, I was at the clinic. I got to sit in on three therapy sessions! One of the patients preferred not to have me in there, which is perfectly acceptable, so I did get a few minutes of quiet time to myself. Yay! I liked on Monday evening that I actually got to have an evening off! That was definitely enjoyable. Tonight is Bible study with the youth, and tomorrow is my free day! I like having a whole day to myself. Something that I am looking forward to next Monday: David and I are having our first dance lesson! I am really excited!

Yesterday, I was out at the Health Science Center at the Manipulative Medicine clinic. I was talking with one of the orthopedic residents there, and we were discussing my research interests, which involve music and the brain. She was telling me about a couple of web sites to check out, which are related to that area. One of the sites is Earth Harp. They design a harp that you can actually walk inside!

Another site she told me about is Brain Sync. This one also seemed up my alley, especially the parts about using biofeedback along with the music. I am excited about these web sites, and the research possibilities that they might lead to!

Wednesday night was Bible study night at David's church. The title of the study for that night was "Die". As part of the lesson, we had to act out the scene in Return of the Jedi where the Emperor tries to kill Luke, and Darth Vader throws him into the pit. I was the Emperor, and let me tell you, I feel an Oscar coming on for our stellar performance!

David told a story on his site about it being a small world. I had a similar experience this weekend. I had a praise team rehearsal on Saturday morning, then I had to leave early to play at a friend's wedding reception. Well, someone else on the praise team had to leave early to go to a wedding, too. So, imagine my surprise that afternoon, when I was tickling the ivories, and guess who walked in! It was really funny! Apparently she is best friends with the groom's sister, and was the matron of honor in her wedding. We told Mary (the bride) about it, she though it was funny. We all had a good chuckle about it, and so did the rest of the praise team on Sunday!

Well, the dryer is buzzing so I need to change out my clothes. Go make it a great one!

December 25
Christmas was great! I got some really cool gifts, and enjoyed some good family time. During the day on Christmas, we all went to my grandparents' to open gifts. My aunt came home from the hospital, and was glad to be out. On Christmas night, we had my mom's side of the family over for our Christmas celebration. In this group, we have several presents that get passed around from year to year, as a joke. I have been spared thus far from the recurrent gifts, however, I'm sure I'll wind up with one someday. After everyone left, we got packed for our trip.

December 26
We left for Lake City. We wound up riding in the van with my grandparents. We all had so much stuff, that they took out the back seat for all our luggage and gifts to take up to Colorado. My dad and grandfather took turns driving, and my mom, grandmother and myself sat in the middle seat. Guess who got to sit in the middle the whole time? Unfortunately, me. Oh well. I had a good time with my new portable DVD player, which had earphones and a car adaptor, so I was good to go. I had a good time watching my DVDs. After a serious case of car butt, we arrived in Trinidad, Colorado, which is where we spent the night. On the edge of New Mexico, there is a town called Raton. It was getting dark as we drove through New Mexico, and we turned to change highways, and all of the sudden there were all these lights with the mountains in the background. It really was a breathtaking sight. I had a John Denver cd, which I plugged in once we got into Colorado. (Yes, I realize that it was a dorky thing to do, but I don't care!) We got to Trinidad and went shopping for gloves, hats and thick socks. Our motel was decent, not much to say about it, although I was brave and tried Colorado's idea of Mexican food at the restaurant they had there. It wasn't bad, actually, but I like the real stuff.

December 27
We left Trinidad and began the trek to Lake City. It was really cold, and we were all bundled up in our coats and winter attire. Grandpa and Dad got road conditions from the visitor's center, and they recommended that we take this other route that would cut off time off our drive time. It was a very scenic route, and really pretty, although there weren't any rest stops along the way, which could have been bad. My grandparents' van has a temperature gage in it, so we all watched the temperature drop as we drove on. (Well, Grandpa didn't watch, he was driving.) I had to listen to John Denver again (Colorado theme music, of course!) for awhile. We went over a mountain pass, which was slow going. When we got to the summit, the temperature was 0! Anywho, we got to Lake City without any major problems.

The house in Lake City is very pretty, all wood and windows. It is three stories, with the bottom floor being the garage and basement room. The main floor has the living room, kitchen, dining room, laundry/mud room, master bed/bath and powder room. The upstairs consisted of a loft, two bedrooms and a bathroom. We exchanged gifts, and I got a long sleeved t-shirt that said "Robinson Pub, LC, Est. 2003" Actually, we all had these and wore them on Monday. In the evening, my cousin, mom, aunt, grandmother and I asked each other Trivial Pursuit questions. I wound up staying at the house instead of the motel with my parents, so that was nice.

December 28
We drove into town for church service. The church was really small and cute. Our group took up three pews! After the service, we were invited into the back room for coffee and cake. My cousin kept telling me about a coffee place in town called the Mocha Moose, but it wasn't open, so we couldn't go.

After church, my dad, aunt, uncle and I went for a walk. My shoes were not good for snowy weather, however, my aunt has the same size feet as me, so I could wear a pair of her shoes. We walked down the mountain to the bridge into town. We admired the view for a bit, then walked back up. Let me tell you, it was a lot harder coming back up! My aunt told me after we got back that it was a two mile walk from the house to the bridge and back. I'm so glad she didn't tell me until after we got back! We went into town later, as I was looking for some souvenirs for David and myself. The rest of the day was spent reading in the house, and visiting with the family. That night, I made the peach cobbler for dessert. That in itself is pretty scary, although it turned out well, and everyone said it was really good!

December 29
We drove into town today to get souvenirs. I found a book for me, and some hot chocolate mix, a postcard with a picture of the "business district" of Lake City, and a pretty picture of one of the churches, all for David. Nathan's fiancee ran into some friends in town, so we visited with them for awhile. We also drove past the Mocha Moose, which was not open. (There was a problem with the water in town, so many of the businesses didn't have water and were closed.) I never did get to have a Mocha Moose drink. Oh well, maybe next time. Later that day, I went sledding for the first time ever. Four of us went, and we had two sleds between us. We all trooped up to this big hill, and we took turns sledding down. Well, we were sledding on our stomachs, which would have been okay, but I was wearing a yarn hat and a hood on my coat, which both promptly fell over my eyes the minute I started down the hill. So I couldn't see, and just knew I was going to fall off the mountain. (Okay, I didn't think I would fall off the mountain, but it makes a better story.) We each sledded a couple times, then felt like icicles so we headed back. The evening was pretty uneventful, just hanging out, reading and watching movies.

Over the course of our stay in Lake City, we saw many deer in the back yard. They were just looking for food, although it was weird to look out the window and have five deer staring back at you! I got a bunch of deer pictures, as well as mountain pictures. It snowed on Monday afternoon, and I took pictures of that, too. Only one of the snowing pictures came out decent, though, the others just look blurry. I have the pictures posted in my family photo album.

December 30
After a hearty breakfast, we left Lake City. Our destination was Amarillo, where we had a motel reservation. I was again in the middle seat. The drive back was fairly uneventful, we watched the temperature get warmer and warmer. We went the same scenic route we did before, it was just as pretty the second time around, although the anticipation of the trip was no longer there. The drive over the mountain pass was slow going, but the roads weren't very icy, so that helped a lot. Once we got to Amarillo, we ate at a Mexican food place and then settled in for the night.

New Year's Food Traditions
-- Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan.
-- A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day for good luck.
-- It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the
year.
-- German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.
-- Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.
-- In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's eve will bring luck for the coming year.
-- Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or
spinach to bring money.
-- One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.
-- The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms,
such as sauerkraut or even kimchee.
-- In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the
upcoming year.
-- Boiled Cod is a New Year's Eve must in Denmark.
-- Olie Bollen a donut-like fritter is popular in Holland for New Year.
-- Black-eyed peas, fish, apples, and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish New Year's celebration (not on January 1).

I do typically eat black-eyed peas on New Years, like any good Southerner, however, we didn't go to our family's annual gathering, so I guess I won't have any today. (gasp!) However, we are having a nice family meal on Sunday afternoon, and I requested those, so I guess a couple days late is better than never.

I will post stuff about my trip later, I don't want to do it now. I will also have pictures posted, as I promised before. (I know, I know, I need to get on the stick and get things done.) Happy New Year, world! Let's soar in 2004!