2006 - 2

Two days to go before 2006, and I'm thinking about what to do in the new year.

1. Jana posed an interesting question: Where would you go if you only had $1000 (for 2) and 2 weeks to vacation? I chose the Oregon Coast or several days in Vegas by the pool (if it's warm). She chose Santa Fe or a snowy mountain resort. Ray chose cruising the internet (big surprise) and finding some killer leave-tomorrow type travel deals. Based on this conversation, we are (I think) going to block out 2 weeks later in the year and not buy tickets anywhere until the day before, then just pack and leave. Doesn't that sound like the best plan ever? And economical to boot!

2. I have got to do something about my name. I've been using 2 different names for the last 6 months, and more often than that all 3 names. This is getting confusing. For example if I use all three, which sounds kinda like Rebecca Fanning Turban, then people look at me funny and say things like "What does that mean?" or "Are you serious...how does that work?" or "Hee hee ha...ehem" or "Is that all one word" or "Interesting...what's its etymology?" At work, I'm sometimes Rebecca F-Turban, which sounds and looks like a description more than a name. At school, they won't let me use 3 names, so I'm just Rebecca Turban, which sounds like someone else. On lots of other stuff I'm Rebecca Fanning, which is nice and familiar, but I do want to add on my married name too. When I call someone from work, it's an even split between using one name, the other, or both. It's a minor inconvenience I suppose, but it also seems ridiculous. Everyone else I know had this worked out before they got married. Me, I still can't get it straight. I'd like to figure this one out and start the year off on the right...no, make that least confusing foot.

3. One of the best Christmas presents I've ever received is what my family got us this year: money to use on the garden. We spent some time during summer cleaning the beds in the front yard out, but everything is still pretty overgrown. The backyard is nice, but the main planting area is chiefly used as a possum lavatory, we suspect. I've already called a landscaping friend of a friend to come do a yard consultation and plan, and then we'll hire a service to dig, pull, rip and haul away. It's gonna be great. I'm gonna take before and after pictures.

Mary and Frosty

The Untold Christmas Story

December 24, 2005

(This is what I meant to post on Christmas Eve, 'cept our internet was down.)

Our neighborhood taco truck served free tacos, burritos and tortas today between 11 am and 4 pm. Also, Jana arrives stateside in just 3 short days. These may seem like unrelated items, but I can't think of anyone who appreciates good, authentic Mexican food more than Jana.

Woohooo...Feliz Navidad!

Christmas almost here

I'm not a big Christmas person. I like buying presents for people and watching them open them up, and I like hearing some good live medieval/classical music at a place with nice acoustics, but those are the highlights for me. Like I said before, Thanksgiving is more my thing.

But then came Robo Sapien. It's this cool remote control robot that I'm giving my nephews, and I can't wait to watch them open it! I'm hoping they let me play with it, but I'm not holding my breath. I tried telling Ray that I want one for myself for Christmas, but he doesn't think I'll play with it more than the first day or two. I think he is wrong.

On another note, I watched Serenity on DVD last night. Surprise...the story was cohesive! It was way better than the jumble I experienced last weekend. I really liked it...good story, good script, just enough humor and drama. And there were only a few moments where I had to ask, "What did he just say?"

Bad hearing

I've been thinking about my hearing lately. We saw Serenity over the weekend, and I may as well been watching it in another language. The theatre had a less than optimal sound system, and the distortion made the movie nearly inaudible for me. Ray didn't have this experience, which leads me to believe that yes, I do have some kind of issue with my hearing. This is why I've grown to dislike parties more and more over the years. If there's background noise, I can't understand people a lot of the time.

What I did hear during the movie was stuff like this:

Captain: We'll blurd de frmuson on the kafgen in runnion fwenj hour.
Woman: But that will probably cauf the dregee to plinf urn munofoson.
Captain: Are you kidding? That seminkin strat will doofle bledty morf home.

I made Ray tell me the whole story later. The woman who I thought was the princess...she was really a hooker. The whole thing about the planet with the skeletons, that was at the root of several other plot points. I'd like to see this movie for real as I think I might like it. The version of the story I made up in my head while watching it was only moderately amusing.

Done done done

I am so frickin' glad that is over. Test 1 - linguistics - was relatively easy and actually kinda fun. I think I did just fine on that test. Test 2 - anatomy and physiology - was downright evil. It crossed my mind to just make a pretty pattern out of my scantron form. It just really didn't matter that I studied all weekend. I've taken out my agressions: Ray bought a gingerbread man for me, which I ate it when I got home, ripping its head off as if it was Professor B. What an evil man. I think his first intent was to bring the curve down by a good bit with this test.

So now what? I have 3 blissful weeks to work my 20 hours/week job and not much else. But oh, there's lots to do!

Put up Christmas decorations (done as of last night)
Start and finish Christmas cards.
Get prints of wedding photos.
Paint the bedroom.
See friends.
See movies.
Oh! Start and finish my Christmas shopping.

28 hours to go

Today at Ladro...

The Wiccans are here with their laptops. They have long, wavy hair and wear woolly black cloaky things. One is writing a pagan fantasy novel, loosely based on the Mists of Avalon, and the other is working on a memoir for her mother. One of them works in finance, a middle manager for bank card services, and the other one works as an office manager for an insurance company, but is considering studying naturopathy, or at least ear candling.

A woman just came in with her husband. She's probably 60, with dark designer flared-leg jeans, black heeled boots, a white fur jacket, and bright red leather gloves (nice touch). She's hip, except for her jewelry and hair which are better suited to someone else in her peer group. They just got done looking at a waterfront house, and they're trying to decide about making an offer. She ordered rhubarb pie with her coffee. He's eating most of it as she's watching her figure.

Ah ha, Chris Martin. His look-alike just walked in...also in expensive jeans, and a navy blue velveteen sport coat over a vintage button-up. I swear this guy has an accent. Ooops...nope.

Too good...woman came in carrying her dog, who's the one wearing the designer couture...pink quilted coat with white fur lining and hood. It's a Boston Terrier I think.

There're playing old Pearl Jam...10.

I've got to study for finals.