Hurrah for fireworks!

Since I missed the fourth of July firework extravaganza, our family headed to Downtown Disney last Friday to watch Disneyland's famed firework display. I'm happy to report they did not disappoint and actually had some new ones I hadn't before. I also took the opportunity to try out my brand new Panasonic Lumix camera. What a perfect way to try out the firework setting...granted I still need practice, but I think they turned out well for a first-timer!

Happy Birthday America!!!

How many of us have actually read all of the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner? We may sing the first verse, but there are three more we rarely hear. Today, I aim to rectify this situation! It is a beautiful document and testimony to our countries heritage. Today, I honor my country and am proud to be a citizen of the best country on earth!

Star Spangled Banner.

Frances Scott Key, 1814.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

One Night Left!

Yeah! I've almost made it! In reflecting back on the past 12 days I have definitely confirmed / re-confirmed some very important things about myself:

1.) I do not want to live by myself. I value human companionship too much.

2.) I prefer outdoor animals. I may not be the biggest animal person (orca whales are another story!), but outdoor is preferable.

3.) I value my family very much and have missed not spending time with them.

4.) I am a bigger fan of 4th of July fireworks than I thought; especially when I can't see them.

But, hey, it was an experience. Thanks for taking the journey with me. It's been fun having you along. :) Tomorrow night I sleep in MY OWN BED!!!!

Laundry...exciting??

Yup, it sure is! One night left, and I've started doing laundry. Who would have thought I would actually enjoy this little, domestic task!!!

Random (Countdown: Two Nights)

I am disappointed this evening. I intended to see the local firework display and mis-ordered my day so that I completely missed them. :( What is July 4th without fireworks? It's been a family tradition for years to walk down the street and see them, officially beginning the July holiday. Instead of watching with my parents, I was driving back to Ontario. I did glimpse one measly firework in the distance, but it's rather difficult to watch while I'm supposed to be driving. I think a trip to Downtown Disney (to see the Disneyland fireworks) is definitely in order.

Okay, I've vented! Let's see, other random happenings of today.

• I realized I have given the pets nicknames. Why on earth did I do that?! Simon (cat) is Sy, Hershey (cat) is Hersh, Scruffy (dog) is Scruffs, and Snickers (dog) is the only one who retained his name. I'm not sure how that could be shortened...this thought led me to mulling over the origin of nicknames and why we humans feel the need to shorten names in the first place. But, that is a conversation for another time.
  
• A fellow grad student whom I have known for 2 years stopped by work and mentioned he officially leaves for Atlanta next week. I'm happy for he and his wife but discovered that my tenure as a student is truly coming to an end. People I have voyaged with along this unknown road of graduate school are graduating and moving on with their lives. It was expected but feels strange knowing that part of my life is almost over.

In the Garden (Countdown: Three Nights!!)

During my numerous drives over the past 8 days, I actually haven't listened to much music. However, two days ago I started listening to a county/bluegrass style gospel album. This is not my preferred genre of music, but I've been enjoying it. In particular the hymn In the Garden has been especially beautiful. I've been looking for a decent version of this song for sometime and am excited to revel in my new find. I have posted the lyrics below so you too may enjoy them.

Today was my second day of working as a student assistant again. My grad assistantship ended on Monday, and I'm so happy to still work at COPH. It's been a little odd knowing I'm no longer the GA, but I'm excited to be moving forward in my life.

Only 3 more nights!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear, falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me

And He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me

And He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

I'd stay in the garden with Him

'Tho the night around me be falling

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me

And He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

Skyline (Countdown: Four Nights)

Only four more nights! I can't wait . . . onto other topics.

The other night I was driving back to my house-sitting job and feeling a little down. As I reached the crest of the 57 freeway I was cheered by a surprise. One of my favorite sites awaited me: a city skyline at night. It reminded me of the drive home from visiting our cousins in Palm Springs. Although I always hated to leave, my favorite part of the drive home was seeing the city lights of Riverside from Moreno Valley. They were beautiful twinkling beacons guiding our way home. Silly, but it was fun reliving a time from my past and brightened my evening.

Day Seven: Bittersweet Musings

Today was Dr. Hansen's last day at the Center. Although he officially retired a little over a month ago, he spent the past five weeks cleaning out his office. Art finished the task today and bid farewell to his COPH family. I had no idea today was going to be his final day and had a lump in my throat as I said goodbye. Thankfully, it is not final. We have our 40th anniversary celebration coming up in September, and Dr. Hansen will certainly have a role to play in that event. However, it saddens me to think his jovial self won't be around the center on a regular basis. It has truly been a honor to work under his direction for the past two years. I honor his commitment to excellence, his steadfast drive in furthering his historical passions, and his consistent direction. He may no longer be the director for the Center for Oral and Public History, but his 42 year legacy lives on as we continue the work he so faithfully dedicated his career to. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, Dr. Hansen! Your future is bright with opportunity.

Day Six: The Trials of Stubborness

Good news! I slept last night . . . finally. I'm still tired after several sleepless nights, but it was wonderful to actually rest.

Yesterday Mother and I went to Illuminations at Downtown Disney to check out their semi-annual sale. I also had a delightful 50% off coupon and thought it would be great to use it on the gorgeous willow branch sconce pictured above. I love wrought iron decor and and have wanted this particular item for some time. True I have no place to hang it at present, but I think of it as planning for the future! Anyway, I bought it and thought I would have no trouble carrying the massively oversize, cumbersome box to the car. Wrong! The store manager offered us a dolly and I declined, certain I could handle the situation. (that should have been my first clue) Suffice it to say, Mother and I took turns carrying it, then dragged it, then carried it again only to discover it didn't fit in the trunk. We tried the trunk multiple times, the back seat, put the seat down and tried again, all to no avail. We ended up calling Adam and having him pick me up in the van so I could transport my brilliant find home. But the story doesn't end there. I am extremely sore today, all thanks to my willow branch sconce. My shoulders, forearms, and back have discovered muscles they didn't know they had! I mean it hurts to lift my arm shoulder high let alone above my head!

The moral of the story: if you should decide to purchase something requiring packaging in a large, oversize, cumbersome box and the store employee offers you a dolly . . . I suggest you accept! Trust me, you will be very glad you did.

Day Five: The Cat Needs to Sleep!

I completely intended for the posts about not sleeping would last one or two nights, be funny for me to re-read in about a week, and move on to another topic. The problem is last night was worse than the others. I suffered from a serious case of insomnia, and it was not fun, let me tell you. I don't know if it's unfamiliar animal noises, strange environment, sleeping arrangements, or what, but it's really getting old. Last vacation I slept in at least 4 different locations and had no problems at all. So once again, I need more than 4 hours of sleep tonight. :-/

Thesis Update: On a lighter note, I wrote my thesis abstract today. It is exactly 150 words, the limit imposed by the Masters Abstracts database. They should be happy! (I was stuck at 151 for a while until I found a word to eliminate.) Unless I am forgetting something, that was the last major task to complete before my defense. All that remains is preparing for the blessed event and articulating what the weaknesses are. I'm getting closer . . .

Day Four: Sleep Depravation

Only eight more nights. Only eight more nights. Yes, I am counting the days (and nights!) until I can be home for good. Until then, I would settle for a good nights sleep. Aside from the minor issue with oversleeping, I haven't had one good nights rest since Monday, and my body can really tell. Last night it was the cat who decided to parade through the house at all hours meowing, climbing onto the window sill behind me, etc. I mean it's dark for pete's sake. Go to sleep! But no, she had to have her say. So, I spent yet another night awake for hours. The couch is not working for a bed, and I'm going to investigate other options for this evening. Sore hips, pulled back muscles, and feeling cramped are not what the doctor ordered. I'll keep you posted on what I work out.

P.S. And here I thought sleepless nights were only for children. . .

Day Three: Oversleeping

Day three of my house sitting adventure got off to a very inauspicious beginning. On work mornings I typically get up at 6:30. I decided to keep the same schedule since I had a longer drive to work and more details to attend to in the morning. I went to bed early last night since I had been running on 3-4 hours of sleep from the night before. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I remember waking up several times during the night including at 3:00 am when the sprinklers went off. The next thing I know I heard the trash trucks outside and thought they were coming rather early. Thank God I checked my phone; it was 7:55!!! I had planned on leaving at 8:15! Guess who didn’t leave on time?

I flew around the house, did my hair in loose curls then up in a pony tail, and made sure the animals were well taken care of. Breakfast became something I could eat in the car and since I was already late, I stopped by Starbucks once I arrived in Fullerton. Figured I deserved a little treat. Nothing like a little adrenaline to kick start ones morning, though as those of you who know me well can attest to, I need time to wake up in the morning. This is not the way to do it. I finally started feeling more like myself around noontime, the same time cat allergies began wearing off.

I later discovered my phone reverted to the weekend alarm setting of 8:00 explaining the mix up. Guess who is going to double and triple check her alarm EVERY night!

Day Two: A Different Sort of Adventure

Over the course of the next 10 nights I will be house sitting for a couple with two dogs and two cats. Oh my! This is only my second night and already I have confirmed what I already knew: I am not an animal person. I can do infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and up, but animals are a completely different ball game. It took until 11:45 to finally get one of the cats into the garage! (I fared better tonight) One thing I know: I CANNOT wait to sleep in my own bed again!

The dogs are currently dreaming happy dreams in sleep land giving me time to actually finish an essay . . .

Thesis Update: I postponed the abstract but need to get back to it.

Step Two

Step one: print thesis for committee -- check
Step two: submit thesis to commitee -- check
Step three: finalize acknowledgements page -- check

My acknowledgements page has been finalized and proofed thanks to the help of my friend, Janet. Despite the pressure for a sneakpeek, I don't plan on unveiling it to the general public until I turn my thesis into the bookstore. :)

Step four: continue working on abstract and prep for defense.

Step One

Step One: Print thesis for committee.

Good news. Tomorrow I begin printing my thesis for my committee! Now, this is one of many one of many steps leading up to my defense and final printing, but I'm going to glory in each little victory. :)

Next on the agenda: Finalize acknowledgements page and write abstract.

I am beginning to see the light

Yesterday I combined all of my thesis chapters into ONE document!! So far the grand total is 116 pages, and I have yet to add the bibliography. I know I'm not at the finish line yet, but I am reveling in each step of accomplishment along the way.

Next Step: On Saturday, I will print 3 drafts for my committee members in preparation for my defense.

P.S. I decided that MS Word section breaks are fabulous!

A Song of You

I fully intended to write a stirring piece on my thoughts about Memorial Day, however my thesis, once again, took most of my time today. Instead, I would like to offer a tribute to one of cinema's finest directors: Sydney Pollack. Like Robert Altman's untimely death, I am still in shock that we have lost of one our greatest. Pollack's myriad of credits will carry his legacy forward for generations to come.

Personally, he was one of my favorite directors. His films were quality, and you knew you were watching a masterpiece. My personal favorite is Out of Africa, and it represents some of his finest work. To quote from the film, "If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me? "

We know a song of you, Sydney. Farewell.

Saturday

Oh, to have a Saturday where I didn't have to spend all my time on my thesis. That would truly be beautiful. Since I am facing some very strict deadlines, I will post about my graduation (and out of this world surprise!) after I'm over the thesis hump. Chapter two requires my attention, and would be a better use of my time right now. 'Til next time...

T Minus 2 days and counting

Graduation is in two days. Amazing to think that it's already here. I'll post again after Saturday with a report on the festivities. :)

Checking-In

Hi Everyone! I realized it's been almost a month since I last posted, which is indicative of how my life has looked...busy! It occurred to me today that I only have two months in which to finish my thesis. While this should bring cheer, it instead seems like an eternity away and not near enough time to finalize the most important paper of my life. (up 'til now anyway) I decided I have to go back to being hermit until I finish. This isn't exactly how I want to spend my time, but I can be in "the zone" when I am in that state, exactly what I need to insure I don't procrastinate. :)

On a happier note, graduation is in two weeks!!!!!! The downside: I have yet to send out my announcements, decorate my cap, arrange parking with guests, find the punch recipe for our party, etc. Basically, I have yet to work though my graduation to-do list, and these are tasks I usually love. So I must make time this weekend to mail my announcements or else they may sit in my room forever! (and we certainly wouldn't want that!)

P.S. Tomorrow I am taking my LAST final, followed by my German exam on Monday. Think of that, my last final!!!!!