Some Thoughts, Both Important and Trivial
Thoughts that Mean Something:
I really don't know what to say about Hurricane Katrina, other than that I really hope that all of you are okay out there. Also, from everything I've read and heard, I am very upset with our president and the federal government right now. I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said, however. See milestogo13's and saraphina_marie's LJs for more details. They have more connections to Katrina's ground zero, and I think that their words at this time would mean more than anything that I could possibly think to say. All I know is that the photos and reports seem to get worse as time goes on, rather than better. Last I heard, it's going to take about two weeks to pump out New Orleans. Take care, everyone. I don't want to lose any of you.
I have, however, been impressed by how people have been pulling together to help those whose lives have been swept away by Katrina's wrath. Many, many groups have been offering ways for people to donate money and goods to those who need them. My faith in basic humanity keeps growing, even as my faith in government's care for that basic humanity keeps dropping.
Trivial Thoughts:
I have decided to take up origami. Alex has a ton of books, and I've been wanting to try folding some of the objects for a while now. Yesterday, I got together with my mother for tea (always a nice thing), and we wound up going to the local Asian market in search of Sezchuan Pepper Corns. Sezchuan Pepper Corns have been a banned import item for several years, as the "pepper corns" are actually the dried flowers of a citrus plant, and there was a fear of a blight or something spreading to Florida's citrus crop. Now, however, the pepper corns are irradiated before export, so we can import them again. Alex has been hunting everywhere for them, without success. Mom had heard that we might be able to buy them locally, so we Quested. We succeeded, so I brought a package home as a surprise for Alex. (He was thrilled.) At the same time, I bought a huge amount of plain origami paper, as well as a few sheets of fancy foil paper for when I'm actually semi-proficient. I am seduced by color and texture.
I have also been doing a good deal of writing lately. I have decided that, while I am in the habit of writing in a notebook and then typing my work into the computer, it might be more efficient (and less fatiguing) to try just doing the original work on the computer. This would also be good training for next term, when I will be writing zillions of essays, and efficiency is of the first importance. (I don't want to spend more time writing essays than I absolutely have to.)
I have entered into an agreement with a couple of my friends to bug each other about writing. This is good for me, and I'm sure it will be good for them. *bugs friends*
I am considering a major LJ overhaul, complete with graphics and new icons. In order to do that, however, I need to put Photoshop on this computer and do some sketches. Perhaps I will do a bit of that today.
Bulletins for Future Events:
I will be gone from Saturday through the next Sunday, as I will be headed to California. I will be staying with my grandmother, which means that I will have no internet access. (There is a possibility that I will be able to escape to a coffee shop with free wireless, but I'm not counting on it.)
School approaches swiftly. In some ways, I am more than ready to plunge in and finally graduate. In other ways, I feel like I have many more things to do before school begins. For instance, we haven't even been back to the old house this summer, and I am feeling a bit worried about the objects we left behind. We really need to get back there and get the rest of our stuff out of there, even if we just haul everything upstairs for the time being. I'd much rather just move things over and put them where they need to go, but necessity may decree a less neat solution at this time.
Conclusion:
I think that's about it for the moment. Everybody stay safe. I hereby bug all of you LJ friends who have asked me to bug you, especially about writing. I'll update again later.
I really don't know what to say about Hurricane Katrina, other than that I really hope that all of you are okay out there. Also, from everything I've read and heard, I am very upset with our president and the federal government right now. I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said, however. See milestogo13's and saraphina_marie's LJs for more details. They have more connections to Katrina's ground zero, and I think that their words at this time would mean more than anything that I could possibly think to say. All I know is that the photos and reports seem to get worse as time goes on, rather than better. Last I heard, it's going to take about two weeks to pump out New Orleans. Take care, everyone. I don't want to lose any of you.
I have, however, been impressed by how people have been pulling together to help those whose lives have been swept away by Katrina's wrath. Many, many groups have been offering ways for people to donate money and goods to those who need them. My faith in basic humanity keeps growing, even as my faith in government's care for that basic humanity keeps dropping.
Trivial Thoughts:
I have decided to take up origami. Alex has a ton of books, and I've been wanting to try folding some of the objects for a while now. Yesterday, I got together with my mother for tea (always a nice thing), and we wound up going to the local Asian market in search of Sezchuan Pepper Corns. Sezchuan Pepper Corns have been a banned import item for several years, as the "pepper corns" are actually the dried flowers of a citrus plant, and there was a fear of a blight or something spreading to Florida's citrus crop. Now, however, the pepper corns are irradiated before export, so we can import them again. Alex has been hunting everywhere for them, without success. Mom had heard that we might be able to buy them locally, so we Quested. We succeeded, so I brought a package home as a surprise for Alex. (He was thrilled.) At the same time, I bought a huge amount of plain origami paper, as well as a few sheets of fancy foil paper for when I'm actually semi-proficient. I am seduced by color and texture.
I have also been doing a good deal of writing lately. I have decided that, while I am in the habit of writing in a notebook and then typing my work into the computer, it might be more efficient (and less fatiguing) to try just doing the original work on the computer. This would also be good training for next term, when I will be writing zillions of essays, and efficiency is of the first importance. (I don't want to spend more time writing essays than I absolutely have to.)
I have entered into an agreement with a couple of my friends to bug each other about writing. This is good for me, and I'm sure it will be good for them. *bugs friends*
I am considering a major LJ overhaul, complete with graphics and new icons. In order to do that, however, I need to put Photoshop on this computer and do some sketches. Perhaps I will do a bit of that today.
Bulletins for Future Events:
I will be gone from Saturday through the next Sunday, as I will be headed to California. I will be staying with my grandmother, which means that I will have no internet access. (There is a possibility that I will be able to escape to a coffee shop with free wireless, but I'm not counting on it.)
School approaches swiftly. In some ways, I am more than ready to plunge in and finally graduate. In other ways, I feel like I have many more things to do before school begins. For instance, we haven't even been back to the old house this summer, and I am feeling a bit worried about the objects we left behind. We really need to get back there and get the rest of our stuff out of there, even if we just haul everything upstairs for the time being. I'd much rather just move things over and put them where they need to go, but necessity may decree a less neat solution at this time.
Conclusion:
I think that's about it for the moment. Everybody stay safe. I hereby bug all of you LJ friends who have asked me to bug you, especially about writing. I'll update again later.