Two things... no, three... no... ah, forget it.
First, Neil and Ju and I went to Lancaster the other weekend. I had been invited to a party hosted by two old old old high school friends whom I hadn't seen since they graduated (a year ahead of me... so 16 years ago? Yikes.) I'm embarrassed to say that the occasion was marking the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, these friends and I actually went to conventions together and, yes, we even had ::gulp:: uniforms that we wore. We met stars of the Old and New Trek, read fanfic, the whole nine yards. I kinda cringed at the idea of seeing them again, and Neil flat-out refused to go with me, so he hung out with Ju at my mom's and I went to the "party" (such as it was) alone.
The event was marked by the hostess (a Very Good Catholic girl in H.S.) chasing around her two little boys while burdened with a huge pregnant belly, and in the midst of all this the three of us trying to catch up on each other's lives since high school. I have to say that I was curious, but not enthralled, and I honestly don't know if I'd go out of my way to hang out with them again. I also realized, by watching Catholic Hostess that sheesh, babyproofing one's house and having a decent enclosed backyard will go a long way to keeping your little ones occupied while adult friends are visiting. I will store that knowledge away should I need it.
Prior to the party I hung out with another old friend (much better company) and learned that his daughter, who is attending a large high school in the area, is being forced to attend a health class that is -- wait for it -- employing Abstinence Only Sex Ed. Yes. They are doing it because they want the federal funds that will only be released if they do this. Crazy. The daughter said she couldn't understand why the school was so hard up for the money, they are swimming in it already. Sheesh. My mom was livid when I told her, saying she'd be picketing the school and screaming her head off if it were her kids. Go mom. It does make me wonder if my old high school is doing the same. If so, it's hard to imagine it -- Lancaster is becoming so much more cosmopolitan and "blue" over the years, but maybe that's just in the "city" and not in the burbs where we lived. Mom said that when Bush visited a couple weeks ago there was a gigantic protest in the center of town, the largest ever in Lancaster. That's LANCASTER, PA -- a place that's gone Republican every year since Abe Lincoln. Crazy.
In other news, Mandala had a cool gig last week, playing for an Iftar (breaking of the Ramadan fast) at the Episcopal cathedral. And apparently the Turkish crowd really dug our tunes and bought a lot of CDs. One guy told me, in his rough English, that he thought my voice sounded like Loreena McKennit's. Hunh. I'll take that.
The wee one stirs...
The event was marked by the hostess (a Very Good Catholic girl in H.S.) chasing around her two little boys while burdened with a huge pregnant belly, and in the midst of all this the three of us trying to catch up on each other's lives since high school. I have to say that I was curious, but not enthralled, and I honestly don't know if I'd go out of my way to hang out with them again. I also realized, by watching Catholic Hostess that sheesh, babyproofing one's house and having a decent enclosed backyard will go a long way to keeping your little ones occupied while adult friends are visiting. I will store that knowledge away should I need it.
Prior to the party I hung out with another old friend (much better company) and learned that his daughter, who is attending a large high school in the area, is being forced to attend a health class that is -- wait for it -- employing Abstinence Only Sex Ed. Yes. They are doing it because they want the federal funds that will only be released if they do this. Crazy. The daughter said she couldn't understand why the school was so hard up for the money, they are swimming in it already. Sheesh. My mom was livid when I told her, saying she'd be picketing the school and screaming her head off if it were her kids. Go mom. It does make me wonder if my old high school is doing the same. If so, it's hard to imagine it -- Lancaster is becoming so much more cosmopolitan and "blue" over the years, but maybe that's just in the "city" and not in the burbs where we lived. Mom said that when Bush visited a couple weeks ago there was a gigantic protest in the center of town, the largest ever in Lancaster. That's LANCASTER, PA -- a place that's gone Republican every year since Abe Lincoln. Crazy.
In other news, Mandala had a cool gig last week, playing for an Iftar (breaking of the Ramadan fast) at the Episcopal cathedral. And apparently the Turkish crowd really dug our tunes and bought a lot of CDs. One guy told me, in his rough English, that he thought my voice sounded like Loreena McKennit's. Hunh. I'll take that.
The wee one stirs...