Mind Sprite

I am going to Southern California next month. I grew up there and haven't been there in five years. I really don't like it there and wouldn't have paid the money ($270!!!!) and taken the vacation, but literally every member of my extended family was going to make my aunt & uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party but ME. I felt guilty and left out, so after bumming some money off my mom, I'm going down. Now, there are several people that I would love to see, including some of my cousins who I haven't seen in ten years. But there are many, many reasons I don't want to go. Including: 1 - It's hot. Upper 90's all this week 2 - It's smoggy. I can't breathe there and it feels like some fat, smelly guy is sitting on my lungs 3 - It's brown......the hills, the air, the houses, the people. Not the place for a tree-hugging, lily white Irish girl 4 - Traffic. How many people can you cram in a square mile, anyway? 5 - It's hot. Oh wait, I already mentioned that 6 - My boyfriend can't go. Now I know this is silly and it's only a few days, but I know I would enjoy it so much more if he were there. What can I say, I'm a sap and I'm apparently nuts for the guy! I suppose there's no use dwelling on the negatives as I have already bought my ticket and there's no going back (or rather, staying here). I will see my whole entire family, visit my oldest friends and hopefully get a piece of Chocolate Motherload cake (six layers of rich, gooey goodness) at Claim Jumper's while I'm there. Hell, I might eat at In-N-Out Burger and email my ex-husband to rub it in!!!

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/26/2005 05:22:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the first time in many weeks, I have no plans this weekend. I don't need to be anywhere in particular at any particular time. What a divine prospect!!!

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/22/2005 04:14:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Between hauling buckets of water, shovelling sand for an hour and crouching/squatting to carve for four hours, I have completely messed up my back. My neck and shoulder are totally seized up and I can barely move my head or lift my arm. Darn it!!! It really stinks not being able to do hardly anything physical without paying the price for days and days afterward. I am NOT that old! It isn't fair!!!! (sorry for the whining. I'll stop now)

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/19/2005 02:03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here are pictures from the last competition in Ocean Shores, where the team won first place. I'll put the most recent competition pictures up when I get them downloaded off the camera. Willy Wonka Violet Beauregarde - "Blueberry Girl" - and Oompa Loompas Charlie Factory with Golden Goose and "bad egg" Veruca Salt Mike TV Candy conveyer belts Chocolate waterfall and Augustus Gloop in the pipe

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/18/2005 09:53:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Ok, we didn't do so well at the sand sculpture competition this weekend. In our defense, our two best carvers weren't there, we had an hour less time and the quality of the sand wasn't nearly as good. The figures that were so great last time - Charlie and the blueberry girl - didn't have the same polish and punch as last time. We also had a structural failure. The tower above the factory, with the nice "WONKA" lettering, collapsed and sheared off a corner of the piece. We recovered as best we could, but we took third (out of three teams). I feel like I did a good job on what I worked on and that I rose to the occasion of my first master's level competition. I was just really bummed that we didn't do better. I feel like a sore loser because I'm still bummed about it. I think another thing that disappointed me was there was no feeling of team spirit. Last time, we all huddled before the competition started and vowed to have fun in one of those hands-together, "go team!" kind of moments. We also went out to dinner the night before and after the competition to celebrate. This time there was no huddle, no group meals and everyone just drifted off afterwards. I missed that collaborative spirit. In the end, I learned alot and enjoyed the experience and I guess that is what is important. I still want to carve sand and keep improving my abilities.

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/18/2005 09:38:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

One of the very worst things about working at an institution of higher learning is when all the highly paid, well respected faculty get the summer off and I have to slave away in my frigid, air conditioned office while looking out the window at the sunshine I don't get to enjoy. (My apologies to Chicken, who has no windows and works in the Artic Circle.) I went to lunch with one of my faculty friends for her birthday and was surrounded by instructors talking about traveling, sleeping in, reading books and taking swimming lessons all summer. I had to get up from the table first and go back to work. It sucked! I want a real summer vacation. What's the good of working at a school if I don't get that?!? **sigh**

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/15/2005 09:15:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

OK, I know I work for a school and that hardly anyone is around during the summer. But the couple dozen who do work during the summer still need to EAT! It's bad enough that the food selection is pared down to one crummy juice bar that serves little more than smoothies and frozen yogurt, but at least have the mini chicken salad sandwiches every day. They have every kind they always have - turkey, ham, roast beef, tuna - except the one that I really, really want today. Tuna is not chicken salad and never will be!

Posted by Mind Sprite at 7/01/2005 01:20:00 PM | Permalink | Comments