We had one full day left in CA, so naturally we went shopping. We had a Swedish meatball lunch and wandered the wonderful corridors of IKEA. Picked up some groovy drapes and some magazine organizers to replace the ones Cosby gnawed.
We made a quick stop in Old Town Pasadena so I could redeem a gift card from LUSH that brother John gave me last Christmas. Karma soap, mango bath melts and a St. Patrick's Day prize because I found a hidden clover near the dusting powder. Mmmm.
By then, it was time for more sustainance. We'd planned to meet at Burger Continental at 6:30 for their $2 cheeseburgers and karaoke night. It's an alternative family home evening to many former/current Pasadena ward members. A great group of friends showed up (Robyn, Kevin, John Blood, Chester & Marilyn, and Lorie). We even karaoked! We meaning Robyn, then me, Lorie and Marilyn doing our rendition of "My Favorite Things." Remind me to post photos!
After the festivities, Mike and I went home to pack. Our plans for breakfast the next day with my New Era colleague didn't pan out, but we had lunch at Tito's with Marilyn and Lorie before heading to the airport.
Our plane was delayed on the ground in LA for an hour. If you're in that fix, it's nice to be in first class. They kept us hydrated and fed us shortly after we got off the ground. We watched most of "Into The Wild" before the plane landed in San Antonio.
When we were about 60 miles north of McAllen, we saw emergency vehicles parked on the highway and traffic exiting. Mike slowed to ask traffic directors what road we were supposed to take. 1017 they hollered and waved us on. It's the middle of the night, we're worn out and taking a farm road that goes god knows where. GREAT.
Then I noticed the smoke and the still-burning vegetation along the road. Yikes. We probably took close to a 80-mile detour by the time we were allowed back on the highway.
When we got home, now two+ hours later than we expected to arrive, we found
a car parked in our driveway. Huh? Inside, we found our cat sitter asleep on the couch. Our bustling woke her and she explained the power was out on her block. We moved her to an actual bed in the guest room before turning in ourselves.
Eight a.m. came too early the next day, so I called in to work and said I'd be in that afternoon. My co-worker said she was surprised we got home at all. Severe weather in other parts of the state grounded and canceled flights into McAllen and Harlingen. Plus a major wind-driven wildfire burned out of control on both sides of the highway and forced it to close. (We kinda knew about that part).
Needless to say, it was nice to finally hit the sack after a long day of travels and detours.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Trippin' Part Deux
Mom lobbied for us to attend church with her and dad Sunday morning. Who am I to deprive a loving mom from basking in the glow of knowing (and hearing other people confirm) that I turned out well/look good? Was lovely to see many familiar folks from the ward I grew up in (Rosemead) and the singles ward (Arcadia/Temple City).
After a round of post-sacrament meeting hugs and introductions, we chatted in the lobby with Bro. Foutz. I teased him about being old enough to have a kid on a mission--until I realized that made me old, too.
We tore ourselves away in time to make it to Pasadena Ward's sacrament meeting. We visited briefly with beloved folks on the way in. We sang the same sacrament hymn in both meetings--what are the odds?
When the second, astonishingly young high council speaker got to the microphone, the former RS president said "Psst, that's Kip from Napoleon Dynamite!" I wouldn't have recognized him otherwise. How very L.A. to have a celebrity sighting at church. It was a good talk, too.
After the meeting, we visited some more and said hi to the choir rehearsing for Easter Sunday. Wish we could have stayed to sing, but we were meeting mom & dad at Claim Jumper (after a pleasant/strident talk about keeping the Sabbath day holy in their ward). The blackened salmon Caesar and slab of carrot cake were worth imperiling my soul.
Brother John couldn't join us Sunday and his schedule was packed the rest of our visit. Hope to catch up with him in person soon.
After lunch, we visited cousin Marian & Rowan. We had a good time talking about Texas and health care. We strolled around the gardens (where we had our wedding) and took pics of the azaleas and camellias before heading home for a long nap.
After a round of post-sacrament meeting hugs and introductions, we chatted in the lobby with Bro. Foutz. I teased him about being old enough to have a kid on a mission--until I realized that made me old, too.
We tore ourselves away in time to make it to Pasadena Ward's sacrament meeting. We visited briefly with beloved folks on the way in. We sang the same sacrament hymn in both meetings--what are the odds?
When the second, astonishingly young high council speaker got to the microphone, the former RS president said "Psst, that's Kip from Napoleon Dynamite!" I wouldn't have recognized him otherwise. How very L.A. to have a celebrity sighting at church. It was a good talk, too.
After the meeting, we visited some more and said hi to the choir rehearsing for Easter Sunday. Wish we could have stayed to sing, but we were meeting mom & dad at Claim Jumper (after a pleasant/strident talk about keeping the Sabbath day holy in their ward). The blackened salmon Caesar and slab of carrot cake were worth imperiling my soul.
Brother John couldn't join us Sunday and his schedule was packed the rest of our visit. Hope to catch up with him in person soon.
After lunch, we visited cousin Marian & Rowan. We had a good time talking about Texas and health care. We strolled around the gardens (where we had our wedding) and took pics of the azaleas and camellias before heading home for a long nap.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Trippin'
We drove to San Antonio early Wednesday to catch our flight. Mike surprised me with first class upgrades--such pampering. Hot towels to refresh us, heated mixed nuts, lunch, unlimited beverages, warm cookies for dessert. Mmmmm. We'll be in the back of the bus for the ride home, but it was a nice treat.
We headed to Tito's Tacos for a late lunch and brought food home to mom and dad. Fortunately, we got on the road slightly before rush hour proper started. Sadly, that stretch of the 10 freeway requires 3 passengers to be a carpool.
Thursday we headed to Garden Grove to meet with Lee Gibson and afterward enjoyed a proper afternoon tea with Lee and his business partner, Mary. We chilled at home for a bit before picking up mango chicken and heading to Lee & Angela's for an Asian potluck dinner with Chris, Kirsten, Lorie, Carlan and the rapidly growing Emma, Isabella and Skye.
Friday morning, we met my former classmate, Bill, for breakfast al fresco and gorgeous mountain views in Sierra Madre. Immediately after that, we booked over to Studio City to meet another classmate, Elina, for lunch at the Italian restaurant next to her design showroom. We caught up over heavenly food--my pillowy ravioli with sage and butter was the best I've had.
Friday evening, we headed to Claremont for the opening session of Sunstone West: a film screening of "Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons." Twas an amazing film, delving into early Balck church members, the priesthood ban, the perspectives of members who joined before and after the priesthood ban was lifted.
I was heartened that the film explicitly acknowledged that the "priesthood" ban also affected Black women, who were excluded from serving missions, participating in temple rituals and being able to marry in LDS temples until 1978. It's a point I have raised in every discussion of Blacks and the priesthood I've participated in and that has been consistently brushed aside by whomever is leading the discussion.
Saturday's Sunstone sessions were equally interesting. I attended Seth Payne's session on the study of the ex-Mormon narrative, the lawyer-heavy Why We Stay panel, and the post-lunch plenary session on the legacy of the late President Hinckley. Some of the tributes were gushing, but Mike and Doe did very well at introducing some of the less-sunny implications of Hinckley's long tenure in top church leadership.
My session responding to a paper on Mormonism and immigration went well and was well attended, and the capstone was the presentation on the genesis of the What Women Know document and web site. It was invigorating to revisit the thought processes and work that went into the statement and a powerful example of positive dissent. The discussion carried on among the thirtysome people who went to dinner afterward. I'm glad we made the trip; everything went smoothly and people seemed to enjoy the presentations.
More later on our celebrity sighting at church!
We headed to Tito's Tacos for a late lunch and brought food home to mom and dad. Fortunately, we got on the road slightly before rush hour proper started. Sadly, that stretch of the 10 freeway requires 3 passengers to be a carpool.
Thursday we headed to Garden Grove to meet with Lee Gibson and afterward enjoyed a proper afternoon tea with Lee and his business partner, Mary. We chilled at home for a bit before picking up mango chicken and heading to Lee & Angela's for an Asian potluck dinner with Chris, Kirsten, Lorie, Carlan and the rapidly growing Emma, Isabella and Skye.
Friday morning, we met my former classmate, Bill, for breakfast al fresco and gorgeous mountain views in Sierra Madre. Immediately after that, we booked over to Studio City to meet another classmate, Elina, for lunch at the Italian restaurant next to her design showroom. We caught up over heavenly food--my pillowy ravioli with sage and butter was the best I've had.
Friday evening, we headed to Claremont for the opening session of Sunstone West: a film screening of "Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons." Twas an amazing film, delving into early Balck church members, the priesthood ban, the perspectives of members who joined before and after the priesthood ban was lifted.
I was heartened that the film explicitly acknowledged that the "priesthood" ban also affected Black women, who were excluded from serving missions, participating in temple rituals and being able to marry in LDS temples until 1978. It's a point I have raised in every discussion of Blacks and the priesthood I've participated in and that has been consistently brushed aside by whomever is leading the discussion.
Saturday's Sunstone sessions were equally interesting. I attended Seth Payne's session on the study of the ex-Mormon narrative, the lawyer-heavy Why We Stay panel, and the post-lunch plenary session on the legacy of the late President Hinckley. Some of the tributes were gushing, but Mike and Doe did very well at introducing some of the less-sunny implications of Hinckley's long tenure in top church leadership.
My session responding to a paper on Mormonism and immigration went well and was well attended, and the capstone was the presentation on the genesis of the What Women Know document and web site. It was invigorating to revisit the thought processes and work that went into the statement and a powerful example of positive dissent. The discussion carried on among the thirtysome people who went to dinner afterward. I'm glad we made the trip; everything went smoothly and people seemed to enjoy the presentations.
More later on our celebrity sighting at church!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Unscrewed
Guy came at 11:00 am Thursday to fix my DB, bless him.
I toiled the rest of the day and all Friday morning to get ready for our meeting to clean up the spring audit findings. A frustrating process, since the accountnts seemed to think that if something was resolved on their end, it was likewise fixed on mine. NOT SO.
Until I can print up a new report in all its fixed-ness, it's NOT FIXED.
Each remaining audit item now has a fix-it person assigned to it. I have two days to clean it up before I leave for CA. When I get back, we'll be working on the 86 summer audit findings to be resolved neatly by April 1.
Oh, and somewhere in there, I need to keep cleaning up fall reports which have their own, seemingly endless parade of problems.
I toiled the rest of the day and all Friday morning to get ready for our meeting to clean up the spring audit findings. A frustrating process, since the accountnts seemed to think that if something was resolved on their end, it was likewise fixed on mine. NOT SO.
Until I can print up a new report in all its fixed-ness, it's NOT FIXED.
Each remaining audit item now has a fix-it person assigned to it. I have two days to clean it up before I leave for CA. When I get back, we'll be working on the 86 summer audit findings to be resolved neatly by April 1.
Oh, and somewhere in there, I need to keep cleaning up fall reports which have their own, seemingly endless parade of problems.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Screwed
Guy worked on my database all morning while I tried to find non-computer tasks to keep me busy.
I didn't try to log in to the DB until an hour after lunch when a pair of accountants wanted to check status on some audit items.
Guess what? I CAN'T LOG IN. One of the queries is missing or misspelled. This mucks up, oh, EVERYTHING.
Soonest Guy can come back to work on it? Tomorrow after lunch.
Of the three semesters I'm working on, I can only see/work on Fall. Fall, which is third on my priority list. I'm expected to have both Spring and Summer all cleaned up by April 1.
So I dunno, rather than cry at my desk some more, I thought I'd blog about it. Because I seriously can't do anything else until halfway through THURSDAY.
I didn't try to log in to the DB until an hour after lunch when a pair of accountants wanted to check status on some audit items.
Guess what? I CAN'T LOG IN. One of the queries is missing or misspelled. This mucks up, oh, EVERYTHING.
Soonest Guy can come back to work on it? Tomorrow after lunch.
Of the three semesters I'm working on, I can only see/work on Fall. Fall, which is third on my priority list. I'm expected to have both Spring and Summer all cleaned up by April 1.
So I dunno, rather than cry at my desk some more, I thought I'd blog about it. Because I seriously can't do anything else until halfway through THURSDAY.
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