Just wanted to let everyone know that we're doing fine. We, along with most everyone in town, stayed inside almost all day yesterday, and the roads were near empty. We had some heavy rain and bouts of whistling wind pretty much all day/all evening (and it still continues) and the sky looks pretty ominous, but not even close to what they were showing on TV. They say we only got 3-5 inches in our area. We had tornado warnings throughout a good part of the day, and that was kind of unsettling to hear the sirens going off in the distance and coming from the TV periodically. There were some power outages, but our lights never went out.
Everyone in town pretty much breathed a collective sigh of relief. Gustav, at least for our area, was NOT a repeat of Katrina. I guess the worst that happened to us is that we were bored being cooped up all day long. The scene was reminiscent of the children's book, "The Cat in the Hat" --a boy and a girl staring gloomily out the window with the narrator reading in the background--“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.”
As I mentioned before, there are lots of refugees from down south staying in town, and the governor has told everyone to stay put until Wednesday. I'm sure there will be some damage and flooding for some when they return home. School remains closed today, which is probably a good thing, since a lot of local students with family near the coast traveled with their families to evacuate to other states etc.
The general feeling down here is that the media only thinks that Katrina affected New Orleans, when in fact many other places took a direct hit. I noticed yesterday as we watched the news that that was still the case (though understandable). It's been a bit difficult to sort out what's actually true coming from the media or if things are being exaggerated in order to get a news story. This morning I read on the local newspaper's website that there were "gaping holes where fists of air punched through" many billboards in town, when in fact, that was done beforehand as a preventative measure to keep the signs from catching the wind and toppling over.
Well, there go the tornado warning bells again...
Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Another Saturday in Laurel
Yesterday we decided to go to a gator farm south of Laurel for our Saturday entertainment. However, after driving around in the deep woods (it was a little eerie, and we both agreed we were a little scared), the neighbor lady said it had closed down. So we decided to go to nearby Landrums which is kind of similar to Wheeler Farm in Murray or the Old West town at Lagoon except for it was the Old South. It's a little replica city from olden times--a blacksmith shop, a pig pen, a log cabin etc. Though that was a bit eerie too since we were the only ones there and there was cheery music playing in the background (it conjured up images of Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes").
The highlight was playing in the "mystery house" where the floors are built on a angle. The house basically plays tricks with your mind. I got so dizzy I had to sit down and both of us were staggering all over the place.
On the way up to Laurel (heading north) we had passed several convoys of National Guardsmen going south to the coast as well as lots of motor coaches. We mentioned the convoy to a lady at Landrums, and I guess she figured that since we had recently moved there we had no idea what was going on and she proceded to tell us that a hurricane was coming and we better get ready!!
The highlight was playing in the "mystery house" where the floors are built on a angle. The house basically plays tricks with your mind. I got so dizzy I had to sit down and both of us were staggering all over the place.
On the way up to Laurel (heading north) we had passed several convoys of National Guardsmen going south to the coast as well as lots of motor coaches. We mentioned the convoy to a lady at Landrums, and I guess she figured that since we had recently moved there we had no idea what was going on and she proceded to tell us that a hurricane was coming and we better get ready!!
As Gustav approaches...
We thought some might be interested in what's happening in our part of the world. Everything and everyone is completely focused on Gustav right now. We've never watched a hurricane's movements so completely before. We have our home pages set to the National Hurricane Center and the MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) website, and there's a new advisory out every few hours.
For those of you who don't know where we're living now---time to get out the map--we're in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
So far it looks like Hattiesburg won't be as badly affected as it was with Katrina three years ago, but they're expecting high winds, rain, and possible tornadoes. A big fear is damage from falling trees (the city lost 1/3 of all its trees last time, which is a lot since Hattiesburg was cut out of a forest). Apparently damage is always worse to the east of a hurricane (and we are east) because of the counter-clockwise movement of the storm.
The third hour of church was a combined meeting where they made sure everyone was prepared and answered questions, last minute instructions were given etc. We had to fill out a sheet with all our contact info saying how much water we had etc. A member of our ward works for the fire department and so came to church in jeans to give us some info and then left. We have members of the church from the near coastal town of Slidell living in our ward building.
For about twelve hours today they turned both sides of the major freeway, the I-59, into north-flowing traffic to facilitate evacuees from the coast. The roads have been jam-packed but traffic seems to be lessening a bit now. We're hoping that means most people got out early. To further facilite evacuation, they've turned all lights green on the north/south flowing highway 49 which runs through the center of town and are blocking east/west access to the road except for four e/w roads in town that are overpasses.
I think Jeff and I are personally in a very good spot in town. We're in a second floor apartment, and we don't have many trees close by that could fall on us etc. Clouds are already quickly rolling in from the south, and they expect the rain to begin around midnight (I take that back--it just started raining and blowing hard right now).
Oh, for those of you who are wondering about my job prospects, I was supposed to find out Friday if I got the job I've been interviewing for, but they had to cancel the last interview so that they could coordinate evacuation efforts for their campus in Gulfport. So it'll be at least another week before I know.
Also just found out that all schools are closed Tuesday.
For those of you who don't know where we're living now---time to get out the map--we're in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
So far it looks like Hattiesburg won't be as badly affected as it was with Katrina three years ago, but they're expecting high winds, rain, and possible tornadoes. A big fear is damage from falling trees (the city lost 1/3 of all its trees last time, which is a lot since Hattiesburg was cut out of a forest). Apparently damage is always worse to the east of a hurricane (and we are east) because of the counter-clockwise movement of the storm.
The third hour of church was a combined meeting where they made sure everyone was prepared and answered questions, last minute instructions were given etc. We had to fill out a sheet with all our contact info saying how much water we had etc. A member of our ward works for the fire department and so came to church in jeans to give us some info and then left. We have members of the church from the near coastal town of Slidell living in our ward building.
For about twelve hours today they turned both sides of the major freeway, the I-59, into north-flowing traffic to facilitate evacuees from the coast. The roads have been jam-packed but traffic seems to be lessening a bit now. We're hoping that means most people got out early. To further facilite evacuation, they've turned all lights green on the north/south flowing highway 49 which runs through the center of town and are blocking east/west access to the road except for four e/w roads in town that are overpasses.
I think Jeff and I are personally in a very good spot in town. We're in a second floor apartment, and we don't have many trees close by that could fall on us etc. Clouds are already quickly rolling in from the south, and they expect the rain to begin around midnight (I take that back--it just started raining and blowing hard right now).
Oh, for those of you who are wondering about my job prospects, I was supposed to find out Friday if I got the job I've been interviewing for, but they had to cancel the last interview so that they could coordinate evacuation efforts for their campus in Gulfport. So it'll be at least another week before I know.
Also just found out that all schools are closed Tuesday.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Waiting for Gustav
Dear all,
Ah, it's lovely here in Hattiesburg. The weather is warm, the people are polite, and the English Department is a never-ending source of entertainment--that is, listening to stories about the professors getting hammered with the students at academic conferences. I guess there was some dancing going on in New Orleans, and then eight people crammed into a car in the French Quarter, and...never mind.
M. and I went down to the little town of Picayune, Mississippi last weekend. We were looking for "India 4 U," touted as the best Indian restaurant in Mississippi by someone in the program with me. Sadly, the restaurant was out of business. Looking in the guide book, M. noticed that there was a famous arboretum nearby--which, upon our arrival, we also found to be closed. The only thing left to do in town was visit "Paul's Pastry Shop," the world's largest maker of "King Cakes," cakes eaten at Mardi Gras. Inside each cake is a small, plastic baby figurine, and whoever gets the baby (hopefully not choking to death on it) has to host a Mardi Gras party the next year.
So, at the least, it was a nice drive, and, at the most, it was a lesson in Southern culture. We had some people from the ward over on Sunday to eat the cake (which gave me a royally upset stomach), and nobody got the baby; perhaps that's for the best.
The big news now is that, having had Hurricane Fay pass by us, we're preparing for the possible visit of Hurricane Gustav, which is currently glowering somewhere south of Cuba. We still don't know exactly where it will go; a lot depends on whether it hits Cuba or not. If it touches land, it loses energy; if it stays over water, it grows. Thus, we would love nothing more than for it to make landfall in some desolate, uninhabited part of Cuba--where it won't hurt anybody--and dump all its energy.
However, like I said, we're preparing. The calls went out from the ward last night to get our 72-hour survival kits ready. Bottled water is flying off the shelves at the grocery stores, and we need to keep the car gassed up. Right now, the weather forecasters are thinking that the storm--if it comes this way--would probably hit on Monday or Tuesday; we'll see.
Please pray for us and the greater Gulf Coast area; goodness knows that New Orleans doesn't need another hit from a hurricane.
Ah, it's lovely here in Hattiesburg. The weather is warm, the people are polite, and the English Department is a never-ending source of entertainment--that is, listening to stories about the professors getting hammered with the students at academic conferences. I guess there was some dancing going on in New Orleans, and then eight people crammed into a car in the French Quarter, and...never mind.
M. and I went down to the little town of Picayune, Mississippi last weekend. We were looking for "India 4 U," touted as the best Indian restaurant in Mississippi by someone in the program with me. Sadly, the restaurant was out of business. Looking in the guide book, M. noticed that there was a famous arboretum nearby--which, upon our arrival, we also found to be closed. The only thing left to do in town was visit "Paul's Pastry Shop," the world's largest maker of "King Cakes," cakes eaten at Mardi Gras. Inside each cake is a small, plastic baby figurine, and whoever gets the baby (hopefully not choking to death on it) has to host a Mardi Gras party the next year.
So, at the least, it was a nice drive, and, at the most, it was a lesson in Southern culture. We had some people from the ward over on Sunday to eat the cake (which gave me a royally upset stomach), and nobody got the baby; perhaps that's for the best.
The big news now is that, having had Hurricane Fay pass by us, we're preparing for the possible visit of Hurricane Gustav, which is currently glowering somewhere south of Cuba. We still don't know exactly where it will go; a lot depends on whether it hits Cuba or not. If it touches land, it loses energy; if it stays over water, it grows. Thus, we would love nothing more than for it to make landfall in some desolate, uninhabited part of Cuba--where it won't hurt anybody--and dump all its energy.
However, like I said, we're preparing. The calls went out from the ward last night to get our 72-hour survival kits ready. Bottled water is flying off the shelves at the grocery stores, and we need to keep the car gassed up. Right now, the weather forecasters are thinking that the storm--if it comes this way--would probably hit on Monday or Tuesday; we'll see.
Please pray for us and the greater Gulf Coast area; goodness knows that New Orleans doesn't need another hit from a hurricane.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Trouble at the DMV
We went to get our driver's licenses today at the DMV. The building was actually a trailer in the middle of nowhere in a forest (Mississippi style?). I brought all my proper documentation as listed on the website, but the not-so-nice government worker and then her supervisor put me through the ringer, saying that, "Yes, you can use the gas bill with your husband's name on it to prove domicile, but did you bring your marriage certificate to prove he is your husband? For all we know, you could be siblings, ma'am." I showed them my social security card with my maiden name. Apparently not acceptable. I had brought the printout of the requirements from the website, and I very politely pointed out that it said nothing about bringing a marriage certificate, but they just brushed me off and treated me like I was being unreasonable. As you can imagine, I was not pleased. So I sulked in a chair and looked at the dirty floor while Jeff got his license. Then I pointed and said, "Ha!" when I noticed the phrase, "The Hospitality State" emblazoned across Jeff's new license. I may look nice, but as you can see I get ticked off every now and again.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Longleaf Trace
Tonight we decided to explore the Longleaf Trace which is a biking/walking etc. trail that runs just to the north of our apartment complex. It starts in Hattiesburg and follows a northeastly direction for 41 miles until it ends in Prentiss. It's nice and flat, and I told Jeff I wanted to try to walk the 41 miles one day sometime during the three years we're here (though I'd prefer to make friends with someone that would be willing to be waiting in Prentiss with the car so that we didn't have to make the return trip). Apparently Hattiesburg does not have any sidewalks, so it's a good thing there's a nice walking trail close by (the only problem is getting to the trail without being hit by a car!)
I love the evenings here. It's still comfortably warmish, but there's usually a nice little breeze. Though tonight I realized how heavy the air really is and actually noticed it was a little harder to breathe here. And the air always looks misty and akin to a mirage. Hattiesburg has an elevation of 220 ft. and Salt Lake City is at about 4,300 ft., so that's a big difference for us.
We were scared to death that some tick would latch onto some part of our bodies while we walked the trail, but thankfully, I think we're okay (at least for tonight!)
There's always a deafening "bug symphony" coming from any tree or wooded area here. Jeff tells me this is because of the cries of the cicadas.
We live right on the boundary of two counties (Forrest and Lamar) but thanks to the signs along the trail learned that we actually live in Forrest County (darn! we were hoping to break away from the KKK connection).
I love the evenings here. It's still comfortably warmish, but there's usually a nice little breeze. Though tonight I realized how heavy the air really is and actually noticed it was a little harder to breathe here. And the air always looks misty and akin to a mirage. Hattiesburg has an elevation of 220 ft. and Salt Lake City is at about 4,300 ft., so that's a big difference for us.
We were scared to death that some tick would latch onto some part of our bodies while we walked the trail, but thankfully, I think we're okay (at least for tonight!)
There's always a deafening "bug symphony" coming from any tree or wooded area here. Jeff tells me this is because of the cries of the cicadas.
We live right on the boundary of two counties (Forrest and Lamar) but thanks to the signs along the trail learned that we actually live in Forrest County (darn! we were hoping to break away from the KKK connection).
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Lauren Rogers Museum
When we moved to Mississississississippi, we swore that we would do something every weekend, even if we were dead tired. It was just one of those things that needed to be done--I mean, neither Mel nor I were particularly familiar with the South, and how could we have been? We can't let this opportunity go to waste.
So, today, we went to 1) the Petal Farmer's Market (Petal is the city adjacent to Hattiesburg on the northeast), and 2) the Lauren Rogers Museum in Laurel, which is about twenty-five miles northeast. (See? We live in the South. Everything, almost, is north.)
The Petal Farmer's Market was pretty pathetic. There were three tents, and we didn't even get out of the car. (As a side note, we went to the Hattiesburg Farmer's Market on Thursday, and it was much, much better. The tamale lady made some fine cuisine, indeed.)
The museum, though, was very good. We drove for a little bit--the speed limits are higher here in Mississippi, and you can cover some serious territory very quickly--and arrived in Laurel. It looked pretty descrepit at first, but we soon found the older, more historic part of town, which had some nice Southern-style mansions and such, one of which had been converted into the museum. Apparently, Lauren Rogers was a young man--yes, a man--who died soon after marrying. Anyway, the family estate got turned into a museum, which is proportionately very prestigious, especially considering how it's in a tiny town in the Gulf Coast. Heck, they even hosted Chihuly a while back (!). So, yep, it was nifty.
Driving home, though, was another matter. We were both starving, and we saw a billboard for a place called "The Flaming Pineapple," so, with a name like that, we had to visit. We took a wrong turn, though, and ended up back in Hattiesburg about thirty minutes later. Eh, oops.
So, so far, we've kept our promise.
So, today, we went to 1) the Petal Farmer's Market (Petal is the city adjacent to Hattiesburg on the northeast), and 2) the Lauren Rogers Museum in Laurel, which is about twenty-five miles northeast. (See? We live in the South. Everything, almost, is north.)
The Petal Farmer's Market was pretty pathetic. There were three tents, and we didn't even get out of the car. (As a side note, we went to the Hattiesburg Farmer's Market on Thursday, and it was much, much better. The tamale lady made some fine cuisine, indeed.)
The museum, though, was very good. We drove for a little bit--the speed limits are higher here in Mississippi, and you can cover some serious territory very quickly--and arrived in Laurel. It looked pretty descrepit at first, but we soon found the older, more historic part of town, which had some nice Southern-style mansions and such, one of which had been converted into the museum. Apparently, Lauren Rogers was a young man--yes, a man--who died soon after marrying. Anyway, the family estate got turned into a museum, which is proportionately very prestigious, especially considering how it's in a tiny town in the Gulf Coast. Heck, they even hosted Chihuly a while back (!). So, yep, it was nifty.
Driving home, though, was another matter. We were both starving, and we saw a billboard for a place called "The Flaming Pineapple," so, with a name like that, we had to visit. We took a wrong turn, though, and ended up back in Hattiesburg about thirty minutes later. Eh, oops.
So, so far, we've kept our promise.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Pictures from Family Goodbye Party
Finally, here are the pictures from our goodbye party with my family. First, a few of us did a session at the Bountiful Temple, and then we met for a late night "let's eat cause we're really hungry" party at a park by our house in Murray. As you can tell, we all had a wonderful time. Most of the photos are courtesy of my niece, Libby, who had the best time of all. We were glad Jeff's Aunt Gayleen was able to go to the temple with us too since we don't get to see her very often.
My ordeal this morning
Now that Jeff and I are sharing a car, I decided I wanted to clean it out. After dropping J. off to school at about 10 a.m., I stopped at a gas station, parked the car, opened all the doors, and deposited my four quarters in the vacuum machine. Nothing. I went inside the gas station to ask if the machines were working. "I'm sorry, but those don't even belong to us, so I don't know." So I tried the vacuum on the other side. This time putting one quarter in seemed to do the trick. When the power shut off after a few minutes, I added four more quarters thinking that the one quarter thing was just a fluke. Nothing. It was so hot and humid that by the time I'd gone through this whole process I was beyond "glowing" (i.e. sweating with style). A man was sitting on the curb in front of the convenience store at the gas station and seemed to be watching every phase of my ordeal very intently. He kept saying things to me which I imagine were about the vacuums, but I couldn't understand a word he said with his accent. So I just continued nodding my head like I undersood, and called out things like, "Yes, that's right." So then I went home and proceeded to freeze all day in the house because of the dried perspiration on my body, but I didn't really want to take another shower since I had just taken one....Oh boy....I thought I had gotten used to this in Costa Rica, but I must be out of practice after seven years!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Dear all,
As I wrote several weeks back, we have arrived.
However, this time, it's permanent. Well, permanent until I graduate with my Ph.D. and get a job somewhere.
Here are the answers to many of the questions we've received:
Q: Are you coming back to Utah?
A: Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on where I get offered a job in three years.
Q: Do you want to go to California?
A: Yes, but it all depends on where I get offered a job in three years.
Q: Is there ______________ (fill in the blank: electricity, literacy, modern medicine, etc.) in Mississippi?
A: Yes. Mississippi is a modern state. Rural, but modern.
Q: How long will it take you to get your Ph.D.?
A: Three years, which is really fast, as far as Ph.D.s go. Most Ph.D. programs take around five years--and sometimes more, especially for the hard sciences. Plus, in the hard sciences, you're usually expected to do postdoctoral work, which takes even more time.
Q: What happened to the Explorer?
A: We gave it to the Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho; you know, it's that charity with the slightly amusing jingle on the radio about "mak[ing] your car a kidney car." It actually went really smoothly.
Q: Does it rain a lot in Mississippi?
A: It certainly does where we live. Today, Melanie wondered out loud, as we drove through a typhoon, "Did we move to freaking India?"
We're still getting settled, but things are going well. I've had Writing Center orientation for the past two days, since I'll be a tutor in the Writing Center here, and tomorrow I begin my teacher training.
We appreciate your prayers--we feel them. Please continue. We love you all.
J.
As I wrote several weeks back, we have arrived.
However, this time, it's permanent. Well, permanent until I graduate with my Ph.D. and get a job somewhere.
Here are the answers to many of the questions we've received:
Q: Are you coming back to Utah?
A: Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on where I get offered a job in three years.
Q: Do you want to go to California?
A: Yes, but it all depends on where I get offered a job in three years.
Q: Is there ______________ (fill in the blank: electricity, literacy, modern medicine, etc.) in Mississippi?
A: Yes. Mississippi is a modern state. Rural, but modern.
Q: How long will it take you to get your Ph.D.?
A: Three years, which is really fast, as far as Ph.D.s go. Most Ph.D. programs take around five years--and sometimes more, especially for the hard sciences. Plus, in the hard sciences, you're usually expected to do postdoctoral work, which takes even more time.
Q: What happened to the Explorer?
A: We gave it to the Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho; you know, it's that charity with the slightly amusing jingle on the radio about "mak[ing] your car a kidney car." It actually went really smoothly.
Q: Does it rain a lot in Mississippi?
A: It certainly does where we live. Today, Melanie wondered out loud, as we drove through a typhoon, "Did we move to freaking India?"
We're still getting settled, but things are going well. I've had Writing Center orientation for the past two days, since I'll be a tutor in the Writing Center here, and tomorrow I begin my teacher training.
We appreciate your prayers--we feel them. Please continue. We love you all.
J.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Lincoln, Nebraska
Well, ten hours later, here we are at the Holiday Inn Express in lovely Lincoln, NE. We've learned that the estimated travel times on Mapquest are not necessarily true in our case. We have to multiply the estimated time by 1.25--so instead of an eight hour drive, it takes us ten hours. The Penske truck only goes so fast, and I-80 has lots of construction (about half the time we're down to one lane).
We got a late start this morning because of an adjustment we had to make with the tow dolly that's hauling Jeff's car (now my car too--we got rid of the red cherry bomb Ford Explorer).
We've noticed lots of Penske moving trucks hauling cars along I-80, and each time we see the yellow Penske trucks, we both raise our right arm in a gesture of greeting and simultaneously utter the word "Brother!"
Then of course the highlight of the day was stopping at the world headquarters of Cabellas. We asked one of the employees what was different about the headquarters when compared to other stores, and she said that some of the "stuffed animals" (ie taxidermied animals on display) had been "taken" by the founders of the company. Jeff said about Cabellas, "Whoa!" and I for one did not appreciate the juxtaposition of the words "gun" and "library" in the same phrase (that's what they call their expensive gun vault). I had also hoped to buy a pack of gum, but alas, the store did not carry any. I was very disappointed and muttered bitterly, "Maybe we should have asked for gum jerky."
So, as you can see, all is going splendidly well on our trek to our new homeland, and we have luckily not lost our sense of humor. This is probably due to the fact that we listen to NPR and eat smarties, red vines, and cheese puffs all day long (thanks, Mom!)
See y'all soon!
We got a late start this morning because of an adjustment we had to make with the tow dolly that's hauling Jeff's car (now my car too--we got rid of the red cherry bomb Ford Explorer).
We've noticed lots of Penske moving trucks hauling cars along I-80, and each time we see the yellow Penske trucks, we both raise our right arm in a gesture of greeting and simultaneously utter the word "Brother!"
Then of course the highlight of the day was stopping at the world headquarters of Cabellas. We asked one of the employees what was different about the headquarters when compared to other stores, and she said that some of the "stuffed animals" (ie taxidermied animals on display) had been "taken" by the founders of the company. Jeff said about Cabellas, "Whoa!" and I for one did not appreciate the juxtaposition of the words "gun" and "library" in the same phrase (that's what they call their expensive gun vault). I had also hoped to buy a pack of gum, but alas, the store did not carry any. I was very disappointed and muttered bitterly, "Maybe we should have asked for gum jerky."
So, as you can see, all is going splendidly well on our trek to our new homeland, and we have luckily not lost our sense of humor. This is probably due to the fact that we listen to NPR and eat smarties, red vines, and cheese puffs all day long (thanks, Mom!)
See y'all soon!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Rawlins, Wyoming
Right now, it's 9:58pm on Wednesday, and I'm sitting in Meeting Room #2 in a hotel in Rawlins, Wyoming. That's right--the meeting room. And I'm grateful for it, because it seems that this whole town is full of travelers like myself. (Supposedly, there was vacancy in a motel down the freeway, but a meeting room in the hand is worth a honeymoon suite down the freeway.)
Yes, there is a bed and a bathroom. One wall is a folding partition, like the kind that separates the chapel from the cultural hall in church meetinghouses. But, hey, it's OURS, and I really am quite grateful.
I hope our pizza arrives soon...
Yes, there is a bed and a bathroom. One wall is a folding partition, like the kind that separates the chapel from the cultural hall in church meetinghouses. But, hey, it's OURS, and I really am quite grateful.
I hope our pizza arrives soon...
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Gratitude
Dear all,
Pictures will certainly follow, but I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the going-away party that the Petersens threw for us this evening. I haven't had people do something like that for me in a very, very long time. It was almost overwhelming. You are all amazing.
And--one last time, to assuage my guilty conscience, so please bear with me--I apologize for any derogatory remarks about Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Thanks especially to those responsible for bringing Farr's ice cream. You rock, royally.
And, yes, pictures will be up soon.
Pictures will certainly follow, but I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the going-away party that the Petersens threw for us this evening. I haven't had people do something like that for me in a very, very long time. It was almost overwhelming. You are all amazing.
And--one last time, to assuage my guilty conscience, so please bear with me--I apologize for any derogatory remarks about Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Thanks especially to those responsible for bringing Farr's ice cream. You rock, royally.
And, yes, pictures will be up soon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A redaction, of sorts
Dear all,
Earlier today, I posted a...post...about a satirical blog that had received press coverage in the Deseret Morning News; I was wondering what people thought about it. However, throughout the day, I realized that I probably ought to take the link down. See, I started reading the fake blog and, while I can see from where the humor derives, it also has certain elements with which I don't want *my* blog to be associated. (It's treatment of spousal intimacy, for example, was a bit, uh, coy and perverse at the same time. It's hard to describe.)
My cousin-in-law, Kirsten, commented on the matter, saying:
"Um, I'm not sure what to think, I found it somewhat amusing, and I kinda really want one of the t-shirts, but it started to really get on my nerves. It reminded me of these books that I had just finished reading that are set in the future, and the powers-that-be mandate a special surgery where everyone comes out braindamaged but happy and superficial all the time and life's perfect, and life's one big party, etc. etc. I know it's a big joke, and we've all seen (or written) blog posts with certain elements that she's making fun of, but it got old pretty fast."
Interesting comment, Kirsten--hence, I'm reprinting it here. What books were those, by the way? It sounds a lot like Kurt Vonegut's "Harrison Bergeron," but that's a short story.
Thus, I have deleted the post. Anyone who's sufficiently motivated can, I'm sure, find it, if they so desire.
Earlier today, I posted a...post...about a satirical blog that had received press coverage in the Deseret Morning News; I was wondering what people thought about it. However, throughout the day, I realized that I probably ought to take the link down. See, I started reading the fake blog and, while I can see from where the humor derives, it also has certain elements with which I don't want *my* blog to be associated. (It's treatment of spousal intimacy, for example, was a bit, uh, coy and perverse at the same time. It's hard to describe.)
My cousin-in-law, Kirsten, commented on the matter, saying:
"Um, I'm not sure what to think, I found it somewhat amusing, and I kinda really want one of the t-shirts, but it started to really get on my nerves. It reminded me of these books that I had just finished reading that are set in the future, and the powers-that-be mandate a special surgery where everyone comes out braindamaged but happy and superficial all the time and life's perfect, and life's one big party, etc. etc. I know it's a big joke, and we've all seen (or written) blog posts with certain elements that she's making fun of, but it got old pretty fast."
Interesting comment, Kirsten--hence, I'm reprinting it here. What books were those, by the way? It sounds a lot like Kurt Vonegut's "Harrison Bergeron," but that's a short story.
Thus, I have deleted the post. Anyone who's sufficiently motivated can, I'm sure, find it, if they so desire.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Memory Game
Our impending move to Missisippi has made me a bit nostalgic. My aunt Carrie's blog gave me the idea to have friends/family share some memories.
Here are the rules.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you... either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you back!
3. If the memory happens to involve my husband, please include him!
4. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all ☺Okay, let's see what you've got!
Melanie
Here are the rules.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you... either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you back!
3. If the memory happens to involve my husband, please include him!
4. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all ☺Okay, let's see what you've got!
Melanie
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
One more problem with the accent
I had another incident which shows my lack of understanding of the Southern accent. I went to the local public library to ask about possible jobs. Since no one was in the administration office, I started talking to one of the staff members working at the children's reference desk and pumping her for information. After a few minutes of chatting she suggested I go to the circ desk and ask to see Miss Donna Davis. I couldn't quite make out the name because of her accent, and so clarified with, "I'm sorry. What was the first name? Mizahna?" "No, ma'am," she replied, trying not to smile at my mistake. "Here we refer to everyone as Miss or Mrs. followed by their name. I said Miss Donna Davis." "Oh, I see," I replied. "Thank you." I guess it all turned out okay except that I probably should have ended with, "Thank you, Miss." Or would it be ma'am? How am I supposed to know if she's married or not!! I thought I had passed that stage in my life where I have to check for wedding rings. Or is the Miss and Ma'am really based on age? And why are there two choices for woman when there's just one choice for men (mister)?
Back from Dixie...for now
Dear all,
Well, after numerous (!) hours in airports and planes, we have returned to our Wasatch perch. The trip, really, can only be called a roaring success, and we are incredibly thankful for the blessings we've seen.
For example, we now have a great apartment to live in. It took a little negotiation, but we prevailed. The good thing is that the apartment building was constructed AFTER Hurricane Katrina--thus, we don't have to worry about any of the lingering after-effects of the storm, like mold. (I was especially concerned about that when, talking to a member of the Hattiesburg Ward, which we will be attending, the member mentioned that all the roofs in the city had been ripped off. An exaggeration, perhaps, but perhaps not.)
Also--and I realize that this may seem relatively insignificant, but it isn't--we have gotten acquianted with the lay of the land. First off (and I know I've mentioned this before), Hattiesburg is carved out of the biggest forest I've ever seen--I think that the bottom half of Mississippi is nothing but one large pine forest, dotted with ponds and lakes and streams. Pretty, yes, but it can also be foreboding in a way. Having driven all over creation down there, we're a bit more comfortable with the environment.
We also went to church and met all the members, so we have acquaintances down there now. One young couple actually invited us over for dinner on Monday night, which was entirely too nice of them. Their two young sons, Evan and Caleb, were a royal hoot, showing off for M. like there was no tomorrow.
M.'s meeting with the director of the university library also went well. Interesting story: When cleaning out the library, the director found an original, first-edition copy of the Book of Mormon (!). Not having much need for it, the school auctioned it off and got $60,000.00. They bought an organ.
I will say that I'm impressed with how polite people in the South are. Children are better behaved in public settings, and, if you're a customer in a shop or older than someone, they usually will address you as "sir" or "ma'am." (That's depending on gender, of course. They don't address you as both, unless you give them reason to be confused.)
The Southern accent is both charming and challenging. For example, both M. and I felt that our accents were amazingly flat and tuneless when speaking to native Mississippians. "How're y'all dough-in?" they drawl, the soft words dripping languidly off their collective tongue like a deep-brown cognac. "Fine," we'd say, our clipped accents starting and stopping as quick as a drill sergeant's bark. Or so it would seem--eventually, we both started picking up the accent, which I don't know if we're supposed to, because some Southerners take offense at that, I've read.
Anyway, we could *usually* understand what people were saying, with few exceptions. One night, we decided to have typical Southern food, so we went to a nice restaurant that specializes in that sort of thing. The waitress, a happy, young blonde, cheerfully announced her name to us: "Hello, y'all. Welcome to The Crescent Cafe. My name is Sheh-a-are-ah!" I smiled, nodded, thinking that her name was "Sherry," and that she'd simply done the Southern drawl thing. Later, though, M. and I overheard her conversing with another table, which made their confusion known: "Say, what's yo' name, sugar?" "Sheh-a-are-ah!" she replied, "Y'all know, like Sonny and Sheh-a-are-ah!" Ah. Cher.
Once again, though, we have been so blessed, incredibly, totally blessed for everything to happen the way it has, and we are thankful. Very.
Well, after numerous (!) hours in airports and planes, we have returned to our Wasatch perch. The trip, really, can only be called a roaring success, and we are incredibly thankful for the blessings we've seen.
For example, we now have a great apartment to live in. It took a little negotiation, but we prevailed. The good thing is that the apartment building was constructed AFTER Hurricane Katrina--thus, we don't have to worry about any of the lingering after-effects of the storm, like mold. (I was especially concerned about that when, talking to a member of the Hattiesburg Ward, which we will be attending, the member mentioned that all the roofs in the city had been ripped off. An exaggeration, perhaps, but perhaps not.)
Also--and I realize that this may seem relatively insignificant, but it isn't--we have gotten acquianted with the lay of the land. First off (and I know I've mentioned this before), Hattiesburg is carved out of the biggest forest I've ever seen--I think that the bottom half of Mississippi is nothing but one large pine forest, dotted with ponds and lakes and streams. Pretty, yes, but it can also be foreboding in a way. Having driven all over creation down there, we're a bit more comfortable with the environment.
We also went to church and met all the members, so we have acquaintances down there now. One young couple actually invited us over for dinner on Monday night, which was entirely too nice of them. Their two young sons, Evan and Caleb, were a royal hoot, showing off for M. like there was no tomorrow.
M.'s meeting with the director of the university library also went well. Interesting story: When cleaning out the library, the director found an original, first-edition copy of the Book of Mormon (!). Not having much need for it, the school auctioned it off and got $60,000.00. They bought an organ.
I will say that I'm impressed with how polite people in the South are. Children are better behaved in public settings, and, if you're a customer in a shop or older than someone, they usually will address you as "sir" or "ma'am." (That's depending on gender, of course. They don't address you as both, unless you give them reason to be confused.)
The Southern accent is both charming and challenging. For example, both M. and I felt that our accents were amazingly flat and tuneless when speaking to native Mississippians. "How're y'all dough-in?" they drawl, the soft words dripping languidly off their collective tongue like a deep-brown cognac. "Fine," we'd say, our clipped accents starting and stopping as quick as a drill sergeant's bark. Or so it would seem--eventually, we both started picking up the accent, which I don't know if we're supposed to, because some Southerners take offense at that, I've read.
Anyway, we could *usually* understand what people were saying, with few exceptions. One night, we decided to have typical Southern food, so we went to a nice restaurant that specializes in that sort of thing. The waitress, a happy, young blonde, cheerfully announced her name to us: "Hello, y'all. Welcome to The Crescent Cafe. My name is Sheh-a-are-ah!" I smiled, nodded, thinking that her name was "Sherry," and that she'd simply done the Southern drawl thing. Later, though, M. and I overheard her conversing with another table, which made their confusion known: "Say, what's yo' name, sugar?" "Sheh-a-are-ah!" she replied, "Y'all know, like Sonny and Sheh-a-are-ah!" Ah. Cher.
Once again, though, we have been so blessed, incredibly, totally blessed for everything to happen the way it has, and we are thankful. Very.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A variation on "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
The top ten things we've observed that tell us we're in a very different place...
1. The "Elvis is Alive" Museum
2. The yellow bucking bronco sculpture with "Jesus Saves" painted on it
3. A restaurant advertising a dish called the "Spicy Tongue-Smack Basket"
4. A BBQ joint called the Divine Swine
5. Baptist churches that are bigger than the state capitol building
6. An honest-to-goodness swamp and a crafty looking fox on the side of the road beckoning us into a briar patch
7. A farmer in overalls slumbering in a chair next to his truck full of fruit ("Jeff, is that a manequin?" "No, Mel, it's a real person.")
8. The lady asking Jeff in the elevator if he was going to church this mornin'. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Well good for you!"
9. Higher speedlimits (this is J.'s favorite)
10. Lower gas prices (by about 10 cents--every little bit helps)
1. The "Elvis is Alive" Museum
2. The yellow bucking bronco sculpture with "Jesus Saves" painted on it
3. A restaurant advertising a dish called the "Spicy Tongue-Smack Basket"
4. A BBQ joint called the Divine Swine
5. Baptist churches that are bigger than the state capitol building
6. An honest-to-goodness swamp and a crafty looking fox on the side of the road beckoning us into a briar patch
7. A farmer in overalls slumbering in a chair next to his truck full of fruit ("Jeff, is that a manequin?" "No, Mel, it's a real person.")
8. The lady asking Jeff in the elevator if he was going to church this mornin'. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Well good for you!"
9. Higher speedlimits (this is J.'s favorite)
10. Lower gas prices (by about 10 cents--every little bit helps)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The South will rise again!
We have arrived.
I'm not complaining, of course--I'm simply amazed. It's like in the movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," where Robin and Azeem and the blind dude escape into Sherwood Forest, and Azeem exclaims, "Only in my dreams have I imagined such a place." Yeah. Places like this still exist, I guess.
Just kidding--sorry, I couldn't resist. No, the apartment looked nice, and it's big, and it seems to have weathered Hurricane Katrina well. (Interestingly enough, the lady said that Hurricane Katrina didn't seem all that big--that is, until she went outside and all the roofs in the city were missing and trees were on top of everything.)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
An update
No, this isn't M. posting, but I'm tired of switching Google accounts every time that I want to post something--it messes up M.'s email 'n' such, and, besides, my hair no longer looks like that.
My cousin-in-law, the ex-spy who's cooler than all of us put together, mentioned that I haven't been updating the ol' blog as I should, and I concur. Thus, as my sister slumbers downstairs, I decided to post, because things have been happening. Things!
First off, M. and I are flying to Mississippi on Friday to check out our new Southern home (and, yes, Southern is capitalized in this instance). We have to find a mold-free place to live, so please pray for us. There's an apartment complex that was built back in 2000--not too old, although it did live though Hurricane Katrina--which looks promising. It's got big apartments, too.
M. is meeting with a potential employer, which is cool, and we've got to set up bank accounts, meet the bishop (seems like a nice guy, judging from the phone conversation we had), etc. I'm meeting with the creative writing folks at USM.
And, speaking of USM, I found out yesterday that I'd been awarded a teaching assistantship! This was splendid news, especially since I'd previously been told that it was pretty impossible, since I'd sent my application in late. However, we have been very blessed, and, now, I don't have to pay tuition. Boo-yah! Praise be!
More news will come, along with, I hope, pictures. Long live kudzu!
My cousin-in-law, the ex-spy who's cooler than all of us put together, mentioned that I haven't been updating the ol' blog as I should, and I concur. Thus, as my sister slumbers downstairs, I decided to post, because things have been happening. Things!
First off, M. and I are flying to Mississippi on Friday to check out our new Southern home (and, yes, Southern is capitalized in this instance). We have to find a mold-free place to live, so please pray for us. There's an apartment complex that was built back in 2000--not too old, although it did live though Hurricane Katrina--which looks promising. It's got big apartments, too.
M. is meeting with a potential employer, which is cool, and we've got to set up bank accounts, meet the bishop (seems like a nice guy, judging from the phone conversation we had), etc. I'm meeting with the creative writing folks at USM.
And, speaking of USM, I found out yesterday that I'd been awarded a teaching assistantship! This was splendid news, especially since I'd previously been told that it was pretty impossible, since I'd sent my application in late. However, we have been very blessed, and, now, I don't have to pay tuition. Boo-yah! Praise be!
More news will come, along with, I hope, pictures. Long live kudzu!
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