life part I

So I am finally making some more posts. Sorry if I monopolize the blog a little while.

I added a bunch of May events to the calendar. I like the calendar. I think if we all really used it, it'd be so useful in many ways.

I created two new Flickr photosets:

-Our trip to Idaho
-Heather/Darin/Mom/Joey's visit

Flickr created a much nicer slideshow feature. So when you click the link, you can select "View as slideshow". Then, when the pictures come up, just click once on the current photo, and you'll see the title/description/dialogue I added for each one. (You can also control the speed of the slideshow in the lower left.) I'll be creating more photosets too and I'll post here when I do. Hey, if you have a Flickr account and haven't added me as family of friend, do it!

Okay and here's a shoutout to myself:

Here's the link to where I'm featured for winning that last poetry contest. It turns out the poem that actually won was not the poem I wrote about Adie and Art's wedding (sorry guys--they screwed up), it was really the poem about me feeling inspired about Orion's name: It's right here: The christening

Also, that same publication/website (called Artella, they're pretty cool and worth a casual checkout) is releasing the tenth issue of their print magazine very shortly. It features my poem Tale of a frozen mountain boy which won that same contest last April. The poem is coupled with a piece of art and they include little artist trading cards that we made with a picture and bio etc. Here's a link to Artella #10, it at least shows the cover and discusses the contents. I'm getting a couple print copies in the mail; I'll show em off when I get em.

Sorry for all the selfpromotin. But it's just nice, I guess, you know? Anyway.

So today Amy is throwing Bella her early-Utah-birthday party. At 10:30 (I could've added that to the calendar). She had to have one out here because she'll be in California during her real birthday. Bella's getting the greatest 3-years-turning ever. Disneyland. Utah birthday party. California birthday celebration. Jealousy from all other children ensues.

We leave super early Thursday, as in the a.m. I love the drive. Amy'll probably be driving a lot so I can work on my three online classes (read: lots of reading and writing, plus the need for selfmotivation). Actually we'll be trading off because one little junior I know needs to eat. Such temperate weather. Such beautiful spring-inbetween-summer days. Watching sunrises over central-western-American mountains, like people have for generations (only not always from cars on highways, but to me the road is my modern ocean, passable yet dangerous still and always offering. I'm sure Heather and Darin and Joey and Adie know this more than any of us right now. Whatever--we all know it, they're just the lucky ones today.)

In this kind of weather I miss rafting. After all, I did it for seven seasons straight! I bet Mikie misses it too. And Joey and Dad and anyone else who has been down before. Have we all been before? Mom you'll have to go, honestly, one day. That's one of my little dreams, to have one raft and enough jackets and gear to do some trips. Mikie are you with me? You should get one too. We could guide all our family and friends; it sounds dreamy to me. Okay sorry now I'm rambling and reminiscing and this is a long rambly sort of post already so for now, I'll tourniquet it off.

Stay tuned for more later, I have more things to post (children mp3s, more photosets, etc.).