texas hill country rocks are cool

feeling some better today. had weird dreams but i don't really remember much about them except that one was taking place in the surf of santa monica beach.

i ate lunch and had some blue bell ice cream. yum yum.

one of the people i've kept in contact with is one of my science teachers from middle school. i talked to her for an hour and a half this afternoon. it was a really good talk. she's amazing. we talked about everything that's been going on and how i'm dealing, and what i should do/focus on for the rest of the semester. she's going snorkling in hawaii for thanksgiving. i'm jealous. anyway, over christmas, the two of us are going to take a little road trip out to the texas hill country (around llano) and go hiking and rock-hunting. she wants me to teach her about all the rocks and that's a really great area with a lot of geologic diversity. it'll be good to go hiking and be outside and just get away from everything. it's really pretty there too.

got to talk to todd in iraq today too. he's leaving in two weeks to come home. he should be back in texas by the beginning of december! i can't wait to see him at christmas. the bad news is he will probably have to go back to iraq. hopefully it'll be after july. i'd like him to get through a semester of college and go on a cruise with sara and me after she graduates from ut and go to the dock with us on the 4th of july.

i'm going to the batting cages tonight. i can't wait.

think i'll talk to james and see if he'll be around thanksgiving weekend. i'd like to come up to his house and look at the stars and such with his telescope. it's nice there. very clear with little light pollution.

okay. dishes, shower, grading. woo.

recap: feeling some better, food and ice cream are good, i love my friend, hill country rocks are fun, todd's coming home soon, woo batting cages, i like stars, stuff to do now. bye

i wouldn't touch you with a 39 and a half-foot pole

so i apparently missed something and it is now christmas. how the grinch stole christmas was on tv tonight. craziness. someone should inform the tv networks that it is in fact, the middle of november. merry thanksgivoween, everyone.

i've determined that batting cages are good for the soul. good stress reliever. and some guys complimented me on my hitting. that was nice too. i am sweaty and starting to get sore. i should stretch. but i feel good because i wasn't just sitting around all evening.

my house is clean except for my room and i need to vacuum. makes me happy. now it's time to get going on grading. then maybe i'll paint. i told kristen i'd paint her something. don't know if i'll have time this weekend though. depends on how long grading takes.

tomorrow:

• vacuum
  
• clean my room
  
• start powerpoint presentation for 5th graders
  
• work on planetary geology term project
  
• maybe more batting cages :)

i'm really happy we don't have anything to write up for faculty seminar this week. it's just a pain to do, and i tend to forget about or put off until the day it's due, and then i have to scramble to get it done. none of that this week. just a mars mapping homework assignment for planetary geology, getting the elementary school presentation ready, and mailing off a bunch of things to a several different people. woo.

my cat is curled up on the couch next to me asleep hugging his head with his paws. so cute.

back to work for me

summary: it's apparently christmas, batting cages are awesome, lots to do, and my cat is cute. the end.