It's a Gibbon- not a Monkey

First impressions are almost always wrong. To the left here is a picture of a Gibbon female with her baby. A Gibbon is an Ape, not a monkey (as I was told) but at first glance, it may seem that they are, in fact, a monkey. They are quite small and swing very liberally from branch to branch. My family and I had the opportunity to visit a Gibbon conservatory that is located somewhere near Magic Mountain.

My first impression of these creatures was very...well...I didn't care. But as I was there longer I realized that I became quite entranced and even tranquil by their long movements and freedom.

When we finally left I kept thinking that I had actually enjoyed myself more than I realized I would. Which brings me to my current point that first impressions are almost always wrong. Most of the time the situation or person is better, and sometimes it's worse- either way the impression was wrong.

I am left to think about our current life and situation. It's actually not that bad. I am still quite happy. But if I told someone that we were living with my parents, that Chris was having a tough time with work and an even tougher time getting back into college, and that we still seem to be unable to procreate without medical assistance- it might seem that we are down in the dumps. However, I feel surprisingly at ease. I am very, very lucky. I only hope that Chris reads this, and for once, believes me.

A mystery solved

This is a video of an ongoing adventure between Lenore and Daddy that finally had some closure. Around the same time frame as the video is set, Vicky's wedding ring went missing. We instantly suspected Lenore since she often makes for the hair clips and loose change that Vicky sets on her night stand. Fortunately the ring turned up in a location that had already been thoroughly searched. Indicating that Lenore had stolen the ring and systematically moved it around to keep us from discovering it.

I Suck

I have been trying to get her to ride a tricycle. When she pedals into the grass she says "I'm stuck".

Untitled by Lenore; c.2009; Goache on bond paper

This latest painting summarizes Lenores experience living in Napa. See the grapes in the bottom right corner. And the blue ocean representing our local marshlands. And the squirrel being chased by a local meth-head. What an expressive piece. Its so very topical.

By the way, we have some pictures up if you care to peruse.

This place is Cursed-Peck!

So, Napa is beautiful. In fact it seems to get more and more lovely with the recent rains that we've had. The green, lush valley even has some patches of the California Poppy glittered upon it. And yet, with all this beauty I fear that this land is cursed. I am not a superstitious person in any way. I have broken my share of mirrors, spilled salt and walked under plenty of ladders and am still here, however Napa-as beautiful as it is, is cursed. I have been ill a total of 5 times since we've moved here. This last week I was just starting to get better after suffering another cold, and decided to return to the gym. I was there only twice before I started getting sick again. Body aches and all. I thought "Maybe I'm just tired, or I'm stressed out." But you know what stresses me out more than the 200 kids I teach and the pile of grading I see each day-it's getting sick!

So my throat was sore, visited the doctor and he said "I think it's just a virus. Your body will have to work through it." Then, just when the body aches started going away, I somehow through my back out-pinched nerve or some crap like that. I feel like I'm in traction. If I move my right shoulder or head too much I get shooting pain. This is all getting ridiculous. I have been on antibiotics, I have soaked in hot tubs, I have taken vitamins, tried to exercise before or in between illness, and I am even trying to eat right. So my question is what the heck? This is why I am positive that Napa is cursed. So...any of you who are thinking of visiting the beauty here, or frequenting the vineyards, I am sure you will be fine. Just don't decide to move here or you will never be well again. Now I'm going to carefully get up and return to the recliner that has become my new home. Ugggg.

Happy Birthday

When I ask her, "how old are you?" She responds, "Lenore". She refuses to respond any other way. It's my biggest frustration in life. The other day she gave me a pretend shot of Clopenthixol (10mL) with a toy hypodermic needle. While depressing it she counted from 1 to 10 flawlessly (true). So I know that she can say "2" and even knows its place in line. Why then won't she answer my question properly? She's being immature is why. I don't feel she is even mature enough to have earned the title "2". If I had a time machine, I would go back and snatch a candle off of her cupcake. To hell with the temporal paradox.

Winter Solstice Adventure

Christmas was great this year. It seems that being away from family makes one more appreciative of the times you see them. Vicky and Lenore spent 2 weeks down south. I came up for a few days after Rochelle's wedding to take a final exam. Once that was finished I straightaway drove out to meet Vicky and Lenore in Las Vegas where we had plans to visit Coray and his family. Unbeknown to me, there was a grand snowstorm between myself and Vegas. This turned my 8.5 hour drive into a 24 hour drive. 5 of those were spend sleeping on the road waiting for them to open. Vicky periodically would call and express her pity for my situation. Totally unnecessary. I loved it. It was like camping to me. After some work I finally made it to Barstow. I drove from Barstow to Baker without having seen a single other car. It was the best traffic conditions I've ever experienced on that strech of I15. And the scenery was magnifique driving along Death Valley. It was great seeing everyone after that. Coray and Kristine, Tio Tato, and The Whittierites. And the best Christmas gift of all: Gene and I finally finished Halo 2. It took us about 4 years but we finally did it. And when it was over we both jumped in the air pumping our fists to the sky and shouted "We did it! We're number 1!"

Click the image to the left to see some of our December experiences.