Creative Minority Report!

In the rural hills of Tennessee, it's been raining all day, so I've been writing letters and posts, reading books, and watching the endless number of checkers games between various members of my family. (Another perk of a big family: so many contenders!)

I, of course, found a way to pick up the internetz and wandered over to my blog. Once there, I found I was getting traffic from one of my favorite blogs, Creative Minority Report. Not that I mind, but my curiosity was piqued.


Heidi says, inquiring minds want to know!


That's when I found the source of the increased traffic: CMR has picked up my blog and put it under their "Some of Our Favorites" section.

Pat and Matt, I'm geeking out. Truly honored. Thanks, guys!

And to everyone else who lists me and whom I've failed to give personal shout-out to: I know who you are, and I thank you. It's so rewarding having such great folks to write for!

Here are five more things to geek out about:

1. I'm meeting B.'s entire extended family tomorrow. On our way home from Tenneessee, we were going to stop by and have dinner with his immediate family. Now, the entire extended family is in town to visit before the end of summer/ school starts. In fairness, my immediate family about doubles his, so now it's a bit more evened out/ my family will be outnumbered for once.

2. My brother turned 19 a few days ago. There was a birthday party for a little boy at the table next to us, so after we loudly (obnoxiously) sang happy birthday to him, this older lady came over and sweetly asked who was having a birthday. Mikey said it was him, and the lady gave him two pieces of cake and a happy birthday napkin. Now, isn't that Southern hospitality!


Mike wore the napkin as a hat, obviously - what else are napkins for?


3. Fellow upholders of good grammar, behold- my friend Z. sent this to me today: "The Alot is Better Than You At Everything" by Hyperbole and a Half.



Who needs a grammar nazi when you've got an ALOT?



Lookin' good!



4. The Post Office has new American Scientist stamps. I bought two sheets and am celebrating by writing letters to friends. The stamps feature four scientists:

--Severo Ochoa (biochemist): first to synthesize RNA and complete the race to decipher the genetic code)

--Maria Goeppert Mayer (physicist): developed a theoretical model that helped explain the structure of the atomic nucleus)

--Asa Gray (botonist): one of the first professional botanists in the U.S., where he advanced the specialized field of plant geography) and

--Melvin Calvin (chemist): the first scientist to trace in detail the process of photosynthesis AND conducted pioneering reseach using plants as an alternative energy source).

I like being on vacation, I like new stamps and I like having time to write letters! I've been naughty about sending them, especially in these past two months since coming back to Asia. When's the last time you've written someone an honest-to-goodness handwritten letter? Go write one and then support another monopolistic branch of the government: they're millions of dollars of debt and only commercialized holidays and avid epistolary communication can save them now!

5. In a strange turn of events, my baby sister and I were researching chocolate and found out that chocolate was not invented in its solid form until 1847. Does anyone else remember the scene in Ever After where the prince gives the girl a piece of chocolate and said it was from monks? LIES, HOLLYWOOD. And bad history.

Exactly one month till I leave for Germany with my sister Kato. Oh, another game of Crazy Eights is starting. Ciao!