I've been rather wrapped up and self-absorbed lately, so to everyone, I apologize. And, really, I don't know who I'm kidding here with the 'lately' because I think it's rather a character trait. I'm not looking to be contradicted (so don't), just stating something that I have been observing and something that I'm working on and praying on.

I've been very down lately... I have plenty of reasons to cite for this, but I think that this is also really just an inherent issue that I need help with. Two days in a row I've heard of unexpected deaths of family friends, whom I've spent considerable time with. In neither case was it unexpected, but for me, I wasn't close enough to know that things were getting close, and so it was a very sad shock. I feel like I've gotten the one-two punch to the gut, and have had my small meltdowns here and there. This combined with talks of re-evaluating pricing on the house has not put the smile on my face.

I blanked on one of my very best friend's birthdays today... See paragraph 1... I'm so sorry, I love and cherish you.

I went to a very cool concert with Jill & Anne Marie last night (yay!) and that was very fun and helped with the cheer factor :-D I was just so excited that the very cute Australian singer who was also very musically talented busted out the digeridoo and played it. That was so cool to me, memories of Sydney Harbor!

Going out to San Diego next week... here's hoping we don't all die of swine flu :-p If Cook Medical doesn't come out with any new products in the next several many years, you'll know it's because all of their R&D engineers globally infected one another with flu in the pursuit of forming better working relationships, leaving monkeys to finish the paperwork :-p :-p I don't know whether this thing is something to legitimately worry about contracting or not? It seems to be in the grey area between ignorant hysteria and actually serious.

My community bell group recorded a CD on Saturday. That was fun :) A real recording studio with the sound engineer guy in the little room, etc. hehe. We listened to some of the playbacks during our lunch break, and it actually sounded really cool all together - usually I can only hear the stuff right around me and not the whole ensemble together, so that was neat. I can't wait to hear how it comes out... Looks like I know what all my family's getting for Christmas when I'm a poor grad student ;-)

Go go gadget house!

Let go, move on.

I do believe, I am going to Duke next year!