Adventures in February

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. February (and January and, ok, winter in general) makes me a little depressed. Of all the months though, I think February is the worst. In November and December you've got the holidays to pull you through. January you're still on a holiday "high" and you've got the whole "it's a a new year am I'm going to make it the best ever" resolve. What does February bring? Day after day of darkness and cold and the beginning of the no-holiday until May stretch. Blah! This year I did my darnedest to fill it with things that make me HAPPY!

Freestyles World Cup at Deer Valley*: Every time I watch someone throw themselves off a platform, perform a awesome stunt, and land while on ski, my first thought is you're crazy. Then again I love watching them so I'm glad that they risk serious injury for my entertainment. *After hosting the event for 20+ years, they'd figure out a better parking system.

Regency Romance Ball: I watch the balls in the Jane Austen movies with envy, so why haven't I been going to this sooner?  I was shocked and blown away by the fact that EVERYBODY got into the spirit of the event. Who doesn't love a man in breeches and cravat and the men pulled out all the stops and were some of the best dressed ones there.

I had to do some jimmy-rigging on my costume due to the fact that I've increased a couple of cup sizes since high school. But I was pretty impressed with what I could do with some ties and a piece of material.

My little Bryce is not so little anymore. He's finally passed up Louisa and he keeps telling me every time I see him that it's only going to be a few more months before he's taller than I am.

Mummies of the World was pretty spectacular. Did you know that "mummy" comes from the Arabic word,  mūmiya. That oldest mummies from from South America. That the Egyptians really did mummify everything--cats, dogs, alligators, fishes, birds. That the mummification process really does preserve everything. Some of the mummies still had eyelashes, hair, and fingernails. Or that mummies were believed to having special healing powers so they were ground into medicine?

Laura and I may have a career in stop-movie annimation.