Thanks 2016!

Since this will very likely be the last post of the year, I just want to say thanks to 2016, which on a personal level has been quite kind to me. So, here's all the great things I enjoyed in 2016:

• Travel. Lots of travel. Including at least four trips to Idaho, a trip to Yellowstone, travel to Church History sites, two visits to Michigan, a trip to Georgia, and an upcoming trip to New Mexico and Southern Utah.
• I saw every single one of my nieces and nephews this year.
• I got to attend the Society of American Archivists annual meeting.
• I took lots of great pictures. Lots and lots. And some not so great, but you know.
• I took two courses towards certification for work. (Out of 8. That have to be taken in 3 years. I'm on my way!)
• I made some new friends and kept in touch with old ones.
• I found a good doctor and a good dentist.
• I took a bookmaking class.
• I've learned a little bit of Irish (on and off). 
• I bought a piano.
• I've become knowledgeable about a lot of different subjects (it's a job hazard). 

So, that's just off the top of my head. It's been a pretty decent year. Here's hoping next year has as much good stuff in it!

Weighing in on 2016

There's been a lot of talk about how awful and miserable and horrendous 2016 has been--bad political situations all over the world, humanitarian crises, violence and war, and apparently a lot of celebrity deaths (which are sad for their families, but hasn't really impacted the quality of my year much).

Out of curiosity, I tried googling good things about 2016. And there were good things: Mars stuff, new tech stuff, advances in healthcare. And it was a good year for tigers and pandas, which are coming back from being endangered. But somehow, the good stuff doesn't quite seem to compensate for all the bad stuff the world has seen.

Yesterday, though, I read this article. And the thing that stood out to me is that most of these 'good news stories' were about individuals. It seems there is something significant in that.

The obvious observation is that governments and nations are associated with bad news. But, be fair. Part of the role of governments is to deal with big problems. It's what they are for. So, they are going to deal with a lot of bad news stuff. Also, governments and countries are big. There are a lot of people in them, some of whom want to do good for others and some of whom want to do good for themselves. Which causes problems, which makes the news.

And you can't blame the press. We rely on them to inform us of what is going on in the world that will impact us. And as touching as the rescue of a dog is, it doesn't effect me quite the same way a national election does. Also, there are 7 billion people but only approximately 200 countries. So, to cover every person and the good they do is far more difficult than to cover nations or states or companies, etc.

So I'm not saying government is horrible or the media stinks at their job. Because that's not the point. I think what strikes me most about the fact that good news seems to be about individuals is that it means that we can all make the world a better place, and we don't even have to become a politician to do it! When the world seems horrible, we can look at our families and neighbors and friends and the people around us and see that people are still good. When you think all is lost, just watch the people around you, and I bet you'll feel better about the universe, whether it is the people waiting for the bus or the White Helmets. Because, even though there are bad people out there, there are so many more good ones, who live their lives on a small stage that will never make the national news. And as long as we have people like that, we'll be okay.

So, to all the good people everywhere, thank you. Keep up the good work.

A few of my favorite things

Elephants
Penguins
Christmas lights
the BBC
Photography
Nieces and nephews
Old newspapers
Getting rid of stuff
Books
Seeing new places
Driving
Nerf guns
SweeTango apples
Songs with good alto parts
Penny
Snow. And Rain.
Lying in bed knowing I don't have to get up
My bath towel that is nice and toasty from the heater when I get out of the shower
Writing cursive 'z's
Colors
Watermelon
Zoos
Wearing pants

Sad days

I have officially gone into mourning. My local grocery store is no longer stocking the store brand chocolate muffin mix that I so adore. The world is a sad place when I can't snack on chocolate muffins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other time of day.

First Snowfall

Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season. A co-worker and I agreed that the first snowfall should automatically be a day off. Why is this not a thing?!

Anyway, it was kind of nice and a little bright spot in my day, because I was feeling a little homesick for the Midwest.

I was afraid that all the snow would be gone by the time I got off work but I lucked out and it picked up again before I headed home. So, after work I went and took some festive photos. Nothing too fancy, but it cheered me up.

 

The elephant in the room

Alright, it's probably high time I address the elephant in the room: the 2016 United States presidential election. All two years of it, all the candidates, all the everything, not just the result. So here goes:

To elephants and donkeys everywhere, I apologize. You are wonderful animals and I am sorry you had to get stuck as political mascots. To the colors red and blue, such lovely colors, I am sorry as well.

You all deserved better. And I think we did too.

Pedestrian observations

As I am auto-less, I spend a lot of time walking around and on one of my walking episodes the other day, I made several observations. 

First: Where are all the squirrels?!? I miss them. Before I moved, a year and a quarter ago, I lived in this great place where on any given day, I'd randomly encounter rabbits, deer (did you know deer will hiss and stamp if they feel threatened?), wild turkeys, and squirrels. Lots of squirrels. Now, I walk through downtown and there is nothing. Absolutely nothing. I once saw a duck in a reflection pond. And there are pigeons. But that's it. I miss wildlife in my city.

Second: How is it that the US doesn't resemble musicals? So you've got everyone walking around talking on phones or listening to their tunes, and I personally don't understand how it is that more of us aren't breaking out into song and dance en route from point A to point B. Seriously. If I'm listening to music while I walk, I am very hard pressed not to sing along. Or dance while waiting at the stoplights. Anyone else having this problem?

Third: I often grab my camera when I'm walking around, even if I'm walking to a specific place. You never know when you're going to see something cool--like a rabbit or an angry deer or a dancing pedestrian--to photograph. And because I'm old school and use an actual camera instead of my phone, I look like a tourist. A lot. When I was in Atlanta, I found myself pulling out my camera and wearing it around my neck just to save time, and I knew I looked like a tourist, but the funny thing was, I do that in my own town. I do it everywhere, whether I'm visiting or not. I'm sure everyone in my city thinks I'm some weird tourist and then they probably wonder why I'm carrying groceries. But, no, I actually live here. And I have no plans to change my behavior. 

So, if you ever see a stranger dancing on the street corner while taking pictures of squirrels, wave hello. It's probably me. 

The best logs

I finally made it to Yellowstone (thanks, EM)!!! And I discovered, among other things, that Yellowstone has the best logs:

Scenic log

Wagon Wheel log

Fox log (or bird? or bunny?)

Skeleton log

Moss log

Lakeside log

the V log

Not that logs are the only cool thing about Yellowstone. There are elk and bison and rivers and hot springs and geysers and mud pots and trails and mountains and stuff. Lots of cool nature stuff. But, I'm pretty darn sure Yellowstone has the best logs.

DOING something

I read a lot of news stories and listen to a lot of podcasts that talk about people in need: refugees from the Middle East, people in Venezuela, those in poverty in America, the hurricane victims in Haiti, and on and on. (There are a lot of people in this world that could use some help). And while I appreciate being informed, I always walk away thinking, "But what can I DO? How can I help?"* I do contribute financially to humanitarian efforts but keep wondering if there is more I can do.

And tonight, I did something. I went through my closet and I took out all the clothes I don't wear. Even the things that were sentimental. I just said, "I'm not wearing it and someone else could, so sentimentality can go hang!" Now, I will donate those and someone will benefit. My next project is to cull my books. Refugees could use some books, right? Or maybe someone could sell them and use the profits for a good cause?

I know it isn't much. I'm not leaving hearth and home to go volunteer in the refugee camps or anything but I think that is probably okay. I had been feeling like I should be giving more of myself, and not just money, but as I looked for opportunities, I realized that there is a need for money and supply donations and if that's the need, then it's okay to help that way. And right now, that might be all I can give. But however small or insignificant, I'm doing something. Hooray!


* If you are a reporter or podcaster, here's a tip: you've worked hard to tell people a story and get them to care. And it's working! People care! So, you should also give them some info on how they can help. Volunteer? Donate? Contact a congressperson? Definitely milk us for all we're worth!

Time Out

This week I realized just how sick and tired I am of the election. I think we're all feeling it, yeah? You're feeling it? Anyway, I was laying in bed late one night after having a two hour long discussion about the climate in the country and was thinking back on my trip to Atlanta and how much I enjoyed it and how nice and carefree life seemed then. Yes, I know, it was only August, which was only 2 months ago but it still feels like life was cheerier. Of course it was cheerier! It was summer and I was traveling a lot and there were kids to hug and photos to take of cool new places and I had another trip to look forward to so it felt like reality was on hold only now someone pressed play on reality and it is really very sad. (To cheer myself up, I've been watching re-runs of Keeping Up Appearances. Not a bad call, really).

Anyway, I have decided I am opting out of the election from here on out. Well, okay, not here on out because I have to fill out my ballot and mail it in, but other than that, I'm out. No more conversations about the insanity of the US 2016 election in which we rehash what has been thrown around for the last billion years. (Whaddya mean, it's only been 18 months, give or take a few? Are you sure? Really? Longest 18 months ever. Gotta be).

Instead, I will be falling back on my favorite conversation starters:

Sleeping Beauty - pink dress or blue?
The Beast - cuter as a man or a beast?
What vegetables best represent each of the high school stereotypes? (e.g. which veggies are the cheerleaders? The nerds? The class clowns? etc.)

And maybe adding some new ones:
Why is it that archery is so much cooler than guns? (Case in point: Thor: The Dark World. The Asgardians are supposed to be this superior society and they are still all using bows and arrows and spears against the bad guys who have really fancy guns. It makes no sense, and yet, you know the bows and arrows are hot.)
Is it true that you can't go wrong with chocolate? Or with deep frying things? (I argue, yes. The fun comes in inventing the ways you can go wrong.)
Animals that start with P. Discuss. (Pangolins, platypuses, pandas, penguins. So much possibility!)

Honestly, it's pretty fun to come up with these. I suggest you try it. Because we all definitely need a break.

Things just aren't what they used to be

I was at the store today and I caught a glimpse of the Halloween costumes. Can I just say, there were some really pathetic costumes? Just such sad, sad costumes. Not in terms of the costume idea, but in the actual manufacture of the costume. They were just embarrassing.

Now, I am not the biggest fan of Halloween. I always hated trying to figure out a costume. Because, in my family, you didn't say, "I want to be a princess" and go to the store and by the cheap-o manufactured-by-the-hundreds princess costume. I don't think I ever had a store bought costume growing up. We just had a costume box, of things my mom had sewn, or costumes my grandma sewed that we borrowed. There was a red cape, the two-man clown costume, a bunny costume, and a few others. One year my sisters and I were princesses - or maybe fairies, because I recall a wand in the picture - and the crowns were homemade (card board and aluminum foil, oh yeah!).

My favorite costume was they year I went as a hula girl. I got the idea from reading the American Doll Molly books. She and her friends dressed up as hula girls, and I liked the idea. I think it might have been the only time I was excited for Halloween, because I actually knew what I wanted to be! I made the costume myself using crepe paper, a shell necklace my grandpa had given me before I could even remember him giving it to me, and a shirt I had that was kind of Hawaiian-ish. It had a hibiscus flower design. Of course, it was October in Idaho, so I did have to wear pants and a coat, which doesn't look very island, but it worked.

Another of my all time favorite costumes that I've ever seen was a guy from Church who went as a man falling from a building, which, yes, it's a bit morbid, but it was clever which was why I liked it. He'd put wire in his shoelaces and tie so they looked like they were fluttering in the air, and he'd gelled his hair to stand up for the same effect. Cheap, hand crafted, and very clever. (I also love the stick figure costumes people do for their toddlers using glo-sticks).

Now, the costumes I saw today were these weird one-piece outfits with all the details printed on. So tacky! It seems so commercial, and that's saying something because really, there's not much else to Halloween in the US besides selling candy. I am sure that stores sold ready made costumes when I was a kid, too, and they were either really unmemorable or they were just better made. The costumes I saw today look like someone was trying to remove as much effort as possible from the whole trick-or-treating thing and the result was something that might conceivably pass as a costume but it might also have been an explosion in the fabric printing factory.

And I'm sure the kids don't see it that way, and they probably don't care as long as they get to dress up as their favorite character. Also, there are still plenty of kids who do make their own costumes and get really creative, and those are the best costumes to see. So, it's boo on the costume manufacturer.

Unless there really was an explosion at the factory. In which case, cool costume!

DIY

I bought a drill a year or so ago and I finally had a chance to bust it out today (I did use it--ok, it was mostly my dad using it--to put together a table when I first got it). I made myself a book press. And felt very cool using my drill.

It's not all that impressive, really, but I'm testing it out right now, and it sure did make the whole process easier. I think this might be my best book yet. Hurrah!

All the green green grass

One of the not so great things about apartment living is doing laundry. For some reason, traipsing through buildings or across complexes hauling a bag of laundry, running back and forth to see if it is done only to find you have 4 minutes left, which is not enough time to go back but still an incredibly boring length of time to wait--really not a great time in my book. One of my great aspirations in life is to have a washer and dryer in my dwelling place. (This is the whole reason I went to grad school. Well, at least one of them). 

But, tonight when I got ready to do laundry, I did get a little excited because I could go barefoot. And the grass in my complex is very nice for walking on barefoot. So it was just a little exciting every time I left to take care of my laundry. And I will miss it come winter. 

One last hurrah

Last weekend, I took one more trip, one final hurrah for the summer. And it was lovely because I went home. For a 3-day trip with half of Friday and half of Sunday being spent in an airport, it was quite memorable. For example:

I got my hair cut. I figured I might as well make it a trend to never get a haircut in my city of residence and to cut it on vacation.

I remembered how to get around despite not having been there for over a year. Very proud of this,

My 2 year old nephew remembered my name from July. Nothing quite as sweet as hearing an adorable 2-year old say, "Lise!" because he wants your attention. Nerf Gun shooting practice with him? Super fun.

I got to play games with my other nephew, who was very patient with me while I tried to keep the 2-year old occupied and simultaneously play with him.

A girls outing with my oldest nieces--DQ and a movie. I introduced them to an oldie but a goody, How to Steal a Million.

Seeing all the old work gang for dinner, just like old times. Wonderful. Not nearly long enough to talk to them all.

Being there for my nephew's ordination as a deacon. So proud of him! It is so great to see him making such good choices. And it was so sweet to watch him play with his younger brother.

Hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. Especially one from the Super Hugger, who truly does have a hugging superpower.

Having the 2-year old mooch off of me. Just like his 7-year old brother did at that age.

So many good memories.

More fond memories

Now that the bat situation is dealt with, I thought I'd go back to reminiscing about Atlanta. So, if you don't want the travelogue, you can skip this post.

Because I was in Atlanta for a conference, I was there with a bunch of co-workers and, somehow, our schedules just weren't in sync which meant that when they all went to the Aquarium, I was in class. That didn't stop me though. I just went the next day by myself, which actually turned out to be perfect because it meant I could take the camera and practice my photography. That wouldn't have happened if I'd been with a group, but since I went solo, I could take my time. I did have to remind myself to put down the lens and enjoy, but it all balanced out.

The Georgia Aquarium advertises itself as the largest in the US. I can't say I have anything to compare it to, but I think maybe I was dreaming a bit too big. It was pretty great, though. And now I have an excuse to go to more aquariums to compare. I definitely concur with general opinion (at least, the general opinion of my friends who went the day before) that you can't miss the dolphin show. And I did get some good pictures:

And of course, I couldn't pass up the gift shop. What better place to get a souvenir? I was very tempted by plush toy animals (everyone needs stuffed animals) and I did see a great squid hat that grabbed my attention, but settled for a snow globe and some postcards.

But I couldn't shake off that squid hat. So the next night, my co-worker/friend and I went back to see if we could get in to just the gift shop. My friend kindly explained to the guard on duty that I just had to get a squid hat, and she kindly let us in. Totally worth it:

Did you say 'bats'? Yes, yes I did. Or: "Holy Bat Infestation, Batman!" Or, "For Rent: 1 apartment, bats included"

Friday night, I was doing some dishes around 9:30 and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something fly by a couple of times, but didn't catch what it was. Figuring it was a moth, I finished the dishes and headed to the living room where I discovered, no, it was not a moth. It was a bat. A BAT. Flying around my living room. And I let out one yelp, ducked to the floor, and tried to figure out what one does when one has a bat in one's living room.

I decided I would turn off the lights and open the front door and hope the bat flew out. (Logically it didn't really play out in my mind, but apparently it was the right thing to do, according to a website about wild bats). It didn't seem like it was really working and for some reason I peeked out in the hallway. Lo and behold, there was a bat! So I slammed the door shut, turned around, and realized it was not the same bat because there was still one flying around my living room.

At this point, I ran in my room and shut the door and called Animal control. While waiting for them, another bat flew out of my closet. This one kindly landed on the floor and held very still, allowing me to put a box over him. And there I waited for the animal guys to come. Which also meant braving a trip out of my apartment to let them in, but I survived. 

My friendly Animal Control officer caught both bats, informed me that he'd contact the Public Health department and test the two bats for rabies and let me know if I would need a rabies vaccination. And he warned me not to stay in my apartment until the situation was resolved.

Since Friday, I have found 3 more bats in my apartment on my random stops in to pick up a change of clothes, seen one in the hallway, one in the window of another apartment, learned that my neighbors had three in their apartment, and I have talked to the emergency management line, the night manager, Animal Services twice, the security company for my complex twice, still don't know when I'll be able to move back in (or if I will want to! I'm terrified that I'll be finding bats long afterwards. It's a little traumatic, okay?), whether I need a rabies shot, where I'm going to stay if I can't get back in soon, etc. And, of course, none of the necessary businesses are open on the weekend, so I just have to wait til tomorrow. In the meantime, who knows how many bats are partying in my house. 

Give me frogs any day. 

Somehow, it was less creepy taking a picture of this bat in the building hallway than trying to photograph one in my apartment. Still gives me the shudders though. 

What to do at an MLB game

As mentioned, I recently attended my first ever Major League game. Now, baseball is not the most engaging of sports. Most of the time is spent with the pitcher throwing the ball to the guy at home plate, who then doesn't hit it or hits a foul. Then the catcher throws it back. And repeat until finally, the batter is out or hits a ball and then gets out. Or, amazingly, makes it to base. There's really not very much running involved. (And I now have a better understanding of why the game shirts they were selling--shirts players wore during a game, going rate of about $150 or so--were so clean. But if I'm paying that much for a shirt that has been worn during a professional baseball game, it darn well better look like it played in the game).

So, what does an out-of-towner audience do to entertain themselves in the twenty minutes between actual moments of running? I'm glad you asked.

1) The obvious, obviously. You take pictures and post them to Instagram. I personally did not do this, because I don't really do social media. But, pictures were taken. Including a picture of one of us eating a hot dog (also not me). I think that's a requirement.

Yes. I did take some photos. I just didn't post them. Except this one, right here.

2) Trash talk. Again, I didn't do any trash-talking, but the hot dog eater did. (Hey, she had paid to go to a baseball game. She was going to trash talk). To the Pirates player that she called a bum, it wasn't personal.

3) Cheer. And have fun saying all the Polish last names as you do.

4) Review high school physics to see if you can calculate the velocity of a sky diver. And then resort to Google, because high school physics was almost 20 years ago.* (Yes, I really did this).

5) Marvel at how fast they are throwing that baseball. It's fast, usually 94-ish mph. Then compare that to, say, a car. Then imagine getting hit with something that small moving that fast. And really, really feeling for the player who actually does get hit by that ball.

6) Give the players friendly reminders that they aren't supposed to hit the ball to the fans in the stands. One fella in particular seemed to be really confused about this. Pretty much every time he was at bat, you knew you had a while because he hit at least 6 fouls each time. "Nice job, you hit the ball. Now turn just a bit, so you hit it on the field. Okay, you got it. Nope. Inside the white lines buddy. Inside the lines."

7) Hypothesize about what the players are talking about while the all stand around waiting for someone to hit the ball. Or when they huddle up. Top picks: where to eat after the game, fantasy football teams, player x forgot his anniversary--what should he do?

8) Enjoy the skyline. At least if you are in Atlanta.

9) Try to figure out why they are tearing down the stadium and become incensed over it. And wonder what do you do with the seats that have been torn out of a baseball stadium.**

10) Text friends. Surf the web. Stare out into left field and contemplate your existence. Well, not really, because your seats are so high up that you are pretty much staring at the entire field and you'd have to turn your head to only get left field, and that would be weird.

11) Try to get on camera. Or not. I vote for not, but you know. Whatever.

12) Debate what is meant by the 50/50 raffle. It's definitely not referring to my odds of winning. And if it is, they need to seriously brush up on probabilities. Or I could nail them for false advertising.***

13) Contemplate what you would do with your winnings from the 50/50 raffle.

14) Enjoy and pity the poor people dressed as giant tools who competed in a race in between innings. And feel really really bad when the drill had to be carried off the field.

So there you have it. All the things you can do during a baseball game to entertain yourself. Have fun!


*If you are spread eagle the average speed is 120 mph. If you go head first, you can get up to 200 mph. 
**Our Uber driver back to the hotel filled us in on the shadiness of the decision. And at some point, a local did inform us that the universities in the area would be using the stadium, so it's not actually being torn down or going to waste. So, I feel a little better. 
***So, it really meant that the winner gets half the prize money and I think the other half went to a charity or the foundation or something. 

Time Travel

When I finally dragged myself out of bed yesterday, I realized that I have only been home from Georgia for a week and was startled by that. At the beginning of the week, it was looming so large in my mind: "Georgia. I was in Georgia. It was great. Who can I tell about Georgia?" And now it seems so long ago and everything has fallen back into the routine of before.

So you now get to be my audience while I reminisce on the highlights of my trip to Atlanta. But I promise I won't bust out the slides :)

The people you meet:
I managed to spend the first couple of days with co-workers who were very good at picking up people to hang out with. On night 1, the lovely Sarah of South Dakota joined my co-worker and I for dinner. This was the same excursion on which my inner 5-year old got really excited about sky bridges and I laid out mental bread crumbs to be able to find my way across the sky bridge, through the neighboring hotel, and to the food court beyond. (Sky bridge to escalators where you have to look up because it's such an awesome view to the "Session Evaluation" kiosk to the next sky bridge. And on the way out, find the DQ and go in reverse.) The next night we picked up Rebecca of Utah, just down the road and at a sister institution. And I even braved it enough to bring along Kelly, from Chicago, during lunch one day. I enjoyed this accumulation of acquaintances and realized it's pretty easy to befriend fellow archivists.
I also ran into old colleagues, including my dear and wonderful other half of "Melise" which was a delight. It was kind of cathartic to see some of these people and especially helpful to see my current situation through their eyes, without any of the baggage.

Technically, this is not a slide, so I didn't lie. This is the view going up the escalators in my bread crumb trail. Turns out, scenes from Catching Fire and Mockingjay were filmed here. 

The Hotel:
During the whole trip, there was this fight to get out of the Hotel bubble. We were in a spot in Atlanta that had half a dozen hotels all right next to each other and several of these were linked with sky bridges so conceivably, you could spend the whole week there and feel like you never left the building. There were times when this drove me crazy, which makes me think I will not do well in a post-apocalyptic world that requires remaining indoors or underground.
My room was on the 18th floor, which was fine, but the elevator service was rough going. I did manage at least once to go all the way from the 18th floor to the lobby without stopping for anyone else. Once or twice I only had to do one or two stops, but when the conference was in full swing, well, it was no picnic. Imagine 200 people all getting done with their sessions at the same time and all going to their rooms on 27 different floors. And there are no stairs (except emergency stairs), so you don't have the option to get off a floor or two before yours. You just have to stop at every floor. And, of course, the people getting off first were at the back of the elevator. The one cool thing was they had a couple of elevators that went down the outside of the building. These were my favorites, although getting one was a bit of a gamble--it was like an amusement park ride (only not as fast).

For some odd reason, the elevators had mirrors on the ceiling. 

Site Seeing:
Of course there was a lot of site-seeing to be done. I found myself wandering out alone quite a bit, which may seem odd, but due to the pre-conference workshop I took, my schedule was just a bit out of sync with everyone else's. It worked out okay, though, because going alone gave me some photo-ops I wouldn't have had with the crowd. Among the sites visited were the Georgia Aquarium (we missed the Olympic swim team by 3 days), Centennial Park, the State Capitol, the Martin Luther King Historic Park, the Coke museum, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. I also attended a Braves game.
I can't say that I'm a huge enthusiast when it comes to state capitol buildings, but this one did have some really good displays in it. Other than that, it's probably your typical state capitol. Dome, fancy staircases, portraits of politicians. While looking at the exhibits, there were 2 different stories that I was familiar with because of my podcast listening, which was awesome--first, that I remembered the podcasts, and second, that all my podcast listening paid off. (Of course, I think it pays off even if it doesn't get mentioned in exhibits in state capitols, but you know what I mean).
As for the other tourist sties, I'll go into them next time. Be excited. Be very excited. At the very least, it beats news about the presidential campaign.

Firsts

This week was a week of firsts for me:

First time in the South (Atlanta, GA. I loved it!)
First time on a subway (I am counting it as a subway, even though it isn't called a subway. I had to get on the train underground. It's a subway)
First MLB game
First Uber ride
First dolphin show
First SAA conference. (Society of American Archivists. Not to be confused with South African Airways, Syracuse Arts Academy, Society for American Archaeology, South African Army, Syrian Arab Army, Savannah Arts Academy, Spencerville Adventist Academy, Southern Athletic Association, Stock Artists Alliance, Sub Aqua Association, or any of the other SAAs)
First time in North Carolina - even though it was just the airport, it counts
First time being entrusted with a company card (not as great as you might think, really)
First encounters with old colleagues since switching jobs (went alright)

And, it's the last of my summer travels. Now I'm home for a few weeks, which is probably good, but makes me sad. The world is a big place and there is a lot to see and do.

It's baaack!

Dear Humidity,

Oh how I've missed you! Unbelievable, isn't it? I never thought I would say that. But here you are and here I am, all sticky from humidity-sweat feeling oddly thrilled by the fact that I am temporarily staying in a humid climate again.

I walk outside and don't feel myself cooking in the sun after ten seconds. I get to enjoy the sense of thicker hair because of you. And I'm so pleased to be in a humid climate that I've totally embraced the crazy curl-inducingness of your presence and haven't really bothered to worry about the fact that my hair probably looks goofy. It's wonderful!

So, it's good to see you and feel you again. And, even if I complain about you, don't feel bad. It's just how our relationship works. It's nice to have you back.

Elise

Here, there, but not quite everywhere

I have been traveling a lot lately. Nothing super exotic (although I was really tempted to get in a trip to Iceland--the price was pretty darn reasonable and my passport needs some stamps).

A lot of this travel has involved driving across states and I have seen a lot of scenery. I find I'm a little weird when it comes to driving across the country, because I find all of the scenery really interesting. I even liked Wyoming when I drove across it a few years ago. And I don't even mind the flat places. Somehow, it all just amazes me.

The problem with this is that there are way too many beautiful things to take a picture of but no way to do it because I only see them when I'm driving by and it isn't really smart to stop on the side of the interstate. Or highway. Neither is really a good option.

On my trip this lat weekend, though, someone courteously put in a few lookout points so you could check out the scenery. I think we need more of these because there are just too many great things to see and we should take some time to look at them.

Souvenirs

I just got back from a delightful vacation where I was inundated with hugs and kids who wanted to sit by me and general adorableness, and all week long I have been missing my little monkeys and my super hugger and everyone else.

Anyway, on this trip I took a book to read out loud with the nieces and nephews. This has become a tradition over the years, even though we usually don't finish the book. (We did make it pretty far this time). And the book, a paperback which was hauled in and out of vehicles and tents and bags and survived a downpour in one of those nylon drawstring bags for hauling things to the gym, is a little worse for wear. But that wear and tear is now a souvenir of the trip.

Every time I pull out that book I'm going to remember the rain at the Amusement Park, and how we ran into the nearest store to get out of it, and the store's floor was flooded, and half of us were outside under the eave, and that group decided to run and find a better place, but then came back, and since I was wearing Tevas and non-denim shorts, I decided to go find out where they were and help them find a dry place (they were all under the age of 10, so I didn't exactly want to leave them hanging out on their own), and meandered through the rain to check out options, and then brought them into the store with the rest of the group, which at least only had water on the floor and not pouring on our heads, and that one of my sweet little nieces said, "Maybe we can help them clean up the water in the store". And I'll remember how before the rain, we'd gone on Thunder Canyon three times because every time we got done, the Super Hugger's eyes lit up and he shouted, "AGAIN!!!" and how can you say no to that? And that after that ride, we went to the animal pen and they had the cutest little goats and a kangaroo and then I went on my first real roller coaster and we stopped off to do one more ride before meeting up with everyone and we were just starting to dry off and of course that is when the rain started.

I'll also remember the long drive across Illinois, when my niece and nephews and I were playing Gubs across three benches of seats while I listened to my other two nieces read the book.

And I'll remember how hilarious Duncan is, and how Niece 5, who always had the headphones on in the car, actually took them off and listened. And then I'll remember all the other things about traveling in the car, like playing balloon volleyball and taking pictures, and climbing in and out over coolers and stuff.

And maybe someday, I'll pass that book on to one of those nieces and nephews, and they will have their own memories to go with it. So now the book is more than just the story on the pages, because it is a piece of my story, and even though the memories don't center on the book, the book was there and has all this history it didn't have before. So, apart from the great literature, it's also the best kind of souvenir.

This is for the birds

A while back, I posted a bird photo that I was really excited about. And somehow, with that photo, I became obsessed with photographing birds. Why birds? 1) there isn't much other animal life around to shoot. Not even squirrels, really. Which seems weird. 2) Because it's a challenge. They are kind of hard to photograph if you want to get them in flight, so it seemed like an obvious choice.

Since that first photo, I have added a few more:

In the process of taking all these bird photos,* I have found another answer to "why birds". They are kind of fascinating. I never really noticed before, but different birds fly differently. Some keep their wings extended and glide, others fold their wings back and kind of cannonball through the air. And their wings are different--the angles they use when they fly, the way the feathers are designed and arranged and layered, how far the wings spread. Their tails are different too. And then it was interesting to see the colors and the details of the feathers and there is so much to notice about birds! And now I am paying attention and it is pretty darn interesting.

I kind of feel silly that I never noticed any of this before** but I'm glad that I ended up there in the end.

*I have not identified any of these birds so feel free to do so. Picture 4 and 5 are the same bird, by the way. I love how his (her?) feathers blend in so well with the tree bark.

**I probably did notice that they fly differently, but it never really registered as a conscious thought until now. When you think about it, it's obvious, but I just never thought of it until recently.  

Post-Presentation report

Since I have mentioned it a couple of times (here and here, not that you should go back and read about it) and since someone left a comment wishing me luck (thank you for that!) I thought I'd report on how the big presentation went.

Some things I learned:

1. Never volunteer to present at a conference you haven't attended.

2. It's a terrible thing to make people who are presenting and are already nervous drive miles and miles up a winding mountain road with no guard rails or anything on the side that goes off down the mountain.

3. Historians and archivists are REALLY different. I probably should have known this, and theoretically, I did, but wow. They really are different.

4. I never want to be an academic. Although, I already knew this. Academic conferences are not like professional conferences. 

But, the presentation did go well. I got there and saw the room, which was not an auditorium or stage*, and there were people in the audience who were as old as my grandma and how can you be scared of your grandma? So that calmed me down a lot. I managed to keep the 'um's to a minimum, which was good, because when practicing I kept stumbling over my words. And the chairman at the end of the session made me sound really really smart. (Modernism didn't cross my mind once, because, yeah, not a historian or academic). My co-presenters were super great to be in a group with and it was nice to make some connections that way. 

The best part, though, is that I'm done. No more looming deadlines, no more panicking about whether I'm up to snuff. It is over. And, once I was done, I took the opportunity to take some pictures of mountains. I never tire of mountains. It was a great way to celebrate my mental freedom ("No more presentation to stress about! Hooray!") Enjoy my celebration!

*There is a reason why I was envisioning an auditorium, and it is not because of my ego. It is because I attended a similar conference earlier in the year and it did have an auditorium. The brain fills in the unknown with what it can, and in this case it was something much scarier than the reality.

Font Caution

And this is why you have to pay attention to the fonts you choose. Especially when looking at lowercase r's and n's. Because, while it looks like this podcast title is talking about derrieres, it actually says 'controlled buRNs'. Not the same thing at all.

Things confirmed

Today, I have confirmed that I hate public speaking. Again. I don't know why I keep doing this, because in all of my public speaking engagements (which are not many), the result is the same: intense anxiety leading up to said engagement. I believe this now qualifies as insanity, by the purported Einstein definition.

I also confirmed my suspicions that water is not stronger than a magnet and will not detach the iron particles that are clinging on for dear life. (Believe it or not, I have seen sillier studies that actually got funding).

It is confirmed that finding a new doctor is almost as bad (or maybe it is just as bad) as practicing for a presentation and both are very easily placed on the procrastinate list.

So, there you have it. Some new facts for your life.

My kidometer is nearly full

In the last four days, I have played with 15 of my 23 nieces and nephews. I played Ping-Pong Cootie with #18, watched puppet shows being put on by #11, enjoyed #19 singing her babies to sleep (and she informed me that her dolls are babies, and she is a doll). Number 12 told me about Mixels, 15 moved in to manhood by helping his dad mow the lawn, and number 22 and 23 did all the cute work. Numbers 1, 3, 5 and 7 let me show off my work to them, and we had a good conversation over dinner, along with their mom. Number 14 was full of hugs, 9 and I chowed down on watermelon together, 17 shared his amazing Nerf gun abilities (along with his siblings) and his amazing talent for drenching himself at a water fountain and for running sideways. Number 21 was mostly just adorable. He had fun learning to shoot his Nerf gun, enjoyed hammering his lasagna with watermelon, showed off his skipping abilities, and was generally just fun company.

So now my kidometer is topped off enough to tide me over until July. It's a good world that has kids in it.

About Me

My song of the moment: "Bird Set Free" by Sia

What I would title my autobiography: Once Upon a Time when I Was Me

Reading List: Just finished Hitler's Savage Canary and Fish Up a Tree, am currently reading To the Letter

New vocab words: oenomel, cunctator, litotes, toponym

Life's little joys: getting a really good photo, a good song, playing with kids

Something I regret: not buying that hat in Puerto Rico

Words to describe me: ordinary, exhausted, probably nerdy (aren't we all in our own way?)

Something I like about myself: my eyes

My soapboxes: tech overkill, archival outreach, people who aren't nice

Wishes: If I could wake up tomorrow doing anything I wanted, I would be archiving in England. 

Evolution

I was at a conference last week and one of the presenters made a comment (somewhat tangential to their subject) about her one year old along the lines of, "digital is becoming so natural. I have a one-year old who just loves my cell phone." Implying that babies are born with an innate love of technology and that our species has evolved to the point that non-tech is no longer valid.

Which I just have to take issue with. Whether we have evolved or not, babies really aren't a good measure either way. Anyone who has ever played with a baby knows that a baby pretty much loves whatever you stick in front of them. I gave my nine-month old nephew a box of binder clips. He couldn't get enough of them. They made noise, he could stir them around, throw them out of the box, and they made a great chew toy. He had a great time with them. He was equally in love with boxes, spoons, spatulas, and a plethora of other very analog items. Which is really fun, really cheap, and really does defy the brain-evolution-to-tech theory. 

Personally, I'm a huge fan of giving kids boxes and sticks and spoons. I know it's really old school, and you can call me a dinosaur if you want. I can take it.

I mean, who doesn't love dinosaurs?

Diagnosis

Somehow in a conversation at work today, we got into colors being appropriated for other things, so that they are no longer just a color. And we asked an African-American co-worker if she is offended if people call her "black", which she said she wasn't.* Then she told us how when she was a young 'un, I think maybe joining the Coast Guard, she was told that the reason Africans/African Americans were such fast runners is because they had an extra bone in their foot. And that blacks couldn't float. Which cracked all of us up, because it is kind of crazy that anyone would believe that. I mean, seriously? Number one, you can x-ray a foot and confirm that there is no extra bone. Number 2, how do you explain all the black people that float just fine? Come on, people!

Of course, based on that reasoning, I must be at least half black, because I can't float. Well, okay, I can, but not well. I'm not great at it. You don't want me to be the one saving your life. 

Well, then our conversation moved on and this terrific co-worker said that the problem is that all the rest of us are pigmentation impaired. Which is for some reason the most beautiful statement on my race I've ever heard. Pigmentation impaired. That is me, big time. Me and all my ancestors before me. We just have a complex about our genetic disorder. 

So, to help bring peace and harmony and "getting-alongness"** to the world, I suggest we start some therapy sessions for those of us afflicted with PI. Maybe we can learn some better coping skills. Although, the tanning industry may not be in favor...

*This was really good to know. Although, I imagine context and tone probably matter. But it was a good conversation and exactly how discussions about serious issues like race should take place. 
**Because I really DO want to get along! I want people to feel like I'm a safe person to be around. Wouldn't it be great if people weren't nervous or unsure about each other because of pigmentation differences. I like people. Let's all get along!

Housework

After finally delving into the inner depths of my vacuum cleaner, I vacuumed my floor on Saturday. There is something about vacuuming that makes a huge difference in the feeling of clean in a domicile*. I still have dirty dishes in the sink, and the bathroom could use cleaning (it's not horrible, though. I promise). But every time I walk into my apartment and see the vacuum lines on the carpet, my life feels just a little bit more ordered and tidy. It's the best. I highly recommend vacuuming to anyone who is looking for a quick way to make your place look just a little better. Give it a try!


*Yes. I did just go all fancy-shmancy on word usage there. And, another great word I learned today? Litotes. It is the opposite of hyperbole. Thank you, Allusionist. 

Channeling my inner 3-year old

Why was Denmark's response to WWII so different from other European countries?
Why is doing laundry so tedious?
Why can't we all just get along?
Why did Skittles ever think they needed to switch from lime to green apple?
Why is TV so addictive?
Why is it so hard to find clean comedies on TV?
Why do I like fruit more than vegetables?
Why do my sinuses always get worse at night?
Why is it so expensive to fly across the Mississippi?
Why do pangolins look so funny?
Why do we find celebrities so fascinating?
Why do humans always pendulum back and forth to the extremes of issues (and pretty much anything?)
Why is chocolate so amazingly delicious?
Why aren't there any holidays in August?
Why did the person who made my vacuum cleaner think it would be a brilliant idea to make me remove 6 screws to get to the vacuum belt?

Of course, the real question is, Why am I not in bed?

Curious...

I was at Church on Sunday and pulled out my tablet and just for fun decided to see if I could connect to the wireless. So, I'm searching for the right network, and on the list that came up was a network called FBIsurveillancevan2.

Now I'm assuming that the FBI is smart enough not to give such an obvious name to their wireless network, because it really would defeat the purpose of having a surveillance van. At least one would think--I honestly don't know much about the inner workings of the FBI in reality, and am going on common sense and my probably-ill-informed view from TV. Which means that someone came up with a really intriguing name for their wireless, and I'm kind of curious about that person. Potentially, they could be really clever and funny. (Or not. Who knows?)

But if by chance that really is the wireless for an FBI surveillance van, then, dear FBI, you really need to rethink your strategy.

Showing Off

In an effort to make up for the un-noteworthy last post, I am opting for showing off my photo 'skills'. Here are 3 of my faves from today:

Top I just love because of the subject. It wasn't particularly difficult to get. Middle, I am pleased with because it did take a little skill to know what to focus on, and I got it to turn out well (a bit of deliberate composition, I guess). And the last one, well, it's just awesome. And I am incredibly proud of it. Although, if I'm honest, there was quite a bit of dumb luck involved. But also lots of patience and persistence. The fact that I took a ton of photos just to get this one (there were some timing issues with most of them) is hardly worth mentioning, because in the end, this is just an awesome photo.*

*I do realize that comparatively speaking it probably isn't that remarkable. But for the purposes of this conversation, the comparison group is 1 (me), and for that group, it is remarkable. I am really, really proud of it. Really.

So much for this Saturday

I had big plans for waking up early, working out, getting some photography practice in, and going to the ward Pancake breakfast. Then I'd send off taxes and buckle down and finish writing the paper I'm presenting at a conference in a few weeks.

Instead, I got to bed late (to be fair, I was trying to sort out the last of my tax stuff), slept in late, missed the breakfast, didn't work out until quite late in the afternoon, and otherwise didn't follow the dream schedule.

I did get my taxes done and hopefully done right. There was this nice little complication with having moved. The W-2 for my new job had me living in my old location and working in the new (given that that would be a 1600 mile commute, not so much), so somehow I was paying taxes in both places or something like that. So I had to get a corrected W-2, which was a new experience. And then file an amended return, which was also new. And I just want to go on record as saying, there are several places in the instructions where the wording is kind of ambiguous. Also, in doing my federal return, I ended up with a return larger than anything I'd ever had before, so I double checked it by using a different tax prep software. I was a bit surprised to see that there were different parameters for some of the credits and stuff depending on which software I used. Kind of unnerving.

Anyway, hooray, I did do my taxes. And I did finish a 'draft' of my paper, if you can call it that. It is a bunch of different sections and points, but with next to no organization. At least I got it on paper, right? I'm having several problems with this paper:

1) I had to turn in an abstract two months ago (which probably means I should have been further along on the paper, but whatever) and now feel compelled to stick to the general outline of the abstract. In my book, the abstract should be the last thing written, not the first thing required.

2) I have never been to this conference, so I have no idea what the expectation is. If you ever find yourself invited to present at a conference that you have never attended, I suggest being very hesitant to agree. 

3) The conference is a weird mix of religious and academic and I don't quite know how to handle it. It's just weird. 

You might think that having got something on paper, I would feel better, but not so much. Rather than feeling like I accomplished something, I feel like I should have done more while also having a sense of beating my head against a wall just thinking about working on it. So, it's just going to have to stew for a day.

In the meantime, can I get a refund on my Saturday? 

The moral of the story?

Last night, I tried a new recipe for some soup. Which first required that I do the dishes, because the kitchen was too messy to cook in. Then I had to do some chopping--something I am not highly skilled at. I got everything mixed up, and got it cooking and it was delightful to smell the aroma of it cooking (which is impressive since lately my allergies have kicked in about dinnertime making smelling and breathing rather difficult).

So, once it was done, I dished it out so I could take it in my lunch. And in the process, I managed to knock one of the dishes off the counter and it hit the floor with an impressive splatter. Which, while being a tragic loss of soup, was also an incredible mess. It required a bit of mopping, as well as wiping down counters, oven, and refrigerator. And I'm STILL finding soup spattered in random placed, such as the wall near the ceiling. Seriously.

Now, I'm sure there's some kind of moral lesson, or analogy, or symbolism in this. I just don't know what it is. So, brownies for the best life lesson found in this little anecdote!

The soup, by the way, was delicious.

How is this possible?

So, I've seen this message a couple of times on Wikipedia:

And the first question I have is, "Dear Wikipedia, you do understand what a primary source is, don't you?" Because I just don't understand how you could have too many primary sources.

Now, there was a second part to this message which said "Please improve this by adding secondary or tertiary sources". I find this even more interesting, given that Wikipedia has this to say of tertiary sources: "Some tertiary sources are not to be used for academic research, unless they can also be used as secondary sources, or to find other sources." So, a tertiary source isn't even completely accepted as a source in academia, and shouldn't an encyclopedia meet academic standards (ha ha--aren't I a dreamer)?

Granted, I'm an archivist and I spend my work week with primary sources. But still. This just isn't right.

Will you be my friend?

I'm not someone who has a great deal of interest in the whole online dating thing, although I sometimes feel like maybe I should be more open to it. I was talking with a friend who has been trying it, though, and I realized what it is that I don't like about the idea.

The thing is, with online dating all the pressure is on, right? It seems like it's really obvious that you are looking for something serious so it's all or nothing. But what I really want is to make some friends and then take it from there. Kickin' it old style, I suppose, but it's my style.

What I really need, then, is a friend service. It is hard to make friends as a 'mid-single'. I'm not hanging around with a bunch of other mid-singles all the time. In school, you are hanging out with people in your similar situation. But there aren't 'mid-singles' companies and 'married with young kids' companies. I do like my co-workers and we're friends the way co-workers are friends, but they live in different cities and we don't exactly hang out on the weekends. I miss that about my last job, but what can you do.

Anyway, I wish there were a friend service. Because it would sure be nice to have a friend, and maybe one that could be a best friend for life and beyond. That kind of friend. Maybe. Someday.

The problem with communication

So, I was having a conversation with someone at work about fruit snacks. And we were talking about how they were the perfect size for getting your sweet craving satisfied. And I mentioned they should package chocolate chips that way (she agreed, by the way. Any chocolate chip companies reading this, there's an idea for you).

Then in my head I continued the conversation, thinking about how that probably wouldn't help because I would eat 3 packages of hypothetical chocolate chip packages. Like when I opened the single-serve bag of Cadbury mini eggs, and was going to just have a couple, but at the whole bag (small bag, guys, small bag). Thinking about Cadbury stuff made me think about Easter stuff, like peeps, and reminded me of a thing I'd seen on Fruit Punch Peeps (which is SO SO WRONG), and a recipe where they made cupcakes, stuck a peep on top, and then frosted over the peep.

And then I was about to say something about peep-frosted cupcakes. But, if you recall, the last part of the conversation that was said out loud was chocolate chips. So the conversation would have gone like this:

"They need to make single-serving bags of chocolate chips."

"Totally."

"Don't cupcakes with peeps on top and a layer of frosting sound disgusting?"

A little lacking in cohesion, if you know what I mean. And, I think one of the things that makes communication so difficult. If other people are like me, they don't actually speak out loud some of the steps in the thought process. No wonder people get confused!

Although, it can keep things interesting.

Fun with Google Translate

Somehow, I don't think that's right....

Leap Day-hooray

Leap day is kind of a big deal, right? Comes once every four years, an extra day, pretty awesome. And what do we do? We spend our extra day doing the same old thing--going to work. So, if I become president, I will make leap day a national holiday. And, since Leap day just happens to fall on election year, I will ban all campaigning and political talk on that day. We all deserve a break from that. 

Anyway, happy Leap Day!

American unhyphenated

**Disclaimer: This post contains sweeping generalizations. This post is written from my perspective, which is the only one I have, and it isn't always the best Perspective. The good news is my Perspective always likes to meet new Perspectives and get to know them.  

A couple of weeks ago I attended a performance of cultural dances from all over Latin and Central America and the Pacific Islands. And I loved it--the performers were awesome, the costumes were beautiful, and it was really terrific of them to share their cultural heritage. Because even though they were Americans, they also had this tie to their heritage--Latin American, Native American (from either North or South America), or Maori, or Hawaiian, etc. Which I think is incredibly cool.

But I admit, it also made me a little sad, because I don't have a cool cultural heritage like that. I'm an American, unhyphenated, and we don't have a dance. I sometimes feel a little lost as to what that means. I mean, what is an American? This whole concept is a bit nebulous for me. What are the arts and foods and traditions and customs that have been handed down for generations that make us an identifiable group?

It got me thinking historically, of course, because that's what I do. So, in the beginning of white people in America, we were a lot of different nationalities, and identified with our country of origin. And at some point, we ended up as part of the British empire, and that was our national identity. British. And probably not everyone felt a part of that--I doubt if there is any nation where everyone living in it identifies with that particular national heritage. Especially nowadays. And then the people over here decided they wanted to be their own nation, and it was bye-bye to the British identity and this new idea of American happened, but what was an American? And it seems like for a long time--up to the Civil War--people identified more with their state than as part of a nation.* And I imagine--I have no data to back this up--that there was kind of a push to disconnect from the British heritage. Which makes sense, I get it. It just seems like unhyphenated Americans are really culturally boring. Some days, I feel like my cultural 'American' heritage is 1) always find something new, none of this tradition stuff, and 2) try to get the rest of the world to do the same thing. Spread the tech, spread democracy, make mini-Americas everywhere you go. How boring! How ugly! Ick!

But Hyphenated-Americans (or Adjectival Americans, since we don't use the hyphens so much anymore). Well, I imagine that has its ups and downs too. Along with cultural heritage--any cultural heritage--comes some hard history. It is part of what being human is--we have great capacity for good and for evil, and we (sweeping generalization alert) have all at one time or another done both. But hyphenated Americans seem to me to have a much richer culture to draw on.**

And it's not like ethnic or national heritage is the only source of culture. You can get a cultural identity from lots of places, and I'm thinking most of us do have multiple sources. And maybe it's just me who feels a little deprived because I don't really have a hyphenated American heritage in my life. It's not that I couldn't--after all, plain Americans came from somewhere, and my somewheres include England, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland, at least. But is English-American a thing? Can it be? And while Irish-American is DEFINITELY a thing, it's not a thing I've been raised in. And I don't really feel like I'm an out and out American, either (For example, I don't own a gun or want to, I don't think we're the most superior place on the globe, and I like people from other countries.) I do have an identity, which I wouldn't trade for all the hyphens you've got.

I'm just saying, sometimes it would be nice to have a dance.

*Of course, that still happens today. I think in some ways, identity is relative. If I'm talking to other Americans, I identify myself with my state. If I'm talking to fellow citizens of my state, I identify by my city. If I'm talking to an international audience, yeah, I'm probably going to call myself American.
**Though this has nothing to do with the paragraph it is linked to above, here's as good as anywhere to insert it. It is possible that this is an insider/outsider thing, and they perceive me the same way I perceive them. And I should also note, it's possible that this happens with Germans and Ugandans and Australians, so I'm not in any way saying unhyphenated Americans have a monopoly. I am just not Ugandan, so I don't know.