Nostalgia

We had a family reunion a week ago and we held it at a campground where we went a lot as a family when I was a kid.

A lot of the campground didn't ring any bells--it's been about 30 years since I've been, and the world looks different when you are an adult than when you are a kid. Things that were big seem smaller, you've got decades of memories to confuse things, and a completely different sense of direction. And I don't know if we were in the same campsites as when I was a kid or not. 

But one thing definitely hadn't changed: the creek. There is a creek running through the campground, and as kids, we spent hours wading up and down and all around. It was ice cold, because the water is mountain runoff (so cold it hurts, as my nephews discovered), but if you stayed in the water long enough, your feet went numb so you couldn't feel the ache anymore. But the best part of the creek was that there were spots where it ran over the road. You could drive through the creek! It was the best!!! Imagine my joy to see that is still a feature! 

I don't remember much about any hikes when I was a kid. I'm sure we hiked, or at least followed the trails. But this trip, we hiked up to the spring. I don't know if we did that when I was young (our camping trips were very unstructured. I remember just playing outside all day, occasionally reading, and playing some games, so we maybe didn't do formal hikes). A couple of nieces, one nephew, and I drank the spring water, unfiltered. Which may not have been the smartest thing to do, but 1) If you can't drink spring water, what can you drink?, 2) My niece is studying to be a nurse, so surely it's okay?, and 3) I've survived water in stranger places.*

Anyway, it was quite fun to remember my experiences and also to watch my nieces and nephews have their own, new experiences in a place that was such a part of my youth. I don't know if there's a term for that experience--nostalgia mixed with ...what? It was sweet, and if there isn't a word, there should be. And I hope someday (if you haven't already) you get to experience it.

*How ridiculous would it be to get massively ill from water in my home state?! 😂

Hawaii

Honolulu--mountain construction reminds me of Latin America

Cool trees

Feral chickens

North Shore

Our well fortified sandcastle (it survived multiple waves)

Sunset on the North Shore

Banyon trees

Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse

Brazilian crested cardinal

View from Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse--well, the top of the mountain above the lighthouse

The Makapuʻu tide pools

Mountains behind the Byodo-in Temple

Turtles at the Byodo-in Temple. My friend on the right, I get it

Beach near Laie

Diamondhead hike

Diamondhead hike

View from Diamondhead

Diamondhead hike

Diamondhead hike

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch

Damage to tree after floods, Kualoa Ranch

I love you, Dad

My dad passed away on Friday.

He was diagnosed with metastatic cancer on May 6th, he came home from the hospital next day and went on hospice. I went up the following Saturday and had the incredible privilege to be there almost the whole time until he passed (I spent a night at my home, after taking my sister to the airport, and then went back up).

During that week, I had the strongest sense of my dad as a whole. My dad not just as the person I perceived him as but as the person he was independent of me and my experiences. One day, my uncle came over and shared his memories (such a gift), friends and neighbors from church and the area talked about what they loved about him, my mom remembered him from years ago, and I remembered him from the many iterations of myself (child, teen, etc.). And I was there, seeing him in the present--often not lucid, but talking and in that talk there was a piece of his soul unhidden. 

But it wasn't just past and present, there was this sense of all his potential, everything he could have been, hoped to be, if life allowed. 

Life was hard for my dad. I don't mean he had a hard life, but life was hard for him. He struggled with mental illness, which understates the full impact of what that means really truly. He had rough times, largely because of that, but also because life just does that to all of us.* He also had an incredible sense of humor, and a sense of fun, and I loved that side of him, when it was able to shine through. But life left marks, as it does. 

Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a devotional at BYU, titled "There Must Needs Be a Christ". In it, he said, "President Boyd K. Packer taught: “The Atonement [of Jesus Christ] leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed . . . , and what it heals stays healed.” And he talked about people he had seen, who had also been roughed up by life. People you would never know had dark pasts, or unspeakable heartache. "Why? Because there is a Christ, and His Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces."

I miss my dad. I miss his smile, I miss his humor. I miss knowing he will be sitting in the recliner in the living room when I go home. 

But I am so happy that some of the tracks and traces that still existed are gone and the rest are fading. I keep seeing him as he looked in high school, young (and very handsome) and less touched by life. Just all those heartaches and regrets and frustrations of a good heart that wanted something better being wiped away. It makes me so so happy for him. And it is going to be so awesome to see him again. 

*If not, maybe we're not doing it right. A life with no challenges is a stagnant life. Albeit, a comfortable one.

Travelogue of a sock

My nephew was folding his laundry and trying to pair up socks. There is a bag full of mate-less socks that he was checking, and I asked how it got so full. He suggested the culpability lies with a sock gnome.

It does not, my friends. Over 36 hours, I had the opportunity to track one of his socks, and I believe it will clear up any mystery about how so many socks go missing in their house.

The sock in question had slid from his laundry pile to under the couch. I saw it and gave it to him and told him to take care of it. Which apparently means, "Throw it in the upstairs hallway," because that's what he did.

It stayed there for a while, definitely NOT put away or taken care of, and then somehow ended up in the bathroom behind the toilet. 

From there, it made it downstairs to the entryway by the front door. Then up to his bedroom, on the floor just inside the door. Then back into the hallway, then kicked down a couple of stairs, then kicked all the way down stairs into the entryway again.

Somehow it ended up back in his bedroom, where it was again left on the floor, un-put-away and un-taken-care-of. Until this morning, when finally he deigned to throw it in...the dirty laundry hamper. 

And this, kiddo, is the real reason so many of your socks go missing. Stop blaming the gnomes. 

Meet Jim the sock

Dream vacation

During my family's reunion last week, the hypothetical was thrown out: "If you could go on a 2 week, all expenses paid vacation, what would you do?" And I got some great vacation tips, if money is no object:

1. Hire a personal chef. Which is brilliant, because doesn't every parent need a break from fixing food? That's a real vacation (especially for my sister-in-law, who deals with multiple food allergies in her home!!!)

2. Pick one place, because hopping around is exhausting--packing up every other day. It wears you out. But, there's an alternative...

3. Hire a valet (what is the female equivalent of a valet? Lady's maid?). they travel ahead of you and buy your clothes for the next leg of your journey, so you don't have to pack. Then they can arrange to have all the clothes from the last stop sent home. Vacation, no suitcases, AND you get a new wardrobe.

4. Leverage the vacation to get some long-term goals. My brother said he would use his vacation to build a house, and learn some carpentry skills in the process. Genius. 

5. And speaking of learning, use the vacation to develop a hobby, instead of just sight see. I like this idea, too. To do an apprenticeship is a bit expensive, but an all expense paid vacation to do it? You could do worse. 

So if anyone ever offers you a 2 week all expenses paid vacation, now you have some great tips on how to make the most of it. 

Travel conundrums

I can travel for 2 weeks to another country with a backpack, a 22 inch duffel bag, and my camera bag. 

But when I travel 2 hours to visit family for a weekend, I end up with a trunkful of luggage. Which seemingly makes no sense. 

Here's the thing though. When I travel to visit family, there are kids involved. Which means I gotta pack their favorite books and their favorite games. 

And who knows what else.

Being a favorite aunt has its costs, my friends. 

Favorite vacation

A couple of weeks ago, we were hosting a boot camp at work and to introduce ourselves, we were supposed to tell about our favorite vacation.

Favorites are not my favorite.

How do you pick a favorite vacation? There's the vacations from my childhood, which have the bonus nostalgia factor. I remember a particular campground where we went. It had a nice creek that would freeze your feet off. Many good memories. 

There's the whimsical vacations. Like a 4th of July in a small town or the labor day weekend whirlwind tour to Kirtland, Ohio; Palmyra, New York, and both sides of Niagara Falls.

I've done a couple of solo trips, where I've enjoyed the solitude. 

And most of my vacations are to visit family. How do you pick a favorite Christmas or summer in the midwest? It's not possible!

On top of that there is all the world travel, which isn't always technically a vacation. Some of my work trips have been every bit as fun as a vacation. Get the right people and it's a vacation waiting to happen. No travel required (I had a great vacation last October working a normal schedule and in my own city). 

You can see why favorites are hard. 

I have had some interesting vacations (three days on an island with an active volcano). Classic vacations (Disneyworld with my sister's family. Again--the people make the vacation). Family reunions traveling across the country. Family vacation across the state, where kids sank up to their knees in muddy sand and we fell in love with some kittens. I've even had the disaster experience. Peru, well, it wasn't a disaster per se, but it sure was a bumpy ride. 

Really, the best vacations are about the memories and there are sure a lot of ways to get them. So I say, love them all!

Leveling up

The last couple of days, I have been trying a new approach to motivate my nephews to do their chores. I call it the "Turn it into a video game" model. 

Get dressed? You passed the level. Brushed your teeth? You leveled up! Did something nice that you didn't have to do? You powered up! Wait, the next level is a cooperative timed level! Can you work together to win the level? 

So far it's working. Which could just be because it's novel and I'm the aunt not the mom. But I am definitely going to milk it for all it's worth as long as I can. 

Stress safe

Last week, I was visiting my nieces and nephews. My 6-year-old nephew had stacked a huge pile of pillows into a fort-like structure) in a corner of his bed. Then he threw out a string of numbers. 

Turns out, the numbers were the key code to his stress safe (aka the pillow fort), which is exactly what it sounds like. He and his sister make them and store all their stress inside. And quite frankly, I want one. Let's make this happen!

Facial recognition

Just before the holidays, I was going through some photographs that my dad took during college (he studied photography). There was one of my sister that, when I saw it, just really made me think of her almost-5-year-old son. 

The interesting thing is that it wasn't a feature that made me match them together. Maybe the eyes, but even then, his eyes and her eyes, if you lined them up next to each other, wouldn't scream, "HEY! THIS KID STOLE YOUR EYES!!!" It was really more of the look in general in the photograph. I have seen that look in my mischievous little nephew many times.

I had the same experience with another child of that sister while there for the holidays. This particular child has always been confused with her younger sister, but there were a couple of times during the break that something about her expression and voice was so similar to her older sister. 

That's how this whole "match the child with the relative" thing works for me. Glimpses and glances and intonations.** A profile or a laugh or a gesture. I once went to an event where I heard a kid talking and knew immediately that he was my history teacher's son. Another time I read an article in a magazine and wondered if it was written by Jeffrey R. Holland. Turned out to be written by his son. 

And with my nieces and nephews, and even siblings, I do see certain facial features that are similar (the Reynolds nose and blue eyes), so we aren't dissimilar. But I also don't think we all look as alike as some people say we do (although there is that picture of me and my younger sister at her wedding. Yep, I saw that and kind of got why everyone always mixes me up with her). 

Every now and then, though, our kinship comes through loud and clear. I kind of like those moments. 

*Probably because 1) I'm not super great at picking apart people to identify which feature came from which parent/parent's side of the family and 2) it seems like once you get to know someone, they are just themselves. 

**In fairness, I feel like I sound like this sister for about a month after I come back from a visit. Although, I also feel like I sound like characters from Jane Austen books for about a week after I finish reading one. 

Crazy Ball: Another game from the minds of kids

Required equipment: 

• open space
• at least 2 balls
• players
• 1 umperor
• Recommended but optional--slick pants

How to play:

Players 'bowl' balls along the floor trying to get their ball into other players' corners. Players defend their corners from balls.

If a ball hits the wall of another player's corner, that is a Yay. And everyone says, "Yay." If a ball hits a player, it's an ouch. If a ball hits another ball, it's a "Woo-woo". If two balls hit the same wall/object, it is a hooray. If a ball manages to bounce off of three things, it's a "Hip hooray". 

It is not required to have one ball per player. 

There are no points. The idea is just to create chaos, really.

Additional phrases can be added as players choose. 

The umperor starts and pauses play as needed. 

You can also have a wandering interruption on the court, when a non-player moseys onto the playing field. Just for kicks. 

It's easy to learn, easy to play, and plenty of laughs. So, grab your gear and have some fun!

Wacky Ball and other newly invented games

It's been another peak season for new games coming from the kid crowd, including this weekend's new release, Wacky Ball. It's easy to learn and while the regulation equipment may incur some cost, it's pretty easy to find substitutes.

Equipment needed:

1. Plastic bowling set (with 10 inch pins)

2. Pool noodles

3. 4 walls and a decently smooth floor. 

Recommended equipment:

Winter gloves

Knee pads

How to play:

Basically, you sit on the floor and try to hit the bowling ball past your opponent's pool noodle using a bowling pin. They try to block it and get it through yours. As the creator says, 'It's like bowling and hockey and ping-pong mixed together." 

Variations: You can use the extra pins as obstacles on the court. If you knock them down, you get a point and your opponent loses one. Or, vice versa. Whichever way you want to play. 

Other rules to know about: 

1. No touching the ball with your hands on purpose. Except for when you are getting it out of the goal area.

2. If the ball rolls back into the court after you hit it past the pool noodle, there is no point.

3. If the ball hits a wall, it's still in play. On some courts, there may be what is called a "dead zone"--a spot where the ball just can't be hit unless you bring it back onto the court (you can use your hands for this). Bring it back onto the court and put it in the middle and have a hit-off. 

4. If you accidentally hit the ball into your own goal, it is called an "incident" and doesn't count as a score.

5. If the ball goes into your goal, you get to hit the ball first on the next play.

And another note, if the ball jumps over the pool noodle, it is called a pop-shot. 

Another game that is trending can also use the plastic bowling balls from the bowling set. Basically, each player has a bowling ball (or other kinds of ball) and you are rolling them at each other and trying not to let them get past you. You can have as many players as you want, and you just keep the balls moving. No points, and I wasn't told whether a player gets out, but I doubt it. Mostly, the goal is to have maximum ball chaos.

Finally, a new sport is emerging: Olympic sliding. This takes playground slides to a whole new level. There are a variety of slide techniques, and it is crucial to stick the landing. There are also pairs and team events. While it's not yet an official Olympic sport, it's still early days, and don't be surprised if you hear your pre-schooler voice his dream of being an Olympic slider. 

Back to normal?

Last week we were supposed to start working in the office again, like normal.* Except that half the people weren't there, which may have been because of some HR/director last-minute messaging about coming in that ended up being confusing, or because people are working hybrid schedules mashed up with 4 10s, 9 9s, or who knows what else, so honestly, it seems absurd to call it "back" to normal, because, well, not so much.

On Tuesday, though, we had a division meeting, and so lots of people were there, and we all wore our masks, and when we got out of the meeting, instead of just me and a couple of coworkers going back to our desks, it was a horde! I did NOT like it. There were far too many people. Oh, no, no, no. Not because of COVID. Just because I am more introverted and haven't had to share my space with anyone for 18 months-ish, and when I did go in the office, there was less than half the normal staff there. And I liked it that way. And now there are people everywhere, and I want them to go home! Or at least for me to just have my own little office hidden away in some corner where people forget about me until I emerge from the depths to go to a meeting or something.

Also, this mask thing. I don't have to wear one at my desk, but I do in public areas, but my desk is semi-public (it's a cubicle. I hope every business is really re-thinking the health and safety around cubicles at this point) and so it is a very blurry line between desk and public space and I keep forgetting because I haven't had to wear one, and basically, do we all feel like it's a Groundhog's Day scenario and we are back at last April? "Should I wear a mask? Is it safe to work? COVID is no big deal, or is it? What is going on?!?!?!" 

Yeah. So, we have gone back to that normal, but I think that isn't actually what we were shooting for.

Burp Kablooey

Burp Kablooey is the hottest new game for the ten and unders. Invented by a three-year-old, it definitely knows its intended audience. 

To play Burp Kablooey, you will need:

• One balloon per kablooey team
• One kablooey rag per kablooey team. A kablooey rag is any rag you have laying around your house. 
• A kablooey court. This is basically any area with room to move around in. A backyard, family room, gymnasium, or park will all work.

A kablooey team consists of two people, the burper and the kablooey-er. 

How to play:

The burper uses his/her feet to kick the balloon in the air. When they have successfully kicked the balloon with their feet, they call out, "Burp!"

The kablooeyer then tries to hit the balloon with the kablooey rag. If they are successful, they call out, "Kablooey!"

The burper may be standing, sitting, or laying down. They may lay on a couch or the ground. The kablooey rag may be damp or dry, but if you use a wet rag, be aware that when the kablooeyer hits the balloon, a very wet kablooey rag will spray water droplets everywhere.

Scoring:
The point is not to score, the point is to say "burp" and "kablooey". If you want to keep score you can, but it is not an essential part of the game.

A standard game of Burp Kablooey is played as doubles, with a burper and a kablooeyer, but you may also play singles Burp Kablooey. 

Multiple Burp Kablooey teams may occupy the same kablooey court at the same time; however, this could result in increased occurences of injury. 

And that is how you play Burp Kablooey, the hottest new game out there.

COVID-19 Check-in

Well, well, well. Three months (and a bit) and coronavirus is still with us, even though it seems like it is no longer the bulk of all news coverage or the hot topic. We have had the protests take center stage, and even that seems to be waning. Because it is now normal. Living in a pandemic, living with protesters*, feeling unnerved when we go out and about, panicking when people don't distance from us, being constantly aware of how close we are to other people/whether people are wearing masks, and going days without going outside. Life goes on. And someday, we won't do any of those things, and we will get used to it just as quickly.

Personally, I'm feeling a little bored with it all. Mostly, with the part that makes everything more complicated. I needed to get quarters for laundry and had to go to a bank that was twice as far (which wouldn't be a big deal except I don't have a car). And, since I didn't have a car, I couldn't go through the drive-thru, and since I needed quarters I couldn't use the ATM, so I had to schedule an appointment. Is it a big deal? No. But compared to being able to swing by unannounced to the bank a block away from work? A bit of a hassle. 

Going to the grocery store? Also a pain. The train runs less frequently, which makes travel time twice as long. It's hot. No one is wearing masks in my neck of the woods. And, when you have to carry your groceries home, you can't really stock up for weeks on end, so you have to go to the store just as often. It is definitely time to get a car just so COVID is less of a pain.

The biggest annoyance is not being able to visit family. I wanted to see my nieces and nephews in a play, but my city is behind their city in terms of reopening so I didn't feel like I should go. I want to visit another family before the summer ends, but that doesn't seem likely to happen. So, you can imagine I get a bit frustrated when I see people not being cautious in public when I'm trying to be. I know I'm not perfect. I'm not saying I am. I forget sometimes or get lazy. I get that masks are a pain--they are uncomfortable and hot and sweaty, and you have to wash them frequently, and honestly, I don't want to pay $2 a load just to wash masks, especially when getting quarters is such a pain. I get it. But I'm trying, and it can be really hard when it feels like no one else is. It's like the world's biggest group project. Sigh. 

I'm also burned out from online meetings. And people are getting quieter and quieter in them. Also, I am not looking forward to going back to work. And not because of COVID worries. Socializing can be really challenging, and when I'm not doing it consistently, it gets much harder. So you can imagine that there is a bit of anxiety around being surrounded by people all day when I haven't been for months. It'll be fine, I'm just not excited by it. 

Also, it is summer and it's hot and I haven't slept great lately. So, yes. Bored and grumpy and tired. I need some kids to play with. 

*And note, this does not mean we have stopped caring. We have just adapted to these new developments. 

The greatest of these is charity

Last night, my community was given a curfew as a result of protests that took place in response to the death of George Floyd. I've had many, many thoughts, naturally. But in the last little bit, I've been thinking about an experience with a nephew of mine.

At the time he was probably around 4. His family and I had been out doing something that day, I don't remember what, and when we got back to the house, there was the usual transition chaos: getting the kids out of the car, getting everything inside, and now we need to move on to dinner or whatever was next on the schedule. 

My little nephew was upset about something, and was crying, and if you've ever been in that situation (lots of kids, lots to do, frazzle everywhere), you know how easy it is to say, "I'm not going to help you until you calm down." And sometimes, that's the right thing to do as we try to teach children how to manage stressful or upsetting situations. But sometimes, it's not the right answer, and that day, it wasn't.

Somehow, that day I managed to get it right. I knelt down and with nothing but pure love for that sad little bow, I asked what was wrong. I don't remember what it was--something with his shoes I think. He couldn't get them off, or he was having a hard time putting them away, I don't know. Maybe something with the laces? It doesn't matter. What he needed was help, to do something he couldn't on his own. He needed someone to listen, to acknowledge that what he was feeling was real, and hard for him, and he needed someone to be on his side and help him fix the problem. And through no genius or skill of my own, I got it right. And I have thanked the powers that be every time I think of that moment that on that day, I got it right and loved a crying little boy instead of all the other things I could have done. 

I don't get it right enough. Not nearly enough. I want to be the person who gets it right more often. I want us to be a society that gets it right more often. It's easy to look at these--or any protesters--and say, "Well, look at your behavior. Look at what you're doing wrong." It's easy to say, "Well, destruction and violence is not the answer, and so I'm not going to listen to you until you calm down." 

But I just keep thinking of that little boy. These people--our people--they are hurting. They have been hurting. And it is to the point that they can't bear it anymore. They can't keep that hurt in. And what they desperately need is us kneeling down and saying, "Cry on my shoulder. Tell me how I can help. I am here with you. I will share your pain and be with you until we fix it." They need us to love them and be with them and to get it right. They don't need a lecture, or anyone saying, "Well, here's what you did wrong." They need us to love them. And if we love them, we will absolutely do what it takes to fix the problem. We will take them by the hand, and stand with them. And when we have their hand in ours, with real love, there won't be empty hands left to throw things and destroy things. 

My heart breaks for all the broken hearts out there in this moment, for whatever reason. I want to get it right. And I hope you will tell me what I can do to help you and what I can do to make things right. 

The acme of my creativity

Over Christmas, my 5-year old nephew was upset about having to mop the floor. I tried to cajole him, but he just needed to bummed for a few minutes and, no joke, after being grumpy for 5 minutes, he was over it and got to work. And I watched him and said, "You need some mop mittens." He liked that idea and we came up with two or three other chores he could use mittens for. I left for home with a promise that I would make him some mop mittens.

And, only 5 months later, I have done it! I am not an overly crafty person, so these primitive guys are a high achievement for me. And I did have fun making them. It took me a couple of trial runs, and I did have a technical snafu which resulted in buying a new sewing machine*, but I did it. Creating is a good feeling. 

Now to send them off and hope that they do the job. If not, I guess we'll do a little more experimenting.  

*Came in really handy for making face masks last week.

I will

This weekend I got to spend time with my nephew, #24, who is 2 and a half. He, like all my nieces and nephews, is fantastic, and he is at such a fun age!

One of the funnest things is that he always says, "I will...". "I will go play." "I will sit here." "I will clean up." "I will go hit it" (the punching bag, which is totally okay to hit). There is something about it that is adorable. Confidence. Excitement. Optimism. Or maybe it's something about an under 3 being so declarative about his life. "There's a thing to do, and I'm going to do it." Or, it could just be that he's 2 and a half and pretty much almost always adorable.*

I'm sure there's a lesson here. How would this approach change things for me? "I will buy a car." "I will go to bed [meaning, sooner than later]." "I will eat vegetables." Probably can't hurt.

*Even his cry is darling. It's kind of convulsive, like an evil laugh only with sad tears instead.

Family Ties

Every now and then, I like to log on to FamilySearch and just click back as far as I can on a line. Any line, doesn't matter which. And, apparently I had time to kill today* because that's what I did.

Of course, the farther back you go the more dubious the information gets. You start hitting these things where the mother is also the niece or the husband died before the wife was born. You know how it is. But it is still always entertaining to see who you are purported to be related to. Once I followed a line back to a Gandalf in about 200 AD. That was fun.

Today's playing of the "Who Am I (not really) Related To?" had some great hits. My favorites include:

• Odin Woden Woutan, King of Asgard**, who according to FamilySearch died in 300 AD. Clearly, they didn't watch Thor: Ragnarok
• the Myth King of Kvenland--I'm not sure what the Myth is referring to (the King is a myth? He is the king of Myths?)
• a frost giant (whose genetics clearly skipped me, as I'm a whopping 5' 5" if I round up)
• and the Overlord of Anglo-Saxons. 

Also in my supposed ancestry are lots of kings and queens of the Scandinavian countries, Turkey, Syria, Mesopotamia, France, Germany, and various British tribes, etc; Boudicea (multiple spellings), another Odin Woden Woutan, who died in 306 AD and was not listed as the King of Asgard; Hoard of Denmark; King Gorr of Alfheim; one Kwxyd; and Franklin P. Lucifer, parent of some Roman somebody or other who was born in the late BCEs. Of course.

I also love how many entries in the hundreds AD are just, "Mrs. ________________". You have "Big Ole Important Dude with a Fancy Title", and "Mrs. Big Ole Important Dude with a Fancy Title." "Mrs. Tertulius" was somehow one of my favorites. "Hello, let me introduce you to Tertulius, head of the Roman Empire. And his wife, Mrs. Tertulius."

It is kind of interesting to see how I start out in Europe and end up in Egypt and Tunisia and Jerusalem. Supposedly. While the lineage is probably very bogus, there is probably some semblance of truth to the geography. At least to a degree. And probably more likely if you really do tap into the royal lines,*** because they really got around.

Anyway, even though it is almost 100% not likely to be true, I think I'm still claiming Franklin P. Lucifer. And maybe Odin Woden and the Myth King. Because, why not?


*I didn't really. Well, I mean, I did. But I definitely could have found something significantly better to do with my time than this fun little exercise. 
**I think I should now get free admittance to every Marvel movie ever. 
***I had a patron come into work one day claiming she had traced her ancestry all the way back to Adam. Speaking as an archivist who knows a thing or two about the absence of good documentation, I'm saying the likelihood of doing that is next to whatever is 5 steps away from impossible. If you do tap into royalty, you can get decently far back, because royalty was important and so their life got written down, but that has to be the legitimate line, not some poor out of wedlock line. And maybe, maybe if you happened to tie into the line that is given for Joseph or Mary in the New Testament, you might be able to trace back, but even then, I'd be super skeptical. So, congrats, but no. I'm going to kill that dream right now. 

Been there

Last week*, I went to the zoo with my brother and his family. It was a great time and I had a blast. I know I probably shouldn't, but I love zoos. I really love seeing how animals behave and putting the human spin on it.

Like the orangutans. First, can we talk about how adorable baby orangutans** are? SOOOO adorable! And then there was the mama orang. Baby is having a blast, playing and being adorable, but her? Not so much. She grabbed a sheet and threw it over herself, ghost-costume-esque, then grabbed an armful of straw and dumped it on her head. (Baby was a little sad about this, because some of it was his*** straw. But then he had fun dumping straw on his head, so he made the best of it). Everything about Mama was saying, "I just can't take today." And every adult watching was saying, "Yep. I've been there."****

It was the same with the bears, the peacock, the zebras, the otters. (Not the straw dumping. The "I can relate" and the "Let's make up what the animals are saying.") It's one of the best parts of the zoo. And I get that we are putting animals in an artificial habitat so that people can gawk at them, but I really love zoos.

Also, I remembered the hat lesson. There was this adorable***** stuffed sloth that was on sale. I was talking myself into being a responsible adult****** but then something kicked in and said, "Buy it!" Everyone else was getting a souvenir. So I bought it. And I haven't regretted it one bit.

*was it only last week? And has it really been an entire week? Time is weird.
**Does anyone know how this is pronounced for real? I'm so glad this is all written because I never know how to say orangutan.
***I have no idea if it was a he or she, but my impression based on nothing sound is he.
****The kids just thought it was hilarious.
*****Yes, I know. Everything was adorable.
******Always a mistake. Well, sometimes a mistake.