Getting Old (Young?) Is Not So Bad After All

I love my RC! They made me feel special, giving me this plant, card, chocolate and music for birthday gifts. What a nice group of people!

Also, I've got a bunch of birthday messages through FB and e-cards. I'm not so keen on social media stuff (maybe, not at all), but today I thought they are not so bad after all.

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. You guys keep me going!

Basketball Entertainment

DS's family invited me for the Harlem Globetrotters at the brand-new basketball arena tonight. DS didn't join us unfortunately because she is in Seattle today.

Anyway, when they told me about this event, I was more interested in the new arena because it is a controversial building. When the university is financially struggling, why do they build such an expensive arena even though there's another arena? No, the new arena will bring lots of money to the university. Or something like that. So, I wanted to see the arena with my own eyes. I had seen the exterior before, but I hadn't seen the interior.


Yes, it's a beautiful arena. I don't know about financial issues of the arena, how much debts and how much profit and so on, but as an piece of audience, it's fantastic. This kind of venue must easily attract big events and big-name performers. Actually, Elton John performed last night.


The Globetrotters' performance was fun, and their basketball techniques were amazing. It was a clean, sound, family-friendly pure entertainment.

But, one thing I was annoyed was commercials during intervals. Of course, this is a business and needs advertising (sponsors) to subsidize ticket prices and stuff. But, in every interval, the MC announced Greyhound, Campbell, to name a few, like television commercials. Stuff with those advertisers' names came on the court and played a little games. That was annoying. But, there's advertising everywhere inside the arena in the first place. Pretty American capitalism and consumerism.

God Focker

This is a nice laugh for Sunday night after grading a bunch of "Are you seriously a college student?!" papers. Ben Stiller looks old while Owen Wilson remains the same since, I don't remember when I saw his movie last time, long time ago. This movie (actually a series) is amazing to have those expensive folks, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robert de Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand Henry, Harvey Keitel, etc. Oh, Laura Dern is in it! I only remember her in Wild at Heart, which was back in the 1980s-ish. Her face is so impressive, I don't know why, but that's why I recognize her in this movie. She is still acting!

The story is predictable, which is in-law issues, but you can laugh anyway, which I needed. Henry, a little Focker, is adorable, which makes me feel human. I don't feel like I'm a human while grading, grrrrrr.

Drug Dealer?!

I was housesitting my friend's home today until my friend came home at night.

I was home alone in the morning. Close to noon, I got a call from my friend and she said she forgot to give a pill to her 9-year-old son this morning. M usually takes a pill in the morning, which is important. So, she asked me to take a pill to his school. No problem. M's school is just a few blocks down from the house.

I went to school and went into the office to ask someone to find M because I didn't know which classroom M was in. I told a lady in the office that I came here for M on behalf of D (my friend and M's mom). She obviously thought I was a suspicious person because I had a Ziploc bag with a little white pill in my hand. Come on, I'm not a drug dealer or something! She took me anyway to the classroom where M was and fetched him. M came out of the classroom. The lady asked M, "Do you know this lady (me)?" And, M said, "Yeah, sort of." Come on, M! You should say, "Yes," with a big smile, otherwise, I'd be more suspicious! The lady showed M the Ziploc bag with a pill and asked M, "Is this a pill that you usually take?" And, M asked me, "Mom called you?" And, I said, "Yes, she did. That's why I'm here." Then, the lady seemed to understand the relationship between M and me, phew.

It was a funny experience. M is a character. I told this story to D when she came home, and she laughed hard. Man ... America.

Another Chapter Down

Yes, another chapter down! Mayday, mayday, another chapter is down!

I submitted the first draft of the findings chapter to my chair and shadow chair (actually, she may be more powerful than my chair) this afternoon. The fattest chapter is down, ohhhhhhh!