26. She buys children's picture books because they're awesome.
27. She makes me laugh so hard that I sound stupid.
28. She gets me.
29.We have a secret language (all the best sisters do).
30. "You may be my half-sister, but I still whole love you!"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMYFACE!
Love, Loop.
P.S. This is only small handful compared to the 30,000 memories we have together. But I thought they made for a nice reminder that I love ju bery bery much. ;-)
In case you missed last year's surprise Mother's Day post, here is the link.
Also: Mom. You really should change your password once in awhile...
- - -
Mami taught me how to have great adventures.
We have driven to Vegas together more times than I can count. Today, I love driving and am always ready to take a road trip.
We saw the GoGo's at Mandalay Bay (outside on "the beach" - aka The Pool) and we got drenched. Afterwards, we were sitting, still dripping, and having a cafecito while watching the people who had just come from an Il Divo concert head into the casino. We couldn't stop laughing about the people being dressed to the nines while we were dripping. I wish I could remember what was so funny about the guy we met in the elevator, but at the time it was the funniest thing we'd ever heard. When a friend invited me to the symphony, I knew how to dress because of that dripping in Vegas moment... and I still make friends with people in elevators.
She took me to New York with her right after 9/11. We FLEW. The two towers were still burning, but we went. When she mentioned a trip to San Antonio to cook Cuban food for our troops, I bought my ticket right away.
We have gone to Miami plenty of times for Cuba Nostalgia because she had taught me to be proud of my heritage and my culture. When abuela asked if I would take her to Cuba to be reunited with her siblings (for the first time since fidel took over) I did not hesitate; I went to Cuba.
We have met totally famous people and been total dorks about it. People have treated us like we're famous and we have been total dorks about it.
We saw (presidential hopeful) Mike Huckabee at the airport, but I was convinced it wasn't him. She went up and shook his hand. She was right. We were in L.A. and I said "Mami, that's Pitbull," but she wasn't convinced it was him. We eventually shook his hand. I was right.
Mami taught me to be fearless. And to be right. ;-)
Love,
Kiki Amy
- - -
My mom taught me to appreciate comfort.
I can remember sitting on mom's lap at Luza's old house, in the living room in the dark when she was trying to put me to sleep. I remember sucking on her finger while she tried to rock me to sleep. She always played with my hair to calm me down and I still run my fingers through my hair to relax now when I'm all wound up. She would always say, "Who loves you more then anyone else in the whole wide world?"
She asked because she already knew the answer. And so do I.
Love,
Adam
- - -
Mom taught me to be fearless.
I remember the first time I had auditioned for my first musical. I was an extremely nervous, shy and quiet person. (Hard to believe now, I know.) Before I left, my Mom told me: "Be fearless. If you are fearless... they will respect you."
Every audition I’ve had since then, I have chosen to be fearless. All because my Mom, I am now outgoing, well-spoken, respected and trusted by my friends. Thank you Mom, for teaching me to be fearless.
I love you, Mom! And thank you for letting me live. ;-)
Love,
Jon
- - -
My wife taught me the importance of telling stories.
When we are out at some family gathering or just out doing something fun together, she will stop and take photos or little video clips. I have to admit it used to drive me crazy.
But later when she writes about our time together or glues down the pictures in her scrapbook or tells these stories to our friends, I am grateful. She helps me slow down and see myself as part of a great story. Happy Mother's Day, honey. I love you.
Love,
Eric
- - -
My mom taught me how to learn… and learn quickly.
Imitation was a skill I developed at a young age. And I had always believed that if mom could do it, I could do it too. My mom taught me how to bake a perfect cake (from scratch), how to do laundry (don’t mix whites with dark colors), how to sew (keep your finger away from the needle), how to clean the bathtub (it’s not a fun job, but someone’s gotta do it)...
My favorite compliment was to be called “mommy’s little helper.”
Later, she encouraged me to pursue my own interests. If I wanted to know how to do something, I had more than enough resources to learn how to do it myself.
My mom is an intensely curious, playful, thoughtful, and opinionated woman with the greatest sense of humor. She’s brave and honest and deeply connected to her culture. She had an excellent fashion sense, she makes the greatest pastelitos de guayaba, and she loves a good story.
Thanks to mom, I learned how to be a good listener, how to take care of myself, how to apologize, how to be creative, how to write, how to take a beautiful photograph and, most importantly, how to say “I love you.” and mean it.
Here’s to the best teacher I ever had. Happy mother’s day, mom! I love you so much I could spit.
Love,
Lucy
- - -
Also, bonus picture of mom singing karaoke to Neil Diamond at the top of her lungs... on Christmas Day.
The following movie review is brought to you by Lucy R. Darby:
If anyone asked you if you’d like to go to Walt Disney Studios to see a pre-screening of the new Dreamworks Pictures movie, Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman…
It would behoove you to say yes. (Thanks, Dreamworks!)
Based on the trailers, I nostalgically dubbed it the “Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em Robot Movie.”
The magic of wandering around the Disney back lots like VIPs and actually being close enough to touch one of the original multiplane cameras that was used to produce classics like Pinocchio was still fresh when we entered the theater.
Jon geeking out over the Disney multiplane camera.
May I say a few words about Hugh Jackman?
We love him. Even when he’s playing a character so unlikeable, unmotivated, greedy, contemptuous, and impatient, we can’t take our eyes of the screen. And we were rooting for him to finally become the dad we knew he could be. (I hope that didn't give anything away.....)
Synopsis:
Charlie Kenton, former boxing champion, has turned to training fighting robots and is desperate for money. In a less than ideal turn of events, he agrees to take care of his estranged son, Max, for the duration of the summer. Immediately, we see the conflict between them, as well as the similarities. They’re both stubborn, cocky, and they end up working together to guarantee the success of a newly discovered robot, named Atom.
Constantly struggling to make a living and trying to mend the relationship with his son, Charlie is forced to overcome his arrogance and his past mistakes.
And while Hugh Jackman is arguably the eye-candy in this film, the stars who totally steal the show are Noisy Boy and Atom.
And now, a few words from Jonathan Darby:
“It was a mix between… I guess, a really great action movie and the classic Disney template. It was epic. I almost cried.”
For a movie about futuristic fighting robots, the fight scenes weren’t excessive or repetitive. Jon was practically jumping out of his seat to encourage the imaginary machines. Not to spoil anything… but Mom did cry at the end.
As I was sitting in the theater, watching the credits scroll, I was silently hoping the words “based on a true story” would appear on the screen. I was disappointed.
But definitely not with the film. Go. See. It.
~Lucy Darby
********************************************
Marta here. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but, as Lucy said, it was a very enjoyable film. The fight scenes between the robots were violent, but hello? They're fighting robots. I think it's more suitable for tweens and teens rather than very little kids. And of course, anyone who loves video games. But trust me, you're going to want to see Real Steel.
And, okay....maybe I cried....just a little.
My one-day-I'm-going-to-be-a-filmmaker son cuts loose on the Disney back lot.
The folks at Dreamworks Pictures were gracious enough to let me offer a giveaway that ties in to the film. Of course, I am greatly pleased.
The prize pack from Dreamworks Pictures includes all of these:
• REAL STEEL t-shirt in adult sizes of S, M, L, XL
• REAL STEEL bottle opener
• REAL STEEL stickers & temporary tattoos
So, to enter this drawing, please answer one or all of the following questions:
Have you seen the trailers for Real Steel?
What would you name your own fighting robot? ;-)
Remember that if you want to enter the drawing for the Dreamworks gift pack, you must leave a comment on this post and I'll choose a winner onThursday, October 6th, 2011 at 10 am PST.
Dreamworks Pictures' REAL STEEL opens in theatres everywhere this Friday, October 7th.
You should make plans to go see it. Take your favorite geeky gamers. =D
Marta here. It's summer and the Orange County Fair is in full swing here in our little corner of the world. My Lucy went with her friends, her camera, and her appetite. What follows is her account of the crap unfortunate food choices available to her.
CAUTION: Not for the squeamish.
- - -
I’ve tasted regret. And it’s covered in powdered sugar.
Hello. My name is Lucy. And this is my story.
After passing through the ticket booth and tripping into the noisy, musical, aromatic world that is the OC Fair, good judgement snuggles onto the warm back burner of my brain.
The options are overwhelming. The proposals are intriguing. The smells are bewitching.
I’m speaking, of course, of the food. The battered, sugar-coated, chocolate-covered, chocolate-filled, crunchy, greasy, untidy, confusing food. Forget the cotton candy and the snow cones! The grossest, most unappetizing crap delicacies become the very thing my life was missing. Until this moment.
Quite frankly, I’d like to know at what point in the evolution of Fair Cuisine did the word “deep-fried” become the saving grace of… everything. Twinkies. Oreos. Brownies. Klondike bars. Avocados. Frogs legs.
Befuddlement is a good word. My friends and I stood in front of the billboards, blinking slowly and reading off the options. We soon accepted that the question "...but why?" would never be answered.
To make sense of the billboards, I tried to categorize. The Favorites and The Classics fit in nicely with The Must-Haves (ice cream cones, funnel cakes, giant turkey legs… you know, healthy stuff.) while The Curiosities teetered on the edge of I-Would-Never-Eat-This-Anywhere-Else and I-Just-Don’t-Care-Anymore.
Before they could say “You’ve got something on your lip,” I’ve just bought ten minutes of quality time with a deep-fried Snickers bar.
You see, this is a place where bacon takes a magical journey and ends up frozen, covered in chocolate, and tossed into a little white box. With a side of deep-fried butter (which is topped with generous portions of whipped cream), they had the nerve to call it the “Coronary Combo.” And I ate it. With some help.
Real friends will eat the rest of the crap food that your own heart can't handle.
We traipsed and we took pictures and I tried to “walk it off.” Then someone suggested ice cream. Which turned into a frozen banana covered in chocolate and peanuts. A subtle transformation, really. Some people just never know when to quit (ahem).
A long day made even longer by good company, good memories,“good” food... and then we saw it.
Have you ever found yourself staring at something, trying to understand what you’re witnessing... but your brain refuses to translate the information into something reasonable?
When it comes to holidays, particularly what I call "Hallmark Holidays," (those are the ones where you can usually get away with just giving a card, but that's not important right now) I have always encouraged my kids to take it a step higher and do something thoughtful and more heartfelt.
Particularly for Father's Day. Dad has enough ties and joke books and cute hand puzzles, thankyouverymuch. Tributes are so, so much better and much more heartfelt and they are forever.
Lucy did this for Eric for Father's Day. I wanted to share (and make sure it got documented) because I think it's that good. I particularly love the collage. (That's my man, ladies. Hands off!)
Nine Things I Adore About My Dad
He’s an artist.
He’s a comedian.
He makes a mean strawberry smoothie.
He can still ride a skateboard. With style.
He raises one eyebrow when he’s revealing an intense thought.
He’s the smartest guy I know.
He taught me how to surf, how to make pasta and how to speak to Windows ’95.
He can salsa dance.
He loves me. And Jon. And Adam. And Amy. And my mom.
I've homeschooled my kids for years now. Ever since Lucy and Jonathan were both in elementary school.
Last semester they both went to the Cooler-Than-Thou Local Art School. But the days there were way too long for people who were used to having lots of time to do their own creative stuff and they both independently decided they wanted to come home again. (This, of course, made me deliriously happy, but that's not important right now.)
And so they did. Lucy came back to finish her senior year and Jonathan his freshman year. They came back so much more appreciative of what an alternative home education has provided them. Both of them plunged back in to their new (old) environment with lots of energy. Lucy especially.
Yesterday was graduation.
Commencement is already such an emotionally charged event. The graduates are excited. The parents are nostalgic. And for one brief and shining moment, your teenager can do no wrong. ;-)
Lucy was chosen to give one of the two speeches at graduation. She chose to do it in a "spoken word poetry" style (of course, she did). She didn't leave a dry eye in the house.
Please enjoy, "Exact change."
As she spoke I quietly wept in the dark auditorium. I had done my job well and this moment was my reward.
In this moment, Eric and I knew that our homeschooling "experiment" was a resounding success.
God speed, my girl.
Congratulations to all of the members of the Pacific Coast High School Class of 2011. You did it!
Here's the full transcript of Lucy's speech:
Change. Exact change.
Stepped onto the bus for the first time, handling the weighty stack of quarters my mother had given me the day before. The bus driver smiled not because I was new but because I was welcome. Light blue carpeted floor and walls that slid back and forth to create new rooms. It was smaller than I had expected but more spacious than any bus I had entered before. A subterranean hum of conversation played tag with the necessary silence.
Wide-eyed and comfortable as long as my lips remained pressed together, I spotted the older passengers, the ones who had been there for ages already, fidgeting because their stop was fast approaching. Absent-minded and exhausted, they offered me their charmingly sarcastic advice, ready to move on to their next adventure. My small hands were tempted to draw faces in the chill of the windows but I restrained myself because I felt too new.
I sat myself next to the girl who wrote poetry on her hands and drew pictures of dinosaurs on her guitar like the dozens who found their freedom and their passion as soon as they took their seats. She pulled me aside by the arm introduced me to Santa Claus, who wore a blue-buttoned shirt and ironed trousers. The tour guide described the economy of the English language while encouraging respect and responsibility, familiarity and friendship, patience... and enthusiasm. I once sat next to a boy whose hair was far too long and I played games with the actors. To them, everyday was Shakespeare and the evenings were his sonnets; our world was a small stage and all of us were merely players, constantly ad-libbing our lines. I paid appropriate wonder to the ones smarter than myself and nudged the quiet ones out of their corners, asking them who they were and why they chose this curious mode of transportation.
Three times on our journey we stopped, each time was as long and memorable as seventeen sand-coated summers. I admit we had our favorites, like the restaurant surrounded by palm trees which served only burgers or the two patriotic cafés. Different drivers took their turns and the familiar faces left the bus, quickly replaced by the wide-eyed expressions I once wore.
The hot days leaked through the glass and stained our clothing with the heat, inciting frustration and self-doubt. But even amid the gray sunrises when our breathing was visible and painful, we still took photographs and danced as we changed seats. The drivers who had chosen to take cars instead were struggling with maps, distractions, backseat drivers, and meetings they were always late for. The same destination; just a different way of getting there. Accused of becoming lonely, the term “socialization” was thrown at the windows often.
By the time I knew everyone as well as they’d allow me, we were sitting near the front of the bus. We knew where we were headed and which stop was ours. The new visitors shuffled towards the back, warily observing the rest of our eccentric, chatty, absurdly lovable and thoroughly modern family. When our drivers questioned us about the trip, we wrote on colored post-it notes and decorated the windows. We had learned how to be honest with ourselves and we learned how to ask for help with our baggage.
As we finally step off the bus, in tasseled caps and ill-fitting robes, we may stumble over to the ones who have been there our entire lives. We are able to raise our heads, look them straight in the eyes and thank them. Even though we’re older and a bit worn, almost too exhausted for expressions, we manage to turn and smile at the bus drivers as they each offer a large wave goodbye. On a Wednesday afternoon, in the year 2011, we’ll remember that these drivers got us where we needed to be when we needed to be there which happened to be every Friday before 3 o’clock. But I implore you to recall that the ones standing outside paid for our fare and were always waiting for us to get home safely at the end of the day. After some tearful goodbyes and hugs that aren’t tight enough, you will board your next bus, heading towards somewhere only God knows. And wherever you may be going, please remember that you got to be where you are today because of change. Exact change.
Let me be perfectly clear: Yes, we are unapologetic Conservatives.
I won't belabor the point by explaining (yet again!) that my family had to flee our homeland because of the communist takeover. America, founded on Christian principles, is the best place to live on the planet. And along with passing our Christian faith to our kids, we also want to pass on our Conservative values.
So here's Lucy, once again to finish the narrative of her trip, sharing about who she met, what she did, and what she learned. Thanks again to the staff of YAF for all your hard work and for everything you do to pass on the values of freedom to the next generation.
Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor of National Review and a columnist for Time, gave his speech about diversity, tolerance, empathy, compassion, morality, and the distorted understanding of these terms.
After a quick break, we heard from Tim Goeglein. He analyzed the relationship between culture and politics, ideologies compared to lifestyles, and the importance of family values and morals, especially where politics are concerned. He also encouraged us to follow our vocation. A few deep breaths later, Bay Buchanan took to the podium and, to put it plainly, blew us all away. She was passionate, enthusiastic, and mildly... extreme. She talked about abortion, equal rights, and touched upon the subject of "political correctness." Quite interesting. Indeed, she woke me up (I mean this as truly as it can be meant; I have no shame in admitting that I had been nodding off for the past hour. No offense to the previous speakers.)
- Lunch. It happened. -
Back to the conference...
Kirby Wibur gave us an enlightening message about the presence of faith and the Christian religion in US history, supported by the references that the Founding Fathers included in the Declaration of Independence. He discussed the connection between faith and freedom, the separation of church and state, and virtue going hand in hand with liberty. We received a pocket-sized Constitution. (SCORE!)
After he stepped down, Kate Obenshain commandeered the microphone and explained the three basic things we should remember when discussing politics (or any topic) with our peers: Graciousness, Integrity, and Courage. She encouraged us to be humble and to believe in something bigger than ourselves. Extremely motivational and quite amusing.
And then... 'lo and behold... Jason Mattera walked in the room. The attention of the entire room was now completely fixated on the Editor of Human Events. The focus of his speech included the comparison between the two political parties, the global warming scare, and some delicate (ahem) criticisms of our current President. He talked about the presidential campaign and how effective the media is when it comes to politics.
He signed my book.
There was some time to gather our thoughts and relax before we went downstairs, well-dressed and smelling nice, for the next dinner banquet. After we had eaten, we heard from Steve Moore. I'll tell you right now: economics has never made so much sense. Income tax, revenue, budget, monetary policy, you name it, he explained it in the simplest of terms.
The night was late, I took my laptop downstairs to the lounge to upload photos and chat with you.
Thursday is over.
- - -
Friday, June 25th:
Dr. Burt Folsom Jr. (from Hillsdale College no less. Go figure.) gave us the history lesson of the month. Now, for someone who barely passed US History, I was actually... interested. So odd. Anyhoo, he discussed John D. Rockefeller and the oil industry, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt and Robert Cunningham (and all the steamship nonsense they were involved in at the time). I have his signature in my book. This pleases me.
Brief break, some questions were asked, and we were introduced to Dave Bossie, president of Citizens United and Citizens United Productions. He defined the conservative movement, discussed getting back to core beliefs and talked about how the media has become a very biased outlet for inaccurate information.
Next up was Michelle Easton, founder of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute. She took her time to discuss role models and encourage the young independent women in the conference to become leaders in their community. Very inspiring and very humble.
After this speaker, we were privileged to enjoy a "girls only" luncheon with Mrs. Easton and a few of her interns, during which we were able to discuss and ask questions about our principles and values as young women.
The lunch was eaten. We trudged back into the conference room (willingly, but still. you get the picture.) and sat down. Donal Blaney took a few minutes to introduce the next guest, Mark Clarke, the Outreach Director for the Young Briton's Foundation. As soon as that man opened his mouth, there was an audible gasp from the young ladies in the room.
Oh. My. Word... he has a British Accent.
I have no shame in admitting that all of us girls were absolutely captivated for the rest of the session. I mean... come on. Don't judge. We were still listening.
Clarke's speech was abundant with amusing anecdotes about the "ridiculous" system of government and healthcare he had in his country, as well as some solemn observations about how frightful the government could really be. He compared the two political parties and posed a question: "When is the state ever the best answer?" He also talked about institutionalized religion and "tolerance."
Dr. Burt Folsom Jr. returned to speak to us about "Big Government Solutions" and gave us yet another history lesson, this time about Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, FDR, Andrew W. Mellon, and Andrew Jackson. His talk covered income tax, consumerism, the redistribution of wealth, federal spending, unemployment rates over history, and so on.
*deep breath*
Soon, the Vice President of Young America's Foundation, Patrick X. Coyle, gave a speech about conservatism on college and high school campuses, and what we could do to create an active presence in our academic community. I scribbled down some shocking points in my notebook.
By this time, we're all getting slightly restless. We began listening at 9am, with some small breaks, and it was now almost 4 o'clock. Patience and focus were waning. But we only had one more speaker left. And they kept us well caffeinated. So that's good.
Last, but definitely not least, was Rebecca Hagelin. Her speech focused on the relationships we develop in our lifetimes, our need for a role model, how we could develop and strengthen our core values, the challenges we would face throughout our lifetimes, and the importance of self-education.
She talked to us about becoming strong-hearted individuals while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This was, I think, one of the most inspiring speeches. I bought her book, which she dedicated to me and my mother. (You're welcome, Mom.)
(I just realized how much I love parenthetical statements.)
I met up with my roomies and we headed back to the room to change into casual clothes. Skirts and blouses are fine, but for 8 hours? Level of Comfort: relatively low and dropping quickly. I felt human again in my jeans.
Thus began our twilight tour of Washington DC. World War II memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.
Everything's prettier when the sky is pink and there's a nice breeze. On the way up there, the gang in the back discussed the flaws in our system of government, argued among themselves about ethics, and defended the values and views of... you pick.
High School students. Politics. What's wrong with this picture?
Oh, fun times! We sang the National Anthem outside of the Lincoln Memorial. First time: Security guard came around and yelled at us to stop singing.
A student walked up to him and calmly explained that we were well within our 1st Amendment rights to sing a patriotic song in front of the memorial.
The security guard left. We sang it again:
Others joined in and then applauded when we had finished.
If you have been following along, you know that my Lucy has been in Washington, D.C. for the Young America's Foundation conference and that I have not been able to focus on much else.
She is finally home safe, but she enjoyed sending me emails so much (and having them posted on the blog) that she continued writing to me as if she were still 3,000 miles away instead of just upstairs in her room. =D
Here, see for yourself:
----------------------------------
Written at 12:22 (Monday, June 28th)
Wednesday, June 23rd Little Goose to Mothership (and the blogosphere):
Oh hi. It's been awhile. I'll try to summarize the next 4 days as promptly as I can. So, so much happened. I hope I can remember it all. As you might have guessed, I was too busy to write to you every night (a horrible conundrum, to be sure.) I have been using pictures to replace my words, so at least I can still recall what I saw, who I met, and what I learned.
*opens up iPhoto to review*
Let's see, let's see... Ah yes! Gettysburg! The students who arrived a day early were treated to a special tour of the battlefield. Go figure. Long, beautiful, scenic bus ride to Pennsylvania.
I saw cows, mom. Real cows.
As soon as we stepped off the bus, the humidity slapped us in the face. Repeatedly. Kirby Wilbur was our tour guide. Awesome guy. And he knows his history like nobody's business. Much walking, much listening, much learning, many pictures... back on the bus we go.
We stopped at McDonald's for lunch. It was a comfort to know that even 3,000 miles away from home, one can always find some really fantastic and familiar fries.
Arrived back at the conference center, hot and sweaty. I went back to my room to change for the dinner banquet and-- oh, hello roomies!
Genevieve, from Minnesota. Rachel, from Massachusetts. And Haley, from Kentucky. My close friends (literally) for the next three days. A quick change into something nice (yes, I wore a dress and yes, I wore my hair down.) and we were headed downstairs to the dinner banquet. Formal introductions were announced and we ate.
I realized that Gettysburg makes me hungrier than usual. Put that in the log.
Congressman Jim Jordan, from Ohio, spoke to us about "Defending Freedom in Congress." I forgot to take notes (I know, I know. Shush.) but he was extremely charismatic and I enjoyed listening to him.
That was just the beginning of how much listening I would be doing over the next couple of days.
My Lucy is 3,000 miles away in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She's at a Young America's Foundation conference for high school students and is busy making new friends and learning about the conservative principles that have made this country great.
I'm delighted she's getting this opportunity, but as her mother, well....I'm pretty much focused on "Lucy is 3,000 miles away..."
So I'm posting her emails and photos and sharing her trip here on my blog, because 1) hey...it's my blog and 2) it's difficult for me to focus on much else while she's gone and 3) she's quite the entertaining writer.
Here's part 3....where she arrives in Washington D.C. and starts meeting people....
11:06pm (ending Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010)
Little Goose to Mothership:
Everything became quite hectic as soon as I got off the phone with you. I sat down and waited around for Evan (the guy I was supposed to meet). I took a few pictures and tried to get online to finally send you those e-mails (was interrupted by a poor girl who needed to find out some flight information, but we couldn't get connected. Seriously. Airport wifi fail.)
Then I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize:
Me: Hello?
Voice: Hi, is this Lucy?
Me: Yes?
Voice: Hi, I'm with the Young America's Foundation.
Me: Oh hello! I'm sitting where I'm supposed to, looking around for you guys...
Voice: Yeah, we just got here and I'm walking towards that area right now...
Me: Uh okay, should I get up? Where am I going?
Voice: No, no, no, you'll see me in a minute. I'm wearing a blue blazer, I'm carrying a little cardboard sign... you should see me pretty soon. What are you wearing?
Me: Uh, brown sweater, jeans rolled up... sitting down. Should I stand up?
Voice: Still walking, looking, loo-- OH I SEE YOU!
Phones were put away and I met Kiana Dunn, an intern at the Young America's foundation. She had, seriously, just graduated high school. She offered to take my suitcase and grabbed hold of it, which your camera, unfortunately, was currently balanced upon...
*gasp*
The battery flew out when it landed. Don't worry, don't worry, all is good. She was appalled and she apologized profusely, but I told her not to worry about it. Camera still works fine.
Went outside, looked for the van. Evan had to drive around in a circle yet again cause they wouldn't let him park. Sad story. Pleasant conversation was made: why she was involved, what I'd be expecting, how awesome the whole event would be, etc.
Couple of phone calls later, we walk all the way down to baggage claim #12 (we were standing at #1) to find Katlin, the other girl who had arranged for pickup that day. Her flight had been delayed and her baggage was late.
Amid all this, Kiana gets a call from Evan, telling her to look outside.
- - DOWNPOUR - -
Swear to ya. California clouds don't do rain like that. I'm not sure if you understand. Couldn't see the other side of the road.
But by the time we found the girl's suitcase, the rain had pretty much stopped. Apparently, it does that a lot here. Joy.
Found the van, loaded up luggage, hopped in, met a very surly Evan (he had been driving to and from Maryland ALL DAY), and proceeded to listen to Kiana's stories and opinions about people, politics, and current issues of today (Funny stuff).
Realized we were all hungry. But all potential food stops were closed. So was the cafeteria. Kiana said she'd order us a pizza after we got checked in. So, Katlin (who is lovely, polite, funny, etc.) and I found our room keys and got settled. Right now, at this moment, I have the room to myself. So I can take a shower and relax without any bother. PHEW.
I'm unloading my stuff and I hear Katlin greet someone she knows outside in the hall. As per her request, I exit the room and meet David, whom she had recognized from last year's conference.
And then we met Carolyn. And then Alyssa. And then Rachel. And then Maddie.
None of us knew each other. We bonded over some banana bread Carolyn had brought. Spent the next half hour just chatting, getting introduced, when Giovanni called (not really sure who this was, but he said we had pizza.) Sprinted downstairs to the lounge (pictures of this will come tomorrow) and devoured four slices.
Spikkin' of which, I'm awful thirsty now, so I'm gonna find some water...
Meh, I'll just finish this. You won't get this message until tomorrow, though. Shame.
After we finished our pizza, we talked about colleges and school and found out where everyone was from. Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey, Missouri, etc.
Heard mention that curfew for the lounge was at 11. By this time, it was already 10:30. I got up, said I needed to upload some pictures and e-mail my mother. David escorted me back to the room. This place is huge (again. pictures to come) and we ended up getting lost anyway.
However, we found a piano in the lobby of one of the buildings.
So I played. And some of the students who were walking by started singing along.
Ah. Yes. Photos. Lounge.
Uploaded photos from today, checked Facebook, friended (<---verb?) all the people I had just met, and that's when the lights turned off, so I hiked back to my room and sat to write you this.
You will be getting a follow up e-mail with pictures. Or I'll just post these "letters" to my blog with the corresponding pics.
Lucy is in Washington D.C. for the week (see earlier post). This entry describes the 2nd leg of her flight from Houston to D.C.
DISCLAIMER: I am completely aware that the following post may only be of interest to me (as her mom) but I am really enjoying the description of her adventures and wanted to share.
NOTE: For better understanding of what you're about to read, know that we call her Lucy Goose.
(Did I mention this girl wants to be a writer?) Enjoy.
3:10pm
Little Goose to Mothership:
I'm gonna take a gander (HA) at the time in the real world and assume that it's a little bit past noon? Too bad there's no--
Aha! Little clock widget... It's about 1:10 in Los Angeles. Cool.
We landed safely and a bit early (like 1:43 instead of 2:05?) and Sleepy Woman #1 (the one on my right) welcomed me to Houston and wished me luck on my connection to my next flight.
After waiting a good ten minutes for everyone to move forward, I got up, grabbed my laptop bag and coat and looked up at the baggage areas above us. I had put my suitcase in the one above the seats several rows back, for lack of space. What to do... what to do...
Luckily, sometimes people are nice. The gentleman sitting behind me grabbed it for me. Thanks, Stranger.
Got off the plane, realized that I was in Texas (Hot. Humid. Kinda nice.) and scampered over to the big Arrival/Departure screen to check to see if my gate stayed the same. Sure enough: Gate C33...
*looks around*
Oh. It's RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
Sweet.
Sat down, promptly got up again, went to bathroom, came back and settled into a seat with my laptop.
Note to self: airport Wi-Fi sorta kinda sucks. I got online and chatted with Amy for a few seconds. Then it stopped working. Tried getting on Gmail, Twitter, and my blog to see if any of my posts had gone up...
I dunno if I'll be able to send you these until we reach the conference center . *sigh* Oh well. This gives me something to do for awhile. Besides trying to take some photobooth photos.
Two girls sitting to my right. (I get the aisle seat. This pleases me.) I feel my IQ dropping just by listening to them. Uh oh... I feel a snippet coming on!
- - -
"So, like, I knew this girl in, like, way back when in high school? So, like, one day, when I was, like, 'Hey, what's goin' on,' ya know? She was like, 'oh hi' like, I barely know you, kinda? *laughter* But, no, seriously, there was this one time when, like, I had bought this pickle? Ya know? Like, as a snack? Cause I mean, like sure! *laughter* But yeah, I was so excited for my snack, you know? So I brought it home and then, when I got back, it was gone! So I was like... who could've eaten it? There are only two people here... and I didn't eat it. *laughter* But yeah. Totally weird."
...
That's a keeper. (Then I stopped listening.)
Great Glory and Splendor! Food cart is coming my way right now. AHHH. So pleased. It smells pleasant. Not really sure what's we're getting...
Oh look. The cutest little turkey sandwich ever. With chips. Yay!
*nom nom nom*
*moves chips out of the way* Chocolate?
I am now well-fed, not too tired, entertained, and looking forward to the rest of the day. There are TV screens everywhere, but one must swipe a credit card to get a movie. Never mind. I have movies to watch. So there.
Old Man With Foodcart (in a suh-thun accent:) "Watch those elbows... watch those elbows... move it or lose it, hun. Watch it... watch it..."
Hehe. On a separate note, I have tons of charge on my battery still, so I should start my movie pretty soon. Or I could read for a bit... or take pictures of my little setup...
*gets out camera, snaps pictures, puts camera away*
I'll try uploading tonight. And sending you a couple. Or blogging about each one. I dunno. Whatever I FEEL like. Goshdarnit!
Right. Still miss you, although I'm having a relatively pleasant time.
Little Goose, goin' radio silent. *salutes*
*****************************************
[Marta here: The waiting continues, until she finally lands. *mom & dad sigh a collective sigh of relief*]
6:22pm
Little Goose to Mothership:
And so I wait. The flight was fine. Got a little turbulent--
*is found by Kiana, YAF Intern*
*finds other girl in airport*
*gets into van with Evan, another YAF person*
*travels to Maryland, to conference center*
*checks in*
*makes a dozen new friends*
*eats pizza*
*is uploading photos in the student lounge*
Love you!
"My daughter. Been studying abroad. Been flying for
eleven hours. I'm
not wild about her being in the air. You got kids, Juan. You
understand. It's better when they're on the ground."
