Life in Berkeley #2

My grandmother eats an amazing amount of M&Ms ... my aunt is doing very well after her surgery (the staples in her head are totally gnarly) ... I can't believe I leave for Thailand in just over a week ... and I hope to get away one more time before I go. All in all, things are going well.

Whooo hooo!!!

My masters thesis (remember that?) has finally gone to the rest of my committee.

Life in Berkeley #1

I'm happy to report that my grandmother is doing better than expected in Berkeley. Most importantly she is no longer in the extreme pain that she was in a month or two ago. I'm amazed at how little she eats but she seems alright. Her short term memory isn't as good as it used to be but otherwise she is doing well.
My aunt will have brain surgery to have her tumor removed on Monday. She seems remarkably composed and should be home later in the week.
Internet access is still an issue though I just met the owner of the house I've been sitting next to to get wireless. She didn't seem to mind.

California legislature passes bill legalizing gay marriage, AGAIN.

For the second time in three years a bill legalizing gay marriage in California will go to the Governor's desk. It will probably be vetoed again. Although this is infuriating it is also progress. This makes California's the only legislature in the country to approve gay marriage. Massachusetts is the only state where gay marriage is legal, but that was by decree of the courts. Although I agree with the courts and the point that the majority do not get to remove the rights of the minority, having the courts force the issue plays into the Republican Party's fear-mongering about "activist judges." I'll mourn his veto later: it is a good day when gay marriage goes to the Governor's desk.

Thai breakfast

I looked at one Thai hotel that said they have Thai and European style cuisine. This caught my attention: "breakfast is also served with a good selection from, Kellogg’s corn flakes to eggs cooked your way, bacon, sausage, toast etc, tea and fresh coffee."

It doesn't sound that bad, but I thought it was funny.

More traffic in Laramie today than I have ever seen

I have not done a good job of using this space to write about life in Wyoming. As I contemplate my future and consider moving out of Laramie, a distinct possibility next summer, I regret that. One of the things I love about this town is that I can get anywhere on my bike in about 5 minutes. Usually I barely even have to slow down for intersections because there aren't that many people moving around. Multiple times I have walked down the center of my street on my way home from campus or the movie theater (4 blocks away). (The center of the street usually doesn't have the broken sidewalks, the hanging-over plants, or the sprinkler spray.) So today was a little unusual. There was tons of traffic coming down 3rd street today. It is the busiest street in town but often you can cross without waiting for the light to turn. Part of the increased traffic is simply that students are back in town and I had gotten used to walking around town all summer for jubilee days, etc. While it is nice to have the buzz of town and fall and football season again, I guess I miss strolling around without a care.

[I don't mean to undercut my point, that Laramie was far busier today than usual, but I do want to point out, as part of life in wyoming, that this means there were about 6 blocks of traffic. It is still far preferable to the miles of traffic jams I'm used to in southern California.]

Colorado, including Mesa Verde National Park

I visited my sister's family in southern Colorado last week. We played in the creek, hunted for buried treasure at the empty site of a former whore house, saw some old mining towns, visited Mesa Verde National Park, and attended the Dance Party thrown by my sister and her husband's kids and the kids of their friends.

Here are the pictures (taken with my new (and first) digital camera, a Sony DSC W55 with a Carl Zeiss lens):

Colorado August 2007 - including Mesa Verde National Park