Family Matters

On Saturday, I began the all-important big sister roll of preparing my little sister for college. Of course, I may be starting a little early considering that she is 8, but that's beside the point. After receiving yet another lecture from her (someone scratched "fuck you" on our apartment door at some point before we moved in. Emma does not approve.) we began our quest for adventure.
Earlier that week, I'd received a tip that a nearby museum was holding an animal presentation, so we headed that way (with the source of the tip in tow, of course). The Wagner Free Institute of Science is only a few blocks from campus, so it was a relatively easy walk, even for Emma with her shorter legs. Though I really shouldn't be saying that. At the rate she's growing, she'll be as tall as I am soon. Sigh.
Anyway, moving on. I would highly recommend the Wagner Free Institute of Science. They are funded entirely on donations, yet incredibly well run. Their upstairs exhibit contains samples of coral, rocks, minerals, all sorts of preserved animals and even dinosaur bones! For the kids, they run a scavenger hunt that takes them to all corners of the room, answering questions. I was certainly worn out from it! Also, the institute occasionally hosts special presentations and classes - all free! The one we attended - Fangs! - was run by the Elmwood Park Zoo who did a fantastic job. Their presentation included snakes, an opossum, bats and several other critters. Emma and I both loved it!
After the exhibit, we proceeded to an afternoon of cookies, exploring the campus and carving pumpkins, definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions. Usually, I take a lot of pride in my pumpkins, though I think Marco may have outdone me this year with his rather realistic looking fox.
Overall, a wonderful day or sister bonding and adventure! (Emma particularly liked the ice cream available in the dining hall.)
On another family related note, I received a package from my mother today. At first, it seemed to be a basic Halloween treat surprise - funky stockings, caramelized popcorn and some delicious chocolate! But as I was sorting through the candy container, I discovered that it contained more than candy. Dispersed through the sweets were several condoms, some even flavored.
I'm not entirely sure what to think about this, so I've decided to find it entertaining. Oh my mother... I love her.

Observations of the Squirrel Variety

Since coming to Temple, I have spent many hours sitting in the grass, watching what is going on around me. As Temple is a rather large school, the majority of people who pass me are strangers. Their faces blend together until they all start to look the same. But with continued observations, I start to recognize a few faces and learn to pick individuals out of the crowd.
On a remarkably similar note, I also spend a good bit of my time watching squirrels run around. At first, they all looked, well, like squirrels. They were adorable creatures who ran around gathering food and being cute and furry but none of them really stood out to me. The more I watch, the more I realize that I am seeing the same squirrels in some of the same places. For instance, I have been seeing one particular squirrel running around my favorite sitting places. He (or she, its hard to tell when they don't stay still very long) has a very distinctive tail, that thins out near the tip, in regards to fur. Seeing him every day makes me smile, and is rather like seeing a friend. The other day, I was sitting with a (human) friend who had an apple for lunch. Said apple turned out not to be particularly good, so we offered it to the squirrel. This led to an adorable and entertaining scene of the squirrel trying to carry the entire apple in his mouth. He actually managed for several feet before giving up and eating some of it right there.
But anyway, I digress. I meant to sum things up with a really insightful statement. I guess that what I'm trying to get at is that people are like squirrels. Despite many similarities that make them blend together, with a bit of attention and observation, you can find distinct features that set them apart as unique.
Either that, or I'm trying to say that squirrels are adorable.

Of Movies and Halloween

Hello all,
First off, I must apologize for the delay in this post. I had a project and several midterms last week (all of which went rather well, by the way), so blogging had to be set on the back burner for a while.
Since my last update, I have kept up rather well with my resolution. My movie experience now includes Beetlejuice, Little Shop of Horrors and The Shining. Though I felt the Beetlejuice dragged a bit, I loved Little Shop of Horrors and The Shining. Little Shop was hilarious, with fantastic musical performances and an incredibly quirky plot. The whole carnivorous plant makes me wonder what sort of drugs the writer was on at the time, but the overall result was a fun movie that I'd happily watch again and again.
In The Shining, I see a brilliantly put together horror movie. I have always been drawn more to psychological horror and suspense than blood and gore. I feel that The Shining handled itself beautifully. As a filmmaker, I greatly admire the cinematography of The Shining. Every shot was aligned beautifully to maximize the overall impact. However as a viewer, that was a really bad night to be alone in my apartment.
On a different note, I am incredibly excited for Halloween! I love getting dressed up and the excuse to do so, makes Halloween one of my favorite holidays. Also, my sister is coming to visit me this weekend, and I plan on having her help me carve some of the 7 pumpkins that are currently sitting on my windowsill. Between that and baking cookies, I expect to have a rather fun day. Though the exact nature of my costume is still a work in progress, I am having a ton of fun with it. Now I just have to find some sort of Halloween even at which to wear it...