Winter of Discontent (& Assorted Happy Items)

Well, winter of Feisal's discontent, anyway. I had to take him to Danny's *yet again* last week, because he randomly decided I hadn't fastened my seatbelt or taken my parking break when I had, in fact, done both, and wouldn't listen to anything I said. So I drove 45 minutes home with "October Project" turned up very loud, trying to drown out the annoying warning-ding. (Yes, he actually kept dinging for the full 45 minutes.)

Turns out these problems are fairly minor, but his intake manifold (whatever that is) needs replacing. So I'm taking another $300 out of my rapidly vanishing savings,and trying to figure out how I can come up with the money for a new(er) car. In the meantime, I'm feeling quite incongruous--the white minivan *really* doesn't go with my long black leather coat.

The moral of the story? Don't name your car after a character from an epic desert tragedy. Even if he's played by Alec Guinness.

In happier news, I have an organ job as of almost 2 months ago. This adds to the feelings of incongruity, though, since I'm officially Methodist and practically Episcopal (with vague Catholic leanings), and am currently playing for a Baptist church. Add to this the leadership's feeling that the organ is a quiet supportive instrument, and you have serious incongruity going on. (My take on the organ? Even when it's whispering, it's a dragon whispering. And on big triumphant hymns, there should be serious roaring.)

In other happy news, I'm continuing my evil ways and corrupting youth right and left. :-) I've lent season 1 of "Lost" to some young homeschooled persons from our Bible study (their parents don't mind), and have gotten both Glim & K. hooked on "Harry Potter." Naturally, K.'s racing through them like a reading fiend.

The only problem is, when I told my mom they were fine for her to read, I was thinking in terms of magic--I had forgotten how much language & romance occurs in the last couple of books. I have no objections to these elements, personally, but she's still a bit young for that sort of thing--so now I have to decide whether to make her stop after book 4. Vae mihi! :-/

To all of our surprise, our youngest sister objects strongly to the "Harry Potter" books. She's started insisting to all of us (at least once a day): "Harry Potter is evil."

Not sure where she picked that up, but she seems thoroughly convinced and won't listen to my explanations. A few minutes after this declaration, though, she starts asking me when she'll be old enough to read them, and saying it's not fair that she can't read them yet. I think she's feeling a bit left out, particularly since we watched the first movie last night, and she couldn't join us.

Speaking of watching things, "Veronica Mars" has just been picked up for a full season! :-D Well, technically an *almost*-full season: 20 episodes instead of 22. Still, it's an encouraging sign--and thanks to my wonderful cousins and their mastery of complex technology, I actually get to *watch* the whole season! I have chorale on Tues. nights while it's showing, you see, so my cousins record it for me . . . in addition to feeding me supper, since I don't have time to drive home between my last class and chorale. They're my heroes. :-)

Moreoverly, in early December I'm planning to attend a friend's wedding & see all the Dragons, and hopefully lots of other friends (assuming Feisal's alive and able to get me there, that is . . . which I'm hoping isn't too big an assumption). And one of my fellow Protonotary-Dragons is coming home with me for a couple of days. It should be marvelous fun, and I can't wait to introduce her to my OGR. And on that happy note, I must leave you . . . . I have hundreds of notes of piano music that I ought to be practicing, and they'll be very *un*happy ntoes if I neglect them.

Have a pleasant and pie-full week!

(No, I'm not forgetting the turkey, but it's mostly symbolic... the pie's the thing!)