Current State of the Union (of Texas)

• Speedo has a new swimsuit called the LZR suit. Around 27 world records have been broken in it. I officially can NOT wait until the Olympics start. It's going to be the greatest swim meet I've ever seen. And the science in the suit makes me want to change my major and work on developing more suits like that.
  
• Jack's little brother Joseph is at Camp this week, and I'm his ride to and from it. It's actually really fun to get to hang out with him one on one, and he's a pretty cool little kid. He's really enjoying camp, and it's awesome getting to see his excitement about the things he gets to do there.
• I've been offered a walking stick bug from the Museum as a pet if I want it. They're the coolest bugs ever. They just pretend to be sticks for 12 hours of the day, shake when they walk, and even blow spit drops at you if you stare at them for too long. Plus, they're half-blind so they just hang out if you pick them up and hold them. They're cute too. The sad thing is, my mom doesn't want one in the house, so I can't get it until right before college. It's gonna be awesome.
• Work is great. I got to volunteer my neck to help create a strangulation scenario for the CSI camp. The rope marks that are on my neck are going to be part of the crime scene and the kids are going to have to make rope impressions to figure out which rope strangled me. It's pretty fun to get to do that to help kids learn.
• I miss Jack horribly, but he gets home Thursday night or Friday morning, and he'll be here for a week. I can't wait. We're going to an Astros game Sunday, and will hang out a lot next week.
• I spend all my time working, and when I get home I fall asleep pretty early. I rarely get online, which is why these posts have been few and far between.
• The Tudors is my favorite cable TV show, next to Psych, but I have to watch it on DVD because I don't get Showtime. I've been immersed in Tudor England for the past few days, and actually had a dream about being part of the court last night. I think I'm officially a nerd.
• I need to think of more interesting things to write about.
  

There's something 'bout a man in black that makes me wanna buy a cadillac

I need concerns, problems, and feelings to share in order to have things to talk about in my weekly supervisor meetings that will be reported to the VolunteerHouston people. But I don't. Sadly, I am well-adjusted, can handle stress and new situations, and generally coexist very well with the people I work with. This makes for a very boring meeting.

But, luckily for us, the meeting was held on the way to Sam's Club where we were treated to delicious samples of cheesecake, chicken, and assorted other goodies, including shaved Parmesan cheese....which I don't understand. I love that cheese, but not a cup of shaved pieces all by their lonesome.

*NEWSFLASH* My future fiance is now going to have to find a way to top this. A diamond that used to be a star is officially the coolest thing in the world. As someone who is obsessed with stars, and is refusing to own any real diamonds until my engagement ring, I'm immediately thinking that they should somehow get parts of that diamond to Earth where I can get a ring made from them. Tiffany & Co.- I nominate you.

This week was the first real week of camp, which means I've been AWOL since I work very full days now and worked even more the week before getting ready for all the chaos. Anyway, camp is pretty much amazing. I got to assist with a squid dissection....and although the giant ones scare me, I'm pretty fascinated with the smaller ones. I got to see the total excitement, awe and learning going on as kids played with blowing bubbles, standing inside a bubble, watching air heat and expand a bag so it floated, and many other things. All the work that went into the camp prep was worth it to hear my kids in after camp telling me tons of cool things they did each day. And seeing the girls with Egyptian makeup was amazingly funny.

The lovely girls in their Egyptian makeup as they work on some Egyptian jewelry.

Standing in a bubble, how cool is that?
I love this picture of the bubble and her total concentration on it.

That is the face of a very happy and proud little scientist.
I managed to snap this awesome shot right before the tennis ball launched into the air.

I love this job. I love everything about it. I want to work there for the rest of my life, and if I keep up the good work, that could be an option one day.

Everyone should listen to the following songs:

• "Johnny and June" by Hedi Newfield. "Like Johnny and June, more than life itself, no-one else, this endless promise. they don't make love like that anymore, is that too much to be askin' for?" This song is amazing- amazing voice, amazing picture of love. Who doesn't want a love like the Cashes?
  
• "Love Like This" by Natasha Bedingfield. " We go back so far, swingin in your back yard, all the things that we used to do. we were cool back in high school, ooh I really liked you, must have been your attitude" I love the beat, and it reminds me of those high school crushes you have, and the guy you'll always have a soft spot for.