Quick Recap

Today was one of those beautiful days that make you want to play music or paint a picture. It also makes one wonder why it feels like spring in February. But no matter, it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it. I tried both composing and drawing, but neither attempt turned out well. I think that it would take talents far beyond mine, if it is possible at all, to capture in a painting or piece of music the feeling that stirs this creative impulse. It seems to be a desire to create, a desire to preserve, and a simple enjoyment in the the thing to be preserved (in this case a Spring-y day) all rolled together in one feeling. Or maybe they only appear one feeling because they are rolled together?

Our local homeschool teen group had a get-together this Monday which Brother J and I went to. That was fun--ping-pong, card games, pizza, foosball, and such. I observed that when a ball is thrown into a crowded room, the boys all try to catch it, and the girls all duck. I wonder if this is just training, or if the difference goes deeper? (I'm sure if I were Freud I could come up with some sinister subconsious reason for it.) The pizza slumber party lastnight was great fun too. But the happiness of late nights with good friends is not something I can describe here. I hope it does not need describing.

The men's figure skating has just ended. We don't like the new scoring system: it puts too much emphasis on jumps and the designated elements that have to be done. And getting a higher score just for attempting a quad? Not good. I thought Matt Savoie and Evan Lysacek had the best performances tonight, and (bad as it may sound) I'm glad Johnny Weir didn't medal.

And I saw my new favorite commercial. Actually, my first favorite commercial in memory. It's a stop-frame animation sequence (with a dragon!) for United Airlines. You can see it (and a nice making-of video) here.