mountainmelody

I'm having lots of problems with my computer right now. If I can't get it fixed, it may be awhile before I update.

Try not to be too upset about this. I know my posts have been really amazing lately--

Yesterday I rode more than 60 miles in a boat.

Pictures later.

The past is never dead. In fact, it’s not even past.
-William Faulkner

last fact: The colder the temperature, the more people tend to eat.

fact seven: The United States has five percent of the world's people, but uses twenty-three percent of the world's energy.

(See? Don't you feel like you're getting smarter and smarter every day with these facts?)

fact six: On average, Americans live in their homes for nine years.

interesting

fact five: Twelve percent of Americans think Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.

fact four: Thirty percent of 25- to 29-year-olds have only a cell phone (not a home phone).

fact three: There are more multimillionaires in the South today than there were plantation owners in the Old South.

fact two: Forty percent of Americans are chronically sleep-deprived.

fact one: If you drink a coke a day for 10 years, you'll gain 23 pounds.

Well, maybe except for the bulldozer rides for kids...

and the Wild West shoot-out.

The first scene from "To Kill a Mockingbird" was outside. You couldn't take pictures during the performance. This was before it started.

The second scene was inside the courthouse. Again, no pictures during the performance. This is the only shot I got, after it was over. The links I posted above have better photos.

Here's the courthouse in the dark--I'm glad I finally made it here. I had been trying to go for years, but the performance usually sells out the day the tickets go on sale. This time we called until we got through and got tickets. It was worth it!

I received an email today telling me that I had received a scholarship for over $1000.

A few minutes later, I received an email with the subject line "OOPS!" This email told me that there had been a mistake. I didn't get a scholarship at all.

Oops.

George C. Wallace portrait
"In this hall the ordinance of secession which withdrew Alabama from the Union of Sovereign States, was passed Jan. 11, 1861."
dome
yum

I'll post pictures from my road trip this weekend later. But first, an important announcement:

I NOW HAVE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET!!!

This moment has been far too long in coming. I gave up on AT&T ever getting DSL lines on the mountain, and got a Verizon PC card. I think it'll be well worth the investment.

So don't call my home phone line, because I don't have one anymore since I don't need it for dial-up. Just send me an email and I'll now be able to respond quickly!

Guy: I work for a mulch and landscaping company.

Me: Oh.

Guy: What about you?

Me: I'm an editor.

Guy: Actually, I do a lot of writing for my company.

Me: Uh huh.

Girl 1: Eeek! A spider!

Girl 2: If you'd give him a chance, you'd see that he's just like you!

Sorry--I was too lazy to Photoshop out the telephone pole. You can imagine it's not there.

Chapters written so far: 3
Words written so far: ~37,000

Total chapters to be written: ~8
Total words to be written: ~100,000

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

-Aristotle

Girl 1: I brought a book about South Africa today. Here's a picture of a cave there. These things are called stalactites.

Girl 2: Cool.

Girl 1: If you touch them, you'll die!

Leader: Does anyone have something they want to share with the group? Or do you have any prayer requests?

Girl 1: My tooth came out!

Girl 2: My grandfather had surgery.


~LATER~

Leader: So what do we need to pray for tonight?

Girl 3: Her grandfather.

Girl 4: Her tooth!

100 years ago, the average American consumed less than five pounds of sugar per year. Today, the average American consumes about 150 pounds of sugar per year.