Famous Last Words: Week 8

This week I was planning to have a lot more free time than normal because of the injury last weekend to my knee. As it turns out, I spent a lot of this week in and out of several medical facilities. I had a meeting with the orthopedist Wednesday morning, another MRI early on Thursday morning, and I had to go in to talk about the results of the MRI and get bloodwork done before my surgery on Friday. As it turns out, no structural damage to any ligaments (i.e. MCL, ACL, LCL), but I did make the tear in my meniscus bigger. Surgery is on this upcoming Thursday.

Anyways, while I didn’t have as much time as I would’ve liked this week, I did get a good little bit of work done. I wrote the last three stories for my storybook (unofficially), so all I have to do is turn them in, revise them, and I’ll be done with all of that. One more thing I can cross off my checklist.

While I usually welcome the sight of some snow on campus, this week I was not so glad. I am currently unable to drive (my chauffeur takes me from location to location) because of the pain medication I’m on, and of course I can’t walk, so I’ve got a brace on my leg and am using crutches to move around. Just in general, crutching around campus sucks, but when it is snowing, it really sucks. That was probably the worst part of my week.

Also, after my surgery next Thursday, I am scheduled to have a Genetics exam on Friday, and a Physical Chemistry Exam the following Monday. It is going to be a busy few days that I am not looking forward to at all. Well, it has been a long day of doing Physical Chemistry Lab work, and now the couch is calling me, so I’d better go.

(Image Information: A personal photo from January 2015)

Famous Last Words: Week 7

Well… this week turned out to be unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Monday-Thursday was quite normal: class, gym, sleep. But I spent most of the week looking forward to Friday. February 20th is a special day for me and my girlfriend. We celebrated our 7th anniversary. We don’t really like to go crazy and spend money on a lot though (college kids), so we went to Chili’s for dinner and then just watched a movie together in our apartment.

We don’t go out and do fun things a lot. We really just enjoy being in each other’s company so it doesn’t matter what were doing as long as we’re together.

Saturday I woke up and watched the Sooners basketball team play the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. The game was much closer than it should have been, and Tech actually rallied to force overtime, but the Sooners pulled out a win. Now they’re off until next saturday.

So what really made this week different was on Saturday afternoon I went to play a little basketball at the huff. I’ve had a slight tear in my meniscus since last November, and it has hurt, but it hasn’t been anything serious. Well while playing yesterday, I tore my knee up bad. I planted awkwardly, and my knee twisted awkwardly. I fell on the ground and immediately knew something was wrong. I drove home and tried to just lay down and take some anti-inflammatory stuff to help, but it was really bad, and I had a hard time sleeping that night. So Sunday morning my girlfriend drove me to the hospital and they gave me a brace and some pain meds (which are helping me write this post right now). That’s all I know right now, but maybe I’ll meow mention this more in next week’s post. Praying for a snow day tomorrow…

(Image Information: A personal photo from February 2012)

Famous Last Words: Week 6

Another week, another dollar. And by another dollar I mean another week closer to the end of the semester. This week I got through week 9 with the readings, but not the storybook. I read the eskimo folk tales which, once you get past all of the incredibly long names (see my reading diary for a few of them), is actually a good little collection of stories.

This semester I’m in physical chemistry II lab. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it means I spend about 10 hours a week or so doing the monster lab reports for the lab so it’s beginning to take up a lot more of my time. Good thing I got a head start in this class.

This weekend, besides being busy during the day, was very nice. My girlfriend and I watch a scary movie every Friday the 13th, so this Friday we finally watched the Blair Witch Project. It was pretty wild; we had a good time. Then, Saturday was Valentine’s Day. So, in the morning, I went to La Baugette to celebrate a birthday (the Post-Doc in my research lab turned 30), which was a nice way to start the day. Then, my girlfriend and I went to Logan’s Roadhouse for dinner and watched the new Endless Love afterwards (what?? friend’s listen to Endless Love in the dark...).

(Image Information: a personal photo of my girlfriend and I at the Winter Classic in Washington D.C.)

This week in sports had it’s ups and downs. OU basketball got a huge win on monday night against Iowa State, but then came out flat yesterday (and didn’t get much help from the refs I might add) and lost their second game against Kansas State this season. That was a bummer. Also, today the Blackhawks beat the Penguins in a shootout. Tonight is the next new Walking Dead, which both my girlfriend and I are looking forward too.

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Storytelling Week 9: The Wife Who Lied

There once was a man and a woman. The man, much like other men, woke up with the sun and spent his days hunting for food, only returning home when the sun had set for the day. The woman, much like other women, spent her days alone, taking care of the house and preparing food for her man when he returned home.

There was a time when the two lived comfortably with no conflicts. They enjoyed their duties and were very much in love. But as time passes, change is unavoidable. And the man and the women spent so little time together (the man hunting and the woman housekeeping), that the two grew apart. The man, so devoted to the hunt, never noticed that he and his wife were growing apart; however, the woman, who spent much of her time in the day simply waiting for her husband to return home, grew quite lonely and introverted. For a time, she considered taking her own life. She would do it right after her husband left for the day, and then she wouldn’t have to feel so lonely anymore. Many times the man left for the day, but not once could the woman bring herself to this terrible deed. As far apart as the two had grown, she knew the man still depended on her. Without her, the man would be all alone, and she couldn’t bear to leave him like that.

So one day, after the woman had a midday meal, she went out and sat by the shore. Recently, she had found that sitting and watching the tides recede gave her some time to reflect on the good times she shared with her husband. On this day, she sat down, and not more than thirty minutes after she had arrived, she heard a soft purring behind her. She turned around and saw a mangy orange and white cat. The cat walked right up to her and rubbed her cheek against the woman’s leg. The woman knew that the man would never let her keep a pet. Pets were banned by law, and punishable by death.

(Image Information: An orange and white cat; Web
Source: Wikimedia)

“You must go,” The woman whispered to the stray, “You can’t stay here or they’ll kill you.”

The cat looked at her endearingly, and then cocked her head as if to say, “But why? I want to be friends.”

The woman thought this was cute, but she knew that the cats fate was unavoidable if she stayed. “Go! Leave Now!” The woman yelled. This startled the cat, and it backed up a few feet, eyes wide as saucers. The woman felt bad for this, so she stuck her hand out toward the cat, apologizing for her outburst. The cat wearily walked towards the hand, and began to purr as she rubbed her cheek against it. The woman knew she would never let this cat go no matter what. She had to keep it hidden from her husband.

Author's Note: This story is a story that shares only the title with its inspiration. "The Wife Who Lied" was a story about a woman who pits two tribes against one another because of her lie. She pays for her transgression by bleeding to death after two men cut her arms off. In this story, there is also a wife who lies, but it is different because she lies about keeping a cat. And who could turn away a purring cat meow.

"The Wife Who Lied" from Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, with illustrations by Native Eskimo artists (1929).

Essay: Repercussions in Eskimo Folktales

(Image Information: An Inupiat Family from Noatak, AK,
1929; Web Source: Wikimedia)

The Eskimo Folk Tales were actually very entertaining. Once you get past the impossible-to-pronounce names, the stories are appealing. They have a good combination of men, women, heroes, and magic. One thing they really go overboard with, however, is the punishments and violence in some stories becomes a bit harsh.

In “Papik, Who Killed His Wife’s Brother,” Papik goes on hunts with his wife’s brother, Aliaq. As you can guess from the name of the tale, Papik killed Aliaq because he was jealous of Aliaq’s ability to hunt. Aliaq’s mother, who knew of Papik’s sin, called him out on it and told him that she would make him pay. The woman went down to the shore and let the tide rush upon her, drowning her. After time had passed, Papik, no longer afraid, returned to the hunt, and immediately, the ghost of the mother found him and tore Papik to pieces. This story is a harsh way of saying men should not kill other men. Another story very similar to this is “Pâtussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle.” Pâtussorssuaq killed his uncle because his wife was so beautiful, but the uncle came back as a fox and ripped Pâtussorssuaq limb from limb.

In addition to killing, these people found lying to be just as bad. This can be seen in “The Woman Who Lied.” In this story (you guessed it) a woman lied. She lied to her old tribe that her husband’s new tribe was treating her poorly, and so the old tribe attacked the new tribe and slayed all but three of their women. When the new tribe saw what happened, they knew the woman was to blame, so they went back to where the old tribe was, killed the men, and took the women for themselves. But they didn’t forget about the woman who lied. They cut her arms off and let her bleed to death.

I certainly recommend this unit to anyone who is undecided on what Native American unit to do. It was a quick and interesting read. Just be sure to prepare yourself for the extremely violent, eye for an eye repercussions.

Reading Diary B: Eskimo Folk Tales

Here are some notes on Eskimo Folk Tales.

(Image Information: An Eskimo Web
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)

Papik, Who Killed His Wife’s Brother

This story begins with Papik killing his wife’s brother, Aliaq. Aliaq was the far superior hunter, and after many nights of returning empty-handed, Papik grew jealous and killed him. Aliaq’s mother knew of this and promised to make Papik pay. So the women killed herself, and came back as a monstrous beast who tore Papik to pieces. This is a propaganda story about what will happen if a man kills another man.

Pâtussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle

Again, another story with the message “punishment falls upon the man who kills.” The man, P, kills his uncle because he loves the uncle’s beautiful wife. Eventually, the uncle returns as a fox and tears P limb from limb.

The Woman Who Lied

Much like men killing men, it has already been shown that one must not lie. In this story, a woman pits two tribes against one another because of her lie. She pays for her transgression by bleeding to death after two men cut her arms off.

Kánagssuaq

Unlike many of the other stories in this unit, this last story was one of honor and friendship. When times were tough, and food was scarce, Kánagssuaq helped his people by being the only one willing to go retrieve seal. Kilitêraq, another heroic man, also went out for his village. One time, Kánagssuaq saved Kilitêraq from the harsh conditions (and because he saved Kilitêraq, he saved Kilitêraq’s people too). One day, after the storm passed, Kilitêraq came and gave thanks to Kánagssuaq for helping him when he could not help himself.

Reading Diary A: Eskimo Tales

Here are some notes on Eskimo Folk Tales.

The Woman Who Had A Bear As A Foster Son

This is a story of love between a human and an animal. An old woman is blessed with a young bear cub and helps it grow and mature, much like a human. The bear played with other children, never causing harm. Then, it played with the adults, again never causing harm. Finally, the men of the town decided they should use the bear for hunting, and the bear was the greatest hunter they had ever seen. But of course, all good things must come to an end, and others from other villages decided they would try to kill the bear. One night, the bear came home with a corpse of a man. The old woman knew her bear had to leave her then, and so one day, the she sent the bear back to the wild.

(Image Information: A poster for "The Woman
Who Raised A Bear as Her Son"; Web Source:
Rotten Tomatoes)

Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts

This young boy, Q, was not only lame, he was on orphan too. His family died when he was young. At night, the rest of the village would leave, and he would be alone. One night, a ghost came and drank water, leaving before other people returned. The boy was frightened at first, but began to enjoy the company of the ghosts. Even his sister came back to see him. Then one day, the boy’s mother and father came, and they took the boy with them.

The Giant Dog

This is a story that is more of an explanation. It tells of a man and his giant dog. The giant dog was a beast that could not be defeated, not even by three big dogs. The giant dog would sometimes make trips and kill inland dwellers, and “ it is from this giant dog that the inland-dwellers got their great fear of all dogs.”

Famous Last Words: Week 5

It seems like the semester just started last week. But now we’re really getting into it. I just had my first exam Friday, and I have another one on Monday. There has been a lot of studying this week.
Notable sports from the week, and for the week to come. OU men’s basketball had a big week. They crushed a nationally ranked West Virginia (in a revenge game in Norman) by 20 points. I got to go, and the atmosphere for the game was great. Normally, there are very few people who come to the basketball games. Norman is definitely a football town. But lately, as the Sooners have been getting more and more in the college basketball spotlight, more and more people have been coming out to the games. Tomorrow, Iowa State is coming to town, and the game will be on ESPN. Also, yesterday the Sooners beat TCU pretty comfortably.

This weekend I finished up the reading for my unit on Brer Rabbit. It was very relaxing to just listen to the audio version of the stories and follow along. I also wrote a pretty good cat storytelling this week (see Storytelling week 7) if I do say so myself. I am getting better at writing thanks to this class. And yes, going from a 3rd grade writing level to a 5th grade writing level is “getting better.”

Now I am watching the Blackhawks/Blues game, and the third period is about to start so I’m trying to finish this entry up. The game is tied, 2-2. Chicago has been up 1-0 and 2-1, but hasn’t been able to pull away; St. Louis just keeps hanging around. The game is just coming back on, so I need to go now so here are just a few more words meow.

(Image Information: Ryan Spangler, future Big XII player of the week; Web Source: Wikimedia)

Essay: Brer Rabbit's Wits

(Image Information: Brer Rabbit; Web Source Wikimedia)

In the Tales of Brer Rabbit I, there are many stories that include Brer Rabbit, but there are almost as many that do not have Brer Rabbit. Something that is present in each and every story, is the motif of intelligence. In each story, the smartest animal will be the one who comes out triumphant. There are several times where the smartest animal in one story is not the smartest in the next (e.g. “Mr. Fox in The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story” and Brer Rabbit in “How Mr. Rabbit was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox”). However, most of the time it is Brer Rabbit coming out on top, and Mr. Fox falling short.

One of the most interesting stories, “Old Mr. Rabbit, He’s a Good Fisherman,” many of the animals are working together, but Brer Rabbit is tired and so he finds an excuse to take a break. He finds a bucket, but ends up trapped at the bottom of the well. When Brer Fox sees him at the bottom of the well, Brer Rabbit says he is “fishing for suckers,” alluding to Brer Fox, and Brer Rabbit dupes Brer Fox into getting into the other empty bucket, causing him to fall to the bottom while Brer Rabbit rises to the top and escapes.

Another story worth mentioning is “Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear”. In this story, Brer Rabbit eats food from Brer Fox’s garden, but Brer Fox cannot prove it is the rabbit’s doing, so Brer Fox sets a trap, which works on Brer Rabbit the next day. While hanging in the trap, Brer Rabbit is approached by a curious Brer Bear. Brer Rabbit deceives Brer Bear and says he is making a dollar a day by being a scarecrow in Brer Fox’s garden. Brer Bear, eager to make some money, willingly takes Brer Rabbit’s place in the trap. Again, Brer Rabbit makes a clean getaway.

The wits in the Tales of Brer Rabbit keep me very interested in these stories. They make you really eager to see what is going to happen next.

Storytelling Week 7: Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Kitties

One day, Mr. Fox was walking through a very dense portion of the woods and he saw a black and white tail sticking out from one of the berry bushes next to the trail. He grabbed the tail and pulled out a kitten.

“Ahhhhh!” The kitten screamed as several blueberries dropped from her already purple face. “Please Mr. Fox, do not eat me. I am just a little kitten, but if you let me go, I can take you further into the woods where there is one of my sisters. She is much fatter than I.”

After pondering this option for several moments, Mr. Fox thought if he could have an even fatter cat, then why not. He was growing hungry, but he could last a little longer. “Ok little one,” he soothingly spoke, “take me to this kitten, and I’ll let you go.” So the two went even deeper into the forest. They went even past the trail until finally they came upon another kitten, sleeping on a low hanging branch.

The smallest kitten was right, Mr. Fox thought to himself, she is much bigger. So he let the smallest go, and grabbed the fatter cat from the tree branch. The kitten awoke and knew immediately what was happening.

“Please don’t eat me Mr. Fox,” begged the kitten, “I may look appetizing to you, but if you can believe it, I can take you to another cat like me. She is even more plump than I. You could eat her and be full for a week.”

(Image Information: One fat cat; a personal photo from 2014)

Mr. Fox was very hungry at this point, and growing a little irritated, but his mouth watered as this kitten told him about an even bigger meal. “Fine, show me the way little fatty.”

So the two delved deeper and deeper into the woods. Until finally the forest was so dense that Mr. Fox was having a hard time seeing what was in front of him. “Just a few more feet,” said the kitten, “Your prize should be inside the bush covered with red berries. Go just around this tree and see for yourself.”

Mr. Fox peered around the tree, and right there in front of him was a red-berried bush. Salivating at its sight, he jumped right into the bush, and tore it to shreds. Once all the berries were on the ground, Mr. Fox realized that there was no kitten this time. Desperately going back around the tree, he planned to eat the fatty that had led him to the bush; however, the kitten was nowhere to be found. Mr. Fox had been outsmarted by three little kittens. Now starving and lost, Mr. Fox began his trek, hoping to make his way back to the trail.

Author's Note: This is loosely based on Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs. In this story, several frogs trick Brer Fox into looking into a lake. Thinking he sees another fox in the lake (actually seeing his reflection), Brer Fox touches the lake and falls into the water. The frogs laugh at him as he is almost drowned. In this version, I changed the frogs to cats because frogs suck meow.

Bibliography: "Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs", from Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings, by Joel Chandler Harris (1881)

Reading Diary B: Brer Rabbit I

Here are some notes on Brer Rabbit I

Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs

Some frogs trick Brer Fox into looking at the pond that Brer Terrapin is in. Then, Brer Fox, being stupid Brer Fox, tried to shake hands with his reflection. He fell into the water and got out just before the terrapin could drown him for good.

Old Mr. Rabbit, He’s a Good Fisherman

While all the animals are working one day, Brer Rabbit gets tired and makes an excuse to sneak off, looking for somewhere to rest. Finally, he finds a bucket hanging above a well, and decides to lay in there. Once he gets in, the bucket falls to the bottom of the well, and another bucket rises to the top. Brer Fox sees this happen, and goes to the well, asking Brer Rabbit what he’s doing. “Fishing for suckers,” he says. Which is funny because he ends up tricking Brer Fox into getting into the bucket, and because the fox is heavier, he falls to the bottom and Brer Rabbit returns to the top of the well. Again, the rabbit outsmarts the fox.

A Story about the Little Rabbits

While both Brer Rabbit and their mother were out, the little rabbits were all alone. Brer Fox came in at this time and planned to eat some of the children. Remembering Brer Wolf, he knew he had to come up with an excuse to eat the children. So he sent them to break off a piece of sugar cane, knowing they weren’t strong enough. Eventually a bird told them to naw off a piece, and they did. Then, Brer Fox sent them to get fresh water with a sieve. After much time had passed, the same bird told them to fill the sieve with clay so there were no leaks. Now, Brer Fox was getting angry, so he told them to move a massive log onto the fire. The bird told the children to roll the log. At this time Brer Rabbit returned home, and Brer Fox left.

(Image Information: Brer Rabbit and his young; Web Source: Wren's Nest)

Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear

This time Brer Fox successfully catches Brer Rabbit, but Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Bear into taking his place in the trap, saying that he was making a dollar a minute as a scarecrow. Then, Brer Fox saw Brer Bear in the trap, and whopped him. After he got down from the trap, Brer Rabbit had already gone to hide from Brer Bear.

Reading Diary A: Brer Rabbit I

Here are some notes on Brer Rabbit I

The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story

In this tale (rabbit pun) Brer Rabbit is fooled by Brer Fox. Brer Fox sets out a doll made of tar. Then, brer rabbit comes across said tar-baby and thinks it is real. He tries to initiate a conversation several times with the tar-baby, and every time he gets no response. He grows angrier and angrier, until he hits the tar-baby. Then he gets stuck to it. Once his entire body is stuck to the tar-baby, Brer Fox pops out and laughs at him and says he expects him for dinner soon. The story ends with Brer Fox outsmarting Brer Rabbit.

(Image Information: Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby; Web Source: Wikimedia)

How Mr. Rabbit was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox

In the continuation of the tar-baby story, Brer Fox now told Brer Rabbit that he was going to kill and eat him. Brer Rabbit uses his smarts, begging for Brer Fox to do whatever he pleased, but not the throw him into the brierpatch. After several times of saying that, Brer Fox decided to throw him into the brierpatch, and it took no time at all for Brer Rabbit to escape. “Bred and bawn in the brier-patch, Brer Fox,” he taunted. This story shows that Brer Rabbit is far wiser than Brer Fox, and so he should have nothing to worry about.

Mr. Fox is “Outdone” by Mr. Buzzard

Brer Fox uses Brer Buzzard to watch for Brer Rabbit. When Brer Fox returns, Brer Buzzard decides to play a little joke on the fox, so he tells him that Brer Rabbit is in the tree napping. After Brer Fox cuts down almost the entire tree, Brer Fox sees the buzzard laughing and realize he had been tricked. Then, he grabs Brer Buzzard and is planning to kill him, but Brer Buzzard breaks free and gets away, laughing. Even the buzzard is smarter than Brer Fox.

The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf

Brer Wolf spends far too much time with Brer Fox, and at the halfway point of this first set of stories, he pays for it. Brer Wolf, being attacked by dogs, asks for help from Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit hides him in a big chest. Then proceeds to boil Mr. Wolf alive. He cooks Brer Wolf, and then holds a big feast for all his neighbors.

Essay: Yamato and Tacibana

(Image Information: The great Yamato-Takeru; Web Source: Wikipedia)

After reading the section on Japanese Mythology, I found it very interesting that there was a Japanese hero who is very much like the great Hercules. What I liked so much about this version of Hercules, was the influence his princess had on him.

We first meet Yamato, the Japanese Hercules, and he is the ultimate warrior. He uses his skill in warfare to defeat many vicious bandits, but besides using his brawn, his also uses his brain. Deceiving the bandit leader into thinking he was a girl, being invited in, and then killing the bandit leader. He successfully rescued his princess, Tacibana.

Next, Yamato meets a beautiful siren. This women appeals so greatly to Yamato that he says he will perform any task to prove his love to her. The siren tells Yamato that he must obtain and bring a golden apple. Yamato, enamored with this siren and completely ignoring his princess, sets out to find said apples. On his quest he comes across a demon boar and defeats it. Then, he is deceived by a group of travelers, and death for him and his men seems certain. It is in his moment of greatest doubt, when he is encircled by flames, a figure comes through the flames. It is the princess, Tacibana. She brings Yamato the grass-cleaving sword, and he uses this sword to save his men.

After he and his men are saved, Yamato tells his savior, Tacibana, that the flames have made her hideous and that she must go home and hide herself until she is beautiful again. Tacibana is heartbroken but listens to her hero, whom she loves unconditionally. Then, Yamato returns to the siren, and again, Yamato is deceived. The siren fools him and takes his sacred sword. Yamato is helped by the goddess Kwannon, and he finally regains the sacred sword.

This cycle repeats, until finally, Yamato realizes that he was a fool and Tacibana’s unending love for him has saved him time and time again. One last time, Yamato travels the sea, after having already defeated the sea god and upsetting him. This time, the sea god, in his own territory, creates a brutal storm and says that he will have Yamato now; in one last show of her undying love for her hero, Tacibana sacrifices herself and jumps into the sea, dying.

These stories with Yamato were very interesting because behind the talented, yet arrogant hero, was a loving, virtuous princess who stood by her man through thick and thin. Its a great love story.

Famous Last Words: Week 4

Another week in the books. It felt like a really long one, but maybe it was because the weather was so nice for the first half of the week. It was like it was mid-April outside. I am writing this week’s edition a little later than normal (it is monday Feb 2), but that is because I wanted to include the Super Bowl in my writing.

So here we go. Wow. Just wow. One of the craziest super bowls I have ever seen. I have been blessed to see so many great Super Bowls that have come down to the wire in my lifetime (i.e. Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone, David Tyree’s helmet catch, etc), and this year was no exception. It came right down to the wire, and just when you thought Seattle was going to win after a miraculous catch by Doug Baldwin, Malcolm Brown flew to the ball and made the game winning interception on the 1-yard line.

Most importantly, this game cemented Tom Brady’s status as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. 4 Super Bowl wins, 3 Super Bowl MVPs, and he hadn’t won since 2005. The fact that he has been able to play at such a high level for such a long time makes him the greatest, no doubt.

I had a great time watching the game with my girlfriend; unfortunately for her, she was cheering for the Seahawks. I was going crazy after the interception because I had won the bet (neither of us were really big fans of either team, so we picked different sides to make it interesting).

Last but not least, the commercials were lacking this year. There were not as many funny ones as there had been in years before. That was a bummer.

(Image Information: My girlfriend, the
birthday girl; a personal photo from
November 2014)