Hail to Spike and a Sale for Meg

A second artillery test. First off, we have a curve-buster in our midst! Spike sat for his second test yesterday (on some sort of computer system to which he refers by an acronym sounding vaguely like Afee-tads) and scored 94 percent! I'm quite proud of him, and I know he's pleased, too. What really makes this funny is that when he went to find out his score, the Captain saw the instructor grading a test he assumed was his. At the end of the grading process, a big "80 Percent" was printed on the top.

"Eighty percent. Woo-hoo!" the Captain exclaimed. This, to his bemusement, elicited a dirty look from the instructor.

"Well, sir," our hero hastened to explain, "I'm actually a chemical officer, and I haven't been trained as thoroughly in artillery as most of these other guys. So for me, an 80 percent is something to be happy about."

"That wasn't your test," the instructor responded flatly.

"Oh."

...awkward. But all's well that ends with a 94!


A yard sale and a wedding shower. Meanwhile, I've been tucked away in my North Carolina office, writing away. I did have dinner with several friends this week on two separate evenings, since social interaction is generally considered a good thing, and since my friends are highly entertaining individuals. Topics of conversation ranged from Lutheran seminaries (from which my friend Liz just graduated) to the quality of seasons 7 and 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I'm cool with them, for the record, though my friend Amber is less so), and a bee costume ordered from Japan. Don't ask. It wasn't for me.

I am beyond excited to spend tomorrow morning and part of the afternoon in Purgatory, also known as my family's yard sale. I know from experience that this will include me:

• drinking lots of coffee. (duh.)
• reading my book as much as the flow of traffic allows.
• haggling with potential customers on items that are already priced dirt-cheap, and eventually giving in because we'd rather just get rid of the stuff.
  
• keeping my eyes peeled for mullets--you can spot some good ones in this part of the country.
  
• pondering whether the folks parked on the side of the road will get hit by passing vehicles, since some inevitably don't pull over far enough.
  
• trying to stay out of the sun, since I come from (as my Puerto Rican friend Esther jokingly calls it) the Island of Caucasia. Mine are not a tanning people.
• Wondering what decade some of the clothes in the yard sale date back to.

On Sunday, though, I'm excited for my good friend Liz's (she of the recent seminary graduation) wedding shower. I'm in charge of decorations, which, I'm told, will consist of vases, flower pots, framed pictures, and maybe some candles. It will be a fun exercise in creativity! That is, if I survive the yard sale.

Only kidding.

...kind of.

One week till I go back to Oklahoma!