Another scorcher. It was a few degrees cooler than yesterday outside, but the inside of my house was 85 degrees again when I got home. It cooled off faster, though. I can hardly believe it! This is so not May Portland weather.

I have a Guestbook now--yay me! So go sign it, already!

Thanks to Squibnocket, I linked to a site that tells you who your inner rock star is. I went there and answered the questions and found out who mine is. I just about choked when I read it.

Here is my inner rock star: Lobotomybabe, your inner rock star is Britney Spears.

Feel it, sweetheart; the rock star in you is all Britney�the envy of cheerleaders everywhere. One part girl next door, one part naughty sex kitten, you're definitely not as innocent as you look. And that is why nobody can get enough of you. You are the ultimate American girl with some serious staying power. Unlike other success stories, you and Britney are more than just a pretty face: you've got talent, confidence, and the brains to back it up. With a talent list like yours it's no wonder you're at the top of the popularity charts and young men's hearts. We love you. Shout out your inner Britney!.

Can you believe that? Britney Spears??? Ack!!!.

I talked to my A&P instructor today. He is going to be teaching a pathophysiology class next year. If I'm not at OHSU or UP, I'll definitely be taking that class. I love that kind of stuff--it would be a blast. All that ooky disease and syndrome stuff--kewl.

My father called me tonight. He never calls me. He wanted to tell me how he did in his pool tournaments the last two weeks in Las Vegas. His team got 524 out of 1000. He and his doubles partner got 25th out of I don't know how many (a few hundred). But the kewlest thing is that he got 5th in his Seniors Singles tournament and won $500. Isn't that great? He's supremely proud of himself. I'm proud of him, too. He's just the best. His sister, my Aunt Lyn (Marilyn) went with him for 3 days. These two were never friends--totally tolerated each other as kids and young adults but there was really no love lost there. But in the past 10 years or so, she has gotten more and more involved with our family and has developed a great relationship with my sisters and my dad and I. This is the 2nd vacation she has taken with my dad. I love seeing them forge a new relationship like that. She is really a very funny and very nice woman. Her letters keep me in stitches. It's just a great thing to have her as a part of my life.

Anyway, back to my dad. I love my dad. He has made tremendous changes in his life since my mother's death. I was so afraid that he would just become a recluse but instead, he's Mr. Social Guy. He goes on lots of trips and has lots of activities--golf, pool, horse racing, dinners out. He even learned how to cook. This is a man who had never cooked a meal in his life until he was 60 years old. He's amazingly resilient. I really admire that. He doesn't call often, so I was particularly delighted to hear from him. Sometimes I feel awkward talking to him, though. It's like I don't know what to say. I don't feel relaxed talking to him--I'm always trying to think of the next thing to say or next question to ask. I wish I were more comfortable and relaxed talking with him. I think part of it is that we don't have a lot of common interests so our conversations usually revolve around him telling me his latest, me telling him my latest and then we sit there and look at each other. Ok, it's not that bad, but it's almost like that. We can always talk about cooking, since I give him lots of cooking lessons. Go figure. :-)

But I love my dad very much. He is a sweet and kind and generous man. He misses my mother every day of his life--they were very much in love even after 37 years of marriage and they were very good friends in addition to being husband and wife. I always loved that about them. They even had matching parkas for a few winters. They were very cute together. That is what makes me the most sad about my mother's death. Not that I've lost a mother (of course that is very difficult) but that my father lost his wife and his best friend.

:::: sigh :::::

--L