It isn't every day you get to do your favorite thing

I'm so lucky! On Thursday night, I spent the evening here with Katy and Mom:

That means it was OPERA TIME!!!!!!!!!!! Yes my friends, I got to see what Kierkegaard called the most perfect opera of all time: Mozart's Don Giovanni. If you've ever seen Amadeus (and please do) it's that one opera they show a bit of. And it was GORGEOUS. Turns out I already know a lot of the music--I just didn't know what it was from. Guys, opera is the greatest artistic expression in the world. The best part was in the end when the Angel of Death came and thrust the protagonist's soul down to Hell. Don't worry, he deserved it. What a bad man! Unfortunately, I found him to be very likable! I hope that doesn't mean I'm evil too. I just can't help but like that rapist/murderer/betrayer. And since I'm a girl, I think it's okay, because come on it's Don Giovanni. That's what he does--trick women into liking him! He's freaking Don Juan! (That's how I came to terms with my feelings).

It was a GREAT night. Escept I was exhausted when I got home, and then when I woke up for work this morning. Opera, much like my other favorite art form, Bollywood movies, is a LONG process. The opera alone was 3 and a 1/2 hours long, plus the 2 hours of travel time to/from San Francisco, PLUS the insanity of getting out of the city. Every freeway onramp was closed but one--which meant a lot of chaotic traffic confusion. But it was worth it. Man, I LOVE our summer opera tradition. I wonder what's playing in Salt Lake this fall?

Today was the perfect summer day! I wish it could always be like this. Katy and I BOTH had the day off of work, and we got to hang out with Christy and Danny and Lucy all day. After waking up late but not too late, we decided to spend the afternoon in downtown Walnut Creek--always a good time. We ate awesomely and shopped around until we came home and went SWIMMING. YAY!!!! That's my favorite activity in the summer (unoriginal, I know). The air and water and sun combined forces to create the most comfortable temperature ever. It was Lucy's first time at the pool! Christy and Danny and Katy and I played our favorite pool game--Act Out Movie Scenes! We were particularly good today--Deep Blue Sea, Star Wars, Swan Princess, Little Mermaid, and Willow. Katy was a brilliant Elora Danan, chased by the evil wolfdog Danny.

Then we embarked on the greatest adventure of all. Christy cut my hair! That's a first for this family. And she did a pretty good

job of it. Honestly, I wasn't ever worried. That's sisterly love. We didn't even have to schedule an emergency fix-up job at SuperCuts! And DANG I really needed a haircut. It was nearly close to my shoulders!

So, Mom and Dad get home from Denmark tomorrow! Finally. I'm getting sick of Top Ramen and cereal. This is Dad in a pretty Danish field. I'm excited to get them from the airport tomorrow. Maybe I'll run away and hop on a plane to...Hindustan? Jai Hind!

This continues to be the funniest web comic I've ever seen.

Today I got car hit-on by an INDIAN!!! His nationality made it noteworthy. (Also, car hit-on does not mean a car accident). In Europe, a huge percentage of car flirting incidents lead to relationships and even marriage (or so I've heard). I wish America was more like that. No more trying to make a good impression with your magnetic personality, or intelligent conversation, or your unique sense of humor. Nope, just good looks from the elbows up. And maybe a nice car. Yup, probably I'd be dated with greater frequency....psych.

YES I JUST SAID PSYCH!!! I just got so much cooler.

Today I also met a priest--like, a real live priest, in his priestly garb and everything. Black outfit with the little white collar--I thought it was neat. It was also funny that he was yelling at someone on his cell phone about money. It was also funny that he ended this argument with "God bless you". He was nice to me though.

Katy and I have started calling people, such as idiot pedestrians or people who can't drive, "chump" or "joker". It is more fun than fun.

Today is a day that is sad

Today was a dark day. Today I had to say goodbye forever to every friend I have in the state. Today was the last day of kindergarten.

I held it together pretty well--I teared up when we sang "Each of us is a Flower", but I managed to recover fairly quickly. Yeah, I had to leave during the final chorus of "We All Sing With the Same Voice", but that was just to stave off complete emotional breakdown. It wasn't until the final farewells that I really succumbed to my freakishly emotional genetic tendency. I was actually pretty composed hugging all the kids, even Cameron and Annie, until it came down to Gannon and Wesley. Those tough guys hugged me many times. Gannon handed me a baseball card that he was on (from the Junior Optimist Baseball League! I love that name) and Wesley handed me a Jamba Juice giftcard and yeah, I cried. They felt awkward probably, but Gannon was also worried and wanted to make me feel better so he just hugged me again. Did that help? Not really! Wesley invited me to see Surf's Up with him and his mom today. I wish it was socially appropriate to say yes!

Those kids. I'm going to miss them. A lot. Who knew that 6 year olds would be my best friends this summer?


Gannon


Wesley

Babysitting

I went babysitting last night, for the first time in who knows how long. I felt like I was 12 again, especially because Katy had to drop me off, because she needed the car for work. Sarah--the 6 year old--was thrilled with my camera phone, so it was a well-documented event.

9 year old Ben made us dinner--mmm chicken tenders. The kid was so tuckered out that he fell asleep watching Mythbusters and was out the rest of the night (that made my job easier). Notice the ketchup he is cradling.

I played outside with the girls. We played Movie Star, Lemon Toss, I Spy, and Kill Ants. Sarah and Emma and I are best friends.

Then we made some delicious salami and mustard sandwiches. Apparently, their favorite. Especially 3 year old Emma. She also happens to be one of the most adorable 3 year olds I've ever come across. We all read books until their mom and dad came home.

More proof of her freakish cuteness:

Sarah took 8 billion more pictures. She's going to be a photographer someday--she's pretty good. It was a fun night with cute kids.

When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire

I killed a baby chick the other day. I'm traumatized. It was humane and painless, and ended his suffering, but that's not something I ever planned on doing EVER. Mom and I dropped the dry ice in the incubator, sealed it, and RAN out of the room so we didn't have to hear it peep for help. Then we BAWLED. I'm never doing that again. Luckily, we have Basil and Rasputin to console us.

So far my arm doesn't have to be amputated, but I'm expecting it any day. Maybe it'll just fall off instead--that'd be less painful, I think. Definitely less painful that what I am feeling RIGHT NOW. I have no idea what bug did this to me, but I hope it's dead somewhere. I'm concerned because the doctor said "if the bite does this in the next 48 hours, you're going to have to come back and get it cut" and oh great it's done it. I'm giving it til tonight to fix itself--but I really don't want to go back to the hospital. These antiobiotics should be enough, right?

Last night I hung out with friends. Like, people that I like, who also like me, and we hang out together. IT'S SUCH A BIG DEAL!!!! I even had a good time. I thought maybe I'd feel a bit rusty--I haven't been in a real social gathering in weeks--but it was easy. I like friends. I'd like to acquire some more. But I'd like even more to see my old ones in Provo.

Lost Boys is a cinematic triumph. Kiefer's best role, comparable only to Jack Bauer.

Today I grew as a person. I took a HUGE leap into becoming cooler and more normal and more who I want to be. Today...I danced. I know, crazy. Becca Anderson does NOT dance--ever. At least, very rarely, and never flamboyantly. I can sedately tap my foot as well as the next person, but anything else, heck no. When people say "Let's dance!" and you say "No, I can't dance", they always say "What? Everyone can dance! You just move your body!" But that's where the problem is, because I don't know how to move my body. I am way too uncoordinated and self-conscious. I suck. But I remember Adam telling me about his Saturday morning groove sessions--before anyone in the apartment woke up, he'd just go downstairs and dance all by himself. (I hope those weren't secret groove sessions. Sorry Adam). I never thought I could even do that--too awkward. BUT today I tried it. When I got back from singles ward (which was awful, don't even ask) and the rest of my family was at church, I put on some sweet tunes and tried really hard to dance. At first I couldn't it--even by myself I felt completely ridiculous. But, after a while, I got into it. So, the first song I really really danced to since middle school was, I'm proud to admit, "Don't Pay the Ferryman" by Chris de Burgh. 80s music is so great.

I know it's silly, but this is actually a pretty big deal. What's even more exciting is that I liked it! I enjoyed myself! I still couldn't do that in front of anybody else in the entire world--no friends, no family--but at least I did it! I'll work up to it. Maybe that's how I'll know who I'm supposed to marry--if I can dance like an idiot and not feel absolutely retarded, he's the one. Turns out that "dancing" to me is "jumping up and down and flailing my arms around". So yeah, I suck, but at least I make myself move my body, and maybe someday I'll move my body in front of other humans. I'm just going to keep on truckin'.

In other news, today Mom turned on the tv and what was on? DANTE'S PEAK. Score. Gotta love 90s disaster movies. That's right up there with Twister and Volcano. I'd like to meet the person who could honestly say that they didn't like Twister when it came out. That flying cow was the talk of Strandwood Elementary, I tell you what. Then Katy and I watched a sweet documentary on the History Channel about the mythological allusions of Star Wars. I would like to submit that Han Solo is the coolest character ever created. Luke's pretty neat too, if you think about the whole Savior of the Universe part.

I promise I don't just watch tv all the time.