Ok, I wasn't really waiting for Kaly to post again before I post. I don't know why I haven't posted in so long... I had been in a funk for a while, but I really made some strides in coming out of it about two weeks ago, only to get sucked into work hours that made my pre-holiday hours look scant.

In my (apparently futile) attempt to unwind after long workdays and on what time of weekends I do actually get off, I've ended up getting sucked into a lot more TV viewing than I ever previously have. It's amazing to think that not so long ago I didn't even own TVs, and that since I didn't have cable at my last place and therefore only watched network television, and then only when it wasn't too fuzzy, I still wasn't much of a TV watcher even when I did have all necessary equipment. I still remember when I was hosting a sleepover for the jr. high girls I used to work with, and one of them brought her father's portable TV/VCR combo so that we could all watch a movie that evening. All memories aside, I've been watching a lot of TV since arriving here a year and a half ago, and it surely hasn't improved my life but I do think it's helped me feel more at home.

Since they don't have a TV guide book and since the programming can change frequently, part of watching more TV means regularly browsing the websites for the various stations to see what they're showing. I have mentioned here in the past how one of them has some pretty humorous attempts at describing their shows. One current example is the plotline for American Idol: "New Season Of Uncovering Vocal Gems" (Next week they'll show the Jacksonville auditions) ... Even better, though, is the summary for Alias:
Operating Cindy Bristow (Sydney Bristow) Kamjendeh Organization SA. De -6, where you think in the beginning that the organization is working with the government owned, before they discovered anti-government after the death of her fiancé by agents working for the organization.

What was that?

They do, on all the various cable channels here, show quite the mix of movies I wouldn't expect to be shown here (such as Syriana, The Kingdom, and others that take place in this region... though I must say that The Kingdom does show an accurate understanding for the mentalities and the thoughts that have led to some of the attacks on the western world, and I really recommend that everyone watch this movie) and movies that I can't help but wish were never made (perhaps more accurate than I'd care to admit, but certainly uncomfortable for me to even see the previews for)...

All of this to say that I've certainly not been torn away from many of the comforts of home, right down to nearly-recent seasons of favorite shows (and not-so-favorite) ... only the commercials are entirely different, and of course having more than the Spanish bumblebee as foreign-language entertainment when I flip through the channels.

Well, I've been rambling about stuff that surely isn't very important or exciting back home, and yet it's so much a part of my life here and something very important in a way, in the connection it brings me.

On to things that might be a little more interesting:

Actually, mostly, those will be saved for future posts. How future, yet, I don't know, but I'm tired of saying I'll post soon and then not doing it.

But as a little preview, here is one picture from my recent adventures. I recolored the sky to increase the contrast and more accurately reflect the sunset taking place when I actually snapped this photo, and I was pretty pleased with the overall result.

In my next post, the even cuter picture of the giraffe, and some of the other animals I saw during the first trip I took in the New Year.

For now, though, I'm off to bed. Goodnight!!