Princess Sparklefists

My internet connection at home is very sketchy this week, which causes me much frustration. I am a whiny baby without internet access, especially on days when my short attention span gets the better of me. (There's only so many times I can stand to reread a paragraph about Coronado before I start going crazy!) Hopefully it will come back, or I will have muchas problemas watching Doctor Who on Saturday. And now, five completely unconnected thoughts:

( I'm rambling today. )

It's 70 degrees in Kansas City today! The sun seems to have vanished temporarily, but it was very bright this morning. To celebrate the spring-like weather I broke out a short sleeved shirt and drove with the windows down (which led to a piece of paper on the back seat getting whipped out the window by the strong winds :D ). It's too bad Murray's not here with me, because this is the perfect weather to take him out for a walk. Unfortunately, tomorrow it's supposed to drop down back down to 30 degrees, and it's supposed to snow. The lovely weekend will be officially over; winter, however, will not.

Yesterday, d4ni and I went to the first week's installment in the Kansas City Chinese Film Festival. The film this week was Malu Tianshi (Street Angel), which was made in 1937. I don't know a lot about old films or Chinese films, so it was pretty different than a lot of movies that I've seen before. One synopsis we read on Friday night compared the film to Italian neorealism, and there were some definite similarities. The film is set in the Shanghai slums in 1935 and focuses on the hardships of life there. Though generally bleak, the film also has many comic moments, which makes for an interesting mix. It was something new, and it was free! After the movie, we continued with the Asian them and had Japanese for lunch. I had teriyaki chicken, which was delicious, and even tried a piece of sushi. Usually I don't like the vinegar on the rice, but it wasn't as strong at this restaurant, so maybe when we go again I'll try some more of their sushi.

This morning I went to a nearby Episcopal Church, St. Michael and All Angels, and I was really please with the experience. The service was very traditional (much more so than either of the Catholic churches I went to the past two Sundays). There was great organ music, which I love, and a nice choir, and the sermon was relevant and interesting. The woman I sat next to, who's only several years older than me, was incredibly welcoming. She recognized that I was new to the church and introduced herself, and afterwards she gave me a tour of the church and introduced me to some parishioners and priests. We even went up in the choir loft, where I got to see the organ pipes up close and got a great view of the whole church. It was a pleasant surprise for me to have someone go out of her way to make me feel comfortable and welcome on my first visit there.

Unfortunately, my absentee ballot still hasn't come yet. The Franklin County Board of Elections is too slow, so now I won't get to vote. Ballots have to be received by 7:30 pm on Tuesday, so I needed it by Saturday in order to fill it out and send it in on time. I'm kinda ticked that I don't get to vote, especially since Ohio is, as I mentioned before, kind of a big deal. :(