Tuesday, March 12, 2007 - Wow, I wish I could have written more often. Well, the most exciting thing to happen to Yuoo lately is the Etheratory Open House, which was held earlier last month. Yuoo's friend Aurrin came to visit, and the two foxes had a good time. There were a lot of kids' exhibits there, such as a potato-launcher, nature exhibits, and liquid-air exhibits.
To be honest, Yuoo hasn't been talking to me much these past few weeks. I think he's been feeling kind of sluggish and down because of his job, and I bet there are things that he isn't comfortable sharing.
The weather has gotten warmer, and Yuoo has started bicycling more to work. It's strange. If I ask Yuoo what he thinks about his physical conditioning, he'll tell me that he isn't in great shape, yet his bike commutes (about 16 kilometers per day, two or three days per week) seem to be getting easier, less tiring.
Also, Yuoo got a new TV. It's one of those flat-screen TVs. He bought it, in part, using money his brother sent him.
Also, last Sunday Yuoo visited a place called Rainbow Abbey. As the name suggests, it's a place of worship and meditation, and many of the creatures there have rainbow-colored fur. (Rainbow fur dye is frowned upon by most places of worship.) Yuoo had heard about this place, and after last year's incident at Brown Todd Park, Yuoo decided to visit. The creatures there were very friendly and very colorful, and they talked about equality, love, and social justice. There were some things they taught there that Yuoo doesn't agree with, but he's still glad he came to visit. Next Sunday, Yuoo will go back to Mortar Abbey, and tell Abbot Rains about his experiences. (They're away on Spring Break right now.)
Tuesday, March 19, 2007 - On Friday and Saturday, Yuoo went with his friends on a camping trip at Tree Livers Steak Park. It was fun, and the campfire-cooked food was delicious. Saturday was Saint Patrick's Day, and Yuoo had to be very careful driving home that night because there were a lot of tipsy bunnies hopping down the street.
On Sunday, Yuoo had an interesting time at Mortar Abbey. There were two lessons taught that day, on subjects that might seem to be complete opposites of each other. The first lesson was taught by Abbot Rains, and it was about seeing life from an eternal perspective, as traveling on a journey to Aslan's Home. The second lesson was taught by a young squirrel visiting from the National Council of Abbeys. She spoke about the dangers of the earth overheating because of too much pollution in the air. She said that the dangers of pollution isn't merely a scientific or social issue, but it's also a moral and spiritual issue that all creatures should face. She read passages of scripture (both from Yuoo's own religion and from other religions) that show how important it is to be good caretakers of the earth.
I find it fascinating how the two lessons fit together. Perhaps Yuoo should get a bumper sticker that says, "Think Eternally. Act Temporally." (Note that the word is temporally, not temporarily.)
Today, Yuoo got an interesting package in the mail. As mentioned in March 12th's diary entry, Yuoo recently visited a placed called Rainbow Abbey. Most places of worship will mail visitors a "thanks for coming" card. Well, in this case, they sent Yuoo a packet of "thanks for coming" microwavable popcorn. (Much better than a card!) :-)
Sunday, March 25, 2007 - Today, I did some more work on the Fenni language, but I was working on paper, so I haven't had time to update the page on this website. Making an artficial language is hard!
On Saturday morning, Yuoo went to Mortar Abbey to help with their Spring cleaning day. After that, he went to the movies to see "Teenage Ninja Turtles." (In Yuoo's world, turtles don't have to be mutant to walk on two legs, talk, etc.) That movie brought back a lot of good memories of when Yuoo was a kit.
On Sunday, Yuoo went with some of his friends from Mortar Abbey to visit and bring food to some homeless creatures who hang around at Lake She. (Plenty of people came, so I'm pretty sure it was safe.) Yuoo spoke with a couple of mallards who come from a place called Chihuahua (which is somewhere in Mexico, I think). Yuoo spoke with them in Spanish, and he understood about 1/3 of their conversation.
Saturday, March 31, 2007 -
Well, it's Springtime in Loblolly now, and there's a thick layer of yellow pollen covering everything. Yuoo doesn't mind the pollen, though. The rain will wash it away soon enough, and it amuses Yuoo that other people's cars are just as dirty as his own car. (That's what rain is for, isn't it?)On Friday, Yuoo reached a milestone in his job. When Yuoo showed an illustration to one of his coworkers, and for the very first time, his coworker didn't spot any mistakes in the picture. When Yuoo makes a picture, it usually goes through two to five revisions before it's finished, but on that day, Yuoo got it on his first shot. Well, this might not sound all that significant to you, but it was a treat for Yuoo.
A few days ago, Yuoo noticed something very strange. Each morning on his way to work, Yuoo passes by a tall, odd-looking tree. Well, Yuoo just realized that it isn't a tree at all; it's a broadcasting tower disguised as a tree! (Imagine a microwave antenna tower that's covered in fake Christmas tree branches.)
Today, Yuoo bought a new printer. His old one was starting to clog up, and they stopped making ink cartridges for it. He brought his old printer, as well as an old television set his neighbors let him borrow, to the Loblolly recycling center. I guess you might call it Appliance Reincarnation.
Here is a word of wisdom from Yuoo: "You are the same person on Friday night as you are on Sunday morning. Be humbled... and comforted." I can't go into detail of the exact motives and context of his words, for the sake of privacy.