Alien in a capsule. Very X-Files. He talked and made weird noises. Not very X-Files. But it reminded me of the alien embryo in the jar that Scully found. 

. 

This is a Coke machine on Main. 

. 

This is a model of the alien autopsy. It came from the set of a movie and the producer donated it to the museum. 

In the UFO Museum 

More cheese. This is on Main St. 

Punkster and I at the UFO Museum... 

Roswell is so cheesy. It's great. 

The truth is here. 

24 and American idol

So I haven't blogged in awhile... I'm sitting here watching American Idol while dinner is cooking in the oven.

Bo Bice rocks. Simon Cowell sucks. He just said Bo's song sounded like something that would be sung at a wedding. No. Not true. Sometimes I think he has to dis something just to be "simon."

Omigosh... I think Paula Abdul is totally drunk. She's all spacey and slurry. Totally bombed.

I am currently downloading software that will allow me to upload pics to the blog. That way, I can share our photos from Roswell and such. Anyway, that's coming later tonight.

Jack got away really easily last night on 24. I was expecting him to at least die once or something. He didn't really even get beat up. What's up with that? I can't tell if it's because I'm watching it from week to week for the first time or what, but this season doesn't seem as riveting as the past years. Of course, when one has the luxury of watching 4 hours at a time, one gets pretty involved. It's still the best show on television.

So Dina Araz is dead... or is she? I knew she was gonna bite it when they showed her walking away from Behrooz last week, but as I was thinking about it yesterday, they didn't actually show her getting shot, which can mean anything in the world of 24.

I am loving that Michelle is back. I am not loving Chloe, though. I'm glad they brought her back, but she is annoying... all that political bickering she and Edgar are doing is stupid.

I think Michelle and Tony will end up getting back together, though. They're already softening toward one another.

They're doing a great job of making the bad guy really bad... he's been invincible so far... outwitting CTU at every turn. Jack will handle him, though.

Okay, and Audrey is starting to get on my nerves. I'm glad Chloe fronted her out about the Paul/Jack thing. She needs to make up her mind. I have a feeling, just because Jack is a tragic character, that she'll end up going with Paul. Nothing ever goes Jack's way in love and life. He can kick butt in the field, but life just sucks for Jack.

I don't know what to think about Behrooz... probably won't die, but I don't know for sure. It's a toss-up. He's the Kim of this season... young and stupid but somehow manages to survive.

Okay, I'm ready for food now. I'll blog with pics later.

Word.

Roswell

I promised Shane I would blog when I could, so I'm taking advantage of the early hour here in Roswell. I think this may be the only place that has internet while we're on our trip, but we'll be back here on Thursday night for an extended stay in Roswell.

Yesterday's drive was a breeze. I had routed our trip on Rand McNally and it gave us absolutely perfect directions, but when it calculated the mileage and how long it would take to get here, the map said it was a 10 hour drive to Roswell. We got on the road and I realized that that didn't sound right, so I calculated it myself and got 7 hours. Apparently they were calculating mileage at a speed of 52.5 miles an hour (who drives 52.5? Especially in West Texas? We were pleasantly surprised! And we gained still another hour at the border when we got into the Mountain Time Zone, so instead of getting here at 11:30 like we thought, we got here at 8! That was so great!

We had X-Files-like weather just after Pecos, TX. It was totally flat for miles... we could literally see forever. It was beautifully rugged terrain with Joshua Trees and a bed of yellow flowers on the desert floor, and we could see a band of rain showers hanging like a curtain in the distance ahead. The sunset was just behind the rain, giving it an orange-and-gray-streaked cast, each fold of the rain-curtain painted a different shade. It was absolutely gorgeous. Occasionally lightning would streak through the gray part of the curtain. It was a classic desert storm.

We got into it suddenly, and for 5 minutes drops the size of golf balls pelted the car. Then, just as suddenly, we were through the curtain and the sun was setting and the sky was clearing. We looked behind us, and the back side of the storm displayed the most beautiful rainbow we have ever seen. It was a complete arc, from the desert floor on our side of the highway, reaching all the way to the opposite side of the highway and landing on the ground over there. We could literally see the rainbow's end melting into the ground. And the colors were so vivid that each was pronounced and we could even see the indigo and violet. Just above it, another more faint rainbow hung, its colors just opposite of its companion.

We stopped to snap some quick pictures, and weren't back on the road 2 minutes when the car began to slide on what looked like sand that had been spread all across the road. I thought that the rain had washed the sand from the desert across the road in that particular spot. Then we realized that it was ice! Two inches of ice had been dumped from the clouds, and we were going 75 mph! David slid a bit and then regained control, and then, suddenly, the ice was gone, the roads were dry, and we were on our way as if the storm had never happened.

I love random acts of nature. They remind me that our Creator has a sense of humor and creativity.

Last night we got to the hotel, which has an indoor pool, and I went to look at the facilities, only to find 8-9 German men swimming, all wearing Speedos and sitting in the hot tub together. No. That was not necessary. That's a random act of nature I really could do without.

I'm looking forward to seeing Roswell in the daylight. We'll leave here around 10 and head north to the mountains. I can't wait.

Meow

I am going hiking today, hooray, hooray. I have skipped many workouts this week, and I don't like myself very much for it. I ran monday, lifted weights on Tuesday, and then I don't know what happened, but I just never got around to it again. And I was so proud of myself... I actually ran and completed my workout exactly as i planned. Cool.

So I figure hiking 6 1/2 miles will make up for it...

Yippety Craycox

Well it's Friday night and I'm actually free. So I'm sitting at home watching "numbers" on CBS... I never watch CBS. But I think it's odd that Numbers' main characters are a redhead and and a guy that looks strangely like Mulder and they are partners in the FBI. X-Files has created a formula, for sure.

Oh... this is the pilot. Hmmm... well, I can't involve myself in another show. Oh, wait, 24 reference... they are using the boxes... the divided screen.

Well, okay, good for them.

I'm almost packed for our excursion. I'm at that "what am I forgetting?" stage. My suitcase is overloaded already, but I keep finding things that I just really need.

I can't wait to go to Roswell. I don't care if there's nothing there but the UFO museum. That's enough for me.

I had a lady come into work today, and she came up to me and said, "Do you have things about a nurse?" I was like, "Ummm... what sort of things? Books? Plaques? Figurines? Cards? Bibles? Candy? Stories?" I'm finding that most people cannot communicate. A couple of weeks ago, a lady asked me, "Are those the same ones?" and pointed to a bunch of boxes at the top of a bookshelf. I said, "The sames ones as what?" (because generally when one uses a comparative statement, one has to include something with which to actually compare it.) "CARDS! ARE THEY CARDS?!" she spat, acting as if I had greatly insulted her. Yes. Thank you. I never realized that I was so stupid until I started working with the public.

I really need to get a brain.

Actually, I need to go and pack now.

Good night.

24 Musings

Last night Jack got to stick it to Paul, whom he suspected was operating as a hostile. Jack's so cool. Who else would resort to yanking out lamp wires as a makeshift questioning tool? That's brilliant. He really should have sent Audrey out... She was horrified at seeing the "real" Jack and I suspect is having feelings of sympathy and pity for Paul. That can't be good for Jack.

Although, David had a good point: she can't be too shocked. After all, her father is the Sec. Of State. She has to know that these types of actions are necessary in a crisis. She seems smart... We'll see if she can withstand the stress and hang tough with Jack or not. She doesn't deserve him if she can't hang. Terri was tough, and thinking back to her, she seemed more way more prepared to handle the crises than Audrey is. Interesting.

Curtis, amazingly, isn't dead. Haven't these terrorists learned that if you don't kill the CTU people on the spot, they're going to escape? Didn't they watch the last seasons? Curtis proves to be pretty bad-to-the-bone... he killed those dudes with his bare hands. Jack would be so proud! :)

So Curtis, proving to be better equipped in the field than Almeda was last year, kicks butt and takes names and manages to escape. Jack's questioning leads to the same building, to the same guy, Marwan. Hmmm....

I was reminded, as Tony was questioning Dina, of Jack's handling of Nina in Season 2. Only Tony didn't kick over any tables. Hmm... Dina... Nina.... maybe the spirit of Nina lives on after all. Nina, however, didn't have a weakness like Dina does with her son.

Okay, and Driscoll's daughter... I'm really tired of that story line. I kept thinking throughout the episode that the daughter was going to end up stabbing someone on the CTU floor, namely Driscoll herself. Put the dadgum daughter in a state hospital, dangit! Why is she at CTU? Again, don't these people watch the show? They have to know that any random outsider is ALWAYS going to wreak havoc.

Oh, I get it. Daughter offs herself. Erin seems mildly upset. She's very cold... even Jack would have freaked out more if it had been Kim. That just proves my point that Erin is a Vulcan and incapable of showing emotion. So now what? Erin leaves, and Jack/Tony will be the "temporary" head of CTU again. It's about time.

You know what is absent from this season of CTU? The ever-dreaded "Division" threat. In every previous year, the bad bureaucrats from Division have always shown up and put the hurt on whoever is in charge. I guess since Jack killed Chapelle and since George died in season 2, they've learned not to mess with CTU. Although Erin, being a Vulcan, plays by the book, so they've had no reason to interfere. Just wait till Tony takes over again.....

President Keening is still flying around. He's been in the air for 11 hours now. What a wimp. I'm always shocked, but he sounds SO much like John Kerry. I really think that was intentional. He's so hands-off... I miss Palmer.

Oh, and look, Jack found the override device. Curtis and Edgar have effectively saved the world. Wait, it's only 6:00! We have like 13 more hours! Marwan has escaped dressed as a CTU officer. Crap. Now what? I can't take it! I'm going to be in freaking ROSWELL next week and won't get to see it! Oh, TIVO, don't fail me now.....