Evans Almighty

Friday, 29 June 2007

For the very first time Michael and me went to the cinema to watch a movie tonight. "Evans Almighty" was 1 of the films shown at the Harkins Theatre and I am glad we chose that. I enjoyed it very much. "A.R.K" is an Act of Random Kindness

Fortune Cookies

Monday, 25 June 2007

I wonder if these cookies are available in all the Chinese restaurants in US? Gone to 3 of them so far in Yuma and all of them have.

Don't believe in fortune telling but don't mind the cookies and the fun of knowing what the message hidden inside say.

Last Friday, we picked up 2 cookies. I forgot who got which message .......

*Adapt to circumstances in order to make progress* Lucky Numbers 34, 22, 12, 4, 27, 9

*Ambition is the incentive that makes purpose great and achievement greater* Lucky Numbers 8, 21, 34, 5, 28, 4

The messages are realistic. The numbers? Let me think.................................

Longest Day in Yuma?

Thursday, 21 June 2007

A few days ago, an advertisement caught my attention:
Quote..... Longest Day in Yuma. See Yuma during summer solstice through the lenses of local photographers in the June 27th/28th edition of 3310 or online at www.3310online.com after June 27th. The entire edition is devoted to photographs of Yuma, taken from midnight to midnight on June 21st 2007.... Unquote

What does it mean? I thought the sun would rise earlier and set later. The sun was already up at 6 am and only set about 8 pm.

According to TheDenverChamber.com
Quote..... Thursday will mark the official start to summer across the northern hemisphere. The sun will end its six month journey north at 11:06 am MDT as it shines directly over the Tropic of Cancer. It will then begin a six month journey back to the south, taking us through the summer and fall seasons. This is also the time of year when locations north of the tropics see the most hours of daylight. Shadows cast by the sun are also the shortest because the sun will be as close to directly overhead as it gets..... Unquote

According to another website (which I forgot where) it said:
Quote..... In the northern half of the world, June 21st is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. (Actually, summer "arrives" at 0148 UT on June 21st, which is 9:48 ET June 20th, so the solstice occurs during the night of the 20th for many of our readers. But, that being night -- or at least evening -- the 21st is still the first full day of summer!)..... Unquote

I knew today was the official start date of Summer. It was 112 degrees F at 5 pm. And it was hot to me! Humidity was less than 20% I remember someone told me once that your skin would wrinkle here and you would look older than you would in a humid country like Malaysia!

Hay

Thursday, 19 July 2007

Look! The field is now filled with grass. They grow so fast!

Wednesday, 27 June 2007

It was a sunny day as usual. I have been seeing bales of hay on the field for the past few days.

I know I am going to see these from now on but seeing this for the first time, I just have to take a picture of it and share it my friends who are not from this part of the world.
We drove too fast and missed the collected bales, that were sitting on the side of the road.

They were waiting to be loaded on a trailer. Then, as we drove across to another road, I saw another big pile on the side of another field. This time, I got a a picture of it :)

Sunday, 17 June 2007

It was initially a big field of green sprouts. Then it looked to me like young sweet corn plants. It couldn't be because they cannot be grown touching each other. There must be space between each one or else how could they develop their branches and ears?

Last week, the field looked different. The plants were mowed. Few days later, on the roadside was this trailer with stack of bales of the green stuff. A day or two later, the trailer was gone. I saw a new empty trailer or two parked on others spots alongside the road, next to the field, which I know will be packed with the same baled green food for the cattle.

Father's Day

Sunday, 17 June 2007

I am glad that the Fathers were given a present this day. This is what Michael received at church today - a KitKat. He loves chocolate.

Callings

Sunday, 10 June 2007

New callings for new members! Michael and me were set apart as the Ward Missionary and the Visiting Teaching Coordinator, respectively, today.

It was about 7:50 am last Sunday when Brother Harrison called and asked if Michael & me would come and see Bishop Snow at 8:40 am. We were not told why but we felt why. We were right - callings!

When Bishop Snow asked me how I felt about it. I said expressionlessly that I would try. I love visiting teaching. It has been my favorite calling but ............... to be called as a Visiting Teaching Coordinator, where I could only associate faces with some names so far, it was a frightening feeling of inadequacy. I can't even get used to sitting as a right side passenger in the front seat of the car and moving on the right side of the road! Bishop Snow didn't know that deep inside me, I was crying "no, Bishop Snow, not this calling".

I didn't feel too worried after talking to the Relief Society President. We will be working on it together :)

The Plug and the Socket

Wednesday, 6 June 2007

Can't insert the 3-pin plug of my computer into the wall sockets here. The plug is too big!

Here the 2 holes are on top of the 1 hole - just the opposite to Malaysia.

Dateland Palms Restaurant

Sunday, 3 June 2007

Dateland Restaurant is famous for their date shakes. Date Milk Shake? That was new to me. It tasted good! I liked it. They have cactus Milk Shake too. Would like to try that another time. I learnt that they use the fruit of the cactus and not the cactus as I thought when I saw the notice. Didn't know that cactus can produce fruit!



The different cactus outside the restaurant


There were different kinds of dates on sale in their shop. We bought the Thoory dates


Care for a lollipop named "Scorpion Sucker" (blueberry flavor). The scorpion inside is real!


What is this for?

5th Annual Family Nite Bash 2007

Friday, 1 June 2007

An annual event organised the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, which gave the members the opportunity to sell their products, and for the public to know what is available in the market.





An evening of music, from a live band



And something that most, if not all children, loves to do

I hope this dog has fun too, even though she is inside the cage, next to a food booth, operated by her keeper.

Rain in Yuma?

Friday, 1 June 2007

Is it raining? No - just the water dripping from the drive-in car wash, that is now being blown away by air from the pipes.

There is no rain since I arrived here exactly a month ago and I was told that raining is very very very rare here.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Yuma is known as one of the driest areas in the United States, receiving less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain per year!

1st Day In the Office

Friday, 1 June 2007

What would you think 1st day in the office be like? For us, it was waiting for the furnitures to be delivered, the electrician & the telephone/internet cable technician to do their parts.

The chairs and the filing cabinets were the first office furnitures to arrive in the morning. For the 1st time in my working life in the office, the filing cabinets had to be constructed! Mike & me put together the big parts. Sue & me put together the drawers. I wasn't prepared for this. I was a bit annoyed initially but it turned out to be a satisfying experience in the end :)

The above was a 4-drawer vertical filing cabinet. We have 2 more of 2-drawer lateral filing cabinets to assemble next week.

Next was the delivery of the desks and the shelves. I was glad we didn't have to build these!

What did the children do while the adults were busy? Well, they were busy too - playing of course. Sheridan had an office all to herself until Nick came.

Sheridan showing off her final project of the day.