» On 8/28/2004 08:00:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Volunteers. It seemed like a good idea at the time: we'd be getting a chance to peek behind the scenes of a working film festival. First, a group of us stuffed coupons and key chains into gift bags. Piece o' cake.

Next, Anikó and I were dispatched to move some wine: 22 boxes, each weighing 45 pounds and containing a dozen bottles, had to be wrestled out of a wine shop's back room, past display racks of extremely breakable merchandise, down a curving esplanade and across a blistering plaza. According to the thermometer on a nearby bank, it was 111°F.

Then we lifted each box into the back of our SUV. At the other end, we reversed the process. It added up to nearly a half-ton of wine. Big fun.

A guy goes into a bar, orders a drink, and begins complaining to the bartender: "This circus job is a nightmare. Every day, I shovel elephant turds... literally tons of pachyderm poop. What a terrible way to make a living."

The bartender replies: "If you hate the gig so much, why don't you quit?"

The guy is shocked: "What?! And leave Showbiz?!"

 
» On 8/19/2004 07:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
August 20 is the preeminent holiday in Magyarország, commemorating Szent István király (Saint-King Stephen "the Great"). István's coronation in 1000 A.D. founded the Hungarian nation, so... Happy 1004th, Hungary!

 
» On 8/16/2004 05:00:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Cap & Gown. We just received official notification that my lovely and talented wife has qualified for her AA degree. I've come to admire her unswerving tenacity in simultaneously mastering a new language and completing her coursework. She also made the Dean's List... not once, but several times. This is a truly a red letter day.

 
» On 8/12/2004 07:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Meteor Storm. Last night, me and the missus sat on the lawn chairs in our skivvies and watched the purty lights flash by. If you can't see 'em tonight, SpaceWeather.com has some Perseid audio pings. Enjoy!

 
» On 8/09/2004 07:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Anikó wrote:
Yeah, but it's a dry heat. Yesterday, the temperature reached 116°F (46.6666666666667°C) in our back yard. However, we seem to be acclimating well. Two days ago, when the high was only 102°F (38.888888888889°C), Alan turned to me and said, "It feels a little chilly, don't you think?"