punkin chunkin 2008 recap

the 2008 punkin chunkin competition was a hoot. standing outside in a massive field in the freezing cold, watching giant machines fling pumpkins up in the air, is something everyone should do once in their lifetime. :) it was an interesting crowd, lots of flannel and not many teeth... with the occasional mythbusters-type machine nerd (including our gang) mixed in. there are 3 categories: centrifugal, air cannon, and trebuchet (slingshot)... we missed most of the centrifugal category, which is a bummer because they were terrifying and cool... i didn't get any video of them. :( but we caught the air cannons and trebuchets, which rocked. i took some video (see below), but it's impossible to really show the scope of it... the pumpkins shoot out so fast, they're immediately a teeny speck way up in the sky and you can't even see them with the naked eye, let alone catch it all on camera. but this at least gives you an idea of how powerful the machines are:

air cannon:

trebuchet:

monday morning blahs

woke up with a cold this morning. meh. i guess kissing your sick boyfriend and then spending the day out in the freezing cold isn't the best idea. let's see if i can get through the day if i pump myself full of advil cold & sinus...

had another dream about monkey last night, probably the most vivid one i've had yet. i was in graduate school but was also still working in my current job, and she showed up while i was in class one day and i scooped her up and started bawling because she was alive again. throughout the rest of the dream (and it was a long one), i was taking her around to my professors and my boss, cradled in my arms like a baby (which is how she always loved to be held)... sobbing with joy, saying to everyone "see???? she's back! she's back! i thought she was dead, i mean, i had her cremated!!! but she's alive!!!" ugh. i hate waking up from those dreams, i'm so upset now. grief sucks.

also a bit bummed because i weighed in for WW this morning and the scale is the same as last week. yesterday i was down almost another 2 pounds, but then jack and i had indian food for dinner and i think the salt is making me retain water. we'll see, i'll just look forward to next week.