(no subject)

This all begins at FGC over the latest Weekend of hiyacynth. The Baylor Brother came over to shovel the driveway and discovered that someone's car was leaking transmission fluid. Since a whole bunch of people had parked there in the recent past we weren't sure whose car was leaking and I was pretty sure that it wasn't mine because I'd just had the transmission fluid changed a month earlier and there hadn't been any problems.

But, that put me on notice so I went by a local quicky oil change to get it checked (there were some morning problems that I thought might have been from the frigid temps). Immediately upon pulling into the garage the guy said that my transmission line was rusted out and that my car was "leaking like a sieve." Awesome. I immediately started for my normal garage only to discover that it had closed in the year since I'd had to use it. Frustrated and worried I pulled into the closest garage-type place I could find, thankfully they were able to get me right in.

Now I'm sitting in a Panera using their free wireless and waiting to get an estimate from the garage. Oh the joys of car ownership, there's always some new problem to fix.

In better news, there are too many wonderful things about the Obama administration to link. I mean, heck, have you seen the pictures over at obama_daily? They're marvelous. There's also a great article on Joe Biden that made me love him even more. I liked Biden before but I kind of love him now. Plus there's a great post about what Obama accomplished in his first 100 hours that is lovelovelove. I think my favorite thing today is how he's signed an executive order that requires any president, past or present, to get the Attorney General's approval before claiming executive privilege. That could be big if people start challenging the old regime.

hmmm, I should really find a seat that's less drafty. I think I'll get on that. *shivers*

RIP

This afternoon has been filled with shocked and sorrowful text messages and phone calls between all of us at FGC. Someone we truly admired had died.

Back in 1994 I started watching a little show called The X-Files and faithfully caught every episode until I left for my mission in September 2000. After dozens of episodes, and nearly as many years, most of what I saw has faded into a colorful amalgam in the back of my mind. But there are a few that stick out, that appear in more vibrant colors and a greater depth of tone. It will surprise no one that many of those most memorable episodes were directed by Kim Manners. He could take an otherwise mediocre episode and bring out the depth of emotion that lay underneath. He was a true artist and he was one of a select group of television directors who proved how powerful an episode of tv could be, that brought moviescreen vision to a smaller, more personal medium.

I never got the chance to tell him what his work meant to me, I never got the chance to thank him for the way he affected my life. Thank you Kim, from the bottom of my heart.

I'll miss you.