Current Happenings in my Life

Current Happenings 2000 | January 6


 

  January 6, 2000


 
Welcome! to the first issue of Current Happenings. This Christmas season, I got lots of newsletters and Christmas cards from people telling me what they're up to, and what's going on in their lives. I don't have the time or energy to do that kind of thing, so I'm creating this section of my web site to kind of serve that purpose. Also, my friend Ben had a similar section on his web site.

I plan to occasionally update this page with what's currently going on in my life - the stuff I don't mind being publicly known, anyway. I'll also keep the old issues around just as a keepsake. I'm not sure what kinds of things I'll put here, and I hope this section doesn't seem too self-centered (But hey, the domain name of this web site is my name, so... I might as well write some about me). Also, I got an anonymous comment back in November suggesting this kind of thing (see quote at right).

Hi Matthew, It's finals time again and looking at your website is always a nice study break. I hope you don't mind....Anyway, I think you should add some more things about yourself on your website, even though it seems like you are very modest...
--Anonymous
Last week I drove out to Tucson, Arizona, to visit my parents and little brother Joel. It has been a while since I drove out there, since I don't like driving across the desert. In the past, I've flown there. But this time, I decided to drive partly because I wasn't organized enough to buy tickets in advance, and partly because I decided to bring my whole computer so I would have something to do while I was there.

I left at noon Christmas Eve, but then I took about two hours to go four miles, because I stopped at a bookstore for last minute Christmas shopping, then I had a fuel line replaced on my car. Then I realized that I had forgotten my scanner back at home, so I drove back, picked up a few things I forgot, and finally was on my way again at 2pm. I arrived shortly after midnight (after losing an hour because of the time zone).

I stayed there a little over a week. I spent time with my family, and with my friends Dan, Paul, and Jed, and their wives. We were all within walking distance, so we got together a few times over the week. That was fun. I also spent a lot of time scanning pictures and old letters that my parents have around the house. That's the main reason I brought my computer.
 
 

I drove back Tuesday, which was a day later than I originally planned, but I was finishing up a few projects, and didn't want to rush. I wanted to make it back for my weekly meeting with Dave and Eric that night, and I walked in the door, right as the phone was ringing at 7:30pm -- right on time! For the first time, I drove back through San Diego, on Interstate 8, instead of through Phoenix. It was an interesting drive. I especially like the Imperial Sand Dunes just West of Yuma. I stopped and walked around in them for a little while. They are 40-60 feet high sand dunes made of really fine, white sand. See pictures at http://www.desertusa.com/sandhills/sandhillsorg.html. The rest of the trip was interesting, too. Small mountains of rock, big, flat stretches of highway that go for miles on end, straight as an arrow, then ending up in El Cajon, near San Diego, and seeing all the city lights, then driving up the coast to L.A. along the ocean. Quite a journey of contrasts. But it was long, and I was glad to get back home.

Here is a sampling of some of the pictures I scanned while I was in Tucson that week. I estimate I scanned about 500 pictures, and maybe 120 pages of old letters.


Above: My brother Joel in 6th grade, 1990.

Right: Me, riding a horse, and eating a bannana.
(I'm not sure what years these are)

I also scanned some old letters. For example, here is a letter my dad wrote May 24, 1969, to my mom's parents, as they drove from Los Angeles to South Carolina for my parents' college graduation:
So... that's what I have been up. That's it for this issue.
--Matthew

 


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Created and maintained by Matthew Weathers. Last updated Apr 20, 2006.