Ay caramba! My poor neglected blog. The last few weeks have been insane with work and activities. FINALLY, I have a chance to sit down and write a few things.

So what’s been happening? Barack Obama fever seems to be sweeping the nation, at least on the Democratic side. I am still a Hillary supporter, but I must admit I am impressed with Obama as an orator. His speeches are inspiring, but I still question whether he has the experience to work the political game to its fullest and achieve the “change” and “hope” he pontificates. If he becomes the frontrunner for my party, then I will vote for him. We definitely need change in the White House.

Brianna Denison’s body was recovered in south Reno and there were memorial services this week in her honor. This town is still on edge as her murderer, a serial rapist is still on the loose. We are all looking out for each other’s safety, but I hope carrying a big can of pepper spray will be enough defense if I am ever confronted.

It is dumping snow right now. I’d say an inch has fallen in the last hour. I must confess that I am ready for spring although the skiiers will be jumping with glee come tomorrow. Plenty of fresh powder. It seems to be a good year for mountain sports, much better than last year which saw most resorts close a few weeks early.

Well, my long overdue post is pretty boring. I am yawning and my eyes are drooping, so I will say adieu or, actually, adios, since I opened this message in Spanish.

 Hasta manana….

A recent Utne Reader blog profiled a unique website called One Million Monkeys Typing, a collaborative writing site. Writers can start a story or add snippets to an existing story. Popular stories grow like trees and can produce offshoots for other stories. Unpopular stories wither and die. I just reviewed the site today and read snippets from Cimarron Lake. I think this site is extremely clever and I plan to explore my own writing options on the site. Check it out!

It probably is no surprise that this nerd girl is also a former theatre freak. My love for acting most likely started when I was a little girl. I would write holiday plays that my younger sister and I would perform for my parents. I finally ventured into acting seriously during college and became a regular of my college’s theatre department and local community theatres in Billings, Mont. When I moved to Missoula, Mont., I discovered the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), a theatre company that provides week-long theatrical residencies in communities across the country and stars local children. The concept of MCT’s tours is that MCT staff visit communities, audition local school children, rehearse a play in one week, and perform to parents and community members at the week’s conclusion. Recently, a documentary about the theatre was produced, aptly named the little red truck in honor of the MCT tour vehicle that rolls into many a town to engage children in the performing arts. Check out the trailer and hopefully you’ll see a little red truck roll into your community soon!

Wow, this last week was insanely busy for me at work. Plus I started a new graphics communications class at the local community college and celebrated birthday #41. Today I am finally getting a chance to catch up with my blog.

A lot happened politically over the past few weeks, especially with John Edwards dropping his run for the presidency. My husband was an Edwards supporter, mainly because Edwards comes from humble roots and has “known pain” – the loss of a child, a wife suffering from cancer, and his blue collar upbringing.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a Hillary supporter but I have been a little unhappy with some of the nasty comments the Clintons made toward Barack Obama over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, Hillary and Barack seem to be on friendlier terms, although they are still pitting a tough race against each other. Super Tuesday will reveal a lot.

Sexual assaults on the UNR campus remain a hot topic among students and faculty, and another assault by gunpoint in October was disclosed – this time in a main parking garage on campus late at night. This makes me extremely nervous as I have a full day and evening of events scheduled next week and will need to access this garage for my event guests. I really wish security could be beefed up on campus. I would even advocate for additional campus police on foot, especially at night. UNR has been good about promoting the use of the Campus Escort Service. Because the new student union is open so late and the administration wants students to remain longer on campus, using it as their “living room,” I fear it may be creating an easy atmosphere for predators. Personally, I carry a big can of pepper spray. I hope I never have to use it.