KVH/.

OK So, most of you know that I am in Portland for the next weekish and so far it's been fun.

First of all I said not one but TWO funny things yesterday!

I went to Red Iguana with Jack on the way to the airport yesterday (delicious and I may have pictures later) and as we were leaving we saw a Coca Cola truck that had been pulled over by the cops and I said, "Look, a Coke bust!"

THEN, I continued to have a crazy day (did I mention that I only had about three hours of sleep and went straight from taking my last two finals to Red Iguana and the airport) and took the MAX from the airport to my dad's office where my Dad gave me my ticket and took me to the STARS concert where I met my friend Sara. Where, on the way in they had one person checking IDs and another checking tickets--and the guy taking the tickets asked me if I was 21!

It was at the Aladdin, which I decided I really love, it's so old and pretty like so many of the theaters in Portland. I wish I had snapped some pictures. Sara and I decided that we always get stuck behind the weirdest people at concerts. This time we were behind a boy and a girl who were DEFINITELY on drugs. I can say that with confidence since I saw them take pills out of a little packet and swallow them. And they were dancing like crazy. The guy just kept hanging his hand up in the air while he hunched his back--he looked kind of like a gorilla. The girl seemed to be doing some sort of psychedelic belly dance.

Well my other funny, but more witty moment came before they got crazy when the guy turned to me and started telling me and Sara about how the girl was talking a test--not even a fun test. Then he thought about it and said "but I guess what kind of tests are fun?" Suddenly my power of wit struck me and I said ever so nonchalantly "A taste test". I think he was taken aback that I actually had an answer, and it was really funny.

Also, the girl started dancing with her crystals and forced on the bass player, and I also had to listen to some guy singing about Jesus really loudly on the MAX (oh Portland). The concert was AMAZING! They have such a great energy live--Torquil has so much energy and character on stage, and I love that Amy just looks like a regular girl. I actually bumped shoulders with her before the show and recognized her, but played it cool.

There new CD hasn't come out yet, but they were selling at the concert so I have it! and love it.

Then today I was looking through my old paper and came across one I wrote in the 7th grade when we were studying the middle ages. It was about the Bubonic plague and this was the cover:


As you can see there are knees in both margins that are being leeched and so there is blood running down the sides. I commented to my sister that I'm glad to know that I am at least consistent. I opened it up to the first page and this was the beginning of the outline:

I. Doctors procedure/calls
A. First check pulse
B. Then take urine sample
1. Smell
2. Taste for sugar
3. Look at color

Then I read the actual paper and apparently then the doctor would tell the patient in a grave tone that it was good they came to see them. Then the family invited the doctor over and the doctor would make a point to make the servants go check on the ailing person so that they would know they weren't forgotten.

Also "There were many diseases in the Middle Ages. St. Vitus' dance was a mental disease in the Middle Ages that made the person delirious and caused then to join hands and dance around until they fell down dead." (That's for Carly).

"There were many mental illnesses such as this that were common in the Middle Ages. These mentally ill people were rarely confined. All mentally ill people were made to have crosses shaved into their forehead so people would know that they were mentally ill."

And here is the last paragraph:

"Once in a medieval town a beggar was infected with the plague. After he died his body was taken away to a mass burial, but a bit of his clothing was torn and left on the ground. A wandering pig ate the rags and died instantly. Poisoned by the plague. Black crosses were placed on the bodies of the people killed by the plague."

THE END

My dad think I made the entire thing up.

I wish I had cited all of my sources on this paper so I could go back and check all of this, but my sister and I had a good laugh.

OK, another funny thing happened. My sister Bridget is sitting next to me. She sticks her hand in the pencil holder and then pulls it out and it's covered with glue "MARTHA!" she wails "She's ALWAYS doing this!" To which I give her a quizzical look, "really?".

And Bridget responds""YES! She dips her hands in glue and then lets it dry--she says it makes her hands feel soft."

In other words, I love being here in Portland with my family. A home of sorts.