science!

On Saturday I became certified in Reiki.

Level one.

"Stand back, or I'll heal you", she said, with raised hands and waggley fingers.

That's what I like to do whenever I tell anyone.

I plan to take the second level sometime soon.  For now I'm having fun with what I've got so far.

I've gotten Reiki a few times, nothing extensive.  I know people who swear by it, I know people who swear it's a bunch of billshut.  Sort of like prayer.
It's all about energy, and channeling energy, and using the energy that is around us with the intention to do good and wonderful things.  I'm into it.

The proof I needed to know whether I was doing it "right" or not came from my cat, who won't leave me alone anymore.  She gets really floppy and relaxed and stops purring normally and starts drooling and jumps up to smell my hands every couple minutes and lick my nose and then goes back to the floppiness.
Have you ever seen a horse fall down?  She gets sort of like that, but not so heartwrenching and much  more adorable.

And I tried it on Jake without telling him what I was doing and he closed his eyes and smiled and said, "Mom, what did you put on your hands?  They are making my insides feel like fluffy clouds on a sunny day!".  He loves it, and sits down next to me and puts my hand on his belly or his head way more than socially acceptable.

That's proof enough for me.

***

My improv team got a really exciting opportunity to be part of the Philadelphia Science Festival.  There is a worth-watching Highlight Reel from last year's fest if you scroll down and look on the right hand side of the page.  They did a pretty good job with it.

For our bit, we are teamed up with a historian/scientist and while he gives a lecture, we get to do some sort of comedy around it.  The theme for our, um, I'm not even sure what to call it.  Symposium?  Is Life, Sex, Death, and Food.
We got sex.
Luckily we are a pretty tasteful bunch and are classy enough to not be raunchy, so it should be a pretty good show.  Last year was the first year of the festival, and this year we get to be the first-ever-improvisers.  It's nice to know that smart people trust us enough to let us do something totally off the cuff.  We went in to the first meeting thinking they'd ask us to write a sketch or something that can be stamped with scientific approval by a bunch of whitecoated censors, but no.  That feels good.
Click here for a You Tube of last year's Comedy Symposium.

Our show is Thursday, April 26th 7pm at the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
There will be beer.  Yards is a co-sponsor, and will brew something special for the festival.

There's also lots of things for kids to do, it seems most of the program is geared for the K-12 set.  Except for our show.  Don't bring your K-12er to our show.  I think there is an age clause on the bill.
18 to enter, 21 to drink.

***

Nothing much else is going on.  Jake has a dentist appointment next week.  For those keeping track, he has lost his two bottom teeth.  They are mostly grown in, and crossed over one another.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed over one another that it isn't indicative of the rest of his Big People Teeth.

I took him to the eye doctor months ago, I'm not sure if I wrote about that here but just in case I'll let you know that everything was fine.  A note came home from the school nurse that he failed his vision test.  He did fine with the distance stuff but not so well with the up close test.  Which makes sense, because he's always complaining that he can't see the lines in his copy books or the small print in adult books and magazines.

Ohgodno. No, no, no.  Not like adult adult magazines and books.  I mean, like, books and magazines that aren't printed specifically for children.  Small font.  He has a problem with small font.

The eye doctor said that he does have a little bit of a prescription (there is a real word for that.  Refraction, I think, but I'm not sure) but it isn't worth the hassle of making a five year old wear and take care of glasses.  I was glad.  Jacob was sad.  He even picked out a pair before he went in for his exam:

Because I know the optician and I know I'd get a good deal, I just let Jake take a look and pick out whichever ones he wanted and he beelined to these.

Those are probably the same I'd have picked for him.  He looks very Ben Folds-y. 
Of course they were the most expensive in the box, so it's probably best he didn't need them. 

Still no word on the summer camp issue, but my fingers are still crossed.

January is half over and I haven't cried because of the cold yet.  Yet.  It's pretty rough out there now but still no snow.  You don't have to shovel wind and you can't slip and fall on the cold.