I have this reoccurring dream that I’m driving along a busy highway and I’ll be driving along for awhile and then suddenly realize that I am driving from the passenger’s seat and have no control over the gas and brake pedal.  I quickly maneuver myself into the driver’s seat but it’s always a full minute of intense panic.  I don’t like over interpreting dreams because my dreams are really, really ridiculous (usually involving the uncovering of a gross injustice or world wide conspiracy and then the subsequent plot to overthrow the villains accompanied by a chase on foot and sometimes a public display of my anger which I rarely indulge in).  But reoccurring dreams are different, right?  More meaningful?  Because it’s something your brain keeps looping?  I don’t know, that I need to take the wheel in my life instead of sitting in the passenger seat?  See, this is another reason why I don’t like dream interpretation.  It always ends up feeling cheesy.

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We brought a Netflix movie with us to Playa del Carmen because we’re really bad at carving out time to watch movies at home and we figured being on vacation would be a great time to catch up.  We watched “The Savages” on the husband’s laptop and it’s the best movie I’ve seen in a long time.  Wonderful cast, wonderful acting, great screenplay, laugh out loud humor, deeply felt heart pangs and you’re left smiling as the credits roll.

*A little blogging tip, the best movie stills are usually found on MovieWeb.

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There was this hilarious moment in Turkey on our last day in Istanbul when we rode the extremely crowded Metro to the Grand Bazaar.

Everyone was pressed up against each other, trying not to sweat on each other and it didn’t help that the metro was extremely jerky and would unexplicably come to sudden stops and sudden starts along the route.  At one point Jillian let go of the overhead handle and the metro lurched forward and she fell against this woman with her headphones on.  The woman had a stern look on her face and was certainly not amused that a bunch of American girls were giggling and crowding her metro.  Unfortunately, the bus came to a stop and Jillian let go again because she thought we had arrived at our stop and the metro came to an abrupt start again and she fell onto the same woman.  Jillian apologized profusely and the woman ignored us, her headphones were blasting music.  The music was so loud that everyone around her could hear the tinny beat and vocals.  Then Kristine had an epiphany and said to the woman, “Are you listening to the Black Eyed Peas?  You are!”  Still no response from the woman.  But we didn’t need one, because the Black Eyed Peas were singing, “Pump it, louder!  Turn up the radio, blast the stereo, right now this joint is fizzlin’…”

Whenever I travel I’m constantly trying to dispel the ugly, loud American stereotype but this was one exception I indulged in.  I laughed out loud with the girls.  It’s hard to take someone seriously when they are listening to the Black Eyed Peas– even if they keep a really straight face.

I came across this ad for the One Day University:

I’m kind of intrigued.  There’s a hefty price tag (isn’t there always?) but it sounds interesting.  I like focused, intense glimpses into other academic realms like science, history, and politics which are specifically designed for non-academics.  It’s right up my alley.

Here’s their own blurb:

“Since 2006 One Day University has been bringing together award-winning professors from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and other top-tier schools to create stimulating, thought-provoking, live, classroom experiences.

Each event features four professors lecturing on topics including history, literature, political science, art, music, philosophy, and more—plus lunch. Now you can keep up to date with the latest thinking on topics that interest you—and there’s no homework, no SATs, and no stress.

So whether you want to expand your horizons, stretch your mind, or just enjoy an energizing day of intelligent discourse, One Day University is the place to be.”

Here’s a sample lineup of topics that will be presented on July 12:

Psychology Overcoming Our Genes—Can We Change the Way We Behave? Political Science The 2008 Election—The Most Important in Decades Literature Words and Where They Come From Art History The Art and Politics of Ancient Athens

And here’s the lineup for July 13:

Political Science Public Opinion Polls—Why You Shouldn’t Believe the News Psychology The Science of Human Resilience Foreign Affairs China and the U.S.—Wary Coexistence or Dangerous Rivalry? Film Studies The Genius of Alfred Hitchcock

Can someone please post the notes and powerpoint slides somewhere?  Thanks.