Having fun, but still feeling overextended.

Today I'm catching up. Mona left this morning, so I have some time finally to get some stuff done before mom gets here on Friday. I'm really looking forward to her getting here - I just think that it will be SO much fun to have the chance to show Mom the city. It's such a neat place. By the time Sara comes in December, I'll have the tour-guide routine down pat!

I went on a rant today. Poor Sortirios bore the brunt of it. I am just tired sometimes of people busting on my country. I know that the United States isn't perfect, but I have to say - there isn't a single perfect country out there. You take the bad with the good and have to figure out what you can live with. Most of all I'm tired of the assertions that all Americans are basically retarded jerks, but "oh, you're different though!" Different than WHAT? Is it quite possible that in a country of 300 million people, that there will be personalities that run the full gamut? I appreciate the stipulation that I am "different," but that feels somewhat like a cop out. Am I really that different? I would say that I am open minded, I would say that I have ideals that are not typically associated with Americans, but there are a lot of ideals & values that I have that are very American. I guess I'm just tired of feeling like I have to defend my country. I don't talk smack about you, why are you doing that for me, eh?

Here are some random PICTURES that I had yet to upload. They're fun.