i'm listening to del amitri. it is a good day.

I have always suspected that I am the type of shallow person who experiences a life-affirming reaction to being given more money for the same job. However, it was never confirmed until yesterday when I received a raise (finally). I was happy when I found out about it of course, but after that my day inexplicably became happier and more interesting. I walked outside to find the weather sunny and agreeable, as opposed to hot, humid, and disgusting like it had felt less than a half hour before. The normally bitchy barista at the fake Starbucks in the MUSC cafeteria seemed much more mellow than she had earlier the same day. They were serving gyros at lunch. And then, as if god were saying 'yes, your day CAN get better', there was a random dude outside in the horseshoe selling fresh kettle corn (or kettle korn, however you prefer).

One might argue that these events have nothing to do with my raise. They would be wrong.

I have a friend here at work who doesn't believe in dinosaurs. One day I was talking about how when I was little I wanted to be an archaeologist (even before Jurassic Park after which everyone, my dad included, wanted to be an archaeologist), and she informed me that she thought dinosaurs were bullshit. It is one of those beliefs held so firmly that no amount of evidence can sway it. Just yesterday there was a huge bed of sauropod and raptor bones uncovered in Utah, and when I sent her the link she replied with "they are such fabulous, mythical creatures".
Normally I don't care what other people do and don't believe, but for some reason this really gets under my skin. It's to the point where I act as a sort dinosaur evangelist, trying to bring her the Good News of 'holy crap there used to be HUMONGOUS lizards walking around everywhere, why aren't you filled with wonderment and awe'. Unfortunately I can't beat
belief into her with threats of hell and damnation like Christians can.