A Long Accounting of our Weekend in Denver

There's something about airports that is disorienting. Inside, they're all the same. Long counters full of ticketing agents, security conveyor belts and TSA officers, monitors blinking with arrival and departure information, restaurants serving food that looks like it's been out all day, news stands, people talking loudly on cell phones, repetitive PA announcements... There's no real sense of place, especially after hanging around the airport for about 2 hours waiting to board and take off. While we were sitting on the jetway waiting to take off last Sunday, I actually had to think a minute to remember where I was. I'd become totally disoriented while sitting in the airport. I could have been anywhere.

But we were in Denver, which we were leaving after having spent 4 busy days there, getting up almost every day earlier than we do on work days.

Wednesday
Flew in Wednesday night and headed to Joyce and Jack's apartment, where we were staying. Great apartment Twice the size of ours with awesome mountain views.

Thursday
Up bright and early and off to Winter Park for a day of skiing. Jeff was really anxious to go as he hadn't been skiing all winter. I was a little less anxious, as I've only been skiing once before on a trip 4 years ago to the German Alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I'd spent most of those two days on my butt, but I was willing to give it another go. This time, I signed up for a lesson and spent the morning learning to stop, turn, and ski in general. Jeff took off to the top of the mountain (14,000 feet) and skied the more advanced trails. We met up at lunchtime and then skied together in the afternoon. I actually enjoyed myself and didn't even fall once!

In the evening, we went to a get together at Dave & Buster's so I could spend some time actually talking to Laura, my friend who I studied abroad with in Germany who was getting married on Saturday.

Friday
Woke up early again with plans to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, but when I stepped into the living room and looked out the window, I saw snow being blown every which way by crazy winds. The visibility was so poor we couldn't even see the mountains. Not wanting to test the oh so sweet Kia rental car we had and not wanting to drive two hours to maybe not be able to see anything, we scrapped those plans. So we spent the morning hanging out with Joyce and then in the afternoon, when bizarrely enough the temperature rose into the 60s, we went downtown and saw the capitol and walked along the 16th Street Mall.

That evening we went to Jeff's grandma's and then out for a Greek dinner with her and Jeff's aunt. Later on we went to a wine bar with Jeff's high school friend Ned and his fiance Kim, and Joyce and Jack met up with us there.

Saturday
Jeff was really interested in seeing the Body Worlds exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Jack was just as eager, and Joyce and I, while hesitant, agreed to go. It was a popular exhibit, so we headed out early and got tickets for the 10:15 admission. At first, I have to admit that I was pretty turned off by the whole thing, but it became oddly fascinating. I was particularly interested in the comparison of the sections of the obese and non-obese person. The amount of fat and the way it clogged everything, along with the way the organs were all pushed together was really disturbing. Also disturbing was the comparison of the regular lung, smoker's lung, and coal miner's lung. Don't know how people could leave that exhibit and go smoke or eat fast food. The preservation of the entire system of blood vessels from the head and all of the nerves from the central nervous system was really amazing. But I did still find some of it disturbing, particularly the way he tried to make a lot of it artsy. I can go for the scientific perspective on all of this, but not the art. That's just kind of vulgar to me. And I'm interested in knowing whether all of the money earned from these exhibits is actually going to fund research as claimed or if some of it is lining some pockets. I'm a bit uneasy about that. Especially because the exhibit is extremely popular - by the time we left around noon, all the rest of the day's tickets were sold out.

That afternoon Jeff went and played golf with a college friend, while Joyce, Jack, and I hung out around Denver. We went to the park, had some ice cream, and explored some really wealthy neighborhoods with absurd houses. The wedding was that evening, so we headed out in plenty of time but got lost and ended up running in, although we did make it before it started. The ceremony was really interesting, as it was led primarily by a Jewish minister with a blessing by a Catholic deacon, and I'd never been to such a ceremony. I liked it and thought some of the prayers were really thoughtful and nice. Laura looked beautiful and you could tell they were a happy couple. The food at the reception was great and we had a good time dancing.

Sunday
With temperatures in the 70s, we decided to get outdoors, so we headed down to Colorado Springs to the Garden of the Gods, which is a park full of really interesting red stone formations. (I'll post photos when I get home from work.) We did a few hikes and enjoyed the view and being outdoors before heading back to Denver. We then met up with Jeff's grandma and aunt to celebrate the day, which was Jeff's grandma's 88th birthday. After a birthday dessert, we headed to the airport and back to DC.

So it was an exhausting but great long weekend. It was crazy how many people we saw and how many events we hit in that one weekend. A wedding and an 88th birthday. A high school best friend, a study abroad friend, a high school friend, a college friend, a grandma, and an aunt all in one location on one weekend. What a happy coincidence!

The Silly, Silly French

In a Washington Post article in the Sunday Outlook about the proposed employment bill and related rioting in France, a young French person is quoted as saying something like, "This (law) means that we would have to go to work and do whatever our bosses told us to do if we don't want to get fired." (Not exact quote, but pretty close.)

Gasp. How shocking.

I'm sorry but that didn't win any sympathy from me, and I doubt it won sympathy from the majority of working people. Going to work and doing what we're told to do is what most of us do every day. Maybe I've had a string of bad jobs, but I was always under the impression that in order to keep my job, I had to do my job.

Maybe French bosses ask for atrocious things. I'm not sure. But really, I doubt that French bosses are that much worse than any other boss. I think it's just time that these young people are welcomed to the real world. Considering most of them will be "students" until late into their twenties, I really don't think they have it that bad.

Good Reads, Anyone?

I go through fazes with reading. I'll consume everything I can find for a while, and then I'll quit reading much more than the occassional newspaper or magazine for a while. I think the lull happens when I end up with a book that I can't really get into. After I do finally finish it (I have trouble not finishing a book, even if I don't really like it), I'm tired and don't feel like reading anything else. Anyhow, I've just gotten into a reading spell, and I need some book suggestions.

On Sunday night, I finished "The Worst Hard Time," which is a really well-written nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl. I recommend it to anyone interested in US History. And Tuesday night, I picked up "My Sister's Keeper" from the library. I started it yesterday morning on the Metro, and I am now down to less than 50 pages left. I really want to finish it right now, but I'm going to wait until lunch. I have a few other books on hold at the library, but I'm still pretty far back on the list. And I have some magazines to read - we get The Economist, Smithsonian, Budget Travel, and a lot of tech and sports magazines that Jeff reads but I don't. But I need some suggestions for books. What have you read lately and enjoyed? Let me know, so I can add it to my list.

Food for Thought

Hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day. I was tempted to pinch all the people on the Metro not wearing green, but thought I might get thrown off and I was already running late to work.

Have I already mentioned our menu making venture on here? I don't think I have. Anyhow, Jeff and I have been making out dinner menus for a week to two weeks in advance. While this requires a bit of effort, it's more than worth it in the long run. Having a menu means that we know what we're going to eat when we come home and thus don't spend a good 15 minutes opening and closing the cabinets and refrigerator deciding what to eat. We also save money at the grocery by just buying what we need. And we have more variety in our menu. Chicken, being the easiest thing to thaw on short notice and the most versatile in cooking, had been the staple of most of our meals. But now we're incorporating all kinds of main dishes and we're looking up recipes and trying lots of new things. I highly recommend this method.

Here's what this week's menu looks like
Saturday - Shrimp with Mango & Basil, Rice
Sunday - Stuffed Peppers
Monday - Roast Chicken, Spicy Baked Macaroni, Salad
Tuesday - Honey Ginger Salmon, Whipped Potatoes, Brocolli
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Chicken & Rice, Green Beans
Friday - Pasta with Shrimp & Tomatoes in Wine Sauce

I also have to say how much I love stores that sell bulk spices (not sell me bulk amounts, but have bulk amounts that I can buy from). Tonight's dinner calls for turmeric, which is a spice I don't use much and thus don't have around. At the regular supermarket, I could buy a container of turmeric for nearly $5. Not only is that a lot of money, it's highly unlikely I would make even a dent in it before the turmeric expired. At My Organic Market, however, I was able to buy just the amount I needed - for all of 10 cents. That's seriously awesome.

Happy Quarter Century to Me, Indeed

Tomorrow at 7:03pm, I will have completed a quarter century of life. Twenty-five years in the books. Really not that much more significant than any other number of years, but for some reason, our culture puts an emphasis on multiples of five. We never really commemorate our 37th birthday or our 8 year anniversary, but for multiples of five, and especially for 25 and 50, we seem to take an extra moment to reflect on the significance of the occasion.

For my generation there's something a bit scary about 25. We've taken the mid-life crisis and turned it into a mid-mid-life (or quarter-life) crisis. (I can only hope that I live to be 100!) There's a part of us that says that we must have messed up somehow if we haven't yet, at age 25, made a fortune, started our own company, written a bestseller, won an Oscar, ended a humanitarian crisis, or done something else of monumental proportion. Even as the baby-boomer generation proves that achievement is not just for the young (and is in fact often better suited for the older), we still feel the need for early and recognizable success. As part of a generation that will live longer (and better) than other generations before us, it seems strange that we feel such pressure at such a young age. But after reflecting on it, I think part of the reason is that we're a generation that has always been taught that we can be anything we want to be. And we've been witness to people just like ourselves being all these things we might want to be. We grew up after the civil rights movement and after the women's lib movement. We've faced more open than closed doors. The options are phenomenal. And because of that we've bought into the idea that we can indeed do anything. Which in many ways is true. What isn't true, however, is that we can do everything. And for many in my generation, being able to do anything means being able to do everything. The truth is that with every door we open, with every path we go down, we close another door and leave another path behind us. Yes, sometimes, it's possible to go back, but that's rare and often unrealistic, because other doors and other paths are always waiting to be chosen. And as we choose and go, we move further and further away from other possibilities.

As Jeff and I were watching the figure skating at the Olympics, I looked at him and said, "I'm sad." When he asked why, I said that I was sad because I will never be in the Olympics. Silly, and truthfully, I wasn't actually that sad, but I did have a realization of sorts. It's not as though I'd trained hard at any Olympic sport or barely missed making the team, but growing up, I, along with probably millions of others, had a desire to be in the Olympics, standing on that platform while my flag was raised and anthem played. At 5 and 10, it was as real of a possibility as anything else. At 15 and 20, it was less likely, but still perhaps possible should I have found a hidden talent and dedicated myself to it. But at 25, the truth is obvious: I will never be in the Olympics. I will also never be an astronaut, a dancer, a musician, a doctor, or so many other things. Maybe if I'd taken lessons when I was younger or chosen a different major, I could have been any one of those. Maybe this. Maybe that. But I made different choices, and as such, I will never be any of those. And I think it's that realization that makes the ages around 25 difficult. It's not so much the idea that I am not those things that is disturbing, but the idea that I can't be. For a generation that has grown up with the notion that they can be anything they want to be, the realization of life's limitations is cause for reflection - and for some, crisis.

But instead of thinking about all the things I have not done and will not do, I'm going to reflect on the things that I have done in this quarter-century of life.
1. I have married a wonderful, smart, funny, attractive, and loving man. I have had the best wedding ever.
2. I have become financially self-sufficient. I have a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood. I have enough money to enjoy the things I enjoy.
3. I have lived in Greece. I have taught English, seen the Greek isles, roadtripped through mainland Greece, eaten hundreds of gyros, learned a few words of Greek, made two amazing friends (and some other good acquaintences), and had the best post-college experience anyone could ask for.
4. I have seen the Pyramids, visited the Valley of Kings and Queens, and snorkeled in the Red Sea.
5. I have graduated from college with two degrees and honors.
6. I have lived in Germany. I have learned to speak a second language near fluently. I have skiied in the Alps.
7. I have traveled to over 20 countries. I have backpacked on my own through Europe for nearly two months. I have visited Italy with my mom. I have seen the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and France with my mom and aunt. I have gone to Egypt with Greg and Mark. (I'm still waiting for Matt and my Dad to join me on an international adventure.)
8. I have visited most of the 50 states. I have roadtripped through the West with my whole family. I have snorkeled in Hawaii with Jeff. I have visited friends throughout the country.
9. I have built a circle of friends who I love, enjoy, and can count on.
10. I have given a valedictory address at my high school graduation.
11. I have camped in Ireland with hundreds of other young people and lived with a host family in Dublin.

Combine all of that with other things too numerous to mention and with the fact that I can walk, talk, dress myself, read, write, drive a car, use an escalator properly, feed myself, cook for myself, and clean myself, and I think we can all agree that I'm doing pretty well.

So, there, 25. You don't scare me...at least not that much.

Today's Headlines

Isn't it scary that there are people like this? How do you get to be that way? How miserable must your life be? It's so disgusting. I can't even put into words the type of loathing I feel for such people.

Kirby Puckettis gone. I always liked him. He was one of the stars I grew up with. I admired his loyalty and his passion. Those are hard traits to find in today's professional athletes.

If you ever need a lesson in "Life's not fair" or "Making the best of a bad situation," I think you can think of Christopher and Dana Reeve and learn those lessons pretty quickly. I feel awful for their 13 year old son.

Amazing Race 9 Analysis

I've been anticipating the start of Amazing Race 9 ever since I realized how terrible Amazing Race: Family Edition was. And while I was excited to watch it last night, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. In two hours worth of premiere, nothing much happened. I understand that part of the goal of the premiere is to allow viewers to "get to know" the teams, but I wanted to see more action. All they really did was find a hotel, take a helicoptor flight (or build a bike), light a candle, and go to the pit stop. I'm hoping the action picks up next week and things get a little more physical and a little more challenging.

But here are my thoughts on this season's teams.

Lake & Michelle - He's way too intense and she's way too subservient. I think CBS is setting them up to be the "bad guys" in the vein of Colin & Christie or Jonathan & Victoria, but I didn't find him quite that evil. But we'll see.

Danielle & Dani - Ugh. Really they didn't do anything that obnoxious, but I just can't stand people who try to get by on boobs. The boobs hanging out all over the place, the all pink outfits, and the way they thought they could just find a man to put the bike together for them made me dislike them. CBS is trying to sell them as the "hot female" team, but the other females this season are much better looking in my opinion.

BJ & Tyler - Could they have played to the camera anymore? I don't care if that's how they are everyday or if they're just doing it for the show, but their over the top antics drove me insane. I can't stand people who go out of their way to be "unique."

Ray & Yolanda - I liked them. They were funny in a natural way ("Ray, like the sun" and her comment about the cab driver probably being intimidated by a big black guy right behind him asking if they were close yet), they seemed to have a balanced relationship, and they kept their cool in an uncomfortable situation (How obnoxious were the guys at the bike place?). And damn Yolanda has some muscular legs.

John & Scott - No shock that they were the first to go. Pretty incompetent and afraid of everything in the world. Also weird relationship that left a lot of questions. Usually I'm sad to see the first team go, but I won't miss them.

David & Lori - Another favorite. I thought they were funny and you could tell that they genuinely liked each other a lot. Definitely a bit dorky, but probably more representative of a lot of America than a lot of teams. They did well and seemed to understand how to play the game. I think they could go far, but they might have trouble with any really physical tasks.

Eric & Jeremy - Complete tools. They so desperately want to be cool, but they're so not. I thought they were the dorkiest team by far. I don't think they're attractive either, even though they certainly think they are. And I really can't stand them bragging about dropping out of college and being bums. Ugh. I hope they get eliminated soon, but I think they'll do fine as long as nothing is mentally challenging.

Fran & Barry - I was ready to like them, but they pretty much made it impossible. Seriously, how did they miss the cluebox so many times? What were they looking for? And what were they doing at the bike shop? They didn't have the first clue about what to do, and then they seemed upset when Lake didn't build the whole bike for them after promising to help. Plus they whined incessantly.

Lisa & Joni - I was amused by some of their comments, but there was way too much shrieking going on. I didn't dislike them as much as Jeff who was begging for their elimination, but I'm pretty indifferent. I don't think they'll last very long.

Joseph & Monica - I liked him more than her. I had to laugh when he asked her if she was really crying at the airport. The Barbie moniker seemed kind of accurate for her. And while she was all giddy and excited when things were going their way, she either lost it or became bitchy when things went even slightly wrong. I don't think their relationship is all that strong, and I can see them kind of falling apart and hurting themselves with bickering.

Wanda & Desiree - I liked them for the most part, although the mom might drive me crazy if she doesn't calm down. The daughter is really pretty--definitely the most attractive person on this season. They seemed to have their stuff together and performed well. The language skills helped them. Think their weakness will be the fatigue.

So the three teams I liked best were Ray & Yolanda, David & Lori, and Wanda & Desiree. All performed fairly well yesterday, but it's such a topsy-turvy game that you never know what's going to happen. I'm ready for some action next week.

February Getaway in Pictures

February is the type of month that just demands a getaway. So when I saw a great deal on a Whale Watching package in Virginia Beach, I snatched it up, and Jeff and I headed down there over President’s Day weekend.

We started the trip with a stop at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, where I was eaten by a shark.


After the shark spit me out, we checked into our hotel, which was oceanfront at the end of the boardwalk. We had dinner later that night at a very scrumptious seafood restaurant called Tautogs. Jeff then proceeded to beat me twice in Yahtzee while we watched the Olympics.


The next morning we gamely went for a walk on the beach. The sun was deceptive, and it was actually pretty cold, as can be ascertained from Jeff’s grimace.


Along the boardwalk, we enjoyed the bench dedicated to the memory of Dickie Pooh.


After watching 3-d Sharks at the IMAX (I really had to restrain myself to keep from trying to reach out and touch them), we found out our whale watching trip was cancelled due to the wind. So we headed down the beach, first stopping at this statue of Neptune.


We then proceeded to check out an old lighthouse and the site of one of the first landings on American soil.

First Landing State Park was just around the bend, so we stopped there and took a hike along the Bald Cypress Trail, which made me think we were in the Deep South and not Virginia.


We warmed up as we drove to the other end of the beach to the Back Bay Nature Reserve. There we hiked along the dunes and watched the sunset over the bay.


We had a hard time finding a place to eat that night, as it seems everywhere we wanted to go was closed on Sunday night, but we found a great Vietnamese Place and then returned to the hotel. The next morning we were up bright and early for our rescheduled Whale Watching Trip.


We didn’t see much of anything the first hour. But the second hour, we spotted a humpback whale that hung with us for the rest of the trip. (Yes, that black spot is a whale – I was too busy checking him out to take photos).


After checking out of the hotel, we headed back towards D.C., but made two stops to take advantage of our National Parks pass. We had a tour of the Siege Lines at Yorktown. Then I met Pocahontas at Jamestown.


Before making it home, we stopped for dinner. Jeff had a craving for Chicken and Dumplings, so we went to Cracker Barrel, where I had a lucky find.

Although we would have preferred slightly warmer temperatures, we had a good time. Now where should we go in March?

Guess I Won't Quit My Job

Today is a sad day. I just learned that all of the calls for Amazing Race 10 have gone out, and Jeff and I weren't called.

In case you weren't aware, Jeff and I filled in the applications and made a video in the hopes of getting on next season's Race. We're both big fans, and we both think we have what it takes to win the race - and make good television in the process. We brought up every hook we could think of - being newlyweds, Jeff being a national champion baseball player, spending more than half of our relationship on separate continents - but I guess the Race wasn't looking for any of that.

Or they realized we would totally kick every other team's butt on every single leg, thus making the Race not all that exciting. Yeah, it must have been that.

And while we both knew the chances of us getting a call back weren't that much better than us winning the lottery (which we're also sad about), I still felt a glimmer of hope every time my phone rang, especially at times when I usually don't get many calls. And even knowing our chances, I still secretly thought that we were perhaps just interesting enough to get called for a semi-final interview, where we would obviously wow them and make it on to the finals and then the show. But, alas, no.

So now, being completely addicted and determined to get on the show, I'm gearing up for the applications for Amazing Race 11. I need a new partner, however, since you can only apply once with the same teammate. Anyone interested?

The Winter Olympics 2006

At some point almost every night, Jeff and I watch a bit of the Olympics. Most of the time we find ourselves either marveling that the sport we're watching is considered an Olympic sport or wondering just exactly how whatever sport we're watching works.

An example of a sport that would fit into Category A is Snowboard Cross. So baseball and softball aren't good enough for the Olympics but Snowboard Cross is? In case you haven't watched, Snowboard Cross is an event where 4 snowboarders at a time race down a track, all the while trying to cut each other off and knock each other out of the race. It's kind of like Motorcross on a Snowboard. It's slightly interesting at moments, but it's really not a very noble or grand sport. It also doesn't have that thrill of racing where one competitor beats another by a hundredth of a second. In fact, in most races, at least one or two of the competitors were knocked off the course and out of the race well before the midpoint of the course. It's totally X-Games material, and I'm not quite sure how it became or why it's considered an Olympic sport. (The showboating that cost Jacobellis the gold is a pretty good example of how X-Games it is.)

An example of a sport that would fit into Category B is Ice Dancing. No one really seems to know exactly how Ice Dancing is scored. Scott Hamill, a former iceskater, even admitted that he had no clue how it worked. The only things we figured out for certain was that unison is good and hand-holds are just too easy. I'm not sure what other types of holds there are and why they are better, but I did hear over and over that teams just weren't of that high caliber when they kept using hand-holds. Whatever. I have no idea. But we won a silver medal in it, so yay for us.

There are plenty of other sports that fall into one or both of these categories. Curling (aka shuffleboard on ice), for instance. Seriously, this is an Olympic Sport? It doesn't seem very athletic to me at all. In fact, I think anyone dedicated enough could probably become a good curler. I don't think that's true of most sports where natural ability plays a big part. In curling, I think it's all about being bored enough to continuously do that over and over until you're good at it. And what's up with Nordic Combined? Why are ski jumping and cross country skiing paired together to make up a sport? It's like they didn't have enough events, so they paired up two completely random ones and called it a new one. Why not combine platform diving and marathon running for the Summer Games? Just weird.

I'm not at all surprised that the Games aren't getting very good ratings. They're really not very exciting. All the athletes I heard about pre-Olympics seem to be pretty overrated (Bode Miller, for example), and none of the events really command your attention. We just watch it for the simply job of marveling over the ridiculousness of it. Go USA!

How Much More Romantic Can You Get

If you live in one of the following cities - Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, LOUISVILLE, Minneapolis, Nashville, Northeast Ohio, New Jersey, New York, or St. Louis - I've got the perfect idea for a Valentine Day date for you.

Go to White Castle!

No, seriously, go to White Castle. On Valentine's Day between 5pm and 8pm at participating White Castles in the cities I mentioned above you can have a slider by cande light. You also get hostess seating and a server. How freaking awesome is that? I so wish I lived in one of those cities, because that it what Jeff and I would be doing. And I'd totally get all dressed up for it.

You have to make a reservation to participate and you can find more info at http://www.whitecastle.com/ValentinesDay/ .
Mark, Mom, Dad, Matthew, someone I know living in one of these cities. Please, please, please go and take pictures for me.

It would definitely be a Valentine's Day for the history books.

Kentucky's Abortion Bill

The Kentucky legislature is considering a bill that would outlaw abortion in all cases except when the woman's life is in danger. This means that if a woman were raped and became pregnant, she would have to have the child. This means that a woman who became pregnant through incest would have to have the child. This means that even more children would come into this world unwanted and unlikely to be properly cared for.

Except this bill, if passed into law, would mean nothing because of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe versus Wade. No state can override this decision.

The bill, however, is meant to cause the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v Wade. It's a political ploy. It's forcing the issue. It's an attempt to overturn Roe v Wade, now that Bush has been able to add two strong conservative voices to the Court.

To me, abortion is a necessary evil. Ideally, I would like to live in a world where abortion is unnecessary. Where every child was born to a woman who wanted that child and where every woman who wanted a child was able to have one. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of our world. Unfortunately, rape, incest, and abusive relationships exist. Unfortunately, women who cannot support a child or have no interest in a child or will not take care of a child or will perhaps even harm or kill their child, get pregnant. Sometimes tragic circumstances lead to pregnancy; sometimes stupid circumstances.

Yes, there is adoption, but for many women, that's just not an option. Why not? we can ask. But the truth is that we can't know unless we walk in these women's shoes. Perhaps it's a cultural reason or a family reason or even a religious reason. And for a woman who was raped or was a victim of incest, carrying that child for 9 months, even if she were to give it up for adoption, could be, and likely is, a terrible burden and a painful reminder of a tragic event.

Should we outlaw abortion, it would not stop abortion. It would just become more dangerous. The truth is that abortion is necessary in our society. While it's nice rhetoric to say that every child conceived has the right to be born, it's better that every child be born with the right to be loved and wanted.

What our nation needs to do is step back from Roe v Wade. We need to stop arguing about whether abortion is right or wrong. What we need to do is create a society where abortion is unnecessary. Where every woman has knowledge of and access to methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Where rape and incest don't exist. Where women are given the support and resources to get out of bad relationships.

In a world like that, there wouldn't be as much debate over this issue. There wouldn't be as much need for abortion.

New Comments

You may notice that there are currently two comment sections at the bottom of my blog: the old one under my name and the new one next to my name. I'm thinking of introducing a new comment section, because with my current comment system, comments disappear after some unknown amount of time. (Look back into the archives and you'll see that none of my blogs have comments anymore.) I like my comments and I'd like to keep them, so I'm hoping this new system works better. So if you will, please use the comment section next to my name instead of the old one. Let me know if it doesn't work out for you, but I think I might soon switch completely to the new system. Thanks!

Really, this is all the Muslim world has to worry about?

The depiction of the prophet Mohammad in a cartoon in a Denmark newspaper has resulted in unrest throughout Muslim countries and communities. The tension was fueled when other countries throughout the European Union reprinted the cartoon in a show of support for free speech. Jeff and I talked about this issue a few weeks ago when it first surfaced, and I expressed my support for the newspaper. I still feel that way, if not even more so, today.

Denmark is a democratic country where the right to free speech is guaranteed. Political cartoons are the bastion of free speech in many democratic countries. Political, cultural, and religious leaders regularly fall under attack--often rightly so, sometimes questionably so. Those living in the countries where these cartoons are appearing have the right to read or not to read, to be amused or to be outraged. Freedom. That's how a democracy works.

Some say that the cartoons in question aren't protected under freedom of speech because they incite hate. Perhaps in some people, they do, but I don't believe that was their intent. The face Islam is showing to the world in the past few years has not been a pretty or likeable face. While there are millions of peaceful Muslims, there are also many commandeering the religion and using it to carry out violence. Many Islamic organizations (The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Al-Quaeda, etc) are also terrorist organizations. They themselves call upon Mohammad as they carry out their murderous program and claim that this is the type of jihad that he wanted. So why then is it so wrong for a non-Muslim country to depict him that way? Double standards.

And while I understand that it is against their religion to depict Mohammad, the people who depicted him aren't Muslims, and thus aren't bound by those rules. Perhaps, it's not in good taste, but neither are the frequent depictions of Jesus in comics and cartoons. Blasphemy is against the rules of Christianity, but it still happens and it happens frequently.

The Muslim countries and communities around the world have the right to be angry. But they don't have the right to threaten to kidnap, harm, or kill others because they don't like what's in a democratic country's comics. They are also wrong in demanding that the comic strip authors and editors be put on trial. These people did not break any of the laws of the country in which they live. They simply asserted their democratic right to free speech. In Islamic countries, Muslims can enforce their will, but they cannot tell the entire world how to behave.

While I like to be hopeful about world peace and the like, I'm becoming increasingly exasperated with that part of the world. Right now, I kind of wish there was a way to just seal them off from the rest of the world and let them go about their business blowing each other up, enforcing death penalties for minor crimes, and stampeding each other during religious festivals. Not very PC of me, I know, but how I feel right now.

Another Chapter in the "While Sitting in Dupont Circle" Story

On Monday, during this unusually warm January, I ate my lunch outside in the park. I was just one of many enjoying the latest round of global warming, and with the benches full, I sat on the fountain stairs. With my lunch finished and still a good bit of my break remaining, I took out my Smithsonian magazine and started reading. Just a few sentences into an article, I was interrupted by a man who had just sat down next to me.

"Did you just sigh?" he asked. Confused over whether he was talking to me, I replied, "What?" and then realizing he was talking to me, I said, "No, I don't think I did." I sized him up quickly in my mind. A little shabby looking, a hint of B.O., but nothing compared to many others I'd met in the park before. Probaby homeless, I thought, but maybe not. Hard to tell.

He continued talking, "Lunch break over soon?"
"Yep," I replied, "just a few more minutes." My standard response when random strangers start talking to me.
"What's your name?" He asks, and I volunteer my first name. No harm. "I'm Ron (or was it Roy?)," he says. "So what do you do?"
"I do advocacy work for low income children."
He nodded. "I work for a church."
I start thinking that maybe that explains his appearance. Maybe he's not homeless but does outreach to the homeless. Maybe he tries to relate to them. Maybe he's just a guy looking to chat.

"Oh," I said, "What do you do for the church?"
"I'm the Lord." Matter of fact. Just like that. The Lord.
Wow, I'm thinking, a real nut. Completely crazy. "So what kind of church is it?" I ask, thinking that it's strange that the Lord should work for a church. Shouldn't he be founding a church? In the back of my mind, I start philosophizing about how hard it would be for the Lord to return these days because we'd all write him off as crazy.
"Mainly Catholic..." he trails off.

I just nod. I don't know what to say. I wasn't prepared to have a conversation with the Lord. I try to turn back to my article, but he pushes along with his conversation, asking me if I'd heard of him or talked about him with others. I don't know how to answer. I mean, yes, I've heard of and talked about the Lord, but no, I have never heard of or talked about this crazy man next to me. I shrug and avoid his questions. I try to read more. He starts mumbling under his breath. He starts rhyming things that make no sense. He asks if I like his limericks. He talks about Saturn kicking his ass. I end my lunch break a bit early and head back to the office. I wonder what it would really be like if the Lord returned. I wonder how we'd know it was him and not just some crazy guy. I wonder if there'd really be that much difference.

What Celebrity Do You Look Like

Every once in a while, a conversation happens where people talk about other people's resemblences to celebrity. It's come up in conversations I've had here and there throughout the years. I guess everybody likes to think they have some celebrity connection, and there are some people who do look strikingly similar to some actor/actress, politician, sports star, etc. Some people, in fact, make their living off of impersonating famous people. I've never really thought I looked much like anyone famous. Recently, however, I've been getting some comments otherwise.

One of the first relevant comments occurred when I was in Greece. A copy of some entertainment magazine was floating around our house with a picture of Reese Witherspoon on the cover. One of my roommates was browsing through it one day and remarked to the rest of us, "Doesn't Theresa kind of look like Reese Witherspoon?" We debated it a bit - her chin is more pronounced than mine, her hair more blonde, but her eyes and nose are kind of similar... Anyhow, it was a funny conversation for a couple of minutes with my roommates holding the photo up next to my head, but it was quickly forgotten.

Then a month or two after the wedding, I received a card from a friend who had been unable to make the wedding but who had seen the photos. In the card, she wrote, "Wow, Theresa, I never realized how much you look like Reese Witherspoon." Jeff and I laughed and thought it was interesting. It seemed strange for someone else to just pull up that same connection when looking at our wedding photos.

But the strangest of all had to have happened the weekend we were in Niagara Falls. Jeff and I were at a tasting at a winery. We were seated at a table across from a girl slightly younger than me during the tasting, which lasted about 45 minutes. As we got up to leave, the girl approached me and said, "Excuse me. I just wanted to ask if you'd seen that movie "Walk the Line" because you look exactly like the girl that plays June Carter Cash." I smiled and said that I had seen it. She then said, "Really, the resemblence is amazing. And I mean that in the best way. I love Reese Witherspoon." Jeff and I laughed about how strange that was on the way out.

Anyhow, I just thought it was interesting. Three complete strangers making the same comparison on three very different occassions. If I make a close study, I can sometimes see it, but not so much that I feel that other people would see it and point it out. But now, I guess if anyone asks the "What celebrity do you look like" question, I'll have an answer. And it's one I'm okay with. She's cute and a good actress and seems to be a good person too. I could definitely have done much worse.

Niagara Falls Trip

As part of my Christmas present, Jeff gave me a trip to Niagara Falls. I'd never seen the Falls before, so I was excited. Here, with pictures, is a summary of that trip, which we took this past weekend.

Day 1
We flew into Buffalo on Southwest and then rented a car and drove through Niagara Falls, NY to Niagara Falls, Canada. Getting across the border proved to be amazingly easy and we were in Canada by around noon. As it was snowing and the visibility was probably down to under 100 feet while we were driving, I didn't see the Falls as we drove near and over them. So my first real memorable view was of Clifton Hill, the main tourist area in Niagara Falls, Canada.



Oh my God, I know why my parents never brought my to Niagara Falls. Seriously it is the world's biggest tourist trap preying on parents with their children. There's Frankenstein's House of Horrors, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Toussaud's Wax Museum, the Museum of Criminals, the Guiness Book of World Records museum, a WWE Smackdown ride, and dozens of other sites designed to fascinate and appall. Each one is loud, both in design and in taped message repeating over and over onto the sidewalks. We found it hilarious. How on earth they all managed to stay open blew our minds. A lot of people must have parents who were way bigger pushovers than mine. And it's not as if they're cheap. Jeff and I didn't indulge in any of them but had a good time laughing at them. If we'd been there in high tourist season with the masses crowding into them, we probably would have had a whole different attitude towards them, but as it was, we found them funny. I had heard that it was kind of kitschy, but this really took the cake.

After settling in to McGrail House, the bed & breakfast we were staying at, we ventured out into the cold, so I could get my first view of the Falls. Down the hill and right in front of me were the American falls.



They didn't look at all like what I'd imagined, with huge boulders at the bottom causing a violent spray of water. I then realized that I'd never really seen pictures of the American Falls before.

Walking a bit further, Horseshoe Falls began to materialize, and it looked exactly as I thought it would.



These were the falls I'd always seen pictures of. A huge plume of mist blocked the middle of the falls, so that I never saw them all weekend. The water gushed over with such amazing force. I'm not sure how anyone ever survived a trip over them, or even gave it a thought. The mist and light were just right for rainbows, and I, decked out like a cold terrorist, got to see quite a few of them.



After looking at them from above, we paid our $8 to go behind the falls. The better view was really from beside the falls, because from behind the falls, it just looks like a big white curtain. The rush of water is pretty impressive though.



At night, the falls get lit up, which is pretty kitschy if you think about it, but I'm going to admit right now that I liked it and even hung around in the super super freezing weather to wait for the falls to change colors a couple of times and to get excited about every change.





Day 2
Having seen the Falls, we set out on Day 2 to go to Niagara on the Lake, a small town about 30 km north of the Falls. It's a really quaint town with cute shops and restaurants. We browsed around and I bought a Christmas ornament to add to my international collection. It's a snowman dressed like a Mountie holding a Canadian flag in one hand and a Canada goose in the other (a goose! I had to buy it). Leaving the town, we went to two wineries in the area. The Ice Wine festival was going on, and we got to take part in two tastings. Ice Wine is a sweet wine made from frozen grapes. It's apparently pretty special, but I don't really like dessert wines, so I wasn't a huge fan. I did enjoy the tastings though because they came with food - the first place served three little appetizers with three different ice wines and the second place served a glass of ice wine with a plate of fruit and biscotti that could be dipped in a chocolate fountain! Mmmmm.

That night we went to one of the Casinos but didn't spend any money. It was a pretty boring place without any pizazz. Just meant for the gambling, not for the entertaining. We also spent hours trying to find somewhere to eat, because Niagara Falls, Canada has to have the worst restaurant selection around. There's a lot of generic steakhouses that are really icky and reminded me of Ponderosa, a handful of Italian places that had names like Spaghetti House, chains like Applebees and TGI Fridays where a normally $12 entree was $22, and that's about it. You apparently don't go to Niagara Falls for the food.

Day 3
We were heading home in the evening, so we decided to spend most of the day on the American side of the Falls. Before leaving, we went to see the Falls one last time from the Canadian side. It had been cold and windy the night before and the mist had blown all over the area and coated everything nearby with a thick layer of ice. It was like a winter wonderland. Really, really beautiful. We slipped and slid on the ice and took it all in, before crossing the bridge back to the U.S.



On the U.S. side, we went to Goat Island and stood right next to the American Falls. We also went out on Three Sisters Islands, where we could have stepped right into the water and gone over the falls if we had so desired. Seriously, there was nothing from keeping you from doing so. Kind of crazy.



Niagara Falls, NY isn't nearly as touristy as the Canadian side, and is in fact, kind of industrial and run down once you get away from the park areas. So after enjoying as much of the outdoors as we could in the cold weather, we headed down to Buffalo. We had a late lunch and contemplated how to spend the time until our plane left. At the Mexican place where we ate, the staff suggested the Zoo (seriously, it was 12 degrees, did they really suggest the Zoo?) and the Art Museum. We decided to go to the museum, but when we got there it was closed. So we ended up in this big cemetery with lots of crazy tombstones and statues. It was pretty neat. We then wasted our last bit of time wandering around the world's lamest mall before heading to the airport and flying back to D.C.



All in all, it was a great trip. The falls were really beautiful, the wineries were nice, and the town was hilarious. We had a great time just hanging out and relaxing.
And I can finally say that I've seen Niagara Falls.

2006 Resolutions

I got a slow start on the year, so I'm pretending that today is actually New Year's, and I'm beginning my resolutions now. And in the hopes that having them out in the open will make me more likely to stick to them, I'm presenting my 2006 Resolutions.

1. Exercise regularly. I go through phases with this, and I'd like to be more consistent. I'd like to be more fit overall.

2. Figure out what I want to do in relation to a career/job. Am I just going to stick with this job or look for something new? Do I want to go back to school? If so, where, and what do I need to do to get into that program? Once I decide, act.

3. Take advantage of living in DC. Since I don't plan to ever live here again once Jeff is done, I want to be sure I've done everything the city has to offer. So I'm going to go to museum exhibits that seem interesting, check out museums I've never been to, go to a performance at the Kennedy Center, see a play, try new restaurants, and take day or weekend trips to nearby sites.

4. Learn something new. I'm going to look for a class to take and either learn a new language or how to cook Asian food or how to take good photographs or the history of the American south or something else like that.

5. Find a cause I believe in and donate both time and money to that cause. Time to actually do something.

6. Write more. I'd like to do better at keeping up with this blog. I'd also like to write more for myself. And the big goal is to get paid to write something. Even if it's just a few dollars, I want to write something that someone else wants to publish and pay me for.

So that's it. In general, I just want to be more active and do as much with my life as I can. I want to spend my time doing productive things or things I enjoy (reading, going to the pool, going out with friends, etc) instead of just sitting around doing nothing or letting my mind rot while watching TV shows I don't even care about. Once in a while, the sitting around and rotting is needed, but not nearly as much as I do. So here's hoping that 2006 is a fun, productive, and rewarding year.

The Home Alone Survival Plan

When Jeff left, I was a little bit apprehensive. I don't really like staying by myself. I have an overactive imagination and am quite good at scaring myself senseless imagining terrifying scenarios. I was afraid I would get no sleep the whole time he was gone and my heart would be constantly racing. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and I ended up quite impressed with myself. I had to make changes to my habits, but they worked and I don't think I ever freaked out once the 6+ weeks I was alone at home. These changes included:

1. Always keeping the door locked. Usually when we are out, we only lock the bottom lock, but I took to locking both, and as soon as I got home, I would lock all the locks plus put on the chain, which we usually never do until we're heading to bed.
2. Not watching shows that would stir up my imagination. I planned to really limit my TV watching while Jeff was gone, but I ended up watching as much, if not more, than when he's home. The house just seemed so quiet there by myself that a lot of the time I had it on just for some company. But I was picky about what I watched. NFL and college basketball. Some funny/family sitcoms. Some reality TV. The Daily Show. Definitely no crime type shows. Normally, I enjoy the show Medium, but I didn't watch it once while Jeff was gone because it can be kind of creepy. What I did realize as I monitored my TV was how many commercials are inappropriately placed. For instance, I'd be watching a show like Amazing Race or NFL football, which I consider to be family friendly, when a commercial for CSI or some other crime show comes on showing some grisly footage. Or a commercial for an upcoming horror film. Not appropriate. Thank goodness for DVR, so I could speed through most commercials.
3. Falling asleep on the couch. The first night, Jeff was gone, I went to bed as usual and ended up laying there most of the night unable to sleep. I wasn't scared really, but my mind was just overactive. So after that I started laying down on the couch with the lights off and the TV low and falling asleep there. There was no pressure to fall asleep and the TV kept my mind from wandering other places. Then when I woke up, usually around 12:30 or 1:00, I was tired enough that I could just go back to bed and fall right to sleep.

I think those three things really helped me get in a routine that worked, keeping me from freaking out. That's not to say that there weren't times when I checked under the bed or in the closets, but I didn't have to sleep with a baseball bat next to my bed, which was Jeff's original suggestion when he left.

The good news, however, is that I can go back to my old ways today because Jeff is getting home in less than three hours! I can't wait to see him. It will be so nice to have him back home.

Follow-Up on the Chips

This is a follow-up to the post below, so read it first.


Seriously, the Chip thing is so surreal, that I had to Google it to see if maybe I was completely making that one up. But, no, I'm not. In fact, here is an article about the last Charles Chips delivery men, who were in fact still delivering in PA in 2003. Apparently, however, the chips no longer come in tins because they are too expensive, but you can order them through a catalog for about $13.95. I wish Mom had kept one of those. What a collector's item!

How Bizarre

Last night, I had a number of Christmas carols in my head, and this led me to remembering going Christmas Caroling as a child. I had to then wonder if there were still people who do this. It seemed so unreal to me that it was almost as if I were making up the memory. I can't imagine it happening today, but really it wasn't all that long ago that we got together with family and friends, bundled up against the cold, carried photocopied booklets of Christmas carols, rang the doorbells of people all around the neighborhood, and sang to these people (primarily strangers) when they opened the door. How very warm, cozy, and completely surreal.

This train of thought led me to thinking about other things from my past that at this point just seem bizarre. For example, when we were in grade school, we had to take fluoride once a week. Every Wednesday, one student from each class went to the Teacher Aid room and brought back fluroide for the whole class. When it first started it was in small plastic cups, and then later it came in little packets. On the teacher's word, each student had to put the fluoride in his/her mouth and swish it around for one minute before spitting back into the cup or packet. Then one really lucky student got to come around with a bag and collect all the swished and spat fluoride. How absolutely weird! Enforced dental hygiene at school. It seems so 1950s or so Communist or something.

And the other thing I thought of was how we used to have potato chips delivered to our house. The chips came in a large yellow-brown tin, and my mom kept it in the cabinet where the Tupperware now is. They were called Charles Chips, and I think that was all the man delivered. Maybe pretzels or other chip-like snacks, but he wasn't like one of the more current delivery services such as Schwann's or the grocery-store delivery options that offer a wide range of products. Just chips. As if you couldn't just go to the grocery store and buy them. As if they were a delicacy. So so so strange.

Isn't it amazing how quickly the world changes? I'm not even 25 yet, but I can still look back at things in the span of my lifetime and be incredulous that they actually happened.

Tree Photos

My beautiful tree, lit and decorated. 


You can see how much bigger the tree is than me. And it's the picture that's crooked, not the tree. 

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

When Jeff figured out that the time he needed to be in Sweden was during the run-up to Christmas, I was not particularly happy. The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year, and I wanted him to be around to share it with me. I was also exceptionally upset about the Christmas tree I doubted I was going to be able to get. Last year, Jeff and I went out and cut down our own tree. It was all quite an adventure trying to get it home, get it in the house, get it in the stand, and get it stable (it fell over one day after already being fully decorated). So realistically it seemed there was no way I'd be able to handle this all by myself, and I refused to go the artificial route out of fear that I'd be stuck with a fake one forever. I would just have to be tree-less this year.

So on Saturday, I set out to decorate for Christmas sans tree. I hung our handmade Santa stockings on our ice-cube snowman stocking holders. I got out the creche I had bought in Germany. I put out candles and figurines. And it all looked nice. But it also looked incomplete.

So on Sunday, I got up, put on windsuit pants, a snow jacket, and gloves and headed out before I could think clearly to a parking lot I'd seen on my way to the grocery the day before where trees were being sold for $25. Pulling into the lot, I walked into the fenced-in enclosure, where I was the only customer. I told the man selling the trees that I wanted a small, easy to handle tree. So he pulls one out that fits my description, I look at it for half a second and decide it's a bit too small, a bit too Charlie Brown. He shows me another slightly bigger and then another. They're all okay, but just don't feel right. So then he pulls one out that's perfect. It's full and straight and even has little pinecones on it. I decide that it's the one but look at a few more just to be sure. Certain that I'd picked the right one, I pay and let the man load it into my trunk. I then drive home with one eye in the rearview mirror the whole time to make sure my tree doesn't fall out on the Beltway.

Fortunately, the tree makes it with no problem, and I find a parking spot in our lot that lines up perfectly with our back porch. All I have to do is get the tree out of the trunk and over to our door. So I begin to pull on it. Then I begin to pull harder. Then I re-grasp, bend my knees, and really pull. I probably should have tried to pick up the tree myself before I bought it. It's heavy. Really heavy. Finally after some serious heave-ho-ing, I get it out of the trunk. I then grab it by its trunk and drag it over to our patio, where I hoist it onto the picnic table. Now what, I think?

Knowing that I ultimately had to get the tree standing up, I let myself into the house, grab the tree stand, and come back outside to evaluate. I stand it up for a minute, remember how heavy it is, and decide there's no way I can lift it into the stand and then tighten the stand without ending up under the tree. I decide the best method is to put the tree stand on with the tree laying on the picnic table. Clever, huh? Since I did pick a tree with a fairly straight trunk this works out pretty well, but when I stand it up, it's not quite perfectly upright. So I bend down and slightly loosen the stand with one hand while desperately holding on to the tree with another. My body is mashed into the tree to keep it from falling, and I have some nice scratches on my face and neck and arms to prove it. After some adjusting, little tiny bits at a time so that I don't ever have to support too much weight at once and end up crushed under the Christmas tree, I get it up straight and it looks good. It seems steady too as I give it a few pushes and shoves, but being a little nervous, I leave it out on the backporch for an hour to make sure it doesn't topple over.

After an hour, I'm satisfied with the stability of the tree and decide it's time to bring it inside. I lay down an old blanket between back door and the corner where the tree is to be located, and then go to pick up the tree with the stand attached. Damn, it's still heavy. With some straining and heaving, I somehow manage to get it inside and in the corner and then all I'm left to do is twist it until the best side is showing. Stepping back, I take a look at the tree and realize why it was so heavy. The tree is only a few inches from the ceiling, and it's incredibly full. It's a big, beautiful Christmas tree. And it smells so delicious. The whole house radiates Christmas. Now tonight, I'll light and decorate it, and with the snow coming down outside, it will really feel like Christmas is on its way.

In summary:
1. It's hard to judge the size of a Christmas tree in a parking lot. In a big open area, the tree looks much smaller than it does in a closed in room.
2. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Something to Look Forward To

I already know what I'll be doing the last week of August 2006. Last night, I reserved spots for Jeff and I on a six day rafting trip through the upper portion of the Grand Canyon with an outfitter called Moki Mac. Ever since I was twelve and stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon, peering down at the tiny stream that the mightly Colorado appears as from that height, I've known I've wanted to go down into the Canyon. A few years later, I watched a program on the different ways to explore the Canyon - hiking, riding donkeys, and rafting - and I knew that rafting was what I wanted to do. It's always been on the to-do list but more as a vague one-of-these-days type of activities. The relocation of my friends Megan and Bryan to Arizona made a visit to Arizona more realistic, and as Jeff and I explored the options, one-of-these-days became next August. It's going to be a great adventure.

The trip starts out at Lee's Ferry and over the course of six days, we progress 89 miles in an oar powered raft to Phantom Ranch, deep in the middle of the Canyon. Each day, we'll spend a few hours on the water and a few hours on hikes to waterfalls, Anasazi ruins, and stunning vistas. Each evening we'll set up camp and spend the night under the stars. It will be somewhat primitive, with the river for washing and makeshift toilets, but we get three meals cooked for us a day and from what I've read, they're pretty good meals. When we reach Phantom Ranch, we'll have to hike up, up, up and out of the Canyon, which takes people anywhere from 6-9 hours. I'm so excited.

The trip runs from Friday to Wednesday, so we'll have a few days at the end of our trip to do other things, especially considering that next Monday is Labor Day (and Jeff's birthday). I'm not sure what else we'll do. Maybe we'll try to hit up some of the other sites like the Painted Desert or Petrified Forest. Maybe we'll visit the Navajo nation or relax in Sedona. We'll definitely see Megan and Bryan. It will be a great trip, especially since Jeff has never been to any of these places, and I've only visited some of them briefly, and that will have been 13 years ago by then. I can hardly wait...But really, I'm glad we're not going until the end of the summer, because we're going to need some time to break in our boots and backpacks. Six to nine hours uphill is a long way!

Holidays, Marriage, and Compromise (But Not This Year!)

As you get older, you take on more roles, but rarely do you lose any. No matter what else you become - spouse, friend, co-worker - you still remain what you were - child, sibling. No matter how old you become, you always remain someone's child. It's a tricky act juggling all the roles that life throws at you. Marriage makes it even trickier, because with marriage comes compromise and a shuffling of priorities. While you can't neglect the needs of your other family, your spouse and your relationship with him/her has to become the top priority. You can't just do what you want or what your family wants. You can't have all the holidays.

The idea of sharing holidays has always been terrifying to me. I'm a traditionalist, especially when it comes to holidays. I like things to be the way they always have been. Unfortunately nothing ever stays exactly the same. The fortunate thing is that Thanksgiving was sacrificed to me long before I got married. Rice's schedule made it hard to get home for Thanksgiving, so only once in my four years at Rice did I make it. Living abroad twice rendered Thanksgiving somewhat irrelevant, since we had to push to put together anything even remotely resembling the holiday. So upon getting married, I was willing to give up Thanksgiving. Jeff and his family could have it. Christmas wasn't even up for negotiation, however. That was mine to be spent as I saw fit...which of course meant going to Louisville and re-living all the traditions I associate with the holiday.

This year, I'm lucky. I get both holidays. Unfortunately, the reason I get Thanksgiving is because Jeff is in Sweden and will miss it, which sucks, but I'm looking on the bright side here. Since I have a stranglehold on Christmas, there was no trading. And although Jeff's family is nice and all, I'm not really going to head all the way across the country to celebrate with them without Jeff. So the end result is I get both holidays.

And while I miss Jeff a lot and wish he were here, there's a part of me that's a little bit happy that I get to go celebrate Thanksgiving with my family by myself. Because I live some distance from my family, going to see them is an event, and it almost always involves both Jeff and I. I never get the opportunity to just stop by and see my parents and brothers. I'm always with Jeff and with my family. And sometimes that's tricky. So as silly as it is, and as much as I love having Jeff around, I'm kind of looking forward to just being home with the family and having the only roles I have to worry about be child and sister.

I Feel A Winter Long Case of the Mondays Coming On

I'm feeling very down on my job lately. It's just not very fulfilling. I get up every day and go to work, where I spend most of my time just wasting it. More often than not, I'm the only one in my office, and even if the two or three other people who work here are here, I don't really interact with them that much. We all sit in our offices and do our own thing. Sometimes I do work, and I usually find some sense of accomplishment in that, but honestly I could get it all done in just a day or two each week instead of the five I spend here.

I feel like I should like my job. I like what the organization as a whole is trying to do. I like the people who work for the organization. But I don't feel like I'm actually doing anything worthwhile. I feel like I'm being under-utilized. Even though this job is different than the one I had last year, it's not really. It's still me and a computer in an office alone most of the time. And I don't think that's the kind of job for me. I think I need something more fast-paced, more people-oriented, more hands-on.

But what do I do about that? I only plan to be in this area another 2.5 years at the most. Is it worth it to go look for something else that I might not like anyways? Should I just stick it out here, because it's a sure thing? The salary isn't that great (it's okay), but they're already talking promotion. The benefits are okay. The commute's not bad. I get off the week between Christmas and New Year's. The people are nice. There's no guarantee that I'll find anything better. I just don't really like any of the options honestly. And Jeff might be right in saying that I'm pretty much not going to be happy with any job I'm going to find at this point.

What I think I want to do is go back to school and eventually become a professor. I think that is the job that matches the highest number of my desires: flexible schedule, hands-on, challenging, people-oriented, intellectually-stimulating, okay pay and benefits, flexible on location. But I can't do that until Jeff is done, so I have to make it through another few years. And I'm not sure the best way to do that. If I was getting paid a lot, I could say that I'm saving up for the future. If I was working in a field that I'd want to go into in graduate school, I could say I'm gaining experience. But none of that is true, so right now, I just feel like I'm buying time, and that's certainly not very motivating.

I think I must have SAD. Everything seems worse in winter.

Random Halloween Rambling

By the time I got off work today, it was already dark. Ugh. I really hate that. It just makes a for a long, dull night. It's a nice night for trick-or-treaters though, because the weather is really nice. Of course, it gets nice after I replace all my summer clothes with my winter clothes. I put my pumpkin out on our front stoop, but I haven't had one trick-or-treater. I mean, I understand...if I had kids and lived here, I'd take them to the real houses in the neighborhood next door and not wander through apartment buildings, but it's still sad not to get any kids. Guess I'll have to eat all the candy I got for them myself. I did see lots and lots of costumes this weekend as the whole DC college and twenty-something crowd was out partying around the city. Lots of political costumes...big shocker in this city. It's kind of fun to get on the Metro and be sitting next to someone dressed up. Kind of makes everything a little surreal. It would be more fun though if it were a random day and not Halloween. Maybe I'll do that. Mom, send me my wedding dress. I think in addition to the grocery store, I'm also going to wear it on the Metro. Get my money's worth out of it, you know.

I was thinking back over the costumes I wore through the years, and these are the ones I most remember.
-In kindergarten, I was a dinosaur. It was a crazy costume with a huge tail and coverings for my hands and feet. It weighed a lot and was hard to skate in (Halloween Roller Skating Party), but I won some costume contest for it, and I thought it was pretty darn cool. Of course, like all my costumes, my mom made it.
-One year I was Pippi Longstocking. I put wire from hangers into my braids to make them stick up. It looked cool, but it wasn't really comfortable. I think I have permanent dents in my head from the wires.
-One year I was this weird combo of princess and something very sci-fi futuristic, outerspacy. That was a strange costume, and I have no idea what inspired it. Matthew and my neighbor Cristin had similar costumes, so there must have been something to it.
-Another time I was a gypsy. I liked that costume, except it was really, really cold that Halloween, and the shirt for it was tiny and left my stomach bare. I think my mom made me wear a long sleeve shirt under it, which really ruined the effect.

Ah, Halloween. It's not as fun when you're old. I mean you can still dress up and go to parties, but it's just not the same without glow sticks and huge bags of candy. I really miss the glow sticks.

Comments on Today's News

*I'm not surprised but I am disappointed to see that Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination to the Supreme Court. While it was clearly in the best interest of the White House and the Republican Party, I was hoping for some ugliness. And I'm scared to think who the President will now nominate. With his party falling to pieces in so many ways, he's got to pick someone with conservative written right across her/his face in order to do some salvaging of his support base if nothing else. I think it was made pretty clear over the past couple of weeks that big-time Republicans aren't going to be happy with anyone who doesn't have a clear history of being anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, anti-anything progressive or liberal. Bleh.

*I think the people in Florida need to shut up and suck it up. They made their bed and now they have to lie in it. I'm sick of hearing about FEMA not doing this or the government not doing that. Hurricane Katrina was an anomaly. While I think even the people there could have been better prepared, it was somewhat excusable that people didn't have everything they needed or didn't get out of town. No one really expected the devastation Katrina brought. But what excuse do these people in Florida have? They saw Katrina and its terrible aftermath. They saw the inability of the government to take care of the masses. They had plenty of time and warning to get their butts out of town or at least to stock up on provisions. So really I feel no sympathy for them. People need to learn to take responsibility for themselves and quit shifting it elsewhere. It would make our country a better place.

*Come on, Astros. Not even one win? I must say I'm disappointed. But I'm not 100% surprised. One of the things that hurt the Astros the most was age. Clemens couldn't even make it past two innings. And Bagwell...is that really who you chose to pinch hit in the 7th inning of what could be the final game? I know he's the face of the team. I know he's been waiting for ages for this opportunity. But, when the World Series is on the line, you can't get a soft heart. You have to do what's best for the team, and that wasn't choosing an injured player who hadn't really gotten a hit all series to come to bat in a decisive moment. It was just one of many bad decisions throughout the Series for the Astros. Better luck next year.

The Urge to Go

There's no denying that fall is here. Even though most of the trees seem to be skipping the changing color phase, there's no doubt it's fall. The sun's not as strong. The wind is brisk. The hours of daylight just keep shrinking. And it's all got me feeling quite restless. I feel like I need to go somewhere or do something. I need to move, travel to a new country, go back to school--anything that will keep me from the stagnation of winter.

I think part of my feeling of restlessness has to do with the fact that I've now moved into my second year of being in the same place. It's been a while, since freshman-sophomore year of college to be exact. Then it was Germany for one year, Houston for one year, Athens for one year, DC for one...now two...and who knows who many more years (but better not be more than another 2 or so). I'm also in a job that is permanent - not permanent as in a lifetime career - but permanent in the sense that it's unlike my other jobs which had end dates decided on before the start date approached. And I'm married. My life suddenly seems very permanent. It's very strange after having had such a nomadic existence for the past few years.

And it's not as if I haven't gone places this year - we've been to Hawaii and Belize. I've been up to NYC and Philadelphia. I've been out to California and up to Seattle. But I haven't lived anywhere else. I haven't had the challenge of figuring out how to get groceries or practiced asking for a bus ticket multiple times so that I don't mess up the language. I've always just been a visitor. And what I want to do is go explore, go live new cultures, go get lost, and then find somewhere really cool. I just want to move around and see the world before I'm too old or have too many responsibilities or am too materialistic to take a job that pays only $650 a month but offers fantastic opportunities.

But I'm going to have to learn patience, since we're here until Jeff is done with his PhD. So in the mean time, I need suggestions on how to keep myself occupied. Maybe taking some classes will help. Maybe learning a new language. I don't know, but if you have ideas, please send them my way. I need something to get me through the winter. Once the weather warms up, I'll probably be happier just to do nothing and enjoy it. But for now the restlessness has kicked in. And it doesn't help that Jeff's in Sweden either. I'm jealous. I know he's working hard, but it's another country, which in my book makes it automatically a million times better.

If Only I Knew The Right People

I think I missed my chance. If you know me, you know that I like to make up songs. Well, I don't know if I like it so much as I just do it. I make up songs for everything. I make up songs about doing the dishes and getting out of bed and dusting and eating. And I love to make up songs about Jeff. They just come out without me even thinking, and they usually don't make a lot of sense. But they're pretty funny. Kind of weird, huh?

The thing is, this is apparently a marketable talent. And I had no idea. I've just been doing it for free all these years, when I could have been doing it to make money. Case in point - Nissan commercial. If you've been watching the playoffs, you've probably seen it, because they play it often. A guy is zooming around in his car and the driver (presumably) is singing some song that has lines in it like "I'm gonna honk my horn. I'm gonna let you honk my horn." When Jeff and I first heard it, we cracked up laughing. He looked at me, and I at him, and we both just died laughing, because we know that I totally wrote that song. And now it's on TV in a primely-placed commercial. Too bad I didn't copyright it.

And if you're thinking, okay anomaly, check out current Expedia and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese commercials. Nonsense songs are hot, and I am the queen of nonsense songs. So if you know anyone in advertising looking for the next hot song, send them my way. I've got a whole repetoire that I'd be more than happy to share if the price is right.

What's Up Your Sleeve, W?

W's nomination of Harriet Miers for Supreme Court Justice has thrown me for a loop. Usually he is so easy to read, but this time he's got me confused. I truly thought he would nominate a hard-core conservative. He's entering his lame duck years, and this seems like the perfect opportunity for him to be able to throw his weight around for years and years to come. Plus, as his presidency and his party fall apart, it seems he ought to be doing all he can to shore up support among his bases. He's certainly past the point of being able to bring others over to his team, so he might as well do what he can to keep his supporters strong and away from any thoughts of defection. As happy as I am that he didn't do this, I'm also a bit concerned. I mean, the President, as much as I dislike him, isn't dumb - at least not when it comes to things like this. Sure, Harriet Miers is a loyal friend, but there's got to be more to it than that. As innocuous as she seems, I feel like there's got to be some big hidden thing we don't know about. Really, I just can't see him going soft now. He has absolutely no reason to. It's not going to win him support from his opponents and it's just going to cost him friends. So what's the big secret? I'm a little nervous.

I am, however, enjoying watching Republicans get all up and arms over her nomination. While just two weeks ago, they were declaring it imprudent for a judge to reveal how he would vote on certain issues, they've now changed their tune. They must know where Harriet Miers stands on absolutely everything. How much more obvious can they be in their partisan politics? Hey, it's your president's pick. Shouldn't you just support the choice? Isn't that what good Republicans do?

I also find it humourous, in a disturbed way, that multiple politicians are stating things like they won't vote for her unless they are convinced she will overturn Roe v. Wade? Hello, last time I checked, judges weren't supposed to guarantee votes on issues. That's kind of unethical. And it's not as if she can just take her place on the bench, have a huddle with the other judges on her team, and decide that for this play, they're going to overturn Roe v. Wade or any other decision. For them to even consider an issue, whether abortion, euthanasia, medical marijuana, treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo, or anything else, a case has to be brought before them and they must rule specificially on that case and its merits. Remember, they are the judicial branch and not the legislative branch. They do not introduce issues. They simply rule on issues based on the Constitution. Do our legislators need a primer on the three-branch system of government? I'm sure there are plenty of elementary school teachers who could step up and provide it if necessary.

Anyhow, I'm interested to see what will come of all of this. I'm hoping for a full implosion. It will be fascinating.

Google's Birthday

Happy 7th Birthday, Google! Can you believe it's only seven years old? That means Google came into existence in September 1998, the beginning of my senior year of high school. It seems like it has been around much longer, primarily because I can't remember what life was like before Google. Where did we go for information? How did I get through high school without it? It's crazy how quickly the world changes and how quickly we can become dependent on something that didn't even exist a decade ago. These days I always go straight to Google when I need to find the answer to practically any question. Where's Uzbekistan? Check Google. How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter? Check Google. What restaurants are in Dupont Circle? Check Google.

Which brings me to the question...If something can't be found using Google, does that mean that it doesn't really exist? It seems that everything is on the Internet and if it's out there, Google will find it. I can't get it to find two things, however, and that makes me wonder if they exist outside of my world.

1. I can't get Google to find the phrase "give him/her down the road" in the sense of telling someone off. I wrote about this before last year, and I just did another search without luck. Does this phrase exist outside of my small world?
2. The second verse of the birthday song, which I've always been a bit suspicious of, can not be found using Google. When I Google "second verse happy birthday," I get a second verse, but it's nothing like the one I know. When I Google combinations of "good health good wealth happy birthday," I get nothing. This second verse apparently does not exist beyond the Zimmerman family (and its offshoots), so I'm really really curious as to how it came about. Let me know if you know.

And as a final thought, isn't it interesting how "Google" is now also a verb. Seriously, you better watch out, Google is taking over.

My First Business Trip

Sunday night, I'm heading out to Santa Monica to go to our West Coast office. I've never been to Santa Monica, and I've only been to California once, so I'm kind of excited. Plus I've never got to go on a business trip. That part kind of makes me feel old, but at least I'm lucky that I'm going to Santa Monica and not the middle of Iowa or something lame like that. Our office is right on the Third Street Promenade and just a block or two from the beach, so that should be nice. I told Jeff he should come with me, but he's lame and says he needs to work. I told him he's dumb for passing up free hotel and meal money. If it were me, I'd go. But he is taking off Friday, because I'm meeting him up in Seattle for the weekend. Some relative from Sweden is going to be there, so it worked out nice that I can combine the two trips instead of having to do cross-country trips twice, especially since I really hate flying that far. So while it's work, next week is kind of like vacation.

The funny thing is that I'm going out to our West Coast office to teach everyone about our new Web sites. I'm like the office web guru, which is pretty hilarious, considering I've never thought of myself as all that computer knowledgeable. But I guess I know more than I thought, and I've learned a lot (mostly self-taught) in the almost three months I've been working here. So far the Web sites seems to be functioning well, so I guess I'm doing alright. It's strange the positions you find yourself in. Who would have thought I'd have a job where one of the main parts of my job was being the computer know-it-all...and on both PCs and Macs? I just amaze myself. Wonder what else I can do? Anyhow, if you're at all interested in the Web sites or the organization, please go check it out. From there, you can check out the other three sites I run - Contentbank, Techpolicybank, and Expresslane. Exciting, eh?

Lunch in Dupont Circle

I think I'm going to write a book called "Today, While I Was Sitting in Dupont Circle..." and just write little anecdotes about the things that happen to me while I'm sitting there. So far, I could include the following:

*I was treated to a concert by a group of Christian teenagers. Not only did they sing Creed's "Higher", they also did interpretive dancing to it. Then they capped it off with a song that must have lasted at least five minutes but contained nothing but the words "My God is an amazing God." Apparently not so amazing as to give them any songwriting or singing talent, however.

*I had my lunch eaten by a homeless man. Having finished what I wanted to eat and sat it down next to me, I got on the phone. I felt someone sit down close by but I didn't turn to look, as they are usually weird people I don't really want to engage with. When I did finally look over, I found the homeless man who I had earlier seen dropkicking imaginery things eating my leftovers. Not wanting to be dropkicked myself, I let him eat them, but I was a little annoyed that he threw away my tupperware.

*I watched a man pee on the sidewalk. Not only did he not go to a store to try to use the bathroom or at least go over to a tree, he didn't even get up off the bench. He just pulled down his fly and let his pee rainbow right onto the sidewalk. A policeman wasn't 20 feet away, and he had to have seen it, but he just ignored it. Guess he didn't want to get peed on.

*I met a man who chatted me up about foreign policy, telling me that he worked under Condoleeza Rice and did all kinds of things that he couldnt' really tell me about. He was knowledgeable on a lot of subjects, but his mind jumped all over the place, making the conversation somewhat hard to follow. I had to wonder what he was doing just sitting in the circle and hanging out if he had such a high power job. Then when I saw him again a few days later, with the same clothes on, carrying the same bag, and sitting in the same place, I really started to wonder. Maybe he's undercover...or maybe he's just another crazy.

*I was serenaded with Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" by some guy who was originally just wandering around the park but then decided to stand right in front of me and belt it out as loud as he could. Slightly awkward.

*I was approached by a guy asking if he could take a cab to IKEA. I told him that I didn't know of any laws forbidding it (seemed like a dumb question to me), and he then told me that my "ensemble" was nice.

The Best Day of My Life

I'm the kind of person who over-anticipates. I build things up in my head until there is no way the reality can match the imagined. I get fired up for birthdays and other celebratory occasions only to find that they are never quite as exciting as I think they will be. So for the wedding I tried to prepare myself. I tried to tell myself that things would go wrong, but they'd be okay. I tried to remind myself that I don't live in fairytale world and am not a multi-millionaire, I tried to be realistic.

But really there was no need for that, because our wedding was absolutely perfect. It was amazing, fabulous, and even better than I ever could have imagined or dreamed. Even if I had been a multi-millionaire, I wouldn't have changed one single thing about it. It was that good. And nothing went wrong. Or if it did, I didn't know about it, or didn't think of it as going wrong. It just happened and it just was. So one of the chandeliers was missing a globe. And so it was a little hot out on the dance floor. But I didn't care. And that means a lot considering I'm obsessive-compulsive and tend to harbor on the negative. Seriously, I had the time of my life.

I could gush on and on, but I'm just going to take a little time and let you know what I thought made it so fabulous.

1. When else will so many of the people you care about be in the same place at the same time? I had friends from home, from Rice, from my year in Greece, and from other places in between, along with family, there to celebrate with me. Jeff had friends from his years in Hawaii, from growing up in Bainbridge, from school, and from Sweden, along with family, there to celebrate with him. There were a few people who couldn't make it that we would have liked to have there (and we missed you), but overall we were so lucky to have so many people we cared about in one place at one time. And by keeping it small, we were able to have it be the people we really did care about and not just every Tom, Dick, and Harry we've ever met. So know that if you were there, we consider you to be particularly special.

2. We got to have three days of celebration. I love that our wedding wasn't just one quick day that was over before we knew it. I loved celebrating with our wedding party at the rehearsal dinner on Thursday. Everyone had me rolling with their stories, and the atmosphere was amazing. My dad roasted Jeff good. My brothers had a ball making fun of me - and saying some really nice things. Kate and D even sang. Then on Friday, it was fabulous to be able to spend time with everyone at my parent's house and at the ball game. The day was relaxing, and we were able to actually talk to and hang out with the people who had traveled so far to be there for us. Plus, it was really great to get to have so many of our diverse groups of friends come together and get to know each other. It made our lives seem a little more connected.

3. Our wedding ceremony was personal and reflected us. We asked only our closest friends to stand up with us as bridesmaids and groomsmen. We chose readings that reflected our beliefs and feelings, and we had dear friends read them. We found a minister who took the time to get to know us and reflected that knowledge in his comments. We picked out music that suited our tastes rather than sticking to the stock choices. We had the wedding outside in a location that felt perfect for us.

4. We made decisions based on what we wanted and not on what was expected. We had pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days on our cake table. We had a cake with chocolate icing. We served only beer and wine, but put a lot of thought into our selections. We didn't do a bouquet or garter toss. I didn't do the old, new, borrowed, and blue thing. I wore a simple, non-strapless dress (gasp...yes there are a few of those still in existence these days). Jeff wore grey.

5. We, along with most everyone else, got to dance all night long. One of the things I really wanted was a packed dance floor, and that's what I got. I had a blast dancing with Jeff and my friends and family. The Proud Mary rolling dance was absolutely hilarious, and if you didn't see my dad tearing up the dance floor, you missed out.

6. I have a fabulous family who made my wedding perfect. My brothers and dad all pitched in and took care of many things, especially when it came to set up, and they never complained. Well, they gave me a hard time about my schedules, but never complained. My mom did more things than I can name, making my gorgeous veil and my table runners, cutting out nearly a thousand pages for the programs, finding and contacting vendors, and helping with absolutely everything. It was a whole family effort, which could not have been pulled off without them.

7. Jeff and I got married. That was the whole point of this afterall. Even if it had poured down rain, the DJ been terrible, and the cake fallen over, this would still have happened and the day would still have been successful (though not nearly as fun). And now, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, we've got each other for all the days of our lives. What more could I ask for?

Eleven Days to Go

The wedding is in eleven days. I think almost everything is done, and now with no real activities to occupy my time, all I have to do is obsess over the weather. Did you know that www.accuweather.com will give you a fifteen day forecast? I learned that this week. And soon I will be able to get the ten day forecast on www.weather.com. Oh, the excitement. Really, my main obsession is rain. What bride's isn't, right? Ideally I'd like it to be low 80s with a nice breeze and zero humidity. Realistically, I'm prepared to deal with hot and humid (it's Louisville...that would be the normal thing to expect...I planned for that.) I can handle cloudy. I could suck it up and dodge a few rain drops. But please, please, please no big rains. No torrential storms. No crazy wind. Nothing like that. I just don't know what I'd do. And not just because no bride likes rain on their wedding day (yeah, I've heard it's good luck, but we all know that's a lie just to make people feel better about having their wedding rained on), but because all my plans, everything I've worked on and imagined for the past eleven months, depends on having decent weather. Decent...that's all I ask. Gorgeous would be wonderful. But decent I can handle. So cross your fingers, say a prayer, do a sunny sky dance, whatever. And then maybe just in case throw in a little prayer, wish, hope that no matter how the weather turns out, I handle it gracefully. Because really, there isn't a darn thing any of us can do about it. But I sure do hope it's nice!

July is Here

Today is the first day of July. I am getting married on the second to last day of July. That means I am getting married this month. Just thought I'd let you know.