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.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
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.
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.
Monday, October 31, 2005
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.
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.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
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.
*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.
Monday, October 24, 2005
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.
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.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
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.
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.
Monday, October 10, 2005
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
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.
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.
Friday, September 16, 2005
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?
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?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
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.
*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.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
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?
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?
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
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!
Friday, July 01, 2005
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.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Work Thoughts
In case you didn't know, I started a new job this week. I am a Program Assistant at The Children's Partnership, a non-profit that focuses on children's issues, particularly health care and technology. I'd direct you to our website, but it's under construction and won't be reappearing until around July 7. Right now, I'm working on editing it for style, consistency, and errors. It's a good way for me to become acquainted with everything the office does, since I have to read all of it very carefully. My English degree put to good use. And people say that English and German degrees are useless. Thank you very much, I've put both to work in the two plus years since I graduated.
This office is really small. In fact, today I am the only person here. Normally, there are a few others: Laurie, the co-founder and co-president; Dawn, the Deputy Director focusing on health issues; Ambar, a recent graduate who was a part-time intern for the past two years and is now here until she finds her dream job in journalism; Erie, a senior at American University, who will be the part-time intern during this coming year; and Karen, whose job I am taking over because she is going back to graduate school. Yes, small. I wasn't lying. This is the secondary office though, with the main office in Santa Monica hosting about ten or so employees. Plus there are random consultants in NYC and San Francisco. On the one hand, I like that it's small. I'll really get to have a hand in everything that goes on, and I think I'll develop skills quickly. On the other hand, it could get lonely. So far I've been busier than I was at the Holocaust Museum, which is nice, because I think being bored at work has to be one of the worst things ever. All you can do is sit there and watch the time not move and think about the million other things you could be doing. Also, the people in this office seem to genuinely like each other unlike at the Museum, where dislike wasn't even masked. So those are all things that make it clear that this job is a step up. Plus I'm getting paid a living wage, and I get good benefits. We'll see how much I like it in a few months or a year (gasp...can I really work somewhere for an entire year without looking to move on?).
Working just really isn't my cup of tea. Jeff and I had an argument about this the other day when I was still at the Museum, with him stating that he wishes I wouldn't say so much that I hate to work and that I just accept the fact that I have to work. I told him that until I quit getting up and going to work in the morning, I can say I hate work all I want and he can just deal with it. And no, I will not accept that it's just the way it is. I simply don't believe that the purpose of life is for us to spend the majority of our waking hours doing something that we don't like doing. Come on, that can't be all there is to this. I don't think Jeff understands because he likes what he does a lot. I mean, sure he'd rather be playing baseball or traveling or what not, but he is generally interested in what he does and would probably do it even if he didn't have to work. I mean sometimes at night, he talks and thinks about work related stuff, simply because he thinks it is interesting. Weird. I can't think of anything that I am that interested in. I'm interested in lots of stuff, dont' get me wrong, but I can't really spend all my time focusing on one thing and not get bored. I need variety. Even though I've just started this job, and it seems like it will be a decent job, I can't help but wonder about where I'm going to go next and imagine what kind of job I'd really like. The following jobs are in contention for what I think I'd like to do:
* BE A PROFESSOR. Positives: The hours are sweet. It's easy to have a job and a family. You're surrounded by intelligent and interesting people. You can take advantage of the benefits of university life. You can stay somewhat young through the people you teach. The benefits are nice. The pay isn't fabulous, but you're not hurting by any means. Nobody really keeps track of when you work as long as you show up for class. There are universities everywhere, so you have your choice of places to live. Negatives: You do have to work long and hard to get a PhD. If you want to teach at a top-notch place, you have to attend a top-notch place and do really well. You have to get published...and keep getting published. Tenure is hard to get. Lots of other people want to be professors too, and there aren't too many professors leaving. There can be a lot of in-fighting within a university as people fight for jobs and tenure.
*BE A WRITER. Positives: You work on your own schedule. You can easily have a job and a family. You're your own boss. You can focus solely on what interests you and say pthooey to the rest. You can make a lot of money. You can work anywhere. Negatives: You can work really hard and never have anything to show for it. The pay can be lousy. It's terribly hard to break in to the field. You have to be incredibly disciplined. You don't make any money until after your work is done so you have to have some way of sustaining yourself while you work. You have to be really good...or be willing to sell out to popular demand. You seem to have to be a little bit odd.
*JOIN THE FOREIGN SERVICE. Positives: You get to live all over the world. You meet interesting people. learn languages, and engage in different cultures. It's a government job so the pay and benefits are good. Your colleagues are intelligent and worldly. Negatives: It's hard to establish a home when you move all the time. You're far away from family and friends. Your kids might grow up to be mal-adjusted. You could end up in a part of the world you had no interest at all in. It's really, really hard to get into.
Anyhow, those are the current top three jobs for the maybe one day file.
This office is really small. In fact, today I am the only person here. Normally, there are a few others: Laurie, the co-founder and co-president; Dawn, the Deputy Director focusing on health issues; Ambar, a recent graduate who was a part-time intern for the past two years and is now here until she finds her dream job in journalism; Erie, a senior at American University, who will be the part-time intern during this coming year; and Karen, whose job I am taking over because she is going back to graduate school. Yes, small. I wasn't lying. This is the secondary office though, with the main office in Santa Monica hosting about ten or so employees. Plus there are random consultants in NYC and San Francisco. On the one hand, I like that it's small. I'll really get to have a hand in everything that goes on, and I think I'll develop skills quickly. On the other hand, it could get lonely. So far I've been busier than I was at the Holocaust Museum, which is nice, because I think being bored at work has to be one of the worst things ever. All you can do is sit there and watch the time not move and think about the million other things you could be doing. Also, the people in this office seem to genuinely like each other unlike at the Museum, where dislike wasn't even masked. So those are all things that make it clear that this job is a step up. Plus I'm getting paid a living wage, and I get good benefits. We'll see how much I like it in a few months or a year (gasp...can I really work somewhere for an entire year without looking to move on?).
Working just really isn't my cup of tea. Jeff and I had an argument about this the other day when I was still at the Museum, with him stating that he wishes I wouldn't say so much that I hate to work and that I just accept the fact that I have to work. I told him that until I quit getting up and going to work in the morning, I can say I hate work all I want and he can just deal with it. And no, I will not accept that it's just the way it is. I simply don't believe that the purpose of life is for us to spend the majority of our waking hours doing something that we don't like doing. Come on, that can't be all there is to this. I don't think Jeff understands because he likes what he does a lot. I mean, sure he'd rather be playing baseball or traveling or what not, but he is generally interested in what he does and would probably do it even if he didn't have to work. I mean sometimes at night, he talks and thinks about work related stuff, simply because he thinks it is interesting. Weird. I can't think of anything that I am that interested in. I'm interested in lots of stuff, dont' get me wrong, but I can't really spend all my time focusing on one thing and not get bored. I need variety. Even though I've just started this job, and it seems like it will be a decent job, I can't help but wonder about where I'm going to go next and imagine what kind of job I'd really like. The following jobs are in contention for what I think I'd like to do:
* BE A PROFESSOR. Positives: The hours are sweet. It's easy to have a job and a family. You're surrounded by intelligent and interesting people. You can take advantage of the benefits of university life. You can stay somewhat young through the people you teach. The benefits are nice. The pay isn't fabulous, but you're not hurting by any means. Nobody really keeps track of when you work as long as you show up for class. There are universities everywhere, so you have your choice of places to live. Negatives: You do have to work long and hard to get a PhD. If you want to teach at a top-notch place, you have to attend a top-notch place and do really well. You have to get published...and keep getting published. Tenure is hard to get. Lots of other people want to be professors too, and there aren't too many professors leaving. There can be a lot of in-fighting within a university as people fight for jobs and tenure.
*BE A WRITER. Positives: You work on your own schedule. You can easily have a job and a family. You're your own boss. You can focus solely on what interests you and say pthooey to the rest. You can make a lot of money. You can work anywhere. Negatives: You can work really hard and never have anything to show for it. The pay can be lousy. It's terribly hard to break in to the field. You have to be incredibly disciplined. You don't make any money until after your work is done so you have to have some way of sustaining yourself while you work. You have to be really good...or be willing to sell out to popular demand. You seem to have to be a little bit odd.
*JOIN THE FOREIGN SERVICE. Positives: You get to live all over the world. You meet interesting people. learn languages, and engage in different cultures. It's a government job so the pay and benefits are good. Your colleagues are intelligent and worldly. Negatives: It's hard to establish a home when you move all the time. You're far away from family and friends. Your kids might grow up to be mal-adjusted. You could end up in a part of the world you had no interest at all in. It's really, really hard to get into.
Anyhow, those are the current top three jobs for the maybe one day file.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
It's Called Summer. It Gets Hot.
Why do people in DC seem to think they have a monopoly on hot weather? If they checked out a map, they'd notice that they're definitely not as close to the equator as many other people. And if they ever looked at world weather (or even US weather), they'd notice that lots of places have hotter temperatures every day of the year. But for some reason, people here seem to think DC is the hottest place outside of the Sahara. Seriously, I think in my time in DC I've had more people tell me that I'll be overwhelmed by the heat here than I've had tellme that anywhere else. Hello, I'm from Kentucky, I went to school in Texas, and I lived in Greece...I think I know more about heat than the people here do. And yes, I do mean it when I say that I like it hot. 90 doesn't faze me. Temperatures in the 80s are marvelous. It's summer, for goodness sake. Bring on the hot weather.
Friday, June 03, 2005
If you're invited to my wedding, you should be receiving an invitation in a mailbox near you any day now. Jeff and I walked the box full of them down to our mailbox on Tuesday night, and ceremoniously dumped them all in. Yesterday I was visiting a friend here in DC and saw that her invitation had arrived, so I know Jeff didn't go back to the mailbox at 10am (our pickup time) and beg the mailman to have them back. It looks like all lights are green.
Your invitation should include an invitation, directions, a reception card, and a response card with envelope. If it doesn't, well, I guess Jeff and I got distracted by "In Good Company", which we were watching as we stuffed. One of you lucky folks got two response cards, I think. If it happens to be you, you only have to send one back...really. I'll be watching my mailbox obsessively next week, so send that reply card back. Come on...I already stamped it...you just have to stick it in the mailbox and you'll make me ever so happy.
Your invitation should include an invitation, directions, a reception card, and a response card with envelope. If it doesn't, well, I guess Jeff and I got distracted by "In Good Company", which we were watching as we stuffed. One of you lucky folks got two response cards, I think. If it happens to be you, you only have to send one back...really. I'll be watching my mailbox obsessively next week, so send that reply card back. Come on...I already stamped it...you just have to stick it in the mailbox and you'll make me ever so happy.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Wow! I Had No Idea Planes Could Do That.
Yesterday I got my credit card bill, which included a charge for a flight I'd purchased from Louisville to DC on Independence Air. The charge was correct, but I was a bit taken by surprise by the destination it listed. It listed the flight coordinates as: Louisville and Fictitious Point. Fictitious Point? That's not where I had planned to go, but I'm kind of intrigued. I wonder where this Fictious Point is and what exactly it's like there. Is it a place from a book or a movie that I'll immediately recognize? Will there be talking animals or extraterrestrials or munchkins? I'm excited. I can't wait for that flight. I just hope it doesn't take me to DC, because for months I've been under the impression that this is a real place, and my whole worl'ds going to be thrown out of kilter if I find out this is just a Fictitious Point.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Hawaii Photos
So it's taken forever, but we finally have our Hawaii pictures online. They're on Photobucket, which really isn't the best option, for reasons such as
a: It doesn't have enough memory to host all our photos under one account
b: It puts them in in a weird order and any time you edit the picture it moves them around
c: It won't let you give them good titles, since everything must be one word and you can't use symbols, etc.
But anyhow, it took forever to get them up so they will stay there for a while. Evenutally they will show up on a new site, but for now this will have to do. If you have a good site idea, let me know. I didn't really want to use one where you have to order something from them in order to keep your free account, but I just may have too. Some of those are really lame though in that they claim you as a member from the time you sign on, even if you're just looking at a friend's site and not starting your own. Whatever. Nothing is free. Or if it is, it's not the best quality.
If you want to see the photos, you'll have to go to two sites. First, go to mine. And to view the pictures in chronological order, start with the last page and view the pictures by pressing Previous. Then go to Jeff's page and view them however you want, because they are already so out of order it doesn't matter.
http://photobucket.com/albums/y139/trage3/
http://photobucket.com/albums/y183/jblackin12/
Hope you enjoy them. They don't really do justice to Hawaii, but it's the best we could do.
a: It doesn't have enough memory to host all our photos under one account
b: It puts them in in a weird order and any time you edit the picture it moves them around
c: It won't let you give them good titles, since everything must be one word and you can't use symbols, etc.
But anyhow, it took forever to get them up so they will stay there for a while. Evenutally they will show up on a new site, but for now this will have to do. If you have a good site idea, let me know. I didn't really want to use one where you have to order something from them in order to keep your free account, but I just may have too. Some of those are really lame though in that they claim you as a member from the time you sign on, even if you're just looking at a friend's site and not starting your own. Whatever. Nothing is free. Or if it is, it's not the best quality.
If you want to see the photos, you'll have to go to two sites. First, go to mine. And to view the pictures in chronological order, start with the last page and view the pictures by pressing Previous. Then go to Jeff's page and view them however you want, because they are already so out of order it doesn't matter.
http://photobucket.com/albums/y139/trage3/
http://photobucket.com/albums/y183/jblackin12/
Hope you enjoy them. They don't really do justice to Hawaii, but it's the best we could do.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Well That Was Underwhelming
A new pope has been elected. Seems awfully quick to me. I thought it would take longer. I kind of hoped it would, although I'm not sure exactly why. I thought the first papal election of my lifetime would be a little more exciting. Anyhow, my immediate reaction upon reading that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI was disappointment. I was kind of rooting for an African or a Hispanic. I honestly don't know much about Joseph Ratzinger, but from the commentary I've read about him and the homily he gave, he doesn't seem like he's planning to take the Church in the direction I'd like to see it go. A "traditionalist" isn't what I think the Church needs. I think we need someone who will move the Church forward, past all the scandal and all the internal problems that led to the recent scandals. We need someone who will help the Church move into the current century, someone who will hold true to the basic tenets of the faith but also realize that priests marrying, women being ordained, or couples using birth control does nothing to lessen the true message of Catholicism but instead would make the Church stronger and more appealing. Making the Church more welcoming to more people didn't really seem to be the goal he proposed in his homily, instead pretty much saying that it doesn't matter what people want, the Church must hold to the course. I'm afraid that if the Church holds too tightly to its current course, it's going to find itself floundering. Rejecting blasphemous teaching is one thing...rejecting common sense is completely different. The Church may be a holy institution, but it's still an earthly institution. And I think it's time for the Church to get in touch with the earthly people it's supposed to serve. Here's hoping Pope Benedict XVI will continue with the good works of Pope John Paul II (particularly his efforts to reach out to the oppressed) but will also recognize the need for change in the Church's stances towards the priesthood, women, homosexuals, and birth control.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Life is Good
I'll be in Hawaii tomorrow. The weather there appears to consistently be High: 83, Low: 72, Sunny. I can't wait. Don't worry I'll think of you all while I'm snorkeling with the giant sea turtles, hiking on the lava flows, stargazing from the top of a volcano, enjoying the spray of the waterfalls, and getting a nice tan. Yes, I'd be jealous if I were you.
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