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.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, January 09, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, December 16, 2005
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
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!
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
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.
Monday, December 05, 2005
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.
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.
Friday, December 02, 2005
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!
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!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
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.
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.
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.
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