ants

There is a species of ants, (and beetles, according to Annie Dillard), that will get so caught up in what they are doing, that they follow each other around in circles until they dieThis is a lot like us as humans. I see someone excel at something and think "I have to be good at that". Ultimately our deep desire is to be wholly loved, and we think we can earn it by doing what other people do. I deal with this issue often; that's why I have this quote on the side of this blog "I am me and you are you..."
It's like:

When Peter saw [John], he asked, 'Lord, what about him?' Jesus answered, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.'

(John 21:21-22)

Help.

awe

How many different kinds of vegetables are there?
Some people don't like vegetables. They think that they don't taste good. I think they eat bad vegetables. Even a lot of "organic" things taste like water and pesticides. I doubt their verity. If people ate these vegetable, they would be in awe.

From the DuPont Circle Farmers Market Sunday...

This first one is called tatsoi.
It was so spicy but kind of like spinach or bok choi... and what a pretty flower!!!



These are radishes.


Yes, ALL OF THEM! They are all so different and they taste different too.

Confession: I don't really understand the difference between radishes and turnips. But I am going to try to cook some of the radish greens this week.

In all due respect for vegetables, Geoff points out the importance of meat in meals. Yes. Even Sarah and I have turned to our carnivorous tendencies for sustenance in these winter months. Maybe I should have posted a picture of the goat chops!

top 10 wedding gifts

My company posted some cubicles on craigslist. This is one of the responses I received:

I am really serious and willing to buy this item but i am presently on a tour and will be spending about 3 weeks. I want to get the item for my cousin's wedding as a surprise gift as i would not be available on the day of the occasion.

First off, he's on tour??? I wonder if he is a famous artist with a pseudonym. Do famous people shop on craigslist??

But of more interest... What a present...

"Surprise! Happy Wedding! I bought you the cubicles you registered for, they will go great in your new home with the carpet you picked out..."
hahahaha

language barriers -> joys

A friend of mine is in China teaching English.
He received the following email from a student:
__________________________________________

I'm Dick.This is my E-mail address.I think you are very funny.I love people who can tell many interisting tings to me.I think you are my teacher,also are my friend.My

classmates were all like you.Do you remember Paul,the boy can walk spacewalk.He is my best friend,we like playing basketball.Do you know,I was a member of the school volleyball team.I like playing volleyball.Do you like it?By the why,where do you live in Chengdu,If we have time,We will take you sightseeing in Chengdu.

__________________________________________
My dad runs a translation company, so I am acutely aware of poor translations. However, to be honest, I am attune to both the barriers and the opportunities of language differences.
Here's my friend in a foreign place, with different customs and words. But in putting himself there, he opens himself up to opportunities to connect with different types of people.
And the student! The student writes in a vulnerable way which Americans would by shy to near in their communication. This welcomes my friend into the otherwise obscure world of the student in such a raw way.
Does any of that analysis make sense?
I can't put into words how joyful I think this is

mess

Last night, I attempted to make a pecan crust. It turned out soupy, so I made it into a crumble topping for an apple pomegranate crisp.

I made an apple marzipan galette, too.


When cleaning everything up, I poured a bag of (raw organic) sugar all over the counter, my pants, socks, and the floor.

"I am such a mess."

I sighed.

Ellen asked me, "Did I tell you I used the blender to make dinner last night?"

"no?"

"Well I was unaware that when you blend something you have to hold the lid down..."

Creamy white wine sauce splattered all over the kitchen.

:)

Why are we so afraid that others will see how messy we are?
Do we really think that they are less of a mess?

I hear about the splatter, and yet, my idea of Ellen has in no way fallen to the depths of kitchen doom. She's my really really good friend and her messiness will never change that.
So in hearing of her mess, and knowing my high esteem for her, I look at my mess with less self-deprecation. It's not comparison. It's the domino- effect of grace.

blog award?

Rosalyn gave me a blog award! WOWZERS.

THANK YOU, friend!!!

I don't think I should get one, since I rarely post, and when I do it is ridiculously pointless. But hey, if Obama can get the Nobel Peace Prize...

Sooo, I shall continue this blog-love according to the rules that I guess work out here:

The rules: use only one word, pass along to six favorite bloggers, and tell 'em you did so.Take it away-

1. Where is your cell phone? desk

2. Your hair? straight

3. Your mother? cray-cray

4. Your father? daddy

5. Your favorite food? icecream

6. Your dream last night? umm

7. Your favorite drink? kombucha

8. Your dream/goal? farm

9. What room are you in? cube

10. Your hobby? life

11. Your fear? doubt

12. Where do you want to be in six years? adventuring

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren't? challenged :(

15. Muffins? glutenous

16. Wish list item? bike

17. Where did you grow up? usa

18. Last thing you did? email

19. What are you wearing? brown

20. Your TV? what?

21. Your pets? haha

22. Friends? yes

23. Your life? highway.

24. Your mood? smiley

25. Missing someone? distance...

26. Vehicle? escape(h)

27. Something you're not wearing? belt

28. Your favorite store? anthropologie

29. Your favorite color? blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? morning

31. Last time you cried? sunday

32. Your best friend? friends

33. One place that I could go over and over? running

34. One person who emails you regularly? Janet

35. Favorite place to eat? kitchen

The People I'm going to tag:

Esther- What amazing creativity!!! You inspire me, love.

Julia- Oh the brilliance of her subtle humor!

Logan - What a blessing it is to live with this lovely lady.

Sarah - We need to play more. Hope she will blog about Vegas...


Blogs are for boredom.

yuppie

Has someone written a book about this?

"It's was originaly YUPE (Young Upwardly Progressive Entrereneur)"- urbandictionary.com
(did anyone notice the incorrect grammar AND spelling there?)

Yuppie things:
bottled water (esp. fiji)
starbucks
jcrew
urban outfitters
tapas
iphone, mac products in general
crackberries
kickball/soccer/softball leagues after work
happy hour
reading the book: Stuff White People Like
yoga classes
elliptical machines
spinning classes
5 year high school reunion
bolt bus and NY2DC
mac'n'cheese at fancy restaurants = good escape for finicky eaters
the office
brie- cheeses other than 'merican
GirlTalk
netflix
Arlington
living in Columbia Hts; being "exposed to other cultures"
gmail
hiking (not intensely, though)
listening to live jazz
whole foods/farmers markets
walking your small dog after work
rowing
wearing glasses as an accessory

----------------------------------------------

thank you to Remington Shepard for the majority of this ingenious material!

narcissism

Blogs are so narcissistic. You are totally right, Jim.

The topic is all over Julia and Julie. I was convicted again last night when Paige and I went to see it.

I keep thinking about this today, even after receiving a request for an entry about the party we had this weekend.
Maybe I'll just stop blogging. I want to live in a self-sacrificial way. What does that mean?

So instead, this post will be exo-narcissistic.

Thomas. His good friends call him "Big Deal". You don't even need to ask why. Clearly Thomas should be a model.
This picture proves it.

Caption: "They try to copy my swagger"

This is more artistically noteworthy:

Is he laughing at the sun? Is he holding the world? Maybe he thinks he's in control.
Anyone who can pull this look off with scruff gets a good deal of credit.

Thomas, get on the runway!!!

Black and White Jazz Night

Black and White Jazz Night

Come join us at our new home for a lovely evening of music, drinks, fun, and catching up with friends.

Bring a bottle of wine and a friend!

Date: Saturday, October 3rd, 9pm

Location: Sweet Virginian

Address:
837 N. Lincoln St.
Arlington, VA 22201 (map)

normal

Guess what this is:
Give up?

BEETS!!!

I shredded these beautifully striped beets on Sunday and I just had to take a picture to show you!!!
Aren't they fabulous! God is such an artist. I should have taken a picture before I shredded them, too.
The beets are nothing near what I expect beets to be when I buy them to bake or pickle or shred. But, then, that's what made them blog-worthy...

Adam shared this quote from Tombstone with me today:

Doc Holliday: What do you want Wyatt?
Wyatt Earp: Just to live a normal life.
Doc Holliday: There is no normal life, Wyatt, there's just life, ya live it.
Wyatt Earp: I don't know how.
Doc Holliday: Sure ya do, say goodbye to me, go grab that spirited actress and make her your own. Take that spirit from her and don't look back. Live every second, live right on through to the end. Live Wyatt, live for me. Wyatt, if you were ever my friend... if ya ever had even the slightest of feelin' for me, leave now, leave now... please.
Wyatt Earp: Thanks for always being there, Doc.

live for me

and don't be normal.

scars on my belly

Someone I met yesterday had laproscopic surgery on her appendix as well. She said the scar was HUGE. As you can see in this picture, there is one in my belly button and one below, where the tube drained puss. I wonder who will ever even see this scar. Well, now you do!

peanut butter and pretty toes

Antibiotics have strange effects on people. Mine makes me dizzy sometimes, generally causes feelings of inebriation, but today, it makes me not want to eat gritty things. Wanting to eat is an accomplishment for me these days. They discharged me from the hospital on Sunday but I still haven't had an appetite. I actually wanted to eat at 3am today when I woke up to take a pill. And I wanted to eat again at 9am. But I only wanted peanut butter and crackers.

So today I ate a half a jar of peanut butter. Not much else.
oh yeah, and I got a pedicure.

appendix is the same in Spanish

Wednesday I was in more pain than I thought possible. My appendix was having issues and ended up rupturing. I had surgery early Thursday morning. Friday, I received this in an email from my former apartment mate, Anna:

...we can tell a lot of interesting things about you from this experience. I've decided that your appendix (Sally) is highly conservative. She is opposed to Obama's health care plan and has not only tried to make her opinion known (by getting a little TOO riled up), but also calculated when to erupt so as to be removed in a timely manner. She knew that if she waited too long, she'd be on a big wait list and might have to soak in her own juices for quite a while, causing potentially terrible problems for the "whole" (that being Xandria) who gives her a voice in the political realm. Anyway, fun stuff you find out about yourself, huh?

There are always good things to pull out of the ickiness.

In 2007 this article was published online in DISCOVER, stating,

Recent studies suggest that nearly 60 million blogs exist online, and about 175,000 more crop up daily (that’s about 2 every second).

and apparently not all blogs were created equal.If you're looking for "Ms. Popular" you've come to the wrong site. This blog could be used for disgruntled political spillage, or even some technically or mathematically enlightening prose. I shall choose to be a point at the end of one of those tiny iridescent lines on the map of the blogosphere. And maybe if you share this with your friend in Australia and he puts it on his blog, and his cousin in India reads it, and gives it to her friend who blogs about it... we can make the lines cross some more... isn't that exciting!

In closing, check out that picture... and know that God has the entire world in His hands.
WOW.

PDA

Last week, a young couple got on a crowded metro. Orange Line towards New Carrolton around 8 am. I happened to get on after them, at my Virginia Square stop. Space was allotted such that I was one person from the couple, and one person from the door, my back to the door as I had just entered the train. The couple was playing a pretty intimate game of kissy-face as I tried not to look straight ahead. It was all I could do to not giggle a bit at how unaware they were of their surroundings. THe game paused and they continued a somewhat serious but caring conversation. Oh! time to kiss again. This type of PDA, I decided was totally uncalled for and unneccessary. Couldn't they wake up ten minutes earlier and display their affection in a place that does not involve 100 of their closest friends?
Thus, for the sake of the populous, I have decided to compile a list

Appropriate PDA
Private transportation: boats, cars NOT scooters/
Quiet public beach, off season
Any natural habitat that is very quiet and unpopulated
Public parks at night (I guess the homeless men wouldn't mind?)
Door steps (please check regularly for innocent passers-by)


Inappropriate PDA
Public transportation, any time of day (hand-holding only)
Public beach, summer, day time (hand- holding and sunscreen application is acceptable only if done tastefully)
Frequently trafficked areas such as malls, train stations, airports, hotel lobbies

ad hoc

this post is for a real friend.

Today I spoke with a project manager at my office about automating the status reports she and the project lead compile weekly. She mentioned that there are tasks done regularly and then there are ad hoc... I thought that was fun so i threw back a sentence with "ad hoc" in it.

My friend had a similar instance at work where her supervisor repeatedly mentioned ad hoc queries. "People tend to do ad hoc queries on the data" he said, "and if these ad hoc requests are out there, there needs to be a way for the ad hoc requests to be fulfilled..."

yup

I don't think I knew what 'ad hoc' meant until about a year ago. According to my data warehousing book:

some users will build their own queries against the data warehouse from scratch; this is what we mean by ad hoc access. These business analysts or power users, are usually...

Now that I am near the end of this post, I am realizing how incredibly boring and pointless this post is.
wow.

real world

So I just started a real job. I do things daily that effect other people, sometimes I'm helpful and they're grateful. Really, it's quite rewarding.
Each day begins with a protein rich breakfast and a ride on the metro. The Orange Line is very crowded and Thursday I couldn't even fit on two trains because it was so full.

One of the companies I was researching at work boasted

follow-the-sun capabilities mean work on your project never needs to stop

on their website.

I wonder about the world, how "far" we've come. I can barely sit still, ever. It's like this bluegrass song by the Peasall Sisters:

Rushing Around

You're rushing around today
You're rushing around today
How old will you be at sixty-three
From rushing around today

Now the first thing in the morning you rush right oud of bed
You hurry through your breakfast like you're crazy in the head
Fly down to be bus stop as fast as you can go
How you ever get to work alive I swear I'll never know

You're rushing around today
You're rushing around today
How old will you be at sixty-three
From rushing around today

Now you take of like a rocket ship to get your lunchtime snack
Up your foot like a dog-gone fool and then you fly right back
Hurry through your work all day and dash right out the door
Gulp your supper in a minute flat so you can rush some more (Gulp!)

You're rushing around today
You're rushing around today
How old will you be at sixty-three
From rushing around today

Oh we didn't use to rush around back in Grand-pa's day
Why don't you put your air brakes on instead of rushing that way
You better fly of to bed now and be asleep by ten
But you can't go slow because you know you gotta start all over again

You're rushing around today
You're rushing around today
How old will you be at sixty-three
From rushing around today

you win

Julia started a blog. Obvious Subtleties. It is so beyond fabulous. I devote my summer to her... ok fine, I'll blog a little bit. But seriously, she rocks!

things my friends say

Today, I received the worst grade of my life. So I will post things that my friends have said to me in the past 24 hours which combat the oppression of low numbers which attempt to identify me.

--------------------------------------------
me: I'm so screwed
marian: don't be screwed! :)
------------------------------------------------
busi: you need to have faith that you will pass this course
-----------------------------------------------
me: hot yoga at 645 tonight?
or a movie after?
julia: [...] hanging out later sounds great, i'm desiring to be around people
:)
-----------------------------------------
ellen: You can code [engineers'] brain's out

beautiful days

The sun is coming out.

Despite all that has happened, I still believe people are good at heart
- Anne Frank

Yesterday, Sarah Boschung and her mom took me and Alicia out to dinner. It was such a lovely evening and we shared a delicious meal of local fish and veggies at Ivy Inn. Our fellow patrons were celebrating "Cousin Luke's" birthday and they all had beautiful voices. We ended up spending the latter part of the evening enjoying their music and company. We even stood and sang the National Anthem together. Patriotism still exists!

Today, I had no cash and walked into Cville coffee. A kind stranger heard me ask about the nearest ATM and then just offered to buy whatever I wanted for me! She bought me a smoothie, what kindness!

So, with Anne Frank, my pessimism subsides today. It gives way to happy thoughts (and my Masters Qualifying Exam.)

overheard

girl#1: "...elliptical..."
girl #2: "Oh, you're so good, I need to get on that."
girl#1: "I'll make you get up in the morning and go to the gym"
girl #2: "Gosh, beach week is coming up and I need a hot bod"
girl#1: "Oh, you won't be in shape by then"


oh yuck

anyways.
I am in the midst of accepting a job offer. It's in Alexandria, for Innovatech, Inc.
Really, this is a huge blessing, considering the unemployment rates in our nation. PTL!
So, in the course of that past several days, I have had to have several very serious confrontational conversations, including that with married guy in my class, and with my future employer. Feeling grown up.

principal

Remember in elementary school, they taught you the difference between principal and principle. It was pure propaganda: the principal of the school is your PAL! Principles are probably more important and ought to be held dearly, didn't get a fun trick.
the word Principal comes back to haunt me!
Principal can also be used as an adjective.
Principal Component Analysis.
I don't really understand what this means in application. But, didn't you hear? Statistics is all about theory at UVA anyways!

> print(summary(R.prc,loadings=T,scores=T))
Importance of components:
Comp.1 Comp.2 Comp.3 Comp.4 Comp.5
Standard deviation 2.182863 0.38849296 0.215406149 0.105260061 0.0412688656
Proportion of Variance 0.957767 0.03033704 0.009326595 0.002227071 0.0003423355
Cumulative Proportion 0.957767 0.98810400 0.997430593 0.999657664 1.0000000000

Loadings:
Comp.1 Comp.2 Comp.3 Comp.4 Comp.5
FL -0.452 -0.138 0.531 0.697
RW -0.428 0.898
CL -0.453 -0.268 -0.310 -0.792
CW -0.451 -0.181 -0.653 0.575
BD -0.451 -0.264 0.443 -0.707 0.176

Principal components, you are not my friend.

war

America used to be better at this ...

and men were better looking, more manly... men were men.

the view from my window

I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping outside my window. As I lay on my back, waking up my muscles and my brain, I smelled mom's french toast and then some fresh bacon.

I wish I brought my camera home for Easter so I could share the true beauty of these dogwoods in my backyard. Maybe you can come visit instead. We'll go kayaking.

867-5309

It's so frustrating when a guy says

I'll call you some time.

The phrase is always better left unsaid.
What does it really mean?
Who plans such things anyways?
Why not, "It was nice getting to know you better. But that will be all."?
Ok, maybe that's hurtfully straight-forward. But seriously, if you don't want to call, then don't. But certainly do not say you will call if you do not intend to in the first place.

I sat next to a painful first date in Mudhouse today. I think the man must have been a professor because he was talking about nothing for a very long time and he seemed to think he was very right about everything. She was a surgeon. At the end of several discourses, he put the ball in her court and said she can contact him if she wants to see him again. Interesting option, Mr. Boring Professor. She said he knows how to reach her,too. oh! ball back on his side! What will the outcome be???

Happy Food

You know where Fellini's is? On 2nd St. off of the Downtown Mall? Well, just across the street is the best treasure of Charlottesville. No, I don't live there ;) hahahahha
Nicola's Veggies!!!!!


Sarah Boschung and I finally went there yesterday and relished the delicious salad concoctions that owner and chef, Dragana Katalina-Sun, created. Sarah Yates and I stopped today, after our delightful run on the Rivanna trail. More deliciousness- fresh soup!
Also, if you go there, which I really hope you do, try the truffles! They are so natural yet soooooo tasty!!!!!!

If you want to be healthy and don't know how to start, I recommend you start right there on 2nd St!!!
Oh! And she'll be at the Downtown Farmers Market Saturdays... mmmmmm

educated

Busi: I really feel like I don't deserve to put "matlab" on my resume
Me: I really feel like I don't deserve to put "masters in statistics" on my resume
Busi: Yeah, you can, you paid money for that.

a more perfect union...

I am going to go to this. so should YOU!

Bob McDonnell's Official Campaign Kickoff
Tuesday, March 31 2009 at 1:00 PM
UVA Jefferson Hall (Hotel C) on the West Range
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 924-3721
www.bobmcdonnell.com

Emilime

Emily is visiting!!!!
Clearly, this is a special day, a day of unexpected LIMES!
We had an epic greeting at A-Slice's house; the lime was complete! Her housemates all ran downstairs to see what the ruckus was about.
and... I got a job.
Emily, and Ellen and I went to dinner across the street at Basil. The place was busy and the waiter, Andrew, let us know that someone quit today and therefore they were short-staffed. I asked if they were hiring. He told me to "talk with the man in the white shirt". Sooo, I did. I filled out an application. He wanted me to write down my availability.
I think I'll start next week. So come visit me at Basil!?!?!

CHANGE

I didn't want my blog to be too serious, but desperate times call for desperate measures.


This chart is from Professor Coppock's blog

And, I still don't have a job.

random

Did you know that it is legal to start "happy hour" at 6am?

this whole list is somewhat humorous to me:
VaBC FAQ's
...for all of your Virginia alcohol law questions.

Bill Wilson

This is Anna's story

One summer I worked in my dad's [medical] office filing charts, and my very favorite was a woman named "Willie Willie". I would always ask if it was a nickname or her real name. They put the nicknames in parenthesis and Willie was not in parenthesis but I always asked anyways, for her sake.

I thought about blogging about relationships. But this was much better.

We're laughing about it now. This is so against HIPAA standards.

sunny thoughts for a rainy week

This afternoon, I was g-chatting with Adam and he commented on how the weather was "blah", and said, "we need some sunshine".

I couldn't agree more.

-------------------------------------------------

Yesterday, Ellen and I went for a walk in the rain, and I decided that by doing so, we chose to be friends with the rain instead of being upset with it. Saturday night, I watched Singin' in the Rain. They knew the secret, too.

-------------------------------------------------

I think I may apply for a job with a cell phone company called Jitterbug! I only clicked on it for the name. One of the sunniest songs of all time.

-------------------------------------------------

Ms. Manners says that flirting is an improper pastime that proper people can properly practice. Also true flirting should have nothing in it to which the participants are held accountable.

crunchy

Today I felt kind of old. First off, facebook changed and I don't know how to join a group. This is a problem. I feel behind the times. I'm only 22!!!! PLEASE!!!
Feeling behind the times makes me think of something else:
As most of my friends know, I'm pretty organic, granola, environmentally friendly... and I am also very conservative politically. My mom says she calls us (yes, she is as well) "crunchy conservatives". Only today did it occur to me that I don't really know what "crunchy" means. I mean granola is crunchy, so I figured it meant the same thing. Ah the joys of urban dictionary! It's probably one of the most useful sites out there, especially for us old folks. Also, the Trinidadian translation of LIME, my beloved apartment, was found on this website. Just another reason why clearly, this is a great thing. ANYWAYS, I found that crunchy really does mean that I am environmentally friendly and implies an altered lifestyle.
And I do have a pretty different life than the average person I suppose. Today, after I offered Brian grapefruit for the fifth time this week, he looked into the big box of them in my kitchen and asked "Where do you get your food?" . Very good question, Brian. My grandma grows grapefruit (nice alliteration, Brian noted). My milk, I get from a farm, along with eggs and often chicken. I firmly believe that happy animals make happy people. And other than that, I drive around Charlottesville to get the best deals on healthy fats and fresh produce. In the words of Emilime: "mmm mmm good".









Off on a milk run!

supercilious

Sarah Yates recently got over a brutal flu and we started running together again! double celebration there!

I told her to check out my blog for some reason and she emailed me the following... Honestly, I could not write a better post, so this is Sarah's gift for the betterment of my blog:

I particularly like the name -- superciliousx... I do like some puns indeed (I assume you're playing on the fact that supercilious sounds like super-silly (us?)). A random thought generated by your blog (which is for random thoughts): SO in French, I think that the word for eyebrows is sourcils or something similar to that. I always remember what supercilious means (haughty) by imagining someone with snooty raised eyebrows that are very well-tweezed. Somehow supercilious and sourcil seem similar to me......... this is why I did well on the SAT verbal I suppose, because I make RANDOM word associations that happen to be right.... hmmmmmmm. Maybe someone should hire me to write the SAT?

As you may assume, I do not intent to be supercilious with this blog, only super silly.

HELLO?

"Hi, how are you?"
"Great, thanks, how are you?"
"I'm good, how are you?"
uhh, I already answered that, were you even listening?

Have you ever had that conversation with someone?

Two things bother me about walking around UVA. The architecture and landscaping are breathtaking, cars generally heed traffic laws, even the homeless guys on the corner just ask me for a smile when I walk by. But:

1. People ignore others when they walk by. I noticed this today when I was parking my car on Gordon Avenue. The part of the street which goes past Veneble school towards 13th, 12th,... streets. And these two guys passed me I had never seen them before, and they said hello. I was shocked. That never happens on grounds!
2. If people do acknowledge each other, it's like the conversation above. Maybe the question "how are you?" is asked everywhere. But here, at least, we should be open with the fact that NO, we are not GREAT!!! We are overworked, overcommitted, underrested, undernourished, and missing family.

Sincere apologies to my friends who have heard me vent on the latter, but I just had to put it out there.

body words

It took three flights for me to get to California for spring break last Friday. Yes, I now in San Diego with the family. Rough life.
The second flight got delayed by 40 minutes while in the air. FRUSTRATION STATION. I missed my connection in Phoenix and ran back and forth through terminals to figure out how I would get to Palm Springs to meet my grandmother.
ANYWAYS... I was thinking about words on the long flight. I sympathize with foreigners and how they have to deal with sarcasm and colloquial phrases that locals spew out like CO2. This time I mused over body words that we use to mean totally different things:

leg of a trip (mine had three)
video footage
tooth and nail
hair on teeth
to have a heart for (oh, Christian-ese)
stab in the back
pain in the neck
by the seat of your pants

any more???

on school

While writing my take-home midterm last night, I erased the same line about five times just because I had copied things incorrectly. But one of my favorite pieces of advice is:

Don't be afraid to erase your mistakes

It's true in school, which is why I tend to use pencil whenever possible and carry a large eraser .
It's also true in other areas of life. Though it's harder to actually remove the marks we have made, apologizing, fessing up is one of the most admirable things someone can do. It shows loving respect. Professional mistakes, the first of which is screwing up interviews (done that) are even harder to erase. So rejoice in that eraser!!!


Marian said earlier this week as we were talking about school... "it's an adventure in unfairness".
YES: careless mistakes which cost points, cut throat competition, curves.
bad posture, pre-arthritic hands, sleep problems, _____ you can add your own lamentations here.
When will I be finished with this!?!?!?!

water

I have been so thirsty today. Every two minutes I feel dry again and want another big chug of water. Is my brain still dehydrated? Am I just a camel like Ellen says?

They say that half of the time when people think that they are hungry, really they are thirsty. Am I really always this thirsty but today I recognize my body's true language?

This post would be longer, but
a) what more is there to say? and
b) I really want another glass of water

gym

If you were watching me at the gym today, you would have laughed.

I started on some glidey machine thing, looking out over the pool, reading Abba's Child for about 19 minutes. Then I thought I should do something else, so I did Dante's intense ab work out, and headed towards an elliptical. Climbing on, I decided facing the gym full of people was not my thing. I went for the erg and thought I could do a 2000 m piece. Two strokes was all I lasted-- Abba was calling me. I'm not really surprised that I crave the message of grace in this book. I read The Ragamuffin Gospel twice last year.
So, I returned to the glidey thing, now, the water polo team was starting practice. I finished the chapter of Abba's Child, with a clear sense that my Father had meant for me to read that today.

Brennan Manning asks the question my heart feels on page 63,

"Is my life a disappointment to You? Are You grieved by the shallowness of my soul?"

Yet, I am greeted with a beautiful truth, that he quotes from Gerald May,

"It's important to recognize these self-commentaries for the mind tricks they are. They have nothing to do with our real dignity. How we view ourselves at any given moment may have little to do with who we really are".

What if my ultimate sense of self-worth, my idea of who I really am, came purely from who God says I am?

"Desperate women encountering Jesus"

...is the title of the Bible study that Anna is doing with A D Pi. But I think it is a good title for my life, and the lives of so many beautiful women I know.
I can't wait to see God's face!

why am i posting this?

My dear friend (of ten years!!!!), Courtney Miller, put this up on facebook and I felt compelled to blog it.
I don't really know why.


Yes or No
You can ONLY answer Yes or No!
You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages or comments you and Asks!

but I disobey the rules bc it's my blog. so there yes or no inventor person!
1. I took out some questions that were lame-O
2. I explained everything because I think explanations are more interesting.

Kissed anyone of your facebook friends? Yes (why is this the first question?)
Been arrested? No
Kissed someone you didn't like? No (oh, the kiss-dodge)
Slept in until 5 PM? I don't think so, but I have stayed in my 'jammies till at least 5pm, and not when sick
Fallen asleep at work/school? I studied math, now statistics. What do you thinK?
Held a snake? YES! Wild Life Reserve, Palm Desert, CA :)
Ran a red light? Yes and then I freaked out because I just realized it was red.ahh!!!
Been suspended from school? No
Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? No
Been fired from a job? No
Sang karaoke? YES - Waterfalls, You're so Vain, co star: D. Newsome??!?!
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes :)
Kissed in the rain? Yes
Sat on a rooftop? Yes
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? Does thrown in the ocean count?
Broken a bone? Yes
Shaved your head? No
Played a prank on someone? Not a good one
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Doubtful
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No, but I did have two rats: Oreo and Melissa
Been in a band? In my imagination, many.
Shot a gun? Yes. Thanks, Julia!
Donated Blood? Tried, but apparantly my veins are too small.
Eaten alligator meat? Yes. Tastes like chicken.
Eaten cheesecake? Yes. Who has not had cheesecake?!!?!?
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? The one closest to the alarm so I can hit it faster in the morning.
Talk in your sleep? Yes. and laugh, too.
Laughed until you peed your pants? Don't think so
Play a musical instrument? Yes. Recorder, Piano, Guitar- none well.
Lived outside of the country? Yes, for 6 weeks in Holland 2005, and for 2 months as a European nomad in 2008.
Been skinny dipping? Yes tehehe pool
Gone sky diving? No
Dated someone longer than you should have? Live without regrets, my friends.

din din

Paige and I made a very legitimate dinner on Valentines Day.

This is 20 clove garlic chicken.Yes, we ate all 20 cloves and only half of the chicken.


and these are some strawberries. ------>>>>
mmmm




Paige says that pictures of food never turn out looking quite as good as the food originally was. I think this is pretty much true.

For this reason (and others) I feel somewhat squeemish at dinners with my parents when they take a pictures of dishes that are anything near artistic.

Food was meant to be eaten.

comments

If no one comments on my blog I'm going to lose the desire to post...

happy

hello faithful followers!

so i just wanted to share that my Dutch aunt just sent me vintage cocktail dresses from Luxembourg.
They're soooo cool and I will put up pics soon.

Saw my parents again today and they gave me flowers (what did i say about flowers?!?!)

Also, I made whey, cream cheese, yogurt, butter and buttermilk today.

So yes. dresses + love + flowers + happy dairy products = happy X

But the greatest of these is LOVE!

hoping to make my midnight bed time ;)

warning

I ran over by Camp Holiday Trails today. Actually, I took the dirt road from Trinity and enjoyed the sounds of branches brushing each other, wind blowing through crinkly dried leaves, and the occasional chuckle of the brook to the left of the road (right on the way back).
One thing I often wonder about is these signs like the one to the right. I took a picture of it with my phone because I wanted to BLOG about it. teheheh I'm such a nerd-o-rific blogger. Anyways. WHY!??? does it say 'POSTED NO TRESPASSING'? I have also wondered at similar signs that say 'POSTED NO HUNTING'. Obviously it's "Posted" on this tree here. And if it weren't posted on the tree then you wouldn't be able to read the sign, now would you? The word is quite redundant.
Does anyone get why they say that?

This brings me to another thought: a fun link that Anna found a few weeks ago about silly warning labels. Maybe this is because of our sue-happy society. hmm the joys of shirking responsibility onto someone with more money!

SYNERGY

Synergy is such a great quality of healthy relationships.
If you know what I'm talking about, HOLLER (aka comment with your thoughts on the topic).

flowers

are pretty. When I see flowers I often have an urge to capture their beauty in a picture. I want to keep the life and energy forever!


My parents visited two weeks ago and brought me flowers. Without really contemplating the significance, I took a picture of the lilies.
lovely.

Stacey got irises from Jeff for her birthday. Another favorite. (I think these are not irises, Stace)

One of the laughs of the day------>

Ellen: hehehehahhahahah
Me: Are you tired?
Ellen: I think I am, under all of this.
Me: Under what?
Ellen: Being awake.

Opulence.

DC for the weekend

I came home and amongst other sundry chores, folded clean laundry.

I love having clean socks. MMM It feels so good tucking the little soft white tops over the foot... Having clean socks may be better than having clean underwear. Just knowing that I can work out and change my socks as much as I like makes me feel clean and warm.

red bull

blogs are for procrastinating
e.g. wasting time

Yesterday I witnessed a scandal.
I was slightly late for my 3:30pm Quantitative Models in Finance class. Walking down McCormick Road, just before the gates, I saw a police car pull over the RedBullMobile. I couldn't help but notice the two 20 something year old attractive females inside. They were obviously being pulled over because they were driving through the gates behind a UVA vehicle and it was before 4:30pm. The students at the bus stop next to the gate snickered and "ohhh"-ed, red bulls in hand.

Now, of course I'm wondering, do these RedBullMobile girls have titles? What do they tell people they do for a living? "Oh, I get paid to be hot and give out fake energy boosting liquids to college students".
Now, this picture I found clearly is from Europe, note the license plate (maybe even the middle east? note the palm trees). But it is of the same type of mini-truck-car that I saw yesterday in Charlottesville.
So, is this RedBull giveaway international? And my real question is,where are the hot RedBullMobile guys???? Now, that might make me change my mind about how repulsive the "drink" is.



Then I got to class and my amazing professor, Keenan, complemented my fur hat :) awesome.