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!

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.)

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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!

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.

Miranda

Since I'm on a roll (like buttah) with this beauty, aesthetics, art thing, I will continue my randomness.
My parents visited this weekend. [They are, indeed, a piece of art, themselves.] We went to BeerRun for lunch after church and my mom noticed the music that was playing. We decided to classify it as "acoustic jazz". We liked it.
Later, I noticed that the music in Arch's was definitely elevator music. But Marian insisted that there are different types of elevator music. I wondered if the music in BeerRun was a sort of elevator music. Marian decided she would become a connoisseur of the art.
So, art is all around us. There you go.

Oh, and I just lost the game.

art...

Steve Keene paintings are on sale on the downtown mall, just across the street from the parking garage. Only $10. We passed them on the way to dinner.

I'm sticking with aesthetic beauty in the ordinary and the cheap paintings in my apartment.

blog

A blog.
I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for the past few days.
The problem I have is that I don’t really know what the purpose of a blog is. I suppose it depends upon the ‘blogger’ and the ‘subscribers’. It seems somewhat wasteful to do something without a purpose.
But I must have thought to write a blog for a reason. Yes, it was those arbitrary thoughts, which leap into my head during STAT513, on my way to the gym, or while roaming around Whole Foods. I want to throw them out there, and see what comes back. Am I the only one who has these thoughts?

So, here starts my blog.
If you read it let me know, because, honestly, I don’t know why people really read other peoples’ blogs. Don’t expect profundity or humor. It’s me, remember.


Yesterday, I had lunch in Qdoba with Marian and Busi, I couldn’t help but notice this young man at the table to my left. He was truly a beautiful person, Red hair and all. I think the quality of my day improved because I saw him. Marian said I should tell him. WHAT? Um, I don’t think so. What would you do if someone told you that you are a beautiful person?
Wouldn’t it be great to be an author? Things like that lunch- I could write it off (no pun intended). Business expenses everywhere, and really, all day, you just observe the ordinary and then write about it. Maybe that’s part of the lure of a blog. I want to write a blog, possibly because I have a suspicion that, after completing a degree in Statistics, I will not go on to be a famous author of nonsensical nonfiction. But who knows...