my two cents

i think i'm addicted to blogs...

2009-09-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

...because i am now officially the author of 3 blogs. before you schedule an intervention, let me explain. i really do have a good explanation.

blog #1 is this blog...obviously. and i started it in 2005 when i first learned about blogging. i lived in new york and didn't have a plan for the blog other than to put random things on it that i encountered while living in new york city.

blog #2 i was super bored at work over the last 4ish months. i got really tired of reading news and articles and blogs (surprise surprise). so i looked for another thing to fill the free time i had at work. since i was reading so many blogs, i thought that maybe i would start a new one. but this one i wanted to host and code myself. so i learned css and html and a little php. i played around with it forever. finally, i got my site up and running. it's called 'painting lilies'. you can find the story behind the site on the site at http://paintinglilies.com

blog #3 you may or may not know that i'm going to the dominican republic in a few days. people kept asking me to start a blog so they can follow my trip. so i was going to do it here on lindsays2cents. but then i thought that i was sending it out to a million random people and i wasn't quite sure i wanted ALL of them to have access to lindsays2cents. i mean, they all technically have access since this is a public blog on the internet. but, well...it just seemed like i should keep them separate. my second thought was to include a DR section on blog #2. but after trying that, the subjects just seemed too different. finally, i caved in and opened blog #3 to chronicle my times in the DR. http://lchunt.wordpress.com

so there you have it. my three blogs. i'm not abandoning this one. but i'm guessing that you'll find more updates on the other two for at least a little while. i mean, i'll always be able to post my embarrassing bird stories on lindsays2cents. which reminds me...i may have to update with my latest bird disaster...see you somewhere on the blogosphere!

stay tuned...

2009-05-16T23:03:00.001-07:00

my posts have been sporadic because i'm working on a new project. it's really a series of projects. hopefully you'll hear more about it soon....

in the meantime, one of my "loyal" blog readers may or may not be receiving the above in the mail sometime next week. i'm on a knitting spree. which isn't really part of my new project. but it is somewhat related...

maybe i've been watching too many tv season finales with cliff hangers, but stay tuned.

pickled grapes

2009-04-25T10:15:00.001-07:00

i made pickled grapes last weekend. they sound strange, but believe me--they're good. if you like vinegar, you'll love these. they're a little sour and a little sweet...great alone or in a salad. recipe is here

broken glass

2009-04-21T22:41:00.001-07:00

this is how i found my car this morning--window shattered, glass everywhere, car broken into, ipod stolen. great way to start the day. the strange thing is that i park my car in a covered, locked, private garage for residents of my apartment building only. when i arrived home last night, i was the last car in the garage (only 7 cars use the garage). i came home late--after 11 pm. and i don't really understand how someone got into the garage. either they a) were already in there when i came home, b) followed me in and hid while i was getting stuff out of my trunk c) got in through a door that someone left unlocked or d) live in my apartment building. a and b are really creepy. c-d don't make me feel much safer. all that the person took was my ipod and the device that connects it to my radio. nothing else was even out of place. and my ipod (though i loved it) wasn't even worthy of breaking a window to steal. it's over 4 years old, scratched, dropped, and chipped.

i spent most of the day getting the window replaced, calling my insurance agent, filing a police report, talking to the property manager of my building. at least i didn't have to go to work. instead, i sat outside and enjoyed the 70 degree weather at a starbucks while waiting for the car window replacement.

i guess i need to be more careful with what i leave in the car. i usually am pretty aware, but tend to be less aware in my own garage. i was keenly aware tonight when i came home. doors were locked (and relocked) several times before entering the garage. i watched the door shut behind me to make sure no one followed me inside. i glanced around the garage before getting out of my car and then i sprinted to the door to escape what is now a slightly scary and dangerous parking garage.

one step forward, three steps back

2009-04-17T21:48:00.001-07:00

do you ever feel like each time you make progress or think you're making progress, you all of a sudden find that you're taking several steps back? that's the story of my life these days. every time i think i'm getting somewhere or see some glimmers of hope, i'm knocked back a few paces and have to start all over again. it's so frustrating. and exhausting. and disheartening.

i feel like i'm stuck in quicksand. and i've been slowly sinking for a while. but i wasn't worried, because i saw these swinging vines and they were swinging close to me and i was pretty sure i would catch one and it would pull me out. but then the vines were cut or stopped swinging and i kept sinking. every now and then, someone throws one my way. i reach out to grab it. sometimes my fingers just touch it. other times i even get a full grasp on it and start to pull myself out. but then the vine snaps. or someone cuts it. and i'm back where i was--sinking in the quicksand.

the eggs in the picture above are psyanky or ukrainian easter eggs [those two were decorated by allison]. i set up all the dyes and hot wax and kitskas to decorate eggs last weekend. and i spent several hours decorating one. but then i accidentally broke it this week. it figures.

some changes

2009-04-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

on friday, the sun emerged in seattle. the preceding days were cold, wet, dreary, cloudy. but then the sun came for a weekend visit. it finally feels like spring. i know there are many cold and rainy days between now and summer, but it is officially spring. the flowers are planted, the trees are budding, the cherry blossoms are...well, blossoming. the change to spring is a very welcome one.

friday also brought some hope of a change in my work life. nothing is official yet, but hopefully things will continue to progress over the next couple weeks. i'm excited about the possibilities.

i haven't felt very excited or hopeful for quite a while. but it's sunny (for now), spring is here, summer is on it's way. i'm where i'm supposed to be right now.

broken plates

2009-03-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

the first quarter of the year has been difficult. the beginning was filled with waiting, wondering, and hoping. the end has been disappointing, frustrating, sad.

i had plans. i had ideas about how the rest of the year would play out for me. and those ideas and plans didn't come to fruition. it was extremely disheartening and disappointing to receive rejection after rejection from the schools where i applied to phd programs. with each one that came in, i felt like an inadequate failure. i know that it was a bad year to apply. i know the programs had hundreds more applicants than usual this year. i know that i aimed really really high. i know that the acceptance rates were less than 2%. but they still didn't choose me. and that sucked.

one of the most difficult parts has been emotionally readjusting my outlook for the rest of the year. i thought i'd be leaving and i have been acting like i would be leaving for months. now all of a sudden, i'm staying where i am. same job. same apartment. same life. i wanted change so badly and there is none. and i'm slowly starting to realize that where i am right now isn't really that bad. maybe i don't need a monumental change. maybe i just need some small changes. most likely, i need to change my attitude, my perspective, my outlook.

the first quarter was terrible and lonely and disappointing. and it involved lots of tears and unrest and even anger. last week i felt the burden of it all very acutely and i didn't sleep more than two hours each night. i watched a lot of late night tv and rewatched dvr shows a few times. after an exhausting week, i needed rest. i needed some peace. i needed to let go of the disappointment so that i could move forward and stop thinking backwards.

so last night i went to the goodwill with some friends. we purchased some plates from the goodwill. we drove to a park late at night. and we smashed the plates in the parking lot. i raised the plates and chucked them at the ground. and it was unbelievably therapeutic. i let go of the first quarter and smashed it away. yesterday was the first day of spring. a new season. march is almost over. a new quarter. and i'm starting to realize that there are things to look forward to. after all, there still is a plan. i have no idea where it will take me. and it isn't the one i had in mind. but maybe it will be so much better than what i imagined.

[the picture above is a piece of one of the broken plates. this plate was my grande finale plate. it said, 'you are special today'. and as i threw it, i screamed the slogan.]

misc thoughts on food

2009-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

pickles. i used to hate pickles. i always picked them off my burger and gave away the ones that came with my sandwiches. i could never shake the thought that i should like them. i love cucumbers and vinegar and salt (loooove salt and vinegar chips). and pickles are basically just cucumbers soaked in salt and vinegar. i also associate pickles with sauerkraut and i eat that stuff right out of the jar. a few months ago i decided to eat the kosher pickle that came with my sandwich and the jewish deli. and it was delicious! i keep a jar of little kosher pickles in my refrigerator now and pull them out for snacks. the best part about pickles is that i don't immediately think of them when i want a snack. so when i open the frig to see what i have in there, i'm always pleasantly surprised to see the pickles and remember that i now love them.

oatmeal / raisin / walnut / choc chip cookies i'm on a continual quest to perfect my cookie recipes and i discovered a fantastic one last week. smitten kitchen eliminates some of the sugar found in the quaker oat recipe and only uses brown sugar. i made the recipe as listed with about 1/4 bag of choc chips. the best part about these cookies is that they're crispy on the outside and soft / gooey /chewy on the inside. i even convinced my "i hate raisin" coworkers to try them and they declared them "the best cookies i've ever made". but they say that about every new recipe i try. i think it's their strategy to get me to bring them new baked goods every week.

o canada!

2009-02-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

last weekend my brother and i drove from seattle up to whistler for a ski weekend. the snow wasn't that great, but whistler is awesome. the views are beautiful, the mountains are enormous and we had tons of new runs to explore. it was also interesting to see some of the places where the olympic races will take place next year. all in all a great weekend!

view from our balcony

literally in the clouds...the locals told us we were lucky to have two days of sunny skies. fog often sets in and covers the mountain. in this shot, i'm at the top of the mountain. the base of whistler is only about 2,300 ft elevation. the summit is at 7,300 ft elevation. you gain a lot of vertical, but we thought it was crazy that the summit is below the base elevation of many colorado mountains (10,000 ft). it certainly makes it a lot easier to breathe while skiing!

we saw this weird rock sculpture at the top of one of the mountains. we didn't know what it was, but figured it would make a good picture. later we found out that it was built recently and is the symbol of the 2010 winter olympics.

[more pics can be seen here]

2009-01-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

i haven't posted on the blog forever for two reasons.

1) i've been too lazy to upload the pictures from my camera to my computer (and blogs are boring without pictures)

2) i've been obsessively watching episodes of Lost. which is sarah's fault.

but i finally uploaded the pictures last night and i'm posting these while at work (where i can't watch episodes of Lost). the result? 3 new blogs today...

january birthdays

2009-01-27T22:44:00.001-08:00

so many of my friends have january birthdays. 47 of my facebook friends have birthdays in january. plus my mom...and a few others that have resisted joining facebook.

i'm not really a fan of the facebook 'happy birthday'. it seems so impersonal. and it isn't like you really remembered the birthday...you just saw it when you logged into facebook. i prefer an email. or in special cases a card. above is one of the birthday cards i sent out this month.

two black eyes

2009-01-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

when i was 2 years old, i fell off the counter in my parent's kitchen and hit my head on the floor. the accident resulted in a black eye (see picture above).

23 years later, i have another black eye. this one came while playing soccer. someone tackled me from behind, sending me flying into the air. i hit my head on the turf and woke up the next morning with a black eye. and the doctor said i have a concussion as well. it kind of looks a lot like the one i had when i was a kid...upper eyelid, same eye.

this one is easier to hide...i think people just think i went crazy with some purple eyeshadow instead of thinking that i have abusive parents.

a tale of three hats

2009-01-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

as the weather turned cold and snowy in december, i decided that for my next knitting project, i would knit myself a hat. sounds simple enough. i looked up a pattern online, bought the yarn and started knitting away. i wanted to finish the hat as soon as possible so i just started knitting...who needs to check the gauge? who needs to use the right sized needles? right...?

the hat began to take shape. the cables were curling just right. i couldn't wait to finish the hat, take it off the needles, and try it on. one night, i was getting close to the end. when the end is in sight, it's like reading a book and having a few chapters left, you have to finish. it always takes longer than you think it will. past midnight, i finally finished the last stitch and eagerly took the hat off the needles to try on my head. i was convinced the hat would fit. i had no idea how small the hat actually was until i tried to pull it on in front of the mirror. it was so small that it wouldn't stay on at all. it didn't even come close to touching my ears...or my forehead for that matter.

i took the hat off and looked at it again and realized that it was too small for even a toddler. it struck me that it might fit an infant's head. and i could only laugh at myself for truly believing that it would fit me. then i packed it up and sent it to my friend kate who has a 4 month old baby. apparently it fits him pretty well...

i still had enough yarn left to give the hat another try...so off i went. this time i had learned my lesson (or so i thought) and i adjusted the pattern accordingly. i also was resolved to try it on and size it while knitting to make sure it would fit. again, the hat was forming nicely. it was big enough to fit around my forehead. but this time i misjudged the length. i closed off the hat, took it off the needles and realized it wasn't long enough to cover my ears...or even touch my ears.

after my second attempt, i took a break from hats to knit a scarf (belated christmas gift). and finish some fingerless gloves (birthday gift). this weekend, while at the knitting store, i purchased some new yarn and decided it would be perfect for a hat. so i returned to the pattern one last time. i used needles that were way to small for the yarn. the stitches came out nicely, but the bones in my hands felt like the were going to break with each stitch. the pain was worth it, though. i finally completed a hat that was the right length and width and size for my head.

i miss the sun

2008-12-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

i miss the sun. it's dark when i wake up. it's dark and cloudy during the day. it's dark before i leave work. it's always dark. seattle is miserable in the winter.

my new favorite blog

2008-11-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

fail blog

http://failblog.org/

the entries are laugh out loud funny.

christmas music

2008-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

My elementary school choir teacher was a perfectionist to some and a slave driver to others. She strictly enforced her rules. And all of these characteristics were amplified in the time leading up to the school's annual Christmas concert.

Each year, we were required to take tests on the words of the Christmas hymns to ensure that we knew them. It wasn't enough to just know the first verse or the familiar verses. We learned every verse of every hymn. The memorization task was daunting for a second grader. I remember reading the words over and over in preparation for the tests. If you didn't pass the tests, you were excluded from singing in the concert. Some of the tests were fill in the blank, but on some you had to write out all of the words to each verse.

I remember being really embarrassed when I had to retake the test on "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear". I forgot some of the words to the fourth verse. How many second graders have even heard the fourth verse before? How many of you could even tell me what's in the fourth verse?

I passed the tests each year and was allowed to participate in the concerts. As a result, I still know all of the words to all of the verses of all of the Christmas hymns. I even know all the words to the more secular, traditional songs as we used to travel to nursing homes and other places to give mini-concerts. I still love Christmas music, even though I learned it from the drill sergeant choir teacher. And even though I know all the words, I discover new meaning in them each year when I sing them and listen to them.

Below are the words to "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear". While listening to it, I was reminded of the drill sergeant and the test I failed because of the fourth verse. The fourth verse is actually a really great verse...and while I knew the words before, I know them and understand them so much better today.

It came upon a midnight clear,

that glorious song of old,

from angels bending near the earth

to touch their harps of gold.

Peace on the earth, good will to men,

from heaven's all gracious King!

The world in solemn stillness lay

to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come

with peaceful wings unfurled;

and still their heavenly music floats

o'er all the weary world;

above its sad and lowly plains

they bend on hovering wing,

and ever 'er its Babel sounds

the blessed angels sing.

But with the woes of sin and strife

the world has suffered long;

beneath the angel strain have rolled

two thousands years of wrong;

and man, at war with man, hears not

the love song which they bring;

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

and hear the angels sing.

For, lo! the days are hastening on,

by prophet bards foretold,

when with the ever-circling years,

comes round the age of gold,

when peace shall over all the earth

its ancient splendours fling,

and the whole world give back the song

which now the angels sing.

2008-11-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

"It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman." -Abigail Adams

words

2008-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

many of my loyal blog readers (all 3 of you) know about my favorite words. the words i try to incorporate into normal conversations as much as possible. but this post isn't about my favorite words (farce and penultimate are at the top of my list). this post is about the words i don't like. my reasons for disliking these words are varied, but here they are...

1. bizarre: i'm not really sure why i don't like this word. i think it has something to do with the way it sounds. and because i dislike this word, i can't stand the song 'how bizzare'.

2. mature or immature: i only dislike these words when they are pronounced "muh-too-r" or "im-muh-too-r". if you pronounce it "muh-chur" then the words don't bother me. i think the former pronunciation bothers me because this is how my parents pronounce the word. i mostly dislike it because it reminds me of conversations where i was called "im-muh-too-r". the fact that i dislike the words only for these reasons probably classifies me as "im-muh-too-r".

3. moist: i started disliking this word because i have a friend who really can't stand it. i kept trying to use it to annoy her one day (see 'im-muh-too-r' above) and as a result, i started to dislike it. it sounds gross.

4. entrepreneurial (or any other version of the word like entrepreneurship, etc): i really can't stand this word because it's so hard to spell. it doesn't matter how many times i have to type it. i always have to think about how to spell it. and it's long. and i have to write it all the time.

what word do you dislike? and why? (i promise not to use them just to annoy you...)

elephant dung

2008-10-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, i received a card in the mail. the card was made of elephant dung. (thanks sarah for thinking of me when you saw a card made of elephant dung. thanks also for the funny dung related commentary (use your imagination) that made me laugh)

here are a few facts about elephant dung...

1. on average, an elephant will eat 200 - 250 kg of food a day. this produces 50 kg of dung.

2. one elephant produces enough dung to make 115 sheets of paper per day.

3. an elephant's dung is made of fiber. elephants don't digest their food well and over 50% of what they eat comes straight out the other end.

i was interested in finding out more about the process of making paper from elephant dung. so i looked up some info and found out the following...

mr. wanchai is the inventor of elephant dung paper. while visiting the elephant conservation in thailand, he saw piles and piles of elephant dung and noticed that it is fibrous. he believed he would be able to make it into paper. so he filled his car with elephant dung and brought it home. in order to make the fibrous strands shorter, he used his food processor to blend it. his wife got tired of him bringing home elephant dung and gave him an ultimatum: either stop bringing home dung and concentrate on your job or stop bringing home dung and make elephant dung paper full time. he chose the latter.

a quote from mr. wanchai, "thai elephants have helped many generations of thais and they continue to provide many jobs for the ordinary people like me. it might be just plain dung to most but to me every time a ball drops it is another opportunity to help them. one man's or elephant's trash is another's treasure-where there is muck there is money."

the elephant dung paper is a little bit hard to write on. the fibers aren't very smooth. but aside from that, every time i touched the paper, i couldn't help but think of elephant dung. the informational sheet about elephant dung paper assured me that it is bacteria free and clean, but my hands still felt dirty every time i touched it.

sick

2008-10-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

i don't get sick very often. when i do get sick, i get really really sick. this week i was sick. sinus infection sick. i haven't been this sick since my subway illness in march 2007.

perhaps i'll write a blog about that sickness sometime. it was quite the story. long story short--the sickness hit me on the subway on my way home from work in new york. it was the flu. the type that makes you barf...on a crowded subway...during rush hour. when i finally made it home, it forced me to camp out on the couch with a fever for three days.

but, enough about that sickness. (although it does demonstrate the severity of my illnesses.) this time i had a sinus infection. one that made my face feel like it was about to explode. i conquered it with 2.5 days on the couch, prescription drugs, and lots and lots of sleep. thank goodness for medicine.

so today i'm wondering, what is better...to be violently sick infrequently or to be moderately sick more frequently? although the violent illnesses are painful, i think i'd pick them over more frequent illness. i mean, i enjoyed health for 19 months. 3 days of violent illness isn't bad when compared with 19 months of health.

there's still one thing i don't understand, though. why do i always lose my voice after my sickness is over and i'm feeling better? i want my voice to sound bad when i'm actually sick...not when i'm feeling recovered.

Bali Black Raspberry

2008-09-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I don't remember how I first discovered Bali Black Raspberry or when I first tasted it. I started to drink it during a time when I was first discovering the wonderful world of warm, caffeinated beverages. I started to drink it during a time when I was first discovering my need for warm, caffeinated beverages in the morning. College.

I drank tea every morning because I had not yet entered the world of coffee. Coffee was still too bitter, but Bali Black Raspberry was perfect. During my sophomore year of college, I made a cup of Bali Black every morning and often drank it in the afternoon and evening.

When I smell and taste the tea, it reminds me of chilly fall mornings in Philadelphia, walking from the Quad to Steiny-D for my 10:30am Financial Accounting class. It reminds me of the room I shared with Marla and the electric tea kettle that I used to boil the water. It reminds me of the stainless steel Wharton travel mug that I used to transport the tea.

As time went on, coffee began to overpower tea and became my warm, caffeinated beverage of choice in the morning. I still had Bali Black in my pantry, but I drank it infrequently. I was more likely to be sipping a latte or a Starbucks black coffee than Bali Black in the morning. Afternoons and evenings were usually reserved for decaf tea.

But this fall I have rediscovered my love for Bali Black Raspberry. All of a sudden, coffee started to make my stomach hurt. And the acidity began to bother my taste buds. Little by little, coffee lost its appeal and sent me back to tea. I have had a cup (or two!) of Bali Black each morning this September. And I am in love with it all over again. The aroma, the taste, the memories. Mmmm. I still use my Wharton mug when I make it at work.

Maybe my warm beverage drinking is cyclical and I've returned to the time of tea and Bali Black. My sophomore year began during the fall of 2002 and Bali Black has returned in the fall of 2008. Check back in fall of 2014 to see if I'm blogging about my return to Bali Black Raspberry again...

[Note: Bali Black Raspberry cannot be found at most stores. It is a Celestial Seasonings Tea that can be purchased in bulk here]

digital slr

2008-09-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

do my pictures look different? crisper, prettier, better? if so, it's due to my new camera (above)! i'm still in the beginning stages of exploring it's potential. so far i love love love the macro lens that allows me to take nice, close up pictures of food, knitting, etc. and i love messing around with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture and being able to see the results immediately. i can't wait to be done with my studying so i can have more fun playing with my new toy.

fingerless gloves

2008-09-19T19:14:00.001-07:00

so my latest knitting project isn't quite finished yet (one of two gloves), but here are a few pictures. this project is my first attempt at a few new knitting things...

1. this is my first experience with self-striping yarn. it's really fun to knit with since you never really know exactly how the finished project is going to turn out.

2. this is my first attempt at cabling. it is so much easier than i thought it would be.

3. this is my first attempt to knit with double pointed needles--also much easier than i previously anticipated.

plain yogurt

2008-09-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

my new recent food obsession is with plain yogurt. it is so versatile. i've used it to make blueberry smoothies and muffins and as a substitute for sour cream in many recipes. my recent favorite is the above creation. it's so simple and yet so tasty.

ingredients: thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, salt, pepper, and plain yogurt

prep: thinly slice the cucumber and lay the slices on a paper towel to dry, generously sprinkle cucumbers with salt. thinly slice a red onion. combine the cucumber with the red onions and some yogurt. then grind some fresh pepper all over it and mix together. then eat! yummmy!

it may sound a bit strange, but it's really light and fresh and full of flavor. i might go make some right now...

MIA

2008-09-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

i've been a little MIA recently from the blogging world. studying for the GMAT has been taking up all of the free time that i usually spend cooking, baking, knitting, taking photos, etc...

but, i have been up to a few things besides just studying...stay tuned...

a little tozer

2008-08-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

i first read aw tozer's 'the pursuit of god' when i was in college. sarah and i used to take it with us to our retreats to read outside in the dark by the light of a headlamp. my original copy was highlighted and well worn and marked up. i think i lent it to someone my senior year and never got it back.

after a 3+ year absence, i am finally re-reading it. and i'm finding it to be as good as i remembered it--even though i'm reading it by myself sans headlamp. [thanks sarah for sending me a new copy] it isn't complicated or lofty writing, but it's profound. and it's reminding me of things i need to be reminded of in my own pursuit of god. i particularly love the prayers at the end of each chapter. after reading each little chapter, the prayers capture exactly how i feel and what i want to pray.

below is the prayer i read last night. it is particularly meaningful to me given recent situations at work and in my life. but i think it would likely be a good prayer for any day to refocus and give me the right perspective.

O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life.

Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth.

Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee.

Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream.

Rise, O Lord, into thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself.

Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, "Hosanna in the highest."

Amen.

your parents named you what?

2008-08-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article on cnn.com last week about two kids whose names are Indiana Jones and Dow Jones. The father named the son Dow as a dare while the mother was asleep after giving birth (link to story) The article goes on to list other people with really strange names.

Today, while filling out my absentee primary ballot, I discovered that one of the candidates for my US Representative Congressional District is named "Goodspaceguy Nelson". All the sentences in his biography sounds funny..."Goodspaceguy received his Master of Science from the University of Minnesota... Goodspaceguy is also an economist."

It got even better under family, he listed, "The life of Spaceship Earth is his family." Or career experience--"Trying to understand the universe, Goodspaceguy became an amateur jack-of-all-trades." In his candidate statement, "Goodspaceguy believes that the number one problem on Spaceship Earth is the tripling of people during the last hundred years..."

Seriously???? Please tell me that even the crazies in Seattle aren't crazy enough to vote for Goodspaceguy Nelson... (Check out his blog about colonizing space)

kitchen klutz

2008-07-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

i'm a fairly clumsy person. i often trip, bump into things, hit my funny bone. i'm always stubbing my toes. while my clumsiness can be annoying and often results in minor bumps, bruises and cuts, i have found it to be even more irritating and dangerous in the kitchen.

my kitchen klutziness can be separated into two categories based on the end result of my clumsy action.

1) MKK (messy kitchen klutz) during a MKK moment, i create a huge mess in the kitchen with my clumsy actions.

example 1: while cooking and drinking a glass of wine, i turn around and knock the wine over with my elbow. the wine spills everywhere. it also spills on my jeans, socks and shirt. (note: this can and has occurred with a seemingly endless variety of ways to spill the glass of wine. in several cases, the wine glass broke.)

example 2: the kitchen aid mixer should not be turned on while the mixing blade is sticking out of the bowl. i often turn in on when it is sticking out and covered with dough. usually, i turn it on by accidentally bumping the switch. a few days ago, this resulted in cooking dough splattering all over my kitchen and kitchen floor.

(many other similar examples exist, but you get the point...)

2) BHKK (bodily harm kitchen klutz) a BHKK occurs when my clumsy actions lead to bodily harm. generally, bodily harm in the kitchen is in the form of a burn or a cut.

example 1: while i sometimes burn myself on pots and pans, most of my burns occur while baking. i often burn myself while taking things in and out of the oven. and most recently (tonight), i burned myself on a cookie sheet. i somehow managed to give myself a 2 inch burn.

example 2: accidents with knives usually don't happen when i'm actually cutting something. they happen when i'm washing dishes, putting knives away or doing something totally unrelated to cutting. i barely avoided a serious injury a few days ago when i dropped a knife on the ground and it almost pierced my foot.

sometimes the BHKK can cause a MKK. when i burn myself taking cookies from the oven, i may drop the cookies on the floor as a result of the pain from the burn.

i think i'd rather stub my toe or trip in public. those cookies i baked better be worth the 2 inch burn i have on my hand...speaking of which, i better go eat a few of them to make myself feel better. they'd probably go well with a glass of milk if i can manage not to spill it...

good karma

2008-07-23T08:51:00.001-07:00

my blog has been seriously neglected these days...no pictures, no interesting stories, no new recipies. maybe my life has become incredibly boring...either that or i just haven't had the time to write about it here.

anyway...last night as i was doing some things around my apartment, i thought of something to write about here. maybe i'll take some pictures of some baked goods soon...or post some pictures from my travels...or write about the absurdities of life...or about the books i've been reading...but for now, this will have to do.

ometimes all of the little things in life come together to make doing a particularly annoying task really easy. i refer to these things as 'good karma'. here are some of my favorite types of 'good karma'.

laundry karma: when you have just enough quarters to do your laundry and then go to the laundry room to find that there is an empty washer and dryer to use without having to wait for your neighbors to do their five loads.

flight karma: when you have ten flights in twelve days (as i did in the month of june) and none of them are delayed or canceled and some of them are even early.

traffic karma: when you leave work in the middle of rush hour anticipating lots of traffic, but get home much earlier than expected and actually get your car out of third gear.

subway karma: when you walk down the subway stairs to find the train arriving and step on it just in time without having to wait for the next one to come. (this was a favorite when i lived in new york)

anyone else have any favorite types of 'karma'?

[disclaimer: i don't actually believe in karma...but, well...you get the point]

desperate hoodwives

2008-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

i don't miss my days in management consulting when i traveled monday through thursday of every week and spent countless hours on planes, in cabs and in airports. however, you do run into some interesting people when you travel...

the woman sitting next to me on my flight from seattle to DC was reading a book entitled, "desperate hoodwives". you just don't see stuff like that when you're driving from seattle to bellevue on i-90.

birds and bikes

2008-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

[note: this is a slightly embarrassing story that involves spandex and evil birds. read at your own risk. and bear with me as some background info is necessary before we get to the action.]

some of you are aware of my severe fear of birds. the fear dates back to when i was 2 years old and a bird attacked me at the zoo. maybe i'll start a blog series chronicling my horror stories with birds. i'm afraid of all types of birds, but there are two types that give me shivers and make my blood run cold--pigeons and black crows. i'll talk about pigeons some other time; black crows will be the focus of this post. let me just say that the black crow is a large bird, a loud bird, an aggressive bird. i'm pretty sure that the black crow is pure evil.

recently, i have been biking a lot. i've been biking longer distances (30-60 miles) and sometimes commuting to work on my bike (20 miles one way) so i have started to upgrade some of my equipment. last weekend i purchased new pedals and biking shoes. the shoes clip into the pedal so that your foot is locked into the pedal while you're riding. the benefit is that you get power on the up and down stroke while you're pedaling. the difficulty in using them is that you can't just take your foot off the pedal, you have to unclip by kicking your heel out to the side. it isn't hard to unclip, but it isn't as fast as just taking your foot off the pedal and setting it on the ground. it's also very hard to unclip while riding up a hill since you don't have enough time. when you commit to going up a hill, you must keep pedaling or you'll fall off the bike. in case you were wondering, i also wear spandex when i bike. it's so much more comfortable. my spandex biking shorts have padding that makes my butt look huge. anyway, i digress...onto the action.

today, i had finished a bike ride and stopped by the bike store on my way home. i'm getting ready to upgrade from my hybrid bike to a road bike, mostly because they're faster. so i went to test ride a few road bikes at the local bike store. the guy helping me at the store put my pedals on the test bike so i could use my shoes and cleats on the bike.

i took the bike out and started riding around the neighborhood streets. the road bike feels a lot different than the hybrid. it is much faster. it isn't as easy to keep your balance with the thin tire. you're in a different position. and it just takes some adjustment. i almost fell a few times as i was getting used to it.

after about 10 minutes, i decided to take the bike back to the store. in order to get there, i had to go up a large hill (seattle is very hilly for those of you who have never been here). i was about half way up the hill when a black crow appeared. it was squawking quite loudly. i didn't think too much of it as there are lots of black crows around here. suddenly, it started flying towards me. fear rushed over me as the bird made a dive for my head. i ducked and avoided the direct hit. (keep in mind, i'm riding a bike up a hill with my feet clipped into the pedals so i can't just get off the bike. i have to keep biking.) the bird turned around and made another dive at me, hitting my helmet this time.

i'm freaking out at this point. i feel trapped. i can't escape. so i pedal faster. my increase in speed shifts my weight on the unfamiliar bike and i nearly fall. after recovering, the bird returns again and makes a swoop down again. at which point i scream, "leave me alone!!" (i was in the middle of a tranquil neighborhood on a quiet and sunny afternoon.) the bird doesn't listen to me and comes in for another attack (meanwhile, i'm still pedaling up the seemingly never ending hill). at this point, evil black crow #2 comes in and as both swoop in at me, i scream again, "ahhh! go away! leave me alone!" i was really screaming.

finally i reached the top of the hill. at the top of the hill are a man and his son looking at me like i'm crazy. i tell them that there are some crazy birds attacking me down there. it must have sounded to them like something other than a bird was attacking me. and i'm sure they thought i was the crazy one, not the birds.

moral of the story: helmets are useful protection for biking in case you fall off and hit your head. they are also useful in case you get attacked by evil black crows while biking up hills through residential neighborhoods.

if nerds ruled the world...

2008-05-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

i don't usually like forwarded emails, but i laughed at a few lines from one i just received entitled, "if nerds ruled the world".

if nerds ruled the world...

...The pen literally becomes mightier than the sword. Fencers everywhere are armed with Bics.
...Stats for an ideal woman change from 36-24-36 to 780 verbal/780 math.
...No one ever laughs if you come to work hung over from last night’s Book Group.
...Bill Paxton and Bill Pullman are grafted together to create one incredibly awesome mediocre human being.
...“Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” becomes “Are You Smarter Than a Tenth Grader Taking AP Classes?”

one year

2008-04-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

I meant to put this post up last week, but I forgot...so one week late, I'll post to celebrate my one year anniversary in Seattle. It's hard to believe a whole year has past, but at the same time it's hard to believe it has only been a year. It's hard to believe that I went an entire year without going to the East Coast (after living there for 6 years). It's hard to believe a year ago everything here seemed so new. Yet here I am...one year later...believe it or not.

currently reading...

2008-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

A few months ago i started reading some thick books. I'm still reading most of these thick books. I really want to start a new, fast, exciting book. But i can't justify starting a new book when I'm in the middle of so many thick ones. I'm determined to finish. I like finishing what I've started, however painful it may be. So here's an update on the books I'm reading or recently finished.

1. The Reason for God by Tim Keller (finished)

This book is great. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, writes about common objections to Christianity. Much of it is familiar to me since he preached a sermon series on these topics while I attended Redeemer. It is a fantastic book for both Christians and non Christians--very intellectual, yet accessible at the same time. The website (http://www.thereasonforgod.com/) has a lot of interesting links and free sermon downloads.

2. Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough

I'm 75% through this book and really enjoying it, but nonfiction books take me longer to get through. The history is very detailed and fascinating. I became interested in the Panama Canal when I worked on a project that had to do with its expansion at my former job. Currently, the French have failed and the Americans are taking over and have just eliminated the problem of yellow fever.

3. The Complete Stories Flannery O'Connor

The best way I can think of to describe her stories is that they are haunting. Her stories are remarkable in their portrayal of human nature and present the characters' search for meaning and redemption. I also like them because I can easily sit down and read one in about 15 minutes. The one I read last night (The Geranium) left me with such a vivid mental image that I had strange dreams all night long.

4. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

I started this book in October and have been laboring through it verrrrrry slowly ever since. It just isn't capitvating at all. However, I still want to finish it. I might have to start skim reading.

ukrainian easter

2008-03-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

traditional ukrainian easter eggs (these were my two 2008 keepers)

i also baked paska, the ukrainian easter bread.

nutella and a spoon

2008-03-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

you know how there are some foods that you just can't get enough of? the taste is familiar. the taste is delicious. the taste leaves you wanting more. for me, one of those foods is nutella. i love the taste of nutella.

nutella tastes good with everything...bread, apples, bananas, cookies, ice cream, crackers...but the best part about nutella is that it tastes good with just a spoon (or your finger for that matter).

today was a crazy day at work. it ranged from career reviews (good!) to being attacked on the phone (bad!) to last minute deadlines (stressful!) to the joy of friday (yay!) i needed a snack after getting home. and i had the perfect solution--nutella and a spoon. yummmm.

turn...turn...turn...

2008-03-07T09:19:00.001-08:00

i went skiing last week in colorado. this is from beaver creek where steve was capturing me ski the bumps with his nifty camera. there is nothing i enjoy more than spending a day out skiing. and it's 100% better in colorado. that's my unbiased, colorado native, opinion.

travel fun...

2008-03-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

while boarding my flight last night...

man: i left my cell phone in the waiting area. can i get off the plane to look for it?

flight attendant 1: no, but we can have someone look for it. what does it look like? where is it?

[man goes into complicated description of where it is]

flight attendant 2: didn't you get the memo?

flight attendant 1: what memo?

flight attendant 2: a memo came a few weeks ago that said people can get off the plane if they forgot something.

flight attendant 1: doesn't that seem dangerous?

flight attendant 2: yes. they can leave their luggage and get off the plane. who knows what's in their luggage. a bomb, perhaps?

flight attendant 1: but i guess it's ok if the memo says it is.

flight attendant 2 (to man): you can get off the plane.

update to hazardous work environment

2008-03-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

we found out the cause of the fried chicken smell. it was a plant. yes, a plant.

my boss had a few plants in his office that were somehow giving off the smell of fried chicken. the plants were removed. the smell is gone.

go figure!!

hazardous work environment

2008-02-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Below is an email I received today at work today. No, this is not a joke.

"Recently we've had some reports of sinus/headaches on your floor.

One of the things we are going to try to resolve this issue is do an entire floor burn off. Where we turn the HVAC to max to burn/clean out anything that is in the HVAC system that could cause these symptoms.

In order to do this the HVAC needs to run for about 12 hours at max temp after hours. Obviously we don’t want anyone to be on the floor working when this happens for they will be sweltering. This is likely to be done in the evenings after work hours.

The burn off is scheduled for 2pm on Wednesday, February 20th."

My VP, whose office is right next to mine, has a weird smell that comes from the exhaust in his office. It smells like a bucket of KFC chicken. The smell is really strong. So strong that it makes me hungry. And it makes him smell like he works in a KFC. The smell isn't around all the time, but it consistently appears at 3:30 pm each afternoon.

I wonder if the mysterious fast food smell has anything to do with the sinus headaches?

Either way, I'm starting to feel like I need to wear a gas mask to work.

free song!

2008-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

A free song is available on Sandra McCracken's home page--Ten Thousand Angels

If you're a Caedmon's Call fan, you might recognize it from their newest CD Overdressed. Derek Webb (Sandra's husband) performs it.

If you're a Grey's Anatomy fan, you might recognize it from last night's episode. It plays during the final five minutes of the episode.

If you're not familiar with Sandra or Caedmon's or Grey's Anatomy, then you should still download the song because it's really good.

finishing

2008-01-08T21:46:00.001-08:00

I've been having trouble finishing books lately. There are lots of books I want to read. So I keep starting them. And as a result, I've been having trouble finishing even one. I was in the middle of seven books a few weeks ago, but I've successfully finished three. I'm going to talk about two of them in this post: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and The Four Loves by CS Lewis.

You've probably heard the general story told in Into the Wild. It is a non-fiction account of the life of Christopher McCandless. He died at the age of 24 after entering the Alaskan wilderness without any supplies. His goal was to live off of the land by hunting, gathering and camping. McCandless came from a wealthy family and graduated from college before giving away his life savings. He then traveled the country, hitchhiking and doing his best to find food and shelter.

The author of the book, Jon Krakauer, begins the book by telling his readers that he relates to McCandless' story. When he first began researching McCandless' life, he wrote a magazine article entitled "Death of an Innocent". The book portrays McCandless' pursuit and wanderings as a noble endeavor.

As I read the book, I couldn't help but feel an emptiness and sadness about his life. He abandoned his family, giving them no idea of his whereabouts. He wouldn't let himself get too close to any of the people he met along his journeys. Anytime he started to form connections with people, it was time for him to leave. He hurt many people. His death and life affected those who knew him and those who didn't. But he lived for himself. He did what suited him. He selfishly pursued every whim without considering the feelings of those who loved him.

While reading Into the Wild, I also was finishing up The Four Loves by CS Lewis. The book describes four types of love: Affection, Friendship, Eros and Charity. In each chapter, Lewis attempts to define and describe the love and then point out some of its shortcomings, ending with a discussion of how the love relates to a Christian's love to God and God's love for people.

Part of the first chapter, Likings and Loves for the Sub-Human, struck me as interesting, particularly in light of having just finished Into the Wild. Lewis is talking about the affection and love of nature.

"Nature does not teach. A true philosophy may sometimes validate an experience of nature; an experience of nature cannot validate a philosophy. Nature will not verify any theological or metaphysical proposition; she will help to show what it means...We must make a detour--leave the hills and woods and go back to our studies, to church, to our Bibles, to our knees. Otherwise the love of nature is beginning to turn into a nature religion. And then, even if it does not lead us to the Dark Gods, it will lead us to a great deal of nonsense. Nature cannot satisfy the desires she arouses nor answer theological questions nor sanctify us."

The last sentence of the quote above made me stop. What desires does nature arouse? The beautify is magnificent. The way all things work together so that plants can grow and animals can survive is perplexing and complicated. The smells and sounds and sights can be deeply moving. But these things are moving and extraordinary to me because I see them as God's wonderful creation. And even more because I anticipate the day when they will be made perfect; because I know that these things that amaze me today are merely shadows of what they will be.

Nature can't sanctify us. Recycling, being environmentally friendly, supporting local produce, eating organically--these things aren't bad, but if we pursue them, they do not make us holier. (Despite what many Seattle residents might tell you.)

Christopher McCandless was pursuing something that couldn't sanctify or save or teach or inform. Yet his life was just a visible example of following these desires too far; of making them the ultimate in his life. I think all of us live this way to some degree or another, whether we realize it or not.

Nature and a life of freedom without responsibilities may not be what we look to. It might be a successful career, money, family, art, or any number of other things. These things aren't bad things, but we pursue them and give our time and energy and lives to them as if they will save us. We orient our lives around them. Yet they can't save us any more than they saved McCandless in the end. The author of the book relates to McCandless story because the idols they pursued were the same. Yet, as Lewis writes, "nature dies on those who try to live for a love of nature." Substitute "nature" with any of the idols that we pursue and the sentence holds true.

We will pursue these 'loves' of other things to a disastrous end until we understand what Lewis describes in the end of his book.

"We were made for God. Only by being in some respect like Him, only by being a manifestation of His beauty, loving kindness, wisdom or goodness, has any earthly Beloved excited our love. It is not that we loved them too much, but that we did not quite understand what we were loving. It is not that we shall be asked to turn from them, so dearly familiar, to a Stranger. When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. He has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love. All that was true love in them was, even on earth, far more His than ours, and ours only because of His. In Heaven there will be no anguish and no duty of turning away from our earthly Beloveds. First, because we shall have turned already; from the portraits to the Original, from the rivulets to the Fountain, from the creatures He made lovable to Love Himself. But secondly, because we shall find them all in Him. By loving Him more than them we shall love them more than we now do."

aloha

2008-01-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas in Hawaii this year. Instead of snow and skiing there were...

Beaches, palm trees, and beautiful sunsets...

volcano craters and steaming sulfur...

lava flowing from an active volcano...

as seen from a helicopter...

and lots of great coffee (coffee bean plants in the background)

Messiah

2007-12-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain: O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold you God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

--Handel's Messiah

I went to the symphony to hear a performance Handel's Messiah this weekend. Not only is the music beautiful, but the words are so rich with meaning. They are rich in meaning because they are verses from the Bible.

The story of Christ is told from the prophecies, to his birth, to his death, and resurrection. I used to think that the Messiah was more appropriate for Easter and didn't fully understand why it was performed during Advent. But the more I think about it, it does make sense to have it at Advent. Why do we even celebrate the birth of Christ? We celebrate it because we know the Easter story. We know that Christ was born to be the Messiah, the Savior of a sinful people. We celebrate his birth because we know that through his death, we can have life. We celebrate his birth as a way of thanking God for sending his only son to become human, a helpless baby. When we remember his birth in the context of God's plan of salvation with the knowledge of his death and resurrection, we can sing the words of the Hallelujah chorus and celebrate his birth and everlasting kingdom.

I was talking to a coworker about the performance and he remarked that while he "hates religious music", he likes the Messiah and finds the Hallelujah chorus very moving. The music itself is beautiful and "moving", but I couldn't help but think of how much more meaningful it is when we know and believe the words and hear them or sing them as a praise to God. And it's appropriate to do that anytime, whether Easter, Advent or the second Tuesday in February.

Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!

skip it

2007-12-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

i think this commercial is really funny. it made me wonder what songs/artists on my iPod are embarrassing. so i've been playing my iPod on shuffle the past few days to see what comes up. here are a few of the songs that made me laugh and sent me scrambling to skip to the next song...

toxic / britney spears
when you really love someone / bryan adams
these boots were made for walkin' / jessica simpson
i'll see you when you get there / coolio
wannabe /spice girls
how do u want it / 2Pac
i do / 98 degrees

what songs do you have in your music collection that make you dart for the 'skip' button?

[it's a small world after all just came on. wow. that's going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day...]

swish swish

2007-12-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Swoosh...swoosh, squeeeeeeeak. I have a weird obsession about the speed of the windshield wipers. I need to control the speed to perfectly coincide with the amount of rain coming down. It drives me crazy when the wipers are quickly moving across the windshield with only a drizzle of rain. I err on the side of having them move too slowly because I cringe when they make a squeak by going to quickly.

I've had this obsession since I started driving, but only recently has it become more of a problem. I live in Seattle and you may be aware of the city's reputation for rain. The rain here is often more like a drizzle or mist; not the hard rain that requires wipers to move at full speed. The needed wiper movement varies considerably depending on your driving speed; there is a lot of traffic here, too. I go through two tunnels on my way to and from work.

So I end up fiddling around with the wiper speed for my entire commute. Faster...too fast. Slower...can't see out the windshield. Sometimes I manually make it wipe whenever I want it to because I can't find the right speed. I wish that the car was smart enough to adjust the wiper speed according to how much rain was hitting it. Maybe technology will do this some day. Until then, I'll continue to battle with my windshield wipers. And I might ask you to adjust yours when I'm driving in the car with you...

2007-11-28T11:12:00.001-08:00

my high school graduation was in the auditorium right above my head (red rocks)

skating in beaver creek...

waiting

2007-11-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. Traffic, lines at the airport, and flight delays are all expected. You prepare yourself to wait and wait and wait some more.

I was shocked yesterday to find myself not waiting for anything. There was no line to check-in for my flight. I didn't have to wait to check my bags. I breezed through security in less than five minutes. After descending on the escalator, the airport train was there waiting for me and I walked right on. I boarded my plane without waiting in line. When I arrived in Seattle, my bags were among the first to come off the belt and they came out shortly after I arrived at the carousel. It was by far my easiest Thanksgiving trip. Even easier than normal trips at non-busy times.

I did have to wait once. There was a line for cabs at the Seattle airport. But even that wait was less than 10 minutes.

I had my patience all prepared and saved up for my travel yesterday. I guess I'll have to find somewhere else to use it...

2007-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

let there be light

2007-11-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

i haven't had a lot of motivation to blog lately. i'm still cooking, but stews and soups and cooked squash are not as interesting to take photos of to put on my blog. plus it's dark. really dark. and not just normal daylight savings dark with short days like the rest of the country. dark takes on new meaning in seattle.

currently, the sun rises at 7:30am and sets around 4:20pm. but it's getting darker and darker. according to my sources, the sun won't rise until 7:58am in december...and it will set around 4:15pm. darkness makes it harder to do many things. it's harder to wake up. it's harder to keep working when it's dark in the afternoon. it's harder to be motivated to cook. and it's harder to take pictures to post on my blog because things just look better in natural light.

so that's my excuse for my lack of blogging. maybe i'll have more to say next week when i'm in sunny colorado for thanksgiving. or maybe i'll have even more to say when i'm in sunny hawaii for christmas. and i'm bound to have something to post as i bake christmas cookies and make christmas cards and put up my christmas tree.

when you live in seattle, i guess you just have to remember the light. the light that peeks through the clouds and rain. the light that last from 5:00am to 9:15pm in the summer. and the fluorescent light that shines on me as i write this in the darkness of my apartment...

odd synergy

2007-10-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

synergy is such a cliche and over-used business term. but i'm going to use it anyway. i found an odd business synergy on friday night when i went to rent a movie. i browsed the titles for a while before finding two dvds to rent. when i was at the counter paying, i noticed that there were shelves of tanning lotions and sunscreen bottles behind the cashier. why would that be for sale at a movie rental store? i turned around to see a sign that said, 'tanning beds' with an arrow. apparently, you can not only rent dvds here, but also get a tan while you're at it. what a strange combination. i mean, who wants to go tanning before watching a newly rented movie? i guess there's nothing like a tanning session to put you in the mood for a good movie?

birds in EWR

2007-09-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

those of you that know about my intense fear of birds will appreciate this....

i'm sitting in newark airport waiting for my flight to scotland. all of a sudden a bird flies out of no where and nearly lands on me. i jump up with a slight shriek. not a scream. the concourse is super crowded. people are staring.

but what in the world is a bird doing in the airport?? this isn't 30th street station where pigeons live. only in new york...

untranslatable

2007-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I learned today that the most untranslatable word in the world is "ilunga". It is a Tshiluba word for a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time; to tolerate it a second time; but never a third time. Tshiluba is a Bantu language spoken in south-eastern Congo, and Zaire.

The most untranslatable words in English are below.

1. Plenipotentiary: a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government

2. Gobbledegook: an English term used to describe nonsensical language, sound that resembles language but has no meaning, or encrypted text

3. Serendipity: good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

4. Poppycock: stuff: senseless talk

5. Googly: a cricket ball bowled as if to break one way that actually breaks in the opposite way

6. Spam: To indiscriminately send unsolicited, unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages, especially commercial advertising in mass quantities. Noun: electronic "junk mail".

7. Whimsy: an odd or fanciful or capricious idea

8. Bumf: toilet paper (often used for printed matter that might as well be used as toilet paper)

9. Chuffed: very pleased

10. Kitsch: art that is considered to be overly sentimental, pretentious design

strange timing

2007-09-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

i work in company HQ with ~5,500 other employees. we occupy four buildings. we have a three-story parking garage. i always park on level B. there are three elevators in the building.

i leave my apartment anytime between 7:15-8:15am each day (depending on how many times i hit snooze). my commute takes me somewhere between 20-35 minutes door-to-door, depending on traffic. traffic is unbelievably unpredictable.

there is a woman who works on my floor that is on the same elevator with me four out of five times each week. it's uncanny. each time i walk from my car to the elevator bay, there she is.

statistically the odds of this happening are very low. so either a) she is stalking me b) she and i are on some weird timing schedule that makes us commute in sync with one another or c) ??

she's probably going to miss me next week when i'm on vacation.

the fall

2007-09-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

for some, labor day is a sad reminder that summer is over. for me, labor day ushers in my favorite time of year--the fall.

flowers are fading, leaves are turning yellow, red and brown, days are getting shorter, but the fall is a time of new beginnings. it's the beginning of football season. it's the beginning of cool weather. it's the beginning of wearing sweaters and coats and all those fall clothes i love. it's the beginning of new tv shows. in the summer, everything comes to a halt. small groups stop meeting regularly, people go out of town, life operates on an irregular schedule. the fall ushers in a season of regularity, a time of getting back into routines, new beginnings.

i love hearing the leaves crunch under my feet. i love riding my bike in the crisp, sunny air while dodging university of washington fans decked out in team colors. i love that i can watch a college football game at any time of the day on saturday. i love that i can watch football all day sunday, too. i love that i no longer need the air conditioning in my car. i love driving with the windows on and some music blasting. i love wearing sweatshirts again. i love that the evenings are cool when the sun goes down. i love that i don't need my fan to cool down my apartment anymore. i love fall foods like pumpkins, squash, soup, and cider.

i love the fall.

navy flying

2007-08-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

last weekend i was home in colorado. spencer had to do his cross country flight from corpus christi to colorado. and it happened to be his birthday! these are some photos of us checking out the plane he flew in (and yes, it is as small as it looks).

go navy!

this looks unbelievably complicated.

some people say we look like twins. but i'm older and wiser.

me and sarah in the plane

it's 3am and i must be...

2007-08-28T20:57:00.001-07:00

Monday:
3:30am: wake up to catch early flight from denver to seattle
8:30am: arrive in seattle
9:00am: arrive at work
9:30am: coffee
10:30am: coffee
1:30pm: coffee
3:30pm: coffee
5:30pm: leave work
9:30pm: in bed early to catch up on sleep

Tuesday
3:00am: loud noise beeping
3:15am: what is that loud noise?
3:17am: drag tired body out of bed to explore noise
3:18am: discover loud noise is fire alarm beeping because the battery is low
3:20am: look for step ladder to reach alarm
3:22am: half asleep and standing on the step ladder, trying to disable fire alarm
3:25am: success! fire alarm is disabled. fingers crossed for no fires until i get time to buy a 9-volt battery
3:30am: back in bed
6:30am: up and at 'em for another day of work

is it me, or do the fire alarm batteries always (ALWAYS) die at night...and in the middle of the night....and on a night where you could really use the sleep?

my new "toy"

2007-08-22T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've spent quite a bit of time in the last few days playing with my new 'toy'. I learned to play the piano when I was only 4 or 5 years old. It's relaxing. It stretches my brain in ways that my normal daily activities do not. I find it fascinating that I can sit down at the keyboard and immediately play songs that I memorized over 10 years ago.

As someone who grew up playing the piano, I always had a very anti-keyboard mentality. However, this keyboard has shattered all my previous keyboard prejudices. Would I rather play on a Steinway? Yes, of course. But this keyboard feels and sounds just like a piano. The weighted keys simulate the feel of a real piano and I am constantly amazed at the quality of the sound.

A funny story about when I purchased it. The guy at the store was asking me what type of music I was 'into'. When I replied, 'classical', he looked at me as if I was an alien. I guess he was expecting me to say I bought it to play in an Indie Rock band or something. So Seattle...

it's football season

2007-08-13T21:02:00.001-07:00

baking!

2007-08-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

a few recent baking successes.

1) i have a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. the secret ingredient is pudding mix. it makes them super moist. and ultimately delicious. i made them 2 weeks ago for a co-worker's birthday. and then i made them again last week for my boss' birthday. my co-workers now are addicted to my cookies. just like at mercer. (let me know if you want the new chocolate chip recipe!)

2) i made mini pies for our church picnic. i wanted to make pie, but i didn't think it would be very easy to eat at a picnic. so i made the crust and pushed it into cupcake pans and made little mini pies. they were REALLY good.

dried flowers

2007-07-22T22:41:00.001-07:00

these are some dried flowers that my aunt sent me. the vase in the picture above is actually an old tea tin. i liked the shape of it and had been wanting to decorate it for something. these little flowers seemed to fit perfectly.

bento

2007-07-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

my newest idea for bringing lunch to work is inspired by the idea of the bento box. bento boxes are single-portions of a takeout or home-packed meal common that are common in Japan. Traditional bentos have rice, fish or meat and some veggies as a side dish. my first bento has quinoa, veggies, italian sausage and some salsa (in the red thing). the red thing is actually a teflon cupcake holder. i have 12 of them and they're really helpful for separating sauces and such from the food.

yellow chonies

2007-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

yesterday, while playing flag football, i lost my shorts. literally. i caught the pass and started running down the field. as the opposing team reached for my flags, they caught my shorts instead. the yank on my shorts was hard enough to burst the elastic drawstring in the waist that was holding my shorts up. as i ran with the football, i felt my shorts falling. luckily, i recovered quickly so people only saw my yellow chonies for a short time. and in case you were wondering, i did get the first down.

fresh : organic : local

2007-07-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

fresh, organic blueberries, rhubarb, and strawberries

delicious, juicy, red, all cut up

makes excellent cobbler!

the bald eagle

2007-07-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

i was reminded yesterday of part of my cape flattery trip that i forgot to include. as i was driving 15 miles per hour on a dirt road up to the trailhead, i had an encounter with a bald eagle. you might be thinking, 'cool, a bald eagle', but for a person who is afraid of birds (me), it is more of a scary experience than anything else. the eagle was sitting on a low hanging branch and was literally about 10 feet away from me. i was driving with all of my windows down and as i approached it, i started frantically stumbling for the buttons to put the windows up. as i came closer, it took flight and flew right over me. i had visions of it flying into the car to attack me. it was HUGE. literally huge. i escaped unharmed.

Cape Flattery

2007-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

After a crazy week of work, I wanted to escape the city. I decided to take a drive around the Olympic Peninsula with no particular destination in mind. I ended up below at the most northwestern part of the lower 48 states.

As you might imagine, reaching the most northwestern part of the continental US isn't easy or quick. I began by driving to a ferry that took me across Puget Sound from Edmonds to Kingston. Then I drove...and drove and drove and drove along two lane highways with no traffic that make stick shift cars (and their drivers) happy to be alive. The last part of the drive was on a very bumpy dirt road. Then I had to get out and hike about a mile to reach the northwestern point of the US.

The drive was gorgeous. I stopped and bought fresh organic cherries. I enjoyed listening to music as I twisted and turned through Olympic National Park. The smell of the salt water and vocent air was lovely as I drove along the coast. I saw some strange things, too. I pulled over in the town of Sekiu because the fish wearing a skirt with legs was too random to pass by.
Anyway, it was relaxing and enjoyable. I drove over 300 miles round trip. Some more pictures from the drive are below. (Kate, this post is dedicated to you since you reminded me that I hadn't blogged about nature/outdoor activities for a while...)

My first baby blanket (for a friend)

2007-06-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

Above is the baby blanket I knitted for my friend Maggie. She's having a baby at the end of July. They don't know if it's a boy or girl, so I tried to keep the colors neutral without using yellow, a color I don't like. I love the way it turned out. I also made the card. I found this really cute stamp store and bought a baby stamp. I think I'll probably use it quite a bit in the future. It makes me feel old to think about Maggie, who lived in the dorm room next to me my freshman year, having a baby. But it gives me an excuse to spend time on fun projects!

a colorful meal

2007-06-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

i made this creation for dinner last night. the salad in the front has corn, shelled edamame, onion, tomatoes, chick peas, basil, oregano, parsley, lemon and lime juice. i ate it the next night mixed in with some quinoa and it was wonderful.

i can't take credit for the rolls on the top of the plate. they're a trader joe's special. but were quite tasty. especially dipped in ponzu sauce. ponzu sauce is quite possibly my all time favorite sauce. mmmm.

omop

2007-06-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

i opened my mop starter kit for the first time today. i've cleaned since i moved in a month ago, but this was my first mop. (my parents are coming tomorrow...) the mop gave me a good laugh, though. the instructions to put the mop together were as follows:

1. start with mop head
2. connect female pole to male pole
a) align flat side of male pole with flat side of female pole (this sounds dirtier than it is)
b) squeeze metal doodads
c) snap poles together
3. continue with male pole and mop handle
4. relax with a nice chianti

what a way to mop! i did follow my cleaning spree with a glass of wine. and the cleaning fluid that comes with omop smells wonderful--like almond extract. check out the link in the title. and in case you were wondering, yes, it is nerdy that i'm blogging about my mop.

pizza and beer

2007-06-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

tonight wasn't a cooking night...it was definitely a pizza and beer night. yummmmm.

Java Junkie

2007-06-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

i love coffee. seriously love coffee. i'm a coffee purist (black, no cream/sugar). and i love the song by david m. bailey called 'java junkie'. the lyrics are below... i particularly related to the last few lines (in bold) today after an awful commute into work that took 5 times as long as it should have and involved me walking around in the rain.

I like a caramel cappuccino with a double shot of jo

And a white chocolate mocha, make that one to go

See, I’m a coffee connoisseur, a Dali lama of latte

A genuine java junkie every hour of the day

Columbia and Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru

They all make a fine roast, the French do too

Cubans drink it sweet, the Turkish drink it strong

Me, I just drink it, all day long.

Most drink it for breakfast, some after they dine

Guess they just don't know you can drink it anytime

Pre-brunch, post-lunch, afternoon tea

Perfect coffee breaks if you’re asking me

I like to brew a pot before the lights go out

Some say it keeps me up, I say it helps, no doubt

Now, some of you are thinking it's gonna make me sick

That I should switch to decaf as though that would do the trick

But I've learned a thing or two in my 30-something years,

Life is short so stay awake before it disappears

And if that means that I should drink an extra cup of Joe

Well sign me up, fill my cup, let it overflow

It's more than just a beverage; it's better than a drug

It's like an old best friend who greets you with a hug

fresh italian pasta

2007-06-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

i tend to be a fairly type a person, so it might surprise you to learn that i 110% hate cooking with recipes. i don't like following the directions, measuring, reading the instructions, etc. recipes actually stress me out. making sure to buy all the ingredients in them, wondering if you mixed right, finding out you skipped a step; all stressful. i like making up recipes as i go along. the benefits to this method are many fold: 1) you can be creative, 2) you can use the ingredients you already have 3) you can use the food/ingredients you like, 4) you can cook without the stress. disadvantages are that 1) sometimes it doesn't turn out so well, 2) you have to remember what you did so you can recreate it (without writing it down in a formulaic way that makes it into an evil recipe), 3) the food/ingredients you like/have may not always go so well together...

that being said, i had a big success in my dinner creation tonight. it is pictured above. some of the ingredients include freshly diced tomatoes, italian sausage, portabella mushrooms cooked in balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs from my garden, and some garlic. it was better than i even thought it would be. and i like to think it looked pretty tasty as well.

why have i started blogging about food recently? well, it combats disadvantage #2 above. and also, i don't think more than 3 people actually read my blog...so it's more of a reminder/journal for me. and i like writing down my two cents whether or not anyone else likes reading them or not.

i love pie!

2007-06-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

I had the urge to bake tonight and decided to make a pie. I was going to make a blueberry pie (my all time favorite), but when I stopped by the organic blueberry farm on my way home from work, I found out that blueberry season isn't until July 1st. However, I did buy some fresh organic cherries and rhubarb.

One of my favorite things about pie is the pie crust. When I was growing up, I always loved when my mom made pie because it meant not only a delicious pie, but pie crust cookies. (see picture above). Pie crust cookies are made with the leftover pie crust. You put some butter on the crust and then sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar. Roll it up in a log, cut it and bake it and the results are some wonderful cookies. There are only two important things about pie crust cookies: 1) they must never be made alone...only when making pie and 2) they have to be eaten warm, otherwise they aren't good. Maybe that's why pie crust cookies are so special. They only come every now and then...and they're only around for a short period of time. I sure did eat all of those pie crust cookies on that plate.

And then there's the pie.
It looks good. It smells good. But I won't know if it's good until tomorrow. It has to cool...and I'm so stuffed from pie crust cookies that i can't possibly try it.

vegetable meledy

2007-06-01T22:34:00.001-07:00

I made this with my fresh herbs...that and the following ingredients: red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, cucumber, onion, tomato, lime juice and lemon juice. It was great inside of a warm pita. I think tomorrow I'll try it with some cous cous or rice.

my garden

2007-06-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

I purchased some herbs to grow on my porch last night. One of them has already had a casualty; it fell off the porch into the 'jungle'. I can see it down there, but it's unreachable. I'm pretty excited about the others. I plucked some cilantro and basil for my dinner tonight. Hooray for freshly grown things.

you know you...

2007-05-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

...drank too much coffee when your hands start jittering and you can't type around 11 am

...are becoming addicted to caffiene when the jittering stops and your coffee intake hasn't decreased

...live pretty far north when it's still light out at 9:30 pm

...have bad posture when your neck feels like it's about to break at the end of a day of work

...have run up and down the set of 275 stairs too many times when your legs shake for 3 hours after you've finished

...have had a bad morning when you spend 6:00-6:30 AM stuffing trash in the dumpster and then scrape your new car's door on the garage on the way to work, setting yourself back a paycheck.

...have a better job when you have time (and are not too tired) to workout, cook, read, watch tv, knit, etc after work

a little perspective

2007-05-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

I started thinking about the importance of perspective a few nights ago as I was hanging things up in my new apartment. In case you've never tried, it is incredibly difficult to hang pictures and hang them straight. The picture always looks straight when you're six inches away from it. Yet I always find that it's lop-sided when I back up a few feet to examine it from a distance. You have to step away to see it clearly. You need perspective to do it right.

Perspective (according to the dictionary) is the appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer. It comes from the Latin word perspicere, which means "to see clearly". Many times I get so caught up in the six inch view of life. I become absorbed in the little details and the problems and all that's going on right in front of me. When I finally step back and look at life from a few feet away, the things that seemed right at 6 inches seem absurd. How could I have thought that the picture was straight when clearly it is not? How could my judgement have been so far off?

While it helps to step back and get a new perspective yourself, the help of other people is so valuable. Other people with different perspectives can tell you when to move the picture a little to the left or right. They see things through a different view point and can help guide you when you're too caught up in the details.

Ultimately, as hard as we try, we'll never see things from the absolutely 100% correct perspective. It's impossible for us to see the full picture of how things are playing out in our own lives let alone what's happening in the lives of those around us. When I'm reminded of how poor my own planning and judgement are, I am encouraged to remember Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.""

Even though I'll never see or know the big picture of life, I think I was able to gain enough perspective to hang my pictures straight on the wall. Or maybe I didn't...you'll have to come by and let me know.

This is My Father's World

2007-04-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

"This is my Father's world,

O Let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world;

The battle is not done;

Jesus who died shall be satisfied,

and earth and heaven one."

The wrong has seemed "oft so strong" to me quite a bit lately. Death is everywhere. It comes in forms of evil and violence with school shootings, genocide, and roadside bombs. It comes in freak accidents like a jogger who was hit by a car while running on a sunny Saturday morning and the Blue Angel pilot whose plane crashed when his wing touched a tree. I'm convinced that there is no comfort for us unless we realize the truth in the above stanza of the hymn 'This is My Father's World'. The death and wrong around us doesn't make sense unless we acknowledge that God is the Ruler and this is His world. And we have the amazing truth that God is going to renew this broken and fallen world.

Creation Sunday

2007-04-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Creation Sunday at church. From the bulletin...

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1) The church believes that God is the maker of heaven and earth and of all things within them. This conviction about origins has great implications for the way we interact with the world around us. The people of God should: give praise and thanks and celebrate God's creation, seek to become better and wiser stewards of the earth's vast potential and resources, express grief and pain at the abuse, pollution, and corruption of what God has created, offer prayers for God's blessing on the seasons and on our faithful use of creation. In a sense, Christians are (or should be) the most committed environmentalists, for our care of creation is a primary way we honor and serve the Creator.

Our stewardship of the earth is reflected in the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible. In Genesis 1:28 we find what is known as the Cultural Mandate given to the very first humans: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" This command is not to be understood as a license to do whatever we please. Rather, this command fills humans with dignity as those who God has placed over his creation. We are to wisely, creatively, and joyfully take care of God's creation and tap into its vast potential for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

Earth Day is every April 22nd and is designed to draw attention to the need to care for the environment. Yet Earth Day draws no attention to earth's creator, and as a result overlooks the primary reason we should all be environmentalists--we have been commissioned by God as stewards of creation. Thus many Christian churches celebrate Creation Sunday on the Sunday closest to April 22 as a way to call attention to both creation and Creator.

bus vs. subway

2007-04-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

i've always found bus travel to be somewhat of a mystery. when you set foot on a bus, you never know what's going to happen. the subway seems so much more predictable. i've lived in three major cities with public transportation and i've always been able to figure out the subway without issues. but the bus, well, that's another story.

1. freshman year. philadelphia. i decide to go downtown with my hallmates, but upon reaching the subway station, we find out it isn't running. (reliable septa for you) we are instructed to get on the bus. however, we get on a bus headed into west philadelphia instead of downtown philadelphia. when we get off around 65th and market, we are the only white people to be seen and a bunch of kids start yelling, "hey crackers. whatcha doing here?"

2. junior year. buenos aires, argentina. this was my scariest bus experience. the train wasn't running so i had to take the bus to school. i got on the bus that my host family told be about, but they neglected to tell me that there were multiple destinations for the same numbered bus. they didn't tell me you had to ASK where it was going before you got on. so i got on. i paid my fare. and after 30 minutes, i had NO idea where we were. the bus driver started yelling at me that i hadn't paid enough and i needed to pay more. but i was out of coins, which was all they took. so he made me get off, in the middle of nowhere. i was in a suburban neighborhood, didn't have a cell phone, and had absolutely no idea where i was. i started walking. finally i saw two men on the side of the road. i thought to myself, "these men are either going to assault me or help me." i had no other options, so i took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and approached them. they were really nice, gave me change for my bills, and pointed me to the right bus. and yes, that all happened in spanish.

3. last year. new york city. this is pretty uneventful. but i got on a bus only to find out that it only takes change...no metrocards, no dollar bills. the man was friendly and let us ride for free, but told us next time we had to pay.

it seems as though buses should be easier than the subway. i mean, you're above ground. you can see where you are. but you never know when the bus will stop. you can be on it, close to where you need to be, and all of a sudden the bus gets on the highway and you're really far away. and when you get off the bus, it isn't that easy to just hop on one going the other direction to get back.

so why are buses on my mind? well, i took the bus in seattle yesterday. i had to return my rental car downtown and make it back to my temporary apartment. i didn't have any disasters. but give me underground travel before the bus any day.

ode to skiing

2007-04-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

o beautiful the purple mountains rise,
in your ski slopes i love to spend my time.
early i wake, my sleep is compromised;
i drive along as the roads gently climb.

no blizzard or wreck will keep me away;
i'll wait in traffic, sip a hot coffee.
"god, get me safely to the slopes", i pray,
at last arriving at The Park to ski.

the snow falls down, it's only eight degrees;
three pairs of pants, gloves, jacket and a hat,
wind blows fiercely, hands, feet, and face will freeze.
up, up the hill where ground will not be flat.

crisp mountain air, the smell of evergreens,
bright blue sky, peaks as far as you can see.
"no other place can have such lovely scenes,
than the rocky mountains!", i scream with glee.

my legs give out, they're tired of all the turns,
back sore, lips chapped, knees torn, my body aches.
i gasp for air my lungs begin to burn,
i'll ski dawn to dusk no matter what it takes.

warm in the car, after a day well spent;
back down the hill, home to a well-cooked meal.
i will be back soon, this is my intent.
to spend life on the slopes, this would be ideal!

o beautiful the purple mountains rise,
in your ski slopes i love to spend my time.
i dream of skiing as my body lies,
tired and spent after a day sublime.

feng shui

2007-04-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

i think it's really funny that my dad attributes his sleeping problems to bad feng shui. my parents switched around their bedroom furniture about 6 months ago. in the past month, my dad has had trouble sleeping. his conclusion? the room has bad feng shui. what about the 5 months prior when he slept well in the room? no, the room just has bad feng shui.

the bed currently faces SE/NW. apparently, it is better feng shui when the bed isn't angled and faces E/W or N/S. so i spent the last hour helping my dad rearrange the furniture, while my mom watched and made fun of feng shui. in case you're concerned about the feng shui of your bedroom, here are a few other suggestions. my dad printed these out for me from the internet because i "need to make sure my new apartment has good feng shui."

1. the bedroom should be as far away as possible from the front door, mirroring the practice of our prehistoric ancestors who did not sleep in the mouth of their cave.

2. on entering your bedroom, note where the windows are located. chi tends to travel between the door and any windows, so avoid positioning your bed in line with this draught of chi.

3. position your bed so that you can see the door from where you sleep. this gives you a deep sense of inner security.

4. if it is feasible, position your bed as far away from the door as possible.

5. avoid sleeping with your head close to a window as your chi will dissipate through the window and make you feel more tired on awakening.

6. to help protect your own chi while you are asleep, to internalize it and recharge it, make sure you have a strong, stable headboard. chi energy enters and exits the body through the feet, hands and the top of the skull. having a solid mountain behind you while you sleep is far more beneficial than a cold, blank wall or worse, the cutting chi of an ornate brass bedstead.

7. ceiling beams above the bed are a feng shui nightmare. they can be a source of cutting chi and the beams carry a tremendous load.

8. if you sleep with another, make sure your bed is symbolic of this relationship. beds that are rickety or likely to fall apart speak volumes about the state of the relationship.

9. avoid sleeping with your image visible in a mirror. the worst scenario of all is a mirror at the foot of your bed.

10. pay attention to what is under your bed. keep the space clear and get rid of any unwanted items there.

the caffeine curve

2007-04-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

sushi extravaganza

2007-04-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

The picture above is the best sushi meal I have ever eaten. Just looking at the picture makes my mouth water. The delectable meal was the chef's special; each fish was chosen by the chef from the best they had available. It was a sushi surprise.

Each piece of fish felt like it turned to cream in your mouth. No piece tasted too fishy. Each was uniquely different from the next. Even the ginger tasted amazing. And the sake was smooth, warm, and a delicious complement to the meal.

The best part of the dinner was that I was able to enjoy it with (and courtesy of) a good friend. So thanks to Allison (and Blue Ribbon Sushi) for an amazing sushi dinner.

2007-04-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Risk and Reward

2007-04-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

Recently, I was reading the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25: 14-28. In the parable, a master goes on a journey and leaves his servants in charge of his property. He gives a different amount of talents to each of the servants “according to his ability”. Two of the servants take the talents they were given and doubled their value while the master was away. The third servant took his talent and buried it in the ground.
When the master returns, he praises the first two servants saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” The third servant is rebuked for his lazy attitude. At the very least, his talent could have earned money in the bank. Instead, it was useless buried in the ground.
As I was thinking about this parable, it isn’t so hard for me to identify with the third servant. He may have been lazy, but he took the safe road. He could have invested the talent, but there was always a risk that he could lose all of what he had. He chose safety over risk. He chose a road with no responsibility. He didn’t try to think of what he could do to increase the amount he had. He just buried it. And under the ground, he didn’t have to think about it. He knew it would be there when he returned.
It’s easy to follow the path of the third servant. It’s easy to play it safe and not take risks in life. After all, when you’re playing it safe, it’s easier to control things on your own. The outcome is more predictable. You don’t have to ask for help. You’re in familiar territory. You feel safe.
I don’t think God wants us to play it safe. He wants us to take risks. He wants us to trust Him to control our lives. He wants us to follow His paths even when we don’t know why or how or even the final destination. It reminds me of when God called Abram and said, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12: 1-2) God told him to leave everything that was familiar; leave your family, your friends, your surroundings, your comfort zone and go where I tell you. He didn’t tell Abram how he would get there or what would happen along the way. All Abram knew was that God made a promise to bless him. And in faith, Abram left. He followed God. It wasn’t an easy road for him...and there were lots of roadblocks along the way. Abram didn’t always make the right decision, but God was working all along through great acts of faith (his willingness to sacrifice his son) and moments of disbelief (Hagar). Abram didn’t play it safe. He could’ve taken the path of the third servant by staying in his home with his family and friends. But what would he have gained if he had done this? He is a pillar of faith, an example of an imperfect man that followed God and believed His promises.
In the parable, the master says, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” God expects much from those who He has blessed with much. He wants us to follow him. He wants us to take risks with what He has given us. He wants us to follow him, unafraid and trusting in His perfect will.
I’m about to move 3,000 miles across the country. It’s a risk. I’m leaving a place where I’m comfortable, where I understand how I fit in, where I know people. In the past, God has blessed me tremendously each time I’ve taken a risk. It has never been easy. In fact, it has been quite painful at times. However, I can’t begin to imagine where I’d be right now if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zones. I don’t know where I would be today if I had buried my talent over and over. God blesses those who are willing to takes risks and follow Him...no matter where that might lead. Even 3,000 miles away...

Peaches

2007-03-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Peaches went to doggie heaven today. She was 17 years old...or 119 in dog years. It's sad, though, because she really was a part of the family. We first got Peaches when I was only 7 years old. My brother and I had really wanted a dog (our other one had died) and kept asking my parents for one. One day, my parents picked us up and there was a dog in the car. Our immediate question was, "Whose dog is that?" We were so excited when they said, "She's ours!"

Peaches was smart. When she was young, we taught her to jump over the ironing board. When she was old, she figured out where we stored her treats and would go and stand near the cabinet and bark at us until we gave her one. She always knew when Spencer and I were asleep in our rooms. And she loved waking us up. She would sit and whine at our doors until we woke up and let her in. Then she would sleep with us in the bed...looking much like the picture above.

I'm sad that my little dog is gone. It will be incredibly sad to not have her there to welcome me home the next time I'm in Colorado. I'll miss her when I'm sitting on the couch and need someone to sit on my feet to warm them up. I'll miss her whining and her begging for food. I'll miss hearing her collar jingle as she walks about the house.

Sometimes it seems stupid to me to be sad about a dog. But she was my dog. She was part of my life for most of my life. In this Easter season, I suppose this is just a reminder that this world we live in is broken, it has sadness, it is full of death. I'm glad that Christ came to conquer all of that.

As my brother wrote in an email today, "God gave us a great dog that was a big part of our family and brought us a great deal of joy for 17 years." He's right. Peaches brought us lots of joy and we will miss her, but we will always have great memories of our little Baby Peaches La Peche Hunt.

my latest food obsession

2007-03-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

i go through various phases during which i'm obsessed with certain foods. by obsessed, i mean that i crave these foods all the time. it doesn't matter whether it's breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or a snack. my latest obsession is what i want.

last spring/early summer it was peanut butter/banana shakes with soy milk. the peanut butter needs to be organic crunchy...and they're best when the PB/banana ratio is such that you can taste the banana, but it doesn't overpower the PB and vice versa.

my late summer obsession were pita sandwiches with hummus, tomatoes, cheese, and ham. the pitas were best toasted and were often too soggy if i made one in the morning and brought it to work for lunch.

my current obsession? veggie burgers. all varieties work. black bean...normal...etc. i like them without a bun. with baby tomatoes sliced on top. and sprouts on top of the tomatoes. then i sprinkle on some Tabasco sauce and lemon juice. mmmmm.

mmmm...the beach is glorious

2007-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Seattle Pictures

2007-02-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

I rode on a ferry! (I hear they're pretty safe...or so Grey's Anatomy tells me)

View of Seattle from the ferry.

The balcony I stood on...

Unil all of these birds came...

...and forced me to take pictures like this from inside the ferry.

This is the sign from the very first Starbucks. I didn't buy a coffee because the line was too long.

View of Lake Union

The view from my hotel room

2007-02-15T08:31:00.001-08:00

Ergopod500

2007-02-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

What are the chances that I can get my company to spring for one of these Ergopods? According to the site [linked in title], I can improve my productivity if I work with this work station. Either that, or I'll just fall asleep...

Lego Bible

2007-02-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is one of the funniest websites I've seen in a while. Check it out at www.thebricktestament.com

a reason to move to the west coast?

2007-02-06T17:12:00.001-08:00

2007-02-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

Death by Coffee

2007-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered how much caffeine it would take to kill you? On this website (http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine/), you can enter your drink of choice and your weight and it will tell you how many cups/drinks it would take to kill you. I would die if I drank 70.60 cups of drip coffee or 88.25 Starbucks Grande Cappucinnos. All I know is it takes 3 cups in a morning for my heart to start racing.

Thy Mercy

2007-02-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

I love this CD. Love it. I've always loved hymns and their rich lyrics. These folksy, acoustic hymns are beautiful. I especially love Thy Mercy. Caedmon's Call has it on one of their CDs. I just love the version by Sandra McCracken. (the title is linked to her website where you can listen to it)

Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue.
Thy free grace alone from the first to the last,
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast.

Without thy sweet mercy I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair.
But through thy free goodness, my spirit's revived.
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by thy goodness I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I've found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

American Society for Velociraptor Attacks (ASVA)

2007-01-31T17:14:00.000-08:00

Prepare yourself for a potential velociraptor attack. (http://www.velociraptors.info/)

"When buying a new home, there are a few things to look out for when assessing potential velociraptor attacks:

Check all doors and windows. Doors should be made of solid oak or steel. Windows should have steel bars with spacing smaller than the average raptor.
Make sure all entryways have adequate deadbolts. Quality deadbolts may be purchased at your local Home Depot.
Always keep a loaded big-game rifle under your bed, and tire irons near every door. Remember, you should never be farther than 20 feet away from a tire iron."

IP Locator

2007-01-31T17:10:00.000-08:00

Last week my computer broke and couldn't locate an IP address. This week, I found a website that locates exactly where I am based on my computer's IP address [Website linked to the title of this post]. It's semi-scary that it is that easy.

Type in my IP address: 130.76.60.226

If I dig a very deep hole, where I go to stop?

2007-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

Click on the title to this post and you can find out where you would end up if you started digging a hole at some location on the earth. From my apartment, I would end up somewhere in the Indian Ocean.