from the flat.

christmas on the tred avon

2012-01-10T12:12:00.004-05:00

The Lord's mercies are new every morning.

there's about twenty solid christmas songs.

2011-12-06T12:05:00.003-05:00

unless it's a particularly bad arrangement, usually these are all stellar christmas songs:

little drummer boy

o come emmanuel

love came down at christmas

noel

judy garland's merry little christmas

o holy night

taylor swift's santa baby

all i want for christmas is you

mary did you know

do you hear what I hear

all of andrew peterson's Behold The Lamb of God album

1 Samuel 7:12

2011-11-17T15:42:00.002-05:00

'Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer*, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”'

*Ebenezer means stone of help.

the road back to tempe

2011-11-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

, a photo by Mythopoetic on Flickr.

AZ trip

2011-11-17T10:05:00.002-05:00

, a photo by Mythopoetic on Flickr.

the grand canyon! right before we hiked it.

AZ trip

2011-11-17T09:56:00.003-05:00

a photo by Mythopoetic on Flickr.

Saguaro cactus in Arizona

the heater and the cold.

2011-10-03T23:36:00.002-04:00

When my little heater is chugging out hot air for me, for some reason the mental image I get of the little thing doing its work is an oil pipeline, chugging oil out of the earth. I don't know why.

some of my favorite things to do

2011-09-14T22:19:00.000-04:00

currently:

creating a perimeter of soap and dousing it with left-over boiled water to sanitize the sink.

binding packets at work.

replacing the staples in a stapler.

previously:

mopping the floors at departure

going running after work at wycliffe

buffing stainless steel

a little self-congratulations

2011-09-13T19:44:00.001-04:00

I've cooked for the past three nights. That's a feat.

sunday: meatball curry. finally.

monday: chicken curry. i was on a theme.

tuesday: baguette french toast. and blueberry syrup. which I had made.

advice for living in dc

2011-09-09T22:26:00.000-04:00

Found this on the world wide web the other day.

Pretty awesome: DC: A Guide for Twentysomethings Who Want to Live on the Hill

the salad that made the other salads cry

2011-09-01T12:48:00.001-04:00

Arugula/mixed greens
Black beans
Goat cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Yellow peppers
Avocado
Crushed tortilla chips
Wedge of lime, squeezed
Dressing: light olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic clove, dijon mustard, salt/pepper

I knew I was a city person.

2011-08-21T22:16:00.002-04:00

I just need to move a little bit further in... all the way to the Hill.

The neighbor committee-people of Capitol Hill have these annual (presumably) dinner parties where a book is the centerpiece for the menu and atmosphere. This is a party-theme after my own heart.

A Literary Feast, it's called.

fahrenheit and celsius, for my own reference

2011-08-18T20:12:00.002-04:00

Quick reference for myself, when I'm talking to British people

3 degrees Celsius, 37 degrees Fahrenheit

5 degrees Celsius, 41 degrees Fahrenheit

10 degrees Celsius, 50 degrees Fahrenheit

16 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit

20 degrees Celsius, 68 degrees Fahrenheit

25 degrees Celsius, 77 degrees Fahrenheit

32 degrees Celsius, 90 degrees Fahrenheit

35 degrees Celsius, 95 degrees Fahrenheit

38 degrees Celsius, 100 degrees Fahrenheit

So I guess double and then add 30 roughly works?

we love summer

2011-08-09T21:07:00.000-04:00

it's worth mentioning

2011-08-02T20:50:00.002-04:00

August 2, 2011

One year exactly since I left London.

It was quite a year, and it's been quite a year.

spotted: good design

2011-07-20T23:02:00.008-04:00

Way to go McDonalds design people.

everything changes

2011-07-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

Campus Crusade for Christ is changing their name. Steve Douglass "himself" emailed me about it. Apparently, they had the big unveil out at staff conference at CSU.

Read the official press release here.

It makes sense, but still I have way more affinity for the original name and logo.

word of the day

2011-07-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

Heard: bevy

Noting from real conversations, the artful and appropriate use of a exemplary word.
Word of the day.

ice breakers

2011-07-13T22:46:00.001-04:00

"If your life were a tv show, what show would it be?"

My old roommate told me that mine would be "Fraser". I'm okay with that. I just love it.

Fraser and Niles are so smart. The dad keeps a touch of reality, and I love that a Brit is one of the main characters.

heck yes

2011-07-13T22:29:00.002-04:00

I get to see my grandparents more since I moved nearer to family when I came back from London. I don't mind summertime at their house and the pool either.

4th with new friends

2011-07-07T00:35:00.003-04:00

a. California and Tennessee
b. Iwo Jima memorial
c. Fireworks across the Potomac
d. California and Florida

general service announcement

2011-07-05T00:13:00.003-04:00

Did anyone know that Wycliffe had a regional office in Washington DC?

Me either. But now we all know. So excited to have Wycliffe up here!

i'm okay with cubicles.

2011-06-20T18:21:00.000-04:00

This is one of the reasons I'm okay with working in an office.

answering that question

2011-06-16T22:23:00.004-04:00

I really dislike the small talk question, "So, what kind of music do you like?" Besides that it is always exactly how the question is framed, this question makes me nervous.

I don't understand the motive behind this question, besides the obvious to-get-to-know-you motive. As less than average music enthusiast, I don't really know where to take you in answering this question. It's a dead-end for me.

Do I just list off a few people? I'm not into music, so I already know I can't take you there. If I quickly answer and turn the question around, then again it won't be helpful because I can't parry when you answer with something that would spark a conversation with a music enthusiast.

I used to say I really liked Sarah Brightman but then I either got "who's that?", or was mocked. I don't care. Sarah Brightman is awesome.

I also don't know the rules for describing "the music you like". Do you list genre, band, album? Singer? (I also have issues with calling singers, "artists", but I'll hold back). And are you allowed to list people everyone likes, like the Beatles?

Personally, I think this is a boring question. But I know this is just because I'm not a music person. So if we're conversing to get to know each other, there's that.

I've been trying to work out a decent answer for next time this comes around. Since I don't live in the music world (I'm more of a talk radio, podcast kind of girl), I need to think. Usually, I just say whoever comes to my head that doesn't sound ridiculous, you know, like saying you used to love Steve Green.

I probably should memorize to aid in my interpersonal exchanges.

Sarah Brightman
Mumford and Sons
Sondre Lerch
Abba (Mamma Mia)
Jacob Simmons
Andrew Peterson
Fernando Ortega
Journey
Regina Spektor
Soundtracks
The Beatles
Sara Evans
Death Cab for Cutie, that one song

But just because I say I like any of these people does know mean I know the band member's names, all of their songs, or any of the lyrics.

maryland.

2011-06-15T09:18:00.000-04:00

there's no point looking for alligators
i miss treefrogs
it's safe to shuffle through leaves
no lizards to jump out at you
nothing scary in the lakes.

good things about maryland.

2011-06-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

They have fireflies and bunnies.

finally like Florida weather

2011-05-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Florida this weekend, and I'm desperately trying to add a little color to my skin so my friends will recognize me.

normal blog things.

2011-05-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

I would share recipes on here, like a good blogger, but I never cook any more.

this book was swelligans

2011-05-15T21:29:00.001-04:00

image source

Once I finished Harry Potter, I had to find something to fill the void.

The day after I finished book 7, I wandered down to our library to find something else to read while I was still on a reading kick. I was still feeling fiction.

I'd never read Hemingway, and he seems like kind of a big deal, and this book wasn't too imposing looking. So I picked it up for a go. During lunch, I read the first half. I was going to save the second half for the next day, but at the end of the day I bolted downstairs, checked it out and finished it as soon as I got home.

That guy has got talent. Only one thing happens in the entire book, and you just had to know how the one thing turned out.

these are my fave.

2011-04-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

retraction.

2011-04-16T09:43:00.000-04:00

I was gutted when Cedric died in book four.

I am no longer sad he died. Naturally, I decided to watch movie four, now that I was done with book four. Did you know that the guy from Twilight plays Cedric? That's right, Edward is Cedric.

It's really hard to feel sorry about a vampire dying.

the obsession is heightening.

2011-04-11T23:56:00.002-04:00

Last night, I had a couple things I was sad about. I mulled them over instead of sleeping.

I compiled a short mental list to examine later. But something had escaped the list. I could tell because I could still feel the unnamed trouble still pulling on my mind.

Oh, I remembered. Cedric was dead.

That's right! I have discovered Harry Potter. That night I had just finished up Harry Potter book 4. Harry and I sat on the couch for three hours Sunday afternoon and our session culminated with Harry and poor Cedric Diggory suddenly flung into Voldemort's path and Cedric is killed. It was so shocking. He was such a nice kid. He loved Quidditch. This was the final thing weighing on my mind.

I am having so much fun being caught up in this, I don't even care how ridiculous it is to be so caught up in this. I'm so glad I didn't discover the series until now, after the series is completed. I have all seven books at my fingertips and can tear through them as quickly as my emotions will allow.

macro

2011-03-27T22:28:00.002-04:00

ikea pillow.

I know everyone has already seen this.

2011-03-27T13:36:00.001-04:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)

But it's so great, that I don't care.

Plus, I saw he (of course) has a website and looked it over. There is just something about the whole idea that I like, plus his "about me" is pretty well written.

my one day in Ireland

2011-03-16T21:46:00.001-04:00

That's right. I've been to Ireland. For a whole twelve hours or so.

I've only been to Northern Ireland, not the Republic. I went to Belfast for a conference in November a year and a half ago now.

And I took a picture of the ground, just in case from it you could tell I was standing on awesome Irish soil

St. Patrick's Prayer

2011-03-16T21:41:00.001-04:00

My annual post of this rad prayer.

Its authorship is attributed to St. Patrick.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayer of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightening,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison,against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

my light at night

2011-03-16T21:18:00.003-04:00

terrible English words

2011-03-15T21:15:00.002-04:00

Jeggings.

Signage.

Resource. (when used as a stae of being verb or whatever. eg, "We would like to resource you"

Ajudication. Not really; that word is cool.

Collate.

Linkages.

the one where I join fifth grade readers.

2011-03-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

I just started reading Harry Potter book 1.

Collect yourself and keep reading. For various reasons, I've never read Harry Potter up until now. And I'm a reader. My little brother, who shares my taste in lit, has re-enumerated various times that I'm seriously missing out. And I trust him.

So I'm getting around to it. Just thought I'd share.

And yes I know Dumbledore dies. But I've only seen a few movies so don't go telling me anything else that happens past like book three.

jamie oliver

2011-03-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Just bought Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Food Revolution.

Rationale:
Tempted because Border is going out of business, and everything was on sale.
Reconsidered because I tend to like more spice than I usually found in English cooking.
Remembered that a lot of Americans had recommended it.
Pushed over into the positive because of the cache of curry and korma recipes.

Bonus:
Flipping through the book to find the pictures of British people.

symptoms

2011-03-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

On my drive to work, there is this stretch of highway that looks exactly like a section of I-4 in Orlando. For five long seconds, I enjoy the feeling of being back in Florida.

This is what homesickness can do to you. I never liked driving on I-4 when I lived in Orlando. If I went back, I wouldn't like it. But because I'm not there, I indulge in the nostalgia.

the loneliest whale

2011-03-05T20:26:00.002-05:00

This actually made me kind of sad.

And I'm not an animal lover.

Everyone empathizes with being alone.

image source.

mark 4

2011-02-22T09:29:00.004-05:00

Mark 4 (New International Version, ©2010)

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

NIV from Bible Gateway.

Has anyone else had trouble understanding this bit of Mark? Especially, 4:23-25.

I consulted my awesome A Translator's Translation of the New Testament in hopes of clarification.

This how it puts 4:23-25:

If you want to understand this, you should consider carefully what you have just heard.

Then he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear me say to you, for God will let you understand to the same degree that you carefully consider what I say. He will let you understand even more than that. Those who consider what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who do not consider carefully what I say, they will forget even what they already know.

A Translator's Translation of the New Testament, Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.

The italics are not mine. They are how it is written in the book. This New Testament is (quoting from the front page, "A translation that has arisen out of the process of producing a source text of the New Testament for minority languages."

What the italic bits are is, "the implicit information that is deemed necessary to understand what the original writer intended to convey is supplied in italics."

Brilliant. This helps me a lot.

This translation simplified language and explains cultural jargon and concepts which a lot of people would find foreign. This aid helps the translator with the first step of discovering the meaning of a passage and insuring that that is what gets across in the translation.

an england remnant

2011-02-19T22:37:00.006-05:00

I needed a band-aid the other day. I dug around looking for one, reached down into the bottom of the bag and fished out - a plaster!

"Band-aids" are "plasters" in the UK, and they are always blue because apparently it's the law or something. I don't know but I only ever saw blue ones. Health and safety.

2011-01-31T22:51:00.002-05:00

If fb groups were still cool, I would create one - "Make facebook fun again: ban businesses" - I really could care less if my bank, grocery store, etc. is on fb.

how to make oatmeal unhealthy

2011-01-26T10:57:00.002-05:00

Add peanut butter and chocolate chips.

But it's so so good.

outliers

2011-01-13T11:24:00.004-05:00

I really want to read this book Outliers.

When I went to email someone to ask if they had it, I wanted to refer to the author as well, and I couldn't remember his name. This is so frustrating, because I knew it.

As usual, I was appalled at the retrieval area of my memory. I told myself sit there until it came to me instead of googling the author. How will my brain ever learn otherwise? It probably took a full three minutes.

As I sifted through the possibilities, I wrote them down to help myself recall his name.

I feel like it's a really weird way to remember something (I remember learning this an off-beat philosophy of language class), but it has helped me in the past.

Redman

Dave Redman

David Sedaris

Malcolm

Malcolm Doyle

Malcolm

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell.

this past year

2011-01-05T22:42:00.007-05:00

2010 was more of the most notable years I've had to date. Mostly, I moved a lot and spent way too much time digging through boxes. But I consciously made the decisions I did and I stick by them. I do hope there's a bit more stability in 2011, though.

Here's 2010 in review with pictures from each month.

January
I got back to the UK just before New Years, and my American roommate and I spent the holiday with some great friends in Sheffield, England.

While we were there, besides freezing (because Steph and I are both from Florida), we got to see the Peak District, York and lots of countryside. Then it was back to work in London.

February

For my birthday in February I got an awesome package from my friend, Hannah, a teacher living in Taiwan.

January and February, and even into March blend together in my memory. They were dark, cold, and short days. The outside was so cold but when underground on the tube it was hot with all the people.

March
We climbed the Fire Monument. I'd been planning to go up the monument for a while and one day we just did it.

My favorite part of being in London was just roaming the streets. The monument is right over London Bridge on the north side of the Thames. Of course, they give you a certificate for climbing all the stairs to the top.

Before I went to London, I didn't know they had a massive fire in 1666.

April
I finally understand why in books and movies people love to rave about spring. I was so glad to see color and blue skies again, even if it was still cold.

In April, I did a lot of exploring on my own around the city.

May
We went to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. If I had remembered my Shakespeare, I would have remembered how gory Macbeth is but it was fun all the same.

If you are willing to stand for the performance, you can get five pound tickets.

June
I think June was my happiest month in London. It got warm and sunny. I got a nice sunburn in Greenwich Park the first Saturday we had great weather.

In good weather, everyone comes out to lie in the sun and have picnics. It gets really crowded and you have to claim a spot of ground. It's like the beach.

I finally felt comfortable with the city and how to navigate around my favorite places... I actually had favorite places. I had found some good friends outside our little team, and there was weekly frisbee at the park.

July
July was a little more manic but cool. We had good, even hot, weather.

At the end of the month, Steph and I went to Nice.We had been planning this trip for a while. With all of Europe so close by, it was hard to decide where to go. My only stipulation was it had to be on the Mediterranean.So we went to Nice and I saw the Mediterranean for the first time!

Then one of our teammates got married. She let me make the cake - such a scary job- and she asked me to be a bridesmaid.

July was also really scary though because I was getting ready to leave some great people and a nice situation and I wasn't sure what I was going to come back to in the US.

August
In August, I travelled all over. But I was mostly in Florida.

I counted- 4 different cities in August, 9 different hosts - 7 days was my longest stay in one place. 2 weddings.

I was job searching. My friend Kristi was getting ready to go to Norway. At the end of the month, I left Florida, my home area, and went to Maryland.

September
I got offered a job in Maryland and decided to go for it. Instead of going back to the familiar Florida, I decided to take the challenge and relocate. I took the job. Besides my family, I knew no one. I spent a lot of time on skype and the phone with friends.

October
Nothing says diversion like a sibling getting married. My older brother got married to this wonderful girl. We all went down to Florida for the event.

For me, it was awesome to be back in my home state, feel the warm sun. But especially to see friends, some I hadn't seen since before London.

November
Really cold and working hard at settling into a new job. I had to get warmer shoes, especially since I had to paperclip-rig them.

December
Two of the best times I had in the fall was when I had friends come up to DC. I went down to the city twice for the weekend to see old friends from Orlando.

really deep post

2010-12-31T16:49:00.007-05:00

I love moleskines! I can't talk about the goodness of these notebooks enough.

These are the newest acquisitions.

Moleskine should pay me to advertise all the possibilities with their notebooks.

pointless things I do.

2010-12-26T19:40:00.002-05:00

Keep my tea bag even though I know it will be too weak to use a second time.

Spin the hot/cold dial in my car, thinking it will make the air warm up more quickly.

Scheme for ways to not wear long sleeves in the winter.

domes

2010-12-22T21:03:00.007-05:00

Six months ago, St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Now, Capitol building, Washington, DC.

(No, I'm not living in DC, just near it.)

winter solstice!

2010-12-21T23:02:00.002-05:00

Today: shortest day of the year

Tomorrow: a day a little bit longer than yesterday

Day after tomorrow: longer days until midsummers!

vitas, counter tenor

2010-12-21T21:02:00.000-05:00

Forgot how awesome this guy is.

best color.

2010-12-08T22:39:00.004-05:00

I have had this awesome color in my head. It's in between blue and green and it'd be an awesome color to paint a wall.

I've googled for the color, even looked at paint swatches when I've happened to be in a hardware store or something (I love also that I'm thinking about this when there's absolutely no paintable walls in my life).

However, it came upon me the other day when I googled Tiffany's while watching "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

Voila.

image source.

this website is so cool.

2010-12-07T22:38:00.002-05:00

http://artofthetrench.com

It's Burberry and The Sartorialist.

things that happened while i was in the uk

2010-12-03T23:12:00.005-05:00

the tea party movement

justin bieber/katy perry/lady gaga

wikileaks

those kindle things for ebooks

miss list

2010-12-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

What I miss about London
being able to walk places.
awesome people from all sorts of countries.
St. Helens.
Tower Bridge, the South Bank, the Thames.
meatball curry.
taking the tube places.
awesome architecture everywhere.

What I don’t miss about London
being cold outside and hot inside the tube.
no sun.
the five hour time difference.
health and safety (seriously a class to use a ladder?).
no water fountains.

most beautiful word in the English language

2010-12-01T10:29:00.002-05:00

Do you remember reading Tolkien on this?

Dictionary.com is talking about the most beautiful-sounding word in the English language.

Short article here.

the neverhood.

2010-11-29T21:06:00.004-05:00

best computer game ever.

claymation, a story line, intelligent.

image source

audrey

2010-11-23T21:30:00.002-05:00

The top ten reasons Audrey is an awesome baby name.

1. It's a classic.
2. It's cute but not cutesy.
3. It's a serious name.
4. It works for a baby, a high school freshman, and a grandma.
5. Names that start with vowels generally rock.
6. It's only two syllables.
7. Nobody ever hated Audrey Hepburn.
8. It's not a deathly common name.
9. People know the name.
10. It's awesome.

kids are cute, from a distance.

2010-11-14T21:45:00.003-05:00

For two years, I had the most awesome Saudi friends. Before I went to London, they returned to Saudi. I really liked their four kids, but I also realized how okay I am with not having kids at this juncture in my life. So much work!

In one afternoon, when I was watching the three youngest, my list of never-have-I-ever's shrunk considerably.

* I let the four year old scale a parking lot handicapped sign. What's it going to hurt? He didn't fall.

* Endured a crying fit from the young'un because he didn’t want to leave his sister

* Heard the best mis-speak from the nine year old, “But we don’t like to go there. We’re like… scary cats…”

* Asked one of them to lick his hand clean because it had melted chocolate all over it, and then finished the job by wiping his fingers on his shirt in the absence of napkins

* Prevented them from trolling out the window with a yoyo on the drive home

Bless their mother.

shoe fail

2010-11-01T22:57:00.006-04:00

I fixed it with two paperclips so I wouldn't look like a gimp around the office. It's time for closed-toes shoes anyway.

looking back to london.

2010-10-24T13:25:00.001-04:00

If I were to write about my experience of the United Kingdom from a sociological perspective, it would contain certain motifs. These would include toast, neon yellow vests, health and safety, and rain.

friday night

2010-10-22T21:23:00.001-04:00

On my third cup of tea. Just me and the dog around here tonight.

check it out.

2010-10-21T21:14:00.002-04:00

If you've been following the Chilean miner's rescue, check these two articles out.

This and this.

My dad used to work for this organization, and I fully support their mission and vision.

anthropologie

2010-10-20T13:07:00.002-04:00

Holy crow they are good.

I don't know how long it will stay as their front page, but check this out.

I don't have time now to enumerate the brilliance of their spot-on advertising, but you can probably discern the key aspects yourself.

across the world.

2010-10-17T17:16:00.003-04:00

it's five o'clock in the afternoon where I am. many of my friends are far-flung across the globe.

my friend in japan is probably already facing monday's work.

in saudi, she's probably getting the kids to settle down.

american friend in norway just heading to bed.

the english teacher in korea probably will wake up in an hour or two.

in england, they're ending the evening and getting ready for monday.

bigger family.

2010-10-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

I have a new sister! We didn't even have to adopt.

My big brother is married.

this is my surehope.

2010-10-14T09:51:00.002-04:00

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford, 1873
Psalm 146:1

simply breakfast

2010-10-13T21:46:00.004-04:00

Simply Breakfast is one of my favorite blogs. A photographer posts breakfast pictures almost daily. It's a nice escape from politics and strife and words sometimes.

this week's to do

2010-10-06T21:45:00.003-04:00

go to work.

get sick.

take a sick day. oh wait, I did that.

go to big brother's wedding!

white space

2010-10-02T23:13:00.002-04:00

the first (and only) full poem I ever memorized

2010-10-02T22:55:00.005-04:00

I met a traveler from an antique land

who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

tell that it's sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!"

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

"Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley

dear maryland.

2010-09-30T20:34:00.002-04:00

Dear Maryland,

I'm going to be frank. Why don't you install some street lights? There aren't sea turtles for 100 miles.

-me

commute: then and now

2010-09-28T21:43:00.004-04:00

Then.

Now.

Then: London, UK.
Now: Maryland, USA.

2010-09-26T19:12:00.001-04:00

to those this who read for philosophical and or intellect thoughts: sorry i've been so disappointing lately.

to those who read because they know me: I am employed. I have moved to Maryland. I (finally) got a car. I am currently in the market for friends.

me and media

2010-09-24T20:55:00.005-04:00

I don't care if google takes over the world, as long as there is still gmail, gchat and google search engine.

I'm a voracious podcast listener. I subscribe and regularly listen to upwards of half a dozen podcasts.

Twitter is just weird.

I can't get enough of good blogs.

you know them

2010-09-22T21:15:00.004-04:00

In my head, I think of them as "pastel words".

If you maintain a somewhat-girly blog, or if you read what they write, you know.

To have the right aura, you need the right words.

The goal is to sound engaging yet intelligent, maintaining the ultimate goal: to be charming on a computer screen. Most of the time, they are. But it still forces a search for adjectives.

As a reference, any of these will maintain that charming read:

adorable
autumn (opt for this over "fall")
crush
dreaming
enchanting
inspiration
magical
mish-mash
musings
obsessed
purple
rad -believe it or not
revel
sweet
whimsical

Please notice this is roughly alphabetized.

this time last year.

2010-09-19T17:33:00.002-04:00

I had just become arrived in London, UK.

I had been waiting so long to see Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

(photo by my old roommate, Stephanie)

best kids books EVER

2010-09-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

babar

miffy

madeline

if you give a mouse a cookie

frog and toad

tea.

2010-09-13T21:01:00.001-04:00

early grey.

dusting of sugar.

drip of half and half.

For some reason coffee hasn't been appealing to me, so it's tea all the way.

This intellectually stimulating post is brought to you by a recently-become 9 to 5 girl.

zooey deschanel

2010-09-11T22:00:00.003-04:00

I admit that one of the things I am looking forward to, as part of getting back into the working world, is the business-professional attire required.

Whoever did the wardrobe and design for Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer wins. That is a look that would be awesome to channel.

image source

image source

how cool is google?

2010-09-08T12:07:00.003-04:00

This was the google homepage yesterday.

The circles ran around the page and then settled in to the google logo, but stirred up again when you moved the cursor over it.

are you too busy?

2010-09-08T12:03:00.003-04:00

I'm busy with weird things.

Not too busy, though, because you can't be too busy when you're not employed.

I've been job searching, car searching, interviewing, and now I have a job offer! Hopefully stable living conditions and my own place will soon follow.

Things I'm most looking forward to:

owning my own car again.
having a coffee maker perpetually sitting on the counter, making coffee.
have a closet so i can organize my stuff.
pulling my belongings out of boxes and settling in.

I know, I'm such a girl. It's true.

when i'm away.

2010-09-06T19:36:00.006-04:00

It's nice to see family.
It's frustrating being away from friends.

Here's to hoping a compromise here soon!

how to... write for job-getting

2010-09-03T12:02:00.004-04:00

My preamble for this post is that I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm just thinking through how I've written coverletters in the past and how I'm writing them currently and how I think I should be writing them.

Please don't mistake this for advice.

Coverletters.

My writing in general is nothing to brag about. Yet. It works, it's usually grammatically correct, and it usually makes sense. I'm working on it. My plan is to keep writing and eventually be a tantalizing writer.

Thus far, in my job-pursuing writing, I have erred on the side of being too professional. When I'm applying for jobs, it usually involves multiple people, layers of hierarchy, and attaching documents for emails. I have no complaints with this system, but because of it I tend to also sound professional and cool. Though I hope I don't slide into bland.

Now into something like my dozenth cover letter in this season of job searching, I am beginning to self-assess. I've also consulted my brother who does grant writing for a living. For my own writing, I've concluded:

- More explanation. Explain in vivid, simple language what each item means
- More details. Mention relevant projects and duties in the cover letter. I usually reserved much of this for the resume.
- More of me. Sincerely explain why I want this job.

I'm trying to embrace the difficulty of crafting an eye-catching coverletter. I like how the structure is less rigid than a resume. As I learn how to compose a better letter, this freedom should end up to my benefit.

playing with filters

2010-09-01T11:32:00.005-04:00

1. Tred Avon River in Maryland

2. Eastern Shore of Maryland

3. Rocky Mountains

being back.. day 28

2010-08-30T23:26:00.005-04:00

Here are the numbers

4 cities. Baltimore, Orlando, Tampa, Pensacola

7 days. longest stay at one time

9 different hosts

2 very important weddings

0 cars acquired

4 bags, two large, two small which follow me around

1 call for a job interview

In my normal life, I'm a lot more sedentary.

at least there's people

2010-08-30T23:21:00.002-04:00

the best part about being back has been getting to see lots of people I like.

what are you doing today?

2010-08-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm going hunting. Job hunting.

What I'm hoping for is a marketing, writing, or communication position.

i'm such a geek.

2010-08-24T23:15:00.001-04:00

I found this youtube video on how to identify fonts by the shapes of their letters. And I'm finding it interesting.

the anthropologie dress

2010-08-23T13:42:00.007-04:00

this was the dress from anthropologie we wore for katie's wedding.

we loved it. really.

since I've been back.

2010-08-23T12:23:00.003-04:00

shocked at the obscene number of ounces of soda you can buy as a serving

discovered the new "sensation" Justin Bieber

realized that i no longer have any handle on where anything in Walgreens is

i don't expect car to drive on the left side, but I have to think about which way they'll be coming

need to call back someone about a possible interview!

back to the basics.

2010-08-16T11:32:00.002-04:00

Job searching.

Car searching (or wishing it was already done).

Home searching, i.e. temporary lodgings. I don't want to commit to a lease until I find item one.

back to the us: weddings

2010-08-10T12:41:00.003-04:00

jacquelyn and christian's wedding on the beach. august 7.

fresh back in the States.

2010-08-08T13:36:00.001-04:00

People talk about "nesting". I am just looking for a freakin tree.

last night in london.

2010-08-03T14:09:00.005-04:00

last night in london, august 1.

coming soon:

2010-08-01T18:50:00.000-04:00

The adventure returns to America.

Be back online soon.

first glimpse of the mediterranean.

2010-08-01T04:15:00.003-04:00

yes, it was from a bus. but still, look at that water.

little time left.

2010-07-29T21:33:00.002-04:00

Back to America soon.

on the lead up...

Nice, France for four days. just returned today and not sleepy enough yet

Wedding cake baking. holy cats! what i have i gotten myself into/this is going to be awesome!

Wedding. yippee