Check this out...
Cool Map Thing
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
the world IS flat...
...thanks to air travel.
I'm so excited to go that I want to write again! haha.
new favorite chocolate: Pocket Coffee by Ferrero. SOOOOO good. Somebody wanna buy me a case of them on Amazon.com? I hear TJs has a comparable product, so I'll try those.
This time tomorrow I'll be in San Diego. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, I DO have to go to the store for my Mexi-friends (that rhymes with Mexi-cans :) )
I think I'll go down to the tide pools, hopefully it will be low tide. I might go to an art museum, or I might just sit outside and read and look at the ocean in the 70 degree weather :) :) :)
Maybe the smile-ies are overkill. I'm so excited I can't think straight. I was going to take all the kids gifts, but I think I'll stick with carry-on luggage. I haven't packed yet, so that may change. I am going to print off some old photos for them.
I'm NOT taking my computer. whoa. This'll be the first vacation in a while that I haven't had it with me. But this means planning things now. Printing some maps, charging iPod, etc.
other people will have computers in Mex. so I might be tempted to check ye old email and things. I've done all my classwork that was due next week, so that's not a problem.
Jill pointed out to me that I forgot to mention that when we ate our black soup we called it gruel and made jokes about standing in the bread line and ration stamps and communism. Then we wondered when and why English lost engendered nouns, since English derives from languages that do have engendered nouns. Then we asked each other what do normal people joke/talk about? It was v. amusing.
ok. shower. print photos. buy sudoku calender. bank. laundry detergent. GO.
P.S. The World is Flat is a little outdated, and he says "value added" a lot. He also explained how people use the internet on their phones, really? I had no idea. :)
P.P.S. I just worked ten days in a row. Now I have ten days off in a row. that sounds like a good trade off to me!
P.P.P.S. well, ten days in a row with two snow days in the mix. I was supposed to work ten days in a row. Does that count?
I'm so excited to go that I want to write again! haha.
new favorite chocolate: Pocket Coffee by Ferrero. SOOOOO good. Somebody wanna buy me a case of them on Amazon.com? I hear TJs has a comparable product, so I'll try those.
This time tomorrow I'll be in San Diego. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, I DO have to go to the store for my Mexi-friends (that rhymes with Mexi-cans :) )
I think I'll go down to the tide pools, hopefully it will be low tide. I might go to an art museum, or I might just sit outside and read and look at the ocean in the 70 degree weather :) :) :)
Maybe the smile-ies are overkill. I'm so excited I can't think straight. I was going to take all the kids gifts, but I think I'll stick with carry-on luggage. I haven't packed yet, so that may change. I am going to print off some old photos for them.
I'm NOT taking my computer. whoa. This'll be the first vacation in a while that I haven't had it with me. But this means planning things now. Printing some maps, charging iPod, etc.
other people will have computers in Mex. so I might be tempted to check ye old email and things. I've done all my classwork that was due next week, so that's not a problem.
Jill pointed out to me that I forgot to mention that when we ate our black soup we called it gruel and made jokes about standing in the bread line and ration stamps and communism. Then we wondered when and why English lost engendered nouns, since English derives from languages that do have engendered nouns. Then we asked each other what do normal people joke/talk about? It was v. amusing.
ok. shower. print photos. buy sudoku calender. bank. laundry detergent. GO.
P.S. The World is Flat is a little outdated, and he says "value added" a lot. He also explained how people use the internet on their phones, really? I had no idea. :)
P.P.S. I just worked ten days in a row. Now I have ten days off in a row. that sounds like a good trade off to me!
P.P.P.S. well, ten days in a row with two snow days in the mix. I was supposed to work ten days in a row. Does that count?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
stone soup.
Sunday I had to come into work. (This is the day after the nasty snow storm).
At the gate the guard said, “what are you doing here today?”
I said, “I have to come into work.”
He said, “On a day like this, no you don’t.”
I said, “yeah, my boss made me.”
He said, “I highly doubt that” smiled, gave my card back to me and said “Be safe, mam.” I think he genuinely thought I was a workaholic that wanted to come in on the weekend. how amusing :)
My roommate got her car stuck in the snow last night. Just as we were about to give up and call some people to see if they wanted to help (i.e. boys) She looked up and there were two guys! The one said, “you need help?” and we gladly accepted. As soon as her car moved, I shouted thanks. They walked away without a word, handshake or anything. It was so mysterious.
Jill and I spent the day Tuesday making soup. Not necessarily because we wanted to make soup, but because I had bought too many carrots, celery and zucchini. The vegetables needed to be cooked before they went bad. We put everything in it. Potatoes, Garbanzo Beans, Rice, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Zucchini. I really appreciate that I have a roommate that doesn't like to overcook things. We really only heated the vegetables up in a frying pan, keeping them mostly firm and crisp before putting them in the soup. I had cooked a tiny bit of black beans, and dumped the whole pot in without draining them. Opps. Our soup turned a dark shade of gray-ish purple. But it tastes really good!! Now we have no produce in our fridge, but we have a big pot of soup.
On Saturday I finally made Pescado al Crema Chipotle (Fish in Chipotle cream sauce) which I had been talking about and craving for two weeks. Unfortunately, when I went to Kroger they didn't have cans of chipotles, and the little Mexican store near my house didn't have them either. Since the weather was so bad I decided to use Chiles Anchos and barbacue sauce (Salsa Lizano from Costa Rica that I had never opened). It turned out fine!
I had the chance to watch some super cute bilingual children on Saturday night. I was thrilled to talk to them in Spanish. The little girl wasn’t so keen on it though. Several of the times that I said things to her in Spanish she said “You talk too much.” Hahaha. I let her paint my toenails though, so I think she forgave me.
I go to San Diego on Saturday, and then Mexico on Sunday :) I’m pretty excited!
At the gate the guard said, “what are you doing here today?”
I said, “I have to come into work.”
He said, “On a day like this, no you don’t.”
I said, “yeah, my boss made me.”
He said, “I highly doubt that” smiled, gave my card back to me and said “Be safe, mam.” I think he genuinely thought I was a workaholic that wanted to come in on the weekend. how amusing :)
My roommate got her car stuck in the snow last night. Just as we were about to give up and call some people to see if they wanted to help (i.e. boys) She looked up and there were two guys! The one said, “you need help?” and we gladly accepted. As soon as her car moved, I shouted thanks. They walked away without a word, handshake or anything. It was so mysterious.
Jill and I spent the day Tuesday making soup. Not necessarily because we wanted to make soup, but because I had bought too many carrots, celery and zucchini. The vegetables needed to be cooked before they went bad. We put everything in it. Potatoes, Garbanzo Beans, Rice, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Zucchini. I really appreciate that I have a roommate that doesn't like to overcook things. We really only heated the vegetables up in a frying pan, keeping them mostly firm and crisp before putting them in the soup. I had cooked a tiny bit of black beans, and dumped the whole pot in without draining them. Opps. Our soup turned a dark shade of gray-ish purple. But it tastes really good!! Now we have no produce in our fridge, but we have a big pot of soup.
On Saturday I finally made Pescado al Crema Chipotle (Fish in Chipotle cream sauce) which I had been talking about and craving for two weeks. Unfortunately, when I went to Kroger they didn't have cans of chipotles, and the little Mexican store near my house didn't have them either. Since the weather was so bad I decided to use Chiles Anchos and barbacue sauce (Salsa Lizano from Costa Rica that I had never opened). It turned out fine!
I had the chance to watch some super cute bilingual children on Saturday night. I was thrilled to talk to them in Spanish. The little girl wasn’t so keen on it though. Several of the times that I said things to her in Spanish she said “You talk too much.” Hahaha. I let her paint my toenails though, so I think she forgave me.
I go to San Diego on Saturday, and then Mexico on Sunday :) I’m pretty excited!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
weather.
so this is what happened on Thursday in Baja California, Mexico. (I wasn't there though.)
Here is a before-esque shot.
This video shows water in a almost always dry river bed. This river runs through the town I lived in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmjGkSUnqiI
Close up of the bridge in my town, crumbling. the first seconds are cool, middle is boring...and the last 2 seconds are sweet. The river is stinking WIDE. 4x4's and people on Zip lines are currently crossing it. It seems there is a lot less water now than there was during the storm on Thursday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTxrsS2tqOo&feature=related
This is one of the 6 bridges down between my town and the States...check it crumble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frlQD9_ptpU&feature=related
This screen shot shows the long gray strip that is the river. This is def. a dry photo. I love the way it curves in the mountains. I'm supposed to go visit in 3 weeks. I hope the bridges get rebuilt by then...
Apparently there is tons of dead wood 10-15 feet high at the beach now, washed down from the mountains which is great b/c it takes a lot of work for trees to grow in the desert. Everybody loves free firewood!
Although all of this is "exciting" it's also sad for the people it affects negatively. People's shelters falling down because the mud they are built on is eroded away. Drinking water being polluted with out house water. Food/Propane/Gasoline shortages. Pray for them.
Click to make bigger.
Here is a before-esque shot.
This video shows water in a almost always dry river bed. This river runs through the town I lived in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmjGkSUnqiI
Close up of the bridge in my town, crumbling. the first seconds are cool, middle is boring...and the last 2 seconds are sweet. The river is stinking WIDE. 4x4's and people on Zip lines are currently crossing it. It seems there is a lot less water now than there was during the storm on Thursday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTxrsS2tqOo&feature=related
This is one of the 6 bridges down between my town and the States...check it crumble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frlQD9_ptpU&feature=related
This screen shot shows the long gray strip that is the river. This is def. a dry photo. I love the way it curves in the mountains. I'm supposed to go visit in 3 weeks. I hope the bridges get rebuilt by then...
Apparently there is tons of dead wood 10-15 feet high at the beach now, washed down from the mountains which is great b/c it takes a lot of work for trees to grow in the desert. Everybody loves free firewood!
Although all of this is "exciting" it's also sad for the people it affects negatively. People's shelters falling down because the mud they are built on is eroded away. Drinking water being polluted with out house water. Food/Propane/Gasoline shortages. Pray for them.
Click to make bigger.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Antartica
These 11 photos are worth a look at...
oh, and I ate Haggis today. A co-worker brought it in. yummy? not so much.
and P.S. I'm going to visit Mexico middle of February. Let's just hope they've rebuilt the bridges by them. I hear 6 are out between Tijuana and my town. If I think of it I'll post a you tube video of the bridges collapsing.
oh, and I ate Haggis today. A co-worker brought it in. yummy? not so much.
and P.S. I'm going to visit Mexico middle of February. Let's just hope they've rebuilt the bridges by them. I hear 6 are out between Tijuana and my town. If I think of it I'll post a you tube video of the bridges collapsing.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Cold Sunday...
Normally I love dressing up and wouldn't enjoy wearing fatigues everyday. But for some reason at work I have become perpetually cold in my business-ey attire, AND dress shoes are not good for clopping through the mounds of snow in the parking lot. What I wouldn't give for a pair of those high laced military boots on especially slushy days. I don't think just wanting the clothes is a good enough reason to join the military though :)
Last night I visited a Spanish speaking church that I had been wanting to visit. There are maybe 3 or 4 of them within a few minutes of my house. For about half the service I was sorely disappointed b/c it was more of a bilingual church. We would sing in Spanish and then the same lyrics in English, and the songs weren't ones we sang in Mexico (as if every church sings the same songs. dur. what a silly expectation.) The preaching was done in Spanish and English with the pastor repeating himself in both languages. Then I realized... Maybe this helps bridge the gap between the Spanish speakers and the English speakers. Maybe they are learning each other's language this way. Maybe this ministers to those who live nearby but don't happen to speak Spanish. sigh. It was nice. I think I'll visit once a month or something.
EVERYONE.
LOOK OUTSIDE.
It is a VERY beautiful day with the trees all white and picturesque.
ok. Happy Sunday!
Last night I visited a Spanish speaking church that I had been wanting to visit. There are maybe 3 or 4 of them within a few minutes of my house. For about half the service I was sorely disappointed b/c it was more of a bilingual church. We would sing in Spanish and then the same lyrics in English, and the songs weren't ones we sang in Mexico (as if every church sings the same songs. dur. what a silly expectation.) The preaching was done in Spanish and English with the pastor repeating himself in both languages. Then I realized... Maybe this helps bridge the gap between the Spanish speakers and the English speakers. Maybe they are learning each other's language this way. Maybe this ministers to those who live nearby but don't happen to speak Spanish. sigh. It was nice. I think I'll visit once a month or something.
EVERYONE.
LOOK OUTSIDE.
It is a VERY beautiful day with the trees all white and picturesque.
ok. Happy Sunday!
Friday, January 8, 2010
What are your priorities?
These four quotes I think are good food for thought:
On the 10 Commandments:
When Rabbi Menahem Mendl Morgenstern of Kotzk read in Exodus 24:7, "We will do and we will hear," he explained that some actions simply cannot be understood (or heard) until they are performed (or done). By doing, we understand...[we understand what great treasure is being offered.] Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Intro for Christians
On Wealth -quotes from Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety:
Being truly wealthy, does not require having many things; rather, it requires having what one longs for. Wealth is not an absolute. It is relative to desire. Every time we yearn for something we cannot afford, we grow poorer, whatever our resources. And every time we feel satisfied with what we have, we can be counted as rich, however little we may actually possess. pg 43
Humans have a tendency to cease being excited by anything after we have owned it for a short while. The quickest way to stop noticing something, my be to buy it- just as the quickest way to stop appreciating someone may be to marry him or her. We are tempted to believe that certain achievements and possessions will give us enduring satisfaction.
Ruskin wished to be wealthy in kindness, curiosity, sensitivity, humility, godliness and intelligence, a set of virtues to which he applied the collective name "life." The wealthiest people would be those who felt the keenest wonder gazing at the stars at night or who were best able to sense and alleviate the sufferings of others. "There is no wealth but life," he intoned: "life, including all its powers of love, of joy and of admiration. That country is richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others...Many of the persons commonly considered wealthy are, in reality, no more wealth than the locks of their own strong boxes, they being inherently and eternally incapable of wealth." pg 199
On the 10 Commandments:
When Rabbi Menahem Mendl Morgenstern of Kotzk read in Exodus 24:7, "We will do and we will hear," he explained that some actions simply cannot be understood (or heard) until they are performed (or done). By doing, we understand...[we understand what great treasure is being offered.] Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Intro for Christians
On Wealth -quotes from Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety:
Being truly wealthy, does not require having many things; rather, it requires having what one longs for. Wealth is not an absolute. It is relative to desire. Every time we yearn for something we cannot afford, we grow poorer, whatever our resources. And every time we feel satisfied with what we have, we can be counted as rich, however little we may actually possess. pg 43
Humans have a tendency to cease being excited by anything after we have owned it for a short while. The quickest way to stop noticing something, my be to buy it- just as the quickest way to stop appreciating someone may be to marry him or her. We are tempted to believe that certain achievements and possessions will give us enduring satisfaction.
Ruskin wished to be wealthy in kindness, curiosity, sensitivity, humility, godliness and intelligence, a set of virtues to which he applied the collective name "life." The wealthiest people would be those who felt the keenest wonder gazing at the stars at night or who were best able to sense and alleviate the sufferings of others. "There is no wealth but life," he intoned: "life, including all its powers of love, of joy and of admiration. That country is richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others...Many of the persons commonly considered wealthy are, in reality, no more wealth than the locks of their own strong boxes, they being inherently and eternally incapable of wealth." pg 199
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