YogaNerd

more Dickinson

2011-03-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

He fumbles at your spirit
As players at the keys
Before they drop full music on;
He stuns you by degrees,

Prepares your brittle substance
For the ethereal blow,
By fainter hammers, further heard,
Then nearer, then so slow

Your breath has time to straighten,
Your brain to bubble cool, --
Deals one imperial thunderbolt
That scalps your naked soul.

--Emily Dickinson

also, here is a short video I made of Images that I really Love.

Note, that there is no intention for copyright infringement. I have borrowed these images from google image searches. Please contact me, if there is a problem, and I will immediately remove the image/video.

Springtime

2011-03-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

It's all I have to bring to-day,
This, and my heart beside,
This, and my heart, and all the fields,
and all the meadows wide.

Be sure to count, should I forget, --
someone the sum could tell, --
This, and my heart, and all the bees
which in clover dwell

--Emily Dickinson (and not the Liz Lemon's cat)

==============================================
Springtime has arrived in Paris. The lunchroom at work is noisier than ever making it more difficult for me to hear people. The trees are blooming. The tourists are swarming Notre Dame. All I can do is put away my winter coat and smile. I love springtime.

Wretches and Jabberers

2011-03-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

I'm interested in watching this documentary about Autism.
Wretches and Jabberers

And here is a song from the soundtrack
One Whole Hour

So right in so many ways

2011-03-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

Don't question it. Just embrace it.

The Perfect High

2010-05-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

There once was a boy named Gimme-Some-Roy...
He was nothin' like me or you,
'cause laying back and getting high
was all he cared to do.

As a kid, he sat in the cellar...
sniffing airplane glue.
And then he smoked banana peels,
when that was the thing to do.
He tried aspirin in Coca-Cola,
he breathed helium on the sly,
and his life became an endless search
to find the perfect high.

But grass just made him wanna lay back
and eat chocolate-chip pizza all night,
and the great things he wrote when he was stoned
looked like shit in the morning light.

Speed made him wanna rap all day,
reds laid him too far back,
Cocaine-Rose was sweet to his nose,
but the price nearly broke his back.

He tried PCP, he tried THC,
but they never quite did the trick.
Poppers nearly blew his heart,
mushrooms made him sick.
Acid made him see the light,
but he couldn't remember it long.
Hash was a little too weak,
and smack was a lot too strong.
Quaaludes made him stumble,
booze just made him cry,
Then he heard of a cat named Baba Fats
who knew of the perfect high.

Now, Baba Fats was a hermit cat...
lived high up in Nepal,
High on a craggy mountain top,
up a sheer and icy wall.

"Well, hell!" says Roy,
"I'm a healthy boy,
and I'll crawl or climb or fly,
Till I find that guru
who'll give me the clue
as to what's the perfect high."

So out and off goes Gimme-Some-Roy,
to the land that knows no time,
Up a trail no man could conquer,
to a cliff no man could climb.
For fourteen years he climbed that cliff...
back down again he'd slide . . .
He'd sit and cry, then climb some more,
pursuing the perfect high.

Grinding his teeth,
coughing blood,
aching and shaking and weak,
Starving and sore,
bleeding and tore,
he reaches the mountain peak.
And his eyes blink red like a snow-blind wolf,
and he snarls the snarl of a rat,
As there in repose,
and wearing no clothes,
sits the god-like Baba Fats.

"What's happenin', Fats?" says Roy with joy,
"I've come to state my biz . . .
I hear you're hip to the perfect trip...
Please tell me what it is.
"For you can see," says Roy to he,
"I'm about to die,
So for my last ride, tell me,
how can I achieve the perfect high?"

"Well, dog my cats!" says Baba Fats.
"Another burned out soul,
Who's lookin' for an alchemist
to turn his trip to gold.
It isn't in a dealer's stash,
or on a druggist's shelf...
Son, if you would find the perfect high,
find it in yourself."

"Why, you jive mother-fucker!" says Roy,
"I climbed through rain and sleet,
I froze three fingers off my hands,
and four toes off my feet!
I braved the lair of the polar bear,
I've tasted the maggot's kiss.
Now, you tell me the high is in myself?
What kinda shit is this?

My ears, before they froze off," says Roy,
"had heard all kindsa crap;
But I didn't climb for fourteen years
to hear your sophomore rap.
And I didn't climb up here to hear
that the high is on the natch,
So you tell me where the real stuff is,
or I'll kill your guru ass!"

"Okay...okay," says Baba Fats,
"You're forcin' it outta me...
There is a land beyond the sun
that's known as Zabolee.
A wretched land of stone and sand,
where snakes and buzzards scream,
And in this devil's garden blooms
the mystic Tzutzu tree.

Now, once every ten years it blooms one flower,
as white as the Key West sky,
And he who eats of the Tzutzu flower
shall know the perfect high.
For the rush comes on like a tidal wave...
hits like the blazin' sun.
And the high? It lasts forever,
and the down don't never come.

But, Zabolee Land is ruled by a giant,
who stands twelve cubits high,
And with eyes of red in his hundred heads,
he awaits the passer-by.
And you must slay the red-eyed giant,
and swim the river of slime,
Where the mucous beasts await to feast
on those who journey by.
And if you slay the giant and beasts,
and swim the slimy sea,
There's a blood-drinking witch who sharpens her teeth
as she guards the Tzutzu tree."

"Well, to hell with your witches and giants," says Roy,
"To hell with the beasts of the sea--
Why, as long as the Tzutzu flower still blooms,
hope still blooms for me."
And with tears of joy in his sun-blind eyes,
he slips the guru a five,
And crawls back down the mountainside,
pursuing the perfect high.

"Well, that is that," says Baba Fats,
sitting back down on his stone,
Facing another thousand years of talking to God, alone.
"Yes, Lord, it's always the same...
old men or bright-eyed youth...
It's always easier to sell 'em some shit
than it is to tell them the truth."

Shel Silverstein

Back to Basics

2010-04-22T05:11:00.001-07:00

I have signed up for a 4 week Yoga class at the Sivananda Center here in Paris. We have class twice a week and each class lasts 1.5 hours. I needed to get back into yoga, and doing it on my own wasn't working. I signed up for the "debutantes" class because I wanted to ease back into it, to learn all this group has to teach about the basic postures, and to be able to understand the French. I was most nervous about the French. My french is slowly improving, but that doesn't stop me from fretting. :D Well, the first class was wonderful. The teacher is a really gentle sweet man. He may be in his 30s, but he could be in his 50s for all I know. There are 8 students in the class, one of whom is disabled. The room is bright and airy. The class went like this: discussion of foundation of Sivananda center, the basic branches of Yoga, chanting, eye exercises, learning to breath, a few basic poses, relaxation, and more chanting.

absolutely wonderful. And I learned a new word: le ventre is the belly. :D

and today's class was even better. We did the eye exercises, the sun salutation, shoulder stand, fish pose, seated forward bend. chanting. relaxation.

I feel absolutely fantastic, very happy, and not afraid to try speaking french. That's the funniest part of this. Not only am I becoming more aware of the present moment again, but after yoga I feel more inclined to try communicating in French.

The teacher today was discussing the benefits of yoga (as far as I could tell, at least). And he was talking about the balance between flexibility and strength. And he said something about NOT getting "washboard abs"....but, he didn't use the analogy of a washboard. He said "a package of chocolate" instead.

Isn't that awesome? I love the visual of that, and the fact that this Frenchman sees those abs and is reminded of food. love it!

Moon River

2010-02-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's on a movie screen.

...Best...experience...EVER!

The theater was small and cozy and absolutely charming! Outside, the facade of the building was fitted with a red overhang, some subtle neon lights, display windows, and minor flood lights which allowed me to watch the slight drizzle as we stood in line. Inside, the screening room was small and the screen not much bigger than some large TVs. The seats were lush and red and very narrow. The walls were red and there was a small stage that made me think of the possibility of live plays. The movie itself was wonderful. I laughed, and I cried. The music moved me, and I was so content at the end. so wonderful. I sort of feel as if I'm only just now seeing Breakfast at Tiffany's, truly, for the first time.

I'm now obsessed with watching classic movies in these charming small theaters, which are sprinkled throughout Paris. absolutely obsessed!

The Floor Scrapers

2010-02-22T03:23:00.000-08:00

There is something about this painting that I love. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe I enjoy the painting because this scene feels realistic to me. I like that they are working hard, are shirtless, and are talking to each other with a bottle of wine waiting on the side. And, in person, the detail of the wood floor is breath taking. I would even go as far to say the shine of the floor is reminiscent of a Vermeer. That's a high compliment from me. :D This painting was done by Gustave Caillebotte in 1875, and it is displayed in the Musee D'Orsay.

Walking to a friends house, I noticed this image on the side of a book store.

This hidden treasure is one of the many things I love about Paris.

Jawa attack caught on tape.

2010-02-17T15:45:00.001-08:00

So, instead of spending all my time on facebook, I studied my french, did some yoga, listened to music, and made this very silly (and very blurry) video called Counter-Attack of the Jawa.

Tautology

2010-02-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine has been talking about the absurdity of facebook. I am one of those people who spends the working day in front of a computer, so I have a web browser tab constantly open to facebook. I check facebook (and my e-mail) obsessively. So, I regularly post photos and silly one liners. I post comics I find funny. I play scrabble with my mom(#). I farm a fairy tale land in which animals never get sick or die from lack of food, there is no mud or manure, and the crops are always healthy. I peep into my friends lives without them knowing about it. And I peep into lives of people I knew in high school. These people are very nice, but we are vastly different, and they probably don't enjoy my "I support same sex marriage" posts. On the other hand, I really do enjoy seeing what everyone is up to on a daily basis. It's such a strange and false world, but I'm completely wrapped up in it.

Tautology is a word I learned today thanks to the XKCD comic strip. I laughed really hard when I read this strip, and I immediately thought of facebook. Facebook is an exercise in tautology for me. Instead of experiencing and living life, I'm unnecessarily repeating it on facebook, rendering myself redundant. It's almost as if I'm attempting to reduce my life to my profile page on facebook. I have my interactions there rather than through e-mail or phone calls...or heaven forbid face-to-face.

So, I've decided to break free of my bad habits this lenten season. This is the first time I've decided to make multiple changes as I usually focus on a single habit. Each habit I've chosen to drop this year is something I classify as a distraction and/or something that inhibits me from experiencing people, books, foods, and events (i.e. life). So, it's a big challenge, but just like with any addiction, I will take it one day at a time.

And funny how I've been meaning to post on my blog for months, but the day I decide to take a break from facebook and farmville, I return to my blog.

So, raise your glass and let's toast to my debut into society and, hopefully, the return of tangible interactions with the people of the world(*)!

(#) I love playing scrabble online, and this is one habit I'm not giving up for now.
(*) Yes, I get the irony of declaring this on the blogosphere. :D

another strange dream

2009-11-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

So, I dreamt about my cat last night. She's a mature cat, and maybe I'm worried she's going to pass away while I'm kicking up my heels in the City of Lights. In my dream, she was wearing a cat shaped hat. It covered her face and ears. It was all white so that it covered her black and white coloring. Her eyes were milky and didn't see much. She was super cuddly, but it was difficult to pet her through the knitted covering. That's all I remember.

so weird.

I also had a dream that I was trying to find my passport. I was about to leave for a trip, and I was running late. But, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find my passport. I'm sure this dream has something to do with the fact that I haven't received my permanent Visa yet. My temporary one expires on the 25th of November.

Photographic Evidence

2009-09-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is some proof that I'm actually in Paris: Ha! No, this is me in Finland. Of course. But, I did get the directions to Paris while I was there:

Here is my apartment:

This is the overall view of the place

This is the living room

And here are the essentials of Parisian life: wine, coffee, and bread! I just bought that silver espresso maker, and I love it. I have cheese and chocolate too, but I left them in the fridge. :D

Now, that I finally bought batteries for my camera, I hope to post more photos. Tomorrow, I am taking a brief tour of Paris. So, stay tuned...

Correlations

2009-09-17T02:58:00.000-07:00

This comic from xkcd cracks me up.

Television

2009-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to watch a little French TV so that I could hear everyday French being spoken. Tonight I found "La Roue de la Fortune"...you guessed it, it's the French version of the Wheel of Fortune. The French Vanna (I will call her LaVanna) is a little slutty (as seen in the photo) with big boobs and lips. She bounced around the stage giggling and dancing. She had to lug some board out to the middle of the stage and set it up. It was weird. I was thinking "why don't they do that during a commercial and make a stage hand do it?" But no, they wanted this lady to do it. They had a dog come out on stage. He was cute (see photo), but it seemed kind of random. He didn't do anything but sit on the desk and look cute. Oh, except when LaVanna dropped some candy, they let the dog go and clean it up. The host was mild mannered and seemed really bored. He leaned on the desk looking like he couldn't give a crap about anything. It was his body language and tone of voice that seemed...soooooo bored. He raised his voice only slightly to say "push, push, push" because those contestants had the weakest spins I have ever seen. I think their arms are made out of jello. I'm pretty sure they would've been booed in the US. The contestants were okay, except for their puny spins, but they would groan and throw their hands in the air and say "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" when they got bankrupt. I think they discourage contestants from showing how pissed they are in the US version. It was fascinating to watch. Then during a break, I saw the cutest commercial ever!

who me? have baby fever? noooooooo.

Grasping and clinging to the past

2009-09-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

I had a strange and very vivid dream about my childhood home. In the dream, I was visiting it with Patrick. The people who owned it tilled the land and made it into farm land. The backyard had become knee deep in swampy water. They did this on purpose b/c the land sloped so that the water would drain into a large ditch at the back of the yard. I walked around with Patrick and reminisced. I told him how my big brother would come up with all sorts of fun games to entertain us. My brother has an amazing and creative mind. We would rake the leaves into a trail and play tag. I pointed out a tree to Patrick that we tied a rope to a low branch. I explained to him that there would be a gap in the trail so that you would use the rope to jump across. Patrick was very impressed. This dream was so vivid and full of sadness. I cried a lot. I walked around mourned the fact that I'm no longer a kid. We all have to grow up and move on. But in my dream I was desperately sad about losing all of this. In the dream, the house was for sale, and Patrick was willing to buy it for us. I immediately felt better. I began playing with the idea of draining the backyard and recreating the lawn of my childhood.

But, no matter how strongly we wish it, we can't recreate the past. Nor should we strive to do so. The memories I have of my childhood are both good and bad, as is anyone's. I just wonder why that house is weighing so heavily on my mind right now. Perhaps it is because I am currently moving through the city of my ancestor's. Just last night I passed by a church in which an ancestor was baptized. I have thought of these ancestors quite a bit and wonder if we are sharing any views of the city. Perhaps they too stood on a Quai and admired Notre Dame. Or maybe they were busy living life and making ends meet to notice the city around them. Maybe being on my own is bringing my family closer to my heart. I'm not sure. But, that was a really vivid dream.

Our Lady of Paris

2009-09-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

Last night after dinner, I decided to go for a walk. My friend, Paola, suggested visiting the courtyard of the Louvre after hours, so that was my goal. I set out along the Seine and immediately paused to admire the beauty of Notre Dame at night. What a wonderful sight. I ended up inside Notre Dame, and they were playing a documentary about the building..inside the building. My favorite part was when they played the sounds of the ancient bell called Emmanuel, which rings in F-sharp. The sound recording reverberated throughout the building, and it was beautiful.

After the film, I walked to the Louvre and watched tourists take pictures in various poses and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour. Arriving at the Louvre, I passed a man playing a saxophone in a corridor. The sound was magnificent in the space. I found a spot to lie down, and I spent some time listening to the moving water of the fountains and staring at the pyramids projected onto the night sky. It was very relaxing.

After the Louvre, I walked along the Seine back to my apartment. At one point, I saw 5 or 6 people looking over the ledge to see the lower walkway by the Seine. As I approached, I could hear a band down there. I peeked over too. There were about 10 or 12 young adults playing various instruments in a circle: 4 trombones, a drummer, a tuba, a couple of french horn, a few of trumpets. They played fun, fast music and even sang a bit. They ignored us watching them from of above, but we couldn't resist clapping to show our appreciation.

I then walked along a pedestrian bridge that was packed with groups of young people drinking wine/beer, smoking cigarettes, laughing, and having a general good time. I crossed the Seine and continued back toward my apartment. I took a small detour down a narrow, very bright street which was packed with restaurants and tourists. It was fun to see the bright lights and the various foods being offered.

Finally, 2.5 hours after leaving my apartment, I made it back for a deep sleep.

Today, Paola and I have plans to go to the cinema or watch movies at home. Should be fun. Right now, I'm watching Melrose Place dubbed in French, which is something I think every American should experience.

Paris update

2009-09-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Two things:

1. I saw a lady today biking with a dog in her basket. I always thought that image was a stereotype, and not a true one. But there they were, both cute as can be. And the dog had a little visor on b/c it can get windy riding up front.

2. I have a new, very awesome apartment. There are so many wonderful things about where I am living. I am in the heart of Paris. I walk along the Seine and pass Notre Dame on my way to work.

...and there is a guy on the 2nd floor across the street playing the violin.

sigh.

So far so relaxing.

Team Buffy!

2009-06-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

As a fan of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight, I love, love, love this video. It makes me laugh. Kudos to the person who put it together.

French phrases for the financially and physically irresponsible

2009-06-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've been practicing my French since I basically won the lottery and was granted a 2-year fellowship to work in Paris on galaxy simulations. I got the official notice Monday, and I am stoked! I'm also nervous about all the logistics of a big move, but it will all work out.

Anyhoo, I've been working on my French, particularly focusing on listening comprehension. I'm listening to a few podcasts, one by French Today, which I highly recommend. I'm also reading and listening to French books in order to see and hear the words simultaneously. And, I've been watching the Simpson's in French. I find the Simpson's the most difficult to understand with so much slang being thrown around. I have no idea what they are saying and only catch a word here and there.

I also got a CD from the library, just to check it out. It is a "learn in your car" type CD where they repeat things too quickly and don't give you time to repeat what they are saying. This is such a weird CD. If you are making a 3 disc CD and are limited in space, I would think you would choose some of the most crucial phrases for a foreigner to learn. Here are some of the phrases they have included:

1. I want to keep this.

Possibility of my saying this? Maybe a 3 in 10 chance, if a waiter is trying to take away something I'm still noshing on. But, I'm not going to step into someone's house and need this phrase.

2. You need to pay them back.

hmmm. Perhaps I will make friends with someone who borrows money and refuses to pay it back and asks for my advice, but I doubt it. Possibility of Usage: 2:10

3. They are going to fall.

okay. Maybe I see some kids hanging over a bridge on the Seine, and they look careless. But, really? When am I going to use this? Possibility of Usage: 1:10

3. He is going to die.

my favorite phrase hands down. If I had a nickel for all the times I frantically tried to remember this phrase in French, I'd be a rich woman.

I mean. really. come on.

Possibility of Usage: 0:10 (knock on wood)

I'm actually considering copying these CDs b/c the phrases are so bizarre that I want to keep them for the novelty. It reminds me of our Finnish friend whose favorite phrase in French was along the lines of "gentlemen, prepare your bayonets". lol.

JUST FOR FUN:
What movie are you reminded of when you see these images?
French Toast
French Fries

French Dressing

Dang!

2008-12-08T00:11:00.000-08:00

We have seven days left in Finland before returning to the United States. Next Monday (December 15th), we fly away with no immediate plans of returning. I am excited to see my family (and the Sun) again. But, I'm also going to miss Finland. It has been a peaceful and productive visit. The Finnish people have been very generous and welcoming to me, and I will definitely miss living here.

Knitters have amazing powers

2008-12-05T01:56:00.000-08:00

Neil Gamon wrote a dark children's story called Coraline about a little girl who discovers an alternate version of her life through a secret passage. The story is being made into a 3D stop animation movie, which I am really looking forward to seeing. Here is a trailer to watch if you are interested:

The group creating this movie at Laika impressively crafted everything by hand. They are also creating a buzz around the movie by sending out mystery boxes to bloggers they admire. I found out about because Amy at knitty.com received a Coraline mystery box (number 8 our of 50 handmade personalized boxes). You can see the contents here.

However, I am writing this blog to point you to a short video about the creation of tiny knitted sweaters used in this movie. Go here and type in the code: sweaterxxs

amazing.

Cats have amazing powers

2008-11-19T00:34:00.000-08:00

I think these will be all the rage this Christmas! Maybe I should get one for my nieces and nephew.

Arguments

2008-11-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

I have to preface this blog with a short note. I am doing an experiment with my friend Mambinki and other bloggers. We are all going to blog on previously chosen subjects as an exercise. You can read about the experiment here. It will be interesting to see how we all interpret the subjects. This week's subject is 'Aruguments'. Well, this immediately brings up a lot of stressful thoughts in me. So, be warned that this is a serious blog. I don't want to bum anyone out, so read only if you wish.
===========================================================

Arguments are source of learning and growing for me right now. As a child, I watched my parents fight very actively and loudly. I remember being tense and frightened by it all. This has translated into an adult who avoids confrontation at all costs. I adapt to most situations and people. I don't argue with or confront people. In the rare case I do argue with someone, I usually cry a lot b/c it is just so stressful and it is a big deal for me. But, normally I just keep my mouth shut. I am slowly learning the importance of standing up for myself and for others. One of the most important issues for me is building my sense of self and my self esteem. I adapt so much to others around me in order for them to like me and in order to keep arguing to a minimum. The problem with this tactic is that I have no real sense of my values. I stand upon a shifting foundation. I am easily manipulated and influenced, and I don't value my own opinion. I certainly don't think I need to thicken my ego and start yelling at people. But, I do need to build a solid foundation of values and stand upon it without fear. Fear drives too much of my life, and I hope that will change. Of course, I am trying to sort all of this out through meditation. My first goal is to understand that my perspective is valid and not to be afraid to share it with those who don't agree. Even writing that made me feel tense. Arguments. Fear. These are important tools in my life right now. I am grateful for them as tools for me to develop myself into a wiser person. Ultimately, I hope I would be able to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves b/c this issue is bigger than just me and my self esteem. I think about what I would have done in the times leading up to WWII. Would I have stood up for anyone? Sadly, I know the honest answer to this, and I am not comfortable living with that reality. And the wonderful thing about this life is our free will. I chose to work on this issue and to change so that my mistakes from the past won't be repeated in the future.

I'm still celebrating

2008-11-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

Snow Globe

2008-11-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

I had a fun weekend. I really enjoyed watching the snow which fell for hours Friday night. It was an adventure biking around in all of that fresh powder. The worst part was getting snow in my eyes while biking. It felt like icicles stabbing me in the eyeballs, and I needed ski goggles.

Anyway, here are some photos of the snow.

With all this beauty around me, can anyone explain while I'm feeling down today? Emotions are funny things. But, like the snow, they can not persist forever. They too will melt into new emotions soon enough.

Breaking News...

2008-10-31T05:50:00.000-07:00

It's snowing!!

I only took a couple of photos. It started snowing about 2 hours ago. It is now snowing crazy-like, and I think I will be able to take some pretty nice photos tomorrow. yay! snow! It's a novelty for me, so I love it!

Southern Finland -- Part II: Helsinki

2008-10-31T02:50:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of our trip to Southern Finland. These photos were all taken in Helsinki. We spent a Sunday afternoon and a Monday morning in Helsinki. It was rainy and cold, unfortunately. We couldn't use our umbrellas b/c the wind was knocking them around too much. It was quite comical, and we had to put the umbrellas away.

We started the visit Sunday by visiting the rock church:

I don't know why it looks like people are running for their lives in this photo. The church was beautiful and very peaceful.

The church view from the balcony:

This was my favorite part, lighting a prayer candle.

Here are some photos of the hotel room:

wait a minute. I thought this guy was the gardener at Turku castle. How'd he get into my room?

We spent most of Sunday inside the National museum, but I only have a couple of photos from that excursion.

A throne:
A brief moment to pause and pitch some tightly clad royal booty.

I don't know why we only have a couple of photos from the national museum. It was packed with fascinating objects. Maybe the lack of photos reflects how exhausted we were from all the sight seeing. That night we ate some very good Nepalese food and went back to the room. I stayed up too late watching French news and bad reality TV. It was fantastic. The only horrible part was watching a french news reporter interview a man from Iowa (or maybe it was Kansas). The farmer called Obama the 'n' word, and I was shocked! shocked! The farmer said he was a life long democrat, but wouldn't vote for Obama b/c he "can't stand n!@@*rs". WTF?!!

Okay, on to the next day....

Monday wasn't as rainy as Sunday, but the day was still very grey. This means the photos look kind of gloomy, but Helsinki was a very beautiful city. Here are some photos as we walked around visiting churches and just generally ogling the city.

The massive Lutheran church.
I like this photo b/c Patrick's noggin is floating around the bottom.

The above photo is theview from the top of the stairs to the Lutheran Church.
Inside the Lutheran Church.

This photo above is the Orthodox Church. We didn't get to go inside, sadly, but it was an impressive building none the less.

This is the view from the Orthodox church. They could flip off the Lutheran's on their way to mass.

We also walked around the market square of Helsinki where they sell handicrafts. It was pretty nice, and I bought a little wooden block puzzle for my nephew.

So, overall, we had a fantastic trip. Helsinki was wonderful. Turku was unbelievable. I loved the trip and wish we could've stayed longer.

Back from Southern Finland -- Part I. Turku!

2008-10-31T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Patrick and I have returned from an ESO meeting of Finnish Astronomers and Scientists in Turku, Finland. The meeting was held at Tuorla Observatory. It was a 10 minute bus ride from the city center to the observatory, and it was lovely out there. I forgot to take photos until we were waiting for the bus to take us away. Unfortunately, the sunlight was directly in front of me, so the photos aren't that great. But, I think you get the idea.

The entrance to Tuorla Hostel

This photo shows the main house at the Hostel/Observatory.

Another building on the property...

across the street from the Hostel

It was very pretty. The meeting was a good one. The group was small, which meant more interaction with individuals. I even made a contact with a scientist in South Africa who published a paper on similar stuff that I'm doing.

After the meeting, we stuck around to do some sightseeing. We spent Saturday in Turku walking around and visiting Turku castle. Now, I'm going to post a bunch of photos of Turku for your viewing pleasure. Click to embiggen them, as you wish.

This is a beautiful church in the middle of Turku. This driveway/courtyard has a nice slope to it. We watched a man chase down a runaway buggy stuffed with two kids on this driveway. It was pretty funny, but don't worry. No children or fathers were harmed in the making of this photo.

A view of the river.

A beautiful park near the handicraft museum. Sadly the museum was closed. So, we strolled through this park into an open air market and onward to Turku castle instead.

It was a cold day, and this bird is nicely expressing how I felt. I too would refuse to get into that freezing water. screw that!

Patrick and his new toy.

A pretty view outside of Turku Castle.

This is Turku castle inside the walls. Look, I think that is one of the staff. I forget his name.

That's me. Can you hear what I am saying?
"Get off my lawn before I call the cops! You peasant!"

St. George defending the maiden and killing the dragon. I like the shadows cast on the wall.

Virgin and Child. There were so many incredible carvings from the 15th century in Turku castle. amazing.

Arched ceilings...It's how I roll.

Patrick looks comfy.

okay. Maybe he's getting a little too comfortable on the king's privy.

That is all I am posting for now. I have to get some work done today! Stay tuned for Part II -- Helsinki.

A little piece

2008-10-22T00:52:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy lately. It's a blessing to have so much activity in my life, but at the same time I feel somewhat breathless. I like being able to stop and look around every now and then.

Tonight, Patrick and I are taking a night train to Turku, Finland. We are attending a meeting of Finnish Astronomers which will be action packed and fun-filled for two days. I am presenting a poster there that I sort of slaved over needlessly. The meeting is packed with so many talk that I doubt anyone will have the time to read my fabulous poster. Too bad b/c it's a gem.

We have decided to stick around southern Finland this weekend to do a little touristing. So, Saturday we will poke around Turku and probably visit a castle. Sunday we take a train to Helsinki to poke around there for a day we may visit a fortress or a rock church or the natural history museum. Monday afternoon we are hopping a train back to Oulu. It should be fun, and I am not taking my laptop so that I can unplug for a bit.

I'll post photos when I return if I'm not immediately sucked back into the vortex of 'work work work faster faster faster'!

2 blogs in 1 day! It's like Christmas!

2008-10-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to post this video. Sarah Silverman is hilarious in this, and the message is a good one. It does get tedious during the last minute with the whole 5 friends pyramid scheme thing, but stick through it for Sarah.

Don't Vote!

My two favorite quotes:

'I haven't done sh*t on drugs beside play play Halo2'
'You can literally register to vote while pooping, if you have a laptop'

Speaking of voting, I voted! I received my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday. I have darkened in the Obama/Biden oval with the supplied pencil. I was very meticulous about not having stray pencil marks on the page or marking outside the oval. I even wrote in a friend for the US house of representatives. The ballot has been sealed, and I just need to mail it back. sweet!

It's been a while

2008-10-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet Friends. It has been a while. I have been very busy with work and traveling. I have to say that this time in Finland has been very productive for me. I like my boss, and I think his work style is very good for me. He checks in a lot, which keeps me moving forward in my projects.

Anyway, I traveled to the Netherlands two weeks ago for the annual meeting of 'Dutch People for Antagonizing Americans Named Brooke' meeting. I was a fruitful meeting. Oh, I also saw my mom and my stepdad while I was there. We had a great time biking around, eating yummy food, visiting castles, watching the 7 up series, working puzzles, listening to podcasts, and shopping! I would normally post photos of the castle now, but they are on my laptop and I am at work. :( I will try to do that tonight.

The Saturday after returning from the Netherlands, I took a trip out to an old farmhouse with the Oulu knitting group. Man, that was a fun trip. The farmhouse is now a store:

It is a store with walls and walls of yarn!! yay!!

I bought some shiny silver yarn to make mittens and a hat for myself. It was a great outing. I got to see the country-side. We had coffee and sandwiches while we chatted. I met some really nice people. I have to say that knitters rock!

After our outing, I biked home and stopped every few hundred feet to look and take pictures of the trees. Fall is a beautiful time.

After all that fun, I had to put my nose to the grindstone at work. I'm frantically filling out job applications and fellowships in hopes of getting one. I've been watching the economy collapse with a mixture of fear and awe. I've also been wondering how I am going to carry all my yarn back to the states.

While I was in the Netherlands, my mother bought beautiful wool yarn for me to make a sweater that I like. It is a birthday gift. I've started the sweater (I will post pictures later), and I'm falling in love with it already. But, it is a thick sweater. I'm going to have to dump my books and other clothes to bring this sweater home. But, it will be worth it.

Speaking of birthdays, tomorrow I turn 34! huzah! Patrick and I will probably go out to eat and enjoy the Irish Festival going on downtown. It should be fun.

Well, this blog was a lot longer than I had intended. But, it has been a while.

This can not be natural

2008-09-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

I debated about putting this video on my blog because I actually feel pretty bad for this lady. She obviously cares about the environment, but has no clue how rainbows form. I find it funny, and yet I can't really laugh at it.

My reluctance to laugh at her ignorance must come from teaching students about the phases of the moon and the seasons on Earth. Many people have misconceptions about these two concepts. I'm used to hearing some pretty unusual theories and working through those with the student. I won't allow myself to laugh at them just because they misunderstood something.

The same goes for this lady and her evil fluoride induced rainbows. I don't know what she thinks is 'in' a rainbow, but I'd be interested in asking her how she thinks they form.

And, I guess by posting this I have sort of mocked this woman. I'm just a little stunned by it all.

What do you think about it?

"I think I've got some clips you should see"

2008-09-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I barely got to know you

2008-08-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Sun,

I miss you. We were getting along so well, and I thought I was starting to mean something to you. Did those midnight bike rides together mean nothing to you? I tried to give you space and not be too clingy. I was okay when you decided to drop below the horizon at 10pm. But, now you refuse even to look at me. I know you are there, but you are always hiding behind your cloud friends. Why have you turned your back on me? Please come back to me.

Love,
Becky

p.s. I am wearing a sweater today. :(

It's been brought in for repairs

2008-08-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Monday was rainy and gloomy.
Tuesday was drizzly, grey, and gloomy.
Wednesday is grey and cold.

I think the sun is broken! I hope it wakes up from its nap soon and scatters the clouds. I miss the color blue. :D

On an aside note, I got a bike that fits me. yay! Now, I won't have to watch out for racking myself in my girlie-bits with a bicycle bar. And the brakes work. yay! I am learning to appreciate the simple things in life.

Tomorrow we plan to head to downtown Oulu to watch the qualifying round for the Air Guitar World Championships. I am pretty excited.

Falling in love with Finland

2008-08-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

The weather has been beautiful this weekend. Blue skies with fluffy clouds. Temperatures in the 60s. niiice.

Saturday, Patrick and I rode our bikes to downtown Oulu. We checked out the local library, which has a large selection of novels written in English. I am interested in borrowing a book on 19th-century gothic tales. It sounds like fun. The nights are getting longer and darker here, so I am in the mood for creepy stories.

After visiting the library, we biked to the gardens. We sat down to have a cup of tea and a little snack. Patrick read while I knitted, and we listened to children laughing and playing. It was very nice. We walked around for a bit and admired the gardens, which had some gorgeous roses in a variety of shades.

It was a perfect day. yay!

The air is thick with ümlauts

2008-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Patrick and I just watched the Colbert Report for August 14th. On an aside note, August 14 is my MUCH older brother's birthday -- Happy Birthday, Steven!!

Anyway, during the Report, Colbert mentioned Finland as a country of interest.

Check it out:

Finland has been put on notice! We know what your up to.

we know.

The United Nations of Knitting.

2008-07-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

Thank God for the interweb -- the evil creature that sucks away my life and gives me a life all at the same time. As I mentioned before, I am a member of Ravelry, which is an awesome community of knitters and crocheters. I did a people search for Oulu, Finland and up popped 2 pages of people. yay!

I picked an avatar I liked (Marika) and e-mailed her asking for locations of good yarn shops with my fingers crossed. She was so friendly and immediately took me under her wing. I am so grateful. I had no idea how I was going to find shops or fellow knitters since I am too shy to approach people in English.

Well, the knitting group here seems large and lively. We had an impromptu gathering yesterday at Sanna's house. I am kicking myself for not taking a photo, but I did forget. We sat in the garden with a beautiful spread of cake, cookies, tea, and coffee. A total of 9 of us ( and two wee ones ) sat in a sunny garden and knitted away. I am in between projects right now, so I didn't really have anything to work on. I fiddled with my yarn a bit while I chatted and admired everyone's skills.

I have to say that I think I will be learning a lot from these ladies. They have mad skills and make BEAUTIFUL socks and mittens and cowls and sweaters. I was, honestly, pretty embarrassed about my knitting level in comparison. I tend to make silly toys and big goofy scarves. But, I look at it as an opportunity to learn from some experienced knitters. And the best part of it all was that I really felt like I clicked with them. They were very chatty and made a big effort to include me into the conversations. I am looking forward to the next meeting.

Downtown Oulu and Qstock

2008-07-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the scenery that we see on our bike ride to downtown Oulu. It is a beautiful ride through neighborhoods, over a bridge, and through a park. I love it.

This is the local cloud factory. They also manufactures baby toes and kitten whiskers.

Patrick says these are steps for the fish to swim upstream

These are the statues outside of city hall.

Friday we biked to downtown Oulu for a music festival called Qstock.

We stopped off at a local pub to enjoy a beer and the scenery. The downtown area was jumping. Lots of people were showing up to see the bands.

I have no clue what bands we saw, but we tried to stop by every stage.
We went to the Techno tent (my personal favorite).

We also watched some heavy metal bands.

There were a lot of photo ops that I missed. While the sun was up I wasn't thinking about photos for some reason. Let's see. What did I see of interest? I saw 3 people passed out. One guy was on the beach. One guy was in a chair, and the third man was on some steps. Each time, security came up and woke them. I met an adorable girl with a Finnish-Irish accent who lost her friends.

A couple of things I noticed were 1) people politely stand and listen to the music. There weren't any mosh pits or rough housing even though the music was pretty hard core on some stages. 2) Everyone wore ear plugs, which I found smart. And 3) People near us would get real quiet and listen to us speaking in English. If they were brave enough (read: drunk enough) they'd say something and be friendly. It was a little unsettling though when you can tell the people around you are eavesdropping.

Another thing I failed to photo was the pee-dome (I wouldn't dare!). A plastic dome with 5 or six holes cut out about waist high. Guys would walk up to it and pee while trying not to stare at the person across from them. The port-o-potties for the ladies were light pink and light green. They were soooo clean....no pee on the seat covers. At the end of the night, most of the stalls still had toilet paper. I couldn't believe it. By that time, in the US, at least 1/3 of the stalls would've been pushed over or thrown into the water.

Overall, it was a fun day/night of beer, nice people, and rowdy music. I had a blast and met some really cool people. The bike home was interesting since I was tipsy and my bike is too big for me. But, we made it safe and sound!

The Hallow-Holy Crap!

2008-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I finished the Hallowig. If you recall, it is supposed to look like this:

Mine was too small and pretty hideous. I never bother to check my gauge, so I usually knit objects smaller and much tighter than necessary.

You probably shouldn't look directly at it, but here it is if you are curious. I forced Patrick to model it for me. Enjoy at your own risk:

P.S. The string is hanging there b/c I didn't have the strength in me to weave in the ends. Why bother, hunh? lol.

The Family Circus

2008-07-24T04:22:00.000-07:00

I've been procrastinating all day. The sky is clear and blue. The temperature is perfect, but I am sitting inside wishing I were out there. :( So, instead of working, I have been looking for knitting patterns. I've finally picked up the knitting needles again. woo hoo! I'm falling in love with knitting all over again.

I'm almost done knitting the Hallowig I started a looong time ago. It looks like this: And the pattern can be found on the Knitty website

I will post a photo once I am done. It looks like I knitted it a little too small. Maybe I will send it to my sister and force her to put it on my nephew for a laugh. That's mean, but we have to have some photos to torture him with when he's a stinky teenager.

Anyway, I am so close to being done that I am already looking for my next pattern. I am a member of an awesome knitting website called Ravelry. I have found so many patterns for adorable toys, hats, mittens, scarves, etc. You name it. They've got it.

I am interested in making a Jayne hat from the TV show Firefly:

However, I have been particularly interested in knitting the geekier patterns such as

crocheting the Lorentz manifold from a paper from Bristol University website. I think this might be a cool gift for my stepdad.

Another idea is to take a word or phase and convert it to binary code. Binary code can be translated into a knitting pattern by using purl for 0 and knit for 1. This way, you can knit a secret message into your scarf. I like that idea.

Or I could just these socks from Knitty

You wouldn't believe the cute patterns they have on Ravelry. hmm. Maybe you would believe it. Do you even care about knitting? lol. Sorry if you don't. I am just so excited to have the time to knit again. I didn't list nearly all the patterns I'd like to make. Others include the Bender Bending Rodriguez doll, sushi, a mushroom, a wonder woman sweater (way out of my league), and Shaun the Sheep from Wallace and Grommit.

So, why is this blog titled 'The Family Circus'? Because during my search for patterns, I ran across this Funny Cartoon poking fun at the family circus: It's funny to me b/c everyday as I lock the house, I step back inside to check that the coffee maker is off. I know it is off. When I turn it off I say to myself 'see, you turned it off. So, no need to check when you leave'. However, standing at the door, I am no longer certain I didn't say that yesterday. woo hoo...dontcha just LOVE developing OCD tendencies?! I don't! :D

Ok, back to work...

Moniker not monocle

2008-07-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

Patrick and I biked to work today. As we pulled up to the building, I had a revelation which I had to share with Patrick.

I said, 'Patrick, I've decided that I want you to call me Rebecca. Uhhh, Dr. Rebecca. Make that Dr. Rebecca, PhD'

So, suck it! You all have to call me that too.

(note: First goofy image was 'borrowed' from http://www.razzamatazz.co.uk/ while the second image was 'borrowed' from the wikipedia page for 'monocle')

Dreams

2008-07-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a weird dream. I remember it fairly well, so it must have been the last thing I dreamt this morning just before waking. So, let's start over.

This morning, I had the weirdest dream. In it, Patrick and I decided, impromptu, to get married RIGHT NOW!! It was an elopement of sorts, but we invited many people. We called and said 'come NOW! Hurry!' And they did. Everyone showed up. There was even an elderly Italian woman there. I think she was from Patrick's side of the family, except his family is German. My family is French. So, I don't know who that wedding crasher was, but she was sweet.

Anyway, the wedding was going to happen in a matter of moments. Everyone showed up at a beautiful church. I was getting really freaked out. The 'hurry up' feel was almost like 'hurry up so Becky doesn't bolt'. lol. Marriage freaks me out.

So, it is almost time. I am anxious and excited and worried about the seriousness of marriage. Suddenly, I get sooo upset b/c I realize that my legs are super hairy. I could have braided my leg hair. It was so gross.

But, why would it matter, you ask, if my legs are hidden under a wedding dress? It mattered b/c I was wearing my raggy and stinky yoga capri-pants. I wasn't upset about getting married in yoga pants, mind you. I was upset that I was finally going to take the plunge, and my entire family had to watch Sasquatch walk down the aisle.

I shiver just thinking about it.

Analyze that dream!

The Long Pig

2008-07-22T00:35:00.000-07:00

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

It is fulfiling to know that I could potentially help out so many people. Makes me feel good inside, ya know? Gives me the warm heebie-jeebies.

Interesting tidbit

2008-07-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

In Finland, when people move out, they take the light fixtures with them. When we moved in, we only had little wires hanging from the center of the ceiling to indicate there once was a light present. We had to borrow all of our furniture, cookware, silverware, linens, and light fixtures! That would make sense to me if the light fixture was a crystal chandelier or something, but many of them are plastic or glass... nothing fancy. hmmm.

okay, I've procrastinated enough. I'm gonna get back to work now.

Daily Life

2008-07-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Come along boys and girls as we follow Becky to work:

I wake up in here

Then I move into the living room for a little yoga, meditation, and e-mail check. I bought a yoga mat, and I am sooo glad I did.

After a shower, I eat breakfast with the dinosaurs

Then I am off to work!! Bye apartment! Don't burn down or call international numbers while we are gone! We live on the second floor, second balcony in from the left. HI!

Whistle while you walk.

Hey, I know that guy! Think he'll walk with me?

Look, it's Patrick's buddy. He hangs out at the library all the time.

Almost to work. Birch trees are so pretty!

I spy my office straight ahead. Who can find the telescope dome?

I then spend hours sweating, working, toiling, and slaving away producing the most amazing science ever known to mankind.

After the long day, I head home and...Sit in the Sauna! yay!

After the sauna, we may eat something such as chips. Many common products have funny words on them that reduce me to a snickering 3rd grader. Don't even get me started on the "shampoot". (by the way, "pussi" mean "pouch" in Finnish. Discuss the appropriateness of this amongst yourselves.)

Finally, I curl up in bead to read. Currently, I am enjoying a children's story found in a local bookstore. I seem silly to fly all the way to Finland and buy french books. But, I am so impressed with the french book selections here. It is so cool, and I so badly want to buy more. I constrained myself to one, and it has already made me laugh.

A moment of silence for the almighty garlic bulb

2008-07-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Before heading to Finland, Patrick told me that the people of Oulu gather together to have a festival in honor of the almighty garlic in July. I thought "awesome! I love me some garlic". I was really looking forward to looking at garlic lovers and trying new dishes choc-full of garlic. Sadly, the city decided to take a break from the garlic festival. no worries, though, the festival will return in full force next year. I was pretty disappointed. This weekend would have been the weekend of garlic, and the weather is just gorgeous for it. Too bad. so sad.

Even without the festival, our trip into Oulu's city center was perfect. wellllll, almost. It was almost perfect. The bike I have is too big for my short frame, and my ass is killing me. However, I think I will get used to it. We biked in (forgot the camera, sorry) and the views were gorgeous. The bike path was heavily populated today with bikers, walkers, runners, and skaters. Everyone was out trying to soak up the precious sunlight. Once in the city, we stopped at a local bar, had a pint, then biked back home. I love this kind of living.

Brief hello

2008-07-12T04:49:00.001-07:00

After a few days of gloom and rain, the sun has come out today. yay! Patrick and I are going to bike to the city center to see how long it takes us. I'm looking forward to it. We are settling in nicely. Last night we used our sauna again, which was soooo relaxing. And, the neighborhood really is so pretty when I've had my coffee and the sun it out. :D

I hope to have pictures to post later. Have a great Saturday everyone!

When did I become such a prude?

2008-07-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Somewhere between age 25 and now, I became a true American puritan. Someone's ancestors would be proud, possibly even mine.

Back in the day, I used to love skinny dipping. I would still jump at the chance to jump into a hot tub or a lake naked. It is just plain fun to swim around without any clothes on.

Well, now I'm in Finland where nudity is apparently "no big deal" or so I have been told. They live for the sauna, and they hang out in the sauna naked. Patrick and I have our very own sauna in our apartment, which I think is pretty freaking awesome. We tried it out Sunday night. That's when he told me how it is done here -- naked. Hey, no problem I thought. Then my mind jumped to a story Patrick told me about "the guys" hanging out in a sauna one time. I asked him, "so, when you hang out with the guys, I guess I'll just chill at home, right?" Patrick said, "No, you can hang out too."

My uptight American brain snapped. I started visualizing a coed naked sauna. I stressed out. First thought was "I need to shave!". Then I started wondering if I could do it. Could I just casually hang out naked with a bunch of people? Swimming naked is one thing, but I was comforted by the protection of water around my body. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I felt. I kept reminding myself "nudity is no big deal here. It is only a big deal in my mind." I decided that I could do it if we were in a big group with many ladies present. I thought I could hide in the crowd that way.

Well, the very next night, we were invited for dinner, drinks, and SAUNA! There were 6 guys and me. They were all really nice. Nothing about the sauna felt inappropriate, but I was frozen. There was no way in hell I was gonna hang out naked at Sausage Fest 2008.

That's when I started to wonder when I became so uptight. Well, whenever it happened, it apparently has happened. I do hope to break through this and embrace the coed sauna experience. But, I am going to take baby steps. It would be a little easier to transition into the coed thing if I had a group of girlfriends here. I could hang out with them and have someone to talk to. I mean, imagine that you have to go to a party. You don't know a soul there. It can be intimidating to meet new people and socialize with strangers. Now imagine you have to do that naked in a really hot room. Geez louise. When did I become such a prude?

Finland -- Where Finnish People Come From

2008-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We made it to Finland without a hitch; although, our bags have a different story to tell. The bags didn't show up until Friday morning, and they won't tell us where they've been.

So far, I really like Finland. The people are very friendly. They don't scowl at me for not knowing Finnish. I've seen my office, which lacks AC, but more than makes up for it with having more than its fair share of awkward scientists.

Our apartment is much bigger than I anticipated. We don't have much in the way of furniture, but our boss and a friend of a friend are loaning us a couch, desk, TV, beds, cookware etc. We are pretty well stocked up. I will upload photos of the apartment another time. Here is a view from the kitchen window to hold you over:

We have freaking dinosaurs roaming outside. crazy.

Anyway, the night we arrived, we slept for 12 hours. nice! Friday night we went to a concert in downtown Oulu. They had 3 bands playing in a blocked off area of the town. I tried to take video of the first band, but it didn't come through very well. I do, however, have a photo of Oulu at 2am!

2am! soooo bright.

We had just left a bar called the .45 special, which I liked very much. They had "oldies" (e.g. Nirvana, Van Halen, Blood Hound Gang) downstairs, and a live band upstairs.

That's all I've got for now. More later!

Kentucky -- Where Katy's Come From

2008-06-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Patrick and I spent two days in Kentucky. I've never spent significant time in Kentucky before, and I really liked it. GORGEOUS is the one word that comes to mind. We camped at and visited Cumberland Falls. Here are photos of our campground:

Isn't Kentucky purty?

Now here is the sad part. I was floored with a sinus infection or something similarly icky which meant I slept all day. I woke up long enough to walk to the falls.

See! That's me on walking to the falls! HI!

Here is Patrick putting a move on the rock wall.

And here is the waterfall:

When I viewed the waterfall from above I could see and feel a mist created by the falling water. Within the mist, I also saw a rainbow. Apparently, Cumberland Falls is super psyched about the fact that you can see a similar Moonbow at night during the full moon on a clear night.

We happened to be at Cumberland Falls during a full moon. But, we were too preoccupied with blowing our noses and trying to get some quality sleep to witness the moonbow. But the word on the trail is that we didn't miss anything. Some random kid who didn't know us from Adam walked past us and said "The Moonbow is crap". haha.

But, here is a photo I borrowed from a website called My Life in Focus that proves the moonbow is real and certainly not crap!

I wish I had seen it. Another time perhaps. If you ever get to see it, let me know.

We've now moved on the state that is round on both ends and HI in the middle -- OHIO!! woot!! You know you love it.

What I love about OHIO is the private shower and toilet in this hotel room. I love not having to walk 1/8-mi to pee.

The final countdown

2008-05-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

We leave Tuscaloosa next Saturday. I'm dealing with mixed emotions of excitement, curiosity, sadness, and anxiety. I was born in raised in Baton Rouge, but I've spent half of my life in Tuscaloosa. I've made wonderful friends here. I've enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fell in love here (with Patrick as well as Yoga).

In June, we will travel from Louisiana to Michigan saying goodbye to friends and family. We also plan to do some camping and perhaps white water rafting in the Smokey Mountains. July 2nd we fly away to spend 5 and a half months in Finland. Who knows what that adventure will bring. I want to try out some Finnish Yoga as well as the Saunas. I have very few preconceptions about Finland, so I am interested to see what life is like there. And, how could a place with a festival honoring garlic be bad? I mean, come on!

While I look forward to what is coming, I remain grateful for my time here in Alabama. And to all of my friends here, I will miss you.

We have moved most of our stuff into a storage unit. It's the floor-life for us these days. We sit on the floor, eat with little trays on our laps, and sleep on a mattress on the floor. I'm in the office today to finish packing up my books and backing up my files. Next week, we will do the final packing and cleaning of the apartment. It's so weird to think about. But, there it is.

Oh, I saw Indiana Jones yesterday. I was entertained, but I think Iron Man was a better movie. :D

Now I can start my life of crime

2008-05-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's official. I finally graduated with a Phd, and I'm already trying to figure out how to get back into school. Maybe I'll get a religious studies degree this time....

Click here to watch me graduate!

My family came to town for the big day. My mom, stepfather, brother Paul, and brother David were unable to make it, but brother Brad made a surprise trip from Seattle...woot!

Sarah says she was there, but I have to take her word on that one.

After the hooding process, we had a crawfish boil, drank beer, and beat up a zebra pinata. It was a blast, and I look forward to my next Phd graduation. lol!

I'm kidding.

maybe.

Thanks Megan for the funny video

2008-02-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

I turned in my dissertation to my committee today. It's a relief to have it done, but I don't quite believe it yet. It doesn't feel real. I'm really tired, and I keep thinking "what next? what did I forget? I need to make another plot. I need to make another figure. work. work. work." aahhhhh!!! This anxiety is very clingy.

I'll get used to it and move one to more important things like this:

Actually, now I've got to prepare for my defense and apply for a Jay-Oh-Bee.

What's in a name?

2008-02-06T13:53:00.001-08:00

How would you refer to your significant other if you were cohabitating with no plans for marriage? I don't feel like the term "boyfriend" covers the relationship. When I introduce Patrick as my boyfriend, people look a little shocked when the follow up question is answered with "We've been together over 7 years". The word boyfriend feels too temporary. I could call him my partner, and I kind of like the gender ambiguity of that. Significant Other feels too stuffy and official for casual conversation. I sometimes call him my husband b/c it is just easier. But, it's not the truth. I also don't want to call him my fiance b/c we have no plans on getting married.

So, here are a names I am considering calling Patrick:

Bit of stuff
The father of my cat
My Old Man
Man-Slave
Better half
Voice of reason
Ride home from the bars

Do you like any of them? Got any ideas of your own? Let me know.

Happy Mardi Gras!

2008-02-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

I miss living in Louisiana. I miss the food, the music, the people, and the festivities. Every event is an excuse to drag out the trumpets, tap shoes, kegs, and crawfish. I miss it.

Have a happy Mardi Gras!

And, don't forget to get out and vote today!!

WATCH OUT!!!

2008-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

dude. you almost got assimilated. You gotta watch out for the Borg-cat hybrids. That's some serious shizz.

Open your eyes -- visualize

2008-01-29T07:03:00.001-08:00

You know what is NOT a good idea?

Going to the eye doctor the week you are trying to write your dissertation rough draft.

I had my pupils dialated, and I lost a whole night of work since it gave me a bitching headache. All I could do was sit in my living room with dark shades on, the lights off, and watch some TV from a distance. I couldn't read, write, or look at a computer screen. So, I watched some Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Well, the positive side is that I got a lot of sleep last night!

...back to work!

I've been feeling like a cartoon character lately

2008-01-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

Spending hours upon hours interacting with a computer has made me feel like a cartoon character in the presence of human beings. It is a bizarre feeling. I feel like Chester the Terrier. Remember him? He used to jump around Spike the Bulldog asking a million questions and talking non-stop. I'm getting a lot of work done, but I'm buried in my thoughts. Conversations feel surreal and slightly forced as if I'm watching the conversation from a distance. I'm ready for this to be over, but the end is not yet here.

Inspirational

2008-01-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

If you have never taken the time to read and/or listen to this amazing speech, I highly recommend you take the time now.

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the day

2008-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

"I managed to clip the cat's hind toenails while she was sleeping. Later she rewarded me by rubbing poo on the carpet".

I received this delightful text message from Patrick today. He's a trooper.

The hate scarf

2008-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

I finally finished Patrick's skull scarf. Patrick would hear my plans for new baby blankets, "touch and feel" books, and quilts. He would look at me and ask "You will start those after finishing my scarf right?"

I would look at him with disbelief in my eyes and think, "seriously? You are going to pressure me to finish your stupid scarf? It's only been a couple of years since I started. geeezlouise."

So, I'd pick it up with exaggerated, loud sighing, and I would start working. It has since been dubbed the hate scarf. I call it that with love b/c I really like the result. It is a cute little scarf, and Patrick seems to like it too.

Great News!!

2008-01-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

I've been working hard, so I haven't had time to post my great news. I heard from the graduate school Thursday. They have approved my extension request, and I will be able to graduate in May. What a relief! Now, I'm in the final stages of putting together the dissertation, and I hope to defend February 1st. It is amazing to me that the end is in sight. I'm surprised at my perserverance. I wanted to give up so many times, but I never did.

I hope y'all have a great Saturday. I'm at work, but there isn't an ounce of resentment about that.

Did you say something?

2008-01-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Revelation of the day -- a.k.a. who can I blame today?

2007-12-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

No matter how many cookies I eat, I still have to write my dissertation.

Reality sucks sometimes.

I wish I were a wizard like Gandolf. I bet he could give the act of "eating cookies" the power to "write a dissertation". I would be finished if I were Gandolf.

I blame my parents.

Why didn't they send me to wizarding school? They only sent me to a stupid magnet school. Darn them and their short sightedness.

This is how I get my stuff done

2007-12-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

I now understand why I'm in my 8th year of graduate school. None of my chairs squeak, so now I can get my stuff done.

((Note: sorry for the non-blog blogs. I'm working hard and creating a masterpiece of a dissertation right now. Happy Holidays everyone! Think of me on Christmas morning when I will be hanging out with my cat watching Ghost Hunters!))

This is how I roll

2007-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just gotta dole out the attitude to the kids and armchair astronomers. This cartoon is courtesy of my friend and gave me a good chuckle on a particularly difficult day.

Fall/"winter" in T'town

2007-12-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

Suddenly Tuscaloosa leaves change color in the fall. It was a shock to me the first time I saw it last year. I thought it was a fluke. Maybe it has something to do with the drought we've been experiencing. I'm not sure, but I sure love fall in T'town these days. Gorgeous. I know these photos don't do the colors justice. I took them with my phone, so they aren't the best quality.

My love of knitted goods

2007-12-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Mochimochiland, a website of impressive knitted toys. Mochimochiland's imagination, creativity, and skill blow me away.

I'm including "borrowed" images of Mochimochiland's work. Above is a "sleepy snake and mischevious mouse". Below, you see lemmings falling off a cliff into the sea.

I heart puzzles

2007-11-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Now THAT is a challenging sudoku!

(FYI: "Toothpaste for dinner" is the name of the cartoon drawn by Natalie Dee's hubby.

Planet Earth

2007-11-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

I know I'm behind the times. Not having cable or free time usually results in being a year or two behind what is hip and happening. I finally watched an episode of Planet Earth last night. I was so impressed with the visuals, the narration, and the animals. It makes me long for the days I was a marine biology student.

I particularly enjoyed the birds working hard to attract a mate. The birds, with their aggressive dances, reminded me of the the Night at the Roxbury guys. You decide.

Jesus loves to wear camo pants.

2007-11-15T16:23:00.001-08:00

I just took a very brief walk around the University of Alabama's quandrangle and something funny is afoot. The bell tower has a small swarm of upright citizens rocking out to completely benign sounding Jesus rock. I turn the corner and approached the darker portion of the quad.

I hear some rustling and someone grunts "HUT.HUT. If you've got a clear shot then take it".

I look over and the ROTC is crawling through the leaves attacking the indian mound on the quad. Some army guys are lined against building walls. Some are running around randomly dodging sorority girls in pink long sleeves out for their hourly calorie-burn fest.

Seriously, is the ROTC trying to take out the Jesus followers?

It's so weird, but it took my mind off of work if just for a few minutes. For that, I have to thank both Jesus and the ROTC.

Maybe I will nap my problems away

2007-11-14T09:22:00.001-08:00

I'm kind of in a panic today because I have too much on my plate. Trying to finish a dissertation and apply for jobs simultaneously is overwhelming me. I have no experience writing letters of intent and/or cover letters.

sigh.

This might take a while, and that makes me resentful. I just want to focus on my data. argh.

Serenity NOW!!

because I don't have children...

2007-11-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

I'm really fond of the website Stuff On My Cat. It is pure fun. I've submitted skunk's photos to the website, and I'm waiting for them to show up.

Here are two photos of Her Royal Highness Skunk (aka Princess Diva Sassy). She is obsessed with crinkly paper and drinking from the bathtub.

What day is it anyway?

2007-11-11T16:25:00.001-08:00

I'm hung over from drinking white russians last night. I blame my friend Sarah for my condition. She's a bad influence. So, watch out for her if you happen to meet her. She looks sweet and innocent, but she's a hellcat.

Obviously, I'm getting nothing done today

2007-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

After playing a mindless computer game for a while, I started browsing youtube videos. This video is pretty much the funniest thing I've seen in a while. enjoy.

I think I'll give up the pretense of work today. I'm going to have a cold beer and enjoy my evening instead. I can give myself a stress-attack tomorrow.

My mornings

2007-11-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Working on a Saturday

2007-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Typical. I am sitting at my desk. It's gorgeous outside, but I'm freezing my tukus off indoors. The guilt is settling in on my heart. I should be working. I must get such and such done.

My therapist labels these thought patterns as "must"erbation and "should"ing on yourself

I "must" avoid these things. They are pointless and useless.

I am feeling particularly guilty today because I'm on a major deadline to finish my dissertation and get the "F" outta here. I've been on campus today for 2 hours now, and I've done nothing but eat lunch and start a new blog. I also joined an online group called GoodReads.com which seems pretty cool. You recommend books and can read the recommendations of others. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Enjoy your Saturday! Have a beer for me!