domingo, 30 de marzo de 2008
sábado, 29 de marzo de 2008
jueves, 27 de marzo de 2008
back from Los Angeles!
We LOVED our trip to California over Spring Break! We visited Chris, one of Justin's best friends and one of my favorite people, and stayed with him at his place... a staggering two to three block walk from the beach.
Day 1 -- we drove up to Rancho Palos Verdes and went hiking around the cliffs on the coast, then went and ate at an Irish restaurant right on the beach. Gorgeous. Took lots of pictures. Felt pale in comparison to all the great tans walking around me! I had forgotten how beautiful California can be. Palm trees everywhere, all these fragrant flowers on the warm breeze... lovely.
Day 2 -- Easter Sunday seems like a great day to go to a theme park, right? We drove out to Anaheim and went to Knott's Berry Farm (we originally considered Disneyland, but it's kind of a rip-off, and KBF is a MUCH better deal). I hate to say this, but Easter was actually one of the best days to go -- the crowds were way down. We only waited in a couple of lines, and those were for about 10-15 minutes, which is nothing. The last time Chris went, he vowed he would never go back again, because he did nothing but wait in lines, but we were able to nearly reverse that painful experience for him.
Favorite rides:
Ghost Rider -- This was a super cool wooden rollercoaster we rode about 5 times (and it's a pretty long ride in comparison to the others), constantly trying to make funnier faces for the photo.
Supreme Scream -- Did this one twice, and it was fully worth how much it scared the crap out of me. Takes you straight up 254 feet in the air, then drops you straight down, hitting 50 mph in three seconds. It feels like you're weightless on the way down. Amazing ride -- although, as it was nearing the top and I could see for miles, I kept on saying, "No... no... no... this was not a good idea..."
Perilous Plunge -- Not so favorite because the harness left bruises on my arms, but it took guts to ride it, so I'm pretty happy with myself. This one's pretty simple. Takes you up in the air 115 feet, then throws you down a waterfall at 77 degrees (almost straight down), splashing down in a pool at the end, leaving you soaking wet (which is nice since the weather's warm).
Day 3 -- Chris had to work, so Justin and I nerded out at the local Starbucks for an hour and then hit the beach. It was a little chillier than it had been the day before, and I didn't realize I was burning (usually I can tell pretty quickly). My attempt to "even out" the burn from our hiking on the cliffs did not go so well, and the rest of the trip became an adventure in aloe vera application. Still, it was great just to chill out for a few hours in the sand, watching the waves and taking it easy together. That night, we went with Chris to dinner and then to a large arcade, where we played some skee-ball. The prizes were pretty lame, so we picked up 110 rubber thimbles and had fun placing them in various locations on our walk home.
Day 4 -- Too tired and sunburned to do much else, we went to Starbucks and played Rummy 500 for about three hours. Went back to the arcade and played more skee-ball -- this time coming home with 8 visored pink and black do-rags, which we insisted on wearing around the house when Chris got home from work. Introduced Chris and Justin to the wonder that is Bucca di Beppo's Italian restaurant. Ate way too much (three people at a family-style restaurant is a little small), but it was worth it -- and we had leftovers, anyway.
Day 5 -- Weather wasn't so great (An extremely chilly 65 degrees -- we promptly turned into huge weather wimps during our stay) so we ate at Joe's and then hung out at home and played Carcassonne and poker til it was time to go to the airport.
On the flight home, it was a little shocking when our plane kept on having to do these holding patterns because Seattle was getting SNOW. (Even more shocking when we finally landed -- my poor sunburned skin was NOT ready for this). We landed about an hour late, but made it home safe and sound, so grateful for the trip but glad to be back in our own bed.
Thanks for having us, Chris! :)
Day 1 -- we drove up to Rancho Palos Verdes and went hiking around the cliffs on the coast, then went and ate at an Irish restaurant right on the beach. Gorgeous. Took lots of pictures. Felt pale in comparison to all the great tans walking around me! I had forgotten how beautiful California can be. Palm trees everywhere, all these fragrant flowers on the warm breeze... lovely.
Day 2 -- Easter Sunday seems like a great day to go to a theme park, right? We drove out to Anaheim and went to Knott's Berry Farm (we originally considered Disneyland, but it's kind of a rip-off, and KBF is a MUCH better deal). I hate to say this, but Easter was actually one of the best days to go -- the crowds were way down. We only waited in a couple of lines, and those were for about 10-15 minutes, which is nothing. The last time Chris went, he vowed he would never go back again, because he did nothing but wait in lines, but we were able to nearly reverse that painful experience for him.
Favorite rides:
Ghost Rider -- This was a super cool wooden rollercoaster we rode about 5 times (and it's a pretty long ride in comparison to the others), constantly trying to make funnier faces for the photo.
Supreme Scream -- Did this one twice, and it was fully worth how much it scared the crap out of me. Takes you straight up 254 feet in the air, then drops you straight down, hitting 50 mph in three seconds. It feels like you're weightless on the way down. Amazing ride -- although, as it was nearing the top and I could see for miles, I kept on saying, "No... no... no... this was not a good idea..."
Perilous Plunge -- Not so favorite because the harness left bruises on my arms, but it took guts to ride it, so I'm pretty happy with myself. This one's pretty simple. Takes you up in the air 115 feet, then throws you down a waterfall at 77 degrees (almost straight down), splashing down in a pool at the end, leaving you soaking wet (which is nice since the weather's warm).
Day 3 -- Chris had to work, so Justin and I nerded out at the local Starbucks for an hour and then hit the beach. It was a little chillier than it had been the day before, and I didn't realize I was burning (usually I can tell pretty quickly). My attempt to "even out" the burn from our hiking on the cliffs did not go so well, and the rest of the trip became an adventure in aloe vera application. Still, it was great just to chill out for a few hours in the sand, watching the waves and taking it easy together. That night, we went with Chris to dinner and then to a large arcade, where we played some skee-ball. The prizes were pretty lame, so we picked up 110 rubber thimbles and had fun placing them in various locations on our walk home.
Day 4 -- Too tired and sunburned to do much else, we went to Starbucks and played Rummy 500 for about three hours. Went back to the arcade and played more skee-ball -- this time coming home with 8 visored pink and black do-rags, which we insisted on wearing around the house when Chris got home from work. Introduced Chris and Justin to the wonder that is Bucca di Beppo's Italian restaurant. Ate way too much (three people at a family-style restaurant is a little small), but it was worth it -- and we had leftovers, anyway.
Day 5 -- Weather wasn't so great (An extremely chilly 65 degrees -- we promptly turned into huge weather wimps during our stay) so we ate at Joe's and then hung out at home and played Carcassonne and poker til it was time to go to the airport.
On the flight home, it was a little shocking when our plane kept on having to do these holding patterns because Seattle was getting SNOW. (Even more shocking when we finally landed -- my poor sunburned skin was NOT ready for this). We landed about an hour late, but made it home safe and sound, so grateful for the trip but glad to be back in our own bed.
Thanks for having us, Chris! :)
domingo, 9 de marzo de 2008
happy weekend
First off, happy birthday to my "little" brother Kevo, turning the big 25 tomorrow. (Here's to lower insurance rates, kiddo! Here's to being a true adult!)
Justin is sitting next to me playing Oregon Trail on facebook. Everyone's getting cholera. And someone just stole 60 bullets.
My dear friend Jules is in Europe right now (for three weeks!). I decided on a closer adventure. On Tuesday, Justin and I went and finally got our tattoos. It was fun, albeit a little painful -- though I was expecting worse. I was thinking searing pain, and it was more like little bee stings.
I'll be 28 in a few months, still, I was nervous to tell Mom. I'm horrible at keeping secrets from her, though, so I called her on the way home to get it over with. She said "I don't like you anymore. And I don't like that husband of yours, either. He's not my favorite son-in-law anymore." And then she giggled. For several minutes. Justin: "Tell your mom that no matter how many tats she gets, she'll always be my favorite mother-in-law."
She called later on that evening: "Does it hurt? I hope so."
We're thinking about getting her a gift certificate to a local parlor.
Here's the design we got, based on something I made for Justin for his 26th birthday (our first birthdays celebrated together). We still laugh at how sheepish he felt at getting this framed handmade gift. He had bought me a Strongbad T-shirt. :)
(This was right after the tattoo was finished, it will lighten up as it heals. Also... could I have more freckles?).
Talking to our good friend Levi, he asked where we'd gotten them at. Justin's is on his shoulder, and mine is on my back. "Oh..." he said, "where at on your back?"
I began laughing, realizing he was tactfully trying to suss out whether I'd gotten a tramp stamp, also known as a lower-back tattoo. I set his fears at ease and let him know it was up on my shoulderblade, but had a good laugh at him all the same.
We have paper-writing to get to today, but we're going to take it easy this morning, grab some coffee, head downtown to the Bagelry for some warm bagels (the kind with the huge granules of salt, like on a pretzel! Yum!).
Two more weeks... and then some sunshine in LA. We're coming, Chris! (That is, unless you die of dysentery first).
Justin is sitting next to me playing Oregon Trail on facebook. Everyone's getting cholera. And someone just stole 60 bullets.
My dear friend Jules is in Europe right now (for three weeks!). I decided on a closer adventure. On Tuesday, Justin and I went and finally got our tattoos. It was fun, albeit a little painful -- though I was expecting worse. I was thinking searing pain, and it was more like little bee stings.
I'll be 28 in a few months, still, I was nervous to tell Mom. I'm horrible at keeping secrets from her, though, so I called her on the way home to get it over with. She said "I don't like you anymore. And I don't like that husband of yours, either. He's not my favorite son-in-law anymore." And then she giggled. For several minutes. Justin: "Tell your mom that no matter how many tats she gets, she'll always be my favorite mother-in-law."
She called later on that evening: "Does it hurt? I hope so."
We're thinking about getting her a gift certificate to a local parlor.
Here's the design we got, based on something I made for Justin for his 26th birthday (our first birthdays celebrated together). We still laugh at how sheepish he felt at getting this framed handmade gift. He had bought me a Strongbad T-shirt. :)
(This was right after the tattoo was finished, it will lighten up as it heals. Also... could I have more freckles?).
Talking to our good friend Levi, he asked where we'd gotten them at. Justin's is on his shoulder, and mine is on my back. "Oh..." he said, "where at on your back?"
I began laughing, realizing he was tactfully trying to suss out whether I'd gotten a tramp stamp, also known as a lower-back tattoo. I set his fears at ease and let him know it was up on my shoulderblade, but had a good laugh at him all the same.
We have paper-writing to get to today, but we're going to take it easy this morning, grab some coffee, head downtown to the Bagelry for some warm bagels (the kind with the huge granules of salt, like on a pretzel! Yum!).
Two more weeks... and then some sunshine in LA. We're coming, Chris! (That is, unless you die of dysentery first).
domingo, 2 de marzo de 2008
my teachers
It's really hard to believe, but we are in the last few weeks of our winter quarter. I've so enjoyed it.
Gone is much of the anxiety I felt my first quarter back, when I was wondering if I could even do this. Now I know not only that I can do this, but that I'm right where I need to be. I love the program I'm in and am enjoying getting to know my profs, who are warm and very supportive.
There's Lee, whose nonfiction class I look forward to every week. Number one, she's fluent in sarcasm, which is always a plus with me. Two, she's so helpful, full of ways to trick yourself into actually writing -- the stuff that only comes with experience as a writer. She lets us in on all those things. Third, she refuses to structure us, much as students seemingly beg her to. "How long does this need to be?" someone inevitably asks. "Long enough to do whot it needs to," she replies. "Should I use this form in my essay?" "I don't know. Try it. It may work, it may not. You just have to experiment and figure out whot works for you."
That, and she's just a cool person. I would almost be intimidated by her because I always do this with women I admire, but whenever we bump into her at a reading or something, she always waves us over like she's thrilled to see us. Which helps a lot toward me getting over myself.
I was up visiting Michael the other day to pick up my portfolio from last quarter, and a current professor of mine walked in -- they share an office. I can't imagine more opposite office mates.
Michael is pretty casual and easy-going in his button-up shirts and fleece vest. He's begun class with Shel Silverstein poems. He's teaching a Gaming-as-Literature course next quarter (Justin is so bummed he can't take it). Dr. M. wears tailored suits every day (shoes shined perfectly, handkerchief in the pocket, hair perfect) and has a tendency to stop his lecture and stare students down if they have the gall to arrive late to his class (or worse, leave early). He flicks the light off and back on again as he enters the room, as if to say, "Ok, I'm here, prepare yourself for a brilliant lecture." (which it will be -- the two hours fly by). Michael teaches fairly non-traditional texts, and Dr. M. is passionate about the canon.
In fact, when my newer prof walked into the office, I said, "Oh, hi, Dr. M."
Michael looked up with a bit of shock. "You're Dr. M.?" Clearly he thought I'd been far too casual with a guy whose name is Nicholas, never Nick.
"Oh, yeah, I go by that sometimes," he said, a slight smile on his face.
I loved it. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.
Justin and I talked with them for a while, and they both took time to encourage me in their own ways. Michael, by flipping through my notebook and saying, "You really started kicking ass there near the end of the quarter." Dr. M., by grabbing his list of how many A's he'd awarded on the first exam (three), telling me that when I get an A on his exam, it means something. I think he'd hate for me to think he's a soft grader. He's got a reputation to uphold. :)
These two very different professors both took time out of their day just to chat. I don't know why this warmth surprises me, but it always does. Although I've had varying degrees of success throughout my college experience, I'm so grateful for teachers who took time to get to know me, who made themselves available to help me along the way. Even though some of these names are from classes almost ten years ago, I still remember.
I hope to be this kind of teacher someday.
Gone is much of the anxiety I felt my first quarter back, when I was wondering if I could even do this. Now I know not only that I can do this, but that I'm right where I need to be. I love the program I'm in and am enjoying getting to know my profs, who are warm and very supportive.
There's Lee, whose nonfiction class I look forward to every week. Number one, she's fluent in sarcasm, which is always a plus with me. Two, she's so helpful, full of ways to trick yourself into actually writing -- the stuff that only comes with experience as a writer. She lets us in on all those things. Third, she refuses to structure us, much as students seemingly beg her to. "How long does this need to be?" someone inevitably asks. "Long enough to do whot it needs to," she replies. "Should I use this form in my essay?" "I don't know. Try it. It may work, it may not. You just have to experiment and figure out whot works for you."
That, and she's just a cool person. I would almost be intimidated by her because I always do this with women I admire, but whenever we bump into her at a reading or something, she always waves us over like she's thrilled to see us. Which helps a lot toward me getting over myself.
I was up visiting Michael the other day to pick up my portfolio from last quarter, and a current professor of mine walked in -- they share an office. I can't imagine more opposite office mates.
Michael is pretty casual and easy-going in his button-up shirts and fleece vest. He's begun class with Shel Silverstein poems. He's teaching a Gaming-as-Literature course next quarter (Justin is so bummed he can't take it). Dr. M. wears tailored suits every day (shoes shined perfectly, handkerchief in the pocket, hair perfect) and has a tendency to stop his lecture and stare students down if they have the gall to arrive late to his class (or worse, leave early). He flicks the light off and back on again as he enters the room, as if to say, "Ok, I'm here, prepare yourself for a brilliant lecture." (which it will be -- the two hours fly by). Michael teaches fairly non-traditional texts, and Dr. M. is passionate about the canon.
In fact, when my newer prof walked into the office, I said, "Oh, hi, Dr. M."
Michael looked up with a bit of shock. "You're Dr. M.?" Clearly he thought I'd been far too casual with a guy whose name is Nicholas, never Nick.
"Oh, yeah, I go by that sometimes," he said, a slight smile on his face.
I loved it. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.
Justin and I talked with them for a while, and they both took time to encourage me in their own ways. Michael, by flipping through my notebook and saying, "You really started kicking ass there near the end of the quarter." Dr. M., by grabbing his list of how many A's he'd awarded on the first exam (three), telling me that when I get an A on his exam, it means something. I think he'd hate for me to think he's a soft grader. He's got a reputation to uphold. :)
These two very different professors both took time out of their day just to chat. I don't know why this warmth surprises me, but it always does. Although I've had varying degrees of success throughout my college experience, I'm so grateful for teachers who took time to get to know me, who made themselves available to help me along the way. Even though some of these names are from classes almost ten years ago, I still remember.
I hope to be this kind of teacher someday.
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