I have a beef with fruit flies.
Initially when I see a fruit fly I think, yuck, that's a gross bug. But after smashing about the third or fourth I catch on and go on a hunt for the rotting produce that is attracting these nasty insects.
But then I get to thinking how strange fruit flies are. They really do boggle my mind. They mysteriously appear at the slightest hint of over-ripe fruit, but in less than a day of disposing of the fruit, the hovering black bugs have disappeared, only to be seen the next time I fail to partake in my daily fruit.
what do these flies do when fruit is not rotting in my apartment? Which, I can proudly say, is definitely the majority of the time.
Do these bugs migrate from apartment to apartment in search of undesirable peaches, grapes, bananas, apples or oranges? do they hibernate only to be awoken at the scent of overly sweet produce?
Maybe their name sells them short. Maybe some of them don't even like fruit, but because of the family they're born into, they're forced to eat rotten produce. Maybe little Johnny fruit fly is really in love with double stuffed oreos (I mean, who isn't??)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
he found her!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
My weekend in Terre Haute, Indiana
Typing that title brought back a lovely little grade school memory called “my summer vacation.” This was when every august, at the onset of a new school year, grade school teachers ask their students to stand in front of the class and give a recap of what they did during their three month summer vacation. For a kid whose family never took extravagant family vacations to Disney World, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon, this little project was the perfect time to prove to the entire class what a loser you really were…
Sorry, that’s another story, one that I will save for another time…
What this post is really about is the weekend that I spent with a friend in her hometown of Terre Haute. Who needs Disney World or the Grand Canyon when a lovely little town like Terre Haute exists? It really was a nice weekend. A great opportunity to take in some sights (Terre Haute is the home of square donuts and Claber Girl Baking Powder), relax and enjoy some beautiful fall weather. We spent some time in her mother’s knitting store, where I bought some amazing rust colored yarn for a new scarf, and went for a nice long bike ride on the town’s bike trail. We had sushi and thai and ice cream (but not all at once). Her parents are great and have a really lovely home. It was a great opportunity for me to take my mind off things and to get out of the city when the city, with all its bustling activity, can be quite smothering at times.
Sorry, that’s another story, one that I will save for another time…
What this post is really about is the weekend that I spent with a friend in her hometown of Terre Haute. Who needs Disney World or the Grand Canyon when a lovely little town like Terre Haute exists? It really was a nice weekend. A great opportunity to take in some sights (Terre Haute is the home of square donuts and Claber Girl Baking Powder), relax and enjoy some beautiful fall weather. We spent some time in her mother’s knitting store, where I bought some amazing rust colored yarn for a new scarf, and went for a nice long bike ride on the town’s bike trail. We had sushi and thai and ice cream (but not all at once). Her parents are great and have a really lovely home. It was a great opportunity for me to take my mind off things and to get out of the city when the city, with all its bustling activity, can be quite smothering at times.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
don't tell my mom.
I've lived in chicago for a total of 20 months, and last night i had my first first-hand experience with a pick pocketer. When i think about it long enough i get worked up about it and upset at how i did and did not react. but when it happened it was the weirdest feeling and happened so fast that i didn't have time to comprehend what was going on.
I was walking to the El from work, as I do every day after work, on a really busy main road. I had just crossed an intersection and was walking under some construction scafolding (but was still very visible to all the cars driving past), when i felt something touching my butt. i first thought nothing of it because, i mean, i always have things touching my butt....no, jk, i just thought my bag had swung and grazed my hind end. but when i kept feeling something i turned around and saw this guy really close to me start to half jog/half run in the other direction. i was like, what? was he just grabbing my butt?? no, oh my gosh, was he picking my pocket!?! i yelled 'hey!' at him (in a very confused, angry voice) and started walking/jogging after him. i didn't get too far before i stopped to think through what had just happened. i had put some cash, my ID and my debit card in my back pocket at lunch so that i wouldn't have to carry my bag. I reached back and realized i still had my ID and my debit card, though the two $10 bills were gone.
now what? I knew it wasn't worth chasing the guy down for $20, even though i wanted to. who knows what could have happened. it could have gotten a lot worse for me, he could have been crazy. I emptied the rest of my pockets and threw the contents into the bottom of my bag. feeling completely violated, i decided to continue to the El asap and just get home. now that i think about it, i wish i would have told someone at the El station or reported it or, i dunno....what are you supposed to do? call the cops? i mean, seriously? it was only $20. if he had stolen my ID and my debit card, yeah, i definitely would have told someone. But yeah, now i wish i would have told someone anyway. What gives that jerk off the right to get away with this so easy? he's gunna keep doing it if there are more people like me (and i'm sure there are) who just let it fly.
I do feel incredibly fortunate that this guy was only after my measly $20 and was non-violent as far as i could tell. i'm gunna go buy some mace right now and hold it in my hand at all times (probably not), so if it ever happens again at least i can make the guy suffer.
I was walking to the El from work, as I do every day after work, on a really busy main road. I had just crossed an intersection and was walking under some construction scafolding (but was still very visible to all the cars driving past), when i felt something touching my butt. i first thought nothing of it because, i mean, i always have things touching my butt....no, jk, i just thought my bag had swung and grazed my hind end. but when i kept feeling something i turned around and saw this guy really close to me start to half jog/half run in the other direction. i was like, what? was he just grabbing my butt?? no, oh my gosh, was he picking my pocket!?! i yelled 'hey!' at him (in a very confused, angry voice) and started walking/jogging after him. i didn't get too far before i stopped to think through what had just happened. i had put some cash, my ID and my debit card in my back pocket at lunch so that i wouldn't have to carry my bag. I reached back and realized i still had my ID and my debit card, though the two $10 bills were gone.
now what? I knew it wasn't worth chasing the guy down for $20, even though i wanted to. who knows what could have happened. it could have gotten a lot worse for me, he could have been crazy. I emptied the rest of my pockets and threw the contents into the bottom of my bag. feeling completely violated, i decided to continue to the El asap and just get home. now that i think about it, i wish i would have told someone at the El station or reported it or, i dunno....what are you supposed to do? call the cops? i mean, seriously? it was only $20. if he had stolen my ID and my debit card, yeah, i definitely would have told someone. But yeah, now i wish i would have told someone anyway. What gives that jerk off the right to get away with this so easy? he's gunna keep doing it if there are more people like me (and i'm sure there are) who just let it fly.
I do feel incredibly fortunate that this guy was only after my measly $20 and was non-violent as far as i could tell. i'm gunna go buy some mace right now and hold it in my hand at all times (probably not), so if it ever happens again at least i can make the guy suffer.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
"the hard drive's headin south"
my poor little ipod whom i've had for over 3 years and 3 months is starting to send signals saying he's too tired, too old, and too overworked to go on much longer. low (no) battery life, randomly skipping songs, freezing mid-album....
Last night, i decided to 'doctor' it up a bit by restoring its factory settings. Right, got it, no problem. I've had to do this before and it worked great. All was going fine last night until halfway through re-installing my music library. It completely freaked out. I mean....completely. it got to a song called 'the wall' and it pretty much hit a wall. it couldn't continue. It didn't exactly freeze but it definitely stopped responding. I couldn't eject it from itunes or make it stop thinking it was still updating the library or even make it respond when i 'illegally' unplugged it from the computer. nothing! but what it WAS doing was getting super, super hot. i could hear the gears grinding and when they didn't stop, i started to panic. I tried prying the case open to unplug the battery, but that idea was a complete bust. so i sat there, not knowing what to do, all the while it's getting hotter and hotter to the point where i thought if i didn't do something to fix this thing or kill it completely it was going to start on fire and burn my apartment down! (i NEVER overreact). So i did what any sane human would do and threw it in the freezer (literally threw it, hoping the slam against the back of the freezer would break it or at least cause it to snap out of it's comatose state. it did neither one). to keep you from thinking that i'm totally nuts, not only did i think the freezer would keep my ipod from burning my apartment down, I'd also heard that freezing a damaged hard drive could prevent the loss of any additional data (which is true), but in my case didn't really matter. but hey, worth a shot.
5 minutes later, i pulled it out of the freezer and it was back to normal...for the most part. however, only 2 (definitely non-favorite) songs had been successfully re-installed even though my computer said over 1,600 had been. ok....well, at least it's back to operating fuctionality again....and since i'm a genius, i decided to plug it back into my computer and force it to try to finish the job it has so unsuccessfully started in the first place. bad idea. same problem. back to the freezer. still...not....working.
the professionals at the apple store were able to temporarily shock the life back into him, but i know it's only temporary. like putting a bandaid on a broken leg. 3 years and 3 months. that was the basic life span of my particular ipod. a 3rd generation ipod. an ipod before the click wheel, before the color screen, before photo or video capabilities. an ipod who so faithfully served me on my daily commute to and from work, allowing me to blissfully distract myself from yet another homeless person begging for money, the paris hilton wannabe participating in an invigorating game of 'yell-ular' with her bff who, "omg, like, totally bought that louis vuitton handbag i was oggling", the mother completely ignoring the cries of her extreemly vocal 4 year old, and the old man with no teeth hitting on me from across the isle. i felt like i was betraying an old friend tonight as i browsed the shiny new ipod models at the apple store, looking at the fancy iphones, the mega-storage ipod classics, the ipod touches, and the ipod video nanos. so many beautiful options, but SO not the same as my old faithful.
I walked out empty handed, with my old ipod in my pocket, thinking (mostly hoping) that maybe the crazy people on the bus won't be so bad.....
Last night, i decided to 'doctor' it up a bit by restoring its factory settings. Right, got it, no problem. I've had to do this before and it worked great. All was going fine last night until halfway through re-installing my music library. It completely freaked out. I mean....completely. it got to a song called 'the wall' and it pretty much hit a wall. it couldn't continue. It didn't exactly freeze but it definitely stopped responding. I couldn't eject it from itunes or make it stop thinking it was still updating the library or even make it respond when i 'illegally' unplugged it from the computer. nothing! but what it WAS doing was getting super, super hot. i could hear the gears grinding and when they didn't stop, i started to panic. I tried prying the case open to unplug the battery, but that idea was a complete bust. so i sat there, not knowing what to do, all the while it's getting hotter and hotter to the point where i thought if i didn't do something to fix this thing or kill it completely it was going to start on fire and burn my apartment down! (i NEVER overreact). So i did what any sane human would do and threw it in the freezer (literally threw it, hoping the slam against the back of the freezer would break it or at least cause it to snap out of it's comatose state. it did neither one). to keep you from thinking that i'm totally nuts, not only did i think the freezer would keep my ipod from burning my apartment down, I'd also heard that freezing a damaged hard drive could prevent the loss of any additional data (which is true), but in my case didn't really matter. but hey, worth a shot.
5 minutes later, i pulled it out of the freezer and it was back to normal...for the most part. however, only 2 (definitely non-favorite) songs had been successfully re-installed even though my computer said over 1,600 had been. ok....well, at least it's back to operating fuctionality again....and since i'm a genius, i decided to plug it back into my computer and force it to try to finish the job it has so unsuccessfully started in the first place. bad idea. same problem. back to the freezer. still...not....working.
the professionals at the apple store were able to temporarily shock the life back into him, but i know it's only temporary. like putting a bandaid on a broken leg. 3 years and 3 months. that was the basic life span of my particular ipod. a 3rd generation ipod. an ipod before the click wheel, before the color screen, before photo or video capabilities. an ipod who so faithfully served me on my daily commute to and from work, allowing me to blissfully distract myself from yet another homeless person begging for money, the paris hilton wannabe participating in an invigorating game of 'yell-ular' with her bff who, "omg, like, totally bought that louis vuitton handbag i was oggling", the mother completely ignoring the cries of her extreemly vocal 4 year old, and the old man with no teeth hitting on me from across the isle. i felt like i was betraying an old friend tonight as i browsed the shiny new ipod models at the apple store, looking at the fancy iphones, the mega-storage ipod classics, the ipod touches, and the ipod video nanos. so many beautiful options, but SO not the same as my old faithful.
I walked out empty handed, with my old ipod in my pocket, thinking (mostly hoping) that maybe the crazy people on the bus won't be so bad.....
Sunday, October 21, 2007
good news
it's been quite some time since i've heard good news, but that streak ended yesterday when my mom called to tell me that the results from her tests came in. her cancer has not spread to her lymphnodes which means it was most likely containted to the portion of her colon that was removed during surgery.
this is great news. much anticipated great news. it was just 2.5 weeks ago that we found out my mom had suspicious spots on her colon, but those have been the longest 2.5 weeks of my life. a lot of frustration and anger and struggling to comprehend why this, on top of everything else, could possibly be happening. but thank God for a little good news.
this is great news. much anticipated great news. it was just 2.5 weeks ago that we found out my mom had suspicious spots on her colon, but those have been the longest 2.5 weeks of my life. a lot of frustration and anger and struggling to comprehend why this, on top of everything else, could possibly be happening. but thank God for a little good news.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
if the brakeman turns my way
When panic grips your body and your heart is a hummingbird
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you're breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out
Got a cricket for a conscience always looks the other way
A cocaine soul starts seeming like an empty cabaret
Hey, where have all the dancers gone? Now the music doesn't play
Tried to listen to the river but you couldn't shut your mouth
Better take a little time to level out
I never thought of running
My feet just led the way
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
Cars are switched out in the crazy rain
I could meet you any place
If the Brakeman turns my way
All this automatic writing I have tried to understand
From a psychedelic angel who was tugging on my hand
It's an infinite coincidence but it doesn't form a plan
So I'm headed for New England or the Paris of the South
Gonna find myself somewhere to level out
Are your brothels full, Oh Babylon, with merry Middlemen?
Never peer out of their periscopes from those deep opium dens
All this death must need a counterweight always someone born again
First a mother bathes her child then the other way around
The Scales always find a way to level out
I tried to pass for nothing
But my dreams gave me away
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
People snuffed out in the brutal rain
I could live to any age
If the Brakeman turns my way
It is an old world it's hard to remember
Like a dime store mystery
I'm a repeat first time offender
Who has rewritten history
Mixed up tea leaves
Phantom Pain
Fuzzy logic in the crazy rain
Getting better every day
If the Brakeman turns my way
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
Cars are switched out in the blinding rain
He'll be smiling as he seals my fate
When the Brakeman turns my way
– Bright Eyes
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you're breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out
Got a cricket for a conscience always looks the other way
A cocaine soul starts seeming like an empty cabaret
Hey, where have all the dancers gone? Now the music doesn't play
Tried to listen to the river but you couldn't shut your mouth
Better take a little time to level out
I never thought of running
My feet just led the way
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
Cars are switched out in the crazy rain
I could meet you any place
If the Brakeman turns my way
All this automatic writing I have tried to understand
From a psychedelic angel who was tugging on my hand
It's an infinite coincidence but it doesn't form a plan
So I'm headed for New England or the Paris of the South
Gonna find myself somewhere to level out
Are your brothels full, Oh Babylon, with merry Middlemen?
Never peer out of their periscopes from those deep opium dens
All this death must need a counterweight always someone born again
First a mother bathes her child then the other way around
The Scales always find a way to level out
I tried to pass for nothing
But my dreams gave me away
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
People snuffed out in the brutal rain
I could live to any age
If the Brakeman turns my way
It is an old world it's hard to remember
Like a dime store mystery
I'm a repeat first time offender
Who has rewritten history
Mixed up tea leaves
Phantom Pain
Fuzzy logic in the crazy rain
Getting better every day
If the Brakeman turns my way
Mixed up Signals
Bullet Train
Cars are switched out in the blinding rain
He'll be smiling as he seals my fate
When the Brakeman turns my way
– Bright Eyes
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
my empire of dirt
I just saved my plant's life. The window (whose sill he was sitting on) is open and a big gust of wind blew the blinds so hard they nearly pushed him off the edge. Poor little guy. That would have been truly tragic. I've had him for around 14 months already and he's getting so big! I'm so proud to have kept him alive and thriving for so long. I know, slightly pathetic. I don't have cats, but i'm well on my way to being a crazy plant lady.
a cat would be nice though....
a cat would be nice though....
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Illinoise
As of 9am this morning, i'm an official illinois resident!! whoohoo! I finally got my illinois drivers license and it feels good. I had to take the written test because i was switching states but amazingly I only got one wrong.
Did you know this sign means railroad crossing?:
I thought this meant Railroad Crossing:
Apparently they both do....
Did you know this sign means railroad crossing?:
I thought this meant Railroad Crossing:
Apparently they both do....
Monday, September 24, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
the mystery's gone....so bring back the sun
blogger's block...it's the curse of the ordinary.
When things become a routine, it's hard to pull any one event from the day to talk about. I thought i was pretty good at doing such when I first moved to chicago because everything was so new, but lately, everything seems to fall in the ordinary category.
Never one to love indulging in the (n)ever-so-exciting minute-by-minute recount of my daily activities, I usually try to keep my posts to more interesting events of my day. Sadly, those crazy, interesting, and sometimes humorous 'i live in chicago' accounts have been at a minimum lately.
So, when all else fails...talk about the weather! ok...hmmm...it's starting to feel like fall again. Yay! i love fall. it is by far my favorite time of the year. When there gets to be a slight chill in the air a lot of people can only think about and dread the season that follows fall. But I say, Give Fall a CHANCE! no one likes to be looked over or ignored, so we should cut fall some slack. Fall usually lasts well into November or even December before winter gets really ugly, so....that means a good 3 more months of not hating life every time you step out the door.
Speaking of stepping out the door, this morning i really should have worn a jacket for my trek to the bus stop. But i was wearing a new sweater so even though it was a short sleeve sweater, i kinda felt invincible. I regretted my decision to bypass the jacket as I waited a good 15 minutes for the bus with a very crisp breeze blowing off lake michigan. but it was lovely. so refreshing. anytime the seasons change I'm in awe of how fast time passes.
I have to back track a sec: I really shouldn't cut my social life short. When i say 'those crazy, interesting, and sometimes humorous 'i live in chicago' accounts have been at a minimum lately' in no way am i saying that i have a boring, awful life. No way! My past few weeks have been filled with trips to both Iowa and Grand Rapids, MI where i was able to hang out with family and friends. my sisters came out to visit a few weeks ago, which was a blast! I was fortunate enough to be able to go wedding dress shopping with my sister Becky over labor day weekend and it was so fun. overwhelming, yes, but I'm not the one who has to make the decisions :) Last weekend was spent in grand rapids visiting sar....so fun. it's always to long and far between when we get to hang out. I'm going out to dinner with a friend on thursday and to 6 flags this saturday....and I can see where all this talk is heading....right to the dreadful daily update i try to avoid.
so here, i end it. cheers!
When things become a routine, it's hard to pull any one event from the day to talk about. I thought i was pretty good at doing such when I first moved to chicago because everything was so new, but lately, everything seems to fall in the ordinary category.
Never one to love indulging in the (n)ever-so-exciting minute-by-minute recount of my daily activities, I usually try to keep my posts to more interesting events of my day. Sadly, those crazy, interesting, and sometimes humorous 'i live in chicago' accounts have been at a minimum lately.
So, when all else fails...talk about the weather! ok...hmmm...it's starting to feel like fall again. Yay! i love fall. it is by far my favorite time of the year. When there gets to be a slight chill in the air a lot of people can only think about and dread the season that follows fall. But I say, Give Fall a CHANCE! no one likes to be looked over or ignored, so we should cut fall some slack. Fall usually lasts well into November or even December before winter gets really ugly, so....that means a good 3 more months of not hating life every time you step out the door.
Speaking of stepping out the door, this morning i really should have worn a jacket for my trek to the bus stop. But i was wearing a new sweater so even though it was a short sleeve sweater, i kinda felt invincible. I regretted my decision to bypass the jacket as I waited a good 15 minutes for the bus with a very crisp breeze blowing off lake michigan. but it was lovely. so refreshing. anytime the seasons change I'm in awe of how fast time passes.
I have to back track a sec: I really shouldn't cut my social life short. When i say 'those crazy, interesting, and sometimes humorous 'i live in chicago' accounts have been at a minimum lately' in no way am i saying that i have a boring, awful life. No way! My past few weeks have been filled with trips to both Iowa and Grand Rapids, MI where i was able to hang out with family and friends. my sisters came out to visit a few weeks ago, which was a blast! I was fortunate enough to be able to go wedding dress shopping with my sister Becky over labor day weekend and it was so fun. overwhelming, yes, but I'm not the one who has to make the decisions :) Last weekend was spent in grand rapids visiting sar....so fun. it's always to long and far between when we get to hang out. I'm going out to dinner with a friend on thursday and to 6 flags this saturday....and I can see where all this talk is heading....right to the dreadful daily update i try to avoid.
so here, i end it. cheers!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers a question
everywhere, like, such as...
Did anyone see this live? wow.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
storms
I couldn't be happier at right this second. It just started storming here in chicago. Yay! i love a good thunder and lightning storm :)
Speaking of storms, my good friend, Abby, recently told me that she's decided to move to seattle. Boo. I'm not at all happy about this decision of hers, mostly because I'm being selfish and imagining my life in chicago without her is not something I like to dwell on. (It also sucks because I lost another very good friend to seattle last fall). But....being the supportive friend that I am ( :0 ) I am very excited for her. The job opportunity that she has out there is one not to be missed, so i wish her all the best. Seriously.
oooh. a pic from my window....
Speaking of storms, my good friend, Abby, recently told me that she's decided to move to seattle. Boo. I'm not at all happy about this decision of hers, mostly because I'm being selfish and imagining my life in chicago without her is not something I like to dwell on. (It also sucks because I lost another very good friend to seattle last fall). But....being the supportive friend that I am ( :0 ) I am very excited for her. The job opportunity that she has out there is one not to be missed, so i wish her all the best. Seriously.
oooh. a pic from my window....
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
church banners
As promised...here are some pics of the banners i designed for my church. But go figure, the day i actually remembered to take my camera to church is the one day the banners that hang in the sanctuary had been taken down for a wedding, but here's what the ones outside look like.
The church has all these amazing stained glass windows in the sactuary, so that's where I got my inspiration.
Our church is being made handicap accessible, so in the meantime we're worshipping in the church's worship community building.
The church has all these amazing stained glass windows in the sactuary, so that's where I got my inspiration.
Our church is being made handicap accessible, so in the meantime we're worshipping in the church's worship community building.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
woe and whoa!
Argh. laundry sucks. and a non-operating laundry room sucks even more.
But while I'm waiting for the 1 functioning washing machine to finish, I just wanted to express how excited I am about recent and upcoming happenings!
First of all, my sister got engaged! yay! I'm going to have a brother-in-law! Congratulations B&B!! I love you guys!
Second of all, my best friend is coming to visit this weekend! While she's here, we're going to see one of my fav bands, Manchester Orchestra, play at the House of Blues, and we're going to a cubs game a couple days later. Should be a fun-filled weekend :)
...that's all i guess.
gotta go check the machine.
But while I'm waiting for the 1 functioning washing machine to finish, I just wanted to express how excited I am about recent and upcoming happenings!
First of all, my sister got engaged! yay! I'm going to have a brother-in-law! Congratulations B&B!! I love you guys!
Second of all, my best friend is coming to visit this weekend! While she's here, we're going to see one of my fav bands, Manchester Orchestra, play at the House of Blues, and we're going to a cubs game a couple days later. Should be a fun-filled weekend :)
...that's all i guess.
gotta go check the machine.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
This needs a title, I'm aware of that
I heart chicago. I realize that just yesterday i said i left my heart in seattle, but in a matter of 24 hours I decided that i heart chicago again. It was touch-and-go there for a second, but i had a fabulous day at work today and I'm ok with being back in chi-town.
today at work: design preview for new temporary exhibit, Aztecs. (actually, that's not the real name of the exhibit, it's so early in the exhibit creation process that it doesn't have a name yet). Anyway, the design preview went spendidly, even though we were anticipating it to go not so spendidly. We got rave reviews from the directors and such, so at least we're on the right track. Definitely a lot of tweaking and fine-tuning ahead, but it's nice to know our hard work so far has not been in vain.
I also have a few other smaller projects on my plate which is fun cuz it fills in the cracks of time in my day.
I'm getting a new digital camera! I just realized that it was supposed to come today and it didn't....hmmm....better check that out. I guess that's why they give you tracking numbers. Anyway, I'm getting a new camera because I dropped my other one on the dock in Okoboji a few weeks ago and even though it was in it's protective caccoon of a case, the screen broke and was completely useless. It still took pictures, but I just had to use the old-skool view finder, which wasn't acceptable.
My new listening pleasure: The Kooks
A photo for you in honor of my heart being returned to Chicago:
today at work: design preview for new temporary exhibit, Aztecs. (actually, that's not the real name of the exhibit, it's so early in the exhibit creation process that it doesn't have a name yet). Anyway, the design preview went spendidly, even though we were anticipating it to go not so spendidly. We got rave reviews from the directors and such, so at least we're on the right track. Definitely a lot of tweaking and fine-tuning ahead, but it's nice to know our hard work so far has not been in vain.
I also have a few other smaller projects on my plate which is fun cuz it fills in the cracks of time in my day.
I'm getting a new digital camera! I just realized that it was supposed to come today and it didn't....hmmm....better check that out. I guess that's why they give you tracking numbers. Anyway, I'm getting a new camera because I dropped my other one on the dock in Okoboji a few weeks ago and even though it was in it's protective caccoon of a case, the screen broke and was completely useless. It still took pictures, but I just had to use the old-skool view finder, which wasn't acceptable.
My new listening pleasure: The Kooks
A photo for you in honor of my heart being returned to Chicago:
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Dana's in Germany
My little sister, Dana, just moved to Germany where she's going to be a nanny for a year. I miss her already but I hope she's having fun. This is for you, Dana...I love you!!
I think I left my heart in seattle
Two days ago i returned from a 9 day trip to the Pacific Northwest. I spent the first 6 days and nights with my good friend Rachel in Seattle. It was my first time in Seattle, and the west coast for that matter, and I absolutely loved it! Seattle is a beautiful city with a lot of interesting things going on as well as a lot of pleasant, friendly people. It was so good to see Rachel again, in her city. The weather was beautiful 4 of the 6 days, and only rained for 2 of them. This was a great time of the year to go.
It's funny, one of the things that sticks out the most in my mind is the difference between Seattle's public transportation and Chicago's CTA. I think a lot can be said for a city based on it's public transportation. Seattle's buses were clean, comfortable, and on time! Their bus drivers were humane! They waited to start moving until people were seated, they didn't slam on the brakes and one even helped me get my huge suitcase up the steps. I was astounded, and frankly, it made my trip all the more pleasant. I know there are a lot of CTA bus drivers out there who are pleasant and courteous, but they are few and far between.
Anyway, Seattle was great! Click here for a few pics.
The second part of my lovely vacation was spent 2 hours north of seattle in Lynden, Washington. My college roomate, Tara, got married and I got to be a bridesmaid! It was a blast. Not only the wedding, which was gorgeous, but also getting back together with all my college roomates. It was a fabulous time as well.
Now I'm back in Chicago and it feels kinda weird. I missed a full week of work, a full week of commuting to and from work and 9 days worth of seeing the same old sights, the same old apartment. I'm glad to be back, but I definitely could have spent a lot more time in the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere else on a longer vacation! Yesterday, work was a struggle. I couldn't seem to get motivated. Today was a bit better. I have some new projects on my plate so there's no shortage of work to be done.
Oh, and I decided I love Iced Coffee. I had always thought it was really yuppy to drink that stuff and it probably still is, but it gives me the caffeine fix i need with a nice cooling effect. yum!
It's funny, one of the things that sticks out the most in my mind is the difference between Seattle's public transportation and Chicago's CTA. I think a lot can be said for a city based on it's public transportation. Seattle's buses were clean, comfortable, and on time! Their bus drivers were humane! They waited to start moving until people were seated, they didn't slam on the brakes and one even helped me get my huge suitcase up the steps. I was astounded, and frankly, it made my trip all the more pleasant. I know there are a lot of CTA bus drivers out there who are pleasant and courteous, but they are few and far between.
Anyway, Seattle was great! Click here for a few pics.
The second part of my lovely vacation was spent 2 hours north of seattle in Lynden, Washington. My college roomate, Tara, got married and I got to be a bridesmaid! It was a blast. Not only the wedding, which was gorgeous, but also getting back together with all my college roomates. It was a fabulous time as well.
Now I'm back in Chicago and it feels kinda weird. I missed a full week of work, a full week of commuting to and from work and 9 days worth of seeing the same old sights, the same old apartment. I'm glad to be back, but I definitely could have spent a lot more time in the Pacific Northwest, or anywhere else on a longer vacation! Yesterday, work was a struggle. I couldn't seem to get motivated. Today was a bit better. I have some new projects on my plate so there's no shortage of work to be done.
Oh, and I decided I love Iced Coffee. I had always thought it was really yuppy to drink that stuff and it probably still is, but it gives me the caffeine fix i need with a nice cooling effect. yum!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
trips trips trips
I'm back in Chicago after a quick 4 day weekend trip to Iowa. Consequently, yesterday felt like Monday, and today feels like Tuesday...but other than that, things are good. I got right back into things at work, and not only am I trying to catch up from missing a day, I'm also trying to work ahead as I'll be missing all of next week. I leave for Seattle on Friday!! I'm incredibly excited not only because I've NEVER been to the west coast, but because I get to see my good friend Rachel and be in my college roomate's wedding! Going to be a great 9 days.
Even though I'm incredibly excited, I'm also feeling really overwhelmed.
Even though I'm incredibly excited, I'm also feeling really overwhelmed.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Modest Mouse Missed the Boat video contest
I love this video. it's an amazing work of art when you think about how it was made. Here's what the creator, Max Tyrie, says about it:
"Myself and a couple have friends have entered the above into the Modest Mouse video competition. Using green screen footage provided by the band we cut a simple music video. We then degraded the images and printed out each frame sequentially. (all 4133 of them) We then nailed each "shot" of 50-100 posters to various structures and posts. Then using a digital SLR camera with a long exposure we frame by frame shot each poster. Oh, and theres a little video projection (again, frame by frame on the SLR) just to mix it up. There is no compositing, no shortcuts, just lots of blood, sweat and tears, and a huge Kinkos bill!".... Max
http://www.woostercollective.com/2007/05/shit_were_diggin_max_tyries_hand_made_mo.html
Sunday, June 24, 2007
i'm sick, but i'll survive
The past couple of days i've been sick. I'm still recovering from strep throat, though I'm feeling much better than i was last week. Wednesday afternoon i went to the doctor who wrote me a prescription, I then took Thursday and Friday off from work. I haven't been stay-at-home-sick in a long time, probably not since i was in high school and it's a lot different when you're home missing work instead of school. It's not as thrilling this time around. especially because my mom wasn't around to baby me and feel sorry for me!
Other than being sick, things have been going pretty well. A couple weeks ago i went to a Mandy Moore concert on a complete random whim and last night we saw an 80's cover band which was totally dope (my attempt at 80's lingo). seriously though, those guys completely rocked out. They played songs like Jessie's Girl, Centerfold, Journey, Summer of '69, I Think We're Alone Now and lots more that i can't remember. sixteencandlesband.com. It was righteous, wicked, way cool, gnarly, totally tubular, cool beans...wow. :S
And since i'm on the music stream. I just picked up a couple new albums from wreckless records down the street. Kevin Devine and Mates of State. Both are excellent. Thanks, Megan for recommending Mates to me!
Oh, fantastic news...the church banners are done. They're hanging up and look pretty good if you ask me. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but when I do I'll try post them here.
I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow. I think i've had enough recovery time, and i'm ready to get out of my apartment for an extended length of time.
But one more thing before I go....as a follow up on my previous post. I found a birthday card for my sister. I didn't end up making her one as i thought i would have to, i actually found a really good one for her and I hope it made her smile.
Ok. thats all. cheers!
Other than being sick, things have been going pretty well. A couple weeks ago i went to a Mandy Moore concert on a complete random whim and last night we saw an 80's cover band which was totally dope (my attempt at 80's lingo). seriously though, those guys completely rocked out. They played songs like Jessie's Girl, Centerfold, Journey, Summer of '69, I Think We're Alone Now and lots more that i can't remember. sixteencandlesband.com. It was righteous, wicked, way cool, gnarly, totally tubular, cool beans...wow. :S
And since i'm on the music stream. I just picked up a couple new albums from wreckless records down the street. Kevin Devine and Mates of State. Both are excellent. Thanks, Megan for recommending Mates to me!
Oh, fantastic news...the church banners are done. They're hanging up and look pretty good if you ask me. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but when I do I'll try post them here.
I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow. I think i've had enough recovery time, and i'm ready to get out of my apartment for an extended length of time.
But one more thing before I go....as a follow up on my previous post. I found a birthday card for my sister. I didn't end up making her one as i thought i would have to, i actually found a really good one for her and I hope it made her smile.
Ok. thats all. cheers!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
i covered all the angles...i think
My air conditioner is roaring. It's flippin' humid outside and my little air conditioner is doing its best to keep the humidity inside to a minimum. So I'm sitting here with my roaring air conditioner trying to focus on what I can write about today.
I know, 2 days in a row??? Wowzer.
I looked for a birthday card for my sister today but didn't find anything that fit our relationship. I felt slightly guilty as I walked away from the card aisle after spending nearly 45 minutes looking for a card. Even as I walked away I wasn't totally convinced that there wasn't a decent one in there, but I just had to give up. Amongst all the cards for either a sister, friend or other female I found 4 recurring themes throughout. 1) Getting old, 2) Indulging, 3) Sexual connotations, 4) Extreme sappiness.
1) Getting Old: She's not old. These cards are not remotely funny if you're 23 and the birthday girl is turning 19
2) Indulging: Sure, who doesn't love a little indulgence every once in a while. Chocolate, shoes, massages, too much cake...but I don't feel that I need her birthday card to tell her that. I love indulging even when it's not by birthday.
3) Sexual connotations. Ok, some of these are funny, but far too tacky in this situation. I just imagine my grandma running across it :S
4) Extreme sappiness. Yes, i love my sister. Even more now that I live 500 miles away. But the sappiness in the cards I found today should be reserved for when we're middle age. I'm not opposed to sappiness in it's entirety, but it has to be the right kid of sappy. A hip sappy. Because my sister and I, we're hip.
That being said, I decided that I'm just going to have to make her a card myself. I think I'll include a little story about my card-shopping experience much like the one I just told here :O
I know, 2 days in a row??? Wowzer.
I looked for a birthday card for my sister today but didn't find anything that fit our relationship. I felt slightly guilty as I walked away from the card aisle after spending nearly 45 minutes looking for a card. Even as I walked away I wasn't totally convinced that there wasn't a decent one in there, but I just had to give up. Amongst all the cards for either a sister, friend or other female I found 4 recurring themes throughout. 1) Getting old, 2) Indulging, 3) Sexual connotations, 4) Extreme sappiness.
1) Getting Old: She's not old. These cards are not remotely funny if you're 23 and the birthday girl is turning 19
2) Indulging: Sure, who doesn't love a little indulgence every once in a while. Chocolate, shoes, massages, too much cake...but I don't feel that I need her birthday card to tell her that. I love indulging even when it's not by birthday.
3) Sexual connotations. Ok, some of these are funny, but far too tacky in this situation. I just imagine my grandma running across it :S
4) Extreme sappiness. Yes, i love my sister. Even more now that I live 500 miles away. But the sappiness in the cards I found today should be reserved for when we're middle age. I'm not opposed to sappiness in it's entirety, but it has to be the right kid of sappy. A hip sappy. Because my sister and I, we're hip.
That being said, I decided that I'm just going to have to make her a card myself. I think I'll include a little story about my card-shopping experience much like the one I just told here :O
Monday, June 4, 2007
so many stories of where i've been and how i've got to where i am
Hello to all my faithful blog-checkers. you've surely been disappointed for the past few weeks as I haven't updated in quite some time. I apologize. Things have been happening. I'm thankful for the warm weather as it makes the city feel more alive, and quite frankly, it makes me feel more alive as well.
This past weekend I went apartment hunting. My current lease is up at the end of this month so I decided to take a peek at some other apartments to get a feel for what else is available. Rebecca Reed can attest to the very interesting apartment hunting experience I had on Saturday afternoon. Wow. Our agent from Apartment People was a piece of work. I'd describe him as a mix between someone with a severe case of ADD and a middle age man who hates his job. He also proved to be a very horrible and wreckless driver who's car was missing the rear bumper. But according to him, it wasn't his fault and I shouldn't be alarmed. Yeah right. Should I be alarmed when he purposely drives the wrong way down one-way streets or when he drives down the wrong lane in a 2-way street because he wants to avoid the traffic jam or when he backs into the car parked behind him??? Yeah, I was pretty astounded that this guy even has a license.
He definitely didn't sell me an apartment. Mostly because what he showed me was unimpressive and too expensive, and because he had horrible customer service. Rule number 1: don't complain about how much you hate your job, how broke you are or how much you dislike your coworkers to a possible customer/client. I'm staying in my current apartment for another year and I'm totally ok with that.
I'm also due to stay at the museum for another year. Yea! my term position has been extended for another year and I'm hoping to see a bit of a raise as well! can't beat that :)
For the past few months I've been busy designing some banners for my church. Today was a big day as i was finally able to send the files to the printer. They should be finished by the end of the week and installed in time for Sunday's service. Let's hope things go smoothly with my files and the printer.
I guess it was 2 weekends ago already that my friend Jen got married up in Michigan. Rachel flew in from seattle and stayed with me and then Saturday morning me, rachel and Becky took off for holland for the wedding. It was a very beautiful ceremony. Despite the torential downpour between the wedding and the reception, the entire evening was very nice. Congrats Jen and Chris!
Memorial Day weekend was very nice overall. It was nice weather on Monday so Rachel, Becky and I spent some time in a local park playing catch, throwing frisbee, reading, and napping in the sun :) Later we went out for mexican and then headed to the zoo! We saw the lion, and he was roaring :) We didn't see any polar bears which was a big disappointment, but we did see the monkeys and they were cute!
This past weekend I went apartment hunting. My current lease is up at the end of this month so I decided to take a peek at some other apartments to get a feel for what else is available. Rebecca Reed can attest to the very interesting apartment hunting experience I had on Saturday afternoon. Wow. Our agent from Apartment People was a piece of work. I'd describe him as a mix between someone with a severe case of ADD and a middle age man who hates his job. He also proved to be a very horrible and wreckless driver who's car was missing the rear bumper. But according to him, it wasn't his fault and I shouldn't be alarmed. Yeah right. Should I be alarmed when he purposely drives the wrong way down one-way streets or when he drives down the wrong lane in a 2-way street because he wants to avoid the traffic jam or when he backs into the car parked behind him??? Yeah, I was pretty astounded that this guy even has a license.
He definitely didn't sell me an apartment. Mostly because what he showed me was unimpressive and too expensive, and because he had horrible customer service. Rule number 1: don't complain about how much you hate your job, how broke you are or how much you dislike your coworkers to a possible customer/client. I'm staying in my current apartment for another year and I'm totally ok with that.
I'm also due to stay at the museum for another year. Yea! my term position has been extended for another year and I'm hoping to see a bit of a raise as well! can't beat that :)
For the past few months I've been busy designing some banners for my church. Today was a big day as i was finally able to send the files to the printer. They should be finished by the end of the week and installed in time for Sunday's service. Let's hope things go smoothly with my files and the printer.
I guess it was 2 weekends ago already that my friend Jen got married up in Michigan. Rachel flew in from seattle and stayed with me and then Saturday morning me, rachel and Becky took off for holland for the wedding. It was a very beautiful ceremony. Despite the torential downpour between the wedding and the reception, the entire evening was very nice. Congrats Jen and Chris!
Memorial Day weekend was very nice overall. It was nice weather on Monday so Rachel, Becky and I spent some time in a local park playing catch, throwing frisbee, reading, and napping in the sun :) Later we went out for mexican and then headed to the zoo! We saw the lion, and he was roaring :) We didn't see any polar bears which was a big disappointment, but we did see the monkeys and they were cute!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
If Microsoft designed the ipod package
Here's a funny link. i'm not even going to apologize to microsoft or the PC lovers out there. it's their own fault and this is too funny.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
object reemergence
Spring is a funny time of year and I was reminded of that this weekend. Not only is it a time when flowers, trees, and plants begin new life cycles, but humans and certain possessions do as well. Things come out of hibernation. It's a time of year when playground equipment that sat quiet for 5+ months creeks back to life with the help of energetic 4 year olds. Couples in love walk hand in hand or arm and arm down the sidewalk. Grills are reignited, patio furniture reemerges from storage, convertibles cruise down lake shore drive, swimsuits get dug out of the closet, boats fill the harbors and lake michigan, bike paths fill up, and well, you get the picture. I don't get this excited about winter things coming back into use. But i do love putting them away!
I didn't realize how lifeless chicago got during the winter until now, when things start coming to life. I'm very thankful.
speaking of life: I bought some flowers yesterday to liven up my apartment. I took several pics and posted a few of them below. My camera does a pretty good job with close-ups and I love how intense the reds and oranges are. if you click on any one of them you can see a bigger image.
I didn't realize how lifeless chicago got during the winter until now, when things start coming to life. I'm very thankful.
speaking of life: I bought some flowers yesterday to liven up my apartment. I took several pics and posted a few of them below. My camera does a pretty good job with close-ups and I love how intense the reds and oranges are. if you click on any one of them you can see a bigger image.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
retreat
indiana isn't as bad as some people think it is. sure there's the grimy steel infused factory that is Gary, but if you keep going, indiana is pretty nice. I spent the weekend in the country at a lovely retreat center with the women from my church. it was a weekend full of relaxing activities such as napping, leisurely walking, watching chick flicks, eating decadent desserts, and making crafts. Oh, did i mention the chocolate? it was there in abundance!
it was a great weekend and i met a bunch of really cool women at my church. I've been going to this church for almost a full year now, but this was the first time i could really get to know a bunch of the women....and vice versa! Now i feel much more connected. The weekend was topped off with a trip to IKEA where I bought a new bookshelf. (even though my apartment isn't getting any bigger, i still manage to fit new things in!)
it was a great weekend and i met a bunch of really cool women at my church. I've been going to this church for almost a full year now, but this was the first time i could really get to know a bunch of the women....and vice versa! Now i feel much more connected. The weekend was topped off with a trip to IKEA where I bought a new bookshelf. (even though my apartment isn't getting any bigger, i still manage to fit new things in!)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
airline ticket woes
I bought plane tickets yesterday for my summer trip to seattle. phew! I really hate searching for and buying plane tickets online. Although it's very convenient, it can be so stressful! There are so many websites out there that claim to have cheap tickets how can you ever be sure you're getting the absolute cheapest?? I went to travelzoo.com which was a pretty good website, but ultimately ended up buying the tickets through kayak.com. Kayak.com was the most organized airline ticket website that i found. All the information was easy to follow and comparing ticket options was a breeze. As a graphic designer, I have no patience when it comes to poorly organized information.
So, kayak.com gets my vote.
Now that I got the tickets I can relax and get super excited for my trip to seattle. not only will i get to be in Tara's wedding, but i also get to visit Rachel for 5 days! yea!
So, kayak.com gets my vote.
Now that I got the tickets I can relax and get super excited for my trip to seattle. not only will i get to be in Tara's wedding, but i also get to visit Rachel for 5 days! yea!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
winter's back
my commute was awful this morning and all because winter decided to show it's ugly, cold, windy face again in the middle of april. my umbrella was defeated and is now nothing more than a crumpled, mangled mess. An hour and 45 minutes later, i finally arrived at work. ugh!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
the dreaded update:
procrastination is a vicious cycle. If you put something off for too long, the idea of starting it and finishing it becomes incredibly overwhelming. I haven't posted in a while and the thought of posting has become so overwhelming because so many things have happened!
But i told my sister that i would blog about my taxes because she was there when i was trying to finish them. needless to say i was getting so frustrated i couldn't even talk in complete sentences. they were fractions of sentences and even fractions of words. Thankfully she loves me and she helped calm me down. they're done now, thanks to her and my other sister who are both very smart and tax savy. :) Taxes are a pain in the ass, and that's all the further i want to go in that subject.
March was a good month and April has had a good start. Here's the top 10 things that have occured (in no particular order):
1. The exhibit opened
2. It was my birthday
3. Becky came to visit!
4. we had a few BEAUTIFUL days of spring
5. Jen's bachelorette party
6. Rachel came to visit from seattle!
7. Jill and Heather came to visit (that was a crazy fun weekend!
8. I got to go home for the easter weekend and see my mom
9. The really cool photos i took from the plane
10. The great weekend i had catching up with friends and family
But i told my sister that i would blog about my taxes because she was there when i was trying to finish them. needless to say i was getting so frustrated i couldn't even talk in complete sentences. they were fractions of sentences and even fractions of words. Thankfully she loves me and she helped calm me down. they're done now, thanks to her and my other sister who are both very smart and tax savy. :) Taxes are a pain in the ass, and that's all the further i want to go in that subject.
March was a good month and April has had a good start. Here's the top 10 things that have occured (in no particular order):
1. The exhibit opened
2. It was my birthday
3. Becky came to visit!
4. we had a few BEAUTIFUL days of spring
5. Jen's bachelorette party
6. Rachel came to visit from seattle!
7. Jill and Heather came to visit (that was a crazy fun weekend!
8. I got to go home for the easter weekend and see my mom
9. The really cool photos i took from the plane
10. The great weekend i had catching up with friends and family
Thursday, March 8, 2007
news clip
the above link will direct you to news coverage of the exhibit...check out the video clip and be SURE to take note of the graphics in the background!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
exhibit reflections
What a party we had last night to celebrate the opening of The Ancient Americas. I heard today that over 3,200 people were in attendance! That's insane. But the festivities and good spirits last night were incredible and for good reason.
The day started off with a press-preview that lasted til about 11 am. then from 1-3 there was a staff preview. It was such a surreal feeling to see visitors walking through the exhibit....I can't even describe it. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by all the work that went into this thing when I saw people walking through it, taking it in, but not understanding all the headaches and frustration that it took to get this thing completed.
An exhibit requires more architectural, more interior designing, more psychological analysis than i ever expected. An exhibit not only has to display artifacts or objects, it has to portray history, cultures, emotions, societies, religion, science, art (and more) in such a way that a visitor doesn't have to read every label or photo caption to understand what they're seeing. the magic is in the details. not only the way an artifact looks, but the environment that it is displayed in. the colors, the lighting, the way visitors walk through the exhibit taking into account things that humans are naturally drawn to...what will peak their interest to make them decide to walk up to something and engage in it. the environment gives the artifacts context...it gives them a time and place to relate to.
I'm overwhelmed with excitement about this project and I can't wait to show some of you what i'm trying to explain here. I'm so proud to have been a part of this exhibit not only because of the huge accomplishment and the beautiful end result, but because of the overwhelmingly positive response we got from other staff members, the press, and friends/family who saw the exhibit for the first time last night. it really is the most rewarding thing that I've ever done.
and now...some pictures!
The day started off with a press-preview that lasted til about 11 am. then from 1-3 there was a staff preview. It was such a surreal feeling to see visitors walking through the exhibit....I can't even describe it. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by all the work that went into this thing when I saw people walking through it, taking it in, but not understanding all the headaches and frustration that it took to get this thing completed.
An exhibit requires more architectural, more interior designing, more psychological analysis than i ever expected. An exhibit not only has to display artifacts or objects, it has to portray history, cultures, emotions, societies, religion, science, art (and more) in such a way that a visitor doesn't have to read every label or photo caption to understand what they're seeing. the magic is in the details. not only the way an artifact looks, but the environment that it is displayed in. the colors, the lighting, the way visitors walk through the exhibit taking into account things that humans are naturally drawn to...what will peak their interest to make them decide to walk up to something and engage in it. the environment gives the artifacts context...it gives them a time and place to relate to.
I'm overwhelmed with excitement about this project and I can't wait to show some of you what i'm trying to explain here. I'm so proud to have been a part of this exhibit not only because of the huge accomplishment and the beautiful end result, but because of the overwhelmingly positive response we got from other staff members, the press, and friends/family who saw the exhibit for the first time last night. it really is the most rewarding thing that I've ever done.
and now...some pictures!
Sunday, March 4, 2007
hanging out
This guy sure was enjoying the weather. I spotted him hanging out a 2nd story window on my walk today...it was extraordinarily BEAUTIFUL outside!
I promise I'll stop posting about the weather for a while, it's getting to be a bit ridiculous trying to keep up with the fluctuating temperatures.
I promise I'll stop posting about the weather for a while, it's getting to be a bit ridiculous trying to keep up with the fluctuating temperatures.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Saturday, March 3, 2007
I bought a new dress today... hard to believe, i know. but it's beautiful and I needed something special for the party on tuesday night. word on the street is that 3,000 people have already RSVP'd for this party. It's gunna be huge! Becky and Jen are coming, it should be fun and I'm very excited! Stay tuned for pics...I'm sure I'll take a few :)
Last night we had a pre-party party to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. This one was just for the exhibitions department (the people who built the thing) and it was very casual...basically a pizza party with beer. Very fun :)
So....my previous post was totally premature. The past 2 days have been pretty chilly and snowy...winter is not yet over. It sure felt like it was for a few days there. We had the most ridiculous thunder/rain storm Thursday night and I thought for sure spring had sprung. The thunderstorm was crazy! At about 3:30am there was the loudest, sharpest thunder crack I've ever heard. I think it was right above my apartment, and the it started pouring so hard I thought my apartment was leaking! Thankfully it was not leaking, just sounded like it was. I'm wanna give a shout out to everyone back home though...they've got a massive blizzard to deal with!
Last night we had a pre-party party to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. This one was just for the exhibitions department (the people who built the thing) and it was very casual...basically a pizza party with beer. Very fun :)
So....my previous post was totally premature. The past 2 days have been pretty chilly and snowy...winter is not yet over. It sure felt like it was for a few days there. We had the most ridiculous thunder/rain storm Thursday night and I thought for sure spring had sprung. The thunderstorm was crazy! At about 3:30am there was the loudest, sharpest thunder crack I've ever heard. I think it was right above my apartment, and the it started pouring so hard I thought my apartment was leaking! Thankfully it was not leaking, just sounded like it was. I'm wanna give a shout out to everyone back home though...they've got a massive blizzard to deal with!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
I don't break stride
I had a very nice walk from work to the train station tonight. It wasn't raining but the streets were wet from melting snow and it was fairly mild out. Nights like this get me thinking again about how beautiful changing seasons are. It's definitely starting to feel spring-ish. The earth is starting to warm up and the cold air isn't as strong as it was a few weeks ago. Knock on wood, we'll probably get a huge winter blizzard now that I'm talking about spring, but I thought I'd share a couple pics with you that I took on my walk.
On the way TO work this morning, my bus had to be re-routed due to a man threatening to jump off the top of a crane 27 stories up. There were several fire trucks and State Street was blocked off. Fortunately, the man was brought down uninjured, but it sure gave me a horrible feeling in my stomach when i heard what was going on. Let's hope the coming warm weather lift spirits a bit.
On the way TO work this morning, my bus had to be re-routed due to a man threatening to jump off the top of a crane 27 stories up. There were several fire trucks and State Street was blocked off. Fortunately, the man was brought down uninjured, but it sure gave me a horrible feeling in my stomach when i heard what was going on. Let's hope the coming warm weather lift spirits a bit.
Friday, February 23, 2007
trip
I'm going to see Sar today!! This will be the first time I'm going to Grand Rapids to visit her and I'm SUPER excited to get out of the city and help her with her post-exam relaxation therapy :)
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
all good things do come to an end.
alright, so i know pretty much the only thing I talk about is my exhibit, but i have to talk about it again because it's almost done. In exactly 1 week, the first group of 'outsiders' will view the show (the press.) It's exciting to think that it's almost done and the finished product is so close, but I'm also kinda sad about it. I've gotten to meet so many cool and interesting people working on this project with me and when the whole thing is done, I won't be working with the same team any more...or any team at all for that matter. it's a little bittersweet. I'll still be at the Field, it's just going to be an adjustment working on my own much smaller projects.
sidenote: I found my thumb ring...and i feel a little foolish about getting so worked up about losing it since it was just lost in my messy apartment :P
sidenote: I found my thumb ring...and i feel a little foolish about getting so worked up about losing it since it was just lost in my messy apartment :P
Monday, February 19, 2007
Get at least 1 of these right and you can call yourself my friend.
Everyone loves a good challenge, hopefully you can get to know me a bit better or show off how much you already know about me. Check out my quiz by clicking on the title.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
brief glimpse of my thoughts
My thumb feels empty today. The weather is cold outside. I have the taste of chicken stir fry in my mouth. Plus/Minus is playing This Is All (I Have Left) on the radio. The lingering smell of Valentines Day chocolate is in the air. My eyes feel the strain of the glaring computer screen. And I have a headache.
I lost my thumb ring yesterday. Actually, my ring disappeared. I have 2 rings that I've worn everyday for about 2 years. Whenever I take one off, I take them both off. Tuesday I took them off when I went to bed and put them on my desk. Wednesday morning I put them both on. Or, at least I thought I put them both on. On the bus to work that very morning I discovered that my thumb ring was missing. This is very peculiar. Had there only been one ring on my desk Wednesday morning, I would have realized that because my rings live in pairs. One never exists without the other. But now they do. I can't find my thumb ring! I thought I had it on Wednesday morning, but apparently all I have is amnesia and a very empty thumb.
The temperature was wee bit frosty today. A mere 5 degrees on my trek to work, but currently a more manageable 10 degrees. But you can hardly call that managable.
I had chicken stir fry for lunch today. I made it myself. Things taste good when I know what they're made out of and how they're made, and even better when I know I've made them. I like food.
Chocolate is good food. It's the day after valentines day today, so there was a lot of chocolate to go around at work. People sharing so they aren't faced with the guilt of polishing off a delicious box of chocolates on their own. I'm ok with helping.
I lost my thumb ring yesterday. Actually, my ring disappeared. I have 2 rings that I've worn everyday for about 2 years. Whenever I take one off, I take them both off. Tuesday I took them off when I went to bed and put them on my desk. Wednesday morning I put them both on. Or, at least I thought I put them both on. On the bus to work that very morning I discovered that my thumb ring was missing. This is very peculiar. Had there only been one ring on my desk Wednesday morning, I would have realized that because my rings live in pairs. One never exists without the other. But now they do. I can't find my thumb ring! I thought I had it on Wednesday morning, but apparently all I have is amnesia and a very empty thumb.
The temperature was wee bit frosty today. A mere 5 degrees on my trek to work, but currently a more manageable 10 degrees. But you can hardly call that managable.
I had chicken stir fry for lunch today. I made it myself. Things taste good when I know what they're made out of and how they're made, and even better when I know I've made them. I like food.
Chocolate is good food. It's the day after valentines day today, so there was a lot of chocolate to go around at work. People sharing so they aren't faced with the guilt of polishing off a delicious box of chocolates on their own. I'm ok with helping.
Monday, February 12, 2007
the world's got me dizzy again, you'd think after 22 years I'd be used to the spin
woohoo! the exhibit opens in less than a month. phew. things have really calmed down in the graphics department since our deadline was a couple weeks ago and it's really REALLY exciting to see things coming together in the exhibit. here are a few sneak peeks for you:
the photo above and below are cases in the Aztec gallery of the exhibit.
above and below are cases in the Leadership gallery
below: 1 of the 11 cultural intros that I designed
I saw the movie 'Because I Said So' on friday night with jen and becky. I thought it was pretty cute, definite chick flick and pretty predictable, but ya gotta have those kinds of movies on occasion. Diane Keeton was great. I'd recommend it.
Oh, and I cooked risotto yesterday! haha, i surprised myself cuz I don't cook very often, but it turned out and was really tasty. mmm...
the photo above and below are cases in the Aztec gallery of the exhibit.
above and below are cases in the Leadership gallery
below: 1 of the 11 cultural intros that I designed
I saw the movie 'Because I Said So' on friday night with jen and becky. I thought it was pretty cute, definite chick flick and pretty predictable, but ya gotta have those kinds of movies on occasion. Diane Keeton was great. I'd recommend it.
Oh, and I cooked risotto yesterday! haha, i surprised myself cuz I don't cook very often, but it turned out and was really tasty. mmm...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
How Many of Me
Click on the title. Something for a bored person to do.
There are 761,920 people in the U.S. with the first name Sarah.
Statistically the 58th most popular first name.
More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Sarah are female.
There are 870 people in the U.S. with the last name Franken.
Statistically the 30847th most popular last name. (tied with 1665 other last names)
There are only 2 people in the U.S. named Sarah Franken.
There are 761,920 people in the U.S. with the first name Sarah.
Statistically the 58th most popular first name.
More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Sarah are female.
There are 870 people in the U.S. with the last name Franken.
Statistically the 30847th most popular last name. (tied with 1665 other last names)
There are only 2 people in the U.S. named Sarah Franken.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
groundhogs tout more weather prediction power than your local weatherman
It was Groundhog Day yesterday and according to the 'official' groundhog day website (groundhog.org) Phil, the groundhog, didn't see his shadow. That means spring is right around the corner!
Here is Phil's forecast in his own words (obviously a groundhog who can or can't see his shadow is also able to speak):
El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.
Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.
On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?
On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way.
(Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob)
Here is Phil's forecast in his own words (obviously a groundhog who can or can't see his shadow is also able to speak):
El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.
Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.
On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?
On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way.
(Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
DreamGirls
Saw it last night and it was fantastic! I could definitely see that one again. The good company of Thomas and Twisha helped :)
careening through the universe
I can't believe that i've been in chicago for 8 months already because it has flown by. If ya'll remember, my contract with the Field Museum is only for a year, so come the end of may (a short 4 months away), I'm done. When I accepted the job, I thought, yeah, a year...that's a good amount of time to be in chicago and a good length of time to have my first job. Well, like I said, it's absolutley FLOWN by and now I'm faced with a dilema that I'm not ready to face: Should I stay or should I go??
I've been thinking about this decision for a long time, I dream about it, I pray about it, and I definetely cry about it. Why does this job that I love more than I can express have to be so far from home?
I had a really good convo with a friend last night about growing up. She says there comes a point in your life when you realize that you're your own person, your own little life, and you can make decisions that are yours alone to make. Before you get to this point, all your decisions are affected by how your parents, siblings and others think you should live your life. It's a part of growing up that hopefully everyone is faced with at some point...if not, are we really growing up?
I think I'm facing that point in my life right now. I'm trying to decide where I should be right now, with a strong arguement for me to move home and a very strong arguement for me to stay in Chicago. My family has always been and will always be influential in my decision making process, but I need to make decisions that I can live with myself, and even though I LOVE my family more than anything, my decision may not be what they're hoping I decide.
That being said....I'm staying in Chicago. My boss is going to hire me as a permanent employee as soon as this exhibit is finished. I'm going to be in chicago until God tells me to re-think this decision. Isn't that awesome?! God is allowing me to make this decision for myself...and I know he'll be with me the whole time.
I've been thinking about this decision for a long time, I dream about it, I pray about it, and I definetely cry about it. Why does this job that I love more than I can express have to be so far from home?
I had a really good convo with a friend last night about growing up. She says there comes a point in your life when you realize that you're your own person, your own little life, and you can make decisions that are yours alone to make. Before you get to this point, all your decisions are affected by how your parents, siblings and others think you should live your life. It's a part of growing up that hopefully everyone is faced with at some point...if not, are we really growing up?
I think I'm facing that point in my life right now. I'm trying to decide where I should be right now, with a strong arguement for me to move home and a very strong arguement for me to stay in Chicago. My family has always been and will always be influential in my decision making process, but I need to make decisions that I can live with myself, and even though I LOVE my family more than anything, my decision may not be what they're hoping I decide.
That being said....I'm staying in Chicago. My boss is going to hire me as a permanent employee as soon as this exhibit is finished. I'm going to be in chicago until God tells me to re-think this decision. Isn't that awesome?! God is allowing me to make this decision for myself...and I know he'll be with me the whole time.
you can't kill soul
Yeah, so, it turns out I didn't have time to think, (see previous post) as I'm just now getting a chance to update my blog. Work has been a whirlwind the past 2 weeks, but things just started to settle down today. I worked 121 hours in 2 weeks when I normally work 70. The amount of graphics my team has sent to the printer is staggering, i don't even know how many, but for sure more than 2,000. That's probably a very modest guess, but whatever.
Time for some serious R&R. I'm sleeping in tomorrow, babysitting tomorrow night and relaxing on Sunday afternoon. I hope to read an entire book this weekend.
I've been in a funk these past 2 weeks due to the stress at work, but I think i'm finally out of it. I began thinking creatively again on my commute to work today, rather than just blanking out for the hour and 15 minutes it takes me to get to work. I like thinking creatively, and i'm very excited to know that I still know how too....work hasn't completely exhausted my creative spirit. When i fully regain my creative story telling, i'll be sure to post something of some interest. but for now...time for bed!
Time for some serious R&R. I'm sleeping in tomorrow, babysitting tomorrow night and relaxing on Sunday afternoon. I hope to read an entire book this weekend.
I've been in a funk these past 2 weeks due to the stress at work, but I think i'm finally out of it. I began thinking creatively again on my commute to work today, rather than just blanking out for the hour and 15 minutes it takes me to get to work. I like thinking creatively, and i'm very excited to know that I still know how too....work hasn't completely exhausted my creative spirit. When i fully regain my creative story telling, i'll be sure to post something of some interest. but for now...time for bed!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
wide awake it's morning
I can't sleep. I've been up for over 2 hours now and it's only 8:30 on a Saturday morning! I have no where to be, no reason for being up this early...I just can't sleep and it sucks.
Well, I guess I do have somewhere to be today, I have to go into work, but not til 1 this afternoon. I know, what the heck am I doing going into work on a Saturday?? Let me just TRY to tell you how crazy busy things are at work:
• In a mere 12 days (including the weekends), we have to have ALL remaining graphics ready to be sent to the printer. This may mean nothing to you, but there are a lot of things that have to be taken care of by then. Whole components of the exhibit are in flux right now as we work to finalize sizes, colors, materials, images, copy, etc.
• Even though the exhibit doesn't open to the public until March 9, we have to have it finished by the 1st. Thats when the VIPs (the directors, board members, president, and the press) all get to walk through and do whatever it is they have to do...critique it, film it, write about it, I don't know. Whatever it is, we have to have the exhibit finished by then.
• Proofing/printing of graphics takes upwards of 3 weeks, installing the graphics into the exhibit takes an additional 2 weeks, which puts us right at March 1.
• Artifacts can't be installed in the cases until all graphics for that case are finished and installed. This puts a time crunch on the production crew who have to pull all nighters to get the cases installed and closed up.
• I've already worked 55 hours this week, not counting what I'll work today.
Needless to say, the next 7 weeks will be interesting, tiring, and stress filled as we wrap up the Ancient Americas. I'll try keep you posted if I have time to think...
Well, I guess I do have somewhere to be today, I have to go into work, but not til 1 this afternoon. I know, what the heck am I doing going into work on a Saturday?? Let me just TRY to tell you how crazy busy things are at work:
• In a mere 12 days (including the weekends), we have to have ALL remaining graphics ready to be sent to the printer. This may mean nothing to you, but there are a lot of things that have to be taken care of by then. Whole components of the exhibit are in flux right now as we work to finalize sizes, colors, materials, images, copy, etc.
• Even though the exhibit doesn't open to the public until March 9, we have to have it finished by the 1st. Thats when the VIPs (the directors, board members, president, and the press) all get to walk through and do whatever it is they have to do...critique it, film it, write about it, I don't know. Whatever it is, we have to have the exhibit finished by then.
• Proofing/printing of graphics takes upwards of 3 weeks, installing the graphics into the exhibit takes an additional 2 weeks, which puts us right at March 1.
• Artifacts can't be installed in the cases until all graphics for that case are finished and installed. This puts a time crunch on the production crew who have to pull all nighters to get the cases installed and closed up.
• I've already worked 55 hours this week, not counting what I'll work today.
Needless to say, the next 7 weeks will be interesting, tiring, and stress filled as we wrap up the Ancient Americas. I'll try keep you posted if I have time to think...
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The year of james bond...007
Good things are in store for 2007 if New Year's eve was any indication. I went out with Jen and Becky to ring in the new year at a favorite bar of ours. here are a few pics.
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