Oct 25, 2008
Oct 23, 2008
Oct 20, 2008
mo distractions
i find it really hard to concentrate on the multimedia software package that supports the statistics textbook we use in class. every time one of the animated activities come on it is narrated by someone who sounds exactly like mo rocca. which is awesome, but highly distracting.
Oct 14, 2008
walnut grove on the banks of the dordogne river
nate and i went to france in late september - we spent a week biking in the south, and then a couple of days in france. on the second day of our trip we left a town called gourdon in the bouriane region and headed towards vitrac, located in the dordogne river valley. nate had to try a fresh walnut from this grove.
Oct 3, 2008
enough of that other sarah
two SP posts in a row? inconceivable. on to other subjects - ones that don't raise the blood pressure so high.
nate and i enjoyed a very mellow day recovering from our latest international travel adventure: almost two weeks in france. in short, we had a wonderful time. we each have plenty of photos and anecdotes that will slowly leak into our normal lives. rebalancing the pressure between life at home and life on vacation always takes a bit of time, moving those images and stories into the airspace around home.
today was about a full night's rest, buying groceries for our pitifully empty kitchen, doing a few loads of stinky laundry, cleaning, cooking, and running a couple of errands. all in all, we managed to catch up to our normal frequency in time for the weekend.
on my plate for the next two days: homework, crafting, napping, and meeting up with my cousin, maggie, who is in town for a friend's wedding. if i'm lucky, maybe even some more bike riding and other bodymovin'.
oh yeah-
a BIG shout out to veronica whose help with round-trip airport transport (and support in the face of baggage claim delays) was invaluable to vacation peace of mind.
nate and i enjoyed a very mellow day recovering from our latest international travel adventure: almost two weeks in france. in short, we had a wonderful time. we each have plenty of photos and anecdotes that will slowly leak into our normal lives. rebalancing the pressure between life at home and life on vacation always takes a bit of time, moving those images and stories into the airspace around home.
today was about a full night's rest, buying groceries for our pitifully empty kitchen, doing a few loads of stinky laundry, cleaning, cooking, and running a couple of errands. all in all, we managed to catch up to our normal frequency in time for the weekend.
on my plate for the next two days: homework, crafting, napping, and meeting up with my cousin, maggie, who is in town for a friend's wedding. if i'm lucky, maybe even some more bike riding and other bodymovin'.
oh yeah-
a BIG shout out to veronica whose help with round-trip airport transport (and support in the face of baggage claim delays) was invaluable to vacation peace of mind.
Sep 17, 2008
Sep 5, 2008
keepin' on
what nate says is true, we treated ourselves to a special night in honor of year 3. we had a clear and twinkling view of boston from the top of the prudential building, and a lovely dinner to the sounds of a jazz trio (complete with ponytailed drummer!). afterwards, we took a little walk to the mac store and acted a bit nerdy. all was well.
and nate - yeah, i'm all for keepin' on keepin' on.
Sep 3, 2008
pushupdate
after 2 weeks of doing the pushups i was only able to do 5 more pushups in a row than when i started (25 vs. 20).
however, i did feel a little bit better after i was able to successfully complete the 1st workout of week 3 (5 sets: 20; 15; 15; 13; 20).
even if i had to rest between them, i'm still pretty impressed that i could make it through 83!
Aug 26, 2008
body movin'
after waging war with a summer cold and sore throat i have been most recently in battle with a strange allergic reaction which affected only my left eye. i wish i'd thought to wear a condom as an eye patch and join a hip hop group. sadly, i was not that imaginative. instead, i bought some antihistamine pills and hoped for the best. all seems well. i look much less like the fun-house mirror version of myself that i did last wednesday. added bonus of the drugs: i spent the weekend in a cat-laden household and experienced no allergy symptoms. so, yay drugs.
i visited rachel who was house and cat sitting for her sister in winooski, vermont - just a backbeat away from burlington. it was a lovely couple of days filled with good conversation, weather and food, with some swimming and riverside walking thrown in for good measure.
i came home with the swimming bug and some pink scalp and a huge craving for more fresh cherries and tomatoes. so i've got a shopping list in mind, and a rekindled desire to use the pool at the Y. however, if i insist on going to bed at midnight i'll never realize my dream to take swims before getting ready for work.
so, no refreshing early morning swims for me yet. though nate and i did get through a good arm workout yesterday, and i started my second week of push-ups. and i am reminding myself that sore muscles are better than muscles in stasis. i need to keep reminding myself every time i move so i don't say inappropriate things in the office.
i visited rachel who was house and cat sitting for her sister in winooski, vermont - just a backbeat away from burlington. it was a lovely couple of days filled with good conversation, weather and food, with some swimming and riverside walking thrown in for good measure.
i came home with the swimming bug and some pink scalp and a huge craving for more fresh cherries and tomatoes. so i've got a shopping list in mind, and a rekindled desire to use the pool at the Y. however, if i insist on going to bed at midnight i'll never realize my dream to take swims before getting ready for work.
so, no refreshing early morning swims for me yet. though nate and i did get through a good arm workout yesterday, and i started my second week of push-ups. and i am reminding myself that sore muscles are better than muscles in stasis. i need to keep reminding myself every time i move so i don't say inappropriate things in the office.
Aug 15, 2008
grandma
last week marked one year since my grandmother's death. when i was at my grandparents house in july, celebrating my grandfather's 94th (!) birthday i came across this picture. i adore this image of her. i love seeing the same joy, style, and composure that i recognize from the older woman i knew radiating from her in this shot.
Aug 13, 2008
100 pushups
new-to-me site hundredpushups has a training plan for people of all fitness levels in order to work up to 100 pushups. i'm about to give it a shot. anyone else in? i've even put the site in my list to the side for easy access. how much simpler could it be?
Aug 4, 2008
mass ave portrait
last fall nate and i met mary on the mass ave bridge to be models in potential shots for reflector, the zine associated with Bikes Not Bombs. (she ended up using a close-up of nate's sexy fixed gear.)
mary just got her website up and running and put up a picture of me from that day on the bridge as part of her online portfolio. check out the portrait.
Jul 18, 2008
anyone know swahili?
tushirikiane kwa wema tuishi kwa neema
that's what's printed on a beautiful textile veronica gave me. i found a few of the words on their own, but am having no luck with the phrase in it's entirety.
thanks, v.
that's what's printed on a beautiful textile veronica gave me. i found a few of the words on their own, but am having no luck with the phrase in it's entirety.
thanks, v.
Jul 15, 2008
rich
last year i had asked my family if it would be okay if i had my grandmother's sewing machine. i remember the machine best as set up in the house in rye, ny and grandma showing me how to sew a straight line of white stitches onto a long panel of white fabric that was supposed to be curtains. it was exciting to be operating a very grown up piece of equipment, and to see so readily the result of my attentive eyes and guiding hands. (the satisfaction doesn't change.)
grandma and i spent a lot of time together, and she had a multitude of talents and interests which she shared with me. (baking, cooking, gardening, clothing, storytelling, writing, knitting, flying, hosting, fundraising, traveling, tennis, and teaching are just some of the activities which are impossible for me to even think about without accompanying thoughts and memories of her). this singular tool holds a lot of tangible evidence of her. the kitchen and garden where most of my early lessons in jam-making, cobbler-baking, weed-pulling, and fruit-harvesting took place belong to some other family now. their plane isn't in the family. most of the other associations, and rightfully so, are about spirit and personality, mind and soul. but the sewing machine - it's tangible and more than anything, i think of my grandmother's hands on it, and her hands guiding mine. and i wanted to be connected with it.
mom and grandpa were fine with the sewing machine coming to live with me. we arranged to have it shipped from florida to my office when i was visiting with them on july 4th weekend. that's how i ended up at the UPS store on tamiami trail in sarasota on a quiet saturday, quietly brushing away a few tears while handing over my grandmother's sewing machine to the blase and distracted man behind the counter. (how could he be so uninterested in the yellowing thread still running through the machine? still in play with some also discolored fabric still on the bed? doesn't he understand how i feel seeing her handiwork stopped dead in its tracks? of course not. answer the questions. sign the forms. give my credit card...) though there was plenty of sense in shipping it, i felt scared sending it off and separating from it - what if it was lost or broken?
neither of those things happened. what ended up happening was i came home and nate's mom had bought me a new sewing machine. deb had loaned me one of her machines to practice and play with, to use for as long as i wanted, and then it got a little sick and i got a little frustrated. i was about to buy a new machine for my every day use. in the airport waiting for my flight back to boston nate let me know this gift was waiting for me at his mom's house. we picked it up and brought it home and i started using it immediately. and, a few days later my grandmother's sewing machine arrived at work, all in one piece and right on time.
now i have two machines. one that is wholly my own and starts my own story. one that still bears some thread from my grandmother's story, which i will safekeep and be caretaker of until it's time to pass it along to someone else. and both machines are awash in love. and i want to thank both deb and my family for supporting my interest in handwork, and supporting me and my very full heart.
grandma and i spent a lot of time together, and she had a multitude of talents and interests which she shared with me. (baking, cooking, gardening, clothing, storytelling, writing, knitting, flying, hosting, fundraising, traveling, tennis, and teaching are just some of the activities which are impossible for me to even think about without accompanying thoughts and memories of her). this singular tool holds a lot of tangible evidence of her. the kitchen and garden where most of my early lessons in jam-making, cobbler-baking, weed-pulling, and fruit-harvesting took place belong to some other family now. their plane isn't in the family. most of the other associations, and rightfully so, are about spirit and personality, mind and soul. but the sewing machine - it's tangible and more than anything, i think of my grandmother's hands on it, and her hands guiding mine. and i wanted to be connected with it.
mom and grandpa were fine with the sewing machine coming to live with me. we arranged to have it shipped from florida to my office when i was visiting with them on july 4th weekend. that's how i ended up at the UPS store on tamiami trail in sarasota on a quiet saturday, quietly brushing away a few tears while handing over my grandmother's sewing machine to the blase and distracted man behind the counter. (how could he be so uninterested in the yellowing thread still running through the machine? still in play with some also discolored fabric still on the bed? doesn't he understand how i feel seeing her handiwork stopped dead in its tracks? of course not. answer the questions. sign the forms. give my credit card...) though there was plenty of sense in shipping it, i felt scared sending it off and separating from it - what if it was lost or broken?
neither of those things happened. what ended up happening was i came home and nate's mom had bought me a new sewing machine. deb had loaned me one of her machines to practice and play with, to use for as long as i wanted, and then it got a little sick and i got a little frustrated. i was about to buy a new machine for my every day use. in the airport waiting for my flight back to boston nate let me know this gift was waiting for me at his mom's house. we picked it up and brought it home and i started using it immediately. and, a few days later my grandmother's sewing machine arrived at work, all in one piece and right on time.
now i have two machines. one that is wholly my own and starts my own story. one that still bears some thread from my grandmother's story, which i will safekeep and be caretaker of until it's time to pass it along to someone else. and both machines are awash in love. and i want to thank both deb and my family for supporting my interest in handwork, and supporting me and my very full heart.
Jul 2, 2008
craft malaise
rocky road with this current project. i have a strict/tight deadline, and just when i finally got the rhythm down for unscrewing the whole sewing machine to reposition the motor belt when it falls off, now there's something funky with the bobbin so that the thread all bunches up and so the stitches don't catch. if anyone has advise, i'll gladly take it. i just spent half an hour looking for machine reviews online and trolling craigslist to see if there are any cheap and decent used machines out there. tomorrow night the sewing shop in davis is open late - i may stop by after work to see what i can see.
i'm off to florida on friday morning, back again sunday. and i'm hoping to have my project done by the following friday night... maybe i should use the plane ride to consider back up gift ideas.
Jun 19, 2008
too much work
feeling kind of overwhelmed by the deluge of chores at the office. rather than get things under control as my appointment winds down, things just keep heating up. i'd rather be organizing and getting materials ready for whomever will be taking over, but instead i'm barely keeping status quo.
nate was right, despite my exhaustion, making it to dance class tonight felt incredibly good. it was a long stretch in my ergonomically correct, yet still not comfortable, chair trying to plan travel for 21 people.
being at work that long and insulated makes me feel dumb. what is happening in the world? when did those yucky smelly trees start spewing all their crappy pollen all over the place? who did that great new mural outside the american apparel in harvard square? the celtics are good again?
Jun 5, 2008
5 things about my day
1. this morning they were tearing up my street with all manner of big equipment. the jackhammering came early, much like it did yesterday and the day before. good thing i've been getting to bed early. oh wait, no, last night i went to bed after 2am, that's right. i almost forgot.
2. it's a time of long hours. putting in extra time in order to get loads done and try to get ahead of the curve. at this rate i'll just be doing my regular job really well. i'm going to have to put in even more hours. dang it all.
3. i'm listening to santogold at mary's insistence. and enjoying it tremendously. so very spring fun.
4. in the last 9 hours i have gone: to the kitchen twice; to the bathroom three times; outside not at all; insane a handful of times.
5. as a treat i did some online purchasing midday to help with a secret surprise project. i am very excited to get mail in the next few days!
2. it's a time of long hours. putting in extra time in order to get loads done and try to get ahead of the curve. at this rate i'll just be doing my regular job really well. i'm going to have to put in even more hours. dang it all.
3. i'm listening to santogold at mary's insistence. and enjoying it tremendously. so very spring fun.
4. in the last 9 hours i have gone: to the kitchen twice; to the bathroom three times; outside not at all; insane a handful of times.
5. as a treat i did some online purchasing midday to help with a secret surprise project. i am very excited to get mail in the next few days!
May 31, 2008
nice night for it
i joined the critical mass ride last night and though a cool front blew through, it was a lovely night for a lazy ride around boston. both nate and dave made it, too.
we hit south boston, downtown, close to charlestown, east cambridge, harvard square, across the river and up comm ave, over through to brookline village and (as a much smaller group) jamaice plain. 7 of us ended up at james' gate for food and drink. i've never socialized with strangers post-cm ride, but i would definitely do so again. it was a lovely way to cap the ride.
dave, nate and i, along with another lady heading to cambridge, biked back around 10pm. dave was on his new bike, a bright shiny red thing - isn't that the way, get a new bike and someone tries to plow you down? dave was in little physical danger but did twist his wrist. i think we totaled close to 22 miles. added bonus - few altercations on the road. i think one person got into a heated argument with a driver, but beyond that, it was a relatively confrontationless ride. more like that, please.
(note - one dude riding beside me turned to his friend and said he kind of wished there was more aggression on the ride and then turned to me with a wicked grin. i said something about how nice it was to know everyone was riding safe and sound. he ignored me for the rest of the time.)
we hit south boston, downtown, close to charlestown, east cambridge, harvard square, across the river and up comm ave, over through to brookline village and (as a much smaller group) jamaice plain. 7 of us ended up at james' gate for food and drink. i've never socialized with strangers post-cm ride, but i would definitely do so again. it was a lovely way to cap the ride.
dave, nate and i, along with another lady heading to cambridge, biked back around 10pm. dave was on his new bike, a bright shiny red thing - isn't that the way, get a new bike and someone tries to plow you down? dave was in little physical danger but did twist his wrist. i think we totaled close to 22 miles. added bonus - few altercations on the road. i think one person got into a heated argument with a driver, but beyond that, it was a relatively confrontationless ride. more like that, please.
(note - one dude riding beside me turned to his friend and said he kind of wished there was more aggression on the ride and then turned to me with a wicked grin. i said something about how nice it was to know everyone was riding safe and sound. he ignored me for the rest of the time.)
May 26, 2008
more stupid QandA
i knew katy would have something fun for me to do upon my homecoming...
1. Where is your cell phone? by my bed.
2. Your significant other? nate's on the couch, wearing his #2 pencil sweatshirt.
3. Your hair? total bedhead.
4. Your mother? kicks ass.
5. Your father? also kicks ass.
6. Your favorite thing? life, the universe, everything.
7. Your dream last night? so weird. first, i was lost trying to find the school bus stop. then i tried helping a little girl with an allergic reaction, but just ended up giving her some potato chips. finally found the bus stop, and was asked to look over a classmate's photo portfolio, which had some interesting ideas. then i woke up and thought about trying some of those ideas out.
8. Your favorite drink? currently, remembering some yummy peach juice i had on vacation, as well as a beer local to sopron called, strangely, soproni.
10. The room you're in? the bathroom. i'm not proud.
11. Your ex? the most recent one... i don't know at all. he could be anywhere. or nowhere. i wish i knew. or maybe i'm glad i don't.
12. Your fear? losing passion.
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? somewhere i wouldn't expect.
14. Where were you last night? home again, home again, jiggity jig.
15. What you're not? pushy.
16. Muffins? nate just yesterday bought me a double chocolate muffin at the amsterdam airport. he knows.
17. One of your wish list items? a bike tour vacation.
18. Where you grew up? us/new york/manhattan/UES&the village
19. The last thing you did? made breakfast; watched some crappy tv.
20. What are you wearing? jammie pants and my longsleeve honda shirt.
21. Your TV? sizeable and in the living room.
22. Your pet(s)? no pets, just three plants.
23. Your computer? macbook. still in hiding - i'm using nate's.
24. Your life? not too unusual - an average blend of all parts of the spectrum. so far i've been dealt a pretty decent hand.
25. Your mood? today - positive.
26. Missing someone? a few people.
27. Your car? nonexistent. although, i do now carry the extra key to nate's honda.
28. Something you're not wearing? bra.
29. Favorite Store? i can't think of one - maybe one of the local bookstores.
30. Your summer? some intense work is coming up, a weekend in july with family, and not too many plans yet. hopefully lots of time with my bike and friends.
31. Love someone? as katy said, "lots of someones."
32. Your favorite color? changes all the time - today i'm feeling a plum/beet kind of thing.
33. When is the last time you laughed? joking with nate not too long ago.
34. Last time you cried? last night while watching new year baby.
1. Where is your cell phone? by my bed.
2. Your significant other? nate's on the couch, wearing his #2 pencil sweatshirt.
3. Your hair? total bedhead.
4. Your mother? kicks ass.
5. Your father? also kicks ass.
6. Your favorite thing? life, the universe, everything.
7. Your dream last night? so weird. first, i was lost trying to find the school bus stop. then i tried helping a little girl with an allergic reaction, but just ended up giving her some potato chips. finally found the bus stop, and was asked to look over a classmate's photo portfolio, which had some interesting ideas. then i woke up and thought about trying some of those ideas out.
8. Your favorite drink? currently, remembering some yummy peach juice i had on vacation, as well as a beer local to sopron called, strangely, soproni.
10. The room you're in? the bathroom. i'm not proud.
11. Your ex? the most recent one... i don't know at all. he could be anywhere. or nowhere. i wish i knew. or maybe i'm glad i don't.
12. Your fear? losing passion.
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? somewhere i wouldn't expect.
14. Where were you last night? home again, home again, jiggity jig.
15. What you're not? pushy.
16. Muffins? nate just yesterday bought me a double chocolate muffin at the amsterdam airport. he knows.
17. One of your wish list items? a bike tour vacation.
18. Where you grew up? us/new york/manhattan/UES&the village
19. The last thing you did? made breakfast; watched some crappy tv.
20. What are you wearing? jammie pants and my longsleeve honda shirt.
21. Your TV? sizeable and in the living room.
22. Your pet(s)? no pets, just three plants.
23. Your computer? macbook. still in hiding - i'm using nate's.
24. Your life? not too unusual - an average blend of all parts of the spectrum. so far i've been dealt a pretty decent hand.
25. Your mood? today - positive.
26. Missing someone? a few people.
27. Your car? nonexistent. although, i do now carry the extra key to nate's honda.
28. Something you're not wearing? bra.
29. Favorite Store? i can't think of one - maybe one of the local bookstores.
30. Your summer? some intense work is coming up, a weekend in july with family, and not too many plans yet. hopefully lots of time with my bike and friends.
31. Love someone? as katy said, "lots of someones."
32. Your favorite color? changes all the time - today i'm feeling a plum/beet kind of thing.
33. When is the last time you laughed? joking with nate not too long ago.
34. Last time you cried? last night while watching new year baby.
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