It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
- Aristotle
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
SnowStuckStoryUpdates...
(pics taken BEFORE it snowed alllll day today)
Well, public transportation has served me well thus far (other than adding a few hours to my commute)....
On the second evening I took the bus home the driver let us on for free! (well other than attempting to steal the Christmas present I had in my arms...) so that was nice. There was a crazy man on the bus talking to himself, and another kid sitting near him that was apparently insulted by whatever talking-to-himself man was saying, because they almost came to blows and there was a lot of raised discussion, including several verses of "You BETTER not be talkin' to me!"...fortunately one got off the bus before it escalated much more. However, one has to wonder...how can you get so mad at a man who is clearly talking to himself? No matter what he's saying....hmmmm....
Unfortunately, on my way down the hill to my apt (walking) I slipped on the lovely ice and that was NOT fun, I have purple spots on my hips to prove it...I'm an old woman, get me a walker!
The next morning began my jaunt (which isn't jaunty at all) up the hill in the snow barefoot (ok not barefoot, just making sure you're paying attention...lol) and suddenly at my side appeared a woman! LITERALLY, I did not see her prior and then all of the sudden she was there, and chatting with me! We chatted politely about the weather, the hike up the hill, and the usefulness of the bus. Then standing at the busstop, she suddenly got a worried look on her face and said something along the lines of "Honey, you know, if you need a real coat (mind you, I was wearing a Columbia ski jacket) they are giving away coats and warm things for people who need them at the Westgate Chapel."......Me:...."oh....well....uh.....thank....you....."....I was amazed. Apparently, I'm not only poor, now I look like a poor person! Ohhhh, what a blow to the good ol' self esteem, and also comical....for what it's worth, I'm not yet in need of charity and am surviving just fine, although certainly not living a life of luxury, I have more than a lot of people in this world (just not compared to spoiled Americans).
On Saturday, Alma and I met up on the bus and headed to work, before which we stopped at Home Depot to look for some liquid de-icer to unfreeze my car doors (oh yeah, i left my car at work for a few days because the doors froze shut)....unfortunately the woman at Home Depot gruffly informed us that the entire state is sold out....duh (implied). Then she took us a to large man named "Moose" who sold me on denaturalized alcohol...which would supposedly melt the ice, over a period of a couple hours (and I really hope not take the paint off my car!). Needless to say we were late to work....bah!
On my break I headed back into the cold and put the alcohol on my car doors....and then headed back inside and proceeded to attempt to thaw my feet, with the help of a space heater and loving coworker...working all day with cold feet - ouch! This was the day that my beloved younger brother was meant to arrive from Moscow (Idaho, not Russia)...so my parents were on their way over to pick him up from SeaTac and were nice enough to meet me after work to put chains on my car. Unfortunately they were over an hour late, so I sat and waited for them.....yowza, cold! They headed off to pick up the brother and I puttered home on my chains at 20 miles an hour....but I made it home! (Finally around 4 in the afternoon).
A few short hours later, my parents discovered my brother's flight was delayed...and then delayed...and then cancelled...then transferred....Needless to say, he DID get as far as Boise, and then spent the night in the airport. Around midnight my parents finally ended up at my apartment, as they were stuck in Seattle waiting for my brother. They spent a very uncomfortable night worried about my brother all alone (on his first ever solo flying experience) and sleeping on a very small and hard futon....with the piddly amount of spare blankets and sheets I own for warmth! This morning my brother finally got a flight into SeaTac on standby - praise the Lord! My parents were able to go get him and made it home safely to Sequim by this evening. Once all this was accomplished I think I was finally able to let all the stress of this past week go (at least to some extent) and spent a large part of the day asleep....I really needed it! I didn't get much else done today, but I can rest a little easier now, knowing that the most important people in my life are safe and sound. My hope is to make it to Sequim to be with them for Christmas...but even if I can't, at least I know they are all there :)
Tomorrow morning I'm headed back the the bus....we shall see what interesting stories await me......It hasn't stopped snowing today....at all, except for maybe a half hour this morning......
To all of you out there who are struggling with flights or in airports or simply trying to get home for Christmas, I empathize with you and wish you the best of luck in your (mis)adventures!
P.S. Who ever wrote "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...." - IDIOT!
Well, public transportation has served me well thus far (other than adding a few hours to my commute)....
On the second evening I took the bus home the driver let us on for free! (well other than attempting to steal the Christmas present I had in my arms...) so that was nice. There was a crazy man on the bus talking to himself, and another kid sitting near him that was apparently insulted by whatever talking-to-himself man was saying, because they almost came to blows and there was a lot of raised discussion, including several verses of "You BETTER not be talkin' to me!"...fortunately one got off the bus before it escalated much more. However, one has to wonder...how can you get so mad at a man who is clearly talking to himself? No matter what he's saying....hmmmm....
Unfortunately, on my way down the hill to my apt (walking) I slipped on the lovely ice and that was NOT fun, I have purple spots on my hips to prove it...I'm an old woman, get me a walker!
The next morning began my jaunt (which isn't jaunty at all) up the hill in the snow barefoot (ok not barefoot, just making sure you're paying attention...lol) and suddenly at my side appeared a woman! LITERALLY, I did not see her prior and then all of the sudden she was there, and chatting with me! We chatted politely about the weather, the hike up the hill, and the usefulness of the bus. Then standing at the busstop, she suddenly got a worried look on her face and said something along the lines of "Honey, you know, if you need a real coat (mind you, I was wearing a Columbia ski jacket) they are giving away coats and warm things for people who need them at the Westgate Chapel."......Me:...."oh....well....uh.....thank....you....."....I was amazed. Apparently, I'm not only poor, now I look like a poor person! Ohhhh, what a blow to the good ol' self esteem, and also comical....for what it's worth, I'm not yet in need of charity and am surviving just fine, although certainly not living a life of luxury, I have more than a lot of people in this world (just not compared to spoiled Americans).
On Saturday, Alma and I met up on the bus and headed to work, before which we stopped at Home Depot to look for some liquid de-icer to unfreeze my car doors (oh yeah, i left my car at work for a few days because the doors froze shut)....unfortunately the woman at Home Depot gruffly informed us that the entire state is sold out....duh (implied). Then she took us a to large man named "Moose" who sold me on denaturalized alcohol...which would supposedly melt the ice, over a period of a couple hours (and I really hope not take the paint off my car!). Needless to say we were late to work....bah!
On my break I headed back into the cold and put the alcohol on my car doors....and then headed back inside and proceeded to attempt to thaw my feet, with the help of a space heater and loving coworker...working all day with cold feet - ouch! This was the day that my beloved younger brother was meant to arrive from Moscow (Idaho, not Russia)...so my parents were on their way over to pick him up from SeaTac and were nice enough to meet me after work to put chains on my car. Unfortunately they were over an hour late, so I sat and waited for them.....yowza, cold! They headed off to pick up the brother and I puttered home on my chains at 20 miles an hour....but I made it home! (Finally around 4 in the afternoon).
A few short hours later, my parents discovered my brother's flight was delayed...and then delayed...and then cancelled...then transferred....Needless to say, he DID get as far as Boise, and then spent the night in the airport. Around midnight my parents finally ended up at my apartment, as they were stuck in Seattle waiting for my brother. They spent a very uncomfortable night worried about my brother all alone (on his first ever solo flying experience) and sleeping on a very small and hard futon....with the piddly amount of spare blankets and sheets I own for warmth! This morning my brother finally got a flight into SeaTac on standby - praise the Lord! My parents were able to go get him and made it home safely to Sequim by this evening. Once all this was accomplished I think I was finally able to let all the stress of this past week go (at least to some extent) and spent a large part of the day asleep....I really needed it! I didn't get much else done today, but I can rest a little easier now, knowing that the most important people in my life are safe and sound. My hope is to make it to Sequim to be with them for Christmas...but even if I can't, at least I know they are all there :)
Tomorrow morning I'm headed back the the bus....we shall see what interesting stories await me......It hasn't stopped snowing today....at all, except for maybe a half hour this morning......
To all of you out there who are struggling with flights or in airports or simply trying to get home for Christmas, I empathize with you and wish you the best of luck in your (mis)adventures!
P.S. Who ever wrote "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...." - IDIOT!
Friday, December 19, 2008
El Mano? A salute to Public Transportation...
So, for those of you who don't know - current Washington weather has been crazy snowy! Due to scarily icy road conditions, I took the bus to work this morning. As we all know (well those of us who live in Seattle and have, at some point in our college lives, taken the bus on a regular basis) - there are always weird adventures on the bus! Public transportation...makes me laugh. So this morning I sat down on the bus, hoping for a chance to thaw a little as well as talk to my mom on the phone. That was not in my cards however as I ended up sitting next to the ONLY chatty person on the bus! He was a small Vietnamese man...well, I don't know that for sure...but I thought he was Vietnamese because he kept talking about Vietnamese people at his job, and making it sound like he was one of them...but then something confused me! On his hand he had a tattoo...and it distinctly said "El Mano". Well, in Spanish the word for hand is "La Mano"...so this greatly confused me. If he had a tattoo on his hand that said "The Hand", how ridiculous would that be? On the other hand (haha, pun intended) it DIDN'T say The Hand...it said something else...but what?!? What does El Mano mean? Anyone know? And what language is it? Was it some sort of inside joke?...Anyway, needless to say it made the the trip interesting between contemplating what El Mano meant and attempting to listen to his muttering conversation about everything from the weather (obviously) to HIS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (yes, he told me his social security number...ummm what?!?!) to his job and everything in between. So I say thank you Public Transportation, you are always good for an ironic chuckle.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
It's all about the witty banter...
We Are Marshall - My rating 8.5
I'll just admit it right now, I'm a total sucker for sports movies (whether it's Remember the Titans or Rookie of the Year), they pretty much always make me cry...as did this one! I enjoyed the movie immensely, despite the crying, and felt like it was a little more realistic than a lots of sports movies (in which the main goal is generally to win some sort of championship). This movie has heart! I also thought it was very refreshing to see Matthew Mcconaughey in a movie where he DIDN'T play a man-slut or an irresponsible young man. I thought he did a surprisingly good job playing a serious part and actually playing it well. Definitely one to watch...
Tales of Beedle the Bard (book)- My rating 6.0
For those of you who don't know this is somewhat of an addendum to the Harry Potter series...it is referenced in the final book of the series. It is a book of short stories that is supposedly to the wizarding community what fairytales are to the "muggle" community. Essentially, these are short stories, each with an identifiable moral at the end. I really enjoy J.K. Rowling's writing style and so even though parts of this book were a little slow, I thought it was interesting (although nothing compared to the actual novels). Worth a read for any true J.K. Rowling fan.
Monk - Season One - My rating 7.0
I actually haven't finished this yet, but from what I have watched so far it's a show that I like. The one thing I don't like about the show is Monk's sidekick/nurse. She is really annoying. Monk, however, is a very entertaining character. Despite his neurosis (which I find oddly comforting in a way, perhaps because I have similar, albeit less obvious, tendencies) I think he's a great character. Reccomend watching...
Frasier - Season One - My rating 8.0
I never realized that I would like this show! I always thought it was dull from the bits and pieces I've seen over the years, but upon undertaking to watch the entirety of it, I've discovered that the witty banter and unique characters on the show hold fast my attention.
Facedown (book)- by Matt Redman. My Rating - 9.8 (yes you heard me right).
Never on this blog has any book/magazine/movie/tv show gotten such a high rating! This book was an incredibly insightful look at worship. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to deepen their love and respect of The Almighty God. All throughout the book I marked passages that either provoked great images or emotions for me that I will share with you all eventually. Definitely worth the read.
By the way - one of my co-workers, having noted what a bookworm I've become gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for Christmas (secret santa) - what a perfect gift!
I'll just admit it right now, I'm a total sucker for sports movies (whether it's Remember the Titans or Rookie of the Year), they pretty much always make me cry...as did this one! I enjoyed the movie immensely, despite the crying, and felt like it was a little more realistic than a lots of sports movies (in which the main goal is generally to win some sort of championship). This movie has heart! I also thought it was very refreshing to see Matthew Mcconaughey in a movie where he DIDN'T play a man-slut or an irresponsible young man. I thought he did a surprisingly good job playing a serious part and actually playing it well. Definitely one to watch...
Tales of Beedle the Bard (book)- My rating 6.0
For those of you who don't know this is somewhat of an addendum to the Harry Potter series...it is referenced in the final book of the series. It is a book of short stories that is supposedly to the wizarding community what fairytales are to the "muggle" community. Essentially, these are short stories, each with an identifiable moral at the end. I really enjoy J.K. Rowling's writing style and so even though parts of this book were a little slow, I thought it was interesting (although nothing compared to the actual novels). Worth a read for any true J.K. Rowling fan.
Monk - Season One - My rating 7.0
I actually haven't finished this yet, but from what I have watched so far it's a show that I like. The one thing I don't like about the show is Monk's sidekick/nurse. She is really annoying. Monk, however, is a very entertaining character. Despite his neurosis (which I find oddly comforting in a way, perhaps because I have similar, albeit less obvious, tendencies) I think he's a great character. Reccomend watching...
Frasier - Season One - My rating 8.0
I never realized that I would like this show! I always thought it was dull from the bits and pieces I've seen over the years, but upon undertaking to watch the entirety of it, I've discovered that the witty banter and unique characters on the show hold fast my attention.
Facedown (book)- by Matt Redman. My Rating - 9.8 (yes you heard me right).
Never on this blog has any book/magazine/movie/tv show gotten such a high rating! This book was an incredibly insightful look at worship. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to deepen their love and respect of The Almighty God. All throughout the book I marked passages that either provoked great images or emotions for me that I will share with you all eventually. Definitely worth the read.
By the way - one of my co-workers, having noted what a bookworm I've become gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for Christmas (secret santa) - what a perfect gift!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Scrumdiddliumptious
I'm currently reading Tales of Beedle the Bard (by J.K. Rowling, it is something of an addendum to the Harry Potter tales...although more of a concordance, if you will, than a novel...) So far I have learned a few new words due to it (I always enjoy adding to my vocabulary, nerd alert!!)
palatial: [puh-ley-shuhl]
–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or resembling a palace: a palatial home.
2. befitting or suitable for a palace; stately; magnificent: a palatial tapestry.
mien - [meen]
–noun air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man of noble mien.
sagacity - [suh-gas-i-tee]
–noun acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment.
(this one I had heard before in the form of sagacious but was unclear on the exact meaning)
simulacrum - [sim-yuh-ley-kruhm]
–noun, plural
1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance.
2. an effigy, image, or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.
There you have it folks, new knowledge for the day.
P.S. It's SNOWING AGAIN, and I'm dreading my drive home. eek!
palatial: [puh-ley-shuhl]
–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or resembling a palace: a palatial home.
2. befitting or suitable for a palace; stately; magnificent: a palatial tapestry.
mien - [meen]
–noun air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man of noble mien.
sagacity - [suh-gas-i-tee]
–noun acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment.
(this one I had heard before in the form of sagacious but was unclear on the exact meaning)
simulacrum - [sim-yuh-ley-kruhm]
–noun, plural
1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance.
2. an effigy, image, or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.
There you have it folks, new knowledge for the day.
P.S. It's SNOWING AGAIN, and I'm dreading my drive home. eek!
Adventures on Ice
So apparently Lynnwood is the snow pocket of western Washington. At my apartment, and for about 4 surrounding blocks, there is a thick blanket of snow (which is now mainly ice on the roads!), however the further you drive in any direction the less and less snow there is. It has been 2 years since I dealt (sp? doesn't look right) with snow, and to tell you the truth...I'm not a fan, and I had no idea! Remember when you were a kid and snow was an excuse for a snow day from school, a world full of entertainment, and a tasty snack? lol. No longer...now a "snow day" includes a precarious trek driving on the ice to work. The last couple of days my tires have started sliding all on their own twice....suffice it to say...I'm beginning to strongly believe I belong in a warmer climate, so far, all signs point to yes......!
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