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Thursday, August 30, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
this bird has flown
There's a word for people like my mom. People who, despite being painfully American, stay up late for the "good" (read british) comedies to come on; people who immerse themselves in the strange soap opera that is the history of the royal family; people who cool their toast on racks.
That word is anglophile.
For a long time the mom has been talking about spending a year in England after her retirement. I admit that I had underestimated her adventurousness and was surprised when she asked me to stay in her house while she was gone. Since I need to take about a year's worth of classes to prepare for applying to medical school it seemed like a good deal for both of us. Originally her plan was to find a position with a wealthy family in England who would require a few hours of pram pushing interspersed with afternoon tea, travels to the countryside, and many hours of down right britishness. Unfortunately no such magical family emerged, even after the mom broadened her standards to include the not-so-wealthy and the elderly. A lot of discouragement and one persistent internet scammer later, things were not looking good for either of us. Then about a month ago Mandy and Richard reminded the mom that Richard's mother (Sandra) lives in England and has an extra room to rent. Though it wasn't the mom's original dream, it was still England and by this point she was ready to accept it. She bought her ticket and was out the door before we could say "cheeky".
And so begins my year as a quasi-home owner.
Though school and MCAT prep is plenty to think about, I'm excited to play house and do all the home-ish kinds of things I couldn't do in Boston. One of my dreams was to have chickens, which I do (!!!! more on that another time), and now I'm working on finding a pup. I have a few projects both in and outside the house that I'm also slowly working on. This year is kind of fun because I don't have anyone to answer to. Nothing I have to do. It feels open for adventures and that's exciting.
As for my mum-
I'm pretty proud of her for being so brave. I love it more than just about anything when people follow crazy dreams and take chances. Conversely, nothing makes me more depressed than someone caught in a rut. So mom, you are awesome. Here's to a smashing good year
That word is anglophile.
For a long time the mom has been talking about spending a year in England after her retirement. I admit that I had underestimated her adventurousness and was surprised when she asked me to stay in her house while she was gone. Since I need to take about a year's worth of classes to prepare for applying to medical school it seemed like a good deal for both of us. Originally her plan was to find a position with a wealthy family in England who would require a few hours of pram pushing interspersed with afternoon tea, travels to the countryside, and many hours of down right britishness. Unfortunately no such magical family emerged, even after the mom broadened her standards to include the not-so-wealthy and the elderly. A lot of discouragement and one persistent internet scammer later, things were not looking good for either of us. Then about a month ago Mandy and Richard reminded the mom that Richard's mother (Sandra) lives in England and has an extra room to rent. Though it wasn't the mom's original dream, it was still England and by this point she was ready to accept it. She bought her ticket and was out the door before we could say "cheeky".
And so begins my year as a quasi-home owner.
Though school and MCAT prep is plenty to think about, I'm excited to play house and do all the home-ish kinds of things I couldn't do in Boston. One of my dreams was to have chickens, which I do (!!!! more on that another time), and now I'm working on finding a pup. I have a few projects both in and outside the house that I'm also slowly working on. This year is kind of fun because I don't have anyone to answer to. Nothing I have to do. It feels open for adventures and that's exciting.
As for my mum-
I'm pretty proud of her for being so brave. I love it more than just about anything when people follow crazy dreams and take chances. Conversely, nothing makes me more depressed than someone caught in a rut. So mom, you are awesome. Here's to a smashing good year
Thursday, April 19, 2012
long time coming
Well I haven't posted on this blog in a long time. But, I like to think it still exists so I'm writing an update.
In about a week and a half I am moving from Boston, pretty much permanently. I feel like I've said cheesy goodbyes to Boston before, so I won't do it too much here. But yes, I really love this city and I've had a really fun almost 6 years here. That said, I'm excited for a change.
I'm not exactly sure what is coming next, but for at least a little while I plan on:
house sitting for my mom (once she makes it to England-one of her life dreams that she's brave enough to follow--Go Mom!)
getting some chickens
getting a dog
doing some repairs on mom's house
spending more time with family
getting in some quality Utah outdoors time
taking advantage of a temple in my backyard
perhaps figure out just exactly what I came to Earth to do
peace out
-E
In about a week and a half I am moving from Boston, pretty much permanently. I feel like I've said cheesy goodbyes to Boston before, so I won't do it too much here. But yes, I really love this city and I've had a really fun almost 6 years here. That said, I'm excited for a change.
I'm not exactly sure what is coming next, but for at least a little while I plan on:
house sitting for my mom (once she makes it to England-one of her life dreams that she's brave enough to follow--Go Mom!)
getting some chickens
getting a dog
doing some repairs on mom's house
spending more time with family
getting in some quality Utah outdoors time
taking advantage of a temple in my backyard
perhaps figure out just exactly what I came to Earth to do
peace out
-E
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Friday, November 04, 2011
cute overload-ability
the world is a hard place for someone so sensitive to tender things. roommates try to wake you up with little rambly songs, the chicken in the hall painting displays a dainty leg, an over bundled little boy gets on the bus in a shark hat. little baby animals are everywhere. sometimes dogs wear wigs. they are all so cute it physically hurts me.
It's like dogs and whistles. It cracks us to the brain, but somehow we still come running.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Friday, October 07, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
favorite numbers
A mathematician in Britain is doing a study on favorite numbers (here).
My favorite number is 13. I was born on the 13th of October and have always loved that it is the spookiest number of the spookiest month. 13 is an underdog and I have always had a thing for underdogs. The more people try to keep it out, the more I love it. It's the same reason I always try to remember to pronounce my h's.
-e
My favorite number is 13. I was born on the 13th of October and have always loved that it is the spookiest number of the spookiest month. 13 is an underdog and I have always had a thing for underdogs. The more people try to keep it out, the more I love it. It's the same reason I always try to remember to pronounce my h's.
-e
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The More Loving One
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
W.H. Auden
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
W.H. Auden
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Jelly-phant, Sugar Buns, and Dot
Oh Jelly. she just loves to pose!
Below is Sugar Bun's sister, Dot. as you can see, a love of leotards runs in the family.
oh yeah, and if anyone knows a good name for a giraffe, please let me know. he's very musical and sweet, as you can see
have a cute weekend!
xo
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Cooper the therapy dog: a sad story
A couple things you should know about me right up front: I love dogs and because of my current living situation I can't have my own dog. Also important, I guess, is that I've been feeling kind of stressed lately with trying to find a new job and that I once had a little black and white Shih Tzu named Frank who I loved with all my heart and all the days of my life until he died 6 years ago.
Enter Cooper, the therapy dog. So recently at work they advertised that at the library along with books and periodicals, you could check out Cooper, a little black and white Shih Tzu puppy, for 30 minutes of therapeutic play time. You just go to the Countway circulation desk (Countway is the Harvard Medical School Library which is adjacent to my work on the medical campus) and give them your card and they give you 30 minutes of dog love. I went the day I found out about it.
When I got to the library I was told that "Monsieur Le Coop" was available and I was taken back to a little couch with doggy gear, a miniature tennis ball, and Cooper. First impressions of Cooper were: this is not a puppy (his black hair was starting to gray as Frank's had in the twilight years), he could use a bath, and it wouldn't hurt him to lose a few pounds. Second impressions: who am I to judge. I greeted Cooper with as much enthusiastic puppy love as I could, though, unfortunately for both of us, I quickly found that the library setting is not conducive to my usual high pitched puppy coo. I tried to make up for it with enthusiastic hand motions and quick breathy inhales, but Cooper was not impressed. He just kind of slumped on the ground like I had interrupted a much needed afternoon nap or had just fed him dog chow laced with a tranquilizer. Still optimistic, I sat Cooper next to me on the couch and tried some old tried and true Frank methods to get him interested in his mini tennis ball and other toys (picture me smooshing them repeatedly into Cooper's face and then pulling away quickly), but to no avail. He just looked at them half heartedly and then turned away as if to say "how long do we have to do this?"
Somewhere around this time Cooper began to get a little anxious and started creeping perilously closer to the edge of the couch (something Andrew and I used to call the "danger zone" with Frank), as if he wanted to be anywhere but next to me. Trying to deceive myself into believing he was playing some kind of game I would shake my head amiably and scoot him closer, only for him to start slowly inching away again. I started to feel anxious myself--what would the people at the circulation desk think if Cooper jumped ship and started wandering around in the stacks. They'd come back and I'd be sitting there on the couch by myself, pretending like I'm having too much fun with the mini tennis ball to notice Cooper's absence. Thirty minutes started to look like a lifetime.
Cut to two minutes later: Cooper is on the floor continuing to inch further and further away from me and I'm on the couch trying to weigh 21 more minutes of Cooper anxiety versus admitting defeat and turning him in early. Suddenly, from around the corner, two high pitched (total lack of library imposed inhibitions) girl voices asked if they could see the "puppy". The moment they spoke Cooper's ears perked up, his tail waggled (needless to say I'd been wondering if his tail still worked) and he jumped to his feet with the jaunty puppy-ness of years of yore. I admitted defeat and relinquished my reservation.
The rest of the day I felt pretty depressed. It's one thing to have unemployment looming on the not-so-distant horizon, but it's quite another to be rejected by a puppy whose only job in the world is to like people and who looks exactly like your dead dog who yes you still dream about and still cry over when watching stupid animal-lover movies like Marley and Me and Homeward Bound. So today when I saw a reminder in my inbox for the new Countway therapy puppy I just shook my head. Oh Le Coop. Tu ne m'aimais pas. Tu voulais uniquement jouer avec mon coeur.
Enter Cooper, the therapy dog. So recently at work they advertised that at the library along with books and periodicals, you could check out Cooper, a little black and white Shih Tzu puppy, for 30 minutes of therapeutic play time. You just go to the Countway circulation desk (Countway is the Harvard Medical School Library which is adjacent to my work on the medical campus) and give them your card and they give you 30 minutes of dog love. I went the day I found out about it.
When I got to the library I was told that "Monsieur Le Coop" was available and I was taken back to a little couch with doggy gear, a miniature tennis ball, and Cooper. First impressions of Cooper were: this is not a puppy (his black hair was starting to gray as Frank's had in the twilight years), he could use a bath, and it wouldn't hurt him to lose a few pounds. Second impressions: who am I to judge. I greeted Cooper with as much enthusiastic puppy love as I could, though, unfortunately for both of us, I quickly found that the library setting is not conducive to my usual high pitched puppy coo. I tried to make up for it with enthusiastic hand motions and quick breathy inhales, but Cooper was not impressed. He just kind of slumped on the ground like I had interrupted a much needed afternoon nap or had just fed him dog chow laced with a tranquilizer. Still optimistic, I sat Cooper next to me on the couch and tried some old tried and true Frank methods to get him interested in his mini tennis ball and other toys (picture me smooshing them repeatedly into Cooper's face and then pulling away quickly), but to no avail. He just looked at them half heartedly and then turned away as if to say "how long do we have to do this?"
Somewhere around this time Cooper began to get a little anxious and started creeping perilously closer to the edge of the couch (something Andrew and I used to call the "danger zone" with Frank), as if he wanted to be anywhere but next to me. Trying to deceive myself into believing he was playing some kind of game I would shake my head amiably and scoot him closer, only for him to start slowly inching away again. I started to feel anxious myself--what would the people at the circulation desk think if Cooper jumped ship and started wandering around in the stacks. They'd come back and I'd be sitting there on the couch by myself, pretending like I'm having too much fun with the mini tennis ball to notice Cooper's absence. Thirty minutes started to look like a lifetime.
Cut to two minutes later: Cooper is on the floor continuing to inch further and further away from me and I'm on the couch trying to weigh 21 more minutes of Cooper anxiety versus admitting defeat and turning him in early. Suddenly, from around the corner, two high pitched (total lack of library imposed inhibitions) girl voices asked if they could see the "puppy". The moment they spoke Cooper's ears perked up, his tail waggled (needless to say I'd been wondering if his tail still worked) and he jumped to his feet with the jaunty puppy-ness of years of yore. I admitted defeat and relinquished my reservation.
The rest of the day I felt pretty depressed. It's one thing to have unemployment looming on the not-so-distant horizon, but it's quite another to be rejected by a puppy whose only job in the world is to like people and who looks exactly like your dead dog who yes you still dream about and still cry over when watching stupid animal-lover movies like Marley and Me and Homeward Bound. So today when I saw a reminder in my inbox for the new Countway therapy puppy I just shook my head. Oh Le Coop. Tu ne m'aimais pas. Tu voulais uniquement jouer avec mon coeur.
Friday, July 08, 2011
kick it up
So looking at my blog I guess I've gotten a little lazy blogging photos instead of actually writing anything. So how about an update?!
* I graduated in May--Yeehaw!!!! took me so dang long, but I'm happy to say I've finally accomplished the thing I came to Boston to do, way back at the inception of this blog. Along the way I think I realized this may not even be what I'm interested in doing for a career, but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it. I also was lucky to get my job so that I could graduate without debt. Clean slate, baby!
* I still work at Harvard School of Public Health, on the Nurses' Health Study II Cohort study on autism. The study is 3 years and this November the time will be up, so I am currently looking for a new job. It's been a fun experience, but has also contributed to the above conclusion that I think this is the wrong field for me. oh well. I am hoping I can find a job that starts in January so that I can come to Utah for December and hang with my posse! We'll see what turns up.
* Leslie and I are still roommates--long ago we dreamed about if we could only have one year to live together and how it would be the time of our lives. Four years later, it's been pretty awesome. Rather than sign our lease for a fifth year, we will be moving to Jamaica Plain--a hip neighborhood not far from where we are now. The condo we're moving to is really beautiful and has all the space in the world for our growing collection of appliances, so I'm excited!! Moving end of August.
* All of our friends keep moving away from Boston and I miss them! It's a beast! Our new place will have roommates and I'm trying to be active in the singles ward, so hopefully I can replenish. Because sometimes you just need to euchre it up, if you know what I mean.
* Other news: I competed in my first triathlon (it was short and I was unprepared, but I still kind of loved it! so there may be more in my future). I teach relief society and yeah, I make handouts. I started a photography club (most of you know about this..maybe) and yes you should join! I am not dating anyone, sorry no stories-I'll work on that. I cut bangs. I'm on a sock animal making kick and I'm sorry I can't help posting them to my blog-but yes, I realize it's kind of a problem. Can't really think of anything else...
Okay so now we're caught up. Have a nice weekend!
-e
* I graduated in May--Yeehaw!!!! took me so dang long, but I'm happy to say I've finally accomplished the thing I came to Boston to do, way back at the inception of this blog. Along the way I think I realized this may not even be what I'm interested in doing for a career, but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it. I also was lucky to get my job so that I could graduate without debt. Clean slate, baby!
* I still work at Harvard School of Public Health, on the Nurses' Health Study II Cohort study on autism. The study is 3 years and this November the time will be up, so I am currently looking for a new job. It's been a fun experience, but has also contributed to the above conclusion that I think this is the wrong field for me. oh well. I am hoping I can find a job that starts in January so that I can come to Utah for December and hang with my posse! We'll see what turns up.
* Leslie and I are still roommates--long ago we dreamed about if we could only have one year to live together and how it would be the time of our lives. Four years later, it's been pretty awesome. Rather than sign our lease for a fifth year, we will be moving to Jamaica Plain--a hip neighborhood not far from where we are now. The condo we're moving to is really beautiful and has all the space in the world for our growing collection of appliances, so I'm excited!! Moving end of August.
* All of our friends keep moving away from Boston and I miss them! It's a beast! Our new place will have roommates and I'm trying to be active in the singles ward, so hopefully I can replenish. Because sometimes you just need to euchre it up, if you know what I mean.
* Other news: I competed in my first triathlon (it was short and I was unprepared, but I still kind of loved it! so there may be more in my future). I teach relief society and yeah, I make handouts. I started a photography club (most of you know about this..maybe) and yes you should join! I am not dating anyone, sorry no stories-I'll work on that. I cut bangs. I'm on a sock animal making kick and I'm sorry I can't help posting them to my blog-but yes, I realize it's kind of a problem. Can't really think of anything else...
Okay so now we're caught up. Have a nice weekend!
-e
Friday, July 01, 2011
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Monday, April 04, 2011
Sunday, April 03, 2011
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