Happy Halloween.

Well you're lucky this time because you're being spared my rant about Halloween in favor of this guy:



Hope your Halloween was as cute as that little giraffe!

Surreal Birthday and Baking Eggs in My Neck.

Hi all,

Just wanted to get you a quick picture of Matthew and me at the wedding- that's right! Jeff and Ryann are hitched! CONGRATULATIONS you two! You can see one of Ryann's gorgeous bridal pictures peaking behind Matt and I- check that lady out!!!!

The weekend was good. It was surreal for lots of reasons, most of all because of my intimate encounters with needles over the first two days, but all is well now, I'm back to New York, and I really did have a great visit home. The official results will be here tomorrow, and after that it's easy check ups from here on out.

Thanks to everyone who prayed, and thanks to Ma, Da, Kim, Leon, Marsha, and of course Matthew for being there!

Here's that picture I promised, more to come!

Faith Vs......

Can Faith stand up to proof?

Is it opposed to empiricism?

Does it falter under the weight of the palpable?

How are faith and reality related- does faith allow you to see what reality is in its "truest" form?

These are questions one of my classes has been pondering, spurred by the great and inimitable Don Quixote. They are very applicable to the kinds of faiths discussed in the book (which is all kinds, really), but I find them to be applicable to Christianity and Religion especially.

I do realize that I should probably give you some basis for the conversation, but I don't really feel like it. I think the questions can be interpreted how you like and that they'll still be important.

I think these are questions that don't necessarily have absolute answers, that don't necessarily HAVE to be answered, but I think they should be considered. I think it is important to know what you believe about your faith- and I'm not talking the details of your religion at all or however it is you exercise the muscles of your faith, throw that out (if it is possible to separate those base realities that you take stock in from your faith, which in many ways is completely impossible, I grant you).

I do recognize the duality here- faith is exactly the OPPOSITE of proof. If it had anything to do with proof it wouldn't BE faith, and yet, I believe the question is valid.

For what YOU believe, does empirical evidence have any bearing on your faith? Do you think your faith creates a kind of world view (lense, if you will) that prohibits you (me) from seeing the world "as it is"?

I know, abstract, but maybe you follow. Maybe this isn't interesting at all to you, and that's ok. I like stuff like this, and I don't think I want to settle for the easy answers in regard to my faith- I don't want to be accused of a casual faith. If you feel so inclined, share with me your thoughts on the matter, even if it is "yo, you's crazy gurl". Let 'er rip.

(Ps. BZ- yipes! you are reading this in espagnol, do you analyze all this stuff in your spanish class too? It just goes around and around- and in spanish I can't imagine! Amazing!)

Change Is Gonna Come.

I've been thinking a lot lately about all the changes that will happen in the next few months to a year. BIG changes. I was talking to Joanna about it, and she suggested that I make an attempt to start processing these changes, and just be aware that each of them will affect me in different ways.

The big changes I see coming are:

1- Graduation- May 2007

2- Leaving New York City, a place I've dreamed about being since I was 12- May 2007

3- Getting a real job- Sometime after May 2007

4- Getting Married- August 11, 2007

5- Moving away for reals- TBD after August 11, 2007

HUGE, pretty much. And all, thank you Lord, GOOD. Some are bittersweet- graduation certainly. I have actually been daydreaming about taking some french classes at Weber in the summer, and then I realized that I'm psycho and I promised myself at LEAST the summer as a break from school. I love school, and I think a part of me is terrified to leave it because it is something I know I'm good at. At the same time I may follow the path of other school lovers (and geniuses, naturally) and continue to go back again and again... yeah, that sounds nice. But again, it's not automatic like college was.

Moving away from New York- let's actually not talk about that. I'm back in one of the mountains where I don't want to leave. The valleys come fast too, so I know part of me will be so relieved to leave, but it is going to be surprisingly hard, I bet.

Real job- that is primarily exciting, but still very UNKNOWN which is usually the theme of change. I hope that I can avoid the comparisons with other recent graduates, and avoid grading myself based on my salary or position. I want to learn and grow in this time, not stress about getting the most money out of the best possible title I can get.

Marriage- again, FREAKING HUGE. And amazing. I'm overjoyed to be marrying Matthew in (check it!) Less than 10 months. It is big change though- Staci is a great roommate, Matthew's gonna have some standards to live up to! hehe, but really. It means so many things, so many wonderful and exciting things. This is another primarily exciting one- but still, scary. And not scary bad, boo, halloween scary, but like.... wow, this is a really big deal.

And Moving- that is huge again. Moving away officially from Utah will be hard, and yet I'm so glad I've done it. It's different in school, I know, but still. I am REALLY excited to find out where we'll be, I think that will be some of the most exciting news to come in the next few months! I may be coming to a city near you! WOO! And with my Officer of a Husband too!

Well I have to get to class or I'd expound and bore you all some more. If you get a chance let me know what change you're going through, how you feel about it, and share any brilliance about dealing with the above changes that you have!

Love to you all!

Update.

Hey all,

Well I had all these grand plans to blog away this weekend, and it just didn't happen.

I'd like to give a general update on life, and then hopefully in the days to come (or more likely after I get back from Utah) I'll blog more in depth.

1- My rationale is approved by my advisor! The next step is for the second approval by an anonymous reader to come through which should take a few weeks. Here we go!

2- I have my collquium committee, now I just need to choose a date. CRAZY! I can choose the date that all my undergraduate work will culminate and ultimately finish. I'll have to finish and pass all my classes next semester, but other than that I'll have nothing to worry about! AMAZING!

3- I head home to Utah for 3 weddings this weekend! I am actually only attending two, but it should be fun!

4- FRIDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! If you didn't know that, now you do! And if you forgot- shame on you! Well, not really. If you're in Utah the festivities will be all about Jeff and Ryann as it damn well should be, and if you're in NY I obviously won't be here. Reserve the weekend of November 3 and 4 for a good time with this girl. Good food will be involved!

5- I am very much in love with my fiance! I won't get all gushy about it, but I just want you to know it, cause that's a big thing that's on my mind quite a bit of the time I'm awake. Probably when I'm asleep too to tell you the truth. And not to be lame or cliche, but I really do hope that everyone can experience what it's like to love someone til you feel like you can't say anything that means anything because words fall so short.

6- On that note, wedding planning is going well! Dress has been decided on, bridesmaids dresses are in the works, location is decided, guest list is almost finished, save-the-date cards are being figured out, registry is being pondered, etc etc. Super.

7- I have a class that has a lot to do with Shakespeare this semester, and I am really enjoying it! Reading him again (after years since Macbeth in AP Lit Senior year...) has been so fun, and I realize that my brain must have developed after 4 years because it's really not hard to understand like I thought it was! Hooray for mental stamina picking up with age!

8- Will Smith was shooting a movie in the park that functions as our "quad" if there exists such a thing. I took a picture, but am too lazy to post it as I'll soon be going to bed. I'll put a link to the movie up soon, but in the mean time if you're curious check out imdb for WIll Smith's current projects.

9- I love my roomate. She's just amazing. I just do, and I would get all mushy, but that's enough said, I think.

10- I have a 200 word composition due in my Gaelic class on Monday- that's our midterm. WHAT? First- MIDTERM? How did that happen, I thought it was... oh, right.. it's mid October And Second- I am supposed to write 200 words in a language I can't read, write, or speak? Oh...ok....

11- I LOVE FALL. Love it. If you're battling your trouble with jacket weather, wisishing it was still just long-sleeved or sweater weather, think of that extra hour you'll be getting not this weekend but next!

12- Webmasta. That's me! I'm going to be the new webmaster for the WAS site- super! No, no, not actually creating the site, changing design (they pay fancy people for that) but I'll be moderating comments, answering questions, uploading and all that stuff that Ian/Chris can't really do from the road. Super exciting.

13- Handed in a big paper today- not that big, but big in terms of importance to my grade, and it felt good. I like that crisp feeling of handing over a perfectly aligned and stapled paper.

And I think twelve is good- yeah, real good. REAL real good. Baker's dozen good.

Time for bed, and now you have the general update. I hope you all are doing well- please let me know! And I will see you soon, if not this weekend! If you're a New York lovely, then keep that first weekend in November open, like I said to yas, and we'll have a great time! Evite to follow!

Triangle = Life.

Lately Geometry has popped up in all sorts of inappropriate ways.

I read a 30 page dissertation on narrative structures in fiction writing, specifically short stories, and it continually referred to geometrical logic, etc, in order to illustrate ideas.

Geometry is forbidden to enter the sphere of that which I love: writing.

It also came up (can you tell I'm an algebra gal, not much for silly shapes and angles...) in my Narrative Investigations: we were looking at the desires of the characters, and consequently were using pyramids- triangles- to demonstrate the hierarchies of their desires and influences.

I say math should be outlawed, segregated where it belongs. Come on!

I almost feel it is making the ol' gig more palpable.... so confusing! I thought Geometry was far behind me, lost in the annals of high school math class!

So there is that.

Let the Cat Out of the...

Cataloupe.

...

I was at the St. Marks Market this afternoon (for which my affections improve upon each visitation) to gather the fixins for tonight's dinner: Keylime Shrimp with rice. I'm also making fresh guacamole, and then inevitably we'll be having cookies or brownies for dinner- Thursdays we do it up right!

So I walk down the ramp that leads me into this store, and I smile at the pretty breads displayed to my right. I glance at the flowers leaning out towards me on my left, and then jump half-way out of my skin as I see something slither out from the first shelf of fruit up ahead.

YIKES!

But then I laughed, because it was a little kitten, the friendly chap who inhabits the store like so many other friendly deli kitkats. The cat was cuddled up behind the basket of cantaloupe... what a silly feller!

The lesson to be learned here, folks is this: Cats like cantaloupe, and you should wash your fruit before you eat it!
...

ps> isn't cantaloupe a crazy little word? That Chris Columbus sure did us a favor when he brought 'em over.

Issue: Tax Exemptions

What do you think about THIS?

Leave Comments...

A Quickie Update.

How did it get so late, and I'm sitting here with 3 things on my list of "to do's" that now carry over to tomorrow... argghh.

ANyway... quick picture post for y'alls.

This weekend Staci and I went to the NY City Center for a Dance Concert. Some of it was great, some of it was crazy- those french people know how to make dance REEEEALLLY boring.

Anyway... before the show we went to a REALLY cute place called La Bonne Soupe- so adorable, good food, and certainly the best pecan pie I've ever had (mmm, pecan pie. Wait! FOCUS>).

Here we are at the restaurant:




I realize that these really don't show the restaurant, nor does this one show the theater. We'll try to be better at pictures this weekend.


In the end, thanks to my sweety-pie roomate Staci: it was great fun!

Don't Miss the Show!

Hey all!

This is a reminder to go to the We Are Scientists Show tomorrow night!

Don't miss it!

Go HERE to get tickets!

Update on the other site!

If you're a bm, go check out the other blog... some updates!

C

This is disgusting.

Just go, and see.

Why Utah is Beautiful.

These were taken September 17th, the day after the first storm of the season up th gorgeous canyon (thanks to Julie Fosmark for sending these my way!)






Nothing like that Utah beauty!

Autumnal Bliss.

I LOVE FALL.

I think I often stray from saying that it is my favorite season, because I really do enjoy the other seasons.

I love fall though, I love it.

It is my favorite season!

I love that I can now wear fantastic long-sleeved things, cozy sweaters, boots, more LAYERS!!!! I love it!

I also love the crisp air and the different FEELING Fall has. Do you know what I mean?

I know Spring has its merits, winter means skiing and holidays and families, and all that.

Summer is more laid back, warm, means vacation and all those things...

And yet fall. FALL! It's so cool and clean and definitely the best fashion by far-- I LOVE IT!

So cheers to you Fall, old friend!

Paul Rusesabagina.

Paul Rusesabagina is the man from the story "Hotel Rwanda"--- except it's not Don Cheadle, it's him- he's the guy that saved 1,200 lives during the Rwandan genocide.

NYU's Bronfman Center is bringing him to the Cooper Union to lecture and tell his story, and Navigators is teaming up to help it happen.

If you are in NYC on October 11th and want to go see this man talk to us about something we know nothing about, go HERE and register, then meet at Tisch Hall at 7, or head there for the 7:30pm start.

Cleanse.

Tonight I walked home in the rain.

It had been beautiful all day today so I didn't bring an umbrella (even though I saw on the news at the gym this morning it was supposed to rain this evening).

It was kind of nice. It wasn't a downpour or anything, but not an annoying haze or spit or sprinkle. It was just right, and very enjoyable.

It felt kind of....free. Had there been puddles, and had they not been potential urine or other mysterious substance, I might have jumped in them.

And there you have that.

Next time it rains I challenge you to go out there and get wet in it- sans umbrella. And jump in a puddle!

Update.

All is going fine here.

I have recovered from my sadness about Matthew leaving- it sucks to be away from him, but getting back into the routine does help.

Just wanted to give you guys a few pictures that Matthew sent me, and some ones of the babiest of Dashiells!


Cuteness! This is from last Friday morning- I babysat Dash from 6am-9am, and Matt got to see him because he arrived about 7:30!


Another one from that morning, so cute!


Standin' in the fridge!


Dash in the fridge- at one point he was trying to climb up in it! He likes to pull things out of the fridge... so cute!


Here is a picture from when that future-husband-of-mine and me over this weekend!

That's all for now- have to get myself to bed! More to come later this week!

PS> Any of you decide to write something for Dirty Dish? Don't be wusses!

Great Weekend.

Well, I just said goodbye.

Extremely depressing.

I hate saying goodbye to that guy! It's so hard! AH!

He's on the subway on the way to JFK, and I'm left to my homework that I'll spend avoiding and wish I had done more of tomorrow.

We had a WONDERFUL time: saw a lot, did a lot, and had a great time being with eachother.

I MISS YOU!



More to come- he has all the fun pictures from the weekend.

Gosh, I'm such a baby!