.jpg)
First off, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. It was really nice to hear from you all. :)
My family just left for home, as they came to visit me to celebrate the big 2-0. On Friday we went to breakfast with some of my relatives, then went to visit my uncle in the hospital. He recently found out that he has pancreatic cancer, and it's fairly advanced. That wasn't too fun. But enough about that. Then we went to check into our hotel (yeah, we stayed in a hotel in Pittsburgh, although I live here. It made it more vacation-y). Then we went shopping at the Southside Works, where my mother spent way too much for clothes for me (they are extremely pretty though). After that, we went out for indian food. It was their first time, and I'm happy to say they enjoyed it.
On my birthday we went to the Andy Warhol Museum, which is great. Then we went to the Strip and bought food, and I made an interesting discovery. A guy who works at Fudgie Wudgie (the fudge place at the Strip) knows fairly well one of my best friends from elementary school! How wild is that?
My parents took me out to dinner at the Grand Concourse, one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh. It's in Station Square at the old train station (eighty foot stained glass windows, marble staircase, the works). It was... superb. Mmm, my mouth is watering....
Today I took them to Phipps, which they had never been to. All in all, a very very wonderful, memorable birthday. I really loved it, and I can't wait to go back home in two weeks!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Birthday Weekend!!
My family is currently en route to Pittsburgh to visit me for my birthday. They've decided to make a sort of holiday out of it, so we're staying at a hotel for two nights and doing fun things in the area.
Unfortunately our plans are a bit up in the air because my uncle recently (as in less than two weeks ago) found out that he has a malignant tumor in his abdominal region. He's in the hospital and not doing very well, so we're told, and so we're going to visit him and wait for more concrete news of his condition.
Otherwise, it's HI HO! I'm going to be 20 and have two more weeks of work. Thank goodness.
Unfortunately our plans are a bit up in the air because my uncle recently (as in less than two weeks ago) found out that he has a malignant tumor in his abdominal region. He's in the hospital and not doing very well, so we're told, and so we're going to visit him and wait for more concrete news of his condition.
Otherwise, it's HI HO! I'm going to be 20 and have two more weeks of work. Thank goodness.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Word of the Day
INSIPID
Pronunciation: in-'si-p&d
Function: adjective
Etymology: French & Late Latin; French insipide, from Late Latin insipidus, from Latin in- + sapidus savory, from sapere to taste -- more at SAGE
1 : lacking taste or savor : TASTELESS <insipid food>
2 : lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge : DULL, FLAT <insipid prose>
Definition number two really sums up what I’m feeling today about my job. Yes, thank you Lauren for choosing a profession that takes no interest in anyone with less than a master’s degree, even when there's no difference in knowledge…
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Swing!
So, swing dancing is so awesome. I went to this place tonight and it was absolutely wonderful. They had an AMAZING live band and a bunch of people who knew how to dance pretty well. A few of them knew how to dance REALLY well, but most of them were better than me. It really makes me want to go and learn more. I think partner dancing is awesome. Too bad my built-in partner is 3000 miles away.... poo on him.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Road Trip details
Finally, I have the time and will to detail a bit of my road trip with y'all. So here are the highlights:
We drove through Kentucky and Illinois and Indiana to get to St. Louis, Missouri, which was a lot of fun. We went to this microbrewery that had the best ribs I'd ever eaten. A lot of the food was organic, and almost all came from local farmers or their own garden. Sweet.
We drove through Missouri and half of Kansas, and it was actually kinda pretty. Missouri is a nice state to drive through, rolling green hills and all. Kansas was a hoot, because half the time driving we tuned into AM stations sponsored by Christian Coalition Family groups and such, and listening the radio stations talk about how to raise your kids "in God's light" or how to deal with non-believers was... illuminating, and often times aggravating.
When we got to Colorado, it, for a long time, looked exactly like Kansas. Very flat, very farm-y. Unfortunately it was extremely overcast and rainy, so we didn't get to see the Rocky Mountains upon approach. However, we stayed there during the night and in the morning hiked out to a panorama point to see the mountains. It was gorgeous.
We drove through the Rockies that day, which was really fun and beautiful. I only wish we could have spent more time there. Then we drove into Utah.
One thing about Utah. Forget what you may have heard about it, it is one of the prettiest states I've ever been to. Full of canyons and mountains and valleys and high altitude desert, it is one spectacular place. We spent several days there, driving through, stopping at scenic overlooks and being amazed by the landscape. We stayed at this one amazing park (Dead Horse Point State Park), which had lovely campsites and in the morning, we hiked to watch the sun rise at Dead Horse Point, which gives a 270-degree view of the canyons and arches that go for miles.
We also visited the Grand Canyon's North Rim, which was lovely and a place I'd want to stay, as it had a hotel of sorts right on the rim. In order to get there we drove through a fire-damaged area. A recent forest fire charred hundreds of acres of forest around the road that leads to the rim, and it was cool to see the charred trunks. It was particularly sad, because the minute you see it, you understand that life will grow back, and fast, and that often it's necessary for these kinds of fires to purge the forest of overgrowth and underbrush.
My favorite part of the trip was going to see the sand dunes in Coral Pink Sands State Park. There are these huge salmon-colored sand dunes in the middle of the mountainy area in Utah, and it was unbelieveable. Soooo beautiful and almost unreal.
We drove into Nevada (which feels like another planet) and drove past Las Vegas, which is the weirdest city in the entire world. It sits in amongst these barren mountains and is so gawdy and crazy and feels like it shouldn't be there because of all the desert that surrounds it. Then we drove past Lake Mead, which is another surreal place. It's this huge vibrant blue lake i n the middle of a desert, with no vegetation around it whatsoever. It was created after the Hoover Dam was built, backing up the Colorado River. The Hoover Dam was cool to see, although there were a lot of people there, and there was a lot of construction, as they're making a bridge byway in view of the dam, so people can get a better look and also eliminate some of the security that comes with driving over the dam.
That night we drove across the Mojave Desert to get to California. The next day we drove up the middle of the state (very deserty and bright) to get to the Sierra Nevadas. We camped among the sequoias and sugarpine trees that night. There were more mosquitos than I had ever seen before.
We got to see the sequoias, which are unbelieveable and beautiful. Ryan bought a seed that he's going to plant to get one to grow. Then we drove to Mountain View.
Mountain View feels like Pleasantville in its cleanliness, newness, and brightness. The weather is temperate and always sunny, the streets are wide and tree-lined, and the buildings look new and well cared-for. We moved Ryan into his apartment, which is cute and will serve him well I think. A day later I left. I think he'll be very happy there. There seems to be a large younger population, and it's a very tech-savvy place (Silicon Valley and all).
Well, that's about it. Apparently during Scouts Ryan's leader-person had a game called Thorns and Roses, in which you told your favorite and worst experience on the trip. My rose was Coral Pink Sands State Park, and for good reason. My thorn (other than having to leave Ryan) was that we had such long days on the road we usually were too tired to do anything but sleep after we got to the campsite, and we often didn't leave early enough to get into camp before dusk.
Overall though, the trip was pleasant and fun and well worth the 10 days it took to drive.
We drove through Kentucky and Illinois and Indiana to get to St. Louis, Missouri, which was a lot of fun. We went to this microbrewery that had the best ribs I'd ever eaten. A lot of the food was organic, and almost all came from local farmers or their own garden. Sweet.
We drove through Missouri and half of Kansas, and it was actually kinda pretty. Missouri is a nice state to drive through, rolling green hills and all. Kansas was a hoot, because half the time driving we tuned into AM stations sponsored by Christian Coalition Family groups and such, and listening the radio stations talk about how to raise your kids "in God's light" or how to deal with non-believers was... illuminating, and often times aggravating.
When we got to Colorado, it, for a long time, looked exactly like Kansas. Very flat, very farm-y. Unfortunately it was extremely overcast and rainy, so we didn't get to see the Rocky Mountains upon approach. However, we stayed there during the night and in the morning hiked out to a panorama point to see the mountains. It was gorgeous.
We drove through the Rockies that day, which was really fun and beautiful. I only wish we could have spent more time there. Then we drove into Utah.
One thing about Utah. Forget what you may have heard about it, it is one of the prettiest states I've ever been to. Full of canyons and mountains and valleys and high altitude desert, it is one spectacular place. We spent several days there, driving through, stopping at scenic overlooks and being amazed by the landscape. We stayed at this one amazing park (Dead Horse Point State Park), which had lovely campsites and in the morning, we hiked to watch the sun rise at Dead Horse Point, which gives a 270-degree view of the canyons and arches that go for miles.
We also visited the Grand Canyon's North Rim, which was lovely and a place I'd want to stay, as it had a hotel of sorts right on the rim. In order to get there we drove through a fire-damaged area. A recent forest fire charred hundreds of acres of forest around the road that leads to the rim, and it was cool to see the charred trunks. It was particularly sad, because the minute you see it, you understand that life will grow back, and fast, and that often it's necessary for these kinds of fires to purge the forest of overgrowth and underbrush.
My favorite part of the trip was going to see the sand dunes in Coral Pink Sands State Park. There are these huge salmon-colored sand dunes in the middle of the mountainy area in Utah, and it was unbelieveable. Soooo beautiful and almost unreal.
We drove into Nevada (which feels like another planet) and drove past Las Vegas, which is the weirdest city in the entire world. It sits in amongst these barren mountains and is so gawdy and crazy and feels like it shouldn't be there because of all the desert that surrounds it. Then we drove past Lake Mead, which is another surreal place. It's this huge vibrant blue lake i n the middle of a desert, with no vegetation around it whatsoever. It was created after the Hoover Dam was built, backing up the Colorado River. The Hoover Dam was cool to see, although there were a lot of people there, and there was a lot of construction, as they're making a bridge byway in view of the dam, so people can get a better look and also eliminate some of the security that comes with driving over the dam.
That night we drove across the Mojave Desert to get to California. The next day we drove up the middle of the state (very deserty and bright) to get to the Sierra Nevadas. We camped among the sequoias and sugarpine trees that night. There were more mosquitos than I had ever seen before.
We got to see the sequoias, which are unbelieveable and beautiful. Ryan bought a seed that he's going to plant to get one to grow. Then we drove to Mountain View.
Mountain View feels like Pleasantville in its cleanliness, newness, and brightness. The weather is temperate and always sunny, the streets are wide and tree-lined, and the buildings look new and well cared-for. We moved Ryan into his apartment, which is cute and will serve him well I think. A day later I left. I think he'll be very happy there. There seems to be a large younger population, and it's a very tech-savvy place (Silicon Valley and all).
Well, that's about it. Apparently during Scouts Ryan's leader-person had a game called Thorns and Roses, in which you told your favorite and worst experience on the trip. My rose was Coral Pink Sands State Park, and for good reason. My thorn (other than having to leave Ryan) was that we had such long days on the road we usually were too tired to do anything but sleep after we got to the campsite, and we often didn't leave early enough to get into camp before dusk.
Overall though, the trip was pleasant and fun and well worth the 10 days it took to drive.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
back....
... after the longest vacation I've taken in a while (Hawaii doesn't count since I had to leave early). I'll post more about the trip tomorrow, since I'm too tired tonight, but suffice it to say that I had a really good time, and that it sucked to leave Ryan, but that I'm ok, and it was really fun.
And it's fricking HOT here. I thought 120 degrees in Nevada was bad.... :P
And it's fricking HOT here. I thought 120 degrees in Nevada was bad.... :P
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Tomorrow!!... I mean, TODAY!!
So, today in approximately 17 hours, I will be leaving for Cincinnati to begin my 11 day road trip across the country. I'm really really excited. I'll be driving with Ryan, his mom, and his mom's boyfriend to send him off to California. Although it's not the greatest reason ever (stupid Google ::grumble grumble::), I'm planning on having a really good time. Here's a list of some of the things I'll be doing.
. Grand Canyon (North Rim this time)
. Rocky Mountains
. Las Vegas
. Mojave Desert
. Sequoia National Park
. LOTS of camping!
. moving Ryan in to his new place... on the other side of the continent...
The route (for me) is: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California. Thursday to the following following Monday. 12 days. EXCITING.
I will bring back lots of pictures. Not that many people care. But some might!
. Grand Canyon (North Rim this time)
. Rocky Mountains
. Las Vegas
. Mojave Desert
. Sequoia National Park
. LOTS of camping!
. moving Ryan in to his new place... on the other side of the continent...
The route (for me) is: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California. Thursday to the following following Monday. 12 days. EXCITING.
I will bring back lots of pictures. Not that many people care. But some might!
Monday, July 03, 2006
Long Weekend, Long Post
I haven't updated in a while because Ryan came for the weekend, and we were busy. :) It was nice to have someone around to do things with, especially someone as pleasant and energetic as Ryan. We went to see the movie Water (which everyone should see). It's a really really good Indian film about the widow houses in certain parts of India. And it's a love story. And it has hot Indian actors in it. We also went to Frick Park and walked around, which was really fun because I love Frick and I got to show Ryan all the cool places in it. Then we made pottery. There's this really cute store on Forbes that sells pottery you can paint any way you like. I painted Ryan a bowl with a panorama of a beach in Hawaii we found, and he painted me a pot for my orchids.
On Saturday we went to a 4th of July party my family was having in Avella. We spent the day in the pool, hanging out with my family, and eating a ton of food. I got really sunburned, and my skin is sooooo itchy. And then we got lost on our way back to Pittsburgh. We somehow missed BOTH the exits: one from the south approach, and then again from the north approach. Silly us.
On Sunday I felt like crap because of my sunburn, and it was super hot outside, so we didn't do very much. We went to Phipps and went out to dinner, then met up with an old Soundbyte and went out to dinner again. It was really fun to see her again.
Ryan just left this morning, and although I miss him already, I get to see him again in 4 days when we go on our cross-country road trip. :)
And now we get to it. Why am I writing a blog entry at 11:20 on a Monday morning? Well, why, thank you for asking! My job feels like a waste of time. My boss decides to email me on a Sunday night, telling me that no one will be in the office on Monday, and that I should just continue working on whatever I was working on. However, the last time I worked, I was working on my ability to nap whilst sitting at work.... She hasn't given me work in weeks, and I've just been asking my other sort-of boss for work. I haven't met my 15 hours a week for the last couple weeks, and I don't get paid a lot. It's my only job, and not working the full time means I don't get that money, which means I don't eat. I'm never informed of anything, and I never get anything interesting to do. It's just busy work, and not even important stuff at that. I feel like I'm wasting my time, and all my talent and intelligence and anything else I have is going to waste. I could do so much more, and I wish they would realize it. I wish my job was managed better, and wasn't so haphazard. I wish I was valued. Oh well. Maybe it will get better.... maybe not.
On Saturday we went to a 4th of July party my family was having in Avella. We spent the day in the pool, hanging out with my family, and eating a ton of food. I got really sunburned, and my skin is sooooo itchy. And then we got lost on our way back to Pittsburgh. We somehow missed BOTH the exits: one from the south approach, and then again from the north approach. Silly us.
On Sunday I felt like crap because of my sunburn, and it was super hot outside, so we didn't do very much. We went to Phipps and went out to dinner, then met up with an old Soundbyte and went out to dinner again. It was really fun to see her again.
Ryan just left this morning, and although I miss him already, I get to see him again in 4 days when we go on our cross-country road trip. :)
And now we get to it. Why am I writing a blog entry at 11:20 on a Monday morning? Well, why, thank you for asking! My job feels like a waste of time. My boss decides to email me on a Sunday night, telling me that no one will be in the office on Monday, and that I should just continue working on whatever I was working on. However, the last time I worked, I was working on my ability to nap whilst sitting at work.... She hasn't given me work in weeks, and I've just been asking my other sort-of boss for work. I haven't met my 15 hours a week for the last couple weeks, and I don't get paid a lot. It's my only job, and not working the full time means I don't get that money, which means I don't eat. I'm never informed of anything, and I never get anything interesting to do. It's just busy work, and not even important stuff at that. I feel like I'm wasting my time, and all my talent and intelligence and anything else I have is going to waste. I could do so much more, and I wish they would realize it. I wish my job was managed better, and wasn't so haphazard. I wish I was valued. Oh well. Maybe it will get better.... maybe not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)