In case you missed it, the world might be ending soon (May 21st, to be precise). With this in mind, our atomic clock has been going crazy. About a week ago, we noticed that it was off by a few hours, although the minute hand was still correct. This means it was still pretty functional in my mind, because I am rather anal about knowing what time it is, and the minute hand is what I look at most often, since I am generally aware of the hour.
Then yesterday, I heard what I thought was was either the stove clicking or a phone vibrating, but what turned out to be our atomic clock speeding through time. The minute hand was going around about twice as fast as the second hand normally would. Then it stopped very definitively at 8:04, although it was 4:30 in the afternoon. After this episode, it keep accurate but incorrect time (as in, a minute was a minute, an hour was an hour, etc.).
So that night, Tim changed it back to the correct time.But no avail. It was incorrect about 4 hours later.
Has anybody else seen signs of the end time?
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Weekend Visitors
The past weekend we enjoyed a lovely trip from Karen and Mema. I think you could sum the trip up as we ate a lot, we shopped a lot, and we played a lot of cards. What more could a person want to do? It was delightful.
And Wilmington is really the best place to eat. I know everyone talks about the food in Italy and France, but I think Wilmington could give them a run for their money. Someone told me that Wilmington was in the top 20 cities of restaurants to people ratio, and most of these restaurants are local. So if you haven't been yet, come to Wilmington this summer for a free beach vacation and delicious food. No really! Come on! It's your last chance!
And Wilmington is really the best place to eat. I know everyone talks about the food in Italy and France, but I think Wilmington could give them a run for their money. Someone told me that Wilmington was in the top 20 cities of restaurants to people ratio, and most of these restaurants are local. So if you haven't been yet, come to Wilmington this summer for a free beach vacation and delicious food. No really! Come on! It's your last chance!
Hello free time
This week is a holiday in South Korea (HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!) and all of my classes, parties, and thesis responsibilities cease to exist, and we no longer have company, thus yesterday I had a whole day to do nothing but what I wanted to do for the first time in what felt like 10 years.
So last night I watched a random show for the heck of it, and I happened to land on Extreme Couponing. Talk about a stressful experience. For one, these people spend hours planning their shopping experience. I am pretty neutral about grocery shopping (unless going to the Wilmington Wal-Mart, in which case, I hate it, although I recognize it as a necessary evil). I occasionally make a list, but usually only if Tim has requested certain things, which makes it mandatory I'd forget something otherwise. I mean, I don't even make lists for things I want to cook. I usually just bring in the whole cookbook. I admire these people for spending hours planning their purchases, but I think I felt a fraction more anxiety than respect.
Anyway, for two, these people have to stockpile a zillion things in their houses. I wanted to clean out my cabinets just thinking about it. For three, now I feel like I'm spending way too much on groceries. These people could get $1,000 tabs down below 50 dollars.
There was one guy who couponed to send supplies to the troops, and that I could get behind, because there really would be a reason to buy 23 tubes of toothpaste. And like I said, I admire these people on some level, but I don't think I'll be watching the show again (unless it happens to be on and I won't be able to look away).
So last night I watched a random show for the heck of it, and I happened to land on Extreme Couponing. Talk about a stressful experience. For one, these people spend hours planning their shopping experience. I am pretty neutral about grocery shopping (unless going to the Wilmington Wal-Mart, in which case, I hate it, although I recognize it as a necessary evil). I occasionally make a list, but usually only if Tim has requested certain things, which makes it mandatory I'd forget something otherwise. I mean, I don't even make lists for things I want to cook. I usually just bring in the whole cookbook. I admire these people for spending hours planning their purchases, but I think I felt a fraction more anxiety than respect.
Anyway, for two, these people have to stockpile a zillion things in their houses. I wanted to clean out my cabinets just thinking about it. For three, now I feel like I'm spending way too much on groceries. These people could get $1,000 tabs down below 50 dollars.
There was one guy who couponed to send supplies to the troops, and that I could get behind, because there really would be a reason to buy 23 tubes of toothpaste. And like I said, I admire these people on some level, but I don't think I'll be watching the show again (unless it happens to be on and I won't be able to look away).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Beckham Experience
My friend Virginia asked me how the Beckham experience was. In a word: rowdy.
Here's the article that describes it best. I won't go into it in my own words because, well, I don't know that much about soccer. I was, however, a little disappointed that Landon Donovan didn't play, because while I don't know soccer, I do know celebrities.
Tim and I were done tromping around DC around 4:30 in the afternoon, and the game was at 7:30. All I wanted at that point was a cupcake. We thought about finding a restaurant or something around Foggy Bottom, but instead we decided to head to the stadium and relax in the restaurants/bars/cafes/etc. that would be around there.
Only we arrived at the stadium and there is nothing around. DC United did have a pretty fun tail-gaiting section, and I think that was the point where we could most vividly see ourselves living in DC and hanging out with hipsters who wear soccer scarves and play corn-hole before games. But I was also cold and tired, and maybe this much cranky about the general lack of cupcakes in the area. Nevertheless, a fun experience.
Friday, April 15, 2011
TFA Explained
I feel like I should be super secret about this post, because I know from experience that blogs where people discuss Teach for America come up on Google blogs and get a million hits, so they rise even higher, because insane people like me are out combing the internet for a clue, any clue, about how to get what we want (in this case, TFA).
So anyway, I applied for TFA out of college and didn't make it. I applied for an MFA program and did make it. Going to UNCW is in the top 5 best decisions of my life (also on the list: marrying Tim, attending the University of Arkansas, studying abroad in Australia, and getting involved with the Wesley Foundation).
But now that UNCW is about to end, I am faced with the prospect of working another minimum wage job, as I have done so often here in Wilmington. I thought TFA was a good alternative, and I have to admit, I wanted to avenge that failure. I made it this time, and they placed me in my preferred region, Eastern North Carolina, and my preferred grade, high school. The perfect place for me to have a job that used my education and Tim to go to his favorite grad school.
And it was so nice to be around TFA people. They were articulate, they sent funny yet moving emails, I could hear the passion in their voice, and the whole thing really felt life-affirming. Let me say it now: I'm glad these people are out there in our education systems.
But I turned them down. Everyone I talked to worked 10+ hour days. That should be good news to all of you out in cyber world... these people are completely dedicated to change! And I know that I was accepted to TFA because I have the same personality as everyone I talked to. I love teaching, and when I take up a cause, I can't let it go. I go insane and thrive in that type of atmosphere. I could happily work 14 hour days and be satisfied; the search for the great achievement is completely thrilling. But, I'm dedicated to Tim. And to my church. And I want to start running again. And I want to have free afternoons, to make up for all of the free afternoons I didn't have in grad school. And what I want right now is to try to be a writer, which requires being selfish about large chunks of time. TFA doesn't have room for people who want to be selfish with huge chunks of time. I know they have a waitlist of people who will be completely unselfish with their lives. I made it off the waitlist for UNCW, and I'll be eternally grateful to the one person who turned it down and gave me their spot.
So maybe I'll be waiting tables in Chapel Hill, because I'll be competing with 500,000 UNC graduates for the same jobs. But that's okay. I'm still young, and if I want to be a teacher, I can get a certificate with one more year of school.
Lately I've been a lot more personal in my blog. I don't think this will be a new thing, but Tim and I are going through a lot of changes right now. So here is our transition stage, laid out for all to see!
So anyway, I applied for TFA out of college and didn't make it. I applied for an MFA program and did make it. Going to UNCW is in the top 5 best decisions of my life (also on the list: marrying Tim, attending the University of Arkansas, studying abroad in Australia, and getting involved with the Wesley Foundation).
But now that UNCW is about to end, I am faced with the prospect of working another minimum wage job, as I have done so often here in Wilmington. I thought TFA was a good alternative, and I have to admit, I wanted to avenge that failure. I made it this time, and they placed me in my preferred region, Eastern North Carolina, and my preferred grade, high school. The perfect place for me to have a job that used my education and Tim to go to his favorite grad school.
And it was so nice to be around TFA people. They were articulate, they sent funny yet moving emails, I could hear the passion in their voice, and the whole thing really felt life-affirming. Let me say it now: I'm glad these people are out there in our education systems.
But I turned them down. Everyone I talked to worked 10+ hour days. That should be good news to all of you out in cyber world... these people are completely dedicated to change! And I know that I was accepted to TFA because I have the same personality as everyone I talked to. I love teaching, and when I take up a cause, I can't let it go. I go insane and thrive in that type of atmosphere. I could happily work 14 hour days and be satisfied; the search for the great achievement is completely thrilling. But, I'm dedicated to Tim. And to my church. And I want to start running again. And I want to have free afternoons, to make up for all of the free afternoons I didn't have in grad school. And what I want right now is to try to be a writer, which requires being selfish about large chunks of time. TFA doesn't have room for people who want to be selfish with huge chunks of time. I know they have a waitlist of people who will be completely unselfish with their lives. I made it off the waitlist for UNCW, and I'll be eternally grateful to the one person who turned it down and gave me their spot.
So maybe I'll be waiting tables in Chapel Hill, because I'll be competing with 500,000 UNC graduates for the same jobs. But that's okay. I'm still young, and if I want to be a teacher, I can get a certificate with one more year of school.
Lately I've been a lot more personal in my blog. I don't think this will be a new thing, but Tim and I are going through a lot of changes right now. So here is our transition stage, laid out for all to see!
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