My birthday was a lovely time. The Barnes Foundation was beautiful. Almost every room is dominated by Renoir, whom I enjoy a great deal. It took us about two hours to go through the entire gallery because there are only about 20 rooms. An amusing tidbit for all of my fellow seminarians, the gallery is on Lapsley Lane. (tee hee)
After our gallery tour, we went to Murray's Delicatessen for a nice lunch. I had grilled cheese and latkes. It was yummy, but a little overpriced. Of course, it was my birthday, so Jordan paid without complaint and we enjoyed our food.
I took a nap in the afternoon. Unintentional, but so good. While I was sleeping and Jordan was supposed to be running, he was actually out buying and decorating a cake for me. I don't know if the gathering at Lydia's house was originally intended to be for me, but it turned into that. There was cake and cookies and more cake.
All the Facebook, MySpace and Blogger greetings were wonderful as well. Thanks to everyone for making my birthday a good day.
Shamless Self-Indulgence
My birthday commences in less than one hour. Other than purchasing an iPod, I can't remember what I did to celebrate last year. My best guess is that Emily and I went out to eat or something.
This year, Jordan and I will be going to an art gallery in Philadelphia, called the Barnes Foundation. According to the site, "the Foundation is home to one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, with extensive holdings by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir and Modigliani." Since Impressionist and post-Impressionist art is my favorite, I'm very excited to go.
Unfortunately, they don't allow any photography in the gallery. Maybe I will use some of the birthday money that my Grammy sent me to buy a few postcards.
When we return to campus, our married friends, Lydia and Jeb, are having people over to meet their parents and enjoy some pastry... It should be a fun day all around!
This year, Jordan and I will be going to an art gallery in Philadelphia, called the Barnes Foundation. According to the site, "the Foundation is home to one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, with extensive holdings by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir and Modigliani." Since Impressionist and post-Impressionist art is my favorite, I'm very excited to go.
Unfortunately, they don't allow any photography in the gallery. Maybe I will use some of the birthday money that my Grammy sent me to buy a few postcards.
When we return to campus, our married friends, Lydia and Jeb, are having people over to meet their parents and enjoy some pastry... It should be a fun day all around!
SNOW DAY!
Okay, it's not really a snow day, it's more like an ice day, but, regardless of that, Princeton Theological Seminary has granted us a day off from classes. Mind you, I really enjoy most of my classes this semester and don't mind attending them, but there is still something about a snow day that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.I don't think I've had a snow day since high school. In Watertown, we were prepared to deal with large amounts of frozen precipitation, so we were more likely to have "cold days" because the temperature and wind chill would actually make it dangerous for children to walk to school or wait at a bus stop. Snow was no problem, we practically had a plow per street to deal with a little white stuff.
It is funny how hearing the "no school" announcement can still make me feel a little giddy, wondering what I am going to do with all my newly free hours. Unfortunately, I think I'll still have to work tonight, but the next seven hours are sitting in front of me like a beautifully wrapped gift. Perhaps I should get some homework done... ;)
Instead of wishing you a happy Valentine's Day, I will wish you all a happy Snow Day!
Emotional Schemotional
I've often been accused of being unemotional. Reacting to news, good or bad, is tough for me. What it boils down to is that I don't want to react the wrong way, so I react no way at all.What I've discovered is that no reaction is the wrong reaction in many cases, especially when friends are sharing terrific news like "I'm getting married!" "We're having a baby!" "I got a promotion!" No matter what may be going on inside me, my standard reaction is, "That's nice. Want a piece of gum?"
Last night, Matt, Evan, Daniel, Jordan and I were sitting in Applebee's enjoying some half-price appetizers. (Yay quesadilla for $2.50!) Since Valentine's Day is coming up, Evan and Daniel started talking about their long-distance loves, past Valentine's, etc.
Lately, Evan's girlfriend has been putting a little pressure on about getting a ring. (Evan intends to propose at some point, but she wants it sooner rather than later...) This conversation prompted a story from Daniel about a college friend who proposed to his girlfriend in Prague. Apparently, the guy set the whole thing up well in advance and managed to surprise his girlfriend with a love poem, which was planted behind a brick in the Charles Bridge four months earlier, and his unexpected presence and a ring.
Previously, such stories would have made me say, "Awww, how cute" and then I would move on with the conversation. Last night, though, the only woman with four men, I began to blush and involuntarily grin and feel butterflies in my stomach. What an inconvenient time to become a girl!
So, maybe I used to be such a jerk about good news because I was jealous. I suppose that's a possibility which I have to face. While I'm dealing with that, though, if you have some good news, Kate is available for girlie reactions.
I Don't Like the Vibes
The Chick Corea concert was enjoyable. He is a fantastic pianist and, fortunately for me, the experimental bent he's known for didn't show up last night, so I didn't feel dumb trying to enjoy something I didn't understand.Unfortunately for me, his partner, Gary Burton did show up. It's not that Mr. Burton didn't play well. He got several standing ovations, so I'm sure he did. It's that I think the vibraphone sounds like it should only be used for cartoons. For the first few songs, it didn't bother me, then the monotony of the sound starting rubbing me the wrong way. Jordan said the same thing at intermission, but by the end of the performance he'd grown to appreciate them again...lucky Jordan.
Mr. Burton, if you read this: It's not you...it's me.
When we walked over, I thought I might be under-dressed, but then Chick came out on stage in a pair of baggy jeans, a greyish t-shirt, a large, flannel, short-sleeved button down and what appeared to be sock feet, but later proved to be boat shoes. In his introductory comments to the show he told us to use our cell phones if we wanted and to take as many pictures with flash as we pleased, contradicting the recorded message played moments earlier.
My favorite pieces were Native Sense, played in the first half of the program, and Tango of 1992, played in the second. Native Sense had a fabulous piano part that consisted of lots of banging and bass notes. Tango of 1992 was playful. Every now and then you could pick up the traditional tango tune that always makes me think of a lady in a tight dress with a long-stemmed rose in her mouth and an up-do.
I think I'm developing my mother's inability to sit through movies, concerts, or anything that lasts more than an hour, though. At intermission, I was ready to go; not because I wasn't enjoying the music, but because I kept thinking of other things that needed to be done. Of course, we didn't leave and our patience was rewarded when they played a song based on Cruella Devil as one of their three encores.
I would give the show a B+. Chick gets an A, Gary gets a B- for choosing a noisy instrument. A plain old jazz piano in a crowded bar would have pleased me better, but it was fun nonetheless.
A For Real Date
Jordan and I don't go on many dates. It's expensive, we're poor and both of us prefer to be in the comfort of our dorm rooms playing cards or Scrabble or watching a movie, anyway.But, not tonight; tonight we are going to see Chick Corea in concert at the University. Jordan's into jazz and apparently, this guy is one of the (or maybe the) best jazz pianists in the world. JZ tells me that Chick has gotten experimental in the last few years. I hope I have enough musical savvy to make the $many that he spent on my ticket worthwhile.
When I was dating in college, me and the boy went to a piano concert as part of the free (to students) concert series offered at Houghton. About halfway through the performance, I noticed that my hand in the boy's was the only thing keeping him from falling out of his chair since he was fast asleep. It wasn't long after that we broke up. I'm not saying that we broke up because he fell asleep at the concert, I'm saying it's nice to have someone with whom I can enjoy art, music, and other activities that I enjoy and are better with a friend.
DMV: Accomplished
The Staten Island DMV is like 4 miles from the NJ/NY border. I left Princeton around 9:45 a.m. and arrived back around 12:20 p.m. Most of that time was spent in transit and very little waiting at the DMV.
All in all, it was a pretty painless experience...except for the $170 I had to spend on license, registration, gas and tolls.
But, the point is, it's done!
All in all, it was a pretty painless experience...except for the $170 I had to spend on license, registration, gas and tolls.
But, the point is, it's done!
This Fortune Cookie Message Has the Strangest Implications...
"Alas, you are the apple of my eye!"
huh?
DMV Woes...Almost Concluded
I wrote about the trouble I was having getting my car registered in New York State over Christmas break. Well, after what could become a lengthy (annoying and expensive) trip to the Staten Island DMV tomorrow I should be able to put all that behind me.If you pray, pray for me tomorrow. As an upstate NY resident, I have this image of "city people" that includes much sneering and little kindness, which makes me irrationally nervous about how this trip will turn out. And, more than the nervousness arising from my stereotyped images of how the Staten Island DMV employees will behave, I am worried that I will forget something that I need and have to make a return trip. I guess worse things could happen.
Lusting After Photoshop
For the past few years, I have been admiring the results of Photoshopped pictures on websites and blogs. Unfortunately, the program costs nearly $600 on Amazon.com. Not so unfortunately, you can download a free trial version to use for 30 days. So, for the past few days, I've been fiddling around with Photoshop. Here is one of my favorite results so far.
By clicking on the image above, you will be directed to a slideshow of all my Photoshopping. Oh boy!
By clicking on the image above, you will be directed to a slideshow of all my Photoshopping. Oh boy!
What's With Today Today?
Today was the first day of classes of my second semester at PTS. Classes are looking good. It looks like I will probably be writing more lesson plans, but that's okay.
I found a job. Actually, a friend told me about a job and when I went to talk to the supervisor, she told me I could start Monday. Hopefully, it will be something that can segue into more hours in the summer.
I did Tae-bo before class and didn't die. It's part of my new schedule, which includes working out every day except Sunday.
I became a vegetarian who eats fish. The choices in the cafeteria aren't incredibly healthy and I thought avoiding the meat dishes would help me limit my intake of fatty foods and increase my intake of fresh veggies.
It's been a big day. It's been a good day.
I found a job. Actually, a friend told me about a job and when I went to talk to the supervisor, she told me I could start Monday. Hopefully, it will be something that can segue into more hours in the summer.
I did Tae-bo before class and didn't die. It's part of my new schedule, which includes working out every day except Sunday.
I became a vegetarian who eats fish. The choices in the cafeteria aren't incredibly healthy and I thought avoiding the meat dishes would help me limit my intake of fatty foods and increase my intake of fresh veggies.
It's been a big day. It's been a good day.
I Hate To Even Link Them...
My pal Julie, over at the blog with the ever-changing name, wrote about "The Modesty Survey," an online survey to be taken by guys only. The survey has nearly one hundred questions about everything from bathing suits to tutus to laying on the floor.
I spent some time perusing the survey and got more and more indignant as I read things like:
However, I DON'T agree with calling something a survey when all the questions are asked in such a way that you already know the answer you should give. This phenomenon struck me the most in the Swimsuit category. The first questions says, " A one-piece swimsuit is modest." A few questions later says, "A tankini with a bikini-bottom is immodest." Clearly, the survey taker is supposed to answer "yes" to both questions.
Just like Julie, the language of the survey bothers me, too. The word "girl" is clearly diminutive and makes me think of prepubescent females. I don't believe that the survey creators meant to imply "female child" by using the word girl, but I do think they should have considered their language more carefully.
There is also a clear double standard built in. We are told again and again that men and boys are more easily stimulated visually than women and girls. While this may be true, there are standards of modesty that should extend to both males and females. Honestly, I think the difference is overstated because of the myth that women do not have sex drives.
Finally, this survey made me think of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, which I highly recommend. In this story, women are forced to cover themselves completely. Rather than curbing the sex drive of men, it makes them excited over things such as exposed ankles and wrists. Obviously, this book does not represent reality, but I think we need to remember that humans are innately sexual beings, we don't need to see exposed flesh to get excited.
I'm not advocating walking around naked, but I do think we need to be careful about how we send messages about modesty. We need to couple the message of modesty (for both men and women) with respect and love for our good bodies, in order to remind ourselves and others that we don't cover up because our bodies are evil.
I'd love to hear your reactions and comments on this survey and my evaluation of it.
I spent some time perusing the survey and got more and more indignant as I read things like:
- "Nude colored nylons are a stumbling block"
- "It is a stumbling block to see a girl lying down, even if she's just hanging out on the floor or on a couch with her friends"
- "Girls should always wear clothes that show little body definition (e.g., jumpers or loose dresses)"
- " Exposing the chest below the collarbone, even without cleavage, is immodest."
However, I DON'T agree with calling something a survey when all the questions are asked in such a way that you already know the answer you should give. This phenomenon struck me the most in the Swimsuit category. The first questions says, " A one-piece swimsuit is modest." A few questions later says, "A tankini with a bikini-bottom is immodest." Clearly, the survey taker is supposed to answer "yes" to both questions.
Just like Julie, the language of the survey bothers me, too. The word "girl" is clearly diminutive and makes me think of prepubescent females. I don't believe that the survey creators meant to imply "female child" by using the word girl, but I do think they should have considered their language more carefully.
There is also a clear double standard built in. We are told again and again that men and boys are more easily stimulated visually than women and girls. While this may be true, there are standards of modesty that should extend to both males and females. Honestly, I think the difference is overstated because of the myth that women do not have sex drives.
Finally, this survey made me think of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, which I highly recommend. In this story, women are forced to cover themselves completely. Rather than curbing the sex drive of men, it makes them excited over things such as exposed ankles and wrists. Obviously, this book does not represent reality, but I think we need to remember that humans are innately sexual beings, we don't need to see exposed flesh to get excited.
I'm not advocating walking around naked, but I do think we need to be careful about how we send messages about modesty. We need to couple the message of modesty (for both men and women) with respect and love for our good bodies, in order to remind ourselves and others that we don't cover up because our bodies are evil.
I'd love to hear your reactions and comments on this survey and my evaluation of it.
Polar Dip
Thirty-four degrees Fahrenheit, the perfect temperature for a swim! At least, that's what Sadie, the wonder-pup, thinks. Yesterday, Jordan and I took her hiking for a couple hours at Green Lane Reservoir. You would have thought that she was in heaven running along those trails. Jordan's brother takes her there several times a week. She knows the trails and we can let her run ahead without too much worry. Anyway, she really likes being with her people, so it's unlikely that she would ever run away.
At the beginning of the trail, there are woods on both sides. Sadie went in search of a stick that we could throw and she could chase. She has the silly habit of finding sticks that are at least three feet in diameter and five times her length, so we have chisel a stick of suitable length out of the ones she brings. She's probably just trying to demonstrate her incredible strength.While we use a hacksaw to hew a stick out of the huge limbs she brings us, Sadie sits on the trail and waits for us to stop being so slow. She gazes up at us sympathetically. Probably thinking about how slow humans are at everything.
After the first mile or so, the trail continues along the bank of the reservoir. Sadie LOVES water. Every time she ran ahead of us on this portion of the trail she would come back with her legs wet just a little higher up each time. Finally, Jordan made her "stay by" because she was soaked all the way up to her chest. Fortunately, the weather wasn't freezing or it would have been necessary to hustle Sadie out of there and I'm not very good at hustling on rocky trails.
As it was, we just got her away from the water and let her sprint up and down the sides of the ravine. In the time it took us to walk up one side (panting the whole way and taking a rest at the top) Sadie had already run down and up and around and played a game of fetch with a bear and run down and up again about thirty times. By then, she was dry just from the 3000 BTUs she was throwing off and we were practically dead from the thirty foot climb.Since we had already been hiking for about an hour and a half, we decided to turn back and follow the trail home. We were tired and thirsty and ready to eat some lunch. Sadie was still running ahead, bringing us gigantic sticks to throw and chasing every shadow that moved in the woods. She had more energy than when we'd arrived.
Our assumption that Sadie would suddenly recognize her exhaustion and fall asleep immediately upon our return to the house was foolish, to say the least. Just moments after we flopped on the couch with tall glasses of water, Sadie jounced up to us holding her ring toy in her mouth with a look that said, "Time to play now?"
Fish Dish for Fish
Since yesterday was pay-what-you-wish day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Jordan and I decided to head out after church and take the train to Philly. We missed the 9:51 a.m. train by about thirty seconds, so we killed the next hour at Dunkin Donuts. Mmmmm...white hot chocolate.
We arrived at the 30th Street station around noon, ate our bag lunch, then walked directly to the PMA. Jordan and I both like the Impressionists, so we wandered around that area for a while.
There was an alcove in the contemporary art collection dedicated to Mircea Cantor, who was born in 1977. Four years older than me and she already has her art displayed in the PMA...
One of my favorite parts was the special exhibition of silversmiths which included this fish dish. Clever!
For more pictures of the stuff I enjoyed, including two unique renditions of the four seasons, click on the picture below, which features Jordan standing next to a miniature parking meter. What do you suppose you would park next to this thing? (Maybe there is a video camera set up nearby to catch people's reactions...)
P.S. Some day, try eating a hard pretzel while looking at a digital clock. Seriously trippy!
We arrived at the 30th Street station around noon, ate our bag lunch, then walked directly to the PMA. Jordan and I both like the Impressionists, so we wandered around that area for a while.
There was an alcove in the contemporary art collection dedicated to Mircea Cantor, who was born in 1977. Four years older than me and she already has her art displayed in the PMA...
One of my favorite parts was the special exhibition of silversmiths which included this fish dish. Clever!
For more pictures of the stuff I enjoyed, including two unique renditions of the four seasons, click on the picture below, which features Jordan standing next to a miniature parking meter. What do you suppose you would park next to this thing? (Maybe there is a video camera set up nearby to catch people's reactions...)P.S. Some day, try eating a hard pretzel while looking at a digital clock. Seriously trippy!
Music Meme
I got this from Katherine.
Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud (or...not), and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.
How does the world see you?
"My Sweet Prince" - Placebo (prince?)
Will I have a happy life?"
"Matilda Mother" - Pink Floyd (wtf?)
What do my friends really think of me?
"Sister Amazing" - Taxi Doll (This is a no brainer!)
How can I make myself happy?
"Invitation to Understanding" - MxPx (Honestly, I can't believe I have this band on my player.)
What should I do with my life?
"These Thousand Hills" - Third Day (huh?)
Will I ever have children?
"Distance" - Schiller
What is some good advice for me?
"Furnace Room Lullaby" - Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
How will I be remembered?
"God of Wrath" - David Crowder Band (I do like the OT.)
What is my signature dancing song?
"Adam & Eve" - Ani DiFranco
What do I think my current theme song is?
"One More Addiction" - Natalie Imbruglia
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Show Me Your Glory" - Third Day (so true)
What song will play at my funeral?
"Help Me" - Johnny Cash
What is my day going to be like?
"Bobcaygeon" - The Tragically Hip
Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud (or...not), and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.
How does the world see you?
"My Sweet Prince" - Placebo (prince?)
Will I have a happy life?"
"Matilda Mother" - Pink Floyd (wtf?)
What do my friends really think of me?
"Sister Amazing" - Taxi Doll (This is a no brainer!)
How can I make myself happy?
"Invitation to Understanding" - MxPx (Honestly, I can't believe I have this band on my player.)
What should I do with my life?
"These Thousand Hills" - Third Day (huh?)
Will I ever have children?
"Distance" - Schiller
What is some good advice for me?
"Furnace Room Lullaby" - Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
How will I be remembered?
"God of Wrath" - David Crowder Band (I do like the OT.)
What is my signature dancing song?
"Adam & Eve" - Ani DiFranco
What do I think my current theme song is?
"One More Addiction" - Natalie Imbruglia
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Show Me Your Glory" - Third Day (so true)
What song will play at my funeral?
"Help Me" - Johnny Cash
What is my day going to be like?
"Bobcaygeon" - The Tragically Hip
Finished.
Friday, 7 a.m. - Confession and Forgiveness paper - check!
9 a.m. - Old Testament final - check!
3:30 p.m. - Education 101 paper - check!
Saturday, 9 a.m. - Hebrew final - check!
Thursday, 10 a.m. - Radical Reformation paper - check!
Now...10 days of no school work!
9 a.m. - Old Testament final - check!
3:30 p.m. - Education 101 paper - check!
Saturday, 9 a.m. - Hebrew final - check!
Thursday, 10 a.m. - Radical Reformation paper - check!
Now...10 days of no school work!
There Are Four More!
I didn't mean to let it happen... Emily watched 24 while I lived in Virginia with her and I tried my best to remain aloof while Jack was saving the world. And I did. I can honestly say that when I left Virginia, I had no desire or intention to continue watching 24.But, last Sunday, around 7:30 p.m., we were having a dinner party at Lydia and Jeb's apartment (my newly-married, seminary friends) and in order to guarantee the attendance of several people, we had to promise they could watch 24. So, we watched.
And David Palmer's brother is president and Jack is back from Chinese prison and working with a former terrorist and that guy from Harold and Qumar is killing hicks and a nuclear bomb exploded really close to L.A. and THERE! ARE! FOUR! MORE!
...and it looks like I'll be watching Jack save the world one hour at a time this Spring.
Final Exams = Done!
The Hebrew exam went well. The translation wasn't terribly difficult, though there were a few things I didn't get. There were parts where I just guessed what a word might mean in the context of the phrase. Parsing verbs and writing out the paradigm charts was a piece of cake.
AND there was extra credit, of which I got 5.5 points. It was hilarious. Dr. Hutton (who's only about 5 years older than I am), translated four song titles into Hebrew. We got one point for translating the title properly and another .5 for naming the correct artist. I got "Oops, I Did It Again," by Britney Spears, "Walk This Way," by Aerosmith, "A Boy Named Sue," by Johnny Cash, but I didn't learn until lunch that "You Give Love A Bad Name" was done by Bon Jovi. Ah, well, such is life. Honestly, I don't feel bad for not knowing Bon Jovi's catalogue.
As a reward to myself for successfully completing two finals and two papers, I did just about nothing for the rest of the day. Knitting, reading a book, napping, watching football (stupid Eagles lost!), and eating Wegman's Chinese food (with free money that I got for referring Jordan to Wachovia!). It was a good day.
Maybe over the next couple of weeks, I will be able to write a few more substantial thoughtdul posts since I won't have exams and papers to think about. Stay tuned!
AND there was extra credit, of which I got 5.5 points. It was hilarious. Dr. Hutton (who's only about 5 years older than I am), translated four song titles into Hebrew. We got one point for translating the title properly and another .5 for naming the correct artist. I got "Oops, I Did It Again," by Britney Spears, "Walk This Way," by Aerosmith, "A Boy Named Sue," by Johnny Cash, but I didn't learn until lunch that "You Give Love A Bad Name" was done by Bon Jovi. Ah, well, such is life. Honestly, I don't feel bad for not knowing Bon Jovi's catalogue.
As a reward to myself for successfully completing two finals and two papers, I did just about nothing for the rest of the day. Knitting, reading a book, napping, watching football (stupid Eagles lost!), and eating Wegman's Chinese food (with free money that I got for referring Jordan to Wachovia!). It was a good day.
Maybe over the next couple of weeks, I will be able to write a few more substantial thoughtdul posts since I won't have exams and papers to think about. Stay tuned!
1 Hour 40 Minutes
= the amount of time I have before my final exam in Hebrew
7:20 a.m. = the earliest I've blogged in several months
4 hours = the amount of time I studied last night
1 hour 30 minutes = the amount of time I've already studied this morning
I think it's time for breakfast. Then it's time to ace a Hebrew exam!
7:20 a.m. = the earliest I've blogged in several months
4 hours = the amount of time I studied last night
1 hour 30 minutes = the amount of time I've already studied this morning
I think it's time for breakfast. Then it's time to ace a Hebrew exam!
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