Blowing my mind at the moment...

Many of you know that I finally got a job after being jobless the majority of the summer. It's so wonderful to be employed! Yes, I did have a summer off, but there is a definite difference between having a summer off and knowing you'll have something in the fall, and having the future be a blank.

Anyhow, the company I now work for is pretty awesome. I'm learning all kinds of things about power plants and how electricity is dispersed. Never thought I'd be interested in something quite like this, but it's refreshing. I've always enjoyed science, but my strengths always lay in the arts and humanities.

I've been doing some data entry, and some other tasks that don't require too much brain power. I've been listening to varying conference talks and NPR broadcasts interspersed with Pandora and Last.fm. Today I'm listening to Bon Iver. I LOVE Bon Iver. Unfortunately I haven't had much chance to checkout the new album.

Umm...it's AMAZING! And blowing my mind. Especially this one:




At least for now.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week. It's hump day you know. Only two more days until the weekend!

I remember

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It's hard for me to beleive that ten years have already gone by.

 I still remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday.

It was the first full week of school in the little ol' town of Provo, UT. I was still asleep when everything happened. I had no idea anything had happened until I turned on my computer and looked at the news feed, and saw an image like the one above. I honestly thought it was a joke. Who would fly a plane into a building? Then as I read further, the seriousness of what happened sank in. I remember telling my roommate, Shannon, to check it out.

Then my friend Rose popped up on my IM. She was a new freshman at NYU, and was in New York at the time. She was trying to reach anyone in her family to let them know that she was ok. She could see the whole thing from her dorm room, a safe distance uptown. Cell reception and phone lines were shot. I was going to call her parents in Washington or try to reach her brother in Provo, but luckily that brother logged on to IM, and Rose was able to talk to him herself.

It was a Tuesday, and the campus had been geared up for the welcome devotional. Obviously that all changed. Instead the devotional addressed terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and we had a moment of silence for those who died.

From that moment on, life was never the same. It's one of those memories that I will never forget.

Last night, I decided to watch some of the news from that day in 2001. The Today Show on NBC caught most of it live, and the images are still horrific. Watching the second plane fly into the second tower, I choked up. I can't think of that image without tears coming to my eyes.

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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has teamed up with Tom Brokaw for a very special musical performance remembering those who lost their lives that day, and showing how others have risen above the horrible tragedy. If you have the chance, please take a chance to view it. For more information, go here.

I will always remember Sept. 11, 2001.

"You are my sunshine..."

Color. Whimsy. Excellent message. James McAvoy. Penelope has it all.

What are my favorite scenes, you ask? I really do have several, but my top three are:
1. When Penelope tries to discover Max's instrument.
2. When she finally leaves her house and happens upon a fair. I LOVE the bubbles.
3. The epic kiss at the end. Greatness.

About this time every year I have an urge to watch this wonderful film. Maybe it's because it's set in the fall. Maybe because it features Sigur Ros, which is one of the bands I love listening to at this time. Wait. I know that's why.

Autumn is my favorite.

I love stomping through piles of crunchy leaves, bon fires, sweaters and layers, and the smell of all the goodness. Apple orchards, and pumpkins and corn mazes. I'm getting SO excited for all the possibilities.

Here's to great films, and the best season of them all--AUTUMN!

Family. Saunas. Boats

One of the major reasons why I wanted to move back to Seattle, was so I could spend more time with my family. This week has been chalk full of memory making. Mon pere was out of the country on business, so ma matka and ma setra and I had numerous slumber parties. Movies were watched, food was consumed, stores were shopped!

I was also able to spend time with my cute grandpa. He is one amazing man! His parents sailed to the States from Estonia and homesteaded on Finn Hill in Kirkland, Washington. G-pa grew up speaking Estonian, Finnish, and English. His father built a full-size sauna next to their farmhouse, and that sauna is now here:

My mom, grandpa, and I paid Ballard and the Nordic Heritage Museum a visit this week. I'd never seen the sauna, and it was a beautiful day to spend in that part of the city.

After visiting the the sauna we headed down to the Ballard locks. It was a gorgeous day to be there. There were several boats already geared up and ready for Labor Day weekend. And there were salmon!

Here's to family and beautiful Seattle days!

Song of the Summer

My roommate Megan is one cool gal. And among other things, she has amazing taste in music. One Saturday we were getting ready for a barbecue and she created a Foster the People station on last.fm (if you haven't heard of last.fm, you've got to check it out!).

Ever since that day, I've been hearing them everywhere.

 And I'm kinda in love.

Here's my favorite song of the summer: Pumped up Kicks.



Here's to summer and all its awesomeness!

Letters from Taiwan

I received such a pleasant surprise in the mail last week--an actual piece of mail. And from Taiwan at that! I've been home from Taiwan for a little over a year and a half, and had thought my students had all but forgotten me. But to my delight, they definitely haven't!

Madline (on the right) was in my fifth grade class that I had twice. She is now in Junior High, which is super intense (I'm so glad I went to school in the States. It's pretty cut-throat from what she tells me). A couple of other students from that class have added me as friends on Facebook (Frank and Nancy (on the left)), and it's been so nice to keep in touch with them all--to know how life is treating them after Berhan.

I think I probably drive people crazy with how much I still talk about my time in Taiwan (I really do--just ask any of my friends). It doesn't help that I know I can get cute Asian stationary and a place in Seattle that makes dong gwa milks. I would move back in a heart beat if I didn't know that I need to stay in the States for a while. But I do hope I get to visit sometime in the next couple of years...right after I go back to the Czech Republic!

I guess I can satisfy myself with the fact that Madline is still writing her pen-pal that I set her up with, and that they've become great friends. One of the things I really wanted for my students.

This is just another reminder that my heart is in teaching, and that I need seriously focus on grad programs and Teach for America!

Wo ai Taiwan!

All kinds of random...

Sometimes I wish life weren't so complicated. Just when you think everything is peachy-keen, something else gets thrown into the mix. I've been mulling over something to the point that I've almost given myself a headache. Perhaps I should just stop thinking. Or just stop thinking about that one thing.

Anyhow, life is great; life is wonderful.

I have finally landed a job, albeit a temporary one. But income is income, right? And the people seem really nice! That's the most important thing. And it's normal hours, and it's only 15 minutes from my house. Pretty awesome, huh?

Seattle was gorgeous yesterday as my friends and I did a whirlwind tour. My favorite stop of the day? Hands down the Olympic Sculpture Garden. A-maz-ing. Part of the park was sectioned off for a wedding, which ended up not being that big of deal--we still got to see everything. And I found out that they have three similar/the exact same sculptures as the National Sculpture Garden in DC. And I also had the realization that I love sculpture. Perhaps more than media on canvas. Calder anyone?

Now I'm just rambling. But I think it's been good for me to ramble along. I apologize to you though.

You know what else? I get highly peeved when people do not return texts, especially when highly important information is being relayed. Irritating, huh? But perhaps I should be better about returning my own texts. Now that IS something I should apologize for.

You know what else? The Amelie soundtrack is perfect to calm and sooth oneself. And it's French, which equals interesting. Here is one of my favorite songs from the film for your enjoyment:



Hope ya'll had a great weekend! I can't believe tomorrow is Monday already!