how time flies

I can't believe that one year ago today was my first day of school at Hopkins. Today is new student orientation - everyone is hustling and bustling. Looking back it seems like just yesterday. It actually almost seems like this past year was a dream, it was such a blur. So much has changed! I have a master's degree (which still hasn't really sunk into my head yet), I have a ton of new friends, a new job, new dreams... Perhaps today can mark for me the beginning of a year of new accomplishments, relationships and aspirations. It gives me hope.

composting is sexy

yes, folks, for those of you who didn't know it before, there is NO excuse now. :)

I just got my brand-spankin-new composter up and working over the weekend. Let me tell you - it's HOTT. I was kind of dreading the transfer of a year's worth of compost from my ghetto trash can into my new sleek sexy official critter-proof wheel composter. (I shall have to take a picture and add it). But I was too excited to put it off for long!

And much to my pleasant surprise, even though I hardly ever give my composting trashcan a second glance (I "water" it but never turn it), it was actually composting nicely! It hardly smelled at all, and was mostly indistinguishable from what it was - mostly just a few blatant egg shells floating around. And somehow a few big fat worms made it in as well, which made me happy. Who knows how they got there (my mom tried to tell me that they just materialized from within the compost...). But anyway, it's all in my new baby and now that I can actually turn it several times a week I should have some GREAT compost SOON. I'm feeling a good deck garden next year. :-D

simple pleasures

So, I'm a firm believer that life is all about simple pleasures. And today while riding the bus to work I was reminded of one. So from there I decided I should start making a list of random simple pleasures that make life brighter. So as they come up I'll be posting some of them. :)

Simple pleasure #19: "Splurging" to take the bus on a lazy day and getting on to find the machine broken so you get a free ride.

Simple pleasure #5: New pants that fit perfectly and make you feel like hot stuff. BONUS: they were on sale.

Simple pleasure #8: Discovering a new song that you love. BONUS: you love the entire cd! [recommendation: Blue October - Approaching Normal]

Simple pleasure #21: Getting to leave work early for no good reason. BONUS: it's a friday.

And of course, the ultimate simple pleasure: A good cup of coffee, particularly if shared with a friend.

The name of champions

As a child/teen I always was frustrated how main characters in movies, books, tv shows etc. never had my name. The closest I came was Kimmy Gibbler on Full House, which I got teased about more often than I liked. But today my ship came in. Almost.

My friend sent me this photo from Cape Cod where he's vacationing.

Right name, wrong state. Too bad, it would've improved my mood today. Never underestimate the power of flowers, however cheap or simple, to cheer your soul.

[untitled]

I found out this morning that someone I know died in a serious car crash. I'm not good friends with her and only know her because I spent 10 days in Israel with her. She was the sweetest girl, so full of life, and several years younger than me. The news came as a shock (as it should) yet it has affected me so deeply that I am surprised. I stared at her picture of Facebook for a good 15 minutes, unable to wrap my mind around the fact that she could be gone, just like that. Just a week ago she had posted a pics of a trip she had gone on.

It's hard to understand how life can be so fleeting. To think that I could be not here tomorrow feels surreal. Can we ever truly comprehend such a thing? Or is it just because I'm so young I take for granted the decades of life I think I have ahead of me?

Everyone loves the cliche "Everything happens for a reason" when hard times hit. I remember that when my college boyfriend and I broke up I heard that platitude so many times I thought I would vomit, or at least bite the next person's head off who dared utter those words. Yet I've probably been guilty of saying the same things when I'm at a loss for words. But now, even though I do believe in a omnipotent God whose plans are beyond our comprehension, can such a thing be true? Can a senseless death of Celine (and her father) be "for a reason"?? WTH. I will stop myself from digressing into an existential rant about God and his seemingly capricious involvement in our lives (enter lightening bolt striking me right about now).

But my mind returns to Emily... I need to call her... I've been such a crappy friend.

happy day :)

I had a great day at work today! What? you might ask? Is hell freezing over? Perhaps. However, I had a SIGNIFICANT amount of social interaction today. Morning coffee. Introduction to a doctoral student who uses the office next door and seems really friendly and nice. Helped a co-worker with Word and now she feels she owes me breakfast or lunch. Got my 90-day review and passed with flying colors (I still get nervous and think they will hate me for some odd reason). Had several other conversations with the ladies throughout the day. The word got out that I have a hedgehog, so I sent around photos and that was the talk of the town. And my white pinstripe BR pants make me SO HAPPY for some reason. And the ladies said that I looked especially "striking" and they commented on my necklace, which I informed them was from 10 Thousand Villages, so they took the shuttle down to Fells at lunch and had a fun time shopping and then came back and were showing me all their spoils (and of course blaming me for spending so much money since I was the one who brought it up!). :)
Plus it was beautiful out. So it was the first time in a while my heart feels light! That's the deceptive nature of depression - you feel gray for so long and your thoughts betray you, convincing you that you will never feel happy again. Perhaps one day I won't believe it.

when we plan God laughs?? with me at least.

Today I had coffee with the ladies at work - my new somewhat-regular habit which has been nice. I was feeling extra chatty today. And as we left the grind to go up the elevators one turned to me and said out of the blue, "Do you ever plan to marry?"
Wow. Not sure where that came from. I didn't know what to say. But can you ever "plan" to marry? I'm not sure it works that way...

adventure!!!

First, a little back story.

Friday night a friend needed a place to crash before moving all his stuff to Philly. My hedgehog, Amelia, has a really noisy wheel, especially since it's a little wobbly right now, so I thought I'd remove it from her cage for the night (I choose to suffer every night rather than fix it, of course). I neglected to put the wheel back in the cage. Amelia lives in a 2x2 cage that is currently on the top of my dresser (away from Chai, my cat), and is at head height.

So last night I was exhausted after partying wildly all day (jk). So I went to bed at an unheard of hour: 10:30! wow. At 4:30 in the morning I woke up and roll over, but instead of falling back asleep, I hear the familiar squeak of Amelia's wheel. It takes a few minutes for my brain to register that I shouldn't be hearing her wheel, but when I do, my first thought is Chai must be being Chai and playing with it. He's a weird cat - you never know. So I sit up and squint into the darkness expecting to see his undefined blob next to the wheel. Instead, I see him a few feet from the wheel, yet the wheel continues to run.

My heart stops. My first thought (irrationally) was "RAT!". And then I thought, "that's silly - it's gotta be a mouse". However, I'm still freaking out internally and quite horrified at the possibility.

I take a deep breath and flip on the light. The wheel stops. Since it's facing the wall, I can't see what's inside.

Then I glance up at Amelia's cage. It's open. A realization dawns on me: it's most likely NOT an intruder. I feel an odd mixture of relief and horror mix over me. I creep out of bed, peer around the wheel, and there's Amelia, happy as a clam, inside her wheel.

Now, I always knew she loved her wheel. But apparently when faced with limitless freedom, she still is happy to run on her wheel. I am VERY fortunate that this is the case. And if I hadn't awoken at 4:30 am, most likely she would have hidden somewhere and I would have spent the entire day freaking out about it.

What else did I discover? That apparently her and Chai CAN co-exist peacefully. :) So, all-in-all, I'm very lucky that this turned out to be an amusing anecdote about my stupidity/ditziness rather than a sad missing/dead hedgehog experience.

I said to Meles (her nickname), "Did you have a little adventure?" and she sniffed the air happily and resumed her workout. I scooped her up (she was not happy) and plopped her back in her cage, pondering how she managed to survive the 4-foot fall. Phew.

So there you have it, the makings of a children's book "Hedgie and the 4-foot plunge". I just need an illustrator. :)