See here.
(As an aside, I LOVE the official google blog. Seriously, they are a brilliant company. Very innovative. They can track epidemics and the common flu based on the spikes in the volumes of searches people conduct. Before "talk like a pirate day" they noticed the ever growing annual spike in searches for 'pirate talk'. After the vice presidential debates, they posted entries about the trends of google searches for words such as "maverick" etc. They are constantly coming up with new programs like...exploring the moon...I am such a fan of constant innovation.)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Snippets of My Life
I really enjoy following blogs. I follow many of people I have never met. Sometimes I am genuinely disappointed when they don't post...especially the blogs I really enjoy. It makes me wonder if there are people out there who love mine too. I doubt it, but just in case, I'd hate to disappoint.
Life here has been...busy. I've been up researching till almost midnight for a good portion of this past week. My roommate keeps telling me I need to find my balance. I haven't even been a lawyer for a year yet, so I am still trying to figure it out.
Life with Max is as fun as ever. This morning a little knock came at my bedroom door.
"Breakfast is ready." He told me excitedly.
"Do you want me to repeat it in Spanish?" He considerately asked as I slowly opened my eyes and groggily said yes. He then repeated the message in Spanish for me. (I am trying to learn Spanish, so I've asked him to repeat things in Spanish for me, which he doesn't really like to do, but did here just to be nice.) He is so cute!
Last night he was just adorable. He was so excited all day because my friend David was coming over for an early dinner. Well, this old house has plenty of quirks, one of which is that the metal door knob on the front door promptly falls off every time the door slams shut. My roommate and I just laugh every time it falls off, because we forget about it until the sound of the metal knob falling on brick steps reminds us that it is still there.
Well, David was kind enough to fix it and Max just had to help. Then David fixed the leaky faucet in the upstairs bathroom, and again Max just had to help. He wiggled up between David and the sink so he could really get in on the action. I couldn't help but take pictures of them. Tell me this isn't adorable.
Life here has been...busy. I've been up researching till almost midnight for a good portion of this past week. My roommate keeps telling me I need to find my balance. I haven't even been a lawyer for a year yet, so I am still trying to figure it out.
Life with Max is as fun as ever. This morning a little knock came at my bedroom door.
"Breakfast is ready." He told me excitedly.
"Do you want me to repeat it in Spanish?" He considerately asked as I slowly opened my eyes and groggily said yes. He then repeated the message in Spanish for me. (I am trying to learn Spanish, so I've asked him to repeat things in Spanish for me, which he doesn't really like to do, but did here just to be nice.) He is so cute!
Last night he was just adorable. He was so excited all day because my friend David was coming over for an early dinner. Well, this old house has plenty of quirks, one of which is that the metal door knob on the front door promptly falls off every time the door slams shut. My roommate and I just laugh every time it falls off, because we forget about it until the sound of the metal knob falling on brick steps reminds us that it is still there.
Well, David was kind enough to fix it and Max just had to help. Then David fixed the leaky faucet in the upstairs bathroom, and again Max just had to help. He wiggled up between David and the sink so he could really get in on the action. I couldn't help but take pictures of them. Tell me this isn't adorable.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Outward Expressions of Inward Commitments
While serving my mission, the line from the sacrament prayer which says,
suddenly had a deeper meaning for me. Though I had heard the prayer literally hundreds of times already, the meaning of it finally begin to sink in.
I began to realize that the act of taking the sacrament every week was telling Heavenly Father that I was willing to take Christ's name upon me, and live in accordance with His commandments. As a result, in the silence of the sacrament meeting, I now often find my thoughts turning to the past week and asking myself, did I follow the commandments? Did I read my scriptures? Did I pray? Was I kind? etc. Sometimes I feel my week went well, sometimes not. But either way, I then find myself reflecting on the upcoming week. What do I need to change? How can I do better? Are there things I need to be more cognizant of?
Today, during the sacrament, I bowed my head and closed my eyes as I privately reflected. I silently asked the Lord to help me that my life can conform to His will and to let me know of the things that I am not aware of that I need to change. My stream of consciousness ran from a reflection on the difference between Heavenly Father's mode of operation, which teaches us of His way, and then allows us to choose for ourselves which path we will choose...to what a contrast this is to the power and control behavior evidenced by abusive people...that pattern of behavior strives to compel others to conform with their will, and it often takes away the choice of others...I love the Lord's way, although often I wonder, given how important it is that we are good in this life, that he is not just a bit more compelling...but I recognize that even righteous ends via unrighteous means, are still not righteous...
I was somewhat startled out of my thoughts by the loud voice of a speaker marking the end of the administration of the sacrament. I opened my eyes to see two little, twin African-American boys, peering over the top of their bench at me. They then turned around, consulted one another, and both folded their arms, closed their eyes, and fervently bowed their heads in the same manner I had been. I was trying not to laugh when I realized they were copying me.
I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised at the high counselman's announcement that the topic of his talk was on how our covenants are an outward symbol of our inward commitments.
"and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them..."
suddenly had a deeper meaning for me. Though I had heard the prayer literally hundreds of times already, the meaning of it finally begin to sink in.
I began to realize that the act of taking the sacrament every week was telling Heavenly Father that I was willing to take Christ's name upon me, and live in accordance with His commandments. As a result, in the silence of the sacrament meeting, I now often find my thoughts turning to the past week and asking myself, did I follow the commandments? Did I read my scriptures? Did I pray? Was I kind? etc. Sometimes I feel my week went well, sometimes not. But either way, I then find myself reflecting on the upcoming week. What do I need to change? How can I do better? Are there things I need to be more cognizant of?
Today, during the sacrament, I bowed my head and closed my eyes as I privately reflected. I silently asked the Lord to help me that my life can conform to His will and to let me know of the things that I am not aware of that I need to change. My stream of consciousness ran from a reflection on the difference between Heavenly Father's mode of operation, which teaches us of His way, and then allows us to choose for ourselves which path we will choose...to what a contrast this is to the power and control behavior evidenced by abusive people...that pattern of behavior strives to compel others to conform with their will, and it often takes away the choice of others...I love the Lord's way, although often I wonder, given how important it is that we are good in this life, that he is not just a bit more compelling...but I recognize that even righteous ends via unrighteous means, are still not righteous...
I was somewhat startled out of my thoughts by the loud voice of a speaker marking the end of the administration of the sacrament. I opened my eyes to see two little, twin African-American boys, peering over the top of their bench at me. They then turned around, consulted one another, and both folded their arms, closed their eyes, and fervently bowed their heads in the same manner I had been. I was trying not to laugh when I realized they were copying me.
I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised at the high counselman's announcement that the topic of his talk was on how our covenants are an outward symbol of our inward commitments.
Friday, July 10, 2009
My Evening with Max
We walked in hand and hand, Max and I. There were no strange looks, or hushed whispers.
"I warned them before you came." Jason told me amid the din of the restaurant. "I told them that you'd moved in with a guy, and you were bringing him with you."
"Thank you." I replied. It spares the awkwardness.
Later that night Paul (my ex-fiancee) told me, "When Jason told me, I couldn't believe it. I mean, it was only three weeks ago when we went out to ice cream, and you never mentioned anything about it."
Well, it is true, in case you haven't already heard. I moved recently and Max is one of my new roommates. These blurry pictures gives you a vague picture of what our abode looks like.
One half of the living room.
Suz and I in the dining room enjoying cucumber water and a Mexican dinner.
-------------
My car was idling at a red light as we were on our way to Jason's birthday party when someone honked.
"What is going on?" Max piped in from his car seat in the back.
"I don't know." I replied honestly.
"I was not asking you." Max informed me in a matter-of-fact manner. "I was talking to myself." As if asking yourself a question out loud were the most normal thing ever...
----
We pulled up to Annie's apartment building. Max is immediately mesmorized by the water fountain.
"This is Anne's place." I explained to Max.
"Wow, she has a really big house." Max exclaimed.
"Oh, Max, this is an apartment building." I clarified.
"What is that?" He asked, because he lives in a house, and has always lived in a house.
"Well, everyone lives in different sections of the building." This was an utterly new concept to Max. I could see him trying to wrap his head around it.
On the way home, Max asked me all about words that only have three letters, because those are easy to spell, or so he says. Then he wanted to know how to spell transformers.
When I parked my car in front of our house, I took his hand to cross the street. His tiny hand grabbed mine, and the other clutched his precious, new transformer.
Me n' Max
(Please don't mistake the bright pink apron as a sign that I can cook now; I still can't.)
"I warned them before you came." Jason told me amid the din of the restaurant. "I told them that you'd moved in with a guy, and you were bringing him with you."
"Thank you." I replied. It spares the awkwardness.
Later that night Paul (my ex-fiancee) told me, "When Jason told me, I couldn't believe it. I mean, it was only three weeks ago when we went out to ice cream, and you never mentioned anything about it."
Well, it is true, in case you haven't already heard. I moved recently and Max is one of my new roommates. These blurry pictures gives you a vague picture of what our abode looks like.
One half of the living room.
Suz and I in the dining room enjoying cucumber water and a Mexican dinner.
-------------
My car was idling at a red light as we were on our way to Jason's birthday party when someone honked.
"What is going on?" Max piped in from his car seat in the back.
"I don't know." I replied honestly.
"I was not asking you." Max informed me in a matter-of-fact manner. "I was talking to myself." As if asking yourself a question out loud were the most normal thing ever...
----
We pulled up to Annie's apartment building. Max is immediately mesmorized by the water fountain.
"This is Anne's place." I explained to Max.
"Wow, she has a really big house." Max exclaimed.
"Oh, Max, this is an apartment building." I clarified.
"What is that?" He asked, because he lives in a house, and has always lived in a house.
"Well, everyone lives in different sections of the building." This was an utterly new concept to Max. I could see him trying to wrap his head around it.
On the way home, Max asked me all about words that only have three letters, because those are easy to spell, or so he says. Then he wanted to know how to spell transformers.
When I parked my car in front of our house, I took his hand to cross the street. His tiny hand grabbed mine, and the other clutched his precious, new transformer.
Me n' Max(Please don't mistake the bright pink apron as a sign that I can cook now; I still can't.)
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