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SubscriptionsSites I Read
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| today is also keegan's birthday. 
he doesn't check xanga anymore and doesn't have a facebook account, so you'll have to find an old-fashioned way to tell him happy birthday. like an email.
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| Last Thursday, we had our annual holiday party at work. Last year it was at a lounge, so I was pleasantly surprised that this year's party was at the SF Bay Aquarium at Pier 39. I was especially excited because I had never been there before.
The party started at 3:00, but I didn't get there until 3:30 (I don't think I missed anything). I said hi to a few people, got in line for food (dim sum from Yank Sing), and chatted with some of the girls who recently finished college. I also met one new person. While the girls were getting their 2nd or 3rd drink, I went outside and snapped some pictures of the view:
  The event planner had set up a scavenger hunt, so I joined a team and we made our way through the aquarium. First up, the Touch the Bay area:  Like at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can touch a bat ray (slimy)...  Unlike the Monterey Bay Aquarium (or at least as far as I can remember), the SF Bay Aquarium lets you pet a SHARK!  I forget what type of shark they were, but they look like tiger sharks to me. They were soft and swam close to the surface, so I didn't have to worry about dunking my whole arm in and soaking my sleeve. There was also a mini tidal pool, with sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and starfish (sea stars?):    Next up, an elevator took us down to the underwater tunnel things to this area:  Apparently "Under the Bay" is a misnomer. We were not actually under the Bay; we were in a (large) tank. I heard that the aquarium periodically "captures and releases" the sealife though, so at least we were seeing wild animals.  The first tank had regular old fish:  You can't really tell in this picture, but this fish had NO EYE!! It was still alive! Very sad. I felt bad taking a picture of it.  I thought the purple starfish was pretty.  So I took a picture with it:  The second tank had sharks:  It was hard for me to take good pictures because of the lighting and reflection off the glass. Any tips, photographer friends? Okay, these are the pictures I actually like. Some random pink things, the usual jellyfish against bright blue background, and some metal fishies on a wall.    Zee end!! | | |
| 1. Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers (Christian book publisher): http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/
I like his blog b/c he writes about corporate life a bit (meetings, checking work email, being productive). I only found this blog a few days ago, but so far I like it a lot! Of course it comforts me knowing that he writes from a Christian perspective. I wish he wrote more frequently.
2. Cake Wrecks: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com
I found this site yesterday, after I googled "best blogs." It's basically a blog that has reader-submitted photos of badly decorated cakes done by professionals (and "professional" seems to include Safeway bakeries and the like). I was cracking up (silently, cus I was at work) from these entries:
A candy corn cookie! hahahah
what happened to these cakes?!
This was ordered over the phone and was supposed to be for BETH and Libby. hahahaha
This one is not funny, just really, really impressive:
3. The Simple Dollar: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
I mentioned this blog in my last post. This is where I learn about finance stuffs and how to value quality over quantity when it comes to material items. However, I must say I read this blog carefully, b/c it's hard to tell what the author's personal values are (he makes it a point not to blog about the taboo topics of sex, religion, and politics).
4. Boundless: http://www.boundless.org
This is a Christian "webzine" that also has an accompanying blog. I check this site every day, but more for the articles than the blog posts. The target audience is in the 18-30 age range or so (college and post-college singles). This site has taught me a lot about dating/relationships, marriage, friendships, being a stay-at-home mom, and even homosexuality.
Anyone have any blog recommendations? I prefer stuff to learn from (as opposed to entertainment--for instance, I probably won't check the cake blog that often, but it's still a novelty since I just found it yesterday). | | |
| 1. Have a garden. I want to
have fresh flowers in my house from time to time (even just one or two
in a small glass cup), so why not grow my own? I love gerber daisies (I
see them all the time at flower stands but just learned the name today):
[image source]
They are so bright and colorful. So cheery.  I wonder if they are easy to grow.
I'd
also like to try growing fruits or veggies. I don't know if I'd commit
to planting a tree, so maybe something that grows closer to the soil.
It just seems like a smart way to save money and eat organic.
[image source]
I would LOVE to grow my own strawberries in my backyard...then I could make my own strawberry and Nutella crêpes!!! Mmmmmmm.
[image source]
(This one has banana too, but I'm not gonna start growing bananas in my backyard...)
2. Ditch the dryer (or use it sparingly).
Apparently a dryer sucks up a ton of energy and can be bad for your
clothes. So I want to buy a clothes rack, since the limited space
and privacy in SF
backyards aren't very conducive to an outdoor clothesline. As a cheap
starter (to try it out), I was looking at this Ikea drying rack:
[image source]
3. Make homemade food. And not just homemade dinner. I mean stuff you might not think to make at home. Like bread.
[image source]
4. Play guitar decently well. I've
already started on this by getting a guitar (thanks to my parents'
generosity). I know a couple chords: G, A, E, Em, F, D. I'm not sure
how to get better, other than practicing the same songs over and over
until they become a cinch to play.
I want to be like Marié Digby: she plays guitar, writes and sings her own songs, and does everything by ear. :)
[image source]
That's
it for now, but I'm sure I'll find more. Most of these are ideas
inspired by The Simple Dollar, which I've been reading a lot lately to
learn how to be frugal (this is a great post about frugal vs. cheap). It makes me look forward to having a place of my own! | | |
| With the rash of summer weddings and engagements, it really blows my mind how two people become one through marriage. Ideally, your spouse will be the closest person you know, who knows you inside and out (including physically!!), and yet is not related to you by blood! The depth of trust and commitment required to even get close enough to get engaged...it's crazy! Love is such a mystery to me in that way: the gradual opening up of ourselves, the letting down our guards, the intimacy involved...all with someone you are not related to in any way (hopefully). | | |
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