Adopting in Ashburn

Tonight I watched Shenandoah with Jimmy Stewart. I do not mean that he was sitting here with me - though that would have been interesting - no he played Charlie Anderson. I was expecting the musical (which I know all the words to) but instead got a dramatic interpretation. It was fun to hear a few of the key lyrics thrown in there and I do love the song "Shenandoah", which is lucky really, since it was basically the only background music to the whole movie. I would definitely recommend it, since it is an interesting representation of the Civil War. The Anderson family tries to avoid getting involved in the war and without ever choosing a side they still wind up loosing family members. Definitely check it out. I got a bunch of other movies at the library tonight, expecting that my planned New Years Extravaganza wasn't going to actually happen. I picked up Damn Yankees , since I'll be stage managing that show in February and have never seen it. I also got An Am...

...and four sleeps until I'm home (to the tune of a holiday song!). Yesterday I went for the second time this season to see the National Christmas Tree. This time I went with Katie and Patrick starting in the afternoon. We walked from the White House down to the Mall. We stopped to check out the Smithsonian outdoor skating rink (cannot WAIT to do that later this winter). We walked into the National Gallery to see the Christmas decorations (really beautiful), then quickly strolled through the Turner and Hopper exhibits. Back out in the cold, we went to see the Botanical Gardens "Mall" exhibit with mostly natural constructed models of important buildings in DC. They also have this amazing model train set-up outside. If you're local, definitely put the Gardens on your to-do list of things to see. Then we wandered down to the Capitol Christmas tree - which was about 900 times better than the one pictured above (but Katie has the picture of that one). From there we s...

So this week my life has reflected at least three Jimmy Stewart movies. First, I got to go to a meeting in the Capitol Building. Somehow, I had never even been inside for a tour, so I was thrilled about the clicking of my heels down those hallowed, marble halls. The briefing I attended (on the HIV/AIDS epidemic) was in a room directly below the House chamber. I don't care how geeky it is, I love that Capra-esque feeling I get when I pass any of the major monuments in DC. My stomach flips and I get all jumpy and hyper ... I've lived in this city for more than a year and I still break out in a huge smile when the tip of the Washington Monument appears around a bend in the road. So, as you can now imagine, I was feeling pretty good after the briefing! And for those who aren't sure, this is reminiscent of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . Next movie experience: feeling a bit out of myself. Not really alot of explanation for this except to say that it wasn't quite Harvey ...

You know how sometimes you are just having one of those days: everything seems crappy, nothing is going right, decisions you've made were all wrong, your life is not going in the right direction, etc. etc. If you couldn't tell by this morning's post, today was one of those days. Self edit: it started out as one of those days. I called a bunch of people in my phone book just wanting to catch up with friends, to not feel so alone. Then, I called Dana and we made plans for the afternoon. We didn't do anything overly exciting, just shopping (Christmas present craft supplies, poster frames, etc.) and errand running for her. But she let me vent for more than an hour about everything that I thought was bothering me. It turns out that most of what sucked this morning was fine by the time we got back from shopping. Now, I have not become some ridiculous girl who is quelled by purchases. I actually needed the stuff I got, and so did Dana. But the company, and having someone...

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. If the "you" changes and the event(s) that lead to the fooling really aren't foolish, how bad of a policy could it be? Does it really make me foolish? Though the circumstances and technique have changed since the hallway outside Mrs. Strong's reading class, I still get basically the same result. I'm not sure if it was better then; when I felt foolish and humiliated right away. Now, it is more like the silent treatment. In the Tequesta cafeteria, back in the day, I got the quiet retreat. Back then, I preferred the noiselessness of it to the personal humiliation. More than 12 years later, I'm glad the "yous" have finally matured to the level I was hoping for - then. I just wish they could manage to get to the level I'm at now. So many, like Mrs. Strong, promised it would be different by now. And even after all the so-called fooling, that they were wrong is the most disappointing part. R...

Tonight I decided that my mission would be to make new friends and delve better into my faith. I'm not sure I was successful at either one. At the church near my house they have a Tuesday night book study. Because I was new, I just went to listen and see what it was like. Because I am me, I couldn't restrain myself from comment when I thought there was a discrepancy. This is how we got into a discussion about whether or not the bread at communion is actually the Eucharist if it isn't blessed by a Catholic priest. I personally think that "wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there" (paraphrase, I know) and the whole John 6:46-59 (Bread of Life discourse) means that it doesn't matter who blesses the bread - Jesus is present and in that bread regardless. This of course has nothing to do with Catholic doctrine. So, my disagreement not only helped me not delve into my faith (just Catholic history and a little catechism - which is religion, not f...

En France, Veterans Day est le meme chose do la journee d'Armistice. Please take a moment right now and say a prayer for the health and happiness of veterans everywhere. Today was Veterans Day across the US and along with my friends Katie and Dana, I decided to celebrate by spending the afternoon at Arlington Cemetery. We went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the changing of the guard. We also got to see two wreath laying ceremonies - one for the French War (French Guard and probably the ambassador laid the wreath) and the other for the 3rd Battalion Division Society. I didn't cry at the bugle song during the first wreath, but when those men stood there - some being helped down the stairs by their comrades who were equally as old as they were - you couldn't help but well up with pride at their sacrifice. The three of us talked about it afterwards and decided that we probably couldn't do it - join up in the military. But I have an incredible amount of g...

I know it has been ages ... my only excuse is that after spending all day at work staring at my computer screen, I can't even fathom why I would turn my computer on when I get home at night. This isn't a good excuse, but it's the best I can offer you. Aside from having the flu last week (first flu since elementary school, so really, I had it coming), life has been healthy and happy. I work five days a week and try to relax as much as possible on the weekends. I haven't quite settled into a church down here yet, so I still drive to Bethesda each week to sing in the choir. I'm making friends at work - which is a nice feeling. I recently got to go on a business trip and spent time in NJ visiting family. Halloween was spent party-hopping dressed as Titania from Midsummer Night's Dream (which took more explaining than I hoped it would). This weekend, I'm reaching out to try and make new friends. I'm paying off old bills and starting to make Christmas pr...

So, I know it has been awhile. My apologies. I have no real excuse except to say that work really isn't that adventurous, so I am lacking in blog worthy activities. I am aware of how lame that is. Tonight, though not lacking in news from this weekend, I am going to journey back five years. I really like the idea of time travel, and memory lane is the perfect path. Back in my freshman year of college, I decided I was going to write a musical for my undergraduate senior thesis. As the overachiever I am, I didn't really take into consideration that I: 1. Had only ever written short stories, done improv, or adapted plays from well-established pieces of literature. 2. Did not, in any way, shape, or form, know how to compose music or play an instrument effectively. 3. Was well-known for being an absolute clutz and severely lacking in dance skills. In case you weren't sure, writing a musical requires the ability to: write a play, compose music, and create accompanying choreog...

This isn't that terribly cannibalistic movie, it's just a note to my favorite readership that I'm alive and well in Alexandria. My move across DC to the south side of the Potomac went well. I couldn't have been blessed more by Dana's super strength. My parents came this weekend and the place is about 90% "a home." By the end of the week I hope to have the whole place cleaned up and presentable. It's an odd feeling, being in my own place. This is the first time a place has been just mine. That, and I get up and go to work in the morning - in dress clothes no less. I feel like there has been an extraordinarily profound change in my life. To mark the change, my collage art is restricted to one wall, and only in my bedroom. I'm going to try out a young adult Bible study at the local Catholic church (which has a fantasmic choir!), look for a local volleyball open gym, and try to find some way to volunteer in the community. I'm working on HOB...

Four more days until I'll be in my new place. Three more days until I am supposed to be packed and ready to go. Two more hours until I am supposed to be in bed tonight. One more room to get in boxes before sleep. Zero more minutes for procrastination. Love always, ~Heather

Every once in awhile I play this ridiculous instrument at church. It is a percussion instrument that sounds like a quickly vibrating wood bell. After ten months, I finally play it at the right time during the few songs it's used in, but I still feel so goofy playing it. This, along with great company, makes me smile and laugh through most of the service. Today, I was playing it again - for "All You Works of God" - and after church a man came up and commented on how much fun it looked like I was having. I guess I'll keep playing it instead of switching to something more normal, like a maracca. After church, I drove about 15 miles north to play volleyball. When I arrived, no one was there. I came home a route I didn't have directions for - just using intuition and a sense of direction I'm not always sure exists. Because I thought I was going to be expending tons of energy, I was really pumped when I got home. This, was very good for my not-quite-packed-...

Carolina over Georgia in Athens, Georgia. GO Gamecocks!!! That being said, I spent most of the game feeling like we weren't winning, even though we never lost the lead. I think it's because we weren't really scoring as frequently as (I felt) we should have been. The good news is, of course, that for the second season in a row, our defense is something to be reckoned with. If Spurrier goes back to rotating the quarterbacks, we might even see a more exciting and point-scoring offense. For now, I am back to straightening up the apartment. Today I managed to find a couch and loveseat ($60 for both at an estate sale), buy some art reminiscent of the square next to the Sacre Coeur (7 pieces, $30), choose a rental van company (furniture doesn't easily slide into the trunk of my fabulous Focus), pack three boxes, and set-up all of my utilities except cable at my new apartment. If any of you are in the area next weekend, I am still recruiting strong volunteers to help load/un...

1. Reading the Washington Post during breakfast 2. An excellent homily from the visiting priest from Massachusetts 3. Having someone tell me they were glad to hear me singing in church 4. Clean spaces 5. New kitchen stuff for a new apartment 6. Starting my first real job tomorrow 7. Finally seeing My Fair Lady 8. Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches 9. Chats with friends 10. Checking out interesting material from the library 11. Creating a budgeting program for myself 12. Having a new crush (isn't that rush so exciting?) 13. Being absolutely, positively blessed 14. Spending the weekend at home with my parents 15. Packing boxes and preparing for a new adventure Oh, isn't life just lover-ly ? Love always, ~Heather

.... will Heather be going? I'm moving to the other side of the city to be closer to my job. Right now I live in Maryland, and the job is in Virginia (though both of these places are on the DC Metro system). Luckily, God has made this whole transition period really smooth for me. I found a place just a few miles from work. It is a one bedroom on the top floor. The complex has everything a girl could ask for (and more). There is a free shuttle that'll drop me a few minutes walk from work (no transportation fees!). If the weather is bad, or the shuttle isn't running, I'm about a ten minute commute in traffic with a pass for the free parking garage at work. The complex has a fitness center and a pool (both of which are really close to my building), a sand volleyball court, a lab with computers and a fax (in case my computer is on the fritz) ... basically as good as you can get. Rent and utilities are reasonable (but only by DC standards), and I even have my own wash...

This is volleyball code for co-ed doubles playing on grass courts with "women's" height nets. It was a good day for playing - slightly overcast, light breeze, bearable temperatures. My partner Aaron and I lost every game (though some were pretty close). It was a ton of fun, despite all the losing. Part of it was definitely the competition. I am a B level player (based on experience, skill sets, speed, etc.). We were playing in the A division, which is considerably more competitive. Also, I was probably the only player on our court (pool play) that didn't regularly play doubles. In case you aren't sure what the difference between playing indoor sixes and outdoor doubles is, I'll briefly explain: No air-conditioning Difficult to dive Limited plays (no over hand passing across the net, and because it is reverse co-ed, no guys in front, etc.) Sun in your eyes Shagging the ball means chasing it over half a soccer field (this can be a little wearing when don...

Well world, I finally got a job. I'm pretty excited. I've been working on getting a job since June, so this is two months of labor come to fruition. (And if you've been following a bit, you know my argument about how all of my schooling actually has led to this point.) I'm a little nervous about how this works. All the other jobs I've had have had an outline, a procedure. I'm not sure what I'll be doing all day. How does working in an office function? Everybody is at their desks all day ... does the work just appear there? Do people bring it to me, do I generate it? Is it reasonable, when brainstorming, to spend most of a day thinking? How do you measure thinking? The people I'll be doing outreach to - I don't know them yet. Will I have to figure out who they are? Will there be inroads paved by my new colleagues? I only have four business suits - am I going to be dressed appropriately for work? There are other nerve-racking things, like ...

I have never been the girl to turn down a good dessert when I was offered one. I've never seriously paid attention to anything except sugar content on packages. Calories, calories from fat, actual fat, total carbohydrates - these are things I used to not care about. Before. Before was a time when I wasn't on the verge of potentially needing to buy new clothes because I was about to go up a size (this has not happened since middle school, when I more or less stopped growing). Luckily, this was the breaking point for me: recognizing I didn't have the money to be my current weight. This caused me to actually weigh myself and take a personal health inventory. With diabetes, joint problems, and cardiac issues on both sides of the family, I need to regain control of my health. So, I have started reading packages. I made pudding for dessert tonight, since celery sticks just weren't solving my sweet tooth craving, and I actually split the bowl into six equal parts so I w...

I am so behind trying to catch you up I'm giving up. Sorry about that. Last weekend at home was fabulous. It is always a blast to celebrate family birthdays. Dana moved out this weekend too. Things are different without her here, but I'm slowly adjusting. I'm throwing all my energy into cleaning. I've finished three quarters of the baseboards, vacuumed most everything else, decorated the nook, went grocery shopping, cleaned the storage closets ... you get the idea. I'm also working on a few things to pass the time until I start my new job (which I don't exactly have yet, but hey, things like this take time!). Exciting activities of the moment: Volleyball, potentially two nights a week (despite my sucky shoulder, and still not being able to serve or hit without serious pain). Analyzing HOBY surveys Hurricane/global warming content analysis Walking/running the Capitol Crescent Trail Cooking healthy meals at reasonable hours Finishing knitting my first multi-...

I can't even begin to explain how upset I am right now. I ask though, for all of you who believe in it (and perhaps those who don't), to pray for my patience. Also, for the hearts and minds of the other people involved. It isn't worth the energy to put in the details, but I need to support right now. Thank you. Be back soon. Love always, ~Heather

... vous me manquez. Et ce soir, ce n'est pas mon coeur. Toujours, ~Heather P.S. - And now that I'm written that, my soul is complete again. All I had to do was remember you to fill it. J'ai toutes la chance avec les amis (et famille) comme vous!

Don't worry, no spoilers here. I saw the fifth movie last weekend, and thought it was an improvement in the series after the 4th movie, which, in my humble opinion, pretty much blew. Plus, it was the 5th bonding experience I got to have with my dad (we've gone to see all the movies together!). I just finished Deathly Hallows . Well, just being about an hour ago. Lorien and I went to Borders last night for the release party. I am such a nerd - I got totally excited about them slicing open the boxes at 12:01 a.m. Ahhh, the joys of eternal youth! The book, it turns out, was almost exactly like I thought it would be. Entertaining, no fluff, all business, mind-gripping literary bliss. That and some of the details I had been guessing about were right, which was good. Sometimes I think a good shock in a story makes the story better. However in this case, my correct guesses (perhaps my inner eye is well trained?) made me feel like I really knew the story, the characters, the ...

I can hardly believe it has been almost a month since I last posted. Since there weren't any complaints (i.e. nobody seemed to notice), I guess it wasn't that serious a mishap. But, in case your concern was masked, dear readers, I truly was insanely busy. At the time of my last post I was a week away from finishing my Masters program at AU. I had scrambled through two papers and then proceeded to write another 5 pager, a 15 pager, and a 20 page crisis plan before the week was out. That, and the weekend before I was in New Jersey to celebrate the 100th birthday of my great-grandmother, Nanny. Nanny used to do synchronized swimming. She sewed for a living, and a very long time ago she read me the entire Velveteen Rabbit in one sitting. It was my favorite children's book for years. Now, she has trouble speaking and remembering. But she isn't on any medication, and when most of the family sang "Rose" inspired songs from the 20's and 30's, she smil...

Comme biodome en Arizone, c'est un examen d'endurance psychologique. Je ne sais pas si les russes et europeans sont plus avancez que les americains mais je suis content quand meme! L'aventure a mars. Un voyage extrordinaire. Je ne peux pas attends. Tant pis, on n'avait pas quelquechose comme ca chez moi! Un loft comme sur Mars - Sciences - AOL Actualité For my non-French readers ... the European Space Agency is recruiting members to simulate a mission to Mars by spending 105 days in a mock-up facility in Moscow. I sort of wish I could do that! One day, after all my other jobs and adventures, I think doing something like this would be awesome. Also, the more important thing to remember here is that the Russians and Europeans are looking at the effects of extended time in confined spaces - preliminary mission steps. Could this action be the type of challenge that ignites another space race and pushes America into a frontier outside of Earth's gravitational field...

Summer School Countdown: 6 classes, 4 papers, 1 presentation, 8 days, and (hopefully) 2 A's. This weekend I went home to NC to visit my family for Father's Day. The number one thing about being at home is family. Number two is, of course, food. I managed to finish about 90% of my homework too, which is probably a record for a vacation weekend. I still have alot of work this week - tons of research, etc. to prepare for the four papers I have due in the next eight days (4, 3, 25, and 15 pages). Plus, I really need to catch up on some work work I have been putting off. Tonight in class, Peter Eisner of the Washington Post came to talk to us about his book, The Italian Letter . I recently wrote ten pages analyzing it and was excited to have the chance to ask him some questions about the text. My primary question was why he left the motive out of his discussion (the subject of the book is the Bush administration's abuse of power in manipulating the intelligence community ...

Throughout the weekend I was at a friend's wedding celebrations (pre and post). She is Pakistani and Muslim. It was the most interesting weekend of services ever. Z looked so beautiful in her hand-beaded outfit - shiny gold and silver, henna on her hands and feet ... it was so awesome. The coolest part was how she was glowing. I've never seen this before in all the weddings I've been to: on Friday she was Z, the girl I love to catch dinner and a movie with, today she was Z still, but there was this whole new happiness about her. I've never seen her so happy. It was a wonderful thing. After she gets back from her honeymoon, I'll ask her permission to put a picture of her in her sahri (is that the right spelling?) up here so you can see what a glorious golden princess she looks like! I'll also try to find out who the prophet was her new mother in-law quoted saying: "you are born now together into this new life" (or something similar to that). I c...

We may have finally figured out what exactly needs to be done to fix my shoulder. That was the best sentence I could think of to start this post, even though it has nothing to do with what I am thinking about. I just finished watching The Man Without a Face . Somehow it makes me want to internalize. (Yes, LB, this is like the time I watched Nell , except I am not leaving my chair this time!) Today was certainly interesting. This morning I met with my boss, who is difficult to communicate with - to say the least. The first thing that happened was that he brought something up in conversation he thought I needed to read, and without having read it, I spouted back the ideas from the article. It was about space and NASA, so I was at an advantage, but it threw him off-guard. Even though he knows that it is one of my areas of expertise, he seemed shocked that I was capable of not only providing him information he had just recently read, but then analyzing it - all without seeing his s...

I have retreated. Just now. Less than five minutes ago. I am in this place - but it is like Terabithia after the death of the queen, lonely and somehow lacking the full magic. The Old In my Terabithia, imagination runs wild. Dreams of the future combine with fantasy and ideal notions to create seredipitous prospects for the days to come. Everything has feelings, the air is charged with a motivational energy. Nothing is impossible. Clouds pass to create cool moments of shade during sunny days. The night is like tonight, with a detailed moon the color of old parchment poised against a faded midnight blue sky. To the west is the wishing star; a single prayer can make dreams come true. The Now Overgrown are the acres of flower fields, as long grass pops up among the periwinkle, daffodils, daisies, and strawberries. Trees are covered in a barely green moss that hangs like twisted feathers to dust the shoulders of passersby. There is a presence. Giants once walked here, elves dan...

When I was an undergrad, I lived in on-campus housing. One of the fire safety rules included a prohibition of toasters. No toasters in our rooms meant no toast, no frozen waffles, no toasted sandwiches ... you get the idea. When I moved to France, there was no way I was going to buy a toaster to fit in the French outlet system. I did have a conventional oven there, that made due, especially for the sandwiches (I used that thing to bake, broil, fry, rotisserie ... you name it!). As I moved in to my first real apartment, I was thrilled at the prospect of having a real toaster. I use it so frequently it doesn't even have a place in the cabinet, it just stays on the counter for easy access. Now, as I am considering my options for the future, I have come to regard another cooking device as ideal. For my next apartment, I am going to actively seek a grill of some kind. It will be glorious to not have to broil or sautee all of my fish, to not have to bake or fry the chicken, to make ...

Bascially my whole life I have been preparing for this moment. This piece of time when something is going to happen ... it will be a turn for the real world ... a whole new stage. I have been preparing for my job. I know this sounds silly, but realistically, it's true. Elementary prepares for middle, middle for high, and high school for college. College is certainly prep for a job, but if you are too scared, or too unprepared at that point there is always grad school. I was so burnt out preparing for this moment before grad school I had to take a break and get a temporary job! Now, as grad school wraps itself up, I have finally arrived. The job market is out there. My future job is waiting. And all of a sudden 18 years of school and a year teaching overseas doesn't seem like enough. People keep saying that it doesn't matter too much what I choose because my first job is not likely to be my last. I understand that, I do. But at the same time, my degree leaves the f...

1. Being caught up on school work is a fantastic feeling. Enjoying all the reading is an even better one. 2. Fostering unhappy feelings (basically keeping ideas of an unpleasant nature completely to oneself) isn't really good for a person; avoid this at all costs. 3. Time flies when you are having fun, when you aren't, and when deadlines are approaching. Basically, time is flying all the time. I don't think those are the actual three things that prompted this posting, but they were the first three things out on the keyboard. As I head off to do some grocery shopping, I am thinking about one particular subject that just this week started needing a plan for a solution. For all the lessons in school about campaign planning and strategic planning, I don't ever feel prepared to make outlined plans for my own life. I'm going to pretend it is because I have a naturally free and adventurous spirit. Hope you are all having a fun day! ~Heather

So, since I wrote over two weeks ago... I had a birthday, took my finals, finished my practicum, completed my thesis and had it printed about a bijillion times (apparently landscape, double sided, book-style bound, 53 page bundles take a minimum of five prints for the UPS store to print). My family came up for my graduation celebration, we celebrated Mother's Day at a cute french restaurant, I started summer school (6 hours until the completion of my Masters!), Derek and Janis came to visit and we went to the Udar-Hazy Air & Space Museum and I got to stand next to the mock-up of the space shuttle used in atmosphere tests. This past weekend was spent at HOBY at Christopher Newport University. I had an amazing team and the other facilitators and staff, were, as usual, outstanding. Now, I am back, working hard at my physical therapy and starting my summer work hours studying opinion leaders. Today, my aunt and uncle and my two youngest cousins came to visit. I had a blast takin...

That is the music that best represents the next few days for me. I am still working on my thesis, because, I am ridiculous. Basically, I have almost five case studies now, I have at least four long stories, tons of examples, and that is just the "extra stuff." There are five literature reviews: science communication (17 pages), organizational branding (1.5), framing (1.5), political communication (2.5), and crisis communication (2.5). Also, I did a review of general communication principles .... it is getting longer every minute. Tomorrow is the last day I am letting myself add any new text. After that, it is all revisions. Speaking of "just revisions" I finished writing my first keynote speech. Then I revised it, and now I am waiting to get notes back from my Dad and a friend/classmate who will hopefully have some ideas in case there are any mistakes. But for only the third time this semester, I feel like I hit this speech out of the park. The fist time, the ...

My thesis is coming along rather nicely. I've had some timing setbacks with it and a few of my other class assignments that are due next week, but in general things seem to be going well. If anyone is kind enough to offer their copy-editing services (this may or may not be a masochistic gesture) I'd love the help. In case I haven't told you, my thesis is about science communication and how scientists can use communication principles to improve the public's understanding of science. This is explained through the case studies of NASA. I think it's really fun and exciting (for a topic). Then again, I am a well established geek. Off to sleep. Speeches, revisions, papers, exam prep, and oh yeah, my thesis to finish by Wednesday. Sleep is as necessary as air at this point - my brain needs to shut down and reboot or I'd never be able to concentrate. Hope all is well with you! Love always, ~Heather

Tonight we turned in five deliverables which were actually comprised of nine different and smaller components for our pro-bono communications client. In addition, we wrote five memos describing the deliverables for our professor. I thought I would feel relieved we were finished. Instead, I feel a little like I was rocked too hard in a boat. Maybe it was because we had 48 hours to complete all of that work, and so it obviously was not my best product ever. Maybe it was because I didn't even have time to proofread them. Or maybe it was because my professor used me (anonymously) as an example of how he was disappointed in our class. I, heaven-forbid, did not know what an editorial plan looked like for a newsletter, nor could I find any examples. So, I had emailed him and asked for an idea of what I needed to include. He thought I should have just taken the initiative to do whatever I thought might be best, instead of asking for help. I am rarely the "needy" kid who n...

After writing a blogpost on mistakes, I randomly came across this article. As a huge space nerd and a grad student looking for every last interesting story I can incorporate into my thesis as possible, I found this take compelling. It is about 1.) why the images of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon are so hazy, 2.) how they figured out the problem, and 3.) how NASA lost the proof and the original scientists (some retired for over 20 years) are on the trail to find the truth. Read it, I think you'll find it very cool. (Or not, but if not, there are video clips and pictures on the side you can click on. If pictures of a complete vacuum with people functioning in it don't thrill you then you're probably out of luck.) Wired 15.01: One Giant Screwup for Mankind Love always, ~Heather

Prompted by tonight's episode of House ... Everybody makes mistakes. If ever you think someone is perfect, just look at the eraser on their pencil - proof of mistake-making if ever there was any. Sometimes mistakes actually lead you on the right path. Other times they hurt. I still think you grow from these things. But tiny little mistakes, one millimeter mistakes, misplaced letter mistakes .... sometimes they can be just as fierce as giant whopper mistakes. I don't really have a moral to this story except to say that if ever a mistake I've made has negatively impacted you, I'm sorry. I long ago came to grips with the fact that I will never be perfect - but I journey in the hopes of perfection everyday. I recognize my fallibility, and seek to overcome it. And one day I hope to see perfection in all its glory. Love always, ~Heather

Since the Internet went out: I hung out with G on a brief visit to Tenleytown. It was so nice to catch up with my world-traveling pal. Safe and happy travels G! Our crab Scuttle now has a crab crawl made of corks from wine bottles. It is this hysterical looking ramp so she can get up out of the water every once in a while. So far she is still climbing up the aquarium plants instead. There is hope yet. I went shopping for dress clothes. I was sparked by What Not to Wear . I usually don't take my fashion advice from TV shows, but this was different. It showed a woman who by the show's standards dressed really well, except she was a CEO. It talked about dressing the part you want, and not down-playing your work by dressing beneath your caliber. Plus, I needed a second business suit in case I ever get a follow-up interview somewhere. Thank goodness for the 40% off everything sale and my bonus 20% off coupon. That's 60% off friends. If you have to go shopping, that i...

C'est l'heure de nuit le plus bizarre a moi. Pres de minuit (ou apres), quand je suis seule, sur la grande chaise violette. Il faut que j'ecris. De quoi, je ne sais pas. Ce soir, je reflechis un peu sur le tragede au Virginia Tech. Pour mes amis francais (practicalliment les seuls gens qui peuvent lire le poste ce soir), VT est un universite en Virginie. 33 etudiants et profs etait tuer la hier. Un garcon a tue tout le monde avec un arme, et enfin, lui-meme. Je ne peux pas comprendre l'idee de le fin de ma propre vie, donc l'idee de prendre les vies des autres - les innocents, les temoinages dans leurs salles de classe ... incomprehensible. Quelques etudiants etait plus jeune que moi. Le fin de vie est "unpredictable." Une de mes meilleurs amies du lycee est une etudiant la, dans l'ecole des sciences (ou le plupart des gens etait tuer). Pendant plus des douze heures, je ne la trouve pas par telephone, ni Internet. Personne elle a vu. Et just...

... that my brave face sucks. ... not having a punching bag right now is saving my shoulder from inevitable pain. ... premeditation is the most heinous part of a crime. ... I definitely want to work on a political campaign. ... sugar, in any form, has its after-effects. ... friends can make almost anything better. ... that the thing that bothers me the most is that I keep getting angry at myself for being angry at someone else. ... to make some brownies (despite the sugar). Off to baking. Love always, ~Heather

Here are the things that happened today: 1. Got up and ready, finished speech and emailed it to my professor. (+) 2. Went to church and sang in the choir. Best way to start the week. (++) 3. Had two friends from choir over for brunch. One had never had french toast, the other had never had french toast they liked. Everyone enjoyed. (+) 4. Worked on management proposal project. Lots of Powerpoint and emailing. (+, better to get it done now!) 5. Called around to confirm pending dinner invites. All no. *See below. (---) 6. Cried with Dana about the terrible past hour. (Neutral, crying makes you feel better.) 7. Dropped off LB's work stuff and got two new fish, a snail, and a crab for our tank. (+) 8. Took out stuff to make dinner. (+) The day isn't over yet, so I'm not going to call it a bad one. Anything could really happen to make it better. And whenever I'm upset about what a crummy day I've had, I make a list of all the things I've done to see if there ...

April 9, 1959: America Meets Its 7 Original Astronauts - This came across my Gmail toolbar and it was perfect timing! I read a transcript of the press conference and everything. Back to writing my thesis (NASA is a case study). ~Heather