Sav always liked baking, especially on rainy days. But on this particular day, she was out of white flour, eggs, and butter. So naturally, she put on her Wellies and headed to the store.
Before even leaving the neighborhood, she ran into water. Lots and lots of water.
My first thought was, "Well crap, wonder what I can bake with wheat flour and applesauce, cuz that's about all I've got." And then I saw the other homes in my neighborhood: demolished. More or less, anyway. The main floors are at least 3 feet underwater; imagine what the underground basements look like.
When the sun comes out we'll get some pictures/video of this mess. Until then, enjoy this "iReport" and my mini-testimonial.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sav loses a student
I got to work this morning and unlocked the door. I sat in the dark for a few minutes as usual before turning on the lights to get ready.
I checked my email, unenthusiastically, and tweeted about needing coffee.
And then my world got rocked. An email from a tutor revealed that one of my students, Malith Wiek, was murdered, needlessly and senselessly, on Tuesday night.
The rest of the day, I have tried to get work done, but I feel shaken, queasy, and I just keep crying. Malith was a very dedicated student, and one I would call a friend; he arrived early, and twice a week he came in just as we opened. We would walk in together and he would stand and talk to me in the dark before I had turned on the lights. He would reflect about his progress in the United States, about the students at the school where he worked, about his mission to be a better American. He had a light in his eyes that can only be described as relief and contentment; after years wandering the desert with the Lost Boys of Sudan, one can barely attempt to imagine his transition to life here.
On Tuesday, a busy workload kept me from my usual chat with Malith when he came in. I walked over to him at the computer and tapped his shoulder to say hello. We exchanged smiles and pleasantries and quickly went back to work.
On Wednesday, I pulled in and saw a black car go past me on the street. The tall, black male driver smiled and waved at me, so I assumed it was my buddy Malith. I waited on the sidewalk briefly, but when he didn't appear I went inside. Expecting Malith any moment in the office, it was unsettling to leave work at 4 having not seen him at all.
On Thursday, today, I found out why. I learned that Malith was shot several times, his car and wallet were taken, and he was left dead in a neighborhood of immigrants dreaming the American Dream.
This is the closest I've ever been to a violent death. It has left me rigid and nauseous, and unwilling to accept that this is reality. And the reality is, people die, and people kill; people do thoughtless, terrible things. The reality is, some people only get to stick around for thirty-something years; and some of them, like Malith, still manage to make an impact. They still manage to leave whisps of sweetness in the air even after they leave. And so in the sadness and shock we feel today, the reality is that we must chose to remember the sweetness or it will be lost amidst the carelessness, and that would be the worst injustice.
I checked my email, unenthusiastically, and tweeted about needing coffee.
And then my world got rocked. An email from a tutor revealed that one of my students, Malith Wiek, was murdered, needlessly and senselessly, on Tuesday night.
The rest of the day, I have tried to get work done, but I feel shaken, queasy, and I just keep crying. Malith was a very dedicated student, and one I would call a friend; he arrived early, and twice a week he came in just as we opened. We would walk in together and he would stand and talk to me in the dark before I had turned on the lights. He would reflect about his progress in the United States, about the students at the school where he worked, about his mission to be a better American. He had a light in his eyes that can only be described as relief and contentment; after years wandering the desert with the Lost Boys of Sudan, one can barely attempt to imagine his transition to life here.
On Tuesday, a busy workload kept me from my usual chat with Malith when he came in. I walked over to him at the computer and tapped his shoulder to say hello. We exchanged smiles and pleasantries and quickly went back to work.
On Wednesday, I pulled in and saw a black car go past me on the street. The tall, black male driver smiled and waved at me, so I assumed it was my buddy Malith. I waited on the sidewalk briefly, but when he didn't appear I went inside. Expecting Malith any moment in the office, it was unsettling to leave work at 4 having not seen him at all.
On Thursday, today, I found out why. I learned that Malith was shot several times, his car and wallet were taken, and he was left dead in a neighborhood of immigrants dreaming the American Dream.
This is the closest I've ever been to a violent death. It has left me rigid and nauseous, and unwilling to accept that this is reality. And the reality is, people die, and people kill; people do thoughtless, terrible things. The reality is, some people only get to stick around for thirty-something years; and some of them, like Malith, still manage to make an impact. They still manage to leave whisps of sweetness in the air even after they leave. And so in the sadness and shock we feel today, the reality is that we must chose to remember the sweetness or it will be lost amidst the carelessness, and that would be the worst injustice.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sav and Stav ponder marriage
Once upon a time, Sav asked Stav, "Do you think we'll get married?" Stav paused. They had only been dating a short time. Stav said, "I can totally see it." The pair was in a faraway land called Manhattan visiting the maiden sisters of Stav. Sav had felt accepted in the family right away. She knew it in the soles of her feet that it was only a matter of time.
Several years later, the young couple wandered up the brick streets of Hillsboro Village as morning was just setting in when suddenly Stav dropped to his knees. With tears building on his lower lashes, he proposed.
The rest of the day, the two relaxed and chatted about their futures. They imagined a lifetime of experiences and shared lingering glances. When night came, they decided to tell their families of the decision they had made. It was a lovely day, and Sav drifted to sleep imagining white gowns and flower girls.
Then reality set in. Planning a wedding has been one of the most exciting, fun, frustrating experiences of my life. I am excited about the big party aspect of it. I'm excited about sharing such a precious moment with my family and friends from all over the country. But sometimes I feel like it's so futile. It's extravagance even though I'm on a tight (super tight, in wedding standards) budget. It seems indulgent and irresponsible to entertain such lavishness, to host such an exaggerated version of a simple union.
I found this quote today on SoulPancake.com which said this: "It’s not the wedding as a rite of passage, or the wedding as a religious ritual that I have a problem with. That aspect I love. I love the idea of sitting around a large table with my BFFs, laughing, everyone beaming in expectation of all our futures.
"What I despise is the... hassle. The dress. The flamboyancy. The expense. The talk of it. The expectation of it."
I have to agree. Equally, I have to admit my very feminine desire to dress up and be admired by the guests and my to-be husband. And to have a picture that I can place under a lamp in the living room until I am 85 and say, "Yes, we were so young and so beautiful," and my grandkids can realize that once, their grandparents were fit and fashionable. And I want to forever say, "Do you remember at the wedding when so-and-so did this-and-that and it was so funny/touching/surprising.." I want those things. And so I'll have them. And I'll get over days like this when the whole process just feels.. wasteful.
Several years later, the young couple wandered up the brick streets of Hillsboro Village as morning was just setting in when suddenly Stav dropped to his knees. With tears building on his lower lashes, he proposed.
The rest of the day, the two relaxed and chatted about their futures. They imagined a lifetime of experiences and shared lingering glances. When night came, they decided to tell their families of the decision they had made. It was a lovely day, and Sav drifted to sleep imagining white gowns and flower girls.
Then reality set in. Planning a wedding has been one of the most exciting, fun, frustrating experiences of my life. I am excited about the big party aspect of it. I'm excited about sharing such a precious moment with my family and friends from all over the country. But sometimes I feel like it's so futile. It's extravagance even though I'm on a tight (super tight, in wedding standards) budget. It seems indulgent and irresponsible to entertain such lavishness, to host such an exaggerated version of a simple union.
I found this quote today on SoulPancake.com which said this: "It’s not the wedding as a rite of passage, or the wedding as a religious ritual that I have a problem with. That aspect I love. I love the idea of sitting around a large table with my BFFs, laughing, everyone beaming in expectation of all our futures.
"What I despise is the... hassle. The dress. The flamboyancy. The expense. The talk of it. The expectation of it."
I have to agree. Equally, I have to admit my very feminine desire to dress up and be admired by the guests and my to-be husband. And to have a picture that I can place under a lamp in the living room until I am 85 and say, "Yes, we were so young and so beautiful," and my grandkids can realize that once, their grandparents were fit and fashionable. And I want to forever say, "Do you remember at the wedding when so-and-so did this-and-that and it was so funny/touching/surprising.." I want those things. And so I'll have them. And I'll get over days like this when the whole process just feels.. wasteful.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sav and Stav win a contest
Once upon a time, Sav and Stav were planning their wedding. (This is the part normally left out of fairy tales.) They discovered that such a party is expensive, and that in order to create a magical experience they would have to plan.. A lot.
They planned and planned, and scavenged and shopped. They took favors and tips and borrowed and bought. As time carried on, much longer than they thought, they realized that really they only wanted to tie the knot.
And so one day, as Sav skimmed the web, she found a contest the could help the pair wed in a fashionable, organized, once unfathomable way, and so they signed up and were finalists in a few days.
They campaigned for votes on Facebook and Twitter. They asked all their friends via digital transmitters, and Sav tried to relax, but the competitor in her got her riled and antsy, hoping to be the winner.
Finally Friday came, and with it the contest's end. Sav hardly slept the night before, voting even as she dreamt. At daybreak she said "It's Friday!" and out of bed she jumped and found a email in her box that said, "Hooray, You've won!"
We couldn't be more grateful for the votes and support. We are sooooo excited to get working with DandyLion Events! It's just who we wanted. Also, Kate Crafton's work is absolutely amazing- check them out here and here!
They planned and planned, and scavenged and shopped. They took favors and tips and borrowed and bought. As time carried on, much longer than they thought, they realized that really they only wanted to tie the knot.
And so one day, as Sav skimmed the web, she found a contest the could help the pair wed in a fashionable, organized, once unfathomable way, and so they signed up and were finalists in a few days.
They campaigned for votes on Facebook and Twitter. They asked all their friends via digital transmitters, and Sav tried to relax, but the competitor in her got her riled and antsy, hoping to be the winner.
Finally Friday came, and with it the contest's end. Sav hardly slept the night before, voting even as she dreamt. At daybreak she said "It's Friday!" and out of bed she jumped and found a email in her box that said, "Hooray, You've won!"
We couldn't be more grateful for the votes and support. We are sooooo excited to get working with DandyLion Events! It's just who we wanted. Also, Kate Crafton's work is absolutely amazing- check them out here and here!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sav and Stav buy a vacuum cleaner
Once upon a time, Sav and Stav moved into a new house. Because of a strange twist of fate, they were put in a house much larger than that to which they were accustomed, and at a price much smaller than expected. The house needed care, cleaning, and updates, and so they set to work.
In the house, they found three vacuum cleaners.
The biggest vacuum cleaner was loud and clunky; it scuffed the floors and smelled quite funky. The smallest vacuum cleaner was swift, but dusty, the brushes wouldn't spin and the wheels were rusty. The middle vacuum cleaner seemed just right, not too big, too little or too light. They got it started, and with clean desire,the thrid vacuum sparked and then caught fire.
I spent the beginning of this snow day researching vacuums online. I found one for under 100 dollars that had consumers singing its praises.
The fact that it was called the "Ultralight Never Loses Suction Multi Vacuum" had me a little worried- isn't a vacuum something where brand names may actually matter? But with a little searching on the ad, the name "Shark" appeared more than once. No, it's not Bissle or Orek, but supposedly it'll do the trick.
Upon tracking the "Ultralight Never Loses Suction Multi Vacuum" down in the store (in the hand-held Dirt Devil section- bad sign?) I found that the mouth of this thing was pretty small. Many people had said, though, that this was a good feature; it allowed for corners to be cleaned and under couches to be swept. It has a removable canister for cleaning corners and dusting, and it's classified as lightweight. It's not a cordless and the suction is supposedly created in a different way than the normal vacuum- we'll see if this thing lives up to the hype. I bought it, but not without questioning myself. There were other lightweight vacuums that just looked more legit. I had even put the Eureka Lightweight version in my basket before swapping it out to go with my original plan.
I can't wait to try this thing out. You cannot possibly imagine what it's like for a more-than-moderately neat person to go so long without a working vacuum.
I've got a feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night...
In the house, they found three vacuum cleaners.
The biggest vacuum cleaner was loud and clunky; it scuffed the floors and smelled quite funky. The smallest vacuum cleaner was swift, but dusty, the brushes wouldn't spin and the wheels were rusty. The middle vacuum cleaner seemed just right, not too big, too little or too light. They got it started, and with clean desire,the thrid vacuum sparked and then caught fire.
I spent the beginning of this snow day researching vacuums online. I found one for under 100 dollars that had consumers singing its praises.
The fact that it was called the "Ultralight Never Loses Suction Multi Vacuum" had me a little worried- isn't a vacuum something where brand names may actually matter? But with a little searching on the ad, the name "Shark" appeared more than once. No, it's not Bissle or Orek, but supposedly it'll do the trick.Upon tracking the "Ultralight Never Loses Suction Multi Vacuum" down in the store (in the hand-held Dirt Devil section- bad sign?) I found that the mouth of this thing was pretty small. Many people had said, though, that this was a good feature; it allowed for corners to be cleaned and under couches to be swept. It has a removable canister for cleaning corners and dusting, and it's classified as lightweight. It's not a cordless and the suction is supposedly created in a different way than the normal vacuum- we'll see if this thing lives up to the hype. I bought it, but not without questioning myself. There were other lightweight vacuums that just looked more legit. I had even put the Eureka Lightweight version in my basket before swapping it out to go with my original plan.
I can't wait to try this thing out. You cannot possibly imagine what it's like for a more-than-moderately neat person to go so long without a working vacuum.
I've got a feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Sav and Stav do ballroom dance
Once upon a time, Sav and Stav went to a free ballroom dance class. Hoping for a good time and some basic skills, they were surprised to be hit with a mega sales pitch (should have seen it coming...). Stav promised he'd be back when he had the money and inched his way out the door. The instructor, Kinsey, relentlessly called them for 3 months until finally, one day... they came back,
So our first official ballroom dance class was today. Brian and I had a great time.. we, in 1 hour, learned the steps to the waltz, the rumba, the fox trot, and the swing rock. Surprisingly enough, we seemed to have a knack for it. Our history in music was apparent to both us and the instructor- we were actually able to keep time with music. The agenda that had been mapped out did not include the final two dances, which can only mean that we are super duper fast learners.
I wish I had a picture of us owning that dance floor. Alas, that will have to wait for another day. Until then, how about enjoying this little nugget?
And they both kept on living.. happily ever after
So our first official ballroom dance class was today. Brian and I had a great time.. we, in 1 hour, learned the steps to the waltz, the rumba, the fox trot, and the swing rock. Surprisingly enough, we seemed to have a knack for it. Our history in music was apparent to both us and the instructor- we were actually able to keep time with music. The agenda that had been mapped out did not include the final two dances, which can only mean that we are super duper fast learners.
I wish I had a picture of us owning that dance floor. Alas, that will have to wait for another day. Until then, how about enjoying this little nugget?
And they both kept on living.. happily ever after
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Sav and Stav fight the feeling
This weekend, Sav got a little sniffly-nosed. She fought and fought all day Friday and Saturday. She let Stav go out and play in the snow on his own (or rather, she let him shovel the entire driveway by himself).
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