The knob that controls the hot water in our shower mysteriously stopped stopping, a few days ago. You could keep turning and turning and turning it to the right; although it still mostly turned the water off, it dripped a bit. I called the landlord about the issue, and he said, "Hello! I just got back from Greece last night! I'll fix the bathtub ( Read more... )

China's events for the Olympic opening ceremonies were nothing short of awe-inspiring. Our repetitive commentary ran something like, "*Gasp* those are people!" The fearsome drummers, the Confucian disciples, the Tai Chi perfection, the ship oars, the unbelievable human-operated pins that were raised and lowered with machine-like precision. The ( Read more... )

My UI diploma arrived in the mail yesterday. I don't know where to put it. Maybe I'll stick it in the same folder with my Wellesley diploma. They wouldn't get lonely, that way ( Read more... )

What can I say ... I'm bored, my boyfriend is thousands of miles away, and I feel like a giant uterus. Memes fit the bill ( Read more... )

I've gotten two phone calls today from the same number in North Carolina. No messages. It's a mystery ( Read more... )

In lieu of children, I have pets and plants. All of the plants are in containers and very portable, but a container garden of edible plants is a new undertaking. So far, mostly so good. And that makes me happy. (What would make me happier: the courage, energy, and means to start composting.)

Old:1 enormous pot of prayer plants ( Read more... )

Reconnecting with old high school acquaintances is a strange dance between expectations, outcomes, and egos. Add misconceptions into the mix, and you might remember why you chose not to talk to some people after leaving high school ( Read more... )

Maybe it's the reminder that Wellesley students are focused, talented (and multi-talented, judging from the number of presentations by students majoring in a field unrelated to their current research!), articulate, and confident ( Read more... )

Like cover letters, applications, and paper proposals. Apparently, I don't own many of these "filler" books ... (I do own plenty of books that I haven't read, but very few show up here ( Read more... )

My discomfort with cover letters grows with each one I write. There are perfectly appealing job ads that suddenly become loathsome when I try to plunk out that introductory letter. Most of the time, I feel like I ought to be in an Old West bordello, flaunting what assets I have and using ruffles to conceal that areas that are less developed. "Oh ( Read more... )