Room to Think

Good evening everyone! It has been constantly pouring here in the southern Seattle area for almost 24 hours now...actually, that's probably not true. There was a nice little break in the middle of the day where it was only misting, but the sort of mist that soaks you anyway. To be honest, I love this weather. In fact, I wish it was windy and stormy on top of that. At least then it'd seem more like home (yep, I'm homesick for Bellingham, but the rain is still nice.) The sound of the pounding rain often causes me to  look out the window at the streetlamp outside to see how much water is falling...and to see if it has turned to hail yet. That said, I don't like the traffic that the rain brings, and thus, I've spent the day inside (mostly), working on this blog post and other computer-y things while I listen to the rain drown the world outside. To my credit, I have not touched my xbox all day, though I still haven't felt particularly productive. Coincidenta...

I've been getting home so late from volleyball games that I've been too exhausted to write. In fact, last week was my last set of games (except for subdistricts!), and I came down with a cold (again). I've had fevers and body aches and a cough so bad I haven't been able to sit down at my computer for long periods of time at all. It's been really awful, but I think I'm developing abs from all my coughing. They're certainly sore enough to tell me that there's muscle there now. Either way, had my computer been a laptop instead of a desktop, I might be telling a different story...instead, my job-hunting productivity has gone on the backburner in favor of getting healthier and not spreading my sickness around. That said, it doesn't mean I haven't accomplished things! Here's a list of all the TV shows I'm suddenly caught up on: Presidential (and Vice Presidential) Debates Bones The Walking Dead Covert Affairs Once Upon a Time Grimm ...

Manarola, third of the Five Lands Another Friday is here, and I'm ready! Today's Florence Friday is a follow-up on the Amalfi Coast.  We're going to learn a little more about it's cousin to the north, Cinque Terre. Also, I have an embarrassing admission to make. The first picture in my Amalfi Coast Blog , is actually a picture of Manarola. >.< See how confusing this is??? Cinque Terre is probably the coastline I laid eyes on first in my google searches, as it is much closer to Florence than the Amalfi Coast is. This map is particularly helpful to me...what with my need to learn basic Italian geography before I head over there. >.< **also, Milan isn't on there, but from my hotdog pizza post, I know it's more north than Venice is! =) Like the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Cinque Terre National Park), and it literally means "The Five Lands".  These five lands are the five villages along the co...

Boy, I think I need to come up with a new schedule. I got a new job last week! I'm coaching my old high school volleyball team.  =D  Yeah, I play volleyball...apparently well enough to coach too, since my girls haven't lost yet with me as a coach (Shhh, that's only two games, but hey, it's something!) The reason I think I need to come up with a new blogging schedule is because we have games on Tuesdays and Thursdays--so I don't get home until 9:30 or 10 some nights. Those nights make for rambly, rushed, half-assed blogs, or me not wanting to roll out of bed the next morning because I didn't get to do yoga or get enough sleep. Like tonight. Here is tonight's TEDtalk.  It's given by a woman named Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist. Since I'm currently looking for another job to supplement my meager school district income, I thought her talk was particularly relevant to the interviews I'm bound to have in the future. She claims that she can ma...

Cinque Terre! NOT the Amalfi Coast! Whoops! I've never posted here about the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), but it's one of my favorite places to post on my Italy Tumblr . I love the colors of this place...granted, this particular picture is edited to increase vibrance, but I'd love to take a picture like this for myself one day. The Amalfi Coast is in Southern Italy, actually at the Southern tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula. It's actually listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site . Most of their commerce is related to tourism, since there's only one road in and out of the area. Because they're listed on a coastal cliff there isn't much room for agriculture, unlike the rolling vineyards of Florence's Tuscany. However, they are known for their limoncello liqueur--because they can grow lemons, known as "sfusato amalfitano" in terraced gardens along the coast. More exciting than booze, though, I found out that the Amalfi people ...

As requested, I'm going to make an attempt at bringing Florence Friday back. I was running out of pictures and the energy to research more, so I just let myself fall out of it. Unfortunately, I lost a good chunk of you dear readers, and I want to bring you back too! In the last few weeks, I heard a story about a woman from Milan who was visiting the States. When she was asked what her favorite Italian food was, she kinda squirmed a little and said, "Well, I'm from Milan. We're right on the border. But I actually really like pizza." "Great!" we said. "What kind?" And here, she sort of blushed a little and said, "Well...being so close to the border of Switzerland and Austria and all...you're going to think this is weird, but, my favorite pizza has hot dogs on it." Yep. The exotic Milan woman likes HOT DOG PIZZA. I couldn't believe it. So, like any good internet fiend, I turned to my good friend GOOgle(images). ...

I've been out of the house on a scavenger hunt for men's jeans today, but when I got home and checked my email, guess what I had in my inbox???? a priority invite to TEDxVancouver!!! Okay, so I did  sign up for priority registration notifications....and everyone who clicked that button gets one of these...but...but...it's exciting anyway. I sent a request to be an intern for TEDxVancouver back when I lived in Bellingham, and I'm kinda wondering if they'll contact me for volunteers now. Either way, this is almost as good as getting an email from Chris Anderson himself, although he won't be present at this one. I also don't know if I"ll be attending.  It's very soon, and this ticket reservation I got expires in three days, and $100 is a lot of money for an unemployed potential technical writer, especially when gas is over $4 again.  =( But if any of you are interested in driving up to Vancouver to check out the whole day, just clic...