megwood55's Xanga

knitting the night away

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:25:50 GMT

hello friends.

so I've been spending quite a lot of time reading blogs...about knitting. why would I do this? well its pretty simple. I've started my new job in the San Fran bay area and I now have a 1.5 hour commute. Each way. Yeah. Its actually not as bad as it sounds and I'm finding myself to be pretty grateful for the daily down time when I'm forced to just sit and focus on something. So in the morning I read the Bible and in the evening I listen to podcasts and knit! Guess what - I'm addicted to knitting! I started during the second week of my job back in November I've already knit up quite a storm. Sounds pretty nerdy, I know, but I'm kinda A.D.D. about needing to do something with my hands while being audibly entertained, so knitting is perfect and it also produces lots of fun products and presents for my friends and fam. My bros and their wives each got a hat or scarf for Christmas and three other friends have gotten similar things this month.

I'm taking orders for other presents if anyone out there needs something to keep them warm, but my brother's twin boy fetuses will take precidence in just a few months (polar bear and yoda hats are already queued up)! If any of you wonderful friends of mine are closet members of Ravelry, friend me! I'm megwood55 there as well.

Ok so here are a few of the things I've made during my short career thus far:

transitions

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:30:46 GMT

Well its been a crazy couple of months. A few weeks ago I gave the oral defense of my thesis (aka 'why I cut gonads out of things') to a room full of family, friends, peers and professors and it was terrifying and fun and I passed!!! Yippee. My parents then whisked me off to AZ for a while to relax and enjoy their new digs. Then I had to get ready to present my research again in Canadia last weekend, which was rainy and also lots of fun. I felt half at home there. The half that says "eh" a lot. Now I'm trying desperately to get my thesis edited and submitted before the next part of life takes over...

Today was my last work day at home in my comfy little apartment, drinking tons of tea, typing away on my paper and furiously trying to finish the thesis. I've been doing that pretty much nonstop since August, but starting Monday I'm quitting science!! Ok, so not entirely...I'm starting my new job down in Oakland working for a regional branch of NOAA, which is basically the part of the federal government that works on ocean stuff. I'm gonna do marine policy, so I get to be the middleman who supplies scientific information to people who need it in order to take care of the ocean's resources. Should be interesting I hope!

To give a broad overview of life lately, this has been the most challenging and stretching year of my life and it'll be interesting to see if the next one calms down at all or is more of the same. I feel like life until now has been partly sleepwalking and suddenly I got hit upside the head and told to wake up. Growing up is crazy sometimes eh? One thing I know for sure: I'm really happy to be staying here in the SF Bay area, which was 80 degrees today, in the middle of November. Can't beat that. In fact, I'm gonna go sleep on my porch...right now.

Marathon

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:20:02 GMT

Ok this is gonna be quick cause I ought to be analyzing data! This weekend I traveled the great distance of 40 miles to participate in the world's coolest marathon, the San Francisco Marathon. Why is it so cool? Cause of the fog, of course...ok, actually its cause SF is awesome and I got to run along the waterfront of the bay, by the famous fisherman's wharf, across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, up through the hills and into Golden Gate Park. I finished the half marathon in a little over 2 hours and it felt great. A couple of my friends continued on through other parts of the city and ran the whole thing with amazingly fast times. Perhaps the best part of the day, besides running over the bridge, were the free massages we got after the race. They had a bunch of massage students all set up in a tent and it was awesome. Running this race was a real testament to God's grace and His healing power. I developed a stress fracture about two months ago, which didn't heal until 2 weeks ago, and yet that was just enough time for me to get back into training and be able to finish the race feeling great. I'm totally looking for a whole marathon to do next, so we'll see which one wins out. I'd like to do the whole SF marathon next summer, but it would also be fun to do a different race!

Well, thanks to everyone who called and emailed encouragement - it was so nice to hear from you guys! Keep up the xanga-ing!!

I heart California

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:32:16 GMT

Got back from Yosemite late last night...wish we hadn't had to leave at all, but life carries on! We had a blast, despite my bum foot that apparently is sprained or has a stress fracture. But crutches and patient friends made the whole thing awesome nonetheless. We got to Yosemite around 6am and got in line to get a camp site (this was one of the busiest weekends of the year up there) and then we hiked up to the bottom of upper Yosemite Falls. We might've gone further but my foot was starting to really hurt so we headed back down. We spent a lot of time at the Ahwanee Hotel, which is big, old and beautiful...the perfect spot to play farkle for hours! The weekend also consisted of swimming in the icy river on a hot day, lots of hacky-sacking, roasting the best sausages ever and of course, smores smores smores!

God's amazing power and beauty is rarely more evident to me than in a place like Yosemite, where the geology is so drastic and incomprehensible and the biology adorning it is relatively untouched and totally breathtaking. It was such a blessing to spend the weekend there, enjoying the creation and having fellowship with other believers who appreciate it as well. I can't wait to go back and conquer the intended target: Half Dome. Couldn't do it this time with the foot, but I'm more determined now than ever!! Hope you all had nice Father's Day weekends!

we be trippin'

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:29:31 GMT

I'M GOING BACK TO YOSEMITE TODAY!!!!
After much begging of friends and scraping together of necessary camping gear, we are on our way today back to the land of granite greatness. Plans so far: eat tons of marshmallows, hike half dome and try to conquer insane fear of heights, jump in a waterfall, run in the valley, play farkle till I hate it (not possible?), have a super awesome time all around. Check back in a few days to see if I survived/posted new, summer-y Yosemit-y pics!

blogosphere

Fri, 30 May 2008 21:10:24 GMT

Things that blogs and social networks seem to think define who you are:
Your education
Favorite movies
Favorite actors
Favorite music
Favorite quote
Favorite band
Favorite tv show
Favorite book
Favorite author

So, if the internet could somehow exist prior to the telegraph, or if you're a modern person for whom media doesn't entirely characterize you, what would you list as your defining characteristics? As I look through the profiles of my online friends, I realize that there is a relatively short list of popular things that are our "favorites". Are we all really this homogeneous, or is there another explanation? If they were making a similar list back in the 1800's, would it consist of "favorite farm animal, favorite constellation, favorite dress pattern"? I'd love to see that list...

miles to go before I sleep

Tue, 20 May 2008 04:45:10 GMT

Its late and this is a ramble...

So I've decided facebook is sucking the soul out of the internet. I know we're all enjoying poking, throwing sheep, writing on walls and updating what you're doing right...NOW, but where am I supposed to ramble about my latest adventures?? I have yet to find a good place on facebook. So I return to my xanga for just that purpose. Thank you to my beloved wheaties who are still stickin to xanga, I miss you all and love reading your posts.

I've spent the last couple months trying to get the very most out of life. I'm no longer content to sit at home, watching tv and vegetating like I did last year. These changes have helped:
1) Not taking classes, thus having a very free schedule
2) Getting invited to visit fun, interesting places with fun, interesting people
3) Finally finally finally making good Christian friends in California
4) Pursuing God instead of waiting for him to pursue me
5) Deciding to see if I can exercise 5-6 days a week without dying and learning its possible!
6) Getting too much sun, which I think makes me a bit delirious on a regular basis?

So I'm using the excitement and energy from all of the above to make every single day better than the last. I hope. I, of course, have bad days (e.g. getting tired of grad school and being ready to be done!!), but I want to live in the moment instead of obsessing over the future. Living in California has been so full of dichotomies and definitely one of the most challenging times of my life. Right now I feel like I'm on a sharp edge with two very different directions to fall towards. I needed advice...

Luckily, I spent the weekend in denver with my family and got to spend some really good quality time with my mom. She's very wise and therefore tells me things I don't want to hear. :) But she's also gracious, gives me hope and tells me to be patient with my life. I hope I can be like her someday. (minus the canadian accent of course)

Besides talking about important life goals with my mom, we also celebrated my bro, Ryan, who graduated law school this weekend! He's gonna be brilliant and makes gobs of money. Which is good cause I won't, so I'll probably have to move into his basement someday when my marine biology career doesn't make me millions. Congrats to my brother and his wife and good luck with the Bar, Ry!!

Yosemite is rocks

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:18:20 GMT

Wow I haven't added anything to Xanga in FOREVER!!! Sorry bout that. I think everybody is over on facebook now anyway, but its nice to be able to just write a little blog every once in a while, eh?

Well, I'm still busy playing with sea critters in NorCal but whenever I get the chance I also take off and explore new places. The fall was a really good time for me cause I finally found a church where I connected with people and I've got a great new group of friends. Suddenly I can't imagine leaving this place and I hope I don't have to. This last weekend I went to Yosemite with some of those new friends and I had an incredible time. The couple who host my Bible study planned the trip and brought along their 6 little kids, which made it all that much more fun cause no one loves snow more than kids! We went ice skating, which I've been craving to do for months, and we had a lot of snowball fights and played a ton of games while bundled up next to fireplaces. I'm now officially addicted to a dice game called Farkle (yeah i know). It's all Jeff's fault and I thank him for it. We had a bit of a scary drive home in a blizzard but don't tell my parents, they freak out about weather despite the fact that they've lived in southern AZ for 30 years. Maybe that's why they live there...its been sunny and clear there for at least that long.

Ok well anyway here are a few pics from Yosemite and I put more on my facebook so you guys can check them out there if you want. This Sunday I'm flying to Hawaii for a couple weeks so look for some underwater photos/video very soon! I'm hoping to get some Humpback whale action on film if possible!!

P.S. I have to give credit to the water drop pics to my photographer friend, Jon, cause I blatantly ripped off his idea. Luckily I have nowhere near his skill so he'll probably forgive!

STARDUST

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:48:57 GMT

Movie recommendation!!!
I just went and the saw the most charming adult fairy tale since "The Princess Bride" and it's called Stardust. The trailers for this movie are crap, but the real thing is so good. Claire Danes is a fallen star, Michelle Pfieffer is a witch and Robert DeNiro is a very unique pirate. Definitely one of the best films of the year. I promise you'll love it - now go see it!!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:35:23 GMT

So I'm in the San Juan Islands taking a Marine Conservation course, and today we had a debate about marine protected areas. We all had to represent various stakeholders like environmentalists, tourists and fishermen. I was supposed to be an environmentalist, but ended up looking a lot more like a gypsy/wench...(and yes I am wielding fake plastic whales - take that!)

Last weekend we went up to the northernmost cascade mountain, Mt. Baker, and it was gorgeous!! Snowball fights in August are the best.

And here's another pic from my diving adventure last weekend. This is a little nudibranch ("naked snail") that was absolutely beautiful - ain't nature fine?