This library is officially one of the coolest ones I've ever seen. Doesn't that just entice you to walk inside? And guess what? It's in Kansas City, Missouri. Believe me, I will go there someday :)

Phoebe

I'm so very worried about my little Phoebe. Two nights ago, she was chipper and hyper (as usual) and climbing all over the bars of her cage (also as usual). We went to sleep annoyed, actually, because of all the  noise she was making.

Then, Thursday morning. I saw some movement in her cage and went to say hello. Immediately, I knew something was wrong; I've watched a lot of hamsters reach the end. Phoebe looked utterly miserable--bedraggled, groggy, sad. I hoped I was overreacting, but then I noticed her walking. Or rather, trying to walk. She was limping badly and favoring one of her hind legs. She climbed into her wheel and attempted to run, but fell out.

That night, Josh cautiously picked her up--we weren't sure if she'd try to snap at us if she was in pain--and we examined the damages. Her leg had swelled to twice its size and looked like it wasn't bending properly. It's so dang sad! We're positive she did it while doing her acrobatics. She likes to climb to the top of the cage and let go. Only this time, she must've gotten her leg stuck in between the bars while falling.

I've never had an injured hamster before, and we're not sure what to do. Obviously, you can't make her a splint or hold ice to her leg. We're hoping that, with time, she'll heal on her own. But how do you keep a hamster from trying to run on a bad leg? We have moved her food dish to the lower level of her cage, though, so she won't be quite as compelled to climb. We're also taking it as a good sign that she still likes to be held and stroked. We're assuming that means she isn't in too much pain? But still, watching her stumble around is heartbreaking, and we went to bed fighting back tears.

So, this may seem silly, but could you pray for our little animal? We haven't even had her a year, and she's such a fun addition to our family. I don't want to have to part with her yet!

Olympics 2010

Ice dancing is now my new favorite sport. The way the dancers tie their movements, their costumes, and their music together is so movingly artistic that at some points, I swelled with emotion. I don't know much about dancing, but I know that there were some beautiful lines and complex--though deceptively simple-looking--moves being presented. The sport is so romantic and theatrical, it's a little strange that it is a sport. But I am so pleased to see art represented in the Olympics and in such a lovely way! Here are my favorites from the free dance night.

Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski of Russia 

dancing to Stravinski's Firebird Suite

Meryl Davis and Charlie White of USA

dancing to Phantom of the Opera

(Please note: I will someday have a dress like that)

Good Taste

Yesterday, I thought I'd expose the little munchkin I nanny to some quality music, so I brought The Phantom of the Opera. I sang along with the movie while she was eating. It took her much longer to devour that bottle, because she kept smiling and giggling. Now there's a little girl who is off to a great start musically! I have to admit, she made me proud :) Any suggestions on other musical selections I should bring her?

Four Nights a Week

There's something very haunting and poetic about the Minneapolis skyline at night. And I get to experience it four nights a week as I drive to pick up Josh.

Can it get any prettier than that?

Why I need a new bookshelf

Every night when I'm going to pick Josh up from work, I get a terrible urge to stop at the Micawber's Bookstore, which is conveniently (or perhaps inconveniently) right on the way. There are three things holding me back from actually browsing the shelves and coming home with more books. One: It's usually 11:30 p.m. when I drive by. Two: I've got a huge pile of books I have yet to read. And three: Besides the floor, I have no where to keep them! 

Which is why I've started a Bookshelf Fund to save up for this fine beauty:

Feel free to donate to my cause :)

Lost Upset

*disclaimer: I will be talking about some of the things from the latest season of Lost.*

Oh, LOST, how I love thee. Except now that you're messing with my mind in ways I never thought possible. Apparently, after Juliet set off the hydrogen bomb, we now have two alternate realities going on at the same time--one on the island in present day and one back on the plane (that doesn't crash this time). At first, I was like, "Yay! Now none of my favorite characters actually die!" But then, as we are introduced to the beloved characters again, we see them as they used to be, before the island changed them. I was not so excited anymore.

Take Charlie, for example, my all-time favorite character. I was ecstatic to hear that he would be coming back to the show, because, I mean, why couldn't he come back to life? This is LOST we're talking about. But he wasn't the Island Charlie; he was Plane Charlie, the heroine addict who hated the world. I was devastated for his character, and I realized that, though the Island ultimately killed him, it was necessary for him to have been there. It was where he struggled to overcome his drug addiction and where he met Claire. His relationship with her and her baby (affectionately known as "Turniphead") was monumental and endearing. Seeing Charlie grow into a caring and functioning human being throughout the seasons made me love him all the more and made his death that much more heartbreaking. But not as heartbreaking as it was to see him back where he started, barely recognizable.

And let's talk about Sun and Jin, the Korean couple who had many things--family struggles, work issues, infertility--going against them before the crash. Their time on the island taught them how to relate to each other as a couple. No outside restraints, no cultural dictations. Just them. Watching them rediscover their love and respect for each other was so very beautiful. And the fact that the island "gave" them a baby was the icing on the cake. Everything was going so well. Until they were separated by space and time. Talk about another one of those super emotional episodes, the one where we think Jin has just been blown up on the freighter and Sun screams in agony. Still gives me chills. So, you'd think that with the new season, I'd be excited to see them back together. Au contraire! There they were on the airplane, Sun dreaming of the love she wished she knew and Jin scolding her for being immodest and headstrong. The old walls were intact, the old bitterness brewing, the old regrets lingering. Not what I wanted for them.

But with LOST, all this "old character" business could be an illusion. Or a way to show us how sometimes bad things happen to serve greater purposes. If it's the latter, then the writer's are geniuses. And also very daring. I couldn't imagine putting a character I created through difficulties and growing pains only to put them right back in the problem again. All that hard work of redeeming the character going to waste! Yikes! I wonder if I should try it sometime, though, just to see what it feels like...

Apple

Since I'm married to a man who works at Apple, I naturally get inundated with all things Mac. Last night was no exception. Here are a few of the products he showed me (and which I admit, are actually pretty cool).

Giant earbud speakers:

iMac Aquariums (made from old computers):

Snow White Decal (though I think it would make more sense if she were on the other side of the apple):

And my personal favorite, the MacBOOK carrying case:

If you'd like to see a few more, check out this website.

Loves!

Heidi

I'm so glad I went to college

Because it sure isn't doing anything for me. Yes, I just received yet another rejection. And I was so sure that this time--it had to be this time--I'd get the job. But I suppose it's for the best, because I was starting to have second thoughts about the position anyway. I wouldn't have admitted that to anyone, though, if I had been offered the job. I would've taken it, because that's what you do in this economy. "In this economy." Don't you just hate that phrase? It pops up everywhere, and it sure doesn't boost anyone's confidence--or motivation.

But, since I'm sure you don't want to hear my complaining for a whole blog, I will come up with a list of reasons why "this economy" and my college education is worth the trouble.

1. I have a large support team surrounding me (aka all my fellow graduates who are stumbling around asking questions). Truly, it is a comfort knowing that "it's not just me." Plus, we help each other out--giving advice or encouragement, or even offering each other jobs (thanks, Jenny). I think there's going to be a new kind of camaraderie that comes out of this time.

2. I have plenty of time to figure out where my real passions lie. I've been interning at the Minnesota Literacy Council and love what they are doing. I'm thinking of volunteering there more often, perhaps teach English to ESL learners.

3. A writing degree can pretty much be used anywhere, I just need to find my niche. In the meantime, I'll document my experiences and hopefully I (or others) will learn from them. Or I'll figure out how to do some freelancing.

4. I have more time to devote to God. I find that when I'm in a confused or desperate state, I turn to him more frequently. Since I'm currently in that place, I hope I will develop strong and good habits that I can then nurture for the rest of my life.

5. I have more time to *ahem* experiment in the kitchen. And not just deserts. Josh has this Martin Yan cookbook with some really good stir fry and chicken recipes that look pretty simple. We'll see what I can conjure up :)

So, even though there are many aspects about these days that suck, I will try to look at them differently and use them as a time to learn more about myself and explore other avenues. For now, I am taking a break with the job search--it's exhausting and doesn't yield much but disappointment and a hundred different versions of my resume--and focus my work energies on a little girl named Ava. I'm discovering that, despite my initial fear of young children, they aren't so bad. In fact, I really like them. Which is a good thing to discover since I'm hoping to have some of my own someday.

Toodles!

Heidi