Sunday, March 1, 2009

On Seeing

I wrote this poem a number of years ago... rhodopsin is the protein in you eye that actually senses light. I was learning about the process of vision at the time- it was inspired by the view on the drive back to college:

Bare black branches
against the setting sun
make me wish I were a painter
or a poet.
Instead,
I praise the Maker
for rhodopsin.

Thankful

I have a friend at work. For a few years in my PhD program, I didn't really hang out with anyone at work. This was sad to me. The other student in my lab was a guy a good bit older than I, and though we got along well, neither of us talked enough to strike up a friendship. I was used to it, but it was lonely.

Now I have a friend at work. She joined the lab three years ago, and now she is the easiest kind of friend- the kind you can watch TV with and not feel guilty about wasting time you could spend talking, because you saw them yesterday and will see them tomorrow, if there's anything new to say. Her desk is in the cubby next to mine, and we can lean around the wall and see if the other is doing anything interesting (i.e., something other than work). We work on the same project, meet together with out boss, have lunch together frequently, and generally do a lot of life side-by-side. We report on the day-to-day events of our evenings and sometimes we hang out outside of work. She is a year behind me in school and a few years ahead of me in life. We talk about TV and books and marriage and plans. Sometimes I worry that she wishes I would shove off, mostly since she couldn't get away from me if she tried, and she is too nice even to try. But, I think we both enjoy having someone around who is more interested in life outside of work than in their latest scientific achievement.

She is one of the things that make my life good, the things I am thankful for.

25 Things


This was going around Facebook a while back. Since I don't do facebook with much enthusiasm, and I'm new here in the internet world, I thought I'd put it here for fun, and by way of introduction.


25 Random Things about Me

  1. I read a lot of blogs, mostly about large families and homeschooling. Since I don’t have any children, and I don’t plan to homeschool, I’m not sure why I’m not tired of these yet.
  2. I’ve known my husband for 13 years, since we were 14. I kind of wanted to marry him even back then.
  3. I have a mountain of recycling sitting on my back deck, waiting to be taken to the recycling center. It’s been rained on and snowed and and frozen and unfrozen, and I keep procrastinating the task. I’ve even stopped recycling until I can get it out of here.
  4. I love to cook. Sometimes I read cookbooks for fun.
  5. My in-laws are awesome. They want me to feel like family, and they work hard to make it happen.
  6. My parents are awesome, too. I had an embarrassingly scar-free childhood.
  7. I get depressed in winter. All my journal entries in January through March talk about trusting God to bring the spring.
  8. This makes me a little nervous about moving to the snowy MidWest.
  9. On the other hand, I really want to try snow-shoeing.
  10. My husband and I live in a tiny 1-bedroom apartment. We’ll probably get a bigger place when we move, and I’m worried about keeping it clean.
  11. I’m also worried we won’t see each other, when we actually have the option of being in different rooms. (My husband laughs at this idea).
  12. I have a lot of best friends. This used to bug me, but I’ve made peace with it.
  13. I don’t have a lot of friends, though. I don’t really like meeting new people.
  14. I’m into rock music lately. My favorite new find is Blue October.
  15. I really, really like Harry Potter. I know I’m way to old for this kind of obsession, but I think she’s a great writer and her books will stand the test of time.
  16. I’d rather not have too many choices.
  17. I’m not coordinated enough to play sports (or ski), but I like to run, walk, hike, bike, canoe, camp, etc.
  18. Despite my lack of coordination, I can juggle pretty well. I learned from a friend between classes in high school.
  19. I’m no good at clothes. My younger sister has been more fashionable since she learned to dress herself.
  20. I like to walk around while I brush my teeth. This has disturbed all the people I have lived with, but I think it’s normal.
  21. I love to walk and get someplace. I’m really looking forward to doing errands on foot in SmallTown .
  22. I hated my name when I was young, but I like it now.
  23. My Dad works at the same place that I do, and we have lunch pretty often. We talk about food and school.
  24. I take a bus to work, and I read like a maniac while waiting and riding.
  25. I’d like to have chickens. Eggs, you know. And meat.