I love this show! Its one of those shows I intially avoided because... you know... I felt for some reason I just shouldn't watch it. But one night, Kevin was gone, I was all alone, I had nothing else to do... and lets be honest- the previews were interesting... so I watched it. I'm hooked. I love the show because of the commentary... Carrie Bradshaw has some of the most profound thoughts... I love it. Real issues, real people (okay, so its a TV show... but still).
Last nights show was so interesting to me, during commerical I ran to grab my journal to write some things down. Carrie said something along the lines of, "why are we so busy should-ing outselves?" As women, we put such immense pressure on ourselves for what we think we should be/do instead of what we could be/do. I totally relate!
Heres a quiz I took... Which Sex in the City girl are you like?? I scored the highest for Miranda! Yeah! Last night she and her family were house/apt shopping and Brooklyn and she just didn't like that area b/c of her ideas of it... and all of a sudden she exclaims "oh my God, I'm married." I don't know how many times I've had to remind myself of that... too independent and strong-willed sometimes!
Here's what the quiz said:
You scored 40% MirandaYou chose many of the same answers that Earth Sign-like Miranda, the cynical but pragmatic lawyer, might have chosen. Just like Miranda's had a tough time deciding whether to give in to the affections of Steve the Bartender, you don't give your heart up to just anyone. Miranda shies away from a relationship with Steve because he's 'just' a bartender, not something more conventionally ambitious or stable. Those with powerful Earth Sign qualities -- characteristics associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn -- are cautious in love and seek stability and status over nearly anything else. Earth Signs provide a steady, realistic attitude and they can bring order out of chaos. A little-known Earth Sign fact: Incredibly sensual, you seethe beneath that smart, expensive business suit of yours, yearning for intimacy but hesitant to give up your material needs, your career ambitions or your responsibilities for a passionate moment that might not turn out the way you'd hope.
To take the quiz go to: http://quiz.ivillage.com/astrology/tests/sexandthecity.htm
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
The Williams Family Visit
Here are some pictures of my family from when they came out to visit us last week! I was really sad when they left... I did not expect that! The reality of how far away really hit me and that I might not get to see them all again for nine more months!
This picture is of my mom and dad at a thai restaurant called The Orchid that we went to in Santa Monica. The food was great!
Here is my mom, dad and Josh at the Santa Monica Pier. The weather forecast said it was going to rain the entire time they were here... but we barely got a drop! Instead, it was just way cold... so heres us trying to huddle together to stay warm while looking at the beautiful ocean!
Ice cream sandwiches at Diddy Reise (in Westwood, near UCLA)... they cost $1!
My family outside of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
Josh got to touch a sting ray! (yes I was too chicken, you know me and creatures)
Kevin and I looking at one of the exhibits. They even simulated the humidity and wave action! We saw a ton of cool fish including jelly fish (my favorite- yeah right, I got stung by one on a family vacation in texas and have dreaded the creatures ever sense), sea horses of all kinds, huge lobsters and shrimp, eels, tiger sharks, bright colored frogs, and an octopus!
Us outside of Universal Studios.
3D glasses... several of the "rides" included 3D vedios.
On the studio tour we got to see some of the sets they've used recently in movies. This one is from War of the Worlds when the plane crashes into the neighborhood. We also saw Backdraft scenes, Hong Kong stuff, The Grinch set, the Desperate Housewives neighborhood, Jaws exhibit, and... I guess they were filming the sequel to Bruce Almighty but we couldn't see much.
And lastly, dinner at our apartment. There's Kevin trying to pretend to be excited about the carrot/beet salad I made. We also ate chicken and asparagus and Asian yams. Yummy!
Monday, March 06, 2006
Rubbing off on me
I did it. I actually missed a soccer game for the Oscars. I've been looking forward to them for weeks... In Kansas, I was lucky if I remembered they existed. Maybe its because they have been in the news for weeks here... "Hollywood begins preparation for Oscars", etc. Maybe its the HUGE billboard near our apartment that said "Oscars, March 5th, don't miss them!" Or maybe its the fact that like half the city shut down for the event... I don't know.
Bottom line: LA is rubbing off on me. I was SO excited to watch the Oscars, we even had a pre-Oscar party to watch some of the nominated movies! I am still sad for Joaquin Phoenix... I REALLY wanted him to win Best Actor!!! And I am SO glad that Brokeback didn't blow out everything... so overrated!!
Got to love it!
Bottom line: LA is rubbing off on me. I was SO excited to watch the Oscars, we even had a pre-Oscar party to watch some of the nominated movies! I am still sad for Joaquin Phoenix... I REALLY wanted him to win Best Actor!!! And I am SO glad that Brokeback didn't blow out everything... so overrated!!
Got to love it!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Inspired or Discouraged??
I am supposed to be studying for the LEED exam that I hope to take someday… and I’m finally about 3/4ths of the way thru all the material… but tonight as I read about Indoor Air Quality, I find myself very distracted. I am surprised.
Did you know that Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants may be two to five times- and occasionally more than 100 times- higher than outdoor levels? (According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Are you wondering how that is possible? I did. To summarize, indoor air pollution is caused by ventilation systems that fail to fully remove “old” air with fresh outdoor air. Bad systems can store dust, volatile organic compounds, microorganisms, and other contaminants for years. Not only that, but during construction and installation, the glues, paints and coatings, carpet, and wood we use release harmful chemicals into the air, that are frequently not fully flushed out of the building before it is opened to the public. Things like this can cause sicknesses and headaches, among other things, to anybody inside.
Sorry to bore you with technical info, but this was just the beginning of my surprise. Buildings aren’t as safe as I always assumed they were. Architects, contractors, and construction workers have a HUGE impact on the environment we live in every day. Not only that, but they can strongly influence your health and general well being by the way they design. And this is just one section of the several that I have read so far.
Its inspiring really. It is so easy for me to get discouraged at my job… especially when I sit day after day, staring at a computer screen, drawing some technical detail that seems so minor and really not that interesting. I especially hate the days where I walk out at the end of the day and realize that I’ve barely talked to another human being. I forget how God has allowed me to play a small part in the shaping of this earth and the environment that shelters and protects and provides for His people. Instead I focus on how my body aches from sitting down so long, and on how I dread opening AutoCad again to the same drawings I’ve been working on for months now. The other day I stepped out of the car and thought “God if only I could have one meaningful conversation today with somebody.”
I realize more and more lately how I rate the success of my day/life on the relationships I have. A completely unproductive day at work, yet full of random conversations and laugher, almost always beats a mostly full day of productivity. And… if I can’t have meaningful conversations at work b/c the environment and culture is not welcoming to this, than I find myself wishing I could be more productive, because at least if I can’t talk to somebody, I’d get something done. But then I find I’m not all that productive without being able to talk to somebody at least a little bit. So, you see, I’m in a bit of a bind.
And… as most people seem to perceive me as “quiet” I’ll clarify that when I say “talk to” somebody, I usually mean somebody talking to me. That’s right, I like to listen. Especially when I’m just getting to know somebody. And my close friends right now, are saying to themselves, “yeah right, Nikki and listening is maybe not two words I’d use together too frequently”, hence the comment about “especially when I’m getting to know somebody”.
Anyways, now that I’ve rambled and this email is on a completely different track than when I started, I’ll keep rambling. I think I’m just lonely here in LA. Its taking way too dang long to get to know somebody and when work seems to be filling most of my time, I seem to get depressed. I wonder, does my work environment just devalue the social aspects of life, or is that normal in the professional field? Am I just anti-social and need to be more aggressive and outgoing, or is it in some part, just LA, a huge city (a collection of 88 cities crammed into one- really!) and its just hard to get to know people?
Or maybe, its just the recent increase of family specific conflict that’s poured into my soul, that puts an overall shadow over everything. Yes, I think that’s definitely part of it.
I was going to write about volatile organic compounds and how God created an earth we’d have to die in, and about what spirituality really is, but I’ll save that for another day. Back to studying.
Did you know that Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants may be two to five times- and occasionally more than 100 times- higher than outdoor levels? (According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Are you wondering how that is possible? I did. To summarize, indoor air pollution is caused by ventilation systems that fail to fully remove “old” air with fresh outdoor air. Bad systems can store dust, volatile organic compounds, microorganisms, and other contaminants for years. Not only that, but during construction and installation, the glues, paints and coatings, carpet, and wood we use release harmful chemicals into the air, that are frequently not fully flushed out of the building before it is opened to the public. Things like this can cause sicknesses and headaches, among other things, to anybody inside.
Sorry to bore you with technical info, but this was just the beginning of my surprise. Buildings aren’t as safe as I always assumed they were. Architects, contractors, and construction workers have a HUGE impact on the environment we live in every day. Not only that, but they can strongly influence your health and general well being by the way they design. And this is just one section of the several that I have read so far.
Its inspiring really. It is so easy for me to get discouraged at my job… especially when I sit day after day, staring at a computer screen, drawing some technical detail that seems so minor and really not that interesting. I especially hate the days where I walk out at the end of the day and realize that I’ve barely talked to another human being. I forget how God has allowed me to play a small part in the shaping of this earth and the environment that shelters and protects and provides for His people. Instead I focus on how my body aches from sitting down so long, and on how I dread opening AutoCad again to the same drawings I’ve been working on for months now. The other day I stepped out of the car and thought “God if only I could have one meaningful conversation today with somebody.”
I realize more and more lately how I rate the success of my day/life on the relationships I have. A completely unproductive day at work, yet full of random conversations and laugher, almost always beats a mostly full day of productivity. And… if I can’t have meaningful conversations at work b/c the environment and culture is not welcoming to this, than I find myself wishing I could be more productive, because at least if I can’t talk to somebody, I’d get something done. But then I find I’m not all that productive without being able to talk to somebody at least a little bit. So, you see, I’m in a bit of a bind.
And… as most people seem to perceive me as “quiet” I’ll clarify that when I say “talk to” somebody, I usually mean somebody talking to me. That’s right, I like to listen. Especially when I’m just getting to know somebody. And my close friends right now, are saying to themselves, “yeah right, Nikki and listening is maybe not two words I’d use together too frequently”, hence the comment about “especially when I’m getting to know somebody”.
Anyways, now that I’ve rambled and this email is on a completely different track than when I started, I’ll keep rambling. I think I’m just lonely here in LA. Its taking way too dang long to get to know somebody and when work seems to be filling most of my time, I seem to get depressed. I wonder, does my work environment just devalue the social aspects of life, or is that normal in the professional field? Am I just anti-social and need to be more aggressive and outgoing, or is it in some part, just LA, a huge city (a collection of 88 cities crammed into one- really!) and its just hard to get to know people?
Or maybe, its just the recent increase of family specific conflict that’s poured into my soul, that puts an overall shadow over everything. Yes, I think that’s definitely part of it.
I was going to write about volatile organic compounds and how God created an earth we’d have to die in, and about what spirituality really is, but I’ll save that for another day. Back to studying.
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