SNOW + lots of gingerbread = christmas heaven

merry christmas from sundance!!! wish you were all here.

so much love to all,
jooj.

as many of you may have heard...

the lovely black volvo was stolen late saturday night while i was working at mr. yogato. stolen off the streets of DC. and i had accidentally left my phone in it too, so yes my phone was stolen as well.

yes it is an unbelievably frustrating event. i feel utterly violated, and the night itself was horrid as i frantically tried to find a way to tell the police the license plate number (which i hadn't memorized) - the 911 dispatcher wouldn't take the report until i had it. very difficult to be done when mom and dad are in tahiti and i have hardly anyone's number memorized, aside from lincoln's - who spent over an hour with me in my search, and gave me general calming support. thanks guggle :) the saving grace came from the combined efforts of dear friends xarissa and natalie, the former of whom was randomly with me at work that night, stood with me through the whole thing, and had natalie's number in her phone, whom i called to search my room for the license plate number, which she miraculously found, and then drove up (in her pajamas, because i had woken her up - it was about 3am at this point) to dupont circle to take me and xarissa home. so thanks to these 3, i survived the night :)

and thanks to my roommate's family, i have this awesome hunk of american glory to drive around for the next few days:


AWESOME. i admit the humor of me driving around in this is not lost on me, despite all the current frustration and stress :)

one year later, to the day

so exactly one year ago i posted the results of a haircut. today i post the results not only of a haircut, but also my very first venture in coloring my hair! i have always wanted to dye my hair darker, and i finally took the plunge. hard to get a good photo of the exact coloring... but what do you think?

huzzah!

this particular huzzah is for thanksgiving of course :) today i'm celebrating with leslie (HUGE huzzah for that) and lots of the horn clan. it's really nice to be back in the US for thanksgiving this year - i have spent many of them abroad as of late, and though the one year in paris was particularly wonderful, i admit there is nothing like being on american soil for such a day. it's an incredible feeling: you know everyone in the country is celebrating today, everyone will be gathering to eat together in some fashion. i love the care and concern everyone shows in demanding if you have a place to go for thanksgiving, and opening up their homes to anyone who doesn't. how often does that happen? i think this holiday is the best thing about the ole' US of A, and something i sincerely miss when away.

plus thanksgiving is a wonderful excuse to be calm and positive :) i'm afraid i've exuded too much negativity in my blog lately, or in my life in general - certain friends have had to deal with it much more than they should, and in the spirit of thanksgiving, i am eternally, eternally grateful for the patience of such friends. yes things have been rough-going since moving back to the US, but of course it has not been all bad. there are numerous reasons for me to be grateful for my move to DC. i listed quite a lot of them a few blogposts back, and i still hold to that list. it's just that there are real moments when it is admittedly hard to remember such things... but once again, that's the beauty of this holiday which is dedicated solely to that purpose, to remembering beautiful things in our lives and actually feeling gratitude.

lincoln was inspired when he instituted thanksgiving. perhaps i should go back to his memorial next week and thank him in person... it still is quite possibly the most beautiful spot in DC. truly. plus it reminds me of mom :)

je me sens [un peu] déprimée

and despite all efforts, i can't hide it from my blog. you see, a wonderful position i was supposed to interview for at the gates foundation today had been cut from their budget last week - but they decided not to tell me, but keep going through with the interview (now an "informal introduction") and put me through a horrid emotional roller-coaster... as if i have not had enough in the last months.

this position i work at currently at johns hopkins is fine and good - but it isn't "technically" full-time (even though i seem to work 40+ hours/week for them) and the funding is in such a tenuous place that i have absolutely no future security with it. i still need a real job.

and after so much work, i've fallen up short. still. i still feel in limbo, and am confused on where to go from here aside from starting all over again at the same place i was half a year ago. at the moment i have zero strength to go through it all once more, and feel like a mountain retreat into sundance is all i'm good for right now. it's very difficult to keep faith at the moment, though i feel i have been sincerely trying. am i simply not trying hard enough? it makes me question what exactly i am doing wrong...

oh, sad face. i reeeeally need to hug stella or sadie right about now :) so happy for thanksgiving next week so i can see moo, parkie and audish.

p.s. i do still find DC beautiful and do think living here is wondrous: i just wish i actually felt i 'lived' here...

p.p.s. there is a shred of hope that a job in new york may work out, so yes there is that. insha'Allah insha'Allah.

with a clenched soul

there are so many people i miss (even though i'm technically "closer" to home back in the US.) (although of course there are many people still across the pond whom i miss dearly.)

but i especially. really. really. miss the kids sometimes. sad face.

post-election aftermath

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

thoughtfulness

i am so struck at how thoughtful people can be. yesterday was my birthday, and i was so touched by all of the well-wishes and kind gestures extended! i heard from friends i haven't spoken to in years, and i love to see how people can reach out to each other, even in the smallest way.


such dialog between individuals is just as beautiful as the fall colors around my house right now. i took these pictures yesterday, and honestly - gorgeous, no?

some patriotism for election day

or if you're feeling patriotically german....

new blog!

huzzah! the project i used to work for at BYU, the WomanStats Database, with the ever-incredible dr. valerie hudson, has started a blog!

check in for incredible information about the way women are treated around the world. some of it will truly astound you, in both good and bad ways.