Wednesday, July 29, 2009

California, continued

Day 1. San Francisco with Ryan Grandparents and Mary Katherine

We spent the first two nights in San Francisco on Potrero Hill with Mary Katherine (my grandma's cousin who is basically like a third grandma to Emily and I). We told my grandparents and Mary Katherine that we simply wanted to be tourists in San Francisco and see whatever we could pack into one day. So on an exceptionally foggy Thursday, Zach and I...

  • Rode a cable car
  • Walked along Pier 39 to see the sea lions
  • Drove to Fort Point, viewed the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge, and learned how to fire a cannon
  • Drove down Lombard Street and ate at Mel's Diner
  • Drove to the Cliff House and put our feet in the water
  • Ate ice cream at Ghirardelli Square
  • Drove through Golden Gate Park and Chinatown
  • Drove to the top of Twin Peaks, where we could see absolutely nothing due to the fog

Beautiful day. San Francisco pictures were somehow separated from the rest--I'll post those to my album later.

Day 2. Santa Cruz with Brandon and Madeline

We spent Friday with Maddie and Brandon who took us to Waddell Beach to hike inland and see the Redwoods. We then ate a picnic lunch on the very windy beach and watched the kite surfers. After lunch we drove to the Boardwalk at Santa Cruz for a couple of rides and to put our feet in the freezing water. We finished the evening with In-n-Out Burger, animal style. =)


Day 3. Monterey

Zach and I attempted to enjoy a day to ourselves in Monterey. Unfortunately the rest of the world had the same idea and Monterey was busier than I've ever seen it. Our visit to the aquarium was shortened due to the crowds and abundance of strollers, so we drove along the coast and took the 17 Mile Drive.



Day 4. Mountain View & Sunnyvale with Drews Family

On Sunday morning we were able to go to St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Mountain View--the church I was raised at. I miss this church and it's open and warm atmosphere so much. There's something so refreshing and encouraging about services where people raise their hands with prayer requests and Bible classes where members admit that they are confused or uncertain. After a relaxing lunch and nap, Dan took us out to Shoreline Lake where we attempted to paddle boat for an hour.


The trip was short but it was good to get away. I'm mostly glad I had a chance to let Zach see where I grew up and to meet my family. Sorry, this post is kind of dry and feels like a PowerPoint, but that's about all I have to say for now. If you want to see more pictures, here's the link to my album:

2009: California Trip with Zach


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

foggy california

Zach and I returned at 5:45 Monday morning from a long weekend in Northern California. With only four full days to spend, we had to divide our time carefully among our friends and family: one day with my mom's family, one day with my dad's family, one day with friends, and one day for ourselves.


More pictures and stories to follow, I promise! Until then, enjoy this panorama.


Monterey, California
July 25, 2009

Thursday, July 2, 2009

on theses and theories

I pause during the middle of a 24 hour paper writing cram session (6 pages down, 6 to go) to discuss another of life's simple joys.

There is something beautiful about the moment when, after searching through text after text, you find an author whose work says exactly what you want to say. They are just what you're looking for. You are totally on the same page. Their book will be the perfect source for your paper. It's a precious moment of affirmation, when you can breathe and say, "Yes! I knew my thesis wasn't that crazy. Look, this other person thought the same thing!"

And let's end this nerdy post here.