career search possiblility #1: master coffee cupper

Ok, not really. But as you you know, I love to share a good NPR story, and as I was in my car this morning I heard one. It was about Tracy May Adair, master coffee cupper at Folgers. Yes, that's right, master coffee cupper. I had never thought about this before, but apparently, every batch of coffee has to be tasted to make sure that they all have the exact same taste. Which makes sense. If you go to buy Folgers, you want it to taste like the last batch of Folgers you had. As I was drinking my Starbucks (which I brewed, not bought), Morning Edition was bringing me joy once again.

The funniest thing is this: these people do not sip the coffee, they slurp it, creating a "mist" of coffee in their mouths. Adair pointed out that most of your sense of taste involves "smelling from inside of your mouth" anyway. Then they spit the coffee back out, which is a good thing since one person tastes anywhere from 60 to 400 cups a day. Adair does not taste every single cup. She has "calabrated" the palates of the nine other testers who work for Folgers to be exactly like hers. It's kind of funny to think that the taste of every cup of Folgers coffee is based on the palate of one woman- that's power!

Unfortunately, I don't think I have a future as a coffee tester seeing as they probably don't let you put copious amounts of creamer and Splenda in the taste samples:)

Enjoy your coffee, and have a wonderful day!

a fine mantra

The balance between being real and being negative. It's a hard one to strike. I have found myself in a phase of my life lately that hasn't been my favorite one. When you're in your twenties, people are always asking you what you're doing, what you plans are, who you're dating. And the trouble is, so many times, you don't know. Or at least I don't. My fall-back answer? Thirty is the new twenty. In other words, back off.

So when people ask me how I'm liking grad school, I've taken to answering honestly. I was tired of lying. Of saying that things were fine when I didn't feel like they were. But I think that I've discovered that there are good and bad things about both. It's ok to say that you're not fine. Sometimes voicing it gives you the power you've been needing to do something about it. To realize that it's ok to change paths if you don't like where the one you're on is leading you. But I've also realized that after you've voiced your frustrations, after you've gotten the motivation you need, you can go back to saying you're fine again for awhile. People are going to keep asking you the questions. You're going to have to keep answering again and again. And what you say over and over again becomes your mantra.

As someone who has always loved words, I've come to realize that a mantra is a powerful thing. My childhood copy of Charlotte's Web still has an honored place on my bookshelf because it holds a special meaning to me. My second grade teacher read it to us, a chapter at a time, after recess. And truly, I will never forget the way that I felt when, as she read the part of the book where Charlotte dies, she cried. Books are powerful. Words on a page can move people. And so can the words you repeat. Can the key to changing your attitude be as simple as changing your mantra? Kinda, yeah. Because as much as I like and appreciate honestly, saying over and over again that I hate grad school doesn't make me like grad school any more, nor does it make me feel any better. It just makes me dwell on the fact that I hate grad school. So why not try to pick out something good? Why not be thankful for all the incredible things in my life (of course that's where this is going, it's Thanksgiving).

I have an education, one of the most empowering things a person can ever have. I have the most wonderful parents a person could ask for. I have friends who love me for who I am, and who understand the new twenty. So I am fine. Always. In the big picture, I am always fine.

Wicked

As promised, I now have something to write about! Josh and I had an amazing weekend in Chicago. Here we are in front of Ryan and Betsy's apartment. They're friends of mine from high school who were nice enough to let us stay with them. We love getting all dressed up to go out on the town!After we got downtown, we had some Chicago style hotdogs for dinner. Getting downtown was a feat in and of itself since though I have been to Chicago many times, this was my first time driving into the city. We sat at the window and people-watched while we ate our hotdogs in style! I love hotdogs, especially Chicago style.
We were there when the doors opened we were so excited! Here we are in front of the theater. You can't see but Josh has on a green tie to match my green purse- black and green, get it? For Wicked!
You aren't supposed to take pictures at all but we snuck a couple- how can you resist? As you can tell, we were very high up, but right in the center. The show was soooooo good. If you like musical theater and you haven't seen this show, you just have to.
After the show we walked up Michigan to Cheesecake Factory. Please see picture number one for the shoes I was wearing. Then we took our picture in front of the same Christmas tree as last year. We're very into traditions:) Hard to tell it's a Christmas tree when you take the picture yourself, but trust me.
On Saturday we went shopping and city seeing until the parade. On this weekend, every year, they have a parade to light up the city for Christmas. It was cold and kind of rainy, but we stuck it out like the city-lovers that we are. Afterwards, however, I wasn't loving the city so much when we got stuck in the most annoyed, JAM-PACKED crowd I have ever been in. Thank goodness we had gone to put all of our things in the car before the parade and fireworks.

Such a fun weekend and so nice to get away with a good friend every once in a while.

one of my favorites

Both the poem and the poet.

Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

- Mary Oliver

boring

So I haven't really had much to write about lately. I am at the tail end of my last burst of exams before finals. I have two next week and then three whole weeks to prepare for finals. Thank goodness.

My friend Robert and I had sushi last night which is always good, but I tend not to take pictures in restaurants and since a lot of the fun things I do involve restaurants, I never have any pictures to post. But I will have some to post next weekend- because Josh and I are going to Chicago to see WICKED!!!! I am sooo excited. Not only do I love Chicago all the time, but next weekend is the Festival of Lights parade and the beginning of holiday shopping. I have also been wanting to see Wicked for so long now. The wait is almost over.

Ok, I'm going to work on a new venture: making flashcards on the computer. Hopefully it will be successful.