| One reason I love Saipan |
[Feb. 19th, 2007|05:10 pm] |
I love Saipan because I can go out in my front yard, and pick these fragrant plumeria blossoms... ahhh...
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| New home... |
[Jul. 3rd, 2006|09:48 pm] |
Ok, all, update your links. I have switched blog homes, and here is my new one: http://melissasimms.blogspot.com
I have already posted over there, so switch over! The main reason for the switch is that I can post pics directly there for FREE, which will be muy importante when and if I move across the world! Livejournal has been great, and the archived journal will stay here, in case you all get nostalgic for reading my old posts. |
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| Yummy |
[Jun. 23rd, 2006|10:40 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  grateful | ] |
Tonight I went out with my family for a "trial run" of Korean cuisine. Now, I have eaten numerous Korean meals since Mi-Yeong entered our lives (5 years ago, tomorrow is their anniversary, actually!) but I have always been unadventurous, and sticking to the things that I knew I would like. I figured if I'm going to make a life in Korea, I better start getting acquainted with the food. So, tonight I had my first kimchee-- which was delish-- and a great spicy fish soup, and all sorts of fun little side dishes. The only thing I didn't really like was the fishcake strips, that tasted like concentrated canned salmon, and the Korean seafood pancake. I liked the pancake part of it, it was just the little purple pieces of baby octopus that freaked me out a little. I tasted a piece of it, with it's little suckers and everything, but it was really chewy and tough, so not one of my favs. But, I was proud of myself, and I really think I could make a go of this whole 'life in Korea' thing.
We had a great time at the restaurant. The girls tucked right into all the good food, and are even using chopsticks already... of course, they mostly use them as weapons, but they seem to have fun... and of course, they are so beautiful that they are rock stars everywhere they go, so the waitresses were oooing and ahhing ang cooing to them in Korean... it was great. And then this group of young Korean-American girls and one guy showed up and the girls were mesmerized by Christina and Elizabeth... who by that time, were both running around the restaurant like the crazy kids they are. So, we had a GREAT night. I was amused, though, by a couple things-- first, the Korean menu they gave Mi-Yeong and her sister was substantially bigger than the English menus we got. But even on our English menu, there were items like 'Chicken Intestine Stir Fry" and "Codfish Intestine Stew". Makes me a little concerned about exactly what was on the Korean menu! My brother and I shared a couple of shots of Soju, with Christina joining in with a shot glass of water, saying, "Kombei!" or, the English equivalent of "Cheers!" We had a great time.
I'm really looking forward to my trip to Korea, and I'm very excited, even more so now, of the prospect of living there... I know now that I would enjoy the food. It's a little adventurous and scary, and when we were there 5 years ago, I was very unadventuresome... but thankfully, my time travelling and living abroad has given me a new sense of adventure. I can, scarily enough, see myself getting into the Korean diet, and who knows, even eating sticky rice 3 meals a day. Not so sure if I'm ready to tuck into Kimchee for breakfast yet though! Mi-Yeong's sister, Su-Jin, who has been here for quite a few months has been tirelessly teaching me Korean words. It's a great exchange-- I help her with her English, and then she will say, "Do you know 'airplane' in Korean?" And then tells me exactly how to pronounce it... and so it continues! I feel very blessed to have such a wonderfully International family! |
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| Renewed Outrage |
[Jun. 21st, 2006|07:00 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | determined | ] |
As I've been formulating my upcoming presentation, I've been looking at how the rules of war have changed since September 11, 2001. In the course of my preparation, I've been looking at images that I will place in my power point presentation, to demonstrate the type of war that the Geneva Conventions anticipated, and how that has changed since the uprising of the civilian non-military, non-state actor terrorist. It has been a long time since I've really seen those images of what happened on September 11, 2001, and it renewed in me the same sense of outrage I felt that morning nearly 5 years ago. I will never forget where I was that morning-- in a tiny country courthouse, in a little courtroom trying one of the most horrendous child molestors I have come across. We didn't hear the news until 10:15 that morning, and as we adjourned court that morning for the day, the defendant looked at me and said, "I guess this makes this whole trial nonsense pretty insignificant." And I replied, "If anything, it makes me more determined to lock you up." What I meant by that, and that Chuck McGuire would never get (because some people actually are just THAT stupid) is that when I heard what had happened, I knew that I was a participant in the one thing that sets us apart from so many nations-- I was a chief actor in a trial where HE had the benefit of the doubt, where he was presumed innocent, where we didn't take him out into the Summerville town square and chop his head off. And I realized that democracy and it's freedoms had to continue to show those bastards that we were are still are the best country in the world. And Chuck McGuire might be contemplating the same things now, seeing as he had 12 more years behind bars to think about lots of different things.
I think it's wrong for us as Americans to have lost our outrage that we experienced on September 11th. I think that we should look at what happened to the soldiers over the weekend-- the brutal torture and murder of our servicemen-- and be even more resolved and outraged at what should rightly be called the War Against Islamic Extremism instead of the War Against Terror. It truly is a battle of good versus evil, of right versus wrong, and while America is not always right, we ARE right on this issue, and I am insinged by the leftist liberals who continue to exploit people like Cindy Sheehan for their own purposes. This is not a political war, it is a war against our way of life, and the American resolve can ONLY be to stay the course and do what is right.
Ok. Rant over. |
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| Itinerary SET!! |
[Jun. 20th, 2006|07:32 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | ecstatic | ] |
Ok, the truth is I've been extremely preoccupied with all this Korea stuff, so I've been quite slack in updates. Although, I'm beginning to wonder if anyone bothers reading this anymore anyway, but I've found it's cathartic for me to write it so I will continue to do so.
After a GREAT conversation last week with the Handong "selection commitee" (which consisted of 2 people-- the Assistant Dean and another professor), I was contacted by the Dean regarding my itinerary. I leave for Korea on July 6th, and return July 13th. I give my presentation on the vague topic of "war and terrorism" on July 10th. So, I've been frantically trying to narrow my perspective and formulate my 3 hour presentation. I think I'm going to focus on terrorism and the subsequent obsoletion of the Geneva Conventions (is obsoletion even a word?), and the new, changing face of warfare. It's a very exciting topic, at least for me... I'm sure all you scientist types and non-political/law types couldn't possibly see how it would be exciting. But it is to me!
Other than sheer panic about getting my presentation finished, I'm very excited about my trip. I'm brushing up on my Korean survival phrases like "where's the bathroom?" and "how much does it cost?". I've bought my Korea guidebook, and my Culture Shock book on Korean customs and etiquette, so I do't offend anyone by handing them anything with my left hand, which apparently is verboten. I'm staying in one of the University "guesthouses", whatever those are... but I will be on campus, which is great. I've been reading all these different expat blogs of people living in Korea, and I'm getting a pretty good insight into what life would be like there. One girl said she hadn't seen a fork in 6 months. Note to self: pack forks for move to Korea.
So, I guess, if I like them and they like me, I'd move over there pretty quickly. Very exciting, and very terrifying all at the same time. Just how I like things to be. I will have my camera and laptop in Korea while I'm there, and I'm assuming that I'll have internet access so I can update you live on my goings-on and impressions. I have a sense of peace about this that I haven't had since my move to London. It's very comforting. Now if I could only get Christina to speak Korean to me so I can practice. Everytime I say something to her in Korean, she looks at me, shakes her head, and says, "No, Missy, ENGLISH!" Sigh. |
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| Big News! |
[Jun. 11th, 2006|07:00 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | hopeful | ] |
So, for those of you who don't know, I'm going to Korea in July. I spoke to the Dean of Handong International Law School on Saturday morning, and in the course of the conversation, I was invited to come to Korea, expenses paid, in July to teach a small seminar on Globalization to their summer students. It will only be about a 2-3 hour seminar, which is perfect, and the trip will give me an opportunity to see the school, and evaluate it, and for them to evaluate me. It's definitely looking like this is where I'm headed, and I'm very excited about the prospect. The most important thing is that I can take Ellie, and Emmy, and Scout, with only a 10 day quarantine, and my housing is paid for by the University, and my salary is tax free. I've spent the past 2 days cramming my brain with Korea information, and it's so strange that here I have this native Korean in my family, and there is SO much that I don't know or never thought to ask!
I've bought a book on Korean customs and etiquette so I don't make an ass of myself when I get there, and I'm working on learning the Korean alphabet and phonetics so I can at least have some survival Korean other than the few phrases I know already. Mi-Yeong has graciously offered to help tutor me in my language skills, and I figure Christina can always help me out, and we can watch Korean cartoons together. But thinking about this gave me this amazing perspective about this entire opportunity... If I can learn the Korean culture, and understand and appreciate it, and learn the language and feel tied to Korea the way I felt tied to the UK after my year there, what an amazing way to connect with my sister-in-law and nieces, and how great will it be if I can communicate in Korean with them! I'm certainly not saying I'll be fluent in a year in Korean (I'm not great with languages like my brother), but hopefully I'll pick it up along the way.
What I have been reminded of and learned in the past few days is just what a beautiful nation Korea is, and how wonderful the people are. Our trip to Korea for my brother's wedding was bittersweet and clouded by the fact that my grandmother passed away while we were there, and the day before my brother's wedding. It will be incredible to return now, and not have a situation such as that cloud my experience.
So, that's the latest on me... The trip is supposed to be around July 10th, and I imagine I'll be there about a week or so. Pohang is in Southeast Korea, on the beach, and even though it's home to the second largest steel manufacturer in the world, seems to be a very beautiful place... I'll keep you updated on the details. My excitement is bubbling over.
When I left for London, the song "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson was a sort of theme song for me. Today I was listening to the song "Unwritten" by British-born Natasha Bedingfield and the song seemed to speak to me about where my life is, and where it is going... these are the lyrics...
I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
Im just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you can not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you can not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
But the rest is still unwritten
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten |
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| Ok, here's an update finally... |
[Jun. 7th, 2006|08:57 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
So, I've been completely hugely busy at work, but finally wanted to take a second and mention a couple of things in the job arena... I mailed off my application for the faculty position at Handong International Law School, and almost immediately got an email back from the dean saying he would be in the States for the next couple of weeks, and would call me and that also the selection committee would be calling me on a conference call sometime soon as well! So, I'm very excited about that prospect.
Also, when I got home tonight I saw a posting for a prosecutor job in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Now, I had briefly heard of this place but have to admit I didn't know exactly where it was until I googled it. Turns out it's in the South Pacific, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. COOL! Maybe I can find some hot island man to fan me with palm branches. I actually AM qualified for the position, so it would be great if that one worked out. I'll keep you posted.
Nancy is coming home in a WEEK!!! I'm so excited to see her! And, word on the street is she's bringing me LUSH products... Can't wait to go to the High Museum with her, and pretend we're in London...
Other than that, nothing much going on with me. I've been sick the past few days with some bronchial garbage that seems to be spreading around school. These children seem to breed disease. The good news is school is out a week from Friday. The bad news is that school isn't out until a week from Friday. These kids are NUTS... But kindergarten graduation is on Friday morning, and I can't wait to see my little babies in their caps and gowns. I'll be sure to take lots of pics for my flickr site!! |
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| I'm INFECTED... |
[May. 26th, 2006|07:17 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | excited | ] |
I woke up last night about 3 am in Carrie and Joe's bedroom because I had what felt like a rock in my left eye. I tried to just roll over and go back to sleep, thinking that whatever managed to get in my eye would have worked itself out by morning. No chance. I got up, went into the bathroom, and turned on the light, and felt a searing pain in my eye. I got it open enough to check and see if I had an eyelash or LOG (it felt like it) in there, but there wasn't anything. So, I washed it with saline, and went back to bed. Or I should say GOT back in bed. I didn't go back to sleep. So, I went to the CVS Minute Clinic up the street at 9am (great little dealy-o they have, that clinic...) and the woman took one look at me, told me I was super contagious, and that I had pink eye. Yum. So, she gave me Cipro eye drops (yes, that's the stuff they give people with anthrax) and I have to put them in my eyes every 2 hours for 3 days, and then every 4 hours for another 4 days. So, it's finally feeling a little better, but I'm stuck wearing my glasses that I broke while I was living in London, and somehow managed to glue back together... And I get to wear them for a week. So, I was told not to go to school, but since I've been working in the finance office picking up some extra hours, I had to get these letters mailed out today. So I had to go in for an hour or so. I walked in and Valerie took one look at me, and said, "Lord, chile, whas wrong wit chu?" I love Valerie... So, I told her, and then asked if she would be interested in licking my eyeball. She sent me home. Can't imagine why. Hopefully I'll be feeling better in a few days.
In big job news, I saw this posting on the Christian Legal Society job board for a professor position at this University called Handong International Law School. It's an American christian law school, with the ability for its graduates to take American Bar exams. And it's in Pohang, South Korea. I figured I would send in a resume just for the heck of it, and within 6 hours I received the following email from the Dean of the School:
Dear Ms Simms,
Thank you very much for your encouraging letter and interest in Handong International Law School. As you may know, Handong Int'l Law School is a young law school which is very unique in Korea. It is the only graduate law school, the only English law school, then only law school with an essentially western and int'l law curriculum, and of court the only law school with a transparent Christian commitment to the integration of law and faith. While our new school is young, we have rapidly gained a measure of credibility in Korea, and now are contracted to offer COLS type courses for the Seoul Bar Association, and the Judicial Training Institute.
We have very special interests in some of the areas of your own LL.M. studies, such as Law and Development. In fact we have faculty and students who have been involved in law and development academic studies and projects. Our faculty also have teaching engagements in our break times in Mongolia, Cameroon, and Latin America primarily trying to provide upgrades for lawyers in areas of international law and professional skills. Our student body of about 140 next year includes about 20 internationals from third world countries, currently including Russia, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Albania, Bulgaria Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, India and others. It gives a genuinely international flavor to our work.
I will send you by express mail our current catalog and some related materials which I think will give you a good feel for our community. We are not just an academic program, but emphasize a strong community life of fellowship, worship, and global engagements. This summer we have students in internships in Malaysia, Geneva, China, Hong Kong and Korea.
I'd be delighted to speak with you by phone at some time that is convenient, usually in the late morning our time which is late evening there. If you have not checked our website, it may also be helpful. We are earnestly seeking 2-3 additional faculty, and your special interests would seem to fit some of our interests. I'd be delighted to answer any questions you have as well.
Sincerely,
Lynn Buzzard, Dean
So, I'm very excited about that... although, I'm sure all of you think I'm beyond crazy. Pohang is a beach town, on the southeast coast of South Korea, a little ways north of Pusan, which is where a US military base is located. My limited research on the place looks promising, and my sister-in-law said it was a nice town, but I don't know if she's ever been there. The irony of this whole thing is that my brother is dying to live in Korea, so it would be pretty funny if his baby sister moved there. But, who knows, folks... You may have to start calling me Professor Simms... That has a pretty cool ring to it, don't you think? |
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| New Munchkin pictures!! |
[May. 23rd, 2006|07:36 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  pensive | ] |
My sister in law sent out her most recent email with pictures of my neices and I just had to share... so go to http://wsxyz.dyndns.org/little_simms.html and see just how adorably precious they are... And, I'm not biased at all, I swear. I can't believe how big they are getting! Christina has been learning about sharing, and now yells at the geese to share the food when she feeds them, and Elizabeth has learned how to say 'Nein!", which is No in german, so she runs around telling everyone that. Too funny.
On the job front, I found an opening for a US Attorney job in the Virgin Islands that I'm applying for. I could think of worse places to live, that's for sure. I also think Carrie's house is giving me strange dreams. First I was dreaming about the Zimbabwean president and then last night, I had this really scary dream about being stalked by this guy named Max that had crazy wild hair. (Max also happens to be Carrie's dog's name, so I guess that's where that came from.) In my dream, this guy was following me everywhere, telling me how he was going to kill me, and then I kept trying to beat him over the head with this metal pipe I had, and it would just bounce right off. It was very very strange. Maybe my stress is surfacing in my subconcious dreams. But I thought your subconcious was supposed to work things out with dreams? I have no idea how these dreams could be related to anything I'm stressed out about. Any ideas? |
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| Robert Mugabe's Wallet |
[May. 21st, 2006|07:10 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  weird | ] |
What a crazy crazy week I've had. I've picked up extra hours at school, helping in the finance office, so I've been working 12 and 13 hour days, and then Friday, the entire school went to Stone Mountain for the day. We had sooo much fun! I hadn't been to Stone Mountain in probably 10 years, and man, has it changed. There's all this cool stuff there now, and the kids loved it. Look for pictures coming soon to my flickr site.
I'm house and dog sitting for Carrie and Joe this week, too, while they are at the beach. So far everything has been fine, except for the flap falling off the dog door, and the air conditioning being on the fritz. But I had the strangest dream last night, one of those dreams that you remember for months and months. I dreamed that we were on a field trip with school (not such a stretch since I was just there), and the kids were going rafting. I had to buy soap for some reason (probably because before I went to sleep last night I noticed there was no soap in the shower) so I stopped at this shop selling homemade soaps. I reached into my purse and pulled out what I thought was my wallet. When I opened it, though, I found all of these strange looking bills from another country. And then I found an ID card that told me the wallet belonged to Robert Mugabe. It's official.... I've lost my ever lovin' mind...
P.S. If you don't know who Mugabe is, look him up. And read the paper or watch news shows a little more... |
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| Maybe I'm nuts... |
[May. 17th, 2006|07:34 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | mellow | ] |
And I'm sure you'll all tell me whether you think I am or not, but I've applied for a job. Now, before I tell you where the job is, here are the specifics of it: it pays between 90-120k for a 12 month contract, with 25% post-differential, and 25% hazard pay (ok, this should be a hint here) and 100$ per day overseas living expenses. So, basically, I'd be making approximately 140-150k for a years work. Here is the job posting from the Lawyers Without Borders website:
Pacific Architects and Engineers/Homeland Security Corporation (www.paecivpol.com), in partnership with the U. S. Department of State, is actively recruiting individuals to assist in standing up a democratic judicial process. The mission will involve mentoring, monitoring and instructing indigenous Afghan attorneys in supporting the rule of law. Individuals possessing the following qualifications are invited to apply. All candidates shall have a J. D. from an accredited law school and minimum 5 years of relevant experience (10 years preferred) in criminal law and international experience; experience/familiarization with Islamic legal systems or similar regional legal systems is desired. The mission will be in Kabul, Afghanistan and Regional Training Centers (RTC); the contract is for one year with options for 6 or 12 month extensions. Compensation for this most important mission is substantial for qualified candidates.
So, that's it. I've applied to a job that would send me to Kabul. Carrie has some friends that are living there, and working for some UN agency, and claim that it's a big ex-pat party town right now, which is cool. But what struck me about this job, and the reason I applied for this is after spending so much time writing that paper about justifying the American attitude toward international law, it struck me that a job like this-- one where you are hands-on working with other lawyers to help sort out a new legal system-- is one that gives me a sense of purpose, and helps promote democracy around the world, and that is something I think is tantamount to not only the United States but also world peace and security. (Don't worry, I talked to Mom and Dad before I did it... they aren't enthused, but Dad said it's better than Cambodia-- I reminded him I think Cambodia has changed a little since the last time he was there on his Vietnam War Tour of Duty, but I digress...) So, we'll see if I get called for it. A big question is IF I get an offer to go over there, can i and should I take Ellie and the kitties with me? Carrie's friend took their dog, so it seems like I could, but I don't know how they would do with the climate there. So, that's one of the many things I'll have to sort out in the process. I always knew I had a gypsy soul, maybe I'm destined to wander the face of the earth... That would be fine by me.
In other news, my dissertation is on its way to London via the great folks of Fedex, and it only cost me a measly 53 bucks to mail it. Highway robbery. But it's on it's way. I checked the tracking, and it's cleared customs, so now it just has to get from Stansted Airport to Holloway Road, which is a feat in and of itself, as Bruce and I found out when we tried to do it over Thanksgiving. But I'm hopeful, since it's guaranteed to get there by tomorrow at noon, and it's not due until Friday. Once it gets there, I'll breathe my sigh of relief. Not before. And I talked to my professor who told me it will be a couple of months before I get a diploma, and that's assuming everything is A-Ok with the paper. Which it should be... it's a damn good paper if I do say so myself.
Also, today we had an accident at school. Sekani, who is the 7th grade sister of the baby pre-K'er who bled on me a while back tore her ACL while playing basketball, right as I was standing there. And, as most of you know, I did the same thing about 17 years ago. It's a very distinctive noise that emits from your knee joint when that ligament blows, and as soon as I heard it, I knew it was gone. She planted her feet and turned to shoot, and I heard and she went down in tears. And she's a tough one, so when Sekani cries, you know she's hurt. So, I went into coach mode, and had her iced and elevated and compressed, her mom called, and when she showed up, I gave her the name of my orthopedist from Scottish Rite, who is still there after all these years. I told her to call me and let me know what the doctor said, and she called about 5:30 and said I was right-- it was her ACL, which is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, which basically holds your knee together and gives it stability. So, surgery is in her future. But the whole school is going to Stone Mountain on Friday, and she is determined to go, so I told her I'd push her in the wheelchair if need be. She's a great kid, and an even better athlete- reminds me a lot of myself way back when-- so I hope and pray she'll be back on her feet soon.
Whew. I just realized I've written a novela. My fingers are tired. OH, I almost forgot, my mom had minor surgery today on her hand for this weird looking bone spur on her index finger. She's fine. Even if she keeps pointing at me. I keep telling her its not nice to point but she won't stop. *Sigh*... |
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| Weekend Party |
[May. 15th, 2006|10:07 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
Well, the dissertation is now not only complete, but also proofread, and is currently being put into a pdf format by Carrie. After that I take it to Kinko's and get it bound, and then fedex it to the Postgraduate Registry at London Met. Phew. Then I guess I just sit and wait to get it graded. So, I spent my weekend polishing that up, and also helping Carrie get her house ready for Joe's graduation party. Joe just graduated with a nursing degree from Georgia State (his second GSU degree...) so Carrie threw a big soiree for him. It was tons of fun. They got a keg from Sweetwater Brewery here in Atlanta, and it was great. I think the last time I drank keg beer I was in college at a fraternity party. But April and her crew was there, and we showed Cooper, 3 and a half, how to pump the keg, so he was having a blast doing that, even though his mother told him there was Coke in the keg.
Joe was drinking out of a liter beer mug, and we were all concerned that he'd drop it as he got progressively more drunk. Thankfully he didn't, be he did manage to take a spectacular tumble on the lawn while trying to get out of a mini-camping chair. Classic. Of course when I went over there yesterday to see Carrie and get my stuff, he had no memory of it whatsoever. He didn't remember checking out April's rear end as she walked by, or making her come back so he could touch it either. Funny how that happens. So, when I was over there yesterday, he told him about all this stuff, and of course, Carrie, his WIFE, wasn't all that happy that he was groping one of her closest friends at his graduation party. So, he looked at me, and said, "I didn't grope YOU, did I?" I said, "No, Joe, I don't think I'm your type..." To which he replied, "Well, are you mad, do you want me to touch your ass too?" No thanks Joe. But then again, there was a 1/3 of a keg left yesterday so he was doing his damndest to polish it off before he returned the keg. But, all in all, a great time was had by all. I took some decent pictures, which I'll put up on my flickr site in a day or two, when I get around to it.
And yesterday was Mother's Day, so we went to church, and were supposed to meet my brother and his crew for lunch, but the little ones somehow managed to pick up the rotavirus, so they'd been puking and plonking all weekend. But we went by and saw them, and they seem to be making a full recovery. Christina was her usual self, pointing at and naming everything around her: "Grandma, Grandpa, Missy, baby, window, Dora, flower, doggy, ball..." So, I think they'll be ok.
So, that's the exciting news for the weekend. It was a good one. I also got a call from my doctor this morning telling me that my biopsy was benign, so everything is ok. So, now all I have to do is get this paper to London by Friday. |
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| The Angels In Heaven Are Singing!!! |
[May. 11th, 2006|12:42 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | ecstatic | ] |
Okay, I want everyone to look at their calendars.... ok, done it? Good. If you notice, it is May 11, 2006. AND I AM FINISHED WITH MY DISSERTATION!!!! An entire EIGHT days, count them, 8, ocho, huit WHOLE days, early. Phew. I'm exhausted. But the good news is, I think it's a pretty good paper. So, i sent it to Carrie, my friend that works for Turner, and she's gonna fancy-fy it up a bit, and make it really professional, give me a fancy title page, table of contents, the whole nine yards. And she's going to put in pdf format so I can email a copy to my professor. I can't wait to see the finished copy. And then after that's done, I have to go to Kinko's and get it bound. i think I'll do about 5 copies, so I'll have some to keep and show on interviews.
I know it won't hit me for another week or so that I'm finished, and then I'll really start to stress out about not having a job, but I'm hoping that I'll just seamlessly move from one thing to another... but we'll see. If anyone is interested in reading the big work (it totals out at 40 pages), I'd love to hear your input, and I'll be happy to email you a copy. Just send me an email, or leave a comment, and I'll forward it on to you! |
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| Neal's Yard in ATLANTA!! |
[May. 7th, 2006|02:36 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | pleased | ] |
The Cheese gods have smiled on me... So, Mom left Saturday for her annual week in Florida with the girls, which leaves me to feed Dad for the week, and basically feed all the other creatures around here as well (including, but not limited to, cats, dogs, squirrels, geese, the new baby geese, ducks, and the stray gray cat that's been hanging around). I went to Harry's Farmers Market this afternoon after church, which is really just Whole Foods without the name change. I LOVE Harry's...and not only because I can find Hob Nobs and Ribena and PG Tips teabags there. Harry's has the most amazing produce and the freshest seafood and meats as well. It reminds me of food shopping in London, and it's a lot like Borough Market, except it doesn't have the great atmosphere and all the British people. (Although I did hear a British guy ask the guy at the meat counter what sort of Bangers, i.e., sausage, they had!)
So, I was buying dinner for me and Dad for tomorrow night (since he has his Bible Study group tonight, I'm on my own for dinner), and I found this beautiful sushi-grade Ahi Tuna, and thought I'd marinate it in soy and ginger and throw it on the grill, and have an organic salad on the side. With this pomegranate vinaigrette I found! Yum! Then I worked my way to the Cheese counter.... and that's when I saw it.
The Neal's Yard Sign. For those of you who have forgotten, Neal's Yard Dairy is my favorite place in all of London, and they have the best local artisanal cheeses. I fell in love with the place while I was there. Harry's actually carries the Welsh Caerphilly cheese that Nancy and I love!! They also have a few other Neal's Yard cheeses, imported directly from the Covent Garden shop! Unfortunately, they DON'T have my Childwicksbury cheese, and the cheese manager (how do I get THAT job?) wasn't there, so I couldn't get him to order it for me, but the next time I'm there, I will. Curiously enough, they also had what was called a "Borough Market Stilton". And there actually IS a Stilton stand at Borough Market, and since the Neal's Yard cheeses were right next to it, I can only assume it came from my favorite London market. How COOL is that!!
So, if you haven't had Caerphilly cheese, I would highly encourage you to run right out and get some. It's yummy.
In other news, I have written 14 pages of my dissertation this weekend, and have taken a break and am about to get back to it. I'm up to 7,000 words now, and my total is between 10-15,000, so I'm encouraged that I'll actually get it done on time. I'm getting into really... and I've found this great similarity between Reagan and the Cold War and Bush and the War on Terror, with amazing similarities between the Reagan Doctrine and the new emerging Bush Doctrine. I really could write an entire paper on that. So, when I'm finished, I'll be happy to pass it along to those of you who may be interested in reading it. It's very long, and very tedious, so I can't post it here, obviously, but I'll be happy to email it to anyone who has an interest. Ok, back to work!! |
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| You'll be happy to know... |
[May. 4th, 2006|11:48 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | relieved | ] |
So, you'll all be happy to know that I don't have cancer. Well, at least we don't think I do. I got a call last week from my girlie doctor who was concerned because I had an abnormal test, so this morning I got to go in for a biopsy. I'll spare all you boys the details of how the biopsy works and what exactly it is of, but Boy, was THAT fun... talk about being in a compromising position... And all you boys that read this will just have to get over yourself while I tell this story. Guys should read this and think, "Man, I'm glad I'm not a woman."
First of all, I had to wait about 30 minutes in the lobby. Now, normally this wouldn't bug me so much, but today, I was nervous, bordering on scared seeing as there was a chance I had cancer and all. So, when I finally got called back into the "procedure room" (which is this very scary room full of all these weird looking instruments that would bring grown men to tears), the nurse has me sign this consent form that basically says it's not their fault if I kick over dead right there in the room, and then tells me to undress from the waist down and the doctor will be in shortly. SO, for all you men out there, what you don't know is that when you go to the girlie doctor, they give you this drape to lay across you, which just so happens to be pink. I guess they think women won't feel so bad being so exposed as long as they are covered in pink paper. Well, the drape isn't all that big so your backside is usually hanging out for all the world to see, and of course, your back is to the door so when ever the door opens you moon the whole world.
So, the word SHORTLY to me when I'm mostly naked under a tiny piece of pink paper is 3 to 5 minutes tops. Apparently, to the doctor it's TWENTY minutes... And of course, during this 20 minutes, I'm sitting there, thinking I should get up and get my book out of my purse but I knew that as soon as I did, the door would open and then I'd be shining in all my glory for the world to see. So I sat. And sat. And worried. And got more nervous looking at those torture devices they call "instruments". And of course, as I'm sitting there, my cell phone rings. Or at least that is what I figured out later. As I was sitting there on the little table, I heard this mooing sound. No lie. I was thinking, "What sort of twisted doctor's office is this?" But then I heard my little tone that tells me I have a message. But I have never seen a Mooing ringtone on my phone, so I think my phone is now somehow possessed. So, it's a great picture isn't it? Me in a compromising position with my phone ever so slightly out of reach mooing at me. Things like this only happen to me.
The good news that the biopsy went fine, even though it hurt like a mo fo, and she doesn't seem to think there's anything to worry about it, but they are sending a piece of me to the lab to make sure. The even better news is that I get to go back and see her about every 4 months for the next year. Lovely. So, whatever your day has been like today, it should be easy for you to think, "I'm glad my day hasn't been like hers..." |
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| Pressure... |
[May. 3rd, 2006|09:36 pm] |
Major panic attack this morning when I realized that my dissertation is due 2 weeks from Friday, and that I also have to mail a hardcopy to the Postgraduate Registry at London Met by then, which really means I need to be finished by the 16th at the latest. YIKES. Breathe, breathe, I know... in and out... Good thing I'm good under pressure. I have about 15 pages written, so I am hoping to finish up all the writing by this weekend (including spending all day Saturday writing) which will give me a week or so for revision...
Today I emailed Lucy, since I sent a resume to Baker & McKenzie in DC for an opening in their International litigation department, to see if she or Lars knew anyone they could call to give me a good word. Turns out they just moved into their new house today that they are renting for a while, and apparently they have a caterpillar infestation. She said they have plenty of room for me, and also that Gemma asked her today when I was moving in... *sigh*... As soon as I can, baby girl... Hopefully sooner rather than later!
I can't believe it's been 3 months since I lived in London, and since I've seen them... I bet they've changed so much. I'm almost surprised that they remember me like they do... 3 months is a long time for a little one.
Also, tonight my brother and his crew came over for dinner. I call my neices "Monkey", and this started when Christina started imitating everyone, and I just started calling Elizabeth "Baby Monkey" because, well, she's the baby. So, we're sitting outside while they eat their popsicles, or in Brit-speak, "ice lollies", and Mom asked Christina what her name was, and she said, with no hesitation... "Monkey! Monkey Simms!" I about wet myself. And they she pointed at the baby and said, "Baby Monkey Simms!" It was so funny. At least someone in this family listens to what I say! Even if they are 2 and a half... |
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| Friends |
[Apr. 30th, 2006|11:17 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | impressed | ] |
It's been quite a while since I've written 2 entries in one day, but to those of you who say I haven't been diligent enough in keeping up my blog, poo on you. Tonight my mother's friend, Janice, and her huband Charles and daughter Laura came over for a visit. My mother has the most amazing friends. Janice is only one of these. My mom has many friends that she has known for over 40 years... her most unique circle of friends is Janice, Bette, and Pinky. All of these women are amazing, and mom got to be friends with all of them when I was in elementary school, since I was in school with their kids, and that reallyis how mom developed her friendship with them. These women are incredible, and are such an amazing example of how a friendship should be... whenever there is a need, they are there. And as they are getting older, this entails sitting at hospitals waiting out surgeries, cooking endless amounts of foods when loved ones pass away, and generally taking care of each other. Every year, my mother's friends go to Flordia together, and spend a week just hanging out. I can only hope that me, Carolyn, Carrie, April, Brandy, and all the rest of my dear friends can maintain this sort of synergy as we grow older. But they are an amazingly unique group.
Tonight Janice came over with her crowd... I grew up with her daughter Laura, who is a year older than me, and who I used to party with in the short time I spent at the University of Alabama. Laura is awesome, and until I saw her tonight, I had forgotten just how much fun she is! We used to have a blast at Bama. Janice is known, not so delicately, as the "Mouth of the South," and for those of you who think that me or my mother have a lack of a brain to mouth filter, you haven't met Janice. Janice is probably the most real person I know, and would jump in front of a bus for the people she cares about, and I am honored to be among that number. She is from Ducktown, Tennessee, and is the youngest child of I think 12 or so. My mother is increbdibly lucky to have her, and Bette and Pinky, and the rest of her close circle of friends. It's so amazing how all it takes is one phone call to someone when there is a need to get everything in motion to care of whatever need exists. Laura was in town for the weekend; she lives with her husband in Missoula, Montana, where they own this amazing restaurant, and Laura and I had the best time reminiscing about growing up, and talking about different friends. I can't wait to get the time to get out and spend a weekend with her.
Mom is a continual blessing to me, being such an amazing example of what a friend is supposed to be, and seeing how her friends honor and love her for who she is. I am so grateful to have such an incredible and tangible example of how to be a friend. |
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| Thinking |
[Apr. 30th, 2006|05:42 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
I am a thinker. I always have been a thinker, since I was a young child. I have even occasionally been accused of thinking too much. So, to no one's surprise, I'm sure, I've been finding myself thinking a lot lately, seeing as I have all this time on my hands. I've been extremely discouraged, and finding myself thinking and wondering why I am where I am in my life right now... penniless, unemployed with no hope of finding a job (or at least it seems that way most days), struggling to write "the paper" that is supposed to somehow shape my future career. I occasionally wallow in self-pity, but find it a little too self-indulgent for my taste, and try very hard not to focus on what or who ended me where I am. The events over the course of the past few years of my life read somewhat like a long, drawn out suspense novel, with me being the "heroine" (and I use that term quite loosely) that keeps getting shat upon. And, if you know me well at all, you've also heard me say occasionally on certain days that "It is not a good day to be me." But then I started thinking about how stupid that is, and how, really, it's always a good day to be me, because I am a person who is very very blessed.
I am well educated, intelligent, humorous, and can laugh at myself, which I try to do as often as my life calls for. I have an amazing family, a wonderful network of close friends, some of whom I have known for over 20 years, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I have been struggling intensely with discouragement and, it seems, sometimes, lately, teetering on the edge of depression. But the one thing I have, that many people do not have is hope. And faith. I was reading the Bible the other day and had forgotten about this verse, and those of you who don't get my whole "religious/christian" thing will just have to step back for a moment while I say this... I've always believed that the God I call Father will never give me anything I can't handle, even though sometimes I think that he thinks quite highly of me by giving me a whole bunch of garbage to deal with, but that's another theological debate entirely... This verse reminds me that there is something bigger than me driving my life, and it's my hope and faith in THAT that will get me through these days when I'm struggling to see what's on the other side of the hill, and wondering where I'm headed or whether my decisions have even been smart ones to begin with. It says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. So, for a control freak like me, this verse is one I cling to, to hold the knowledge that even though I am so seemingly out of control of my life and so far from where I think I should be, that God's picture is bigger and better, but that I'm not crushed or abandoned, and a little hope and faith will see me to the other side of the hill. I know there are good things in store for my life, and I'm trying desperately to be patient enough to let it come to fruition. |
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| Phone Address Book Problems... |
[Apr. 25th, 2006|07:06 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | amused | ] |
I'm sitting in the chapel at school today, trying to will my headache away, and watching the kids watch Lion King 2 when I get a text message. Hmmm, I thought... who would be texting me? So, I pulled out my phone and opened up the message that read, "I love you." Aww, how sweet. But, it was from LARS. So, I laughed, and texted him back with, "Thanks schmuck-ums, I love you too, but won't Lucy be pissed?" To which he replied, "Yes, probably, this was meant for my other Ho." Which was even funnier coming from Lars, since he's about as white a white boy as you can get. So, I didn't know whether I should be offended by Lars calling me a Ho, or flattered that he included me in the same category as his wife. Lesson: Make sure of the EXACT number before you send a text message... Obviously, 'melissa' is right before 'lucy' in Lars's phone book. Good thing all he said was 'I love you' or else I could've ended up knowing waaay more than I should about Lucy and Lars. But to his credit, it did make me smile, and helped my headache go away.
I think the children at Atlanta Youth Academy produce a chemical in their brain that blocks out the sound of my voice. No kidding. These kids are good kids for the most part, but I get a little tired of telling them 9 times to sit down, and they seem to think that if they ask me a question enough times, eventually my answer will be different than it was the first time. They don't know me very well, I suppose. Of course, this is line with the definition of insanity-- doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. I looked at them today as I was waiting for them to get into some semblance of a line, and finally told them that I had to be there until 6 anyway, and I didn't care if we went outside or not, I would be perfectly happy to stand in the hallway for the next 3 hours waiting for them to get in line and get quiet. Thankfully it didn't take that long. Also, yesterday, I introduced the kids to Honeysuckle.
Now, honeysuckle was an integral part of my childhood. I grew up in a great little neighborhood in Vinings, back before Vinings was any sort of status symbol, and before people in Smyrna started highjacking the name and putting it in subdivision titles, but that is a story for another day. The kids in our neighborhood would stay out until dark, and every spring and summer, we cleaned out the Honeysuckle from the whole place. And no one ever complained, since it's a weed. So, after all those years of eating the nectar from the Honeysuckle, I had forgotten how cool it is! The kids came running up to me yesterday, with Senaia (the baby one, who bled on me a few weeks ago) leading the pack, screaming, "Ms. Simm, Ms. Simm, we found Honey Suckers!!" So, I corrected them just because the term "honey sucker" didn't seem like something that should be coming out of a 4 year old's mouth, and then taught them how to break off the end, and pull the stamen and eat the little drop of nectar. A lot of them didn't believe me that you could actually eat it, but most of them had a great time. But Senaia came to me crying today because there wasn't any left today. So, I told her to have patience, and pray that God would grow somemore quickly. All in all, not a bad start to the week. |
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| Weekend Happenings... and a GREAT movie |
[Apr. 23rd, 2006|10:16 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | good | ] |
This weekend was packed full of lots of fun stuff... On Friday, after a very long week, I went over to Carrie and Joe's and hung out with them, Ellie (their 14 month old) and their friend Jim. We cooked out and just caught up and laughed and laughed. It was a great time... it reminded me of all the great times we had in college doing exactly the same thing. I've never known Carrie without Joe, and we've always had fun together. So, the only thing different from then and now is that now, we end up wrapping up things pretty early since none of us can stay up late like we used to in college. It's hell getting old, I tell you.
So, Saturday was pretty low key, with me working on my paper, and actually getting some writing done (imagine that) and perusing all my internet job sites looking for new leads. I got some work done, pulled a few new jobs off the web, and then went to Susan's for dinner on Saturday night. Lots of fun, and a pretty productive day.
Today I met April and Michael for church at Mt. Bethel, and also got to see Elmo, who, it turns out, has an actual name besides Elmo, which I didn't know until last week. I thought Elmo was his name. Turns out his name is Mike. And I know this because April's son Cooper calls him Uncle Mike because he won't let him call him Uncle Elmo. (I hardly blame him.) Elmo was one of Michael's fraternity brother's from Southern Tech so we always hung out in the same crowd in college. Elmo is tons of fun... BUT he's also Catholic, and April had to bargain with him to get him to church, which is pretty funny. But a fun time was had by all. After the service, the church had this little picnic so I got lunch as well. Fun times....
And tonight I met Carolyn for a movie. I hadn't talked to Carolyn since she got back from Mexico with Carrie. Turns out she had a wreck on Thursday and totalled her car. Thankfully she's ok, although somehow she managed to bruise (and not break, somehow) her ring finger on her left hand, and her left pinkie toe. Leave it to Carolyn to selectively bruise herself. But now she's driving a company car, and is supposed to be getting a rental car tomorrow. Thankfully she wasn't at fault, and God bless the poor woman who ran into a probation officer in her own circuit... now THAT would be a fun accident trial. Maybe I'll call Leslie and see if I can be appointed special prosecutor for Carolyn's case. But I digress... Tonight I saw a movie, the first movie I can recall seeing since that hideous movie I saw in London with that mean Aussie boy. We saw Thank You For Smoking, and I swear it's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen! It has some pretty bad language in it, but the humor is definitely for the thinking population, and I'm afraid it will be lost on the majority of the population... Carolyn and I kept looking at each other and wondering why we were the only ones laughing at certain points. It's the story of a tobacco lobbyist, but it's more about political spin than tobacco, and we all know how I love politics. One of the funniest lines (that no one else laughed at) was the lobbyist's kid saying to him, 'Dad you always said if you wanted an easy job you would work for the Red Cross..." HA! Too funny. So, everyone go see it. It was great fun.
I'm toying with applying for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund... and I know I'll probably get a phone call from Chris or Bruce about this... but it's located here in Atlanta, and it deals with Immigration law (duh), which I'm thinking means dealing with LEGAL immigrants rather than illegal ones. If this is the case, I'll have no problem. My only concern is that if I work for them, would it even be possible for me to get on with a conservative organization down the road? So, I'm still debating. Of course, now, after seeing this movie, the Lobbying world is starting to look very very cool to me.
And now, since I briefly mentioned Charles before, I think I should tell you that we've decided it's best for us not to see each other. He really is a wonderful guy, and nothing explosive happened or anything like that, but it's just one of those things that developed differently that we thought it would. So, I'm back on the market it seems, although I think I'll take a breather for a while... I'm exhausted. So, that's my weekend update. |
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