Babies!

No, not me. One of my classmates is pregnant and I got to feel the baby kick today! It was very, very cool, especially since I am the first person to do so, even before the daddy (not for lack of trying, though. I guess I just have awesome timing). It was a little weird, though, just to realize and another tiny human's leg was just attacking me from inside another human.

Mmm... delicious

In an effort to (allegedly) make use of the 20 key limes we bought for one whole dollar at Sunflower Markets, I made key lime pie (and also managed to break up the monotony of doing 3,000 projects due tomorrow. I kid. But not much.). Not just any key lime pie! Oh no! Very complex, labor intensive MINI key lime pies. So labor intensive that at nearly every step, I thought to myself, "These can't be worth it." (Then again, I am just not used to juicing 18 tiny limes. That was really the hardest part. Basically, I thought that as I juiced every lime half.).

Were they? Oh yes, my friend. They were indeed. If only for the intensely satisfying "banging of the muffin tin" step. The most miraculous thing? It worked *perfectly* even though I was absolutely convinced I would just end up smashing my adorable little pies into the table. This was a tester run, to see if it would be worth making a second batch for our end-of-semester party. If I have time on Thursday (which I think I will), I'll do it.

Recipe here!

I hope people like pie :-)

Into the Woods

Last night we went to go see Boulder High's production of Into the Woods, the Sondheim musical. Holy Cow. Like many people, I was first introduced to this musical by the version they had on TV with Bernadette Peters. This production was so much more entertaining than even that!

The the cast was so talented that for the most part, you'd never guess they were high school students. It's an extremely challenging production on so many levels (difficult music, ensemble cast requiring a lot of talent, a lot of acting). Honestly, when I heard the high schools put it on, I couldn't even imagine how. It just takes an amazing amount of skill and hard work, I guess.

They had pyrotechnics (much better special effects than the movie version!), complicated sets with moving floors, quick costume changes... the works. Practically Broadway-quality for not-at-all Broadway prices (especially since the husband's a teacher there. It only costs us free-ninety-nine!).

Says the atheist to the Catholic

Him: I think I should learn how to use a gun.
Me: Why?
Him: To protect myself in the coming apocalypse.

Visitors

I just randomly checked my Sitemeter stats. Since I assume I have very few readers (Hi Aous! And PJ!), I assume that my two visitors a day are just those two compulsively checking in (and since I know at least one of them uses Google Reader, I know that's not really the case).

So I was shocked, shocked I say, to discover that I have had visitors from all over the world. I'm sure most of them randomly stumbled upon this blog, and left quickly thereafter, but I am intrigued as to how any of my readers get here (regardless of how long they stay). Maybe you googled "slash wedding," which is apparently a hot search, and also one I am ranked shockingly high on (to this post). Maybe you even googled "Sazzing" itself. If you are one of these clever people, I am very curious: were you looking for me? If not, what were you hoping to find? I won't be at all sad if it really was not me you were anxiously googling for.

In summary: hooray for visitors! And since people actually read this, perhaps I should try to make it a little more interesting. Sadly, I am very poor at writing scathingly funny things about people close to me (who might get wind of this blog). That would be interesting to read, I think, but you shan't find any of that here, alas.

So, tell me how you got here!

Linguists in da HOUSE!

Saving dying languages

Major kudos to these awesome linguists (check out my former teacher, Dr. Rood, in the video and story) for devoting literally decades to this important work. Hooray for good linguist publicity!

Fun ways to spend your time

Check this site out:

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/general/press/webcam/owlcam/

It's a live webcam of two great horned owls and their two babies. So far, we have been lucky enough to see the babies twice, including an evening feeding! Very cool. Here's a screenshot from this morning:

I like to just leave it on and check in from time to time. Have fun!

Studies in late night paper-writing

Pop Rocks are an '80s party in my mouth.

Also, a tasty alternative to coffee (blech) for the awakeness.

Spring?

I can't wait for the weather to be warm again... but I remember how hot it can get in the summer, too!

Here's another picture taken after today's morning snow melted (notice the droplets):

Pulse of the land

I was in a meeting with one of my supervisors/professors and several other classmates a few months ago on a lovely day. I kept glancing out the window, looking at the view of the trees and mountains beyond. My supervisor noticed this, and commented, "Wow, you are really drawn outside, aren't you?"

This got me thinking. Who wouldn't glance outside during a meeting (not that it was that boring)? But if there is a window nearby, I need to know what the weather is like. I love watching the rhythms of nature unfold before my eyes, delight in the unexpectedness and excitement that weather can bring and feel connected to something so real when I can see the outdoors.

We had a sudden hailstorm yesterday. As everyone was thinking about the damage to their cars, I could only be amazed and delighted in this incredible, unpredictable phenomenon. The little bits of hail danced everywhere, furious and brief in their attack. And then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

We have lived here long enough that I have been through all of the seasons twice, and now, the third time through, I feel as though I understand the breath of this place. I can feel what different clouds may mean, know what different smells predict, and can anticipate the next delightful changes. I love feeling the rhythms and knowing that there is something bigger and more eternal than the everyday life.