1. Okay, not so random on this one but I LOVED SEEING YOU ALL (minus our dear Nate and Lauren). Will post beautiful pics on FB soon.
Caro: send me yours unless you want to post them!! :]
2. I REALLY wish Carleton HR would get my name right. Apparently I was in the final running for the Admissions Counselor job--I received a much more gracious rejection email. (ugh) But Emily Luhman called me "Brian" in 2 emails--one of which did not have any text in the body. WTF. And then just "Cain" in the final email. Sigh. My resume, cover letter, email address have my FULL NAME. Not to mention I signed all my email with my name, AGAIN. Lame Emily Luhman, lame. This does not prompt significant donations.
3. I was perusing the old facebook newsfeed and found a friend who was tagged in an album called "wedding photobooth!" HOLY CRAP. They were exactly what you think!--really fun photobooth pics of wedding guests, complete with props! Why have I not thought of this??? There will be a photobooth at my wedding. Consider having one on your list as well! :] :]
4. My brother returned from his month long program at U of M Morris today. My family and I drove out there for the program's banquet--sodexHO how I have NOT missed you.
5. I MISS YOU ALL ALREADY.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Road Trip Updizzle
Stay overs along this 5 day journey:
Aug. 11th--Nashville (Carl couple!)
Aug. 12th--Little Rock, AK (Carl alum!)
Aug. 13th--Amarillo, TX (Uncertain...)
Aug. 14th--Rimrock, AZ
Aug. 15th--Start at 8 a.m. (Who starts on a Sunday???)
GO, Carleton! I've never been so happy to be a Carleton grad with such an amazing alumni network before! It's nice being a grad now, instead of a student. It evens the playing field a bit more.
Also, I will be calling you along this trip. I'm going to need some help entertaining my mind.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
enlightenment
I just dropped $80 at Barnes & Noble. The lady at the counter asked, for what is probably the 25th time now, if I wanted to buy a membership for $25 and get $11 off my purchase today. I keep telling myself I don't spend enough money there to merit an extra $25 expense, but then I wonder if I'm kidding myself or just too lazy to do the math? She was probably also thinking that I was going through a cultural or spiritual crisis considering the subject matter: a Pakistani novel, the Upanishads, Thich Nhat Hanh's "Heart of Buddhism," "The Case for God," and "Eat, Pray, Love."
Technically, I read Eat, Pray, Love already, but I wanted my own copy and felt a need to re-visit it's pages in lieu of the new movie with Julia Roberts. In truth, I was feeling intellectually hungry and I also wanted to do some personal re-centering. I used to do things like play music, read poetry, and do yoga much more than I have been this past year and, while I've been happy and my life is not crazy and out-of-control, I wouldn't exactly call it "spiritually balanced." I've noticed day-to-day life getting in the way of the philosophical thoughts I used to have, books I used to enjoy, and the enjoyment of making fresh bread. Thus, with a rare day off work, I traipsed into the jungle of the "religion" section at B&N, sunk to the floor in my jeans and Italian leather shoes, and felt and instant sense of meditative peacefulness that I have not felt in a very long time.
As I opened the first crisp pages of "The Case for God," a book devised conspicuously for the Western world, something struck me: the difference between orthodox and orthoprax. Somehow I never picked up on the beautiful differences and interwoven nature of belief and practice in my Carleton religion classes and I found the idea of orthopraxy, in particular, very engaging. There are so many things in my life I believe, but do I ever take action on those beliefs and would taking actions make those beliefs more real? In my perennial thoughts about the complexity of relationships and their complications I immediately thought of the loss of "courtship" as a ritual practice and how it may have operated to actualize belief in the commitment of marriage - how people didn't just say things to each other to comfort their significant other, they did things to give meaning to their words. Or something like that...and how without courtship, their are fewer rituals to give marriage importance. BUT, are new methods of "courtship," i.e. "hanging out," just a new ritual that is no less meaningful in its own way? I'll have to think on that...
Thank you for reading the musings of a soul who is enjoying musing again and hoping that all of you get lost in the joy of exploring what can never be known every once in a while. I think the $80 was worth it.
Technically, I read Eat, Pray, Love already, but I wanted my own copy and felt a need to re-visit it's pages in lieu of the new movie with Julia Roberts. In truth, I was feeling intellectually hungry and I also wanted to do some personal re-centering. I used to do things like play music, read poetry, and do yoga much more than I have been this past year and, while I've been happy and my life is not crazy and out-of-control, I wouldn't exactly call it "spiritually balanced." I've noticed day-to-day life getting in the way of the philosophical thoughts I used to have, books I used to enjoy, and the enjoyment of making fresh bread. Thus, with a rare day off work, I traipsed into the jungle of the "religion" section at B&N, sunk to the floor in my jeans and Italian leather shoes, and felt and instant sense of meditative peacefulness that I have not felt in a very long time.
As I opened the first crisp pages of "The Case for God," a book devised conspicuously for the Western world, something struck me: the difference between orthodox and orthoprax. Somehow I never picked up on the beautiful differences and interwoven nature of belief and practice in my Carleton religion classes and I found the idea of orthopraxy, in particular, very engaging. There are so many things in my life I believe, but do I ever take action on those beliefs and would taking actions make those beliefs more real? In my perennial thoughts about the complexity of relationships and their complications I immediately thought of the loss of "courtship" as a ritual practice and how it may have operated to actualize belief in the commitment of marriage - how people didn't just say things to each other to comfort their significant other, they did things to give meaning to their words. Or something like that...and how without courtship, their are fewer rituals to give marriage importance. BUT, are new methods of "courtship," i.e. "hanging out," just a new ritual that is no less meaningful in its own way? I'll have to think on that...
Thank you for reading the musings of a soul who is enjoying musing again and hoping that all of you get lost in the joy of exploring what can never be known every once in a while. I think the $80 was worth it.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Moving to Manhattan
Though I swore I was not the type to live in such a big city, I'm soon to be a resident of Manhattan...and I'm psyched!!!
I'm going to live with my friend London in a one bedroom that we are converting into a two bedroom (I had never heard of this but it's apparently really common...you literally pay some guy to build walls and make the living room into a bedroom and living room...should be interesting). It's on 91st and 1st (upper east side...5 blocks from central park) and our apartment is on lucky floor 13 haha. I move in end of July...whoooo!
HERE'S THE VIEW FROM THE BALCONY :)
I'm going to live with my friend London in a one bedroom that we are converting into a two bedroom (I had never heard of this but it's apparently really common...you literally pay some guy to build walls and make the living room into a bedroom and living room...should be interesting). It's on 91st and 1st (upper east side...5 blocks from central park) and our apartment is on lucky floor 13 haha. I move in end of July...whoooo!HERE'S THE VIEW FROM THE BALCONY :)
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