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just a girl living the expat life

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Archives for March 2011

Birthday celebration

March 28, 2011 filed under: about me, birthday, my so-called life

Birthday Cheesecake

So, it was my birthday a little over two weeks ago.
I didn’t  get to take the day of from work, but my co-workers took me out to a nice birthday lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and I go my first piece of birthday cake of the day – Original New York Cheesecake. Yum.

Later, I came home to a bunch of birthday cards and packages.

You know, the fact that I usually can’t celebrate my birthday with the people that are near and dear to my heart sucks on a regular basis, but a huge pile of birthday mail usually makes partially up for it.

Birthday present: beautiful necklace

I got a beautiful necklace from my dear friend Kim. I mean, could you think of any pendants  that would suit me more than a (half) globe and a camera? I know. It’s perfection!

Birthday present: Photoshop CS5 for Dummies

I received the book “Photoshop for Dummies”, which was actually on my Amazon Wishlist and I am so glad my friend snatched it up for me :) Now I have to get serious with my new Photoshop CS5!

Birthday present: L'Occitane gift set

My friend from Australia sent me this very nice gift set from L’Occitane. If you know me, you know I love the L’Occitane stuff, which in turn means that my friend knows me very well!

My parents and sister pitched in to help me upgrade my camera. I think I am going to go with this additional lens.

41wx0ebndXL._SL500_AA300_

J got me an electric bread knife (which might seem unimaginative to some, but if you know my love for bread and are aware of the fact that I had complained about not being able to cut even slices from a fresh loaf of bread with a regular knife, you’ll understand that J had listened very carefully to what my little heart truly desired!) and he took me out to dinner over the weekend.
We also had a nice movie night on my actual birthday and (finally!) watched “Inception”. Loved the movie!

There were also a  few more presents that are not pictured here… a book, a photo album, cosmetics, gift cards, and a whole bunch of birthday cards and emails.

Thank you all for thinking about me on my birthday! It did make me feel special.

22

Burgers and friiiiieees.

March 25, 2011 filed under: food, I can't make this shit up, my so-called life

0313010029.jpg

I am usually not a big fan of burgers. I probably eat a burger about twice a year. Maybe twice a year.

But you know what? A burger somehow becomes this really irresistible, I-haven’t-eaten-for-days-I-have-to-eat-NOW, tasty kind of dinner when

  • you decided and were determined to go out for dinner on a Saturday night,
  • you were so busy with other things that you didn’t get ready to go out before 10 p.m., and
  • you realize that there are no restaurants in town that serve dinner after 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night.

My initial response: WTF, Sacramento?

And then, the Spin Burger Bar pretty much saved my life.

12

Things I love Thursday

March 24, 2011 filed under: about me, love, TILT

the beach
{via my flickr}

This week I am loving…

… the news of yet another friend that is pregnant!

… a walk at the beach last weekend, when I spent some time with my MIL in SoCal.

… the feeling of accomplishment by providing assistance (through my work) to the Japanese emergency response team in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami  for the last two weeks.

… fresh, hot coffee.

… that my niece kisses and pets my sister’s iPhone when we talk through Skype. It’s the cutest little thing to see how excited she gets when she sees me on the screen.

… listening to German podcasts during my workouts.

… memories of my Granddad, who died a little over a year ago. Sometimes I still wait for him to call on the weekends. He’d always call around the same time and it was just so comfortably predictable. I miss him.

… a new crafting project.

… hot showers in the morning. (It’s the only way to get me going.)

… my strange addiction to watching “Animal Hoarding”. It’s fascinating and unfathomable at the same time. How can some people live with 85 cats in a small two-bedroom house?

… sweet and heart-felt emails from far away friends.

… the fact that my parents will be here in exactly 4 months!

… the prospect of moving into a new apartment soon. (We’ve started looking for a new place and even though we haven’t found the place yet, I am hopeful that we’ll be moving in the next couple of months! And I can’t wait!)

… belated birthday mail!

…the beginning of spring. (If it would only start getting a little warmer and if the rain could stop, that would be awesome!)

What are you loving this week?

10

What I do…

March 21, 2011 filed under: career stuff, my so-called life

Today I’ll be participating in “Take a Blogger to Work Day”, initiated by the lovely Gina at hiyaluv.com.
I have a degree in Geography, English and Physical Education and was heading for a career as a teacher, when my life’s path got diverted by an exchange semester and eventually a move from Germany to California.
Now I work as a geologist and data processing specialist for a big government agency. Below, I am going to share on of my more exiting work days.

* * *

… or at least, what I should be doing occasionally anyway. Most of the time, I am stuck in the office behind a computer just processing  data (which sounds more boring than it actually is, believe me!)

So, my boss took me on a field trip Monday and Tuesday. FINALLY. I had been hoping to go in the field – to feel like a REAL geologist, you know – for a while, but it hadn’t worked out so far. But I finally got to see a site, actually two sites, that I have been working on pretty much since the day I set foot in this office as an intern 4,5 years ago!
Does the name “Parkfield” ring a bell for anyone?

It’s a teeny-tiny community, with a population of mind-boggling 18 people, in the middle of nowhere in Central California, well-known in the seismic community for it is located in the Tremblor (Spanish for earthquake) Range between the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast.

Parkfield - Earthquake Capitol of the World
Courtesy of Google Maps

Parkfield lies along the San Andreas Fault, one of the most famous faults in the world. In case you didn’t know, and you probably don’t, I wrote my Master’s thesis about the San Andreas Fault, so I have personal interest in this study area.
The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that runs a length of roughly 800 miles (1,300 km) through California. The fault’s motion is right-lateral strike-slip ( relative horizontal motion). It represents the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate (moving north) and the North American Plate (moving south).

Sanandreas
Courtesy of: Nationalatlas.gov

Parkfield lies at the southern end of the central segment of the San Andreas fault which is generally considered to exhibit ‘aseismic creep”, horizontal movement without causing notable earthquakes. Parkfield however has documented evidence since 1857 of moderate-size earthquake of about magnitude 6 on average of every 22 years.
The last, slightly overdue 6.0 earthquake (which should have taken place by 1993) took place in September 2004 and I have worked on two surveyed sites in Parkfield since that earthquake:

a) Carr Hill – it’s a depression representing the San Andreas Fault, which is instrumented with a cross array of cylindrical posts, a video camera (which, triggered by an earthquake, records real-time motion) and a creep meter (an instrument that monitors the slow surface displacement (aseismic creep) of an active geologic fault).
Unfortunately, this experimental array will be removed soon, since it was set up on privately owned land and sadly, the owner has withdrawn his permission to use his land any longer.
It’s really too bad because this was such an interesting study site.

Carr Hill
See how all the posts are in a straight line and then all of a sudden they start moving to the left (south)?
The San Andreas Fault is – of course – not a straight line like this, but in this area the movement narrows down to the line between the 3rd and 4th post.

b) Parkfield Bridge – a bridge across the San Andreas fault, which runs through a (often dry) creek bed, whose piers on either side have shifted over time.

Parkfield Bridge
Do you see the bend in the bridge? The San Andreas Fault is running right underneath this bridge.
The Pacific Plate (far side of the bridge) is moving north (to the right) and the North American Plate (near side of the bridge) is moving south (to the left),  bending and twisting this bridge almost in the middle over time.

Over the last 5 years we’ve measured displacement (we’re talking decimeters) on both research sites that accounts for the aseismic creep that has occurred since the last earthquake in 2004. Eventually, the bridge will snap into two pieces, one side moving to the north and the other side moving to the south.
Can you wrap your heads around this? It’s sounds somehow unbelievable, but this is that would happen if the bridge wasn’t worked on constantly.

The two days in the field were both exciting and awesome and long and exhausting. It was hot and dusty, 95°F and even though I had enough to drink and we were sporting a fancy umbrella to shade our sensitive instrument (and ourselves ), I had a dizzy spell just 2 hours into our field work. Just lovely! It was kind of embarrassing and I  just hoped the earth would open and swallow me up at that point.
It didn’t last long though and I was OK for the rest of the field trip.

We headed out Monday morning at 6:30 a.m., worked a 12,5 hour-day (including the drive), had dinner, went to bed, started working again at 6:30 a.m. and made it home by 8 p.m.
As I said, it was a LONG, but absolutely FANTASTIC experience.

If you made it all the way down here, I applaud you. You haven’t fallen asleep yet.
But honestly, come on, you cannot tell me that this is not HOT STUFF and truly fascinating! I assure you, seeing science in the field just blows your mind!

{originally posted on August, 27, 2009}

27

He’s one!

March 17, 2011 filed under: birthday, family

Tom's first birthday
© Bastian Döring (edited by me)

On Monday, my sweet little nephew Tom turned one year old.

One year!

How can that be? He was just a teeny, tiny baby and now he’s starting to change into this little person with his own personality and he’s running around and learning new things every day. It’s scary how fast it all goes.

As always, I wish I could have been there for his first milestone, but as so often, I couldn’t. 6000 miles are not exactly a weekend trip. It was hard not to be there and be able to cuddle him and pinch his chubby little cheeks. Kids change so quickly when you don’t see them for months at a time.

Once again, I have to thank my sister for keeping me ever-present in my niece’s and nephew’s minds. I love when my sister tells me that Greta has asked about me – totally out of the blue. I love when she says “Come on, Mama,  let’s go and visit Sandra” (and then my sister has to explain why they can’t do this). I love when she pets and throws kisses at the computer screen when we skype. Even though I am not there in person, I am still there. I am part of their daily lives. And I can’t wait for the day when Tom says my name for the first time :)

15

What’s next?

March 14, 2011 filed under: news

IMG_5875

Last Thursday was my birthday; a day, on which I had planned to celebrate me and my existence; a day which started out quite wonderfully, but which was seriously dampened at the end of the day by the news of the devastating earthquake off the coast of Japan. (Therefore, I’ll be saving my birthday recap for another day.)
J and I had just finished a fun movie night, when we switched to MSNBC and learned about the earthquake as it was unfolding.

I couldn’t help but feel incredibly silly and selfish for complaining about the fact that I couldn’t spend my birthday with my sister and the rest of the family, that there weren’t any friends close by to go out with, and that in general I just secretly wished for things that I couldn’t have on my birthday.

Many people in Japan, they might not even know where their friends and relatives are, they don’t know if they’re safe or even alive, which in turn made me incredible thankful for the fact that I at least know that my family and friends are safe and well.

I was glued to the TV into the early Friday morning hours and have been checking the news periodically over the weekend. The damage, the devastation, the hardship, the sheer destruction of this natural disaster-times-two is simply unfathomable. I am heartbroken for the people of Japan.

As a geologist, I am strangely fascinated and horrified at the same time by all natural disasters. Understanding the science behind it and being able to send out warnings and evacuate is so very important in order to save lives. We also forget that thousands of lives might have been spared because of the strict building codes and earthquake preparedness in Japan. Still, there will always be homes destroyed, lives lost and faith shattered.

Is it only me, or do you also feel that natural disasters are happening more frequently? It feels like we’re in a perpetual state of anticipation for the next shoe to drop. Sometimes I am afraid to turn on the news. But although images of disasters, violence and human hardship saturate our TV screens these days, I haven’t gone numb, but am always left emotionally devastated.

I always wonder: What’s next?

17

Some things I love about my sister

March 9, 2011 filed under: about me, family, Germany

I love that my sister…

… has always been a constant in my life. When I was very shy and afraid as a child, my sister would take me by the hand and let me know that I wasn’t alone and that everything was going to be ok.

… is funny. No, not funny, hilarious. The things that she’ll do to make me laugh, I can’t even begin to describe here. We have so many inside jokes by now, that sometimes even two words of an unfinished sentence make me burst out into belly-aching, tear-flowing laughter.

… has this ability to always make me feel better, no matter if something big or small is bothering me.

… is so genuine. She’s not one to tolerate any BS and she definitely knows how to be real with people.

… gets me. Like, really gets me.

… always calls at the right time. I don’t know if I should blame it on her being psychic, the synchronicity of twin brains or just pure coincidence, but I swear, sometimes the phone rings when I am literally holding the phone in my hand about to dial her number.

… is a wonderful mother. I never had a doubt that she would be a wonderful mother, but now actually seeing her around my niece and my nephew is one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. It’s like my sister truly was born to be a mother. She so patient and easy-going, never stressed or freaked out and handles everything with so much intuition and grace.

… is deeply rooted in our hometown. It’s funny, because I explained here on this blog before, how our roles have somehow reversed over time. I’d have never ever in a million years imagined myself living in California, 6000 miles away from home when I was younger. She, however, was always the courageous one, taking risks and going on adventures. It’s kind of nice to know that going home does not only mean going home to my parents and the house I grew up in, but also going home to the place where my sister has built her life, her nest and family.

It’s almost our birthday! One more sleep. Hooray!

19

My current crushes

March 7, 2011 filed under: about me, love

crushes

1.) I got this little Owl Bank from Urban Outfitters before Christmas while I was Christmas shopping for other people. It’s kind of odd how I always end up finding things that I love when I am out shopping for other people.

2.) Gerard Butler. Can’t help it.

3.) I saw this Soda Fountain Dress in Ginger by Modcloth on Pinterest and I had to re-pin it because it’s beautiful.

4.) I am usually not really a heels-kinda-girl, but every once in a while a shoe catches my eye and I fall in love. This happened today with this Karlla Open-Toe Pump by Madden Girl. The red color is awesome, although I’d probably go with a more versatile black version if I were to buy them.

5.) I really wish I would be willing to spend as much money on a camera bag as the Ona Camera bag is prized for. It  is just beautiful and just the right size.

6.) The Flirt Skinny Flared Trouser Jeans by Old Navy.

7.) “Sockenmollis” made with love by my dear friend Kim, available on Dawanda.de. She gave me one – one of the very first ones she made – for Christmas and I love it. It’s unique and cuddly; the perfect gift!

What are your current crushes?

15

N is for New

March 5, 2011 filed under: my so-called life

alphabetproject1

IMG_5869n

Somehow vintage-y looking! LOVE the ruffles on the back!!

The alphabet project is a 26 week adventure in photography!
Wanna play along? Check out Ashley‘s blog and join the Flickr Group!

8

On getting started

March 4, 2011 filed under: crafts

You guys, Indie Business 3.0 just started this week and I am so stoked. If you are not participating, you’re missing out.  Last weekend, we were preparing for the beginning of the class by putting together our Indie Biz Portfolio Binder which serves as our Workbook. It was so much fun putting it together.

Indie Biz Portfolio

I bought a bunch of pretty scrap-booking paper and started cutting my dividers and putting the binder together.

Indie Biz Portfolio

IMG_5853

When I signed up, I was a little bit afraid that I wouldn’t be able to dedicate enough time to the class on a daily basis and sure enough, we’re only in week 1 and I was so busy that I only had time to read the class material, but not do the assignments. I am hoping to catch up on this over the weekend.

Are you taking the class with me? How are you doing so far?

13

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Hi, I am San – German native, dual-citizen living in beautiful Northern California. Runner. Knitter. Crafter. Reader. Writer. Proud aunt, sister, and friend.

I’ve been blogging since 2004 and don’t intend to stop any time soon. If you are looking for personal content and making a  genuine connection, you’ve come to the right place.

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