Fly Me To The Moon

About a month ago, I was invited on a private plane ride by one of the engineers I worked with at Google (he had heard through the grapevine that I was itching to fly). I accepted heartily, of course, and this lead to my first-ever private plane ride.

It was just Bogdan and I in his 4-seater, single-engine, front-propeller Columbia plane. We flew out of Palo Alto airport in the early evening and not only did I get to see the Bay Area (minus San Francisco due to weather rules involving the SF airport) bathed in summer sun, but also painted in sunset stripes, and eventually, cloaked in moonlight. What a thrill!

As we were taxying, Bogdan was telling me flying stories. He wisely decided to filter which stories he told, as he watched my facial reactions to his story of a bird flying into the propeller, and causing the plane to swerve off course before the bird itself was disintegrated by the blades. Perhaps it wasn't the noise-reduction headphones that cause nausea, afterall.

The flight was incredibly smooth, excluding one extreme jolt which caused both of our headsets to fly off and my head to hit the roof. We were able to fly over dear San Carlos and see the red roofs of Stanford University. We crossed the Santa Cruz mountains, hovered over Santa Cruz and Monterey, and headed south to Paso Robles. Finally, we flew up north again through the dry Central Valley, and returned to the glittering post-sunset lights of the expansive South Bay Area.

Stay tuned for more flying adventures (hopefully).



For bigger pictures, check out this album online here.

Vital Vowels

This hilarious article is an oldy-but-goody written for and published in The ONION, a satirical online periodical.

Clinton Deploys Vowels to Bosnia

Cities of Sjlbvdnzv, Grzny to Be First Recipients

Before an emergency joint session of Congress yesterday, President Clinton announced US plans to deploy over 75,000 vowels to the war-torn region of Bosnia. The deployment, the largest of its kind in American history, will provide the region with the critically needed letters A,E,I,O and U, and is hoped to render countless Bosnian names more pronounceable.

"For six years, we have stood by while names like Ygrjvslhv and Tzlynhr and Glrm have been horribly butchered by millions around the world," Clinton said. "Today, the United States must finally stand up and say 'Enough.' It is time the people of Bosnia finally had some vowels in their incomprehensible words. The US is proud to lead the crusade in this noble
endeavour."

The deployment, dubbed Operation Vowel Storm by the State Department, is set for early next week, with the Adriatic port cities of Sjlbvdnzv and Grzny slated to be the first recipients. Two C-130 transport planes, each carrying over 500 24-count boxes of "E's," will fly from Andrews Air Force Base across the Atlantic and airdrop the letters over the cities.

Citizens of Grzny and Sjlbvdnzv eagerly await the arrival of the vowels. "My God, I do not think we can last another day," Trszg Grzdnjkln, 44, said. "I have six children and none of them has a name that is understandable to me or to anyone else. Mr. Clinton, please send my poor, wretched family just one 'E.' Please."

Said Sjlbvdnzv resident Grg Hmphrs, 67: "With just a few key letters, I could be George Humphries. This is my dream."

The airdrop represents the largest deployment of any letter to a foreign country since 1984. During the summer of that year, the US shipped 92,000 consonants to Ethiopia, providing cities like Ouaouoaua, Eaoiiuae, and Aao with vital, life-giving supplies of L's, S's and T's.

Waterproof Mascara Season

Well, things have come to a resolution, as they usually do. Resolutions are inevitable. Regardless of the good or bad outcome, the ball rolls on. With the help of fabulous friends, I will be moving a few miles away to a house of Christian gals on Sunday. Or rather, my stuff will be moving there on Sunday, and I will follow in a few weeks. I made the definitive decision to move on Wednesday night, which left me with 4 days to pack up all that I own in this world, move it, go on a job interview, and attend a wedding. Yowza!

Needless to say, my stress levels have been a little high. This is a "waterproof mascara" season for me. That may sound odd, but bear with me. I usually put on my makeup in my car, and the last addition is mascara. For a while I have used a special, "hip" mascara that has the waterproof kind on one end and the normal kind on the other, clearly for the utterly modern woman (who apparently never knows when she will break down in tears?). I reach down, and in a split second, decide which one I will use for the day. Do I expect to cry today? Is there anything that might possibly make my eyes leak? Will I be participating in any underwater activities today? Recently, "waterproof" has been my selection every time, and no, not because I am getting back into synchronized swimming. So, I have dubbed this challenging time in life "Waterproof Mascara Season".

That said, the Lord has been very kind to me! His provision was not what I thought I wanted or expected (it rarely is!) but it is fabulous nonetheless. I will get to live in a warm and safe house with girls who love Jesus, and still stay in my area. Why, WHY do I often doubt His goodness and provision when, time after time, He proves it to me beyond my own ability to take care of myself?? The answer is.... I'm a dufus. But, I am a redeemed dufus (said with cheeky grin).

My last day at Google was on Monday (23rd), and I have many posts planned to share airplane rides, celebrity meetings, and goodbyes. Once things settle down a bit more, I will fire away!

Sink Again

Well, I am finally doing it. I have had this space for a while (ever since I first went to England), but in true Claire-fashion, I only wrote on it 3 times. I have given it a face-lift, deleted old posts, and am turning over a new, virtual leaf. I have been wanting to update far-away friends and family, build my blogging chops, and share all the bizarre circumstances I seem to find myself in daily. Of course, now that I am starting to record and share them, they will undoubtedly stop occurring, because that is the way of things. So stay tuned for... not much exciting. Just kidding. It is my hope and intent to write here regularly about semi-exciting events/ideas/ponderings.

I find myself at a crossroads, currently. I find that the Lord has seen fit to make a few things come to a close all together. My job at Google will be ending in two weeks, and I am searching for a new roommate (rather suddenly) to live with me in my cheerful apartment here in San Carlos. Perhaps I could hit two birds with one stone and join a Protestant convent? But alas, I am sure they would not embrace my extensive jewelry collection, and love of the color orange. I have begun to "put my feelers out" in the job sphere, and am applying to a few at present. The roommate situation is proving to be a bit trickier. It is times like these where my trust in the provision of the Lord, and His promise to "do me good" is challenged. But, I must preach to myself-

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you." (Jeremiah 29:11 & 12)

This often-quoted verse is preceded by verse 10-

"For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place."

He is good, and he promises to act for my highest good, but I might have to wait! All I can say is, "Lord, let this waiting time not be in vain!". Haha. I am looking forward to the "Aha!" moment when I will say, "Wow, now THAT'S my King!"

In other news, I just got back today from my church's Twenties Group Retreat at Westminster Woods, near Bodega Bay. The teaching was out of the gospel of Mark, and zoned in on our deeply-rooted self-centered default. I was, in a word, "slayed" by the scripture and it's application and implication in my life. I will be marinating on these challenging calls to serve others as Jesus served/serves me for a long time. The retreat was also filled with merriment, joy, food, song, and silliness. I treasure the good times I shared with the five other girls in my cabin, especially an awkward encounter with a raccoon. A word to the wise: Don't stand really close to a raccoon, and shine your flashlight in its eyes. They don't like it. Maybe Jesus could get away with it, but not me.