It happens everywhere.

What's in a name?

I have spent too much time trying to think of a name for this new four legged friend. Many names were discussed and debated and many factors came to play in how this dog would be summoned.

Finally, this past Tuesday the decision was made. He now wears a name tag which says: "Silas".

In the naming process, I was attempting to play with the languages I'm familiar with from living in Europe for sometime, but sadly nothing seemed to fit.

The first night Silas was home, my parents came to visit and welcome him to the family. He quickly became comfortable with the three of us, as he lay in the middle of the floor sprawled out comfortably.

As we discussed various name possibilities and how life will change with an adopted retired greyhound. My four legged black rug then let out a very contented and loud sigh and continued to do so throughout the evening.

Thus "Silas" is shortened to "Si" which is pronounced "Sigh" which suits him perfectly. Come visit me and I know you'll agree.

The Office

When you know your colleagues really love you.

Parenthood

Hello and welcome home.

I hope you will be happy here. I've had your toys prepared and pillow fluffed for over a week now. I hope you like the food and can sleep well at night.

Please note that there are large panes of glass between us and the outdoors where you will see small creatures which you will be inclined to chase. It can be painful if you choose to ignore this information.

Try not to chew on things which have not been allocated as yours and 'marking' is strictly forbidden indoors. as well as anything else that leaves marks or smells.

Abiding by these simple rules will allow your stay to be a pleasant one.

sincerely,
Your New Owner.

My mom tells me I've wanted and asked to have a dog since I was young. Though I must admit to you I went through a long phase of being quite fearful of them. So much so, that when selling candybars door-to-door as a fund raiser for my little Christian school, I would skip the houses that had signs of dog-life: nose smears on the front window, bent out screen doors, barking...

However, through the years and having had dog-loving friends, I've come full circle back to wishing to have an animal bigger than a guinea pig in my home. That wish coupled with the fact that I'm helping to rescue at least one dog from being destroyed after being deemed useless, I've now become the adoptive parent of a small(ish) male black greyhound. His race name is Lonesome Hawk and he comes with all kinds of papers and his races and records. His 'foster home' called him "Hawk". I'm not too keen on this name, so today was a 'name that dog' day with family and friends, so far nothing has stuck. Maybe tomorrow.

But for now, he's sleeping (hopefully peacefully) in his cage and will be ready for a full day with his new friend (me!) and in his new home (mine!) tomorrow. Sweet doggie dreams!

The Local Chippy

Having driven by it a few times, I've regularly told myself I must stop in.

Driving back from work today I pulled my Honda Fit in to the Fishery parking lot, shared with a Dominoes, Z's tanning salon and a Planned Parenthood centre.

After perusing the mouthwatering wall menu, I ordered a basic basket of fish and chips and was extremely pleased with the outcome. Granted, it was very different than the fish and chips sister menu item in England, but I wasn't expecting a carbon copy and it was delicious. (Though admittedly, I did hold on to a little hope that maybe the owner was a British transplant. He was true blue American, believe me.)

There were seats for those awaiting their order (mine took three minutes) and only a booth and a half for those who choose to eat in. I did.

I love fancy wine and dine restaurants which give me an excuse to don the little black number and glittery jewelery, and spend half a month's salary (or someone else's) for a unique delicacy. I have the same adoration for the down home, local, ripped jeans and baseball cap diners. The Fishery fits exactly into this category and currently my budgetary limitations.

They don't have a website or a wine list. They haven't got pâté or paper napkins (actually only a roll of paper towel on the counter). But the fish was fresh, the chips were hot and the smiles were genuine.

This place has become my traditional 'friday-fish-fix' stop. If one day can already count as 'tradition'?

The Motherland

Since college graduation, my closest working colleagues have averaged an age of 20 years older than me. I never minded it and most times quite enjoyed it. My new position at Calvin does not put me in a dissimilar environment.

This recently became evident since I started a new activity of riding my bike to and from work. This is not possible every day for two reasons: 1) Michigan weather is bi-polar and 2) it's 11 miles one way = looong!

My collegial mothers and fathers have expressed concern daily that I be careful, wear sunscreen, a helmet and shoes as I trek my way from Grandville, through Wyoming to South East Grand Rapids.

I do not ride every day, nor is it physically possible at this point. I do need to sleep. I do not have 2 hours every day to give to the commute. I am not excited about getting to work post-11mile bike trip = a good workout!

For now, it's a two day a week plan and I quite like the idea and embodiment of the idea. And yes, to all these mothers and fathers around the world - I do wear my helmet and am very careful crossing the roads.This is a year old photo from last summer when I took a bike trip to a castle in Okor. Yep, this is my helmet which I faithfully wear and the glasses which keep 99% of the bugs out of my eyes.

Watch out Jamie and Julia

In the last few weeks, my kitchen has produced:

• Hummus - a bit too garlicky for others, but perfect for me.
• Bagels - a long process, but fun to succeed in making them (too many and still have some in the freezer!)
• Grilled chicken and asparagus pasta salad - yum.
• Cream of Asparagus soup - okay, know how to better it for next time.
• Bacon and cheesy chicken - you can't go wrong with those ingredients, ever!
• Rhubarb and strawberry crumble/cobbler - absolutely delicious, even with my own modifications - it disappeared quickly.
• Coffee cake - yummy with an adapted brown sugar topping.
• Omelets - constituted of various leftovers - edible and satisfying
• Strawberry chocolate brownie bits - tasty for those who like this kinda thing - I prefer the old fashioned brownies.

There's something about standing in my kitchen and tossing various vegetables, fruits, powders and liquids together to create something impressive to my taste-buds which simply makes me happy. I'm still learning and maybe I experiment too much rather than following recipes, but it's still fun.

If you plan to visit, let me know a day ahead and I'll think up some kind of crazy food which you may enjoy. (I'll always have a frozen pizza and ice cream in the freezer, just in case!)

I haven't yet tried homemade pizza, actually... perhaps that's next! Come over and have a bite!

Three Months Later...

Dear Applicant:

Thank you very much for submitting your application for Program Assistant in the Multicultural Programs department. Although we greatly appreciate your interest in this position, we were fortunate in the number of qualified applicants who applied to this position and our final decision has been made.

We wish you great success in your job search. Again, many thanks for your interest.

Human Resources

I've so many comments to make on this. All I'll say is that I'm happy to have heard back, but am even happier that it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. This job would have placed me in Chicago-land (which I love), but I need to be in Michigan right now and am pleased to be here.

It's very odd to think back to those days when I was searching and applying to jobs, wondering where I would end up, if anywhere at all. How amazed and thankful I am to be where I'm at today and truly happy in my work.