The school Niels' & I will be teaching at has an English language webpage, which is surprisingly decent, so if you're interested to see where we'll be teaching, beginning a week from today (!), click here.

The school Niels' & I will be teaching at has an English language webpage, which is surprisingly decent, so if you're interested to see where we'll be teaching, beginning a week from today (!), click here.

It took too long for this to happen, but I still cheered when I heard it.

Considering I got the photos from the photographer on Friday and I'm leaving for China in two days it's no surprise I've not posted them on Flickr yet. But clcik here to see to some that were taken by a friend of Niels'.

Off to pack!!

My wonderful friend K. did the photos for the wedding, she scanned & sent me one of them while she's finishing up compiling the photo album. So here's one of them...

My wonderful friend K. did the photos for the wedding, she scanned & sent me one of them while she's finishing up compiling the photo album. So here's one of them...

The wedding was unbelievable. I'm still waiting for some photos as soon as I get them, I'll post how the day went.

And yes, it does feel different to be married.

Three days until the wedding. Preparations are going really well, but keeping me & Niels really busy. Since I can't write much I leave you with a close up of my top made by one of my sister-in-law's Mom, with the bead work by my Mom. The dress really was a communal effort and I'm very blessed to have had so many people involved in its creation.

Today is my last day of my five week stint "working" back at the university. The work has been far from difficult, has allowed me to catch up on my blog reading, allowed me to study a little bit for the GRE, look at grad schools, and work on my play by email action reports for Twilight Imperium (shut up I know I'm a nerd), all the while earning decent money to pay off bills while I'm in China. Over all it's been really good to be back. I am floored that today is my last day, since going to China I've been constantly amazed on how fast time goes.

Tomorrow I leave for our every two year family vacation. We're heading out to some place in Virginia, and am both nervous and excited for it. Nervous because, well, seven days with my whole immediate family, and excited, because I need some sleep and days of lounging at the pool.

Upon return for family vacation I'll be doing last minute preparations for the wedding. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm getting married in 17 DAYS! I mean if it doesn't start sinking in soon, when will it sink in? There are only a few things left I need to do, the big one are, have one last final, final fitting for the dress, and get the marriage license.

This summer has been whirlwind indeed.

This isn't a big surprise, but it's nice to know that it's finally getting the press it deserves.

From today's New York Times:

Published: August 1, 2007

On the streets of New York or Denver or San Mateo this summer, it seems the telltale cap of a water bottle is sticking out of every other satchel. Americans are increasingly thirsty for what is billed as the healthiest, and often most expensive, water on the grocery shelf. But this country has some of the best public water supplies in the world. Instead of consuming four billion gallons of water a year in individual-sized bottles, we need to start thinking about what all those bottles are doing to the planet’s health.

Here are the hard, dry facts: Yes, drinking water is a good thing, far better than buying soft drinks, or liquid candy, as nutritionists like to call it. And almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands. Meanwhile, if you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost about 49 cents.

Next, there’s the environment. Water bottles, like other containers, are made from natural gas and petroleum. The Earth Policy Institute in Washington has estimated that it takes about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make the water bottles Americans use each year. That could fuel 100,000 cars a year instead. And, only about 23 percent of those bottles are recycled, in part because water bottles are often not included in local redemption plans that accept beer and soda cans. Add in the substantial amount of fuel used in transporting water, which is extremely heavy, and the impact on the environment is anything but refreshing.

Tap water may now be the equal of bottled water, but that could change. The more the wealthy opt out of drinking tap water, the less political support there will be for investing in maintaining America’s public water supply. That would be a serious loss. Access to cheap, clean water is basic to the nation’s health.

Some local governments have begun to fight back. Earlier this summer, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom prohibited his city’s departments and agencies from buying bottled water, noting that San Francisco water is “some of the most pristine on the planet.” Salt Lake City has issued a similar decree, and New York City recently began an advertising campaign that touted its water as “clean,” “zero sugar” and even “stain free.”

The real change, though, will come when millions of ordinary consumers realize that they can save money, and save the planet, by turning in their water bottles and turning on the tap.