happy President's Day!

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum was serving up the favorite cookies of US presidents today, so I went to sample. I couldn't believe the long line for cookies, but luckily I had already explored the museum for over and hour before most people arrived, so I was able to get up in the front. I chose Johnson's lemon bars and Carter's pecan bars. Museum volunteers had baked so many different kinds, and they all looked delicious, but considering the line, I wanted there to be enough for the rest.

I loved the recreated Oval Office of 1950 room, and so did Fox 4 news. I think I was in the background while they were filming.

After finishing off my cookies, I headed down to Independence Square, the cute downtown area very close by. I stopped in to a Scandinavian store, and then to a German restaurant where I got an amazing sandwich and hot potato salad. Then I found a great antique store with the most reasonable prices I have seen. I was greeted by a middle-aged, three-legged chihuahua, which I immediately went to pet. I am definitely animal-deprived. His name was Skitter (or something that rhymes with that) and he had been hit by a car just before Christmas and had to have his leg amputated, but he was the sweetest (and leanest) chihuahua I've ever met. He followed me around while I browsed. I didn't come back with anything but a leftover sandwich half, but I had a really enjoyable morning!

100!

I've hit the 100 mark for job applications sent. And I feel like I've become a professional job applier. Beyond that, you've got me. I haven't heard anything back but a few rejections, but I'll keep on. There's got to be one out there somewhere. It almost feels like a game now!

Today, I volunteered with a local organization that helps resettle refugees to the Kansas City area. We were setting up an apartment for a family of three from Burma. The family was not present, but there were four of us working on it, moving furniture in and everything else a family would need to get settled in a completely new environment. Coming from a refugee camp, most people have little more than the clothes they are wearing. Nearly all of the things we moved in were donations, everything from a kitchen table and chairs, down to a jar of maraschino cherries that apparently comes with every truckload. It's all stored in a warehouse and sorted into sets for each move. There were plenty of toys for the daughter, pictures for the wall, and bath products as well.

The other volunteer and I had a bit of a laugh while setting the table, something the organization does for each home. We had a green vinyl tablecloth, some Christmas poinsettia placemats, floral & ruffle napkins, and blue striped plates. It was quite the mis-match, as was the rest of the apartment, but it still managed to look homey. I can only imagine it will be much more comfortable than what they are coming from.

While we worked, were discussing our jobs, how I hadn't heard back from any I had applied to, and I was glad to find I was not the only one with so much trouble. One other guy told me about his two master's degrees in the economics field, then got a disgruntled look on his face and said, "and now I'm moving furniture!" There may be less unemployment these days, but there seems to be a lot more underemployment. Even a recent blog post by the Center for the Future of Museums was titled "No Future", after the Field Museum cut $5 million dollars from its budget this year, most of it from its science department. For such a powerful and successful museum, that's like seeing a grown up cry for the first time, and you know something's really wrong. But, eventually, things will get better.

lunar new years

The museum celebrated Chinese New Year this past Friday with plenty of events in the evening, in addition to the opening of a new Chinese landscape exhibit. Everything was free, and therefore over three thousand people showed up. Kansas City is truly fortunate to have a museum that creates events such as that for all to enjoy. We, as officers, got the rare opportunity to wear something other than our uniform as long as it was Chinese-style. Some were chosen to dress up in Chinese costumes the museum curator had brought back from one of his trips to China. I didn't bring back anything from China besides some bulky Tibetan outfits, so I skipped out on that part. One of my Meetup groups was at the event, and since I was working, I only got to join them for a moment or two while on my break, but I was at least posted in a gallery adjacent to some musicians and was able to enjoy that.

Along with the exhibit, I get to wear this.

Yes, you can ask me. But not just yet. Someone had an issue with the copy machine and only copied off the first page of the six pages we were supposed to read to be informed of exactly what we are supposed to know when we are asked.

Both the Chinese calendar and the Tibetan calendar go by the moon, but they each count the "extra" days differently, so this year the Tibetan New Year (Losar) was today, the day after Chinese New Year. By request of the Tibetan leader, it was supposed to be a day of prayer much like last year, for the Tibetan self-immolations and continuing situation. I decided to make my favorite Tibetan bread, a very simple recipe of fried dough, ever so slightly sweet. Normally I don't like fried things, but these are not greasy, and it's fun to make the shapes!

skijoring

On my way to work the other day, I passed an outdoorsy-looking vehicle with some very large decal letters on the back: Skijor Hund. I thought that sounded interesting, so I made a mental note to look it up. Well, it is interesting, and it looks like tons of fun!

 

Yes, it's skiing as you're being pulled- by a horse, dog, or motor vehicle. I had seen a photo of this before, some amusing post card that circulated between family members, but had no idea of the name of this sport.

Not only that, when I Googled this, I came across ads for harnesses you can get, and from REI! (And, the lady in the photo on the REI site has a kid in a ski trailer attached to her. How cool.)

 I'm all for this, as soon as I get a dog, and some snow!

another (smaller) snow day

It's nearly February, but I'm happy to say there's been some snow this winter- not enough to go cross country skiing today, but a snow hike was just the thing. I was the only one out besides a few women running, and a man with his puppy and loaf of bread, feeding the geese.

(Speaking of feeding the wildlife, I haven't seen my squirrel around, or many other squirrels for that matter, lately. One of their nests has deteriorated, so it seems they have perhaps moved on. I also hadn't been setting bird seed out either.)
There was plenty of snow blowing around while I was out this morning, but it felt wonderful to be outside.

 

It's strange to think this park is right in the middle of Kansas City, but it's big enough that you can't really tell. I saw several garden areas as well, so I bet it's beautiful in the spring. 

With a day off,  today was also a good day for baking, so I made an apple fig galette!

Last week I worked more than 16 hours in one day, at the end of which I was so tired that I didn't even feel tired anymore. I stayed late for the museum's biggest fundraiser of the year, for young professionals. I greeted the VIP guests and made sure the open bar didn't produce any debacles. As another officer put it, "at least everyone kept their digits", referring to an incident a few years ago where partiers rushed the coat check at the end of the night and one fellow got his finger literally smashed off in the door frame. Luckily, it was reattached and all was *mostly* well. They put narrower spouts on the taps this year and everyone commented on how generally mellow the evening was!

The exhibit I was staying on for at the art museum has finally closed, after they extended it for another week, but we are all glad we will no longer be listening to the same video being played on repeat. I have agreed to stay at the museum, until I find a full time job elsewhere. Tomorrow starts a new work week, and hopefully a new exhibit for Chinese New Year.

sisters

 Sisters, Eva Watson-Schutze, 1900

Maybe it's the hair, or the gowns, or the lack of color, but when I saw this photo in the museum, a similar photo my mom had taken when we were younger came immediately to mind. I never liked the photo because we took it after we had all bathed one evening, and I guess we decided to blow dry our hair, but mine was too "pouffy"....

 Sisters, plus one adorable little brother.

visitors

Those of you who watch more TV than I do (think SNL or House) might recognize these celebrities. I sure didn't as they strolled through the museum recently. A fellow officer had to describe their outfits to me so I would know what to look for when they came back through during my shift. I spotted them (kissing, no less) as they were about to leave. They looked like locals, and technically he is since he's originally from the area, so I would have never known otherwise if someone had not pointed them out. Celebrities or not, they're still humans like the rest of us! Still, I wish I had been around the museum last year when Martha Stewart came through.

Two days after that occurrence, I got a message on my iPod: "I came to the USA". It was from one of my Tibetan friends. I was completely surprised and thought he was joking at first since he had not mentioned anything previously, but he said it happened fast. He came through Kansas City for a few days and went on to study this semester in Arizona, with one of his former teachers. I was really glad to hear at least one of them was able to return and continue studying because I know how important it is to them, especially to be able to go back and teach others. Hopefully the two of us can meet before he returns home in a few months.