chats, grilled cheese, hope, art and "art"

Tattooed Pigs Fly

Origami Tree!!!

Tools: For the man who has everything

My "weekend" is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  It's a little weird but doable.  It's a great schedule for looking for a job.  This "weekend" really flew by.

A Hoot

Tuesday was wrapped up in talking with this headmaster of a school in Seattle.  Don't misinterpret: I'm a long ways away from accepting a job offer.  But, I wanted to chat with someone before I embarked on the rather daunting application process.  There are several essays and such... it reminded me of college apps really.  After discussing with the head of school, I decided the essays would be a good exercise for me anyway; they'd help me clarify what I have to offer and what I want from a position. I cannot tell you how pivotal this conversation was in my perspective, compounded with some letters and journaling I did this past week.  I even bought a 2013 All Sport Season's Pass at the White Water Center.  I want to go at least once a week!

Cupcake Tree!

Chill Wednesday: my shoulders hurt when I went to bed and hurt when I woke up so I got an hour long CHINESE MASSAGE, which put me in a mood for a great hike, received an email about teaching English in Rwanda this summer!!!!, curse at fellow drivers while I listen to the Gospel of John on CD (I'm that bad but so was their driving), consider the irony, brow wax, discuss providence, good works, tattoos, nose rings, meet a good friend at one restaurant, apologize to bartender and leave for half-price wine at another one, fall in love with Llama Malbec, buy a hat at Nordstrom's, read some in Les Mis.

one of the misses

before they were dry

Grilled Cheese Thursday: got up at 6 am, chatted and read, went back to bed.  Woke up second time at 10:13am to two  calls from my favorite neighbor. called neighbor back and made lunch plans. bought one pound of  Neese's Extra Sage Sausage. went to lunch with neighbor ate a Blackberry Brie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Basil soup at Spindle City.  proceeded across the street to the Art Guild.  chatted with the artist and enjoyed the broad range of art.  some were hits and some were misses.  Impressed my favorite neighbor; she asked me, "Were you pulling that lady's leg? Were you just making that up?" I told her, "I did take some art in college, but I mostly shot from the hip."  Fav neighb responded, "Well, we made her day." Made work-intensive, dry Sausage balls. Drove to the String Bean to meet a friend who ended up getting lost.  Drank a beer and journaled the hour away. Ate another grilled cheese.  Had a great conversation about the Hobbit, demons, smartphones.  Thoroughly enjoyed our friendship.

Pillow Cake= Comfort Food?

Handel's Messiah

The ad 

Some people celebrated 12/12/12 with wedding nuptials.  My family celebrated it with traditional Advent. Last night, I took my mom to dinner and Handel's Messiah.  It was an enjoyable evening (better than some weddings I've attended).  It felt apropos since she was the one who introduced me to the music.  When I was little, I remember the woman playing the timpani, the color of the trumpet, and the audience standing for the Hallelujah chorus. The program had the text in its entirety with the Bible verses, which was helpful.  Now, I really like the choruses: I'm not sure if that's due to maturity or theological development or mere coincidence.

We went to Harvest Moon Grille for dinner.  It's one of those hipster joints that only uses local food.  It was delish! Mom got the kale salad and smoked chicken breast.  I got the roasted squash salad and pork shank.  I've never had sweet potatoes au gratin before, but they were good.  Even the butter was local and yummy.

belly flops

I know about belly flops.  I've knocked the air out of me by particularly spectacular belly flops, actual and metaphorical. They're one of my specialties.  But, there's a new belly flop in town, and, it's as awesome as mine!

Time to celebrate the irregular, the abnormal, the unexpected!  Here's to crazy jelly beans! And dollar stores that sell them!  To all of those who regularly participate in the glorious flop. Go, embrace the rejects because they're unique and sweet!

Banana Splits and other food for thought

Tomorrow (August 25th) is Banana Split Day!!!  Here's a link to a blog I follow that explores and celebrates the phenomenon: guiltless banana split in jar.  

I came across this quotation on Facebook today (Cory Booker posted it):

If you fear it, you give it power. 
If you face it, you gain the strength. 
If you hate it, you reveal your darkness. 
If you love it, you reveal your light.

Love banana splits and reveal your light!

Southern afternoon

Farmers' Market. Watermelon, cucumbers, etc. Entertaining conversations with farmers. Took recycling and the attendant called me "ma'am" twice.

Lunch. I love a vegetable plate with macaroni and cheese, zucchini and squash, and pinto beans with sweet tea and my friend at a new restaurant.

Bookstore.  Bought a book (the last one of the title!). Read magazines for free. Excellent people watching.

Peach Ice Cream in South Carolina. Then we drove down to South Carolina... because why not? We went to the Peach Tree and shopped for produce.  Did you know there's sweet potato syrup? Then we got peach ice cream cones!  Ice cream is dangerous: my friend's scoop fell off her cone while driving.  She caught it.  We had to pull off the road.  We survived.

Drive. Past horse pastures, gardens, and lovely houses.

"redneck" is relative

Yeehaw, it's Independence Day!  Let's shoot some fireworks, grill some meat, eat some watermelon, and drink some beer!

The last time I watched fireworks was in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard two years ago.  It involved a picnic, a parade, a view of the ocean, a 5 mile race in the morning, and fireworks.  It was lovely.

It was nothing like tonight!  I was in the South.  We went to a friend's family gathering.  The food was plenteous: hotdogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chili, potato salad, corn on the cob, creamed corn, four kinds of pickles, guacamole, watermelon, cantaloupe, seven kinds of chips, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff.  For dessert, there were six kinds of cookies, apple pie, and ice cream cake.  I'm not in bed because my tummy aches.  But, it was worth it.

There was a pool and chatting for entertainment.

Then, there were fireworks.  Probably about $1500 worth.  All the fireworks stacked and in bags looked like presents at Christmas time. Remember: fireworks are illegal in North Carolina.  It seriously was one of the best shows I've seen.  Most of the fireworks were legitimate-- not backyard variety puny.  I think it was more fun because we got to see them set them off... then run.  I never knew fireworks had names: "Rainbow Warrior", "Touchdown of Alabama", "Russian Roulette".  The names were reminiscent of fortune cookies' fortunes.  And, I learned about "30 shots" versus "50 shots".

Not only was tonight great, but I also got some people interested in going to a dirt race.  I've wanted to go.  My brother has great stories, and I've never even gone.

I have a friend who considers me her redneck friend, and, I guess, I'm more uncouth than she.  I'm guessing she had a veggie burger with some pasta salad tonight. I consider these awesome individuals my redneck friends; and they're certainly less pretentious than I.  There were ladies that were quite large who were far more comfortable in their swim suits and tank tops than I am; I have a lot to learn about contentment. Then, while we were assessing the firework booty, a kid was talking about what rednecks would say.  This is to say, everybody needs some rednecks in her life.  They're so fun and authentic that it ain't too bad to be considered one.

SportyMon: Water

My Spring Green Nalgene

I'd forgotten how good I feel when properly hydrated. Now that I'm that I'm doing the 8-week fitness challenge, I can't live in denial. When I went for my pre-challenge assessment, I scored a -.95. The director told me to go home and drink some water. And, I did.

I'm now trying to drink at least 96 ounces a day and 128 a day when I run.

How much water do I need?
I'd always read 64 ounces a day, which never made sense to me because people are so different. Then, I came across this formula that takes into account weight.
1. Your weight x .5= ounces of water you should drink a day.
Ex. A person weighing 150 lbs. should drink 75 ounces of water a day.

2. When you workout, you should drink at least 20 ounces more per hour of exercise. If possible it's good to drink 7-10 ounces 30 minutes before working out and 10 ounces afterwards. My personal trainer textbook suggests drinking a low calorie sports drink instead of straight water. I prefer just water.

3. If you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, you'll need to add water to balance the diuretic effect of coffee and soda.

Equipment:

Water bottle.
I find the more convenient something is the more likely I am to do it. So, I bought a wide-mouthed Nalgene bottle. It cost $10, is dishwasher safe, doesn't leak, and made in the USA. However, it is plastic, but not your normal plastic.

Challenge:

1. Using the bathroom more.

This is the reason I stopped drinking water. I couldn't use the bathroom when I taught. Well, before and after school. So, take this into consideration when you plan on drinking your water. Also, when I'm properly hydrated, I get up at least once a night to use the bathroom-- I immediately fall back to sleep.

My Cross Country coaches in high school told us we should use the bathroom every class change if we were properly hydrated. Class changes were every hour.

2. Lack of flavor

Add flavor. The most natural weigh is with lemon or lime or mint leaves. But, now you can buy Crystal Light or Gatorade or generic flavor packets.

Benefits:

1. Feel better.
I seem to have more energy, less tired (is that redundant?) and feel lighter when I'm drinking water.

2. Skin looks better.
Drinking water is moisturizing from the inside. Your complexion will look clearer.

3. Appetite suppressant.
Often times when dehydrated, you'll read a thirst cue as a hunger cue. Water has fewer calories and costs less than food.

4. Increased athletic and mental performance.
You'll body will fatigue at a slower rate. The human body is about 70% water-- it just functions better with water. Apparently, water helps with mental fatigue as well (glycogen helps with this as well). As any athlete will tell you, the mental part of a workout or race is the toughest part.

day one

Day one of Fitness challenge plus Daniel Fast. So far, so good. I still need to run, but I have a lot of the food that I'll need to make a go of the nutrition side. I even bought a Nalgene to replace the ones I've lost. Water is going to be key. I miss working. I'm also going to keep track of the connection between job and fitness and spiritual/psyche health.

How I know I'm Southern...

My aunt fixed a scrumptious dinner tonight. My mom brought delectable wine. I did my part by thoroughly enjoying everyone's efforts. I was even late. Aunt said, "So, you wanted to feel like a princess, did you?" And, I kind of did... in an under cover way.

When we discussed my gig, we talked for over five minutes about hands and cuticles. My mom gave me some hand lotion out of her pocket book and my aunt told me to massage my cuticles with the cream and sleep in cotton gloves. Paper and filing are apparently the Anti-Christ of a good manicure. This is how I know I'm Southern. And, they approved of my smart outfit (chocolate brown merino turtleneck, brown tweed skirt that I made, my "riding" boots, and pearl earrings).

As for the job, it's eminently doable. The people are from a different tribe, but they are nice. My tribe/clan has suffered from diaspora-- come back, tribe, come back to me. Me lonely. Vancouver, Kingston, Boston, Seattle, DC, Austin, Iowa, seriously, when you could live in the QC with me? I am here roughing it with bad cuticles.

I really want to join a community garden that's convenient. The one I've found is a thirty minute drive one-way. Yowsers. And, you don't eat the food-- you give it away. Double yowsers. I'd want to at least sample the yumminess. Mark my words, I may not get married or have children, but I will have a goat before I die. Dream big, right?

I really want to have an urban farm. Maybe underneath my tweed, there's an unkempt hippy protesting the injustice of materialism and my misguided life. Give me goats or give Wal-Mart! And, I want a chicken coop, blueberries and tomatoes. That would be the beginning. What a fantastic beginning. I'd invite you over for breakfast, and while we ate organic oatmeal and sipped piping hot coffee, the goat would wake us up with her delightful, goatish antics.


1. fixed for cooked

family day

L cheering
I spent a lot of time with family today and yesterday. It was mostly good time. I got to hang out with my favorite 6 month old and 2.5 year old. The older one now needs a snack for both hands: 2 strawberries, 2 tortilla chips. She bites one and then the other, wearing them down evenly. Apparently food gets lonely on death row and needs some company. I got to get the little one to sleep. Fun with small children. When they were down I got to hang out with their parents. My cousin is trying to convince me to go into the military. He thinks I'd enjoy intelligence or logistics in the Air Force. It'd be interesting, relatively good pay and give me career options when I got out. I don't know. But, I need to think about it. It's not as if I have a cornucopia of options set before me. We also chatted dogs.

I talked Hunger Games with my cousins in 11th, 9th and 6th grades. Peeta or Gale? Which of the trilogy was the best? The burnt bread-- etc.

I have to say the best part about thanksgiving was the drive with my brother and running the 5 miler turkey trot with my sister. We had a lot of fun. I'm feeling sickish, which my brother says is due to me being a hyperchondriac.

I have to say I'm appalled by Black Friday following Thanksgiving-- and the shopping being the more exciting proposition. It makes Thanksgiving seem kind of weak. I'm so thankful for what I have and the important things in life that I'm going to go and buy a lot more crap and go in debt. I did buy some cold medicine and gas today, but nothing out of the ordinary.

prep for spring break

It's surreal that we've made it to Spring Break. I just printed up my grades to sign and hand in to the secretary.

Now I'm off to a 30 minute abs class. I'm not sure my abs are up for 30 minutes of anything, esp. working. We'll see. It's my friends birthday and this is what she wanted to do.

And, I signed up for two 10ks. One is next Saturday-- it's a road race. One is May 22-- it's a trail run at the National Whitewater center. I think I'm ready for 10ks but not quite there for halfs.

Found some awesome vegan recipes. Citrus Basil Lentils.

Heading up to Richmond tomorrow.

weather report

It's a gloomy, wet, gray day-- perfect napping weather. I did yawn several times in my classes. And, I had TWO unexpected parent conferences-- we're talking about two hours of yakking about kids. One of them might prove worthwhile.

I had a beautiful, enjoyable, semi-productive weekend. I went for a run yesterday which was nice, but could tell that my caloric intake is down. And church was good although I find it irritating-- it's probably a reason I need to go. My church just makes me angry on several different levels. I have to pray myself through the services: exploration (what and why am I feeling this emotion) and confession (so often it's self-centeredness and pride and other types of my favorite sins).

The food aspect is going remarkably well. My appetite is definitely suppressed-- I'm eating when I'm not hungry to insure that my caloric intake is high enough. The Chief surmised that it's eliminating high corn fructose or whatever from my diet, which never lets you feel satiated. I feel better overall. But, the spiritual is still difficult. I'm praying more and reading my Bible. But, the journaling just isn't happening.

I found more schools to apply to. I'm going to do that and swim tonight.

day 4

It's the fourth day of Lent. No more headaches!! The Daniel Fast is going very well food-wise, but I'm struggling with the spiritual aspects: journaling, meditating, etc. This I hadn't expected. But, vegan isn't so bad. I'm not eating as much because a lot of my options no longer exist. And, I met my aunt for dinner last night at a place that had a vegan section of the menu. Sweet.

It was bizarre Friday afternoon knowing that I couldn't have a soda and candy bar as a reward to surviving my first day of centers. Same with looking at amazing desserts. Right now, it's not tempting to me. It's off limits. It feels like crushes that I had in school-- the boy was so unattainable it didn't really matter.

Today I did some yoga to relieve my aching neck and shoulders-- and it worked. Then, I went to bookclub to discuss Strout's Abide with Me, which two of the three of us weren't into. So, the discussion was good but just not about the book. But, I love chatting with the women. We decided on Chesterton's Orthodoxy for next month. Now, that's a book that excites me.

Then, K and I hiked Pinnacle Mtn. the shorter, steeper trail at Crowder's Mountain. It's in the 60s-- it was so lovely and crowded. Now, I need to go home and clean, write my feature article, organize my schedule for next week (study, work, class, apply to jobs, workout, plan food), laundry, eat. Then, I'll read or watch a movie!

lent confession

Yesterday my sister and I embarked on a rather ambitious Lent. We're doing the Daniel Fast for all of Lent. The Daniel Fast is basically a Vegan diet minus leavened bread, sugar and caffiene. I went home from school with a migraine yesterday afternoon and slept from 5-8pm then went back to bed from 10-6am. As inauspicious beginning as it might seem, I'm actually kind of excited. Whenever I've been on retreat sleep is a really big factor, especially at the beginning. So, although I slept through the Ash Wednesday service and haven't felt particularly soulful-- I'm still hopeful. This kind of thing is about faith afterall. I've picked the two areas of my life I'm praying into and about. I also know the people I'm praying for.

Now, I have a medium-sized headache. I'm introducing my centers tomorrow in class. It should be a little fun and crazy.

my pyramid

No, King Tut has not come back from the dead. Instead, the FDA has come out with a nifty website to tout their wares and justify all the tax money we spend on them. It is My Pyramid. I found this while coming up with a nutrition center for my Language Arts class. I thought it would be a fun project for my students to build a week's menu. You might too.

potted hands

As I munched on my asparagus, dill new potatoes and garlic herb chicken, I listened to several fascinating conversations. I was sitting next to a hand sculpture who discussed her art, process and comissions. My initial reaction to the conversation was: creepy. Imagine a pair of hands on a table or bookshelf. But, as the discussion developed, I started to think about the differences between male and female hands-- subtle but distinct. Memories of my grandmother's and my dad's hands floated into my head. She chatted about how ever since she started sculpting hands; she'd become aware of how much we use them-- even when we talk. Everybody became more conscious of their hands, but in a good way: using a fork, wiping my mouth, talking.

That was not the only conversation. There were conversations on drumming in Ghana, classical guitar, cooking chicken, compost, Food, Inc., dishwashers, organic, pottery, drawing, painting, Van Gogh, Asberger's, etc. The dinner was delicious and the conversation stimulating. As I sat in the chapel for evening prayer, Irenaeus's "The glory of God is a person fully alive" sprung to mind. The fascinating conversation stemmed from passionate women living life. I was by far the youngest (probably by about 25 years), but I found these women engergizing. Sometimes I dread getting older and lament how I've wasted time, then I come across these house wives, retired teachers, real estate agents that are nothing short of amazing. They took adversity and set backs (cancer, divorce, deaths of loved ones, career loss) as opportunity. After cancer or surgery, some of them started ministries or took Healing Touch. For them, adversity transformed into love and mercy for others instead of bitterness. The only thing they had in common that I could tell was relationship with God. These women's conversation weren't selfish or self-centered. The meal was the communion of saints. This dinner was nourishing and humbling.

The conversations led to self reflection. I'm no potter, no artist, no cook. But, who am I? The thought that popped into my head was studying for 8 hours straight (11am-7pm) this Tuesday. A lot of people couldn't do that. Granted, studying is the antithesis of sexy and seemingly pointless (grammar and classroom management). But, there's always the x factor in our lives: God. I'm nearing the end of Eugene Peterson's exposition of David's Life, Leap Over a Wall, and it's taking root in my mind. Writing about I and II Samuel, he states:

"We're getting a feel for the kind of narrative written here-- an immersion in the human condition with all its glory and hurt, promise and difficulty. But we're never left with mere humanity, mere history. The skill of the narrator keeps us alert to the presence and purposes of God being worked out in this story. We're being trained to read between the lines, for much of this story is implicit. But it's unmistakably there-- David isn't David apart from God. None of us is. Most of what we're reading about in David is God in David....

"The David story is a major means for providing us a narrative context for understanding our lives, in all their complexities as God-shaped.... ...Christians have characteristically lived themselves into the story of David.
As we do that, one of the things we realize is that the Christian life develops organically. It grows from a seed that's planted in the actual soil of our muscles and brain cells, our emotions and moods, our genetic code and work schedule, the North American weather and our family history....

"This is why the David story continues to prove so useful: it doesn't show us how we should live but how we do live" (pp. 137-9).

So reading the story of David this month, including the Psalms, with Peterson as my guide has been therapeutic. It's turned some of my angst into hope and faith... or at least converted the energy. I get frustrated with how utterly puny my life is. Last week, a friend and I started crying because we were laughing so hard from talking about our unexpected (and tragic to the naked eye) lives. But, we can laugh because we know there's more. There is, in fact, a loving, personal and gracious God who is as active in our lives as He was in David's. After all, that's the gospel: "The gospel is never a truth in general; it's always a truth in specific. The gospel is never a commentary on ideas or culture or conditions; it's always about actual persons, actual pain, actual trouble, actual sin: you, me; who you are, what you've done; who I am; what I've done" (Leap p.185).

But, perhaps I should replace "puny" with "small". PD James wrote, "Things good are small and fragile" to defend writing murder mysteries. Being on retreat has been replete with things small and fragile: Queen Anne's Lace, hugs, smiles, walking, naps, blueberries and hammocks. Meister Eckhart wrote, "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'Thank you,' that would suffice." God's as present in my classroom of seventh graders as He is in the potter's studio of clay hands and as He was in David's field of sheep. My challenge is to be alive.

the big three OH!

I'm not sure why I decided to have a party. It turned out to be a good idea fraught with lots of work (but definitely worth it). We met on the Catawba River and kayaked, played whiffle ball, and cooked out. The older people played cards, and my uncle read Dostyeovksy's The Idiot in a foldable chair by the river. This is all to say it was low key. Twas lucky to have a beer tasting on the same grounds. All my guests had a couple of cups of microbrewed beer for free before hitting the kayaks. One person out of twenty was on time, and it was all good.

The weather was pleasant until the monsoon hit while we were eating our local, organic burgers. A lightning storm hit while we were gathered under a tin roof. It wouldn't have been that bad except for the tropical storm level winds. Everybody got soaked due to the fact that there were no walls. G said, "You're never going to forget your 30th party." "Neither are you," I replied.

The food was good. But, my favorite part of the whole shindig were my guests. My friends are such lovely folk and good sports to boot. When I was asked what the rain plan was, I answered, "You get wet." Little did I know how prophetic my smart ass comment would be. I'm such an enigma: a majority of my present were books, followed by UNC paraphenalia and then green and blue jewelry and clothes. And, the other odd detail was the drunk 47 year old woman who crashed the party because somebody had taken her keys (must have been a beer-tasting casualty).

Last night I slept like the proverbial log because I remained faithful to my training plan (6 miles yesterday before 8 am) and kayaked. Today, I ate birthday cake for breakfast, went to church, took a nap in lieu of the planned journal writing at the botanical gardens. Now I need to clean and organize and work for next week.

I always imagined I'd have it together by the time I was thirty. Ha. I don't feel mature enough to be twenty five; I guess I should make a habit of SPF 45 to compensate for the disparity in my age and compentencies! I need to come up with some goals for the year. Maybe to laugh more and listen better and listing to-do. Most people assure me that their thirties were/are an improvement on their twenties. I hope so.

satin pillowcase and tilapia

are a few of my favorite things. My sewing instructor took me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday tonight. The Chief and G's husband came too. I ate tilapia. She made me a Carolina blue satin pillowcase with lace trim. It's gorgeous and will be good for my hair and skin. I went for a run in lieu of crosstraining-- running is so much easier and faster. Maybe I'll try to follow the training manual tomorrow. Hmm.

So, I read the first chapter in Lottery Rose to my classes yesterday, and today I read the first chapter in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Then, I let them vote on which story to read. Both classes voted for Striped Pajamas. It must be because it's a movie... or perhaps it's the lighter tone. They both have very heavy themes. Plus, I think we're prone to enjoy first person narration in these post mod times.

Getting the planning done for my my unofficial birthday party. I bought a whiffle ball (with bright blue bat) set and a red kickball. I'm hoping that the isolated thunderstorms slated for Saturday afternoon will be somewhere else other than the Catawba from2-7pm. They're calling for 80 degrees-- that's ideal.

I found out the Vancouver Half Marathon is two weeks after the Tofino one. Should I stay a little longer and run that one too? Decisions. Decisions.

comfort (food)

it all started when I overslept. I awoke ten minutes before I normally leave, but I left within my window of acceptability (6:30-6:45 am). I didn't drink coffee, and my hair looked particularly odd. Then we had intermurals in lieu of homeroom. I got miffed at my students because they were being completely half-assed (how's that for an oxymoron?). I yanked their buts off the court, and took them to homeroom. We watched the announcements instead. Apparently, it's okay to let your kids lack enthusiasm, but they were lying to me about who had gone. That's inexcusable.

And, my projector stopped projecting due to this kid "adjusting" it; he took out my computer monitor and the projector in less than ten seconds. I asked, "What did you do?" "I dunno," he replied earnestly. It's easy to believe him ever time he says 'dunno'.

So, in lieu of watching the video segment about sentence structure we turned to p. 1009; yeh, my kids were psyched. I made them work with the book even when the projector was up and running (it took about ten minutes). The point was the same: the book's version was more frumpy. They were half-assed with this sentence combining exercise. I made the one's who couldn't bother to do it to stay after until they finished it.

My day continued frollicking down Entropy Lane. My social studies lesson was dismal. In case you were wondering, 7th graders aren't fascinated by civil war in the Congo. I hope somebody learns from my failures. I thought it was awesome: three wars rolled into one (ethnic, international and civil). I was so very wrong. Drawing and comparing River Basins is way cooler. FYI.

But, afterschool I tutored some kids (two of my students pro bono and a 4th grader for $), and felt that I'm not the world's worst teacher. Hanibal Lector is. I went home and ate baked spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and coconut cake. I'm going to be a heftier person come tomorrow morning.

While I was planning LA, I found this amazing website with tons of downloadable short stories, www.short-stories.co.uk. We're talking Jack London, Oscar Wilde, Katherine Mansfield, and many more. The internets rawk! We're going to read "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde tomorrow. It has a Christian ending, which surprised me. I found the ending oddly satisfying and ironic. It didn't feel deus ex machina to me; although, it was. Wilde is such a charming and moral writer. I never bore of him.

the day i lost one five dollar bill

I went to Copper last night because I had reservations at 7:45. Come to find out, my reservations were for tonight. Oops, details. 23 and 24 are only one digit off. My affinity for 23 must be linked to Michael Jordan's UNC jersey. This "mistake" demonstrates that I bleed Carolina blue. I am Tar Heel born and bred, and I like my Indian cuisine on Friday nights... not Saturday. I really enjoyed the food and ambiance. The spices were funky and aromatic. It tasted like the recipes called for half a teaspoon of perfume (in a good way). I had fun loading my fork with the different flavors. The pungent with the warm and sweet. Of course, hanging out with M is always fun times. But, last night eating dinner was playful and adventurous (adjectives I reserve for outdoor activities for the most part).


I love my hairstylist. He rocks! I was in one craptastic mood as I drove to his shop and came out smiling. It's bizarre the relational connection you make with your stylist; it's similar to the imprinting and bonding that takes place between a cub and mama bear. There's a necessary level of trust: please don't make me look like a complete dufus. We talked military and Obama. We talked racism in America. We talked about the proportion of the population with curly and straight hair-- it's a continuum with few people on the edges. We talked TMI; he related his conversation with his doctor about Viagra (I got both their takes on 4 hour erections). This led into his monologue on marriage, which hinged on St. Paul's exhortation to refrain unless you're too weak (and he's not even Christian, but "Paul is on to something). We talked how different siblings can be. Et cetera, I guess this is bottom of the barrel when it comes to subject matter. But, heck, I use lesson plans as material. Reader, congratulations, you have a fabulously rich inner life to be able to stomach... I mean, appreciate, this.

It's official: I'm a paperbackswap.com fan! I've mailed 6 books (Voss, Velvet Elvis, Electric Acid Kool Aid Test, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Go Put Your Strengths to Work, and Getting From College to Career), and received 2 (Holy The Firm and Living By Fiction both by Annie Dillard). I picked up Holy The Firm and got sucked into the first topic. I had to pry myself away from the book so that I could plan lessons (don't worry if they're really good, which they probably will be, I'll share the lessons' highlights). It's full of the kind of sentences that you wish were a bubble bath so that you could soak in them or a savory soup that was stewing on your cooktop for eight hours (you get to chop the vegetable, then smell it long before you get to eat it-- the whole process enjoyable). Warm, luxurious, nourishing, refreshing. I'm a big fan, and you should join because I want to swap books with YOU!

Deuteronomy. Church. Prayer. Friendship. Angst. Questions... always questions. Doxology. Logic. Worry. Pain. Grace. My spiritual life feels like a sea of verbs and these nouns are the islands on which I land. But, the two important things I learned in Seminary are that God is good and God is powerful. Biblical theology is messy, which is why it resonates with us, I guess.

I sewed straight seams in my vest today. I only had one major mistake that took about 25 minutes to correct. Go, me. I overlapped material. But, I'm excited about my vest. I was nonplussed at first about a vest. The only one I own is NorthFace. I don't consider myself a vest person. But, this vest is a vest I could grow to love. It's going to be nice. G makes me do all these details that go far beyond what the Guide Sheet instructs you to do. It takes longer, but my last couple of pieces are quality. The vest is going to look sharp and professional and be comfortable.

Somewhat linked, I've been gravitating to fashion blogs, specifically the kind where women dress on a budget. They're fun to read (funny and fiesty) and have excellent ideas. I need to get a digital camera for my blog. My blog is the only pictureless blog, which is blah. I think pictures would improve my readership (everybody wouldn't have to have as rich an inner life).