Category Archives: Christmas

Almost Back Among the Living

Posted on 18 December 2009 | 3 comments

Well, as you may have noticed, I haven’t written anything for a while. My absence has been caused predominantly by my over-zealous scheduling and lack of early completion of projects. I can honestly say, though, that I am improving on this front. I have merely had more to do this semester than I usually do because of teaching at Burris and teaching two classes in the Writing Program. I really haven’t procrastinated as much as usual, at all. I am pretty pleased that I am left with only fifty portfolios, twenty-five memoirs, and twenty-five finals to grade. All of these have been turned in this week, so I couldn’t have graded them any sooner.

My to do list over break includes (in no certain order):

  • Rewrite my American Literature syllabus.
  • Write my ENG 204 syllabus.
  • Send my ordination information to Las Vegas for Rachel’s wedding.
  • Scan in my students’ comics so they can have them back.
  • Finish my dissertation proposal and submit a copy to Debbie before she returns from (Georgia?).
  • Meet with several old youth group members for lunch/coffee (Dec. 21, Dec. 29, January 2?).
  • Watch Comber cats, Mix-Berg cat, Weiss cats, and my own animals.
  • Take Elizabeth to train station (Dec. 23rd) and pick her up (Jan. 6).
  • Spend some time with Amy on the 26th & 27th.
  • Turn in my grades by 10AM on Monday, work at the mission at 9AM on Monday.
  • Spend Christmas Eve with the Combers!
  • Spend Christmas with family!
  • Celebrate Izzy’s half birthday and her baptism anniversary.
  • Run the Inaugural Running in Circles for Fun at Minnetrista on New Year’s Day.

This should be an interesting break. The two things I must accomplish: dissertation proposal completion and 204 syllabus creation. I will also return to writing here everyday, running, and recording my food. It’s been a weird week or so.

*

Exercise: walked the dogs, walked from Burris to RB to Lafollette and home

Food: Snickers bar, tea, muffin, tea, sugar cookie, chocolate cupcake, spinach artichoke ravioli, salad, bread

I am thankful for not getting sick earlier in the semester, and I am thankful for exaggeration.

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Posted in Christmas, Dissertation, Family, Food, Relationships, Running, School, Teaching

Family Dinner and Santa Claus

Posted on 12 December 2009 | 4 comments

This morning I had the distinct privilege of visiting Santa with my lovely god-daughter, Izzy. This year she was so good and brave, walking right up to Santa and letting him lift her up onto his lap. Well, she was brave until it came time to smile for her picture. She looks nervous. In fact, she looks like she might just think that Santa thing is a little felt-up. But, like the big girl she was pretending to be—or the big girl she is becoming though none of us want to admit it—she told Santa she wants an Elmo for Christmas, explained that she was two years old, took the tiny candy cane in her cold little hand and even remembered to say thank you before running back to her mom’s arms. The whole thing was magical.

Riding the train only added to her excitement. When she got on the train, all of us thought she would get halfway around the little track and then start to cry, but she rode the thing around all five times and even laughed and waved at us. She even smiled at a little boy who was waiting to ride. It is amazing to me how quickly these little guys grow up. Last year, she didn’t even want to sit on Santa’s lap and this year at two and a half she talked to him. Without crying. And riding the train by herself. Wow.

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Tonight we had a family dinner, or a sort of family dinner. It was my dad, mom, Bec, Bart, Laura, Zoe, and I. I swear that no matter what my cousin Bart ever does, there is nothing he will do to make me love him any less. There is just something about him that deep down is amazing. I am not saying that he doesn’t have the potential to annoy the piss out of someone, but you can’t help but love the guy. I would not say that about all of my cousins; though as cousins go, I am pretty blessed. Anyway, we also ate some of Mom and Dad’s top tier of their wedding anniversary cake, which was still delicious and beautiful.

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I am thankful for rehabilitation in whatever form it takes and no matter how slowly it progresses.

Exercise: walked the dogs .5 miles

Food: I ate everything in sight. Seriously. My belly hurts, and I had horrible hiccups.  banana, mint M&Ms, cheese enchilada, potato enchilada, chili relleno, rice, chips and salsa, seven layer salad minus bacon, baked potato, veggies, a piece of cake, bread

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Posted in Christmas, Family, Food, Grace, Relationships

Chili. Hair.

Posted on 4 December 2009 | 1 comment

I made some decent chili today to take and share with some of my colleagues. They seemed to enjoy it, but I thought there was a little too much cinnamon and a little something missing. I couldn’t place my finger on it. It was still good, but it wasn’t quite right.

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I have decided to cut my hair over Winter Break. The Nazarite Vow I took in June/July is not coming to an end; I am simply modifying it. For example, I will still not be drinking, eating meat, drinking caffeine, consuming grape products, attending funerals, or consuming large amounts of sugar (obviously this is, next to the hair, the most difficult). My decision to cut my hair has been a difficult one, but I think the spirit of the vow is to separate you from culture (as Ed pointed out to me), and growing my hair out does not necessarily do that. In fact, I would argue that being a woman and having a shaved head would be more counter-cultural. In addition to that, or maybe more to the point, part of the reason for my taking this vow was to help me focus on dissertation. Having hair that drives me crazy is not helping me focus. In fact, it is doing quite the opposite. So, once Winter Break gets here, the hair is leaving the building. When I shave it, I am going to renew my current vow.

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Exercise: walked the dogs 2 miles, walked from RB to Burris

Food: oatmeal, chocolate milk, juice, salad with honey mustard and sunflower seeds, cheese sandwich, chili, two pieces of pizza, one piece of Dairy Queen cake, Klondike bar

1 Comment

Posted in Christmas, Dissertation, Food

Two Beers: Both Un-exceptional.

Posted on 1 March 2009 | Leave a comment

I have never been disappointed in a beer like I was disappointed in Dad’s Little Helper by Rogue Brewery. The Beer Advocate, which I finally broke down and joined, gave the only slightly flavorful piss-water a B-. Actually, I should say the readers and reviewers of Beer Advocate gave it a B-, because the grade the beer receives is the average of all the reviews.  I would probably give it a D, but then I should probably stick to rating Porters and IPAs since they are really the only beers I love. Those and good, cold, thick-headed Guinnesses.

Part of my disappointment in Dad’s Little Helper came because my first beer was also lousy, so bad it’s name escapes me. What do I expect for two beers and a twelve inch banana pepper pizza that still cost less than $10? I just wish the Heorot would bring back those $1.50 Avery Porters. I could have had four of them and a pizza for under $10 with money left for a tip!

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Yesterday, while tripped up on cold medicine, I got lost at the Muncie Mall. Sounds funny, huh? I would normally laugh. However, I felt like I was in one of those fun-houses they use in B-grade horror films, all mirrors and clowns and shit. Not fun. In fact, quite scary. Abbie said, “It’s one hallway, you just keep walking around until you get back where you started.” And, she is right.

I have never been able to keep track of my car at shopping malls. I don’t know why with three weeks of poor sleep, being sick, and taking cold medicine I thought I would be okay to go shopping by myself. All of that combined with the fact that the last time I went to the mall was with Abbie and Ed before Christmas, not counting the time Jacob and I walked straight through to go to BWs to get some spicy chicken arms, should have made me feel less insane. I left the mall feeling slightly dodgy, overly sensitive, and oddly disoriented. I might still be standing in Books-a-million looking at books I would never buy had Shannon not come over and said, “Hey, Lady, can I help you find a book?”

I came home and wrote about what it feels like to be inside my head sometimes. I am afraid to read it today. I don’t want to know what I wrote.

*

Last night we went to Welliver’s for Abs’ birthday dinner.

I ate too much. I couldn’t stop myself.

I felt gluttonous. I smiled the whole way through.

I don’t think I need to eat again for days.

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Posted in Beer, Christmas, Fat, Writing

A Gift Idea

Posted on 25 January 2009 | 2 comments

Here is a great gift idea—not for me—for someone you love. Not only can you feel good about the product, but you can feel good about the creator of it. Beautiful on many accounts, as far as I am concerned.

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Posted in Christmas, Gleaning, Just for Fun, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Writing