Category Archives: Relationships

Just the Facts

Posted on 28 January 2010 | 2 comments

Great day today. *dripping in sarcasm* Really for me it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great for some of my friends, which makes it bad for me. I hate to see people upset.

I have SO much to do this weekend:

  • grade BSU reflections
  • grade Burris reflections
  • work on dissertation proposal revision
  • plan for next week
  • copy Spec. Ed. stuff
  • copy submissions for Featherweight
  • cook food for Millers
  • write Louisville paper

I have too much to do, as usual.

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I will be thankful when I can find a job in a place where all the grown-ups act grown, and all the children act like children.

Food: banana, juice, muffin, tea, chocolate milk, almonds, salad, apple, grapefruit, Lorna Doones, leftover pizza and breadsticks, grape soda

Exercise: walked the dogs, ran 30 minutes, walked from Burris to RB

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Posted in Dissertation, Food, Relationships, Running, School

Soy Milk Charge! BWs and Moustaches.

Posted on 22 January 2010 | Leave a comment

I had the opportunity to spend time with several friends today. First I got to have coffee and pal around with Elizabeth, which is always a good time. We went to the Tillotson Starbucks and had some of the shadiest service I have ever had there. One girl was working while the other two who were supposed to be stood at the end of the counter chatting with an off-duty shift leader and another person who wasn’t buying coffee. Finally, when the line reached almost to the door, the girl who was working looked down the counter and said, “Could one of you help me?” A little ridiculous, and they now charge $.50 for soy milk (as creamer) in an Americano. Really? Fifty cents for a splash of soy? Starbucks, oh, Starbucks, stop trying to pretend that you are my friend. It is getting more than a little felt up.

When we left Starbucks, we then went to Shoe Carnival so I could pick up my new running shoes. I will be wearing the heck out of them between now and May 8. I got two pairs of the same shoe, but one is light grey and purple and the other is dark grey and fuschia. I think I may wear one of each color at the same time, just for shits and giggles. And, I think it would be fun to have two shoes of two different colors. You know, like a trumped up version of wearing two different colors of shoe laces.

Elizabeth was thinking about getting some new Chucks, but they are so stinking expensive—$39.99 at Shoe Carnival—that she opted against it. “You know,” she said, “Chucks were the only type of shoes Ben and I could have as kids, and they were $5 a pair!” I reminded her that even when we were in high school they were between $15 and $20. Of course, that was before they were haute couture. Now that Converse is cool, their clothing and shoes are ridiculously expensive. And at least their clothing is made for tiny folks. Size XL in their women’s clothes is similar to most clothing lines’ M. It’s great for the self-esteem.

Finally, I ended the night hanging out with some old high school friends at BWs. I had their veggie burger with Caribbean Jerk sauce and some onion rings. My dinner was fantastic. We took some amazing photos, too.

Special, huh?

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I am thankful for laughing until I almost pee my pants.

Food: juice, pure bar, chocolate milk, pizza and breadstick, veggie burger with onion rings, four Lorna Doones, decaf Americano, scone, popcorn

Exercise: walked dogs

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Posted in Coffee, Food, Relationships, Vegetarian or Vegan

Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Lots of Them.

Posted on 14 January 2010 | 6 comments

Tonight I went with an old friend to IHOP, so I could fill out a form for her. She wants to be in ministry/leadership training at her church. She goes to Madison Park Church, which has the most janky survey/recommendation sheet that I have ever seen for ministry positions in a church their size. Despite the fact that this sheet was for lay-ministry positions, you would think that a church like theirs would be able to actually use proper grammar and spelling on its forms. Also, I wanted to ask whoever decided to put some of the questions on the form, would any of the disciples or early church leaders have qualified for leadership positions in your church?

Seriously, the first question asks if the person is clean, hygenic, and dressed appropriately. Well, sorry, John the Baptist, but your camel skin loin cloth just doesn’t cut it, so we’ve not approved you for leadership. And, it’s a little creepy the way you keep eating locusts and yelling about straight paths.  It scares the children, so we think you might consider simply being a parishioner rather than trying to be a leader.

The second question leaves Peter out: does this person have an appropriate attitude for ministry? Because Peter, Paul, John, and other disciples/early leaders always maintained proper attitudes and played fair. How many ministry partners did Paul go through?

I don’t remember all of the questions verbatim, but the third question pretty much excludes anyone who takes the verse that says, “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, and even his or her own life, that person cannot be my disciple,” to heart. That Scripture, Luke 14:26, also throws out the question about mental health. Hating yourself is probably a sign of some mental illness, which theoretically disqualifies someone from leadership. I assume if the questions aren’t designed to weed people out based on their unfavorable characteristics, then they wouldn’t be asked. 

At any rate, I had lots of chocolate chip pancakes. It really makes no sense to run and bike and watch what I eat and then turn right around and eat seven pancakes covered with delicious chocolate chips and whipped cream. I couldn’t help myself; they had me at “All You Can Eat Pancakes 24 Hours a Day”! I also have two chocolate, chocolate chip pancakes in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow. Mmmm.

On the way to my house after dinner, we were talking about ethical corporations. I need to think more about my feelings toward companies attempting to live ethically. It is certainly one thing for a person to try to make ethical choices, but it is entirely another for an entire (sometimes multi-million dollar, several thousand employee) company to consistently make ethical choices.

It was interesting to hear Julie’s take on this topic since she has an MBA from Notre Dame. For the most part, I think we agree on this, but I am a little more strict on what I think it means to be an ethical business. Mostly, I think this is due to the fact that I want to hold companies to an individual ethical standard, forgetting that they are trying to make broad-scale decisions for many people and with a much more broad-sweeping impact on the world. Probably it is due to my lack of business experience and over-concern with some ethical issues.

I forget how difficult it is for me, as one person, to hold to my own created ethical standards. It must be infinite times more difficult for an entire company to uphold a consistent ethic. It’s sort of like extrapolating personal choices out multiple times and expecting them not to get watered down. How much more difficult is it to get a large group of people to buy into ethical ideas and behaviors and then to maintain those standards while still being able to make a profit? I would argue quite a bit.

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I am thankful that Jesus doesn’t require a questionnaire, and that I expect a certain level of corporate ethics from all businesses I support.

Exercise: walked from Burris to Puerto, from Burris to RB

Food: banana, juice, granola bar, potato enchiladas, rice, chips and salsa, decaf tall soy caramel macchiato, peanuts, chocolate chip pancakes

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Posted in Fat, Food, Grace, Relationships, Religion, Running

Drinks. Bicycles. And Chai Tea Baristas.

Posted on 11 January 2010 | 1 comment

Have you ever gone out for drinks with people and only ordered a water? With a lime? When everyone else is drinking alcohol, drinking limed water is a bit awkward. It isn’t like having your pants unzipped while you are teaching awkward, but it is more like forgetting the punchline of a joke awkward because you become the awkwardness instead of your action being awkward. For some reason, for me, being awkward is much less awkward than performing awkward actions. It’s almost as if I can own own my awkwardness, but performing awkward actions makes me feel as if everyone notices the action and then judges me for it. Whereas, when I embody awkwardness, no one notices how odd I am or they just accept it as part of who I am, thereby they don’t judge. What do you think? Which is worse, an awkward action or simply living awkwardly?

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I rode my bicycle to school today, but it was to cold and slippy to ride home. I got a ride home in a car that was all warm and cozy and not slippy.

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When you go to the MTCup, don’t bother asking the barista if the chai tea is decaf. Chances are she won’t know.

“Well, there isn’t any coffee, no shots of espresso, in it if that’s what you mean. It’s just powered chai mix and milk.” She blinks and chews her gum.

“Chai has tea in it, usually black tea, which contains caffeine. Do you know if you have any decaf chai?”

“Well, I know it has tea, but I am not sure if it has caffeine.” Blink. Blink.

“Okay, I will just have a decaf soy vanilla latte,” I concede as I resist explaining that I don’t mean literally decaffeinated soy milk, but that I want the decaffeinated espresso in my latte, which will be made with soy milk and fake vanilla syrup. On top of it all my wheat bagel has a funk and is hard on one side like chewing baseball card bubble-gum.

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I am thankful for new friendships.

Exercise: dog walking, bike transporting

Food: Clif bar, apple, muffin, milk, juice, sloppy jane with cheese, salad, leftover cake, decaf soy vanilla latte

1 Comment

Posted in Beer, Biking, Coffee, Food, Relationships

One Syllabus Knocked Out. One to Go.

Posted on 1 January 2010 | 2 comments

I got one syllabus/schedule knocked out today, and the second one is getting the same treatment tomorrow. On Monday, I will present Debbie with my completed draft, which thrills my soul and probably hers, too. No doubt she will be excited to know I am not a complete fuck-up. Though, I am sure there will be multiple revisions required. It’s hard to believe, but this break is actually going to be productive! Wahoo.

My brother and I had a good time running together this morning. Since I have been sick for about a week and because it was FREEZING outside, we only ran two miles. Then we went to Starbucks and had some drinks. When we walked in, my cousin who just got out of the psych ward was there having coffee and stealing movies with their “free” Internet. I said hi to him, but I think he is on heavy doses of some mind-altering drug, because all he said back was an almost inaudible, “Hey.” Weird.

Tomorrow, I am going to Anderson to take Adam to get new tires on his car. To say thanks, he is taking me to have sushi for lunch. I am picking him up at Midas at 8AM, then while he is coaching diving, I am going to sit at his house working on my last syllabus. I must admit that I am nervous about this one, because I have never taught this class before and because the syllabi and schedules I have looked at seem so much more complicated than what I am used to making. Is it necessary to list everything you plan to do in a class period on the schedule? Is it wrong to believe that the schedule should merely be a list of what is due that day? Things to contemplate by tomorrow night. My goal is to finish the syllabus before I go to bed.

David and June are here. We had dinner and now they are playing Rock Band while Bec reads (EDIT: sleeps) and I finish some of my projects and write a bit right here. I am trying desperately to get my calendar squared away for the spring semester, but I will have to wait to completely finish it until I finish my other syllabus.

Last night, we rang in the new year with the Combers. Good times. Even the slightly special, too tired to play properly, Trivial Pursuit and the jacked-up MadLibs were good times. We were so tired that we left before we gave our resolutions, which I usually break within a couple of weeks anyway. My New Year’s resolution is to stop procrastinating like I do. I really didn’t procrastinate like this until graduate school, and I am trying hard to figure out how I can change back into my productive, over-achieving self. Somehow I have morphed from a competitive, perfectionist into a slacker who waits until the last minute to do everything.

How did I become who I am today? I think it started in seminary when I was working full time (for a bit, two jobs) and taking 15 credit hours of graduate classes every semester. I think I just got into the habit of doing everything when I could and that turned into doing it when it was due, which then became completing everything as it has to be turned in. It’s not healthy, though; I swear.

But, I digress; as usual, we ate too many nachos. Sean Lovelace would argue that you can never eat too many nachos. I heartily disagree. Too many nachos can be had. In fact, they were. Last night.

This is all I have left to do from my huge long list at the beginning of the break:

  • 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?).

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I am thankful for strange adult children invading my house. 🙂

Food: banana, decaf caramel macchiato, blueberry scone, Christmas goodies, grapefruit, apple, cheese, wheat spaghetti with mushrooms, tofu, basil, and parmesan cheese, salad, strawberry ice cream

Exercise: run two miles

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