Today is (not) the greatest day I’ve ever known.

Posted on 6 December 2009 | 3 comments

Nor is it the worst. As days go, it was solely mediocre.  I got up and walked the dogs a fun route that they like. Then I ran over to Ed and Abbie’s and played with Iz for a bit, right before making her pout because I didn’t want to let her chase me through the house again. The good thing about the run is that I averaged 12:40 for six miles. I set out to run 5, but I didn’t realize that it was six miles from here to the 505 to RB and home. Sweet. It went well.

I installed a new little device on my blog that will measure how many miles I run. It is my goal to run at least 1000 miles by next December 5. That is roughly 2.75 miles each day, which is about 20 miles per week. Right now I run about 12-15 miles per week, so it is a bit of a jump, but I think I can do it. Anyway, the little ticker will let you see my progress. I started today with 6. 🙂

I spent the rest of the day reading, finishing up Mama Day, and wishing I had vision insurance so I could get a good eye exam. I have worn my glasses for the past two days and it has helped a lot. I think they might help even more if I had a proper prescription.

I realized today that I am ready for the semester to be over, which is pretty good, considering that it will be over in about two weeks. I am ready for a break and for some new challenges. New classes. New students. New schedule. I am ready. Bring it.

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I am thankful for long, cold runs. More importantly I am thankful for the most amazing god-daughter ever!

Exercise: walked the dogs two miles, ran six miles, walked to church

Food: banana, juice, 16 oz. milk, grilled cheese on homemade wheat bread with sharp cheddar, salad with honey mustard and celery and sunflower seeds, too many Christmas nougat candies, almonds, popcorn, cheese, apple, clementines (2)

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Posted in Food, Running, Teaching

Reading. Grocery Shopping. Wild Rice Soup.

Posted on 5 December 2009 | 4 comments

One of the best books written, Mama Day by Gloria Naylor, was my occupation and my joy for the majority of the day today. I love the way Naylor uses the voices of her characters to tell a complex tale of spirituality and healing, the way she skilfully rends together the tale from Ophelia’s perspective and George’s perspective with the bits told by the omniscient narrator. I think if any writer writes a tale from back to front better than Toni Morrison, it is Naylor. The only way to describe this book is by talking about its beauty and elegance.

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This morning when we went grocery shopping, we had two interesting encounters with strangers. Both were grace filled moments in which we were able to stand in the store and have great conversation with people we didn’t know. It always amazes me that among the chaos of the holiday season and the ridiculous frenzy of the shopping madness that some people become completely intolerant and mean while others become so kind and gracious.

*On a side note I just saw an American Airlines commercial where the attendees of a seminar had to stand face to face because “there is no personal space here. We are all molecules of one large organism.” I don’t rightly think so. Just because I am in favor of kindness and grace, does not mean that I am in favor of being comfy-close with someone else. Ick.*

One of the sweet encounters we had was with a cashier at Meijer, who had just started her shift, but she got to go on her first fifteen minute break after she waited on us. Sometimes when people who work in service jobs find out that they get their breaks, they rush you through in order to get off their feet. I don’t blame them; I’ve worked in the service sector, too. This cashier, whose name I read over and over again so I could remember it, but I didn’t, took her time with us, made small talk, even took two other customers after us because they had been standing in her line. She was friendly, smiled, and told us to have a great day and happy holidays. I think this is going of the way to give grace and make people feel special or human. I like this touch.

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Bec made delicious wild rice soup tonight. She added fresh mushrooms to make it a little more hearty. We haven’t had it for a long time, so it was a welcome dinner. It is rich and thick and a perfect warm up before we go out to walk the dogs. I love a rich stew-like soup!

The Iron Chef secret ingredient is eggnog tonight. I think Bobby Flay got his chef’s hat handed to him by Morimoto. I love it when that happens.

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I am thankful for small but meaningful interactions with people we didn’t previously know.

Exercise: walked dogs 2 miles

Food: banana, hot chocolate, cheese ball, pretzels, celery, swiss cheese, rice soup, almonds, two clementines, Klondike bar

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Posted in Dissertation, Food, Grace, Literature, Reading, Relationships, Winter Weather

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

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Posted in Christmas, Dissertation, Food

Mama Day in the Student Center Redux

Posted on 3 December 2009 | Leave a comment

Today I am sitting here, waiting to have lunch with Abs, in the the newly improved student center. This new renovation reminds of when they redid the Tally when I was an undergrad. We were so stoked to have a Taco Bell, a Wendy’s, and a couple of other restaurants to choose from. In fact, some of my best memories from college come from the times I spent sitting in the Tally during the Humpday Cafe; they couldn’t just leave Wednesday alone, so they provided the students who had to eat at the Student Center with open mic entertainment. All of us rascals from the HC would sit together at a table and make fun of the bad performers and applaud the good ones; we did much more of the former than the latter. But, it was such a good time of bonding over food. Any bonding done over food is good. 😉

The experience was only made better by the fact that, for a brief moment, Taco Bell brought back the enchirito, the most amazing menu item from our childhoods. It was like a little bean burrito, nestled in a silver tin, covered in red sauce and cheese, and topped with two or three olive slices. Essentially, the enchirito was heaven in a miniature pie plate. I think everyone at the table loved the enchirito, since each of us ate one everyday. It was a toss up between that and the big beef burrito. Ew.

Anyway, the group was such a strange mix of people: Julie, Angie, Tommy, Mike, Amanda, Allen, me, and some others I am sure I am missing. I know there was a whole gaggle of us, and it was a blast. I don’t remember ever leaving without pains in my sides from laughing so hard. One of our chief objectives every day was to make a huge sculpture with all of our trash and then to heckle the person who was chosen to try to carry it—without spilling any of it—to the trash. Those were some of those magically immature times where we had one foot in adulthood and the other one squarely planted in childhood. I mean, how fun is it to watch one of your friends drop everyone’s trash all over the floor and have to pick it up and possibly even have to go get the mop to clean up a drink spill?!? That’s funny.

The student center now houses Taco Bell, dining services, The Chef’s Corner, and Starbucks. The Tally has been opened up and redone with new furniture and a vaulted ceiling. And, the hotel has received a face-lift, as well. It’s actually quite beautiful, but I wax nostalgic for those earlier days that seemed so simple.

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Today’s weather makes me want to sit in the coffee shop all day, reading and writing. I wish sometimes I could cancel classes in order to take advantage of these moods as they strike. I feel like I could write this whole damned proposal today. Or better yet, I could write my way into the sunset like an old-school Marlboro Man and squint my eyes into my own brightness, wondering if I will ever stop shining. Realistically, though, I will teach at Burris, then walk to the other end of campus to teach my college students. Then, when I finish teaching, Drew is in town so he is taking Bec and I out for dinner. It should be good times. I know Drew really appreciates Bec’s ability to accept him for who he is and be nonjudgmental. She’s kind of sweet like that.

Alas, no writing will ensue, though some reading will. Actually, I have already gotten a good start on Mama Day. This dissertation thing may come together after all.

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I am thankful for my new (mostly waterproof) coat and its hood. I love Carhartt. Here is my coat, only mine’s purple, of course.

Exercise: walked the dogs 1.5 miles, ran 2 miles, walked from Burris to Lafollette

Food: banana, juice, chocolate milk, oatmeal, 7-layer burrito, Enchirito (oh, yes, they have them still), Puerto for dinner (veggie quesadilla, chips and salsa)

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Posted in Dissertation, Food, Just for Fun, Personal, Relationships, School

Ethnic Restaurants.

Posted on 2 December 2009 | 2 comments

I am a sucker for seedy little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, particularly if they serve ethnic food. One of my favorite places I have ever been is in Chicago. When I thought I wanted to go to a PhD program for Christian ethics, which I still secretly do want to do, I went for a weekend to check out Garrett Theological Seminary. I didn’t get in there, so I gave up on that idea and became a youth minister for a few years. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything, but I would have loved to live in Chicago to attend Garrett. Most of all I would have loved to have been close to the Thai place that taught me a few lessons, though not as many as staying in the dirty hostel with no personal lockers.

I learned at the divey little Thai restaurant never to order Thai-spicy pad thai when you haven’t been to the restaurant before. I love spicy food. The spicier, the better. However, this particular Thai-hot pad thai burned my mouth so badly I drank at least four full glasses of water. My lips burned, my nose burned, my eyes watered and my skin actually turned red and got dry and cracked from the heat of the peppers. I felt like a child, but I ate it with a smile because, despite the burn, it tasted fantastic.

The only other time I have experienced anything so ridiculously hot was last summer in Savannah when I ate that chicken wing that almost peeled the skin off my face so you could see my skeleton like in cartoons when the characters get electrocuted. I mean ridiculous. I cried. My eyes didn’t just water, I literally cried from the pain. It was so intense my lips were still sore half an hour later, and I found myself wondering, why do we do this to ourselves? Easy answer: the food tastes so good, the burn is just something we have to deal with temporarily. It’s sort of like the poster that says, “Pain is just weakness leaving the body,” that hangs in almost every weight room. Not an entirely safe sentiment, but it makes us feel better about putting our bodies through unnecessary torture.

This whole post was inspired by the fact that Elizabeth and I were both starving, so I helped her get her Amtrak tickets, then we went to China Express in the village. What makes me love these little ethnic restaurants, like China Express or the Thai whatever-it-was-called in Chicago, is that when you leave and get on the bus, everyone knows you’ve been to dinner and they know it wasn’t “American” food. The same holds true with a restaurant like Ciudad Colonial or Puerto Vallarta. I like it when someone gets on the bus smelling like good food. It makes me smile.

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I am thankful for the way my dogs love me. They are so unconditional. And, I am thankful for the snow on WordPress. 😛

Exercise: walked the dogs 2 miles, walked from RB to Burris and back, ran 3 miles

Food: banana, juice, milk, waffle, Clif bar, apple, tea, Moo Shu vegetables, Klondike bar

2 Comments

Posted in Food