Ironically, after my post yesterday, Steve and I went to see the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." It was a powerful, fact-filled presentation of how our global environment is changing directly as a result of our ever increasing use of fossil fuels. I highly recommend everyone see this movie, and visit the website Climate Crisis.
The website has a list of things everyone can do. Here are some that Steve and I are working on:
* Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
* Use less hot water
* Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
* Turn off electronic devices you’re not using
* Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them
* Insulate and weatherize your home
* Be sure you’re recycling at home
* Plant a tree - A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
* Switch to green power
* Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
* When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
My sister Jennifer and her husband Anthony have made huge progress in these areas, with solar panels and wind generators on their roof to their hybrid vehicles. They are an inspiration for us, and now, having seen the evidence, I feel compelled to follow their example.
I strongly encourage you to see the movie for yourself.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Heat Waves
Can you believe it's the end of July already? Time keeps flying by. I am glad that one of our two hottest months is coming to a close. Now if we can just survive August...
I'm actually grateful it's only been in the high 90's lately, not over 100 like a couple weeks ago. Still, all the grass is yellow or brown -- it crunches when you walk on it -- and I can hear locusts singing their rhythmic song. Funny how that sound is connected in my mind with heat.
Texas has a lot of problems with the foundations of houses. It's partially because of the drought and heat conditions and partially because of the layer of clay under the soil. Our house seems to be okay, but we may have another leak somewhere around our pool. Water has been disappearing from the pool faster than usual, but unfortunately, Steve's thorough inspection yesterday didn't turn up anything obvious. Might be time to call in the professionals.
At least the trees are still green. And thank God for air conditioning.
I'm actually grateful it's only been in the high 90's lately, not over 100 like a couple weeks ago. Still, all the grass is yellow or brown -- it crunches when you walk on it -- and I can hear locusts singing their rhythmic song. Funny how that sound is connected in my mind with heat.
Texas has a lot of problems with the foundations of houses. It's partially because of the drought and heat conditions and partially because of the layer of clay under the soil. Our house seems to be okay, but we may have another leak somewhere around our pool. Water has been disappearing from the pool faster than usual, but unfortunately, Steve's thorough inspection yesterday didn't turn up anything obvious. Might be time to call in the professionals.
At least the trees are still green. And thank God for air conditioning.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The View from North Carolina
I'm in North Carolina this week for work. Here through Thursday, since I'm participating in two new business pitches (Tuesday and Thursday) and decided it didn't make sense to fly back and forth in between.
It's GREEN here. It rained this morning. The steady, hard rain that I haven't seen in so long. It was welcome to the natives, but since I didn't have an umbrella and was in a suit and had curled my hair, I wasn't thrilled. My suit ended up damp, especially the extra long cuffs on the bottom of my pants, and my hair went its own direction. Some flat, some frizzy. Great first impression!
Our pitch today went OK. One of our VPs was with us and made a point of reminding us in the car ride over our rule of not interrupting to add something unless it adds three times the value. His part of the presentation was at the beginning, and then another colleague and I passed back and forth through the middle. HE INTERRUPTED EVERY SLIDE. I finally had to pass him a note and ask him to PLEASE not add some comment on EVERY slide.
Tomorrow, I'll be working via telephone and internet all day, and then preparing for pitch #2. They have a really dinky gym here that I used today, and the food at the hotel is just passable. But at least my remaining colleague and I tonight went out for a nice dinner. (I had lobster! Yum.)
It's GREEN here. It rained this morning. The steady, hard rain that I haven't seen in so long. It was welcome to the natives, but since I didn't have an umbrella and was in a suit and had curled my hair, I wasn't thrilled. My suit ended up damp, especially the extra long cuffs on the bottom of my pants, and my hair went its own direction. Some flat, some frizzy. Great first impression!
Our pitch today went OK. One of our VPs was with us and made a point of reminding us in the car ride over our rule of not interrupting to add something unless it adds three times the value. His part of the presentation was at the beginning, and then another colleague and I passed back and forth through the middle. HE INTERRUPTED EVERY SLIDE. I finally had to pass him a note and ask him to PLEASE not add some comment on EVERY slide.
Tomorrow, I'll be working via telephone and internet all day, and then preparing for pitch #2. They have a really dinky gym here that I used today, and the food at the hotel is just passable. But at least my remaining colleague and I tonight went out for a nice dinner. (I had lobster! Yum.)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Babies, Babies Everywhere...
The hardest thing about turning 29 was realizing I wasn't going to meet my expectation of having a child before I was 30. It hit me hard, and it took quite some time before I felt comfortable letting that go.
And now...five years later...I guess I'm still struggling with it. I think at that time, I adjusted my expectation to have a child before or at age 35. Looks like I'm going to miss that one, too. There are a lot of health risks that make it better to have kids before 35. I know, lots of women have successful pregnancies and healthy babies later in life. I just didn't think I would be in that group.
Several of my friends and colleagues are having babies. My friend Chad and his wife had their first in May. Tori had a huge baby boy in early June, and Forrest and his wife had their first in late June. My friend Ian and his wife are due next month. They are keeping me very busy making baby quilts (almost done with Forrest's).
Volunteering at the hospital in the Neonatal ICU helps. I was there this Monday after missing the previous two. I think it helps fill that gap for me, being able to hold these beautiful little ones.
And sometimes, I really value the freedom Steve and I have. We can sleep late (if our bodies weren't programmed to wake up at our usual time), and we can choose to go and do anything without the limitations a baby puts on you. We can travel more easily than couples with babies, lugging all that stuff you might need, and our schedules are more flexible.
I guess I just always pictured myself as a mom. It makes me chuckle and wonder how out of the three of us girls (Jenn, Steph and me), I ended up being the "career girl."
And now...five years later...I guess I'm still struggling with it. I think at that time, I adjusted my expectation to have a child before or at age 35. Looks like I'm going to miss that one, too. There are a lot of health risks that make it better to have kids before 35. I know, lots of women have successful pregnancies and healthy babies later in life. I just didn't think I would be in that group.
Several of my friends and colleagues are having babies. My friend Chad and his wife had their first in May. Tori had a huge baby boy in early June, and Forrest and his wife had their first in late June. My friend Ian and his wife are due next month. They are keeping me very busy making baby quilts (almost done with Forrest's).
Volunteering at the hospital in the Neonatal ICU helps. I was there this Monday after missing the previous two. I think it helps fill that gap for me, being able to hold these beautiful little ones.
And sometimes, I really value the freedom Steve and I have. We can sleep late (if our bodies weren't programmed to wake up at our usual time), and we can choose to go and do anything without the limitations a baby puts on you. We can travel more easily than couples with babies, lugging all that stuff you might need, and our schedules are more flexible.
I guess I just always pictured myself as a mom. It makes me chuckle and wonder how out of the three of us girls (Jenn, Steph and me), I ended up being the "career girl."
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Steve's birthday dinner
Here's a picture of us from Saturday night. (Don't know why my face is so shiny!)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Thirty-nine
(No, not me! It's Steve!)
As the fifth of six children growing up in a lean family, Steve only remembers having one birthday party. I set out to make up for that with this year's birthday.
Beginning on July 1st, I gave him a small gift to open each day leading up to his actual b-day, the 15th. His boyish grin and enthusiasm about opening these gifts was delightful to watch. Most of them were small things -- special cycling socks, boxers, camping soap, a shirt -- and others were sentimental, such as frames for his pictures of his kids.
I call Steve my Mr. Sentimental, and I think the best reaction I got from a gift was the framed collage I had made for him of pictures of his kids and him. I dug around the house finding pictures from the past, and there were several he hadn't seen in awhile. It brought a tear to his eye.
We finished off the birthday celebration on Saturday with a trip to the Dallas Art Museum, a visit to the Farmer's Market, and dinner at Cool River, where we met 10 months ago. He declared it his best birthday ever.
As the fifth of six children growing up in a lean family, Steve only remembers having one birthday party. I set out to make up for that with this year's birthday.
Beginning on July 1st, I gave him a small gift to open each day leading up to his actual b-day, the 15th. His boyish grin and enthusiasm about opening these gifts was delightful to watch. Most of them were small things -- special cycling socks, boxers, camping soap, a shirt -- and others were sentimental, such as frames for his pictures of his kids.
I call Steve my Mr. Sentimental, and I think the best reaction I got from a gift was the framed collage I had made for him of pictures of his kids and him. I dug around the house finding pictures from the past, and there were several he hadn't seen in awhile. It brought a tear to his eye.
We finished off the birthday celebration on Saturday with a trip to the Dallas Art Museum, a visit to the Farmer's Market, and dinner at Cool River, where we met 10 months ago. He declared it his best birthday ever.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Friends & Colleagues
It's so nice when you like the people you work with.
A couple months ago, my long-time friend Lauren joined the company I work for, and I've been meaning to blog about it for some time. It's been such a pleasure to work with her again, both because I respect and admire her intelligence and work ethic AND because I have a friend to goof around, eat lunch and talk with!
I'm actually very lucky that I work with a terrific group of people. The vast majority are incredibly smart and talented. But I don't socialize with many of them.
I guess it's mostly my choosing. When I began to carve out "personal time" for myself last year and not be such a workaholic, I started distancing myself from coworkers outside of the office. It's hard for some people not to talk about work when you are with others you work with, and I found I really wanted a break from "shop talk."
Now, having Lauren here, I have a trusted friend with whom I can talk about the rest of my life. In addition, she's filled a professional void I've experienced since my friend Lisa left the company over a year ago. And, just to sing her praises, EVERYONE in the company keeps telling me how impressed they are with her and how glad they are she's joined our team. Yea for Lauren!
(Now, if we can just convince Wendy to come join us...)
A couple months ago, my long-time friend Lauren joined the company I work for, and I've been meaning to blog about it for some time. It's been such a pleasure to work with her again, both because I respect and admire her intelligence and work ethic AND because I have a friend to goof around, eat lunch and talk with!
I'm actually very lucky that I work with a terrific group of people. The vast majority are incredibly smart and talented. But I don't socialize with many of them.
I guess it's mostly my choosing. When I began to carve out "personal time" for myself last year and not be such a workaholic, I started distancing myself from coworkers outside of the office. It's hard for some people not to talk about work when you are with others you work with, and I found I really wanted a break from "shop talk."
Now, having Lauren here, I have a trusted friend with whom I can talk about the rest of my life. In addition, she's filled a professional void I've experienced since my friend Lisa left the company over a year ago. And, just to sing her praises, EVERYONE in the company keeps telling me how impressed they are with her and how glad they are she's joined our team. Yea for Lauren!
(Now, if we can just convince Wendy to come join us...)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Oh, Yah...
I really enjoyed hearing the Wisconsin accent. Steve and I tried to emulate the "Oh Yeah" that is the affirmative response in so many conversations.
It was great finally meeting all of them. Steve is number 5 out of 6 kids, and he has 5 nephews that are all in their early twenties, as well as several nieces. He's very close with his nephews, and so it was important to me to get to know them and figure out who's who! There were also aunts, uncles and cousins to meet, and of course, his mom.
Steve's mom celebrated her 65th birthday on Saturday, and Steve's birthday (39th) is coming up this Saturday. His niece Sara turns 16 later in the month, so we had a joint birthday celebration at a friend's farm on Saturday. Almost everyone hugged me right upon meeting me. Then we just hung out around a campfire, drinking beer and eating all the good food everyone had brought along. The kids ran around playing croquet, chasing the dogs and cat, and messing in the large water container for the cows, which also housed a catfish. As it got dark (and cool!), Steve put on a sweatshirt, and I donned a jean jacket. The Northerners got a kick out of that! I told them it felt like December in Texas. (just kidding, but our last morning was a crisp 57*! I thought of you, Anth!)
Some of the nephews shot off some fireworks, and the cows stampeded to the far end of the field! Poor cows. They were scared out of their skins.
We also went fishing up north (like Wisconsin isn't north enough) to the U.P. (Upper peninsula of Michigan). The lake we were fishing on was terrific, and all three of us (Steve, his nephew Chad and I) got many bites. My largest catch was about 7 inches long. Not huge, but lots of fun. Plus, the guys did all the worm hooking and fish stuff for me.
That night, we stayed in an extremely rustic cabin, owned by Chad's best friend's dad. You could tell it's a man hangout from all the 80s girlie posters and the lack of amenities -- no running water, no electricity. There was an outhouse, jugs of water, and gas lamps. We cooked over the campfire. Oh, and several mice families have made the cozy cottage their home. I thought I'd never be able to sleep after hearing them scurry and squeak, but exhaustion won out. (and they didn't bother us)
The farm, by comparison, was terrific! There was the ever-present strong smell of cows, but that's not all bad. I got to milk one of them. Steve told me how to do it, and sure enough, it worked! I squirted at his feet while he danced out of the way. The farm actually uses milking machines, as they milk 50 or more cows twice a day.
It's beautiful land in Wisconsin. Lots of tall trees and rolling hills. And everyone was so nice to me. One of his nephews even introduced me to his kids as "Aunt Emily." :-)
It was great finally meeting all of them. Steve is number 5 out of 6 kids, and he has 5 nephews that are all in their early twenties, as well as several nieces. He's very close with his nephews, and so it was important to me to get to know them and figure out who's who! There were also aunts, uncles and cousins to meet, and of course, his mom.
Steve's mom celebrated her 65th birthday on Saturday, and Steve's birthday (39th) is coming up this Saturday. His niece Sara turns 16 later in the month, so we had a joint birthday celebration at a friend's farm on Saturday. Almost everyone hugged me right upon meeting me. Then we just hung out around a campfire, drinking beer and eating all the good food everyone had brought along. The kids ran around playing croquet, chasing the dogs and cat, and messing in the large water container for the cows, which also housed a catfish. As it got dark (and cool!), Steve put on a sweatshirt, and I donned a jean jacket. The Northerners got a kick out of that! I told them it felt like December in Texas. (just kidding, but our last morning was a crisp 57*! I thought of you, Anth!)
Some of the nephews shot off some fireworks, and the cows stampeded to the far end of the field! Poor cows. They were scared out of their skins.
We also went fishing up north (like Wisconsin isn't north enough) to the U.P. (Upper peninsula of Michigan). The lake we were fishing on was terrific, and all three of us (Steve, his nephew Chad and I) got many bites. My largest catch was about 7 inches long. Not huge, but lots of fun. Plus, the guys did all the worm hooking and fish stuff for me.
That night, we stayed in an extremely rustic cabin, owned by Chad's best friend's dad. You could tell it's a man hangout from all the 80s girlie posters and the lack of amenities -- no running water, no electricity. There was an outhouse, jugs of water, and gas lamps. We cooked over the campfire. Oh, and several mice families have made the cozy cottage their home. I thought I'd never be able to sleep after hearing them scurry and squeak, but exhaustion won out. (and they didn't bother us)
The farm, by comparison, was terrific! There was the ever-present strong smell of cows, but that's not all bad. I got to milk one of them. Steve told me how to do it, and sure enough, it worked! I squirted at his feet while he danced out of the way. The farm actually uses milking machines, as they milk 50 or more cows twice a day.
It's beautiful land in Wisconsin. Lots of tall trees and rolling hills. And everyone was so nice to me. One of his nephews even introduced me to his kids as "Aunt Emily." :-)
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Alright, Alright...here's a quick post
I know I haven't been a good blogger. I must admit, the dwindling comments got to me a bit, and I figured not many people would miss my drab musings.
I thought about posting some pics from 4th of July. We had a few friends over for a cookout and pool time, and it was really nice.
I just finished a long weekend in Wisconsin (cheese country!) to meet Steve's family (I met at least 25 people) and have just arrived in Philadelphia for business. I'll be back in Dallas late tomorrow night, so I probably won't blog about the Wisconsin trip until Wednesday. But I will say that everyone was so nice and welcoming to me, and it was great to finally meet them all.
Now, it's past midnight, and I must sleep. It's nice to know you missed me!
I thought about posting some pics from 4th of July. We had a few friends over for a cookout and pool time, and it was really nice.
I just finished a long weekend in Wisconsin (cheese country!) to meet Steve's family (I met at least 25 people) and have just arrived in Philadelphia for business. I'll be back in Dallas late tomorrow night, so I probably won't blog about the Wisconsin trip until Wednesday. But I will say that everyone was so nice and welcoming to me, and it was great to finally meet them all.
Now, it's past midnight, and I must sleep. It's nice to know you missed me!
Friday, June 30, 2006
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
Last night, I dreamt that my sisters and their kids and I were all together. My adorable nieces and nephews were laughing and having fun, and I distinctly remember getting sweet little kisses from them. I awoke missing them. I wish we lived closer and that I could see them more often. At least I get to see pictures and hear stories on my sisters' blogs. (vetmommy.blogspot.com and pgdaddyandme.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Addendum
I wasn't specific in my previous posts, and it seems from some of the comments that my posting was taken differently than I intended.
To clarify: Steve didn't invite these people to our house. Tom did! (read Invasion, Part 1)
Steve and I did our best to be good hosts and make them feel comfortable. He helped with all the cooking and cleaning, and neither one of us felt much like overindulging with so much going on. He was also very appreciative of all my work and was very supportive letting me get away for a couple hours each day.
To clarify: Steve didn't invite these people to our house. Tom did! (read Invasion, Part 1)
Steve and I did our best to be good hosts and make them feel comfortable. He helped with all the cooking and cleaning, and neither one of us felt much like overindulging with so much going on. He was also very appreciative of all my work and was very supportive letting me get away for a couple hours each day.
Monday, June 26, 2006
The Invasion, Part 2
Invasion: An intrusion or encroachment.
Perhaps I want to control too much. Or maybe I shouldn't be so particular about cleanliness. But if I see an empty bottle (or two, or twenty), I just can't leave it there. And if the trash can is full-to-overflowing, I can't just try to shove another piece of debris into it without wondering how the hell I'm going to get the bag out.
Perhaps our guests are used to servants (or their mothers?) taking care of everything. Someone to fix your food before you even have to ask, and definitely someone to clean up after you. And you don't thank these people because it's their job. And you can even tell them how to do their job better.
I'm amazed at the audacity of some people:
* walking into my home and lighting up a cigarette (what the...?!)
* breaking bottles of food/condiment from the fridge and not apologizing
* telling the one volunteer who cooked breakfast for the group that it would have been better if he had remembered to add cheese
* leaving empty beer bottles at the bottom of the pool
* taking the best seats and towels with no thought for others
I shouldn't paint it as ALL bad, though. It was great to see Steve laughing and goofing around with his buddies. And I guess that's what it was all about. But next time, we're going to Vegas.
Perhaps I want to control too much. Or maybe I shouldn't be so particular about cleanliness. But if I see an empty bottle (or two, or twenty), I just can't leave it there. And if the trash can is full-to-overflowing, I can't just try to shove another piece of debris into it without wondering how the hell I'm going to get the bag out.
Perhaps our guests are used to servants (or their mothers?) taking care of everything. Someone to fix your food before you even have to ask, and definitely someone to clean up after you. And you don't thank these people because it's their job. And you can even tell them how to do their job better.
I'm amazed at the audacity of some people:
* walking into my home and lighting up a cigarette (what the...?!)
* breaking bottles of food/condiment from the fridge and not apologizing
* telling the one volunteer who cooked breakfast for the group that it would have been better if he had remembered to add cheese
* leaving empty beer bottles at the bottom of the pool
* taking the best seats and towels with no thought for others
I shouldn't paint it as ALL bad, though. It was great to see Steve laughing and goofing around with his buddies. And I guess that's what it was all about. But next time, we're going to Vegas.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
The Invasion, Part 1
Last weekend and all this past week, Steve and I have been preparing for an onslaught of guests...his 20th high school reunion, centered on our house.
It all started with a misunderstanding. The reunion (several years of graduating classes) was planned for Las Vegas, and although Steve wanted to go, we decided we really couldn't afford it at this time. His best friend Cris decided not to go, too. Then, their friend Ron decided if they weren't going, he wouldn't either. Tom, a friend of theirs in Germany, was already planning to come over to the States for the reunion and spoke to Ron, who told him those three guys weren't going and that we'd all get together some other time in Dallas at Steve's and Cris' houses.
Tom sends out an email, stating "the reunion's moved to Dallas! Free room & board at Steve's and Cris'!"
Uh...
And people start RSVP-ing.
Ok. Guess we're having a party!
We had 8 guests here, and Cris had another 4 at his house. During the day, they were all here at our place, though, since we have the pool. Steve and I worked our butts off getting everything looking great, including a lot of yard work and setting up a cabana near the pool. (I'll post pictures later.)
I guess you could call it a success, in that everyone came and ate and drank. But I'm exhausted. I have a difficult time relaxing if things are messy, and with a total of 16 people here, there was a lot of mess (and not a lot of cleaning up). I think I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.
It all started with a misunderstanding. The reunion (several years of graduating classes) was planned for Las Vegas, and although Steve wanted to go, we decided we really couldn't afford it at this time. His best friend Cris decided not to go, too. Then, their friend Ron decided if they weren't going, he wouldn't either. Tom, a friend of theirs in Germany, was already planning to come over to the States for the reunion and spoke to Ron, who told him those three guys weren't going and that we'd all get together some other time in Dallas at Steve's and Cris' houses.
Tom sends out an email, stating "the reunion's moved to Dallas! Free room & board at Steve's and Cris'!"
Uh...
And people start RSVP-ing.
Ok. Guess we're having a party!
We had 8 guests here, and Cris had another 4 at his house. During the day, they were all here at our place, though, since we have the pool. Steve and I worked our butts off getting everything looking great, including a lot of yard work and setting up a cabana near the pool. (I'll post pictures later.)
I guess you could call it a success, in that everyone came and ate and drank. But I'm exhausted. I have a difficult time relaxing if things are messy, and with a total of 16 people here, there was a lot of mess (and not a lot of cleaning up). I think I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Wonderment Of Life
[I received this via email from my mom, Beverly, and wanted to share it.]
The Things We Take For Granted
Most of us begin our days with a continuous list of things we need to do to keep our lives running smoothly, but we rarely take time to note all the things we don't need to do. For example, we don't need to figure out how to breathe. We don't need to find a way to make sure the earth continues to revolve around the sun. We don't need to concentrate to ensure that our heart beats and our cells regenerate. All of these things, and many more, take care of themselves without our having to think or do anything at all. This is the miracle of life on earth.
Beyond the wonder of the natural world, we have the wonder of human-created conditions such as indoor plumbing, electricity, automobiles, airplanes, telephones, and the Internet to name a few. Someone living just a hundred years ago would be overwhelmed by the ease with which we can communicate with people all over the world. Every day, millions of us jump on airplanes and fly to distant locations in a matter of hours. If we have access to a computer, we can read obscure information about any subject, free of charge, at any time of the day or night. And yet, it's only when one of these miraculous inventions fails that we notice it at all.
When you wake up tomorrow, take time to notice how many things are running smoothly, how many small miracles compose your day. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, as you put them on, take a moment to appreciate the fact that without them, you would be unable to see. Your life would be entirely different if someone hadn't invented corrective lenses (or Lasik!). As you take in your world, you might feel a moment of gratitude for the basic fact that, once again, the sun has risen to illuminate the abundant earth, and the earth's gravitational field holds you and all that you hold dear in a tight, life-affirming embrace.
The Things We Take For Granted
Most of us begin our days with a continuous list of things we need to do to keep our lives running smoothly, but we rarely take time to note all the things we don't need to do. For example, we don't need to figure out how to breathe. We don't need to find a way to make sure the earth continues to revolve around the sun. We don't need to concentrate to ensure that our heart beats and our cells regenerate. All of these things, and many more, take care of themselves without our having to think or do anything at all. This is the miracle of life on earth.
Beyond the wonder of the natural world, we have the wonder of human-created conditions such as indoor plumbing, electricity, automobiles, airplanes, telephones, and the Internet to name a few. Someone living just a hundred years ago would be overwhelmed by the ease with which we can communicate with people all over the world. Every day, millions of us jump on airplanes and fly to distant locations in a matter of hours. If we have access to a computer, we can read obscure information about any subject, free of charge, at any time of the day or night. And yet, it's only when one of these miraculous inventions fails that we notice it at all.
When you wake up tomorrow, take time to notice how many things are running smoothly, how many small miracles compose your day. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, as you put them on, take a moment to appreciate the fact that without them, you would be unable to see. Your life would be entirely different if someone hadn't invented corrective lenses (or Lasik!). As you take in your world, you might feel a moment of gratitude for the basic fact that, once again, the sun has risen to illuminate the abundant earth, and the earth's gravitational field holds you and all that you hold dear in a tight, life-affirming embrace.
Monday, June 19, 2006
What Would You Like Your Service to Be?
Last Thursday, Steve and I took a road trip to Oklahoma City for a funeral.
Richard lived in Florida but was buried in Oklahoma where his parents and sister live. I never met him in life, but he and Steve talked weekly and had known each other for 20 years. I had heard many stories about him, so I was somewhat taken aback by the service.
It was held in a small chapel on the cemetary grounds. Most of the congregation were friends of his parents. They had an open casket, and I felt strange to be "meeting" Richard for the first time this way. The casket had birds on the lid with the words "Heading Home" printed on it.
Throughout the service, tinny music was piped through the speakers. I recognized some acoustic versions of hymns, but other songs weren't familiar to me. The worst were the ones using banjos. The music seemed out-of-place and didn't fit the solemnity of the scene.
The minister who spoke was long-winded and mostly quoted various, unrelated scriptures from the Bible. (I zoned after the 4th or 5th one.) His main message was that we have life eternal if we believe in God and Jesus. Well, Richard didn't go to church as an adult. He probably didn't go after elementary school, so I don't know how reassuring this message was for his family.
It was interesting people-watching, too. We didn't know who anyone was other than his parents and sister. His sister was very dramatic and perhaps a bit in denial, emphasizing to Steve that Richard had "gone fishing! He's just fishing. He's on a BIG fishing trip." Another woman (with a blonde mullet) was visibly upset, and we wondered if she had been a high school sweetheart in Richard's past.
Steve volunteered to be a pall-bearer, and the most comforting thing for Steve was that Richard's resting place was on the side of a lake. Richard loved the water and spent all his free time fishing. So that, at least, seemed like a fitting place for him to rest.
It sure made us think about our own services. We talked about what we would each like, when the time comes, and how most services are really for those left behind.
Richard lived in Florida but was buried in Oklahoma where his parents and sister live. I never met him in life, but he and Steve talked weekly and had known each other for 20 years. I had heard many stories about him, so I was somewhat taken aback by the service.
It was held in a small chapel on the cemetary grounds. Most of the congregation were friends of his parents. They had an open casket, and I felt strange to be "meeting" Richard for the first time this way. The casket had birds on the lid with the words "Heading Home" printed on it.
Throughout the service, tinny music was piped through the speakers. I recognized some acoustic versions of hymns, but other songs weren't familiar to me. The worst were the ones using banjos. The music seemed out-of-place and didn't fit the solemnity of the scene.
The minister who spoke was long-winded and mostly quoted various, unrelated scriptures from the Bible. (I zoned after the 4th or 5th one.) His main message was that we have life eternal if we believe in God and Jesus. Well, Richard didn't go to church as an adult. He probably didn't go after elementary school, so I don't know how reassuring this message was for his family.
It was interesting people-watching, too. We didn't know who anyone was other than his parents and sister. His sister was very dramatic and perhaps a bit in denial, emphasizing to Steve that Richard had "gone fishing! He's just fishing. He's on a BIG fishing trip." Another woman (with a blonde mullet) was visibly upset, and we wondered if she had been a high school sweetheart in Richard's past.
Steve volunteered to be a pall-bearer, and the most comforting thing for Steve was that Richard's resting place was on the side of a lake. Richard loved the water and spent all his free time fishing. So that, at least, seemed like a fitting place for him to rest.
It sure made us think about our own services. We talked about what we would each like, when the time comes, and how most services are really for those left behind.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Life for Rent
The song "Life for Rent" by Dido has been on my mind lately, particularly these lyrics:
"...If I am so afraid to fail that I won't even try,
how can I say I'm alive?
If my life is for rent, and I don't learn to buy
Then I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cause nothing I have is truly mine."
I wasn't into sports as a kid. I don't have natural ability in that area, and I definitely was afraid to try anything for fear of failure.
There were moments during the triathlon when I thought "What the hell am I doing?" and just wanted to stop, to quit. But I silenced that quitter voice and pushed on. As I had heard from others who have done these types of races, it truly is a mental challenge as much as a physical one.
I like the song by Dido. It starts off "I haven't ever really found a place that I call 'Home.' I never stick around long enough to make it." I have moved around quite a bit, both growing up and just here within the Dallas metroplex. I like to start over. I like new places, and I'm used to it. But it's nice to have stability, too. I think I'm finally getting to a place in my life where I'm ready to "buy" -- to make a true commitment to something (or someone). When you buy, there's a risk that it won't be exactly what you thought it was, but there are rewards to sticking with it.
"...If I am so afraid to fail that I won't even try,
how can I say I'm alive?
If my life is for rent, and I don't learn to buy
Then I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cause nothing I have is truly mine."
I wasn't into sports as a kid. I don't have natural ability in that area, and I definitely was afraid to try anything for fear of failure.
There were moments during the triathlon when I thought "What the hell am I doing?" and just wanted to stop, to quit. But I silenced that quitter voice and pushed on. As I had heard from others who have done these types of races, it truly is a mental challenge as much as a physical one.
I like the song by Dido. It starts off "I haven't ever really found a place that I call 'Home.' I never stick around long enough to make it." I have moved around quite a bit, both growing up and just here within the Dallas metroplex. I like to start over. I like new places, and I'm used to it. But it's nice to have stability, too. I think I'm finally getting to a place in my life where I'm ready to "buy" -- to make a true commitment to something (or someone). When you buy, there's a risk that it won't be exactly what you thought it was, but there are rewards to sticking with it.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Triathlon Pictures
Warming up while Jenn surveys the scene
Can you see me? I'm waving!
I'm in the middle of this shot. Crazy...
Whew! The swim is done. Now uphill to my bike.
Just finished the bike and now heading out to the run/walk
Just crossed the finish line!
Getting a big hug from Anna.
Exhausted but happy after the race, with Steve and Anna
Monday, June 12, 2006
Victorious
(Sorry I didn't post much last week. I tried several times, but between travelling for work and Blogger having problems, I wasn't successful.)
Yesterday (Sunday) was the Austin Danskin Triathlon. Beginning with the end, I'm happy to report that I finished!
We got up at 5 a.m. to get over to the race site by 6 a.m. There were 3,000 women participating, plus spectators and volunteers, so the traffic was intense. We set up our equipment in the transition area, where we had left our bikes the day before. Then we headed over to the swim start to watch the elite athletes.
Jenn was in wave 14, and I was in wave 16, and even though they were launching every 4-5 minutes, we had time to wait. I was nervous, excited and anxious to begin!
Jenn had warned me that with your adrenalin up, you feel like swimming faster at the beginning and told me how important it is to pace yourself. I felt the adrenalin, but I was overwhelmed by the number of women beside and around me. The first few times I came up for air, the waves in the lake crashed into me, and I gulped in water. Sputtering, and still trying to navigate around everyone, I started to panic and couldn't catch my breath. The density of the lake was also distracting. I couldn't see underwater at all. Then my goggles started fogging up, so even when I came up for air and to look around, I couldn't see! (Still panicking at this point.) I finally just put the goggles up on my forehead and tried to calm down. It took me half the swim course before I sort of got my rhythm back. People from the wave behind me are passing me at this point, but I just focused on breathing (still too many waves hitting my face when I wanted to breathe) and kept moving, albeit slowly. I was disappointed in my swim portion, but I didn't have to ask for help and finally finished.
The bike portion was my favorite. Although there were some impressive hills, I had trained on hills and did fine. I wasn't prepared for the number of people passing me, which can be somewhat discouraging, but most of the women would cheer each other on as they passed you. I only had to stop once to open my Gatorade. (I learned I should have opened the seal before I started so it would have been easier.)
On the last hill of the bike course, you can see the run course to your right. I figured Jenn should be there about the same time, and I called out "JENN!" to one girl before realizing it wasn't her. Several of the runners were encouraging the cyclists, "Go, bikers! It's the last hill!" and then I heard "EM! You're doing it!" It was really great to see Jenn and gave me a boost of energy.
I felt good coming off the bike and started the run strong. I soon learned how wobbly my legs were and how different it is running on the uneven ground from the paved ground I had trained on. My ankles felt like cooked noodles. I jogged up to another girl who was walking and began walking with her. We stuck together through the rest of the run/walk, talking and encouraging each other on. It was her first Tri, too. We ran short spurts, but mostly walked. It was hot by this time, too, and it took a lot of effort just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I saved a little bit of energy to run across the finish line, and I saw Steve, Jenn, Anthony, Anna and Colin off to the left cheering me on. What a relief! I was so glad to be done.
I'll post more pictures tomorrow. Steve took some great ones, but I forgot to download them to my computer last night. I crashed as soon as we got home, sleeping for at least 2 hours. I got up, cooked dinner and then crashed again, sleeping soundly until this morning. Otherwise, I feel pretty good. Not too sore (thanks to lots of stretching and ibuprofen) and happy that I did it.
Sisters, before the race
Yesterday (Sunday) was the Austin Danskin Triathlon. Beginning with the end, I'm happy to report that I finished!
We got up at 5 a.m. to get over to the race site by 6 a.m. There were 3,000 women participating, plus spectators and volunteers, so the traffic was intense. We set up our equipment in the transition area, where we had left our bikes the day before. Then we headed over to the swim start to watch the elite athletes.
Jenn was in wave 14, and I was in wave 16, and even though they were launching every 4-5 minutes, we had time to wait. I was nervous, excited and anxious to begin!
Jenn had warned me that with your adrenalin up, you feel like swimming faster at the beginning and told me how important it is to pace yourself. I felt the adrenalin, but I was overwhelmed by the number of women beside and around me. The first few times I came up for air, the waves in the lake crashed into me, and I gulped in water. Sputtering, and still trying to navigate around everyone, I started to panic and couldn't catch my breath. The density of the lake was also distracting. I couldn't see underwater at all. Then my goggles started fogging up, so even when I came up for air and to look around, I couldn't see! (Still panicking at this point.) I finally just put the goggles up on my forehead and tried to calm down. It took me half the swim course before I sort of got my rhythm back. People from the wave behind me are passing me at this point, but I just focused on breathing (still too many waves hitting my face when I wanted to breathe) and kept moving, albeit slowly. I was disappointed in my swim portion, but I didn't have to ask for help and finally finished.
The bike portion was my favorite. Although there were some impressive hills, I had trained on hills and did fine. I wasn't prepared for the number of people passing me, which can be somewhat discouraging, but most of the women would cheer each other on as they passed you. I only had to stop once to open my Gatorade. (I learned I should have opened the seal before I started so it would have been easier.)
On the last hill of the bike course, you can see the run course to your right. I figured Jenn should be there about the same time, and I called out "JENN!" to one girl before realizing it wasn't her. Several of the runners were encouraging the cyclists, "Go, bikers! It's the last hill!" and then I heard "EM! You're doing it!" It was really great to see Jenn and gave me a boost of energy.
I felt good coming off the bike and started the run strong. I soon learned how wobbly my legs were and how different it is running on the uneven ground from the paved ground I had trained on. My ankles felt like cooked noodles. I jogged up to another girl who was walking and began walking with her. We stuck together through the rest of the run/walk, talking and encouraging each other on. It was her first Tri, too. We ran short spurts, but mostly walked. It was hot by this time, too, and it took a lot of effort just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I saved a little bit of energy to run across the finish line, and I saw Steve, Jenn, Anthony, Anna and Colin off to the left cheering me on. What a relief! I was so glad to be done.
I'll post more pictures tomorrow. Steve took some great ones, but I forgot to download them to my computer last night. I crashed as soon as we got home, sleeping for at least 2 hours. I got up, cooked dinner and then crashed again, sleeping soundly until this morning. Otherwise, I feel pretty good. Not too sore (thanks to lots of stretching and ibuprofen) and happy that I did it.
Sisters, before the race
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
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