Happy Memorial Day, indeed! Had a wonderful visit with my darling husband Michael, this time in his home and hometown.
The flight ended up getting to Denver with time for me to get a personal pan supreme pizza at Pizza Hut, and still get to the next terminal via the train in time for boarding. This flight was one of the most fun I've had in a while. Sat next to an Army PFC (E-3) and an Air Force Master Sergeant (E-7)... and between us, we talked the entire hour-or-so flight into Oklahoma City about our respective experiences. Derek, the PFC, worked on communications antennas out in the field, had been in the Army for a couple years, been deployed to Afghanistan, and had been missing his family for over a year and a half! He was on his way to see them! He mentioned how hard it was getting to stay in. In both their branches they called it "chaptering" a person when they get administratively separated. Caleb, the Master Sergeant looked about ten years younger that he actually was, so we were both shocked to learn that he was an E-7. He works with radar, and talked a lot about leadership. Very fun conversations!
It was so good to see Michael again! Even if it only was three weeks since we were together last. He had a chocolate shake for me from Brahms, waiting in the car. We stopped to pick up dinner at Jimmy Johns at Campus Corner in Norman, then went home and relaxed together.
Saturday morning we had breakfast at Jimmy Egg... couldn't decide between pancakes and an omelet, but I ended up not needing too since small pancakes came with the omelet I ordered! :) Good as ever! We had gone there after coming back from the honeymoon in September.
Continued on to the Fred Jones Museum of Art on campus, especially to see their private collection of Disney animation cells, many of them autographed. Interestingly, they used my very favorite in advertising it... Aurora in the forest with the animals. But there were a couple other galleries that we hadn't seen before, so the trip was definitely worth it. Mike recognized "Spring in the Steppe" from a poster in the law school, and we both admired our favorite by Daniel Ridgway Knight, "Early Morning on the Ozie".
Managed another trip to the Duck Pond, east of campus behind the football stadium. What gets me every time is how this was where the Husky Band ate lunch, that first time I came to Norman, in 2006 (two years before I knew Mike!). We were quickly deprived of the loaf of bread we brought, predominately from the goslings and the very pushy geese. There was also a mommy mallard with 13 babies! They got a good share too. In order to catch the last planetarium show at the science center (by the zoo) we got take out from La Baguette for lunch and hurried the half-hour north to make it just in time for the 4pm show. It was geared for kids, but we enjoyed it too... the last one I had seen was at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago last January.
Since we were there, we saw the Zoo for a little while too. Loved how the bears were active on the Oklahoma Trail exhibit... the pair of them were swimming when we walked up and they got out, shook and and rubbed themselves on trees... and we loved the badger, the prairie dogs, the river otters, the bison, the eagles, the bats, the owls, etc. :)
Back in Norman we stopped at Homeland for some very fresh Salmon and corn-on-the-cob for dinner, and while we ate, we watched Crocodile Dundee for some laughs. Late at night we took the dog for a romp around the North Oval on campus.
Sunday was great! Church in the morning, great to visit again, then Interurban for brunch. Gathered ourselves together then drove the hour-plus down to Lawton to visit Mike's friend Kay (who also loves aquariums) and then Judy & Dickie and then drive with them to meet Connie at Salas, a local Mexican restaurant. Stayed a while longer at Judy's afterwords and had a long, leisurely conversation. Back at home we took the dog out again... it was very late by the time we fell asleep.
We had two old reliables for meals on Monday. Cracker Barrel for brunch, and Red Lobster for dinner, just before we had to head to the airport around 7. Right after brunch we headed north to the historic town of Guthrie, just to see the old buildings from the state's first capital and look around. We poked our heads in an interesting antiques store (finding some Donald Duck & Rocky and Bullwinkle comics) and just browsed. Stopped in a chocolate shop as well and enjoyed a few home-made treats! The town's Carnegie Library building was being used for the Frontier Museum, but it was closed Mondays & Holidays. Stopped in a little restaurant for some lemonade and to shield ourselves from the blistering hot weather. Then we drove back to Norman for dinner. Listened to a Burns & Allen episode about Jack Benny on the way to the airport, so we really didn't think about parting until we got there. What a wonderful time we had together!
My plane was delayed for about a quarter-hour on the runway due to a massive thunderstorm that popped up just as we were getting ready to go. It pelted down rain and we could see quite a bit of lighting in the distance. When we finally took off, I could see the massive cloud bank to our right... flashes of lighting and even bolts sometimes going off like crazy. Amazed how smooth the ride was... we even could take off our belts as we leveled out... with the huge cloud not far away. Abruptly, we passed the edge of it, heading out into the completely serene west with the sunset ahead of us. Mike told me that he had loads of rain and hail by the time he got home too. What a time to fly! Flew straight to LAX, reading all the comics, finishing God Without Religion and starting An Illustrated History of Anti Submarine Warfare. :)
Jw
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday
After getting back close to 4, I decided to go to the library for the last hour or so they were open. They see pretty caught up on the regular stuff, so I put back the new books and straightened out the holds shelves.
Afterwards I got a turkey burger to go at the grill across the street and returned home. Watched some more Foyle's War this morning, so then I watched The Big Sleep that my Darling had sent, and then organized myself for today's flight to Norman. Right now I'm waiting for my slightly delayed plane. My landlady was very nice and drove me here.
Jw
Afterwards I got a turkey burger to go at the grill across the street and returned home. Watched some more Foyle's War this morning, so then I watched The Big Sleep that my Darling had sent, and then organized myself for today's flight to Norman. Right now I'm waiting for my slightly delayed plane. My landlady was very nice and drove me here.
Jw
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Fish Out of Water
Last night after my evening talk with Michael, I drove to Denny's for a late night dinner of a BLT and a cup of decaff. I was hungry, and on my way to Coronado, so I thought something in my tummy would be good.
Then about 11pm, I headed for the freeway and "the crowned one" across the bay. It was supposed to be the peak time of the local grunion run. Wasn't much impressed at first, only seeing a few flipping around on the beach. But as I walked a little further along the water's edge, I came across more... and finally, a stretch 20 paces long that was packed with the silvery little bodies. There were hundreds of them! It was pretty dark out, especially since it was the new moon, but I had a little LED flashlight that did the trick.
Suddenly I came across one little fish (they're about 5-7 inches long) buried in a little hole higher than the water-line. Only it's tail stuck out. I considered helping it out, but then I saw bunches of tiny orange eggs in the bottom of the hole and the fish was resting on top of them. That one I left alone. And then I noticed some eggs, not much bigger than the sand itself, spread out on top nearby. Walked a little further, and looked up towards the shore and saw isolated little fishes gasping for air, far from the water. So I picked them up (some wriggling strongly and others weakly) and set them back in the wet part where they could flip and swim their way back into the ocean. But there were a few that were already stiff... :( I had a lot of fun saving the half-dozen or so. :)
There are some good pics online of what it looked like.
It was 12:20 this morning when I got back to my car and returned home. I had a good two-hour nap this afternoon after work to make up for it. Felt oh, so good.
Jw
Then about 11pm, I headed for the freeway and "the crowned one" across the bay. It was supposed to be the peak time of the local grunion run. Wasn't much impressed at first, only seeing a few flipping around on the beach. But as I walked a little further along the water's edge, I came across more... and finally, a stretch 20 paces long that was packed with the silvery little bodies. There were hundreds of them! It was pretty dark out, especially since it was the new moon, but I had a little LED flashlight that did the trick.
Suddenly I came across one little fish (they're about 5-7 inches long) buried in a little hole higher than the water-line. Only it's tail stuck out. I considered helping it out, but then I saw bunches of tiny orange eggs in the bottom of the hole and the fish was resting on top of them. That one I left alone. And then I noticed some eggs, not much bigger than the sand itself, spread out on top nearby. Walked a little further, and looked up towards the shore and saw isolated little fishes gasping for air, far from the water. So I picked them up (some wriggling strongly and others weakly) and set them back in the wet part where they could flip and swim their way back into the ocean. But there were a few that were already stiff... :( I had a lot of fun saving the half-dozen or so. :)
There are some good pics online of what it looked like.
It was 12:20 this morning when I got back to my car and returned home. I had a good two-hour nap this afternoon after work to make up for it. Felt oh, so good.
Jw
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A Couple Days
Monday after graduating, I came home and spent a good long time watching films... with a ham & Swiss souffle that I bought at Panera for "breakfast"... I finished up The Sand Pebbles (boy, they condensed the story and changed a few important dynamics - but they did a pretty good job... and got the general idea across), then watched another Newsreel History of the Third Reich... (volume 10 - including lots of Eastern Front in the snow, scenes from the Crimea, a dramatic short on a Nazi sub sinking an American tanker, Hitler paying respects to the wounded, German people donating warm clothing and skis for the Russian Front, and the British bombing of Paris). Later on, I also watched the season 4 episode of Foyle's War where Sgt. Milner looks guilty of killing his wife.
Today I didn't get off until around 3pm... what? a full day?! :) I got a chicken bowl at Chipotle to go, and checked for orders again when I got home. Another classmate got orders to San Diego this afternoon. Maybe it'll be sooner than I think... :)
Had to go to the bank to deposit a check, then went on to the library to return Sand Pebbles and ended up staying for a couple hours to take care of all the music CDs. You wouldn't believe how people rifle through the collection. Pam always tells me not to bother putting them all in order, but I like to do in once in a while... I find so many errors.
Jw
Today I didn't get off until around 3pm... what? a full day?! :) I got a chicken bowl at Chipotle to go, and checked for orders again when I got home. Another classmate got orders to San Diego this afternoon. Maybe it'll be sooner than I think... :)
Had to go to the bank to deposit a check, then went on to the library to return Sand Pebbles and ended up staying for a couple hours to take care of all the music CDs. You wouldn't believe how people rifle through the collection. Pam always tells me not to bother putting them all in order, but I like to do in once in a while... I find so many errors.
Jw
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday!
What a day! Church was very good; great to see everyone again. Since some family were in town, there wasn't any small group yet again... but someday we'll meet up, I'm sure. :)
Just before we were dismissed, Aku's mom announced she had a couple free tickets to the symphony! Aku (from small group) is a member of a youth symphony in the region, and they were joining with members of the symphony for a "Best and Brightest" concert that afternoon. So I was more than glad to take her up on the offer.
After a breakfast at Ricky's (Spanish omelet!) and a stop at home to change into something nice, I met them back at church at 1 to ride with them to the concert. It was an hour-and-a-half program, including Fanfare for the Common Man by Copland, two piano concertos (Mozart, Saint-Saens), the first performed by an eighth-grader and the second by a 16-year old, both winners of some sort of competition. Gosh, they were good! Playing along with the symphony from memory! Then a huge orchestra involving three local youth symphonies and the San Diego Symphony, performed Brahms's Symphony No. 1 in C minor, and then an encore piece (which was planned). What fun to listen to!
I got back home around 5ish, decided to clean up my room, doing the laundry and my sheets, and washing my dishes. A shower felt really good, since it was a warm day. Once I got everything into the dryer, I took off to have a special fun dinner at Red Lobster... and on the way I saw the solar eclipse shining between the banks of silvery clouds! Wow, was that cool! I had the image of a crescent-shaped sun in my eyes for a few moments, but it was worth it!
Jw
Just before we were dismissed, Aku's mom announced she had a couple free tickets to the symphony! Aku (from small group) is a member of a youth symphony in the region, and they were joining with members of the symphony for a "Best and Brightest" concert that afternoon. So I was more than glad to take her up on the offer.
After a breakfast at Ricky's (Spanish omelet!) and a stop at home to change into something nice, I met them back at church at 1 to ride with them to the concert. It was an hour-and-a-half program, including Fanfare for the Common Man by Copland, two piano concertos (Mozart, Saint-Saens), the first performed by an eighth-grader and the second by a 16-year old, both winners of some sort of competition. Gosh, they were good! Playing along with the symphony from memory! Then a huge orchestra involving three local youth symphonies and the San Diego Symphony, performed Brahms's Symphony No. 1 in C minor, and then an encore piece (which was planned). What fun to listen to!
I got back home around 5ish, decided to clean up my room, doing the laundry and my sheets, and washing my dishes. A shower felt really good, since it was a warm day. Once I got everything into the dryer, I took off to have a special fun dinner at Red Lobster... and on the way I saw the solar eclipse shining between the banks of silvery clouds! Wow, was that cool! I had the image of a crescent-shaped sun in my eyes for a few moments, but it was worth it!
Jw
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Made It to the Weekend
Wednesday I only had a couple hours at home, due to Duty. I had brought dinner home from Jersey Mike's and watched a biography on T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia). I remembered seeing the Peter O'Toole film a long time ago, but documentaries are so much easier to follow and are much more wide-ranging. So I re-learned a bit of Middle Eastern history and enjoyed it very much. Decided to watch it that day because it was due that night. I did a little bit of shelving, and then stopped by the community room just outside to listen to the rest of the Peninsula Singers concert. They were singing American folk songs... I especially loved their slow, soft rendition of Dixie. Very meaningful and sad for me after watching the Civil War series.
Thursday I got home late due to the GMT, but I had time between that and class to go to Panera for a quick lunch. I worked at the library again, but this time just to kill time before heading out to Clairemont for a forty-foot film... Some Like it Hot (1959). Never had seen the film before, so it was a lot of fun. Laughed my head off a few times. Loved how it was filmed in San Diego at the Del Hotel on Coronado. I stuck to my guns and only got a small popcorn since I had a bowl of noodles, chips & guac, and a scoop of ice cream beforehand.
Yesterday, Friday, I slept for a solid 4 hours after coming home from my final test. Watched an episode of Foyle's War, then had a nice dinner at Sammy's Pizza, then drove up to Sunset Cliffs Blvd to watch the ocean for a while. I needed some rest, and since it was cloudy, it wasn't too crowded. On my way back home I finished listening to the final disc of Watership Down, an epic saga about bunnies. Had always been interested in it, but never could keep going in such a long book. Very glad for audio versions!
Today after eating breakfast at home (and fighting another battle with ants in the kitchen) I intended to go to the library for just a minute, to turn in and pick up, but when I got there, they were in the middle of a crisis... lol. One of the clerks asked me if I wanted anything from the coffee shop across the street, I was helping her so much. Worked for a long time on the holds, then on a couple of carts that needed sorting, then I re-shelved a cartload of audio downstairs and put the disheveled movies back together again. The general public can sometimes behave like a tornado... at least in the media room. Turned out I stayed for 4 hours! I chuckled to myself that although I had wanted to go straight to the zoo, I ended up working in one!
I decided to go to the zoo afterwords anyway. It was about 2:30ish that I got there, and I stayed till 5. Saw lots of baby ducks, had a chili dog, saw a very active grizzly bear and a feeding panda (and a romping panda), then continued on to see the lions, capybara, tapir, lamas and elephants. I saw a gorilla from the gondola... :) my feet were so tired there was no way I was going to walk all the way back. Good thing the $45 entrance fee was free for me... I bought a panda t-shirt, a model okapi, and a very cute, cuddle-able red panda stuffed animal.
On the plate tonight: mac'n cheese and asparagus at home! And chat too! I think I'll give my friend Julie a call too!
Jw
Thursday I got home late due to the GMT, but I had time between that and class to go to Panera for a quick lunch. I worked at the library again, but this time just to kill time before heading out to Clairemont for a forty-foot film... Some Like it Hot (1959). Never had seen the film before, so it was a lot of fun. Laughed my head off a few times. Loved how it was filmed in San Diego at the Del Hotel on Coronado. I stuck to my guns and only got a small popcorn since I had a bowl of noodles, chips & guac, and a scoop of ice cream beforehand.
Yesterday, Friday, I slept for a solid 4 hours after coming home from my final test. Watched an episode of Foyle's War, then had a nice dinner at Sammy's Pizza, then drove up to Sunset Cliffs Blvd to watch the ocean for a while. I needed some rest, and since it was cloudy, it wasn't too crowded. On my way back home I finished listening to the final disc of Watership Down, an epic saga about bunnies. Had always been interested in it, but never could keep going in such a long book. Very glad for audio versions!
Today after eating breakfast at home (and fighting another battle with ants in the kitchen) I intended to go to the library for just a minute, to turn in and pick up, but when I got there, they were in the middle of a crisis... lol. One of the clerks asked me if I wanted anything from the coffee shop across the street, I was helping her so much. Worked for a long time on the holds, then on a couple of carts that needed sorting, then I re-shelved a cartload of audio downstairs and put the disheveled movies back together again. The general public can sometimes behave like a tornado... at least in the media room. Turned out I stayed for 4 hours! I chuckled to myself that although I had wanted to go straight to the zoo, I ended up working in one!
I decided to go to the zoo afterwords anyway. It was about 2:30ish that I got there, and I stayed till 5. Saw lots of baby ducks, had a chili dog, saw a very active grizzly bear and a feeding panda (and a romping panda), then continued on to see the lions, capybara, tapir, lamas and elephants. I saw a gorilla from the gondola... :) my feet were so tired there was no way I was going to walk all the way back. Good thing the $45 entrance fee was free for me... I bought a panda t-shirt, a model okapi, and a very cute, cuddle-able red panda stuffed animal.
On the plate tonight: mac'n cheese and asparagus at home! And chat too! I think I'll give my friend Julie a call too!
Jw
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Back To Normal... sort of
Monday back from school, I watched In Harm's Way (1965) from the library. I had remembered it being long and boring when watching parts of it on TV as a kid. It wasn't boring any more, but it sure was long! Sort of neat to see a WWII film about a novel... makes it much easier to suspend disbelief. :)
Got some errands done: gas in the car, mailed something to my Darling, and got a few groceries at Trader Joe's. And that's where I got my lunch: ate half of the lobster & avocado sushi rolls along with a breadstick, a carrot and a glass of milk. I soon forgot about dinner... fell asleep with a headache around 6 pm and didn't wake up until Michael called at 11:30pm. I was still in my jeans on top of my bed... and as I didn't have dinner, I hadn't brushed the teeth yet either.
One big difference between this week and last, I listened to the entire book of 1 Corinthians both yesterday and today while wasting time playing minesweeper. So I really wasn't wasting it!
After finishing with that today, I went to the library to drop off my recent DVDs and help out with whatever I could. Got there 45 minutes before they opened! Thankfully, I know where to go in the back door (for employees)... and was soon shelving two full cartloads of audiobooks. Only took me an hour, and then I was off to lunch. Decided to visit Ricky's again... sat at the opposite booth that Mike & I sat at, had decaff and the shrimp/avocado/jack omelet that I had considered that previous time. Boy, was it good! I sat a long time and finished the first part of the current navy book I'm reading: The Victory at Sea.
On the way home, I decided to go up that mysterious back road near the Mission Museum on the corner near Old Town. I thought it would wrap around all the way to the museum, but in abruptly ended at the top of the hill. But there were lots of neat walking trails that led into the little valley and then back up the other side to the museum. Spent over an hour wandering around, taking pictures with my phone.
Today I also buckled down on those Navy articles I'm supposed to write. The one guy finally got back to me with the simplest bit of information. Spent a good hour or more working on both at the same time.
Also got a notion to sweep the floors... gosh, I've been a bundle of energy today. When I got to the kitchen, though, I encountered dozens of tiny ants, coming in under the door and parading towards little bits of fallen food. I squished them one by one, until finally there were no more.
I feel much more relaxed since camp about my faith. I've prayed more, and thought of the Lord more during the day. Thank him for his grace, and the freedom it brings!
Jw
Got some errands done: gas in the car, mailed something to my Darling, and got a few groceries at Trader Joe's. And that's where I got my lunch: ate half of the lobster & avocado sushi rolls along with a breadstick, a carrot and a glass of milk. I soon forgot about dinner... fell asleep with a headache around 6 pm and didn't wake up until Michael called at 11:30pm. I was still in my jeans on top of my bed... and as I didn't have dinner, I hadn't brushed the teeth yet either.
One big difference between this week and last, I listened to the entire book of 1 Corinthians both yesterday and today while wasting time playing minesweeper. So I really wasn't wasting it!
After finishing with that today, I went to the library to drop off my recent DVDs and help out with whatever I could. Got there 45 minutes before they opened! Thankfully, I know where to go in the back door (for employees)... and was soon shelving two full cartloads of audiobooks. Only took me an hour, and then I was off to lunch. Decided to visit Ricky's again... sat at the opposite booth that Mike & I sat at, had decaff and the shrimp/avocado/jack omelet that I had considered that previous time. Boy, was it good! I sat a long time and finished the first part of the current navy book I'm reading: The Victory at Sea.
On the way home, I decided to go up that mysterious back road near the Mission Museum on the corner near Old Town. I thought it would wrap around all the way to the museum, but in abruptly ended at the top of the hill. But there were lots of neat walking trails that led into the little valley and then back up the other side to the museum. Spent over an hour wandering around, taking pictures with my phone.
Today I also buckled down on those Navy articles I'm supposed to write. The one guy finally got back to me with the simplest bit of information. Spent a good hour or more working on both at the same time.
Also got a notion to sweep the floors... gosh, I've been a bundle of energy today. When I got to the kitchen, though, I encountered dozens of tiny ants, coming in under the door and parading towards little bits of fallen food. I squished them one by one, until finally there were no more.
I feel much more relaxed since camp about my faith. I've prayed more, and thought of the Lord more during the day. Thank him for his grace, and the freedom it brings!
Jw
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Bible Camp Weekend
Friday afternoon, I was one of the first to arrive. Got there a quarter to four, when check-in was supposed to start. Found my way to the fellowship hall that our church group was based at for the whole weekend, and got my room key (an actual key!) from Scott, who organized the trip. I also paid up for paintball the next day and put on my wristband that would admit me to all the meals in the dining hall. Charles, a close friend of Scott, drove over to direct me to my room (on the far side of camp). I followed him in my car and parked just outside my door. We chatted for a little while... "Chuckie" (as he called himself) was a former Marine, so we talked about our various experiences.
The evening session didn't start until 7, so I had plenty of time to myself while people trickled in and got situated. Ended up finding a bench swing between some of the lodges, and there I went through my memory verses and read 1 Peter in its entirety. A fitting, relaxing way to begin. The theme of weekend was "Jesus is Enough", a set of sermons Andy (the youth pastor, and young adult small group leader, and my friend) put together based on his study of the books The Naked Gospel and God Without Religion by Andrew Farley.
The first session addressed the misconceptions about forgiveness common in the church: once we're saved, we're completely forgiven - Jesus is enough for our forgiveness. He thoroughly explained 1 John 1:9 (addressed to non-believers), Matthew 6:15 and the Lord's Prayer ("forgive us our sins as we forgive..." which were given before the new covenant - before Jesus died). Yes, of course we forgive, but because of what Christ did for us (Col. 3:13, Eph. 4:32). He is enough for our forgiveness for all time.
The theme of the entire weekend can be summed up in something like this: Let's not rely on anything from the old covenant; we have a new and better one. Believers have absolute freedom by simply trusting the Spirit of the Lord at work in us. We don't need rules. If we sin, we will feel miserable because that's not what we're made for anymore. So we learn to trust that Spirit (Heb. 5:14), which leads us to make the decisions that will make us more like Christ, and there's nothing that can take us away from Him.
The second session, Saturday after breakfast, focused on our identity: are we living in the flesh or in the Spirit? Believers should find their identity in being a child of God, and nothing else. Everything else is of the flesh. This was important for me, because lately I feel I've been trying to have "good student" be my identity. The picture explains it so well...thanks Andy!
The third session, after dinner, was about How We Live... debunking the idea that we have to follow the Ten Commandments (or any rule) in order to follow Christ. But according to a lot of scripture we went over, you either keep the whole law or trust only in Christ, never a combination. Farley said in his second book (which I started today) that following the law after becoming a Christian is "spiritual adultery" (we're married with Christ - Rom. 7:4, if justified by the law, we're fallen from grace - Gal. 5:4). That is pretty strong language, but I think I'm beginning to wrap my head around it.
The final session this morning after breakfast focused on The Grace Life. God pours out his love into those who trust him; we come to know that love, and when we do, we are filled with his Spirit. And a very important, basic truth that I never paid attention to before: the Golden Rule is under the old covenant! John 13:34 gives us the new: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." It is so simple, but subtle too... everything we do as Christians is based on Christ. Otherwise it is faulty. Christ is the standard; Christ is who we rely on. That is the gospel.
~
As for the rest of camp, I loved that too! :) I had a room/bathroom/queen bed to myself. Very comfortable, and I slept like a baby, getting up around 7:30 both mornings for breakfast at 8. Wow, the food was good! Everyone in camp (several church groups) gathered together at the same time in the dining hall for meals. Saturday breakfast was scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, sausage & bacon. I had oatmeal too... with brown sugar, raisins & milk. I managed to finish the last episode of The Civil War between meals and sessions that morning. Lunch was build-your-own sandwiches with lots of good meats and veggies. Decided on iced tea for a cold drink... and that was good because the weather was blistering warm during the day. There were no clouds for miles around; I don't remember the sky being that blue in ages.
The weather affected my breathing ability during paintball. I played with a bunch of the guys right after lunch. There is a little washed-out gully on the far side of the camp, with lots of barrels, bushes and wooden structures strewn about in it for cover. There were two teams of four... the first game was great! I found a secure spot behind three barrels and spent all my ammo keeping a couple guys pinned down. I got some more ammo from Chuckie outside the fighting area (he mostly just got shot). Upon returning, I figured I'd try and be more daring... bad choice. Got hit in the mask again, hit the deck, and then got smacked on the top of my head (where there is no protection). Boy, did that smart. I can still feel a little lump even now, and I had lots of people feel it at camp... lol... but thankfully, it never hurt beyond that first couple minutes. The second game we switched entry points, and again when I decided to be brave and advance to a new position I got nailed in the mask. Went up top and then came back down again with Mike Anderson (from my team). But again I got smacked in my wrist by Scott. Made a couple little scratches along with a little bump. On my way out, I got hit in the back of the right arm by crossfire... and that left a little bruise. Overall, a new experience, and it was fun. I was the only girl playing. One of the guys running it is trying to join the Navy at the moment, and asked me about the ASVAB. I was wearing an old painted pair of NWU pants.
Right after that, I stopped by to see if Kristin was up for hiking, but she wanted to nap for a while. So I changed and went to the pool for a quick swim (that was about 2:30). It felt so good to be weightless! Haven't swum in such a long time... so nice! Jenny was there watching kids, and she told me to try the water-slide and offered to take pictures of me doing so... with great results.
I heard people talking at the pool about doing the zip-line next. I thought to myself that I'd like to try it too... so after cleaning up and changing into normal clothes I came back and asked if I could get in line as well... and the lady in charge let me... with no extra fee! It was like climbing up a telephone pole (with a harness and cord attached, of course) and then swinging down a cable about the length of a football field. So much fun!!!
It wasn't much longer before dinner (chicken & rice, salad) and our third session. After that had finished, we gathered up on the hill at the fire pit for some s'more roasting. I helped Ned get the chocolate and crackers ready, and helped people when they brought us their burnt marshmallows.
This morning's breakfast was great! Tiny, 4-inch, delicious, thick pancakes... with lots of strawberries on top! I had four! lol! And an egg casserole, another little cup of oatmeal, and then afterwords, some decaff coffee, just how my Darling likes it! :) Got the opportunity to drive a Prius for a moment... somebody needed a complicated favor. It took me a minute to understand what he needed at first, but I was glad to help. I had packed up and checked out of my room before breakfast, so I didn't have anything else to do before the last session. Except after I did it, I was able to call Mom and tell her "Happy Mother's Day". I explored the grounds after the session was over, then read the first part of God Without Religion in my cooled car as I waited the hour until lunch. Lunch was fantastic! Homemade lasagna with mushrooms in it! And delicious bread-sticks, salad and iced tea. It was our final bit of fellowship. Said goodbye, got in the car and took off on a scenic route home.
Instead of going right back to the freeway, I drove 25 miles north to Julian, where I got out, had a piece of their famous apple pie with ice creme at the very same restaurant we stopped by for a bathroom break on the MWR trip last Easter. Was so glad I could finally buy something there! :)
Continued down CA-78 to Ramona, CA, where I stopped to check the map on my phone to make sure I took the right road. Across the street was a local produce vendor, so I stopped for a couple fresh avocados and a bundle of asparagus. CA-78 turned into CA-67 at that corner, and it took me into El Cajon and onto I-8 and back home. But not before introducing me to grand views of the nearby mountains. So glad I took this route over the dull interstate.
What a weekend!
Jw
The evening session didn't start until 7, so I had plenty of time to myself while people trickled in and got situated. Ended up finding a bench swing between some of the lodges, and there I went through my memory verses and read 1 Peter in its entirety. A fitting, relaxing way to begin. The theme of weekend was "Jesus is Enough", a set of sermons Andy (the youth pastor, and young adult small group leader, and my friend) put together based on his study of the books The Naked Gospel and God Without Religion by Andrew Farley.
The first session addressed the misconceptions about forgiveness common in the church: once we're saved, we're completely forgiven - Jesus is enough for our forgiveness. He thoroughly explained 1 John 1:9 (addressed to non-believers), Matthew 6:15 and the Lord's Prayer ("forgive us our sins as we forgive..." which were given before the new covenant - before Jesus died). Yes, of course we forgive, but because of what Christ did for us (Col. 3:13, Eph. 4:32). He is enough for our forgiveness for all time.
The theme of the entire weekend can be summed up in something like this: Let's not rely on anything from the old covenant; we have a new and better one. Believers have absolute freedom by simply trusting the Spirit of the Lord at work in us. We don't need rules. If we sin, we will feel miserable because that's not what we're made for anymore. So we learn to trust that Spirit (Heb. 5:14), which leads us to make the decisions that will make us more like Christ, and there's nothing that can take us away from Him.
The third session, after dinner, was about How We Live... debunking the idea that we have to follow the Ten Commandments (or any rule) in order to follow Christ. But according to a lot of scripture we went over, you either keep the whole law or trust only in Christ, never a combination. Farley said in his second book (which I started today) that following the law after becoming a Christian is "spiritual adultery" (we're married with Christ - Rom. 7:4, if justified by the law, we're fallen from grace - Gal. 5:4). That is pretty strong language, but I think I'm beginning to wrap my head around it.
The final session this morning after breakfast focused on The Grace Life. God pours out his love into those who trust him; we come to know that love, and when we do, we are filled with his Spirit. And a very important, basic truth that I never paid attention to before: the Golden Rule is under the old covenant! John 13:34 gives us the new: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." It is so simple, but subtle too... everything we do as Christians is based on Christ. Otherwise it is faulty. Christ is the standard; Christ is who we rely on. That is the gospel.
~
As for the rest of camp, I loved that too! :) I had a room/bathroom/queen bed to myself. Very comfortable, and I slept like a baby, getting up around 7:30 both mornings for breakfast at 8. Wow, the food was good! Everyone in camp (several church groups) gathered together at the same time in the dining hall for meals. Saturday breakfast was scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, sausage & bacon. I had oatmeal too... with brown sugar, raisins & milk. I managed to finish the last episode of The Civil War between meals and sessions that morning. Lunch was build-your-own sandwiches with lots of good meats and veggies. Decided on iced tea for a cold drink... and that was good because the weather was blistering warm during the day. There were no clouds for miles around; I don't remember the sky being that blue in ages.
The weather affected my breathing ability during paintball. I played with a bunch of the guys right after lunch. There is a little washed-out gully on the far side of the camp, with lots of barrels, bushes and wooden structures strewn about in it for cover. There were two teams of four... the first game was great! I found a secure spot behind three barrels and spent all my ammo keeping a couple guys pinned down. I got some more ammo from Chuckie outside the fighting area (he mostly just got shot). Upon returning, I figured I'd try and be more daring... bad choice. Got hit in the mask again, hit the deck, and then got smacked on the top of my head (where there is no protection). Boy, did that smart. I can still feel a little lump even now, and I had lots of people feel it at camp... lol... but thankfully, it never hurt beyond that first couple minutes. The second game we switched entry points, and again when I decided to be brave and advance to a new position I got nailed in the mask. Went up top and then came back down again with Mike Anderson (from my team). But again I got smacked in my wrist by Scott. Made a couple little scratches along with a little bump. On my way out, I got hit in the back of the right arm by crossfire... and that left a little bruise. Overall, a new experience, and it was fun. I was the only girl playing. One of the guys running it is trying to join the Navy at the moment, and asked me about the ASVAB. I was wearing an old painted pair of NWU pants.
Right after that, I stopped by to see if Kristin was up for hiking, but she wanted to nap for a while. So I changed and went to the pool for a quick swim (that was about 2:30). It felt so good to be weightless! Haven't swum in such a long time... so nice! Jenny was there watching kids, and she told me to try the water-slide and offered to take pictures of me doing so... with great results.
I heard people talking at the pool about doing the zip-line next. I thought to myself that I'd like to try it too... so after cleaning up and changing into normal clothes I came back and asked if I could get in line as well... and the lady in charge let me... with no extra fee! It was like climbing up a telephone pole (with a harness and cord attached, of course) and then swinging down a cable about the length of a football field. So much fun!!!
It wasn't much longer before dinner (chicken & rice, salad) and our third session. After that had finished, we gathered up on the hill at the fire pit for some s'more roasting. I helped Ned get the chocolate and crackers ready, and helped people when they brought us their burnt marshmallows.
This morning's breakfast was great! Tiny, 4-inch, delicious, thick pancakes... with lots of strawberries on top! I had four! lol! And an egg casserole, another little cup of oatmeal, and then afterwords, some decaff coffee, just how my Darling likes it! :) Got the opportunity to drive a Prius for a moment... somebody needed a complicated favor. It took me a minute to understand what he needed at first, but I was glad to help. I had packed up and checked out of my room before breakfast, so I didn't have anything else to do before the last session. Except after I did it, I was able to call Mom and tell her "Happy Mother's Day". I explored the grounds after the session was over, then read the first part of God Without Religion in my cooled car as I waited the hour until lunch. Lunch was fantastic! Homemade lasagna with mushrooms in it! And delicious bread-sticks, salad and iced tea. It was our final bit of fellowship. Said goodbye, got in the car and took off on a scenic route home.
Instead of going right back to the freeway, I drove 25 miles north to Julian, where I got out, had a piece of their famous apple pie with ice creme at the very same restaurant we stopped by for a bathroom break on the MWR trip last Easter. Was so glad I could finally buy something there! :)
Continued down CA-78 to Ramona, CA, where I stopped to check the map on my phone to make sure I took the right road. Across the street was a local produce vendor, so I stopped for a couple fresh avocados and a bundle of asparagus. CA-78 turned into CA-67 at that corner, and it took me into El Cajon and onto I-8 and back home. But not before introducing me to grand views of the nearby mountains. So glad I took this route over the dull interstate.
What a weekend!
Jw
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, in Total
Had a little bit of breakfast for lunch yesterday, right after getting home from school. After a while I watched the first episode of 1865, including the end of the battles in Atlanta and Petersburg, ending with the Second Inauguration and Appomattox. I guess the last episode is going to be about the assassination and will wrap up the whole thing. [Probably will watch that right after I post this, then get on my way to Church Camp for the weekend.] What an enthralling miniseries it has been... very well done.
It was high time for a run, so I drove to Ocean Beach (it was too late for Cabrillo) and started east from the Dog Beach up the San Diego River Park for a mile and a half. Ended up being a 5K (~ 3 miles): ran a half, walked a half, ran a quarter, walked a quarter, ran a half, walked the final mile with little bursts of running. Walked out onto the breaker at the water's edge, then ran along the beach, and walked too, all the way to downtown OB. Got a Hodad's burger & fries to go, and walked all the way back to my car. Whew! A good workout indeed! Stopped at Stump's Market on Voltaire St. on the way back to replenish my milk, eggs & juice. Practically inhaled the food once I sat down with it in my room, and watched the next episode of Foyle's War.
Today I've done all my laundry, getting the first load going before going out for a quick shopping trip to Target for some essentials, and then to Chipotle for a take-home chicken bowl. I'm just about set to leave now... I think I'll have to finish 1865 on the trip.
Jw
It was high time for a run, so I drove to Ocean Beach (it was too late for Cabrillo) and started east from the Dog Beach up the San Diego River Park for a mile and a half. Ended up being a 5K (~ 3 miles): ran a half, walked a half, ran a quarter, walked a quarter, ran a half, walked the final mile with little bursts of running. Walked out onto the breaker at the water's edge, then ran along the beach, and walked too, all the way to downtown OB. Got a Hodad's burger & fries to go, and walked all the way back to my car. Whew! A good workout indeed! Stopped at Stump's Market on Voltaire St. on the way back to replenish my milk, eggs & juice. Practically inhaled the food once I sat down with it in my room, and watched the next episode of Foyle's War.
Today I've done all my laundry, getting the first load going before going out for a quick shopping trip to Target for some essentials, and then to Chipotle for a take-home chicken bowl. I'm just about set to leave now... I think I'll have to finish 1865 on the trip.
Jw
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tues & Wed
Suddenly after class, everything was the same as ever. My Darling was on his way home (and indeed, soon after I got home he called me from Oklahoma), and I was doing the same old, same old. Filled up the tank, got another pair of coveralls at the NEX... (getting all prepared for assignment to a ship).
Managed to eat lots of leftovers all day... Perry's frittatas for breakfast, the OSF chicken, broccoli & bread for lunch, and half of the Red Lobster shrimp & pasta for dinner (the other half I ate up Wednesday for lunch).
Watched the final half of 1864 and an episode of Poirot before going back to base for the afternoon duty section muster. Immediately after that, I ran a few minutes on the treadmill, then realized I would enjoy a run much more up at Cabrillo Monument... so I did. Returned to base to clean up and then clean out my locker (the gym closes Thursday).
Wednesday I went to the library to pick up the 1999 A&E version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (while looking online last week, I ordered it because I found that the kid who played Peter in the BBC Narnia series was in it as an adult - that and I wanted to see it again) and to re-shelve whatever needed it. Spent an hour and a half, then went directly to Tio Carlos for dinner. They had a new menu! And I was able to finally sit in the elevated outdoor seating. The chicken breasts were very good, along with the avocado, rice & beans. Mmm. Back at home I watched the Pimpernel before I called my Darling. I loved talking about our trip. It was nearly two hours before Mike had to go... I had lost track of time. :)
Jw
Managed to eat lots of leftovers all day... Perry's frittatas for breakfast, the OSF chicken, broccoli & bread for lunch, and half of the Red Lobster shrimp & pasta for dinner (the other half I ate up Wednesday for lunch).
Watched the final half of 1864 and an episode of Poirot before going back to base for the afternoon duty section muster. Immediately after that, I ran a few minutes on the treadmill, then realized I would enjoy a run much more up at Cabrillo Monument... so I did. Returned to base to clean up and then clean out my locker (the gym closes Thursday).
Wednesday I went to the library to pick up the 1999 A&E version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (while looking online last week, I ordered it because I found that the kid who played Peter in the BBC Narnia series was in it as an adult - that and I wanted to see it again) and to re-shelve whatever needed it. Spent an hour and a half, then went directly to Tio Carlos for dinner. They had a new menu! And I was able to finally sit in the elevated outdoor seating. The chicken breasts were very good, along with the avocado, rice & beans. Mmm. Back at home I watched the Pimpernel before I called my Darling. I loved talking about our trip. It was nearly two hours before Mike had to go... I had lost track of time. :)
Jw
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Four Days with My Darling
Friday, the 4th: 10:00am... I was let out of class before the little bit of cleanup started, and by 10:30 I was changed and picking up Michael at the airport. We immediately went to Perry's Breakfast House on Pacific Hwy, as neither of us had eaten yet. It was as busy as ever, but we were quickly given a table. I ordered decaff along with my Darling, as I have developed quite a taste for it (with creamer and sweetener). It was too early to check into our hotel in Mission Valley, so we went home for a good nap before we did much of anything. I sent off what I had written so far on my assigned Navy article, then we decided to go to the Cabrillo National Monument for a walk along the coastline. The weather was perfect... bright sunshine, cool breeze coming off the Pacific. We looked in the tide pools, skipped stones, and got our hands wet. Liberty Station was on our list because I wanted to add Michael to my bank accounts, but it had closed by then. On a whim, I thought it would be neat to take a walk along the waterfront, so we spent a good bit of time enjoying the weather and the romping dogs. On a park bench we narrowed our dinner choice down to Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, just on the other side of Liberty Station. Mike had a thin crust Hawaiian pizza, and I, chicken breast over asparagus. Now able to check into the hotel, we napped, Mike posted his songs, and we had a very nice evening together.
Saturday, the 5th: "Family Restaurant", just up the street from the Howard Johnson we were staying at (on Hotel Circle South), is a breakfast diner that we tried out for the first time. I loved their corned beef hash... and we shared a ginormous California Waffle that had lots of strawberries and whipped cream on top. Just around the corner, towards Old Town and up the hill is the Junipero Serra Museum, built in the style of the original Franciscan mission and Spanish fort that occupied the same site hundreds of years ago. This we visited next, walking through the main room and up the tower for a wonderful panorama of the area, overlooking the river, Mission Valley and Mission Bay. And they had dozens of old-time pictures and lots of memorabilia from the 20's, when the museum was built. After a brief stop at home and at Walgreen's and at the library (for Mike to meet my friends there), we went to the Padre's game that afternoon. We had some Friar's Franks, lemonades and peanuts. They lost, 4-1, but we were able to see a home run and a few great plays. The Old Spaghetti Factory, being two blocks away from the stadium, was the perfect choice for dinner. And we were treated to a large full moon outside the hotel... the same type that graced the sky when Mike first visited me here in March 2011.
Sunday, the 6th: I was finally able to introduce Mike to my friends at Mission Village Christian Fellowship. It was a lovely service... Andy led some outstanding worship, and Pastor Carl spoke about keeping up with knowing the Lord through quiet times. Afterwords we returned to Perry's for breakfast (and a blueberry waffle this time), went home to pick up my dress for the afternoon wedding of Josh & Jacquie (from small group), and had a nap at the hotel before going to it. There was a break between the ceremony and the reception, so I drove Mike and I a little further down the road to see Mission Trails Park, where I had been hiking a couple times. We even got out to see the Old Mission Dam (still in our dressy clothes). The reception was at the Admiral Baker Clubhouse, and they had lots of nice things to eat. If that wasn't enough mingling with church friends, Aku (also from small group) had a college graduation open house that evening. We stopped in for a few minutes, but the both of us were very tired. [Here's the story on the Admiral it was named for.]
Monday, the 7th: A wonderful day with a slow start (I had school for a few hours in the morning). We had breakfast at Ricky's, another diner near the hotels, serving breakfast all day. I tried out a BLT with an egg... mmm! Then we stopped by the base to print out Mike's airline ticket, stopped at the bank to finally add him to my accounts, then went to Sea World as planned. They let us both in for free because we both had military IDs. With only 3 hours remaining to enjoy it, we maximized our time wonderfully. Saw five species of penguins in the Penguin Encounter: a huge room with hundreds of penguins jumping in and out of the water, saw the polar bears, beluga whales getting fed, and a mammoth walrus chewing on sardines right up against the glass. Stopped by Turtle Reef, then fed very vocal sea lions a few sardines at Pacific Point. Very glad we were in time for the final Shamu Show of the day. Loved how the big orcas jumped so high! And we were two rows above the highest splash. :) For the final half-hour we looked in on the otters (they were in the middle of a fight when we arrived) and the dolphins, then rode the Sky-Tower for another wonderful panorama of the area and bought a photo. When exiting, Mike spotted a mama duck with seven tiny babies in the pool under the tower, so we stopped and watched them until it was time to leave. For dinner, we went directly to Red Lobster, just across the river on Sports Arena Blvd. It's practically our tradition to eat there the last night. Back at the hotel we looked through a library book of historical photos of Oklahoma City, that Mike brought to show me. Then I showed him an episode of Foyle's War, and he enjoyed it as much as I do.
This morning we had to say good-bye. I drove him to the airport with ample time for me to go back to the hotel and change into my uniform before class. I already miss him, but oh, what a wonderful time we had!
Jw
Saturday, the 5th: "Family Restaurant", just up the street from the Howard Johnson we were staying at (on Hotel Circle South), is a breakfast diner that we tried out for the first time. I loved their corned beef hash... and we shared a ginormous California Waffle that had lots of strawberries and whipped cream on top. Just around the corner, towards Old Town and up the hill is the Junipero Serra Museum, built in the style of the original Franciscan mission and Spanish fort that occupied the same site hundreds of years ago. This we visited next, walking through the main room and up the tower for a wonderful panorama of the area, overlooking the river, Mission Valley and Mission Bay. And they had dozens of old-time pictures and lots of memorabilia from the 20's, when the museum was built. After a brief stop at home and at Walgreen's and at the library (for Mike to meet my friends there), we went to the Padre's game that afternoon. We had some Friar's Franks, lemonades and peanuts. They lost, 4-1, but we were able to see a home run and a few great plays. The Old Spaghetti Factory, being two blocks away from the stadium, was the perfect choice for dinner. And we were treated to a large full moon outside the hotel... the same type that graced the sky when Mike first visited me here in March 2011.
Sunday, the 6th: I was finally able to introduce Mike to my friends at Mission Village Christian Fellowship. It was a lovely service... Andy led some outstanding worship, and Pastor Carl spoke about keeping up with knowing the Lord through quiet times. Afterwords we returned to Perry's for breakfast (and a blueberry waffle this time), went home to pick up my dress for the afternoon wedding of Josh & Jacquie (from small group), and had a nap at the hotel before going to it. There was a break between the ceremony and the reception, so I drove Mike and I a little further down the road to see Mission Trails Park, where I had been hiking a couple times. We even got out to see the Old Mission Dam (still in our dressy clothes). The reception was at the Admiral Baker Clubhouse, and they had lots of nice things to eat. If that wasn't enough mingling with church friends, Aku (also from small group) had a college graduation open house that evening. We stopped in for a few minutes, but the both of us were very tired. [Here's the story on the Admiral it was named for.]
Monday, the 7th: A wonderful day with a slow start (I had school for a few hours in the morning). We had breakfast at Ricky's, another diner near the hotels, serving breakfast all day. I tried out a BLT with an egg... mmm! Then we stopped by the base to print out Mike's airline ticket, stopped at the bank to finally add him to my accounts, then went to Sea World as planned. They let us both in for free because we both had military IDs. With only 3 hours remaining to enjoy it, we maximized our time wonderfully. Saw five species of penguins in the Penguin Encounter: a huge room with hundreds of penguins jumping in and out of the water, saw the polar bears, beluga whales getting fed, and a mammoth walrus chewing on sardines right up against the glass. Stopped by Turtle Reef, then fed very vocal sea lions a few sardines at Pacific Point. Very glad we were in time for the final Shamu Show of the day. Loved how the big orcas jumped so high! And we were two rows above the highest splash. :) For the final half-hour we looked in on the otters (they were in the middle of a fight when we arrived) and the dolphins, then rode the Sky-Tower for another wonderful panorama of the area and bought a photo. When exiting, Mike spotted a mama duck with seven tiny babies in the pool under the tower, so we stopped and watched them until it was time to leave. For dinner, we went directly to Red Lobster, just across the river on Sports Arena Blvd. It's practically our tradition to eat there the last night. Back at the hotel we looked through a library book of historical photos of Oklahoma City, that Mike brought to show me. Then I showed him an episode of Foyle's War, and he enjoyed it as much as I do.
This morning we had to say good-bye. I drove him to the airport with ample time for me to go back to the hotel and change into my uniform before class. I already miss him, but oh, what a wonderful time we had!
Jw
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Getting Ready
Wednesday after posting, I watched the first of 1864 and then went out for an early dinner at Pizza Nova, down near the base on Harbor Drive. I had a lovely supreme 10", then realized that I really should watch my portion sizes much better than that. Back at home I started shining my new boots and listened to the entire 8-part radio series of Dorthy Sayers's "Clouds of Witnesses" from Linda. Thanks Linda!!! It was great fun!
Thursday after class, I had a Chipotle bowl for lunch while I watched an episode of Poirot from the library, then I somehow got into looking up old computer games online. I found the wiki article about Prince of Persia (which we played to no end in the early '90s), and then a free demo of Swamp Gas... and I played Nerdoids for way too long. ;) Unfortunately, they've stopped selling the full version due to operating costs, so I can't play the state capitals or either of the two other arcade games. :(
After wasting all that time I remembered I needed to do my laundry before the day was done, so I started the first load. I started a frenzy of activity, going for a run at liberty station (I ran the first quarter mile in 2 minutes flat!) and finishing up with some sit-ups and push-ups. Cleaned up at the gym on base, and decided it would be a good time to pack up my bicycle (outside the door) and my helmet and pump from my locker as the gym is closing next week for renovation.
Back at home I suddenly had the urge to go through the mess of accumulated papers all over my room and throw out some and organize. When I was done I had gone down many memory lanes of the last year, threw out a stack of useless stuff, organized to my heart's content, and found that it was 9:40pm! I had forgotten about my laundry and dinner. lol! So I called my Darling for a good long talk before he comes tomorrow morning, and then finished up my laundry. Whew!
Jw
Thursday after class, I had a Chipotle bowl for lunch while I watched an episode of Poirot from the library, then I somehow got into looking up old computer games online. I found the wiki article about Prince of Persia (which we played to no end in the early '90s), and then a free demo of Swamp Gas... and I played Nerdoids for way too long. ;) Unfortunately, they've stopped selling the full version due to operating costs, so I can't play the state capitals or either of the two other arcade games. :(
After wasting all that time I remembered I needed to do my laundry before the day was done, so I started the first load. I started a frenzy of activity, going for a run at liberty station (I ran the first quarter mile in 2 minutes flat!) and finishing up with some sit-ups and push-ups. Cleaned up at the gym on base, and decided it would be a good time to pack up my bicycle (outside the door) and my helmet and pump from my locker as the gym is closing next week for renovation.
Back at home I suddenly had the urge to go through the mess of accumulated papers all over my room and throw out some and organize. When I was done I had gone down many memory lanes of the last year, threw out a stack of useless stuff, organized to my heart's content, and found that it was 9:40pm! I had forgotten about my laundry and dinner. lol! So I called my Darling for a good long talk before he comes tomorrow morning, and then finished up my laundry. Whew!
Jw
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday!
This was much more exciting, and fun too! Got out of class really early since it was the last day. First I finished 1863 with the very moving Gettysburg episode of the Civil War, then watched more Foyle. The head librarian at the Point Loma branch library, Christine, had asked me to come in and work on the branches bookmark template to update it with the new hours for next month (they're going to be open on Mondays now too!). It only took me a couple minutes, since I could fix it in Microsoft Paint. Super simple. Also did a couple of carts of shelving to make it worthwhile coming in.
After that, I headed down Rosecrans to Georgia's Greek Cuisine and had a (late) lunch combo special of salad, kabobs and pita bread and a lasagna-type dish with a side of rice. Finished off with baklava, and didn't have to eat for the rest of the day. Called home for a half-hour (they were going to pick up Zac soon afterwords for some well-deserved leave) and then drove off to La Jolla, where the San Diego Symphony was holding a chamber music concert featuring Brahms's Horn Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 40, which I simply adored. There was also an octet for clarinet, bassoon, horn & strings by Francaix (never heard of him) and the very lovely Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667: Trout by Schubert. It was held at the Neurosciences Institute's auditorium. In their quarterly publication Brain Matters, they had articles about research on octopus behavior... which I found very interesting as I waited for the concert to begin.
What a day! Very glad my schedule now turns over to more normal hours. I can sleep an extra two hours in the morning!
Jw
After that, I headed down Rosecrans to Georgia's Greek Cuisine and had a (late) lunch combo special of salad, kabobs and pita bread and a lasagna-type dish with a side of rice. Finished off with baklava, and didn't have to eat for the rest of the day. Called home for a half-hour (they were going to pick up Zac soon afterwords for some well-deserved leave) and then drove off to La Jolla, where the San Diego Symphony was holding a chamber music concert featuring Brahms's Horn Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 40, which I simply adored. There was also an octet for clarinet, bassoon, horn & strings by Francaix (never heard of him) and the very lovely Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667: Trout by Schubert. It was held at the Neurosciences Institute's auditorium. In their quarterly publication Brain Matters, they had articles about research on octopus behavior... which I found very interesting as I waited for the concert to begin.
What a day! Very glad my schedule now turns over to more normal hours. I can sleep an extra two hours in the morning!
Jw
Nothing Doing
Both Sunday and Monday I occupied most of my time by watching episode of The Civil War (1862) and Foyle's War (season 3), along with an interesting film about a couple of young women doing everyday duties in the Israeli Army (Close to Home, 2005). It struck me about how their relationships mirrored my own... deciding when to go with the flow, and when to stand up and do what you're supposed to. Also felt very real. They were supposed to record the movements of all Arabs in their immediate area, and not everyone cooperated. Sometimes it was the girls who slacked off, and other times they ran into troublemakers. It was a neat slice-of-life film about the modern Middle East.
Sunday was sort of strange because we had no small group in the evening... Luke and Christina just had a son Liam born the day before! :) So I think we're taking a break for a couple weeks. Monday night I went out to the Olive Garden again, so I could try the Apricot Chicken dish that someone got at the class party, Saturday. It was oh, so good! I really relaxed, having coffee again with my favorite soup and even marinara sauce for the breadsticks.
Jw
Sunday was sort of strange because we had no small group in the evening... Luke and Christina just had a son Liam born the day before! :) So I think we're taking a break for a couple weeks. Monday night I went out to the Olive Garden again, so I could try the Apricot Chicken dish that someone got at the class party, Saturday. It was oh, so good! I really relaxed, having coffee again with my favorite soup and even marinara sauce for the breadsticks.
Jw
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