Yet Another Week, and a Crazy One

Crazy, because of Monday, mostly. Things were better by Tuesday, and we finished lectures on Wednesday and labs on Thursday. Today, we're going to take the written test.

Have continued to feel a little sick... sore throat, runny nose, and a headache from my tight bun yesterday. Most of the weirdness has been crazy dreams... people I love dying, being late, being chased, etc. Pretty wild.

I did a lot of shopping... stocked up from Target and Trader Joe's... now I can have bagels for breakfast, sweet peas for snacks, a few new entrees to try, and some more fruit! Last night I had Tuna Helper for the first time in ages! It was delicious! Finally used that little packet of tuna my first roommate left behind in our fridge on base! :) And I watched the first couple chapters of "Whales: an unforgettable journey" (1998, IMAX, narrated by Patrick Stewart - that I picked up at Half Price books for $3 while at home in August). Very fun! Learned a bunch about Right Whales; how fascinating!

Also, last night, I went to Point Loma Nazarene University for a concert band performance of one of my friends from the young adult group at Mission Village Fellowship. Aku is their principle percussionist, and I ran into her sister Selassie, and we sat together in the top of the balcony. Not only did they play the same arrangement of Jupiter that I played for my final concert with Mr. B, but they also played the theme from How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with a muted version playing on the screen)... which I'm seeing at the Old Globe this Saturday night! And there were the nicest, plumpest snickerdoodles, oatmeal cookies, cupcakes and hot spiced cider afterwords. :)

Mike and I finished Ecclesiastes on Tuesday... there were a couple times where we read more than one chapter (some of it can be a bit of a downer), but it was so good to go through! We started Song of Songs on Wednesday, and we're reading the parts respectively. Very fun!

And only 3 days of classes next week before I can see my family! Yay!

Jw

Worries

I can't believe that all I've been waiting for is coming down to tomorrow. I'll get on a plane and go... and go, and go, and go. :)

I'm worried that I didn't get enough sleep this week. I never got to bed before midnight... and Wednesday night made me worry a whole lot. We had our monthly meeting, and the Chief says that he's going to cut anyone who weighs more than their beginning weight by mid-month and I'm a couple pounds above that... four as of yesterday. So I haven't been eating very much. And after I got home I did a mile and a half run. He says he'll do it because there are so many people who want jobs in the Navy right now, but can't have them. So he doesn't want to worry about people who are close.

I may love traveling, but I hate packing. I'm worried I'm forgetting something. ...hmm. Anyway, I think I have everything I need, and I think the suitcase is under it's weight limit... hmm. We'll find out. Oh! But I did twenty push-ups tonight (all at once)! That's a first!

I'm super tired already... this isn't good. :)

Lord, please bless my trip, and help me to rest tonight. Help me to enjoy this as much as I can. Help me to lose what weight I need to. Help me to not worry, but to trust you. Thank you for being so good and caring about my smallest care.

Jp

I Feel Like a Lazy Bum

Today I had big plans: spend the morning stringing Christmas lights and then spend the rest of the day at Husky Stadium. And I did none of them.

I spent the morning journaling things that have been pressing on my mind... the sort a person likes to keep to themselves... and then having a leisurely breakfast with my sister and parents. My brother-in-law-to-be soon came over, and then we all went to check out a church for the wedding later next year. They "officially" got engaged yesterday... with kneeling and ring and kissing and all. I took some pictures for the family... especially the family that lives on the East Coast that have never seen him before.

Last night was... wow. Monk ended. Beautifully, too. Trudy's daughter is a 26-year-old single woman who blogs... Now I don't do this professionally, but I really felt a connection with her. :) Especially how she so quickly warmed to Monk. It was like they were really father and daughter, although technically, they weren't. How wonderfully beautiful!

Now it was a beautiful day here today, but I really didn't feel like getting cold (and blinded by the overhead sun) by putting lights outside... and I didn't want to go to the football game and possibly prolong my cold (which is almost gone now), so Mom and I went out to lunch at Panera Bread in Redmond, and then to that new Roland Dahl movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox (which I had never read... yet). They say it was pretty true to the book, and based on the other books I've read by him (The BFG, Charlie & Chocolate Factory, and Danny: Champion of the World), it seemed pretty darn good.

So it was a nice, relaxing day, and I watched the glorious second half of the Husky game on TV, where we just beat the No. 19 team in the nation... get this: 42 TO 10! Wowzers! Last season we were win-less... this season almost half & half. And what a way to finish! So I'm still here at home: warm, sitting down, and feeling like I don't have a cold any more.

Jp

Week's Winding Down

I tried drinking orange juice to help the cold go away, both yesterday morning and today. What's the worst that could happen? I could have more vitamin C? And so it's been getting much better! What do you know. I still have to blow the nose a little, but in general, things are on the mend.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... Mom's been putting stuff up little by little this week. Pictures, garlands, and today, she's getting out the fake tree for the first time. Last year it was on sale after Christmas (like a quarter of the original price) and so this will be our first fake tree ever. And Mike, I got your package yesterday! I tell you, those Post Office people know what they're doing! Thanks very much, too. It looks (and sounds) like a lot of fun listening!

This afternoon I went to the University to print some pictures. It's pretty much the last time I could go in when they're open before the break for the holidays. It's fun to walk the same halls again! Just a little bit familiar... even using the printer settings came back very easily.

Oh, and the final Monk tonight! After eight years... we'll know what happened!

Jp

Just a Few Notes

So far this week, it's been crystal clear and very nippy and cold out.
Not a cloud in the sky... what a change from last week! I can see Jupiter from my room, right now... "here's lookin' at ya." :)
And houses have started to spring Christmas lights here and there. Welcome to December!

On Monday night, Mom & Dad and I watched "The Pride of the Marines" from 1945. It was a bio piece on a guy who was wounded at Guadalcanal... and it was very good! It turns out that his sweetheart (who was very sweet and cute indeed) later stared in The Sound of Music as the Baroness! Couldn't believe it! and she was so nice... :)

It was really weird being back at work... I thought a lot about the Navy; and my recruiter called to catch up that evening. He is pretty much all healed up from his spleen surgery, so that's good to know. We have our monthly group meeting tomorrow night... even though they're rather boring, I'm looking forward to it.

I came down with a little head cold last night, and today has been pretty runny. The cold medicine does help keep the runny down though. Thank goodness for that!

It's abnormally early to bed for me tonight!
Jp

Tired, Mired

Well then, my brother ships back to southern California early tomorrow morning. So much of what went on this weekend rightfully had to do with him. His best friend's family came over on Saturday for dinner, and yesterday, family came over to visit.

Most of my time, besides being at these functions, was spent either cleaning the kitchen (on Saturday) or sitting around, watching MASH. I've been feeling pretty drained for quite a while... this is either from me staying up late-ish (past one) three nights in a row or it's from me finally calming down from months and months of being on the go all the time. Maybe both. Anyway, Saturday night's adjusted schedule worked very well, and helped, I think.

I certainly did my part to help myself by sleeping in late Saturday morning, but I think I'm getting sick anyway. And then I'm hard on myself for feeling unproductive... um, chill out. LOL

Jp