The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 21, 2012

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 20/21, 2012. (It’s midnight right now.)

Outside my window… dark. Actually pretty nice outside.

I am thinking… about Daniel starting school tomorrow. He has a new teacher and while he’s probably going to be fine, I’m a nervous wreck.

I am thankful… for a good trip to see family.

In the kitchen… ramen. I’m having problems eating and it’s a food that doesn’t irritate my stomach.

I am wearing… black shirt and Left Behind shorts.

I am creating… just this entry.

I am going… to try and get some better habits started this school year.

I am wondering… about creating a Facebook page for this blog. It’s probably not going to happen but it’s an interesting possibility.

I am reading… Clergy Killers by G. Lloyd Rediger. I probably would have finished it but I slept most of the way home today.

I am hoping… my clothes dry in time for tomorrow.

I am looking forward to… time with a friend tomorrow.

Around the house… lots of cats.

One of my favorite things… my recliner.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Morning Prayer, errands, and hopefully getting a haircut on Friday.

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Because Friday Is Five Days Away…

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I’m down in LA with my in-laws and need to purge my brain. As it isn’t Friday and I can’t do this in seven nice Quick Takes, I’ll do it my way.

[+] I’m going to be shot for saying this but Bad Catholic sounds like a teenager wrote it. Whaddaya know… Marc Barnes is 19! Shocker. I’m not saying that all his writing has grammar mistakes and sounds like bad text messages but the voice speaking sounds like the blogs I read of 16-18 year olds when I was in seminary. 1Flesh.Org sounds about the same. I’m not anti-NFP — I’m a huge fan of iuseNFP — but the 1Flesh.Org site sounds immature and simplistic when it’s not a simple issue in the slightest.

[+] Jon’s parents suprised him with tickets to Mary Poppins: The Musical yesterday. After the family cupcake brunch, we took Metro-Link to Union Station, took the subway to the Civic Center station, and then walked to the Ahmanson Theatre for it. The show was all manner of awesome — music, special effects, etc. were great. They had to fudge the story a bit to fit the musical but it was still pretty faithful to the Disney movie with things from the book thrown in. Afterwards, we had dinner at Buca di Beppo where I had some lovely calamari and enjoyed some of Jon’s pizza.

[+] The downside to yesterday: MY FEET!!! My nice shoes gave me serious blisters on my ankles and my small toes. I’d post pictures but the blisters on my toes have popped and are nasty-looking. (There are also some people who haven’t recovered from me posting pictures of my foot when I suffered an avulsion fracture in my ankle with a sprained foot.) I’m thinking I’ll be rocking some Old Navy flip-flops for at least a week when I get home.

7 Quick Takes: Camp Songs, Road Trips, and Speed Reading

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

It’s Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Someone posted this video of “Baby Shark” in honor of Shark Week and as it’s a camp song and as a former camp counselor, I think these songs need to be shared. This video is from a Boy Scout camp in Connecticut and as usual, the Boy Scouts know how to do these songs well.

— 2 —

I think we need to add The Penguin Song for good measure. It’s another camp song that I learned from some members of my Bible study in college who learned it as YMCA camp counselors. I have memories of standing outside Marianne’s (an awesome ice cream parlor in Santa Cruz) singing it. I’m pretty sure it would have been banned in the Girl Scouts because it looks like you’re mocking people with mental disabilities.

— 3 —

OK… throwing a question out to my readers. What were your favorite camp songs? They can be from whatever camps you attended — Girl Scout, Boy Scout, church, CYO, whatever.

— 4 —

By the time you read this, I’ll be down in southern California with Jon, Daniel, and my in-laws. Jon’s birthday is Saturday and he wants to take a weekend off. Since he hasn’t actually had one in like… a year, we’re doing it! He has a few surprises waiting for him on this trip so hopefully it will be enjoyable for him.

— 5 —

I got a few books read on the way down. No, I wasn’t the one driving. I finished The Wurst Is Yet to Come by Mary Daheim, read The Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin (a.k.a Andrew Shaffer — it’s a parody of THAT OTHER BOOK, stop judging me!) before starting/finishing The Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke, and starting on Clergy Killers by G. Lloyd Rediger. Yes, I do read that fast.

— 6 —

My in-laws are the only people I know with more cats than me. I think the current count is 5 or 6? My mother-in-law is seriously deserving of the hashtag #crazycatlady that I bat around the Twitter. My sister-in-law has three chihuahuas but we don’t talk about it.

— 7 —

Why yes, I’m aware that I’m not #1 this week in posting my Quick Takes. I’ve been busy taking care of my kid and attempting to be social with my in-laws? Oh yes… also catching up on Twitter and Facebook because I didn’t get a chance to be online until tonight.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

Late Night Thoughts on Fitness

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When I lived in Minnesota, I was under so much stress from church crud that I would do taebo for an hour and then go for a 3 mile walk. It wasn’t impossible — I had started walking 3 miles every non-Sunday morning during my first summer there and it was a pain when winter came, the snow flew, and I couldn’t go on walks because it was -20F outside. I probably would have continued the practice once I moved to Montana except that there were these obnoxious things called hills. When I worked for UPS, we had a virtual triathlon where we could run, bike, walk, or swim and rack up miles that way. I would have won the first year had I not gotten bronchitis and then morning sickness which made me stop walking at lunch because I couldn’t breathe and was puking.

I should ideally be walking these days except for a few excuses reasons:

1.) It’s bloody hot outside these days. Triple digits and I don’t get along. Why yes, I’m fully aware that it’s not 104F at 9 a.m. Shut up.

2.) I’m not a morning person. I have the living room childproofed so that if I accidentally fall back asleep, Daniel isn’t going to cause much damage. This rules out 9 a.m.

3.) Every time I’ve wanted to do this, I wake up having an achy day with fibromyalgia. Of course, I’d have fewer days like that if I walked more but that would make too much sense and besides, it’s a catch-22 because when I end up in pain when I try to walk.

So anyway, Daniel starts back to school in a week and I technically have no excuse why I shouldn’t go for a nice walk in the mornings… most of the time.

The lovely and snarky Cari Donaldson announced a virtual 5K in a Catholic Exchange post a few months back and according to it, we can either run, walk, limp, or crawl. Yeah… I think I can do that. At the very least I’ll limp the 3.1 miles and go get a frappucino or something.

Oh wait… I’m Lutheran. Should I even be doing this?

Catholic Exchange Virtual 5K

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 13, 2012

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 13, 2012

Outside my window… dark. It was triple digits for like the fifth day in a row and it’s apparently not going to get better. I am not amused.

I am thinking… that Alaska sounds good right now. One of my college friends is up there for a month while her husband is on sabbatical. I am jealous.

I am thankful… for Jon letting me go grab a bite to eat and some reading time.

In the kitchen… not wanting to think about the kitchen right now…

I am wearing… grey maternity shirt and running shorts.

I am creating… things with yarn.

I am going… to hopefully get some stuff done tomorrow.

I am wondering… what that beeping sound is. (It turned out to be my cell phone which was dying.)

I am reading… The Wurst Is Yet to Come by Mary Daheim.

I am hoping… things are cooler in southern California this weekend when we’re there.

I am looking forward to… seeing Jon’s family again.

Around the house… trying not to think about this.

One of my favorite things… cold liquids to drink on a bloody hot day.

A few plans for the rest of the week: cleaning, packing, errands, travel.

A peek into my day… Daniel investigating the sprinkler and wading pool my parents got him. What isn’t shown is him climbing in fully clothed to play in it any time he could sneak outside. 🙂

Investigating his wading pool.

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7 Quick Takes: More Olympics, Some Cookies, and Thoughts on the Sikh Temple Shooting

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

My sleep schedule is completely knocked off from staying up and watching Olympic events. I’m totally jazzed that Gabby Douglas took All-Around honors, McKayla Moroney got a silver on vault, and that Aly Raisman cleaned up on beam (bronze) and floor (gold). I’d love it if the commentators would shut up about Jordyn Wieber not taking home anything but the team gold — she’s being totally graceful about it and I wish others would learn from her example. I’d also like people to shut up with all the criticism about Gabby Douglas’ hair and that she didn’t take home any medals in the apparatus finals. Unless said commentators can do the gymnastics these women (and men) are doing, they need to shut the duck up.

— 2 —

Speaking of Olympics, did you see the story about the 4×400 relay member for the USA who broke his leg and still finished his part of the relay? Dude… Manteo Mitchell, you are freaking awesome. Way to go regarding finishing!!! We still qualified in the 4×400 relay despite all this though I’m not sure who we’re going to get who can sub for him. Oh well… we’ll figure something out.

— 3 —

I saw my FNP on Monday and she figured out the source of my lingering ear pain. The raging ear infection was healed with some Augmentin last week but I was having lingering pain. Her examination showed that my ears were normal but that my sinuses were still inflamed and thus putting pressure on my ears. Some Sudafed and Flonase have taken care of it.

— 4 —

I haven’t shared my thoughts on the shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. I find this picture that was going around Facebook sums them up quite nicely.

Don't shoot people.

The blogging Tasoni of Coptic Dad and Mom also has some worthwhile thoughts.

— 5 —

I still have no regrets for not eating at Chick-Fil-A last week. I don’t feel that eating a certain restaurant’s food should demonstrate how well I treat my fellow human being. Regardless of how I feel about same-sex marriage, I also don’t believe companies should take political stances like that. Besides, I was sick and not feeling like putting myself out to drive 20 minutes to Chick-Fil-A even if I wanted to eat there.

— 6 —

It’s supposed to be 107 this weekend. I hate heat. I have to go out tomorrow for lots of errands but I think I’ll stay in on Saturday and enjoy my A/C. Did I mention that I hate heat?

— 7 —

My church has a booth at the Tuesday night farmer’s market in town for the next few weeks. This means that I’ll be baking a few batches of cookies this weekend. I’ll probably make the dough on Saturday and bake on Sunday while Daniel is down for his nap or something. I also have to package them with the pertinent labels that have our church’s contact info and service times. Oy vey…

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 6, 2012

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 6, 2012

Outside my window… dark. It’s supposed to get to 106F this week.

I am thinking… that I wish I had time to be part of the Sacramento Choral Society. In case I wasn’t clear in my Quick Takes, I could pass the audition to join without a problem and I’ve sung a chunk of the repertoire for their first concert but… it isn’t meant to be this season. I just have too much on my plate.

I am thankful… for my weekend with my parents.

In the kitchen… nothing to speak of.

I am wearing… black ratty Arabic shirt and black running shorts.

I am creating… this entry and some crocheting.

I am going… to hope I can get some decent crocheting done on the way down to LA in a week or so.

I am wondering… how long it’s going to take to smog the car and replace the tires that need to be replaced on Friday.

I am reading… Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart which I finished during my doctor’s appointment today.

I am hoping… the pain in my ears goes down. My FNP says the infection in my ears is gone and that the residual pain is my sinuses being inflammed and putting pressure on my ears.

I am looking forward to… a fairly quiet week. Daniel was supposed to have a playdate tomorrow at Fairy Tale Town but I’m not up to taking him.

I am learning that I have to rest myself and not push myself too much when I’m sick with a sinus infection or anything else that is sapping my strength.

Around the house… dishes and vacuuming to do.

I am pondering… how to deal with someone who is seriously irritating me.

A favorite quote for today… “It is better to forget about yourself altogether.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Crystal Light peach tea.

A few plans for the rest of the week: car-related errands on Friday and making cookie dough at some point.

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