More weekend thinkings

There are lots of things that I wish I could do every day or most days, but alas, my schedule is just not conducive to that. Other things (like work and MBA) kind of get in the way. If I could I would do the following things most or every day:

• read scripture
• play flute
• work out
• cook

I played flute several times this weekend. It was so so very good. This marked a break in the longest playing hiatus yet. I played two weddings in 2008 and I honestly can't remember if I've played at all since then! I definitely felt some fear getting the instrument out of its case. I was afraid that I wouldn't remember how to play.. that I would sound so awful that I wouldn't want to play anymore...that my technical ability would be so far gone that it would just be ultimately too frustrating. I can't quite explain how I felt when I started playing. I put Mia (that's my flute's name) together and started with some long tone exercises just to warm up a little. I was nearly overcome with emotion. I fought back the tears, but they were close. It was beautiful. Such a warm, beautiful sound that was so familiar... like someone's voice you haven't heard for years. Comforting, intimate, mine. This may sound corny, but I felt whole again.

It feels so good to be playing again. Right now, I'm not sure exactly where this will go. If I'll find an ensemble to play with, start playing at church again, build a teaching studio, or what. But, I absolutely can't stop playing. This is part of who I am and I never want to lose it again.

Fatgirl's triathalon thinkings

I am considering doing a sprint Triathalon next June. It is a .62 mile swim, 17.5 miles biking, and 3.4 miles running. I am no athlete by any man's standards. However, there is something in me that makes me think I could actually do this.

Reasons I think I could do this:

1 - Though I haven't been swimming for a while, I was regularly swimming a mile as my workout so .62 mile wouldn't be that bad.

2 - I don't really find biking all that hard. 17.5 miles is kind of far, but if I actually trained, I think I could do that without much trouble.

3 - I'm learning to run. Today, I ran 2.4 miles (my longest run ever) so 3.4 doesn't sound so scary anymore.

4 - I have friends that are not in the best of shape and they did the sprint tri without dying.

5 - I am generally capable of doing most things I set my mind to... this should be no exception.

Reasons I think I could NOT do this (or obstacles):

1 - I have never done a workout consisting of two different activities right after each other... let alone three!

2 - I don't even own a bike right now. It is difficult to train for a bike ride without an actual bike.

3 - I am fat. lol Ok, so, I am considerably smaller than I once was, but I am still a big girl and this sounds scary to me.

4 - This will require some serious training, which I don't really have time for given the MBA program, work, intense commute, etc.

5 - I might die.

All of that considered, I think I'm going to give it a sot. Time to start finding a training schedule, I guess. Registration starts 9/20 so I guess I have until then to chicken out.

Today's New Experience

A few days ago, I finally ran into the clarinet player that I've heard practicing in the building over the last year. It turns out that she and her boyfriend play in the marine band and she is working on a masters' program in the area. Anyway, she mentioned that she was playing a solo tonight at a concert on the capitol steps and invited me to come. So, I did!
Shamefully, I have never gone to any of the concerts on the capitol steps, even though there are concerts four night s a week in the summer. It had also been a LONG time since I had gone to a wind concert at all. I have to say that I enjoyed myself. It was 95 degrees, at least, so intonantion was a challenge at points, but there is just something so gratifying in watching people do what they absolutely love to do. Plus, I was introduced to some new music. She played a piece by Andreas Makris called Intrigues. It turns out the composer has deep local connections. Anyways, it was an interesting piece with some real challenges... especially in the heat.
So, there we go -- I discovered a new, fun activity for the summers... and met a new person and a new piece in the process.

Notes of Joy from a Long Trip with a Short Boy

Backstory: Yesterday, I got up early and flew with my 6-year-old nephew back to Phoenix and then immediately turned around and flew back home. The boy was safely delivered back to his parents and I was safely, but tiredly delivered back to DC.
Small Joy 1: Just hanging out with my nephew. I rarely get to see him so it was fun to get some one-on-one time with him. Who knows? Maybe this will be something he'll remember when he's grown up.
Small Joy 2: Watching him from a distance and seeing a little piece of my brother's wonderfulness in him. We had about an hour to wait for our first flight so we went and sat at the gate at the end of the terminal so he could watch the planes. He walked over to the window and within two minutes had made a friend with another little boy who was five. One of Scott's great attributes (in my humble, yet accurate, opinion) is that he can engage anyone in a conversation and make them feel special and included. It looks like his son is well on his way to mastering that art.
Small Joy 3: Watching my nephew study the step-by-step safety guide in the seat-back pocket. Seriously. He studied that thing front and back for a good 20 minutes on each flight. If the boy doesn't become an engineer or an architect, the world will be a worse place for it.
Small Joy 4: Getting to see my sis-in-law's excitement at having her little boy back after more than three weeks away from home!
Small Joy 5: The descent into Salt Lake City. Holy cow! What a gorgeous, gorgeous sight. I had been in Utah, and even Salt Lake City, but I had never flown into it. That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen from the sky. And, it was a total surprise because I didn't even look to see where I was connecting until that morning. Very cool.
Small Joy 6: Making it back home and falling into my bed. A pillow rarely feels as good as it does after a 19-hour day filled with 6000 miles of air travel.

Good times.

Caring for a Small Human

This evening, I'm hanging out with my little nephew before we fly back to his home tomorrow. We went to the park, looked through all of his pictures from his Pennsylvania vacation, grabbed some dinner, and then pretty much hit the hay. He must have been tired... I don't think he even moved after he laid down. Tired little boy, I guess.

I love this kid. I gave him three choices for dinner. 1 - sushi, 2 - Thai food, 3 - pizza. The kid chose Thai! How awesome is that. Now, to be fair, I knew ahead of time that the kid loves Thai food and that was pretty much what I wanted, but I thought it might be a crapshoot with the pizza thrown in there. Anyway, that was awesome.

Tomorrow: 4 airports, 4 flights, 1 6-yr old, and an awful lot of work time