In disporportionate measure

I don't use this word very often because I like to stay away from "Christian-ese", but right now, it is the best word. I feel disporportionately blessed this week. I have done nothing to deserve any of the good-to-great things raining down around me lately. This weekend I met someone when I absolutely was not looking for anything of the sort. Yesterday, I was called for a job interview for something I applied for 6 weeks ago. In fact, I had just decided that I was really okay with putting my head down and working really hard for my organization for another year. I had decided to stop looking for a job for a while. On a lighter note, I went to a great baseball game in great seats and paid absolutely nothing! Which was awesome! Then, tonight, we started our small group for the summer semester and it went really well even though I wasn't nearly as prepared as I wanted to be. All of these blessings that are undeserved and in some cases, not sought after. It's a little crazy and I'm feeling both thankful and a bit confused.
Cool.

So logical...

It all sounds so very logical when he says it. Of course, that's what you do. I'm not used to dealing with boys that use actual common sense in relationships. This is all new.

Sometimes

Boys are neat

Displacement

One Thanksgiving, I found myself explaining to my young niece the scientific concept of displacement using a bowl of floating cranberries and candles as an example. If you take something out, the other things will do their best to fill that space. It can maintain the appearance of "fullness" for a long time even without replacing the removed items with anything new. This is happening in my life this week. I started a fasting challenge on Sunday where I remove something from my routine temporarily with the intention of making room for something else. I am fasting the use of swear words, which is more attitudinal than time-making, and also "extra" social things. I am usually very, very good at filling up every moment of my week with things. So, this week, I'm not adding anything in beyond my volunteer commitments and work so that I have time to prepare for the small group Gary and I are leading beginning next week. Well, so far, I've filled my time up with work (I stayed at the office until 9 tonight) and doing stuff at home. Displacement at its finest. Today is Day 4. Hopefully, I have a very different report by Day 7.

I should really get a list or something

Tonight I went to this reception for CN8, the regional comcast tv station. The setting was gorgeous -- up on the rooftop, just across the street from the Capitol. I didn't decide that I was actually going to go until yesterday. So, as a result I didn't do my homework. I went to do a little networking, which I did. But, I fear I looked a little foolish in the process. I didn't recognize the head of Arena Stage nor a personality from the tv station we were there "celebrating", both of whom I had decent conversations with. I read in a book once that you should always ask for a list of attendees at conferences and events so that you can go prepared to meet and converse with certain people. Otherwise, you may not even know that I great contact for you is standing in the same room. Anyways, that was kind of embarrassing. Oh well. I will email everyone I talked to in the morning and hope they forget that I had schmo-like attributes at the reception.

Standby

Update: I am now on standby for another flight into DCA. If that doesn't work, I think I'll be rerouted into BWI at midnight. I'll keep you updated. (cuz I know you're all waiting with bated breath)

Vacation chronicle

Ok, so I intended to write most days of my vacation, but that effort got thwarted somehow. So, now I will give the abridged version. After I left Arizona, I spent two days in San Diego, enjoyed a little sunshine and reconnected with a high school classmate on a rooftop. The weather there is really awesome this time of year. And, I was surprised at the urban downtown area. Very walkable and livable.
Then, Tara and I drove up the coast, mostly on Pacific Coast Highway. It was sooo gorgeous. I am so glad we decided to drive! Our first stop was a quick lunch on the beach in Malibu. We sat and ate some hummus and pretzels and watched dolphins jump along the waves. Yes, dolphins!! I had never seen dolphins before. I love firsts!!! Just when I feel like there's nothing new for me, I have an unforgettable first. We also some other sea animal that we haven't yet identified.
The drive through the national park was also breathtakingly gorgeous....very windy (with a long i) and awesome.
Then we drove up to the Wine Country and spent one day in Napa, one in Sonoma. We did several winery tours and tastings. It was really fun.... and, we had one of the best winery tours I've ever done... Ravenswood... awesome. We got to ask how they keep the birds from eating the grapes. It was just killing us!
Anyways, then, we headed back to San Francisco Saturday evening and had some yummy sushi down by the embarcadero. I LOVE THAT CITY. It just feels like home. For no good reason, really.... I didn't live there that long and I know other cities better. But, then again, Philly kind of felt like home, too. Regardless, it was good to be back.
And, now I am stuck at Midway. Wondrous. I got bumped off my flight and over an hour later I still haven't been rerouted.
Lovely.

Vacation Check-in #1

Hello from pleasantly warm and sunny Phoenix! Ok, fine... technically, Maricopa, AZ. I stopped here for a few days to see my brother and sister-in-law and my incredibly adorable nephew. (See exhibit A)
Tomorrow, I'm headed to San Diego. Yay! Yay for sunshine and oceans!
More soon....

Anyone else?

If you got engaged in the last week and haven't told me yet, you should do so now. Today I found out that two of my friends got engaged. Ok, scratch that two separate couples I know got engaged in the last few days. So, congrats to Jonathan, Stacy, Kristine and whatever his name is (sorry- never met him) and if anyone else is hiding out, you should come forward now.
Seriously, though, congrats! Apparently, 29 is another one of those years where everyone you know gets married. Why didn't anyone warn me? I need a big sister to tell me these things.

Opposite Effects

Tonight, I had one of those evenings that makes you think things so deeply that you can't even bring everything back up to the verbal level. Some of my thoughts aren't in words. I tend to be very conceptual and tonight those concepts aren't all in English (or any other language, for that matter). I've recently made some pretty major decisions about what I want out of life and what direction my life will take in the next few years and for some reason, the peripheral implications of those decisions just became apparent to me tonight. Well, apparent makes it seem like I understand them, which I don't. So, I guess not apparent, but at least, existent. The point is that I thought I was eliminating some problems by the decisions I made, but it is very possible that I actually heightened them.
Life is tough. It's difficult to navigate situations based on only what we know at any given time. I just feel like I could live my life much more efficiently if I knew the future. But, I don't. Anyways, lots of deep stuff flying around tonight. Maybe I'll "unpack" some of that another time.

A Shenandoah Adventure

Colleen took me on an adventure in honor of my birthday. We went out to the greater Shenandoah area where we may or may not have done some or all of the following: (in no particular order)
antiquing
shnacking
wondering through stores of random things
smacking the daylights out of small spheres
taking in lots of beautiful scenery
driving recklessly in tiny little cars
driving safely on very fun, but curvy roads
dinner at a yummy little restaurant
and, of course, spending time with one of my favorite people!
yay for adventure!

A nice kind of life

I had a somewhat strange thought on the way home tonight. And, it came while during a really mundane task. In fact, while doing one mundane task sandwiched in between two other mundane tasks. I was carrying my groceries home just after shopping and just before cooking. And, yet, it seems I was enjoying all three. When I was walking home, the sun was just starting to go down, it was the perfect temperature and I felt 100% content. I thought, there are a lot of different kinds of lives out there. This one isn't all that exciting. But, it's really a nice kind.
Hope you enjoy yours, too. Now - off to eat some cantaloupe.

Pesto with Potatoes??

Who puts potatoes in pesto? Well, apparently Trader Joe does. Weird.

Also, I got selected for jury duty! Yippee!
I'm excited.

A new life experience

Prior to this evening, I had never been on an elevator with someone smoking. There's a life experience I wouldn't have minded living without.

A mountain weekend

I made a quick trip home to good ol' Western PA this weekend. I expected to see my parents, which was good. I know I'm probably too old for this, but I was kind of homesick. Nothing like a little mountain air and hugs from mom and dad to cure that. I got bonuses, though. I got to see my brother and his family for a little while on Saturday and we all went and visited my Pappy and then my Grandmother. That was cool. We don't get a lot of family time together. Ironically, we were all together except for my older brother.... and it was his birthday.
Then, that night I got to hear a friend of mine sing a jazz concert with some guys she gigs with in Baltimore. I hadn't heard her perform since high school... it was a little surreal to hear jazz in Ebensburg. And, beyond that, to hear jazz sitting in a group of perfectly still white people. But, it was really good and I'm going to try to hear her again soon.
Fun, fun.

Help me!

I need to name a concert of American music and my creativity is waning. All suggestions welcome! If you suggest something I use, I'll take you out for dinner.
Seriously.

Newsflash!

I watched an animated movie tonight and thought it was great. We watched Toy Story 2 and it was so funny! Yay for animation that Hyla likes!

And, yay, also for spinach and feta stuffed chicken! ooh-rah!

Quote of the day

From my dear friend, Amy: You never know when a photo of you dressed as a pharaoh is going to get on National TV.

Also, apparently, I have a new boss. excitement all around.

A good weekend

This was a very good weekend. Friday night I went (with some indulging friends) to the Hirshhorn's afterhours event where I got to see some great art and play with a lite brite! It was really fun. This shot is one of the works on display there right now.... it's pretty awesome... if you live in DC, you should get your tail there and just watch it for 10,15, 20 minutes. Pretty cool. More shots on my flickr site.

Then, yesterday, I drove to Lancaster county, PA to see my friend Lisa and her family before they make the move to Kansas in a few weeks. I will miss having her on the East Coast! We've never lived more than about 2 hours apart (well, except for my brief west/midwest tour). So, I wish them luck. This is her and her daughter, Kayla, who turned exactly 4 months yesterday... is she cute or what?

Arg... why does blogger do that? Sorry for the ugly formatting.

conundrum

It's just so very, very difficult to know what to do.

Also, I lost my phone and had to buy a new, ugly one... blech

more happiness tomorrow