It looks like the expensive tech shirts with "anti-stink" technology aren't worth the extra money, and can do some harm to your health and the environment.
Why "Anti-Odor" clothes stink
We don't need no stinkin' nanotechnology...
January 14, 2010
January 13, 2010
A little give and take
When my friend moved into his home, he didn't have a lawnmower since it was his first house. He didn't want to be "the guy who borrows stuff", so his lawn grew knee-high before he got around to getting his own lawnmower.
Of course when his neighbor's lawnmower broke, my friend thought nothing of loaning his out. It is probably partly a guy-pride thing to not ask for help, but to be happy to lend a hand when asked. We can be kind of pinheaded at times, and I am no exception.
In the past, I would not only resist asking for help, I would most often refuse it when it was offered. It was not only male pride, but a need to be self-reliant that I took to extremes. This ranged from the physical (no, no, I can get the washer and dryer myself), to the emotional (no, everything is fine), to the odd (I've cut my own hair for the last 15 years). In my head, this self-reliance somehow made me stronger and ready to handle any situation.
One of the biggest things I had to get over this year was myself. I accepted a lot of help and even found myself reaching out. I know, "poor baby had to put up with help from people". Well, pinheaded or not, it was still a difficult mental barrier to knock down - that I couldn't solve my problems on my own.
I didn't accept all comers (still a man after all), but more than I was originally comfortable with. It initially made me feel a little weak, but that feeling soon passed. Of course what it really made me was human. We all need help now and then, and we should accept it as readily as we offer it to others.
When someone asks, "Are you doing OK? Do you have everything you need?", I may give a more honest answer these days. I don't share my life story to every casual inquiry, and I would still much rather offer help than accept it, but I fess up when I need a hand these days. Self-reliance and pride are important, but not at the price of happiness and a life lived honestly. And ironically, I feel stronger, not weaker, for having asked for the help.
Of course when his neighbor's lawnmower broke, my friend thought nothing of loaning his out. It is probably partly a guy-pride thing to not ask for help, but to be happy to lend a hand when asked. We can be kind of pinheaded at times, and I am no exception.
In the past, I would not only resist asking for help, I would most often refuse it when it was offered. It was not only male pride, but a need to be self-reliant that I took to extremes. This ranged from the physical (no, no, I can get the washer and dryer myself), to the emotional (no, everything is fine), to the odd (I've cut my own hair for the last 15 years). In my head, this self-reliance somehow made me stronger and ready to handle any situation.
One of the biggest things I had to get over this year was myself. I accepted a lot of help and even found myself reaching out. I know, "poor baby had to put up with help from people". Well, pinheaded or not, it was still a difficult mental barrier to knock down - that I couldn't solve my problems on my own.
I didn't accept all comers (still a man after all), but more than I was originally comfortable with. It initially made me feel a little weak, but that feeling soon passed. Of course what it really made me was human. We all need help now and then, and we should accept it as readily as we offer it to others.
When someone asks, "Are you doing OK? Do you have everything you need?", I may give a more honest answer these days. I don't share my life story to every casual inquiry, and I would still much rather offer help than accept it, but I fess up when I need a hand these days. Self-reliance and pride are important, but not at the price of happiness and a life lived honestly. And ironically, I feel stronger, not weaker, for having asked for the help.
January 11, 2010
Nerdiness of another kind
After our running year-in-review party on Saturday, a game of Rock Band 2 broke out.
As I was the newbie in the room, they gave me the bass. Wise choice. Later in the evening I grabbed the microphone for a couple of songs. I mumbled my way through Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" and I think I did only slightly better on Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy". Back to bass for me.
I could see how the game could get addictive. Air-band dreams mixed with high tech toys. Soon I was tapping my foot and bobbing my head as I played along. In my head, I was killing on the bass.
Give me my shades and I'll hang out in the back.
As I was the newbie in the room, they gave me the bass. Wise choice. Later in the evening I grabbed the microphone for a couple of songs. I mumbled my way through Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" and I think I did only slightly better on Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy". Back to bass for me.
I could see how the game could get addictive. Air-band dreams mixed with high tech toys. Soon I was tapping my foot and bobbing my head as I played along. In my head, I was killing on the bass.
Give me my shades and I'll hang out in the back.
January 9, 2010
Nerdapalooza
The new library is open! The new library is open!
I stopped by an hour or two after it opened, and it was packed. Lots of adults and children showed up for the grand opening to check everything out (sorry, bad pun). They were welcomed by a live band, clowns, balloon animals and homemade cookies. It was definitely the place to be on a Saturday morning. It was great to see so many children excited to check out books, though they may have been hopped up on sugar cookies.
The new library is bigger, in a better location, and has lots of high and low tech improvements. Where the old library was more of a pickup spot for books on hold, the new one is set up more as a destination. There are more computers and meeting rooms, larger teen and children's sections, as well as a reading area with comfy chairs and a fireplace. One of the high tech improvements are the state-of-the-art book return machines. Each book is scanned so your account and their inventory is updated immediately, and the books are carried to stocking carts, saving employees hours of lifting and sorting books.
Green features of the building include: Natural lighting from banks of windows and skylights; native-plant landscaping and rain gardens; pavement that is porous to let water percolate through it; roof gardens to reduce heat loss and water runoff; and a geothermal energy element, which heats and cools the building using the earth’s energy. Makes ya green with pride.
Now if our town could just get a post office, we'd really be on the map.
I stopped by an hour or two after it opened, and it was packed. Lots of adults and children showed up for the grand opening to check everything out (sorry, bad pun). They were welcomed by a live band, clowns, balloon animals and homemade cookies. It was definitely the place to be on a Saturday morning. It was great to see so many children excited to check out books, though they may have been hopped up on sugar cookies.
The new library is bigger, in a better location, and has lots of high and low tech improvements. Where the old library was more of a pickup spot for books on hold, the new one is set up more as a destination. There are more computers and meeting rooms, larger teen and children's sections, as well as a reading area with comfy chairs and a fireplace. One of the high tech improvements are the state-of-the-art book return machines. Each book is scanned so your account and their inventory is updated immediately, and the books are carried to stocking carts, saving employees hours of lifting and sorting books.
Green features of the building include: Natural lighting from banks of windows and skylights; native-plant landscaping and rain gardens; pavement that is porous to let water percolate through it; roof gardens to reduce heat loss and water runoff; and a geothermal energy element, which heats and cools the building using the earth’s energy. Makes ya green with pride.
Now if our town could just get a post office, we'd really be on the map.
January 8, 2010
Not how to run a company
So my temporary work delivering packages is over. The job ran (pun intended) from the middle of November to Christmas Eve. I had worked for them last year, and enjoyed it enough to sign up again this season. I hope I don't need to return next year.
I had written an acidic screed to post here about all the things wrong with how they run their company and treat their employees. I enjoy analyzing companies and procedures to come up with ideas to improve production, satisfaction, efficiency, etc. They gave me plenty to work with - yelling at employees, mindless procedures in place of real effort, awful communication and more. But I decided you didn't need to hear me bitching about a company when I should be thankful for the work. I will pass along one thing that seemed to put a nice bow on the experience, though.
December 23rd ended up being the highest volume day. By coincidence, they had chosen to make that day "Driver Appreciation Day". There would be pizza and other treats when the drivers returned to base. While out on the road, the drivers do a good job of taking care of each other. When there were 60 packages left to deliver, two other drivers came to take 20 each so no one driver was stuck out on the road.
After the busiest day of the year, and after helping each other out of a bind, they returned to the base to have some pizza and commiserate. When they got there, the cupboard was bare. Management and HR had eaten all the pizza, showing how much they appreciate their drivers. Some drivers were understandably pissed, while others just shook their heads thinking 'typical'.
It wasn't all bad of course. My driver was great, I lost a little weight, and made a little cash. Just not a company I would want to work for if I could help it.
I had written an acidic screed to post here about all the things wrong with how they run their company and treat their employees. I enjoy analyzing companies and procedures to come up with ideas to improve production, satisfaction, efficiency, etc. They gave me plenty to work with - yelling at employees, mindless procedures in place of real effort, awful communication and more. But I decided you didn't need to hear me bitching about a company when I should be thankful for the work. I will pass along one thing that seemed to put a nice bow on the experience, though.
December 23rd ended up being the highest volume day. By coincidence, they had chosen to make that day "Driver Appreciation Day". There would be pizza and other treats when the drivers returned to base. While out on the road, the drivers do a good job of taking care of each other. When there were 60 packages left to deliver, two other drivers came to take 20 each so no one driver was stuck out on the road.
After the busiest day of the year, and after helping each other out of a bind, they returned to the base to have some pizza and commiserate. When they got there, the cupboard was bare. Management and HR had eaten all the pizza, showing how much they appreciate their drivers. Some drivers were understandably pissed, while others just shook their heads thinking 'typical'.
It wasn't all bad of course. My driver was great, I lost a little weight, and made a little cash. Just not a company I would want to work for if I could help it.
January 6, 2010
Year in Review
Time once again to tally up the miles and reflect on how the last year of running and biking went.
I keep a paper training diary to track all the stats as well as aches, pains and impressions of the day. This year I have also started keeping an online log at Buckeye Outdoors. I remain a bit of a numbers geek, and you can get endless stats and reports to look at your year from lots of angles.
So the numbers from this year compared to past years:
Running
2009 613 miles
2008 649 miles
2007 660 miles
2006 373 miles
Biking
2009 1245 miles
2008 878 miles
2007 1346 miles
2006 1748 miles
Swimming
2009 .5 mile
2008 17 miles
2007 13 miles
So my running and biking miles were relatively typical, though there are probably an additional 250 miles run with UPS to add to the mix. I obviously gave up on swimming last year, but that will change in the new year. According to my Buckeye report, my average run pace was a 8:49 mile and the average distance was 6.4 miles. On the bike it was a 48 mile ride at 15.1 mph.
In the interest of saving money, there weren't as many events in 2009. I ran two marathons and one 5k, and rode in three bike events last year. I did set a few personal bests this year, though, so there was some quality if less quantity.
I am hoping to run a couple marathons in the new year, but would also like to focus on gaining some speed at the shorter distances. I would also like to get into triathlons in 2010, but we'll see how much I can afford to fit in.
What I'd really like to do is run, bike and swim for the simple enjoyment of it, without needing a finish line to shoot for. Just enjoying staying in shape and spending time outside. But I don't know that I will ever get rid of the geeky/number crunching side of my personality.
Oh, and calories burned in 2009 - 134,493. You'd think I'd be thinner.
I keep a paper training diary to track all the stats as well as aches, pains and impressions of the day. This year I have also started keeping an online log at Buckeye Outdoors. I remain a bit of a numbers geek, and you can get endless stats and reports to look at your year from lots of angles.
So the numbers from this year compared to past years:
Running
2009 613 miles
2008 649 miles
2007 660 miles
2006 373 miles
Biking
2009 1245 miles
2008 878 miles
2007 1346 miles
2006 1748 miles
Swimming
2009 .5 mile
2008 17 miles
2007 13 miles
So my running and biking miles were relatively typical, though there are probably an additional 250 miles run with UPS to add to the mix. I obviously gave up on swimming last year, but that will change in the new year. According to my Buckeye report, my average run pace was a 8:49 mile and the average distance was 6.4 miles. On the bike it was a 48 mile ride at 15.1 mph.
In the interest of saving money, there weren't as many events in 2009. I ran two marathons and one 5k, and rode in three bike events last year. I did set a few personal bests this year, though, so there was some quality if less quantity.
I am hoping to run a couple marathons in the new year, but would also like to focus on gaining some speed at the shorter distances. I would also like to get into triathlons in 2010, but we'll see how much I can afford to fit in.
What I'd really like to do is run, bike and swim for the simple enjoyment of it, without needing a finish line to shoot for. Just enjoying staying in shape and spending time outside. But I don't know that I will ever get rid of the geeky/number crunching side of my personality.
Oh, and calories burned in 2009 - 134,493. You'd think I'd be thinner.
January 5, 2010
January 4, 2010
Getting away from it all
Throughout the past year, I have had some things rolling around in the back of my mind. If things fell apart, life would change and I might want/need to get away from it all to find my way again.
I've always had this vision of spending a year like Thoreau, and live very simply off in the woods somewhere. "...I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what they had to teach..." I wished to leave most material things and distractions behind, to live more honestly, and be completely present. To confront any delusions I may have about myself, and to find out who I was and what was most important.
There was a man, Dick Proenneke, who went into the Alaskan wilderness the year I was born to live such a life. He built his own log cabin, intending to live off the land for a year.
But of course this sort of life is easier in fantasy - I am not sure I am prepared to really live off the land. One of the other things I have found this year, is that I really need to have time with friends and family, and more social interaction in general.
I have always been a bit of an introvert and I still need to be drawn out from time to time. When I worked in restaurants, that atmosphere helped to bring me out of my shell, but the jobs I have had over the last 10 years had much less social interaction. I became increasingly withdrawn for several reasons, and pulling back into my own shell was one of the major strains on our marriage. I think the dream of being off alone for a year was one I could have enjoyed earlier in life, but I think that I need something different right now.
Another recurring thought has been to take off on a long bike ride, maybe across the United States. I have dreamed about this sort of trip for years, first on a motorcycle but more recently on a bicycle. Carrying only what I could load on my bike or tow behind me, it would be another trip toward minimalism and away from distraction. This sort of trip would also have the physical challenge that has been important to me for the past few years. I would also get a chance to see the country and meet new people if I did it with a group.
But the reality is I couldn't afford that sort of trip this year. I didn't have the financial ability and I also didn't have the time, as I had to fix up and sell the house among other things. I also think I wasn't mentally ready to take advantage of such a trip last year. It would have seemed more running than reflecting.
What I have been able to do is to get away for brief periods to see friends, and this has been the best thing for me right now. First I went to see Bill and Veronica in Arizona, then the quick weekend in Vegas with Sean and Marci, and now this great week in San Diego with Matt and Holly. I have always found this time away with friends restorative, and these past two months have been a wonderful tonic for my soul. And just the break in routine allows you to return home with a new perspective. To come home with a fresh set of eyes to see through all the clutter, to what lies at the heart of your life.
I will be heading home tomorrow, and I am in a better state of mind these days. I have a feeling whatever work I will find this year will be short-term contract work, so I may be able to get away to another place of friendship, solitude and reflection I seek.
I've always had this vision of spending a year like Thoreau, and live very simply off in the woods somewhere. "...I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what they had to teach..." I wished to leave most material things and distractions behind, to live more honestly, and be completely present. To confront any delusions I may have about myself, and to find out who I was and what was most important.
There was a man, Dick Proenneke, who went into the Alaskan wilderness the year I was born to live such a life. He built his own log cabin, intending to live off the land for a year.
"I suppose I was here because it was something I had to do. Not just dream about it, but do it. I suppose I was also here to test myself. Not that I had never done it before, but this time it was to be a more thorough and lasting examination. What was I capable of that I didn't know yet."He filmed himself to pass along to relatives what he was doing and how his life in the woods turned out. His recordings were released as a show called "Alone in the Wilderness", and I have seen it a number of times on PBS. Pieces of it can be found on YouTube.
But of course this sort of life is easier in fantasy - I am not sure I am prepared to really live off the land. One of the other things I have found this year, is that I really need to have time with friends and family, and more social interaction in general.
I have always been a bit of an introvert and I still need to be drawn out from time to time. When I worked in restaurants, that atmosphere helped to bring me out of my shell, but the jobs I have had over the last 10 years had much less social interaction. I became increasingly withdrawn for several reasons, and pulling back into my own shell was one of the major strains on our marriage. I think the dream of being off alone for a year was one I could have enjoyed earlier in life, but I think that I need something different right now.
Another recurring thought has been to take off on a long bike ride, maybe across the United States. I have dreamed about this sort of trip for years, first on a motorcycle but more recently on a bicycle. Carrying only what I could load on my bike or tow behind me, it would be another trip toward minimalism and away from distraction. This sort of trip would also have the physical challenge that has been important to me for the past few years. I would also get a chance to see the country and meet new people if I did it with a group.
But the reality is I couldn't afford that sort of trip this year. I didn't have the financial ability and I also didn't have the time, as I had to fix up and sell the house among other things. I also think I wasn't mentally ready to take advantage of such a trip last year. It would have seemed more running than reflecting.
What I have been able to do is to get away for brief periods to see friends, and this has been the best thing for me right now. First I went to see Bill and Veronica in Arizona, then the quick weekend in Vegas with Sean and Marci, and now this great week in San Diego with Matt and Holly. I have always found this time away with friends restorative, and these past two months have been a wonderful tonic for my soul. And just the break in routine allows you to return home with a new perspective. To come home with a fresh set of eyes to see through all the clutter, to what lies at the heart of your life.
I will be heading home tomorrow, and I am in a better state of mind these days. I have a feeling whatever work I will find this year will be short-term contract work, so I may be able to get away to another place of friendship, solitude and reflection I seek.
January 2, 2010
Please make a note of it
Today is a palindrome, the same thing whether read forward or backward - 01/02/2010.
In case you were feeling a little discombobulated this morning.
In case you were feeling a little discombobulated this morning.
Painless green tip for the day
Next time you boil water, cover the saucepan with a lid. A lidless container can consume up to three times more energy than a covered one. And make sure the pot covers the burner: a six inch pot on an eight inch burner wastes more than 40% of the heat.
~ from Runner's World
~ from Runner's World
January 1, 2010
I love San Diego
"Michael, I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be."
~ Peter from "Office Space"
~ Peter from "Office Space"
More new year's thoughts
From an e-mail from Dr. Gary Chapman who wrote "The Five Love Languages":
This is a day for reflection. We stand on the threshold of new opportunities. Are you pleased with the way you invested your time and energies last year? Are there changes you need to make in your lifestyle as we move into 2010? Do you need to drop some activities and add others? Family, church, vocation, and neighbors are all important.
The key word is 'balance'. The greatest satisfaction in life is investing your life in the lives of others. But you also need to take care of yourself. Proper food, sleep, and recreation keep the body strong. A daily quiet time with God, and weekly involvement with other Christians energize the spirit. Could a minor change in your lifestyle make a major difference in you effectiveness?
I challenge you to make the most of the year. Take time for reflection. Make necessary lifestyle changes. Find balance. Take care of yourself. And above all seek the Lord's guidance daily.
This is a day for reflection. We stand on the threshold of new opportunities. Are you pleased with the way you invested your time and energies last year? Are there changes you need to make in your lifestyle as we move into 2010? Do you need to drop some activities and add others? Family, church, vocation, and neighbors are all important.
The key word is 'balance'. The greatest satisfaction in life is investing your life in the lives of others. But you also need to take care of yourself. Proper food, sleep, and recreation keep the body strong. A daily quiet time with God, and weekly involvement with other Christians energize the spirit. Could a minor change in your lifestyle make a major difference in you effectiveness?
I challenge you to make the most of the year. Take time for reflection. Make necessary lifestyle changes. Find balance. Take care of yourself. And above all seek the Lord's guidance daily.
December 31, 2009
2010
We are just about at the end of the aughts. I look forward to being able to say some time in the future, "back in aught-one...", but I am also a little anxious to have this decade in my rear view mirror. It was a tough one for a lot of folks. This article suggests we call the decade the "Big Zero".
A couple of New Year's ago, friends chanted "everything will be great in 2008!", but most of us fell well short of that. The next year it was a more tepid "everything will be fine in 2009", but we couldn't even muster that. This year's phrase may be appropriately "starting over again in 2010." I think we can manage to clear that bar.
This has been a really tough year for so many people, and one of my worst personally. At the start of the year, I had a wife, a house and a job. Now, not so much. But I had it easy compared to so many. In working my way through my own challenges, I have rediscovered how fortunate I am in my family, my friends, my life.
After the last couple of years, it feels like we and the nation need to have a great reset. After this latest crash, I hope we can see and do things differently in the new year. We need to refocus on what is really important - Family, community, passion and compassion. Seeking long term success over short term gain, building something we are proud of instead of chasing the next paper profit, living within in our means instead of piling up shiny things, seeking understanding in our differences instead of feeling contempt.
I look at my posts around new year's a year ago, and my goals were to change many small things, hoping to add up to something big. I was deliberately a bit vague in the details as I wasn't sharing our marriage struggles at that point. I feel that I have made some significant changes this year, and I hope to make them stick while I break new ground in other areas. I don't have a list just yet, but will be setting certain specific goals soon.
I am starting over professionally and personally. I don't even know where I will be working, much less living in a few months. But I am trying to look toward the future as a wide open possibility. I hope to recapture some of the passion I let fall away.
Let us hang on to what is important while striving to make ourselves and our community a little bit better. Anything can happen, anything is possible.
Tomorrow, we get another shot.
A couple of New Year's ago, friends chanted "everything will be great in 2008!", but most of us fell well short of that. The next year it was a more tepid "everything will be fine in 2009", but we couldn't even muster that. This year's phrase may be appropriately "starting over again in 2010." I think we can manage to clear that bar.
This has been a really tough year for so many people, and one of my worst personally. At the start of the year, I had a wife, a house and a job. Now, not so much. But I had it easy compared to so many. In working my way through my own challenges, I have rediscovered how fortunate I am in my family, my friends, my life.
After the last couple of years, it feels like we and the nation need to have a great reset. After this latest crash, I hope we can see and do things differently in the new year. We need to refocus on what is really important - Family, community, passion and compassion. Seeking long term success over short term gain, building something we are proud of instead of chasing the next paper profit, living within in our means instead of piling up shiny things, seeking understanding in our differences instead of feeling contempt.
I look at my posts around new year's a year ago, and my goals were to change many small things, hoping to add up to something big. I was deliberately a bit vague in the details as I wasn't sharing our marriage struggles at that point. I feel that I have made some significant changes this year, and I hope to make them stick while I break new ground in other areas. I don't have a list just yet, but will be setting certain specific goals soon.
I am starting over professionally and personally. I don't even know where I will be working, much less living in a few months. But I am trying to look toward the future as a wide open possibility. I hope to recapture some of the passion I let fall away.
Let us hang on to what is important while striving to make ourselves and our community a little bit better. Anything can happen, anything is possible.
Tomorrow, we get another shot.
December 29, 2009
Some daily links
I get a free blog/newsletter thingy sent to my Kindle when I bother to turn the thing on. I haven't been using it as much lately since my parents get the newspaper and I have been getting my books at the library. Since I am out of town, I am back to reading the Seattle Times on it each morning and reading other Kindle fare.
The blog thingy is called "Amazon Daily" and it has several recurring articles as well as some good links to outside stuff. There is usually a lot of chaff to skip over, but a couple interesting articles popped up in the past day. One is on trying to decide which books to hang on to, and which to sell to Half Price Books or the like. After recently going through my bookcases to thin the herd, I was still left with far too many books. I will also leaving San Diego with at least three more books than I arrived with, so the struggle continues.
The article interviews six authors on their perspective on Books You Can Live Without. A couple good quotes from the article:
The other article from Amazon Daily was less heady but still interesting to this child of the 70'/80's. It is in the recurring section of "Car Lust" and is about the Rush song "Red Barchetta". It talks about the song, the short story it was based on, and what the heck a Barchetta is anyway. Great song and an interesting read.
The blog thingy is called "Amazon Daily" and it has several recurring articles as well as some good links to outside stuff. There is usually a lot of chaff to skip over, but a couple interesting articles popped up in the past day. One is on trying to decide which books to hang on to, and which to sell to Half Price Books or the like. After recently going through my bookcases to thin the herd, I was still left with far too many books. I will also leaving San Diego with at least three more books than I arrived with, so the struggle continues.
The article interviews six authors on their perspective on Books You Can Live Without. A couple good quotes from the article:
- If I’m being honest, some of it is on my shelf because I like the idea of it being on my shelf.
- After all, is a gentleman’s library of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves anything more than a vanity?
- Get rid of a book? No way. Every one is a brick keeping the building standing. Books are my life.
- Marquez’s “A Hundred Years of Solitude” makes the scrap heap, because it would take precisely that combination of circumstances before I could be bothered to finish it.
- Ask yourself the following hard question and answer honestly: If I live to be 100, will I read this book again?
The other article from Amazon Daily was less heady but still interesting to this child of the 70'/80's. It is in the recurring section of "Car Lust" and is about the Rush song "Red Barchetta". It talks about the song, the short story it was based on, and what the heck a Barchetta is anyway. Great song and an interesting read.
December 28, 2009
Best gift of all
Click to enlargeChristmas with the family was lovely as always. I am very lucky to have such a close extended family nearby that loves to see each other. Growing up we gathered almost every month to celebrate birthdays, but at some point we reached critical mass and only gather around the same table four or five times a year. Of course that makes me look forward to each time that much more.
We mostly skipped presents again this year. We had decided to try it out last year since money was so tight, and though it was somewhat odd, it reminded us it wasn't about presents anyway. It is about spending time with those you love. And Mom's Christmas-morning coffee cake.
And the next day was one of two presents to myself. I hopped on a plane to visit my friends in San Diego. It has been over a year since we saw each other and another six months since I had made my way down here. Some of the best people I know are down here, and of course there is the miracle baby to spend time with.
I was talking to a friend last week. We hadn't seen each other in over eight years and we tried to catch up on all that in a space of a few hours. She has been getting some insight into my life by reading my blogs, but it was wonderful to sit down and talk and fill in all the blank spaces.
I mentioned that I was headed down to San Diego to visit Matt and Holly, who she hasn't met. About an hour later she mentioned all the blog stories of Annabelle and how she was addicted to checking on the latest updates. She didn't make the connection that Matt and Holly were her parents, and when I explained that Annabelle was who I was visiting, she was immediately jealous.
When I told Matt and Holly that someone who had no clue who they were, but was engrossed in the story of their child, they kind of sheepishly explained that they hear that all the time. Folks from around the world have tuned in and have prayed for Annabelle, and they are still amazed at the involvement and support of all these people who have become strangers no more.
Yesterday we attended a breakfast at their church and then spent the day with Auntie Critters at the San Diego Zoo. The schedule for the rest of the week is almost non-existent, just time spent with friends, which is the best gift I could hope for.
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