Summer 2009

I graduated from high school 10 years ago! I actually really liked my high school cohort and was looking forward to going to my reunion last weekend, but ended up having to work all Saturday to get ready for a big presentation last week for work.

Yesterday, though, I swore off doing any T-Splines work for the first Saturday in memory and made a nice batch of cinnamon rolls, the kind that takes 5 hours to make, start to finish. This was very relaxing and they tasted divine.



Other things we've been up to lately:

Tricia bakes, too! Here she is making Rainbow Cake.



Before the Lavender Days 5K in Mona, UT, with my brother- and sister-in-law.



My grown-up baby sister's prom. We felt some satisfaction in seeing her dressed up for the date after spending days prom dress shopping with her. Pretty fun.

5K

We ran the Springville UT Art City Days 5K this morning. I love road races--there's always so much positive energy. This was Tricia's first race ever and she did a great job of sticking to her training regimen to get ready for the race.

We had run the course last Saturday to get a feel for it, then today we stayed together during the race, along with Tricia's sister Christy. I was amazed at how well Trish stuck to pace she had targeted--at a few checkpoints I had observed, we were within 30 seconds of our pace from last week. Then Trish kicked it at the end and beat her targeted time by a minute!

Thanks to Mom Newman for coming down to cheer us on.

Amish country

My cousin Sandra and her husband Justin were kind enough to take me to visit the Amish country in Pennsylvania over Memorial Day weekend. This is me enjoying how peaceful it was. Since this visit was in the middle of a busy business trip, the serenity of the simple Amish lifestyle was amplified. The unanswered emails in my inbox seemed less pressing, and it was a great place to "unstring the bow". I would love to go live in that community for a summer with Tricia.



Even the Amish country (we were in the city of Intercourse) isn't spared its own tourist trap drag on the main road. You don't have to be Amish to live in this area, though somehow going to an "Amish-style" restaurant that remains open on Sunday didn't strike us as very authentic. There were a few gift shops with typical gift-shop fare. Here was our favorite item: the "Faith Pig" with an apple springing out of its back. I wasn't aware of anyone in my life who needed a faith pig at the moment, so I didn't buy it, but if you have any ideas on the appropriate occasion to give such a gift, please let me know.

thinking half full

I have my problems, for sure, but they are small--so very, very small. And when I compare them against my opportunities, they are puny. Here are some glass-half-full notes:

• I have time and opportunity to create. Cards, essays, poems, food, organized piles. Being able to create is a powerful tool.
• I can read. I have books upon books upon books that I have read and piles upon piles that I have yet to read. Besides that, I can read maps, traffic signs, warnings, and care labels. And I can read God's word.
• I have music. I can listen to music and create music (with guitar, piano, organ, or voice) to suit (or change) any mood.
• I have dirt. I am a better person for having a spot of ground that is my responsibility to care for. The growth of plants is a miracle.
• I have an interested mind. Yesterday I heard a new idea that has me thinking. The idea is that adults should be drawing as much as kids are encouraged to do in grade school. Just because you're not good doesn't mean you should stop. (Think adults playing basketball.) Wouldn't it be interesting to have a whole wall be painted in chalkboard paint so you could have an ever-changing mural, contributed to by family and guests alike? Lovely idea.

What are you own half-full notes?

training

I've never been a runner, but running is the cheapest way to do consistent exercise without needing a group, a ball, and a court. So I run. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

But I've now decided to train. I'm going to run a 5K (I know, I know--it's only 3.1 miles) with the catch that I'll run the whole time. Now, for some of you marathoners, this is not a big deal. But for me, it is a good motivational goal.

You can check on my progress on the sidebar gadget named "Tricia's training." (As a note, a "cycle run" is a run where I alternate walking, jogging, and running.)

Here's to running 3.1 miles straight (and maybe losing some pounds in the process)!

Bessie

Let me introduce you to Bessie. But first, let me explain a bit about my work situation. As an adjunct professor, I work in my home and my home is a split-level duplex. My office is on the bottom floor, with a big window that looks out over the carport and street (in the picture below).

During the winter months, our carport is empty after Matt leaves for work. And as the days get warmer, our duplex neighbor girls (ages 8, 6, and 4) start playing outside. And they seem to find our carport an especially interesting place for riding bikes, scooters, and such.

Bessie, the youngest (pictured below), rode her scooter in the carport today, and we had various 10-second conversations through the window about babysitters and rain and flowers and coats. Sometimes, when I'm especially busy, I don't welcome these conversations as much. But today I welcomed the child-like simplicity of our thoughts and ideas.

Nothing like being reminded of life's simplicity.

bless BYU

You might have noticed that I have been missing in action for the last week (or so). I have a good reason: a computer virus. (I will try to not mention that I invited the virus onto my computer by clicking "OK" on a video-install button off a website that was supposed to be helping me understand the front differential of a car.)

Since I am currently working part-time for BYU (well, actually, I teach three classes, so I am working full time), the computer became a paramount problem. The information on my computer, aside from personal worth, was of great professional worth for me to finish off the semester! After the virus maintained signs it was not giving up without a good fight (i.e., its symptoms increased after I'd installed three anti-virus programs), I called BYU to see if their IT people could help me. I wasn't sure they'd be able to since I'm a part-time employee using a personal computer, but they agreed to help me. I left my laptop at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday in the Marriott School's IT Support office and got a call at 4:00 p.m. that said the virus was of the trojan horse variety and was unlike any virus that had been seen by the office: it mutated upon being found by anti-virus software! (Joy, oh joy.)

So, my computer was wiped clean and I was left in doubt as to whether my files would be saved. I will save you the suspense: my files were saved, but each step of the re-install of Windows ran into increasing problems, so I didn't have a computer until Monday afternoon.

I have learned a few lessons from this little experience:

1. I like BYU, but now I'd like to hug and kiss BYU. Since "BYU" isn't a strictly tangible item that can be hugged and kissed, I will settle for unashamed praising of BYU (and its IT support!).
2. I will not download stuff from the internet unless I'm ABSOLUTELY sure I trust the source.
3. I will back up my files responsibly. (Responsibly = once every two weeks)

I hope this new-found wisdom will carry me through the end of the semester--a mere 12 days from today. Wish me luck...