After moving, I got a terrible cold with allergies on top of that. With unpacking and getting settled, it was a rough time for exercise.
But my new apartment is set up, my new office is set up, and I've
started my new job, so things are settling down. That left me room to
focus on being healthy! Yesterday, I joined a gym in my new city, and
today I went for a run! I found a circular road around my house that is 2.9 miles, almost a 5k.
How convenient!
It was my first run in a few weeks, but it went well. My allergies
weren't TOO bad, it only got really hot (90 degrees+) towards the end of
the run, and I wasn't too slow. I only used 2 tissues, and didn't
start coughing until I was almost done. It was no personal record or
anything, but surprisingly good for having taken such a long time off,
then dealing with the heat and poor air quality. In fact, I probably
shouldn't be running outside at all with the air here, but I enjoy it so much!
My eating has improved, as well. I'm getting back in to a healthy lifestyle after weeks of travel and transition. It's quite a relief, actually.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Memorial Church Service
Today, I went to my new church for the first time since I moved. When I got there, the greeter asked if I knew what was going on today. I didn't. She said that we were holding a memorial service for a long-term member. I said, "But I didn't know her." The greeter said that it was okay, that she'd been away for awhile (likely due to being in her 90s!). So I sat down.
The crowd was much less joyful than it usually is in a UU congregation. There were funeral flower arrangements near the pulpit.
The first speaker talked about all of the service that this woman had done for the fellowship, starting in 1967. Then members and her family came up to speak about her. She seemed to be quite a spirited woman. Several of her grandkids spoke. They were in their 30s, like me. They talked about how involved she had been in their lives. Everyone spoke about how she taught them to live their life through love.
During these, I kept thinking of my Gram. I thought about how nice it would have been to have had a service for her, to hear all of these wonderful stories. To be reminded how amazing she'd been. To see how her loved changed so many people.
As I've been unpacking this past week, I've found a lot of pictures of Gram and items that she'd given me. I've put most of them in my superhero-themed room. She is a hero to me. It was a good time for me to reflect on who she was and what I lost. And to remind myself that she'll live on through how she changed each of us, and how we who she helped us become is raising the next generation through love.
I love you, Gram.
The crowd was much less joyful than it usually is in a UU congregation. There were funeral flower arrangements near the pulpit.
The first speaker talked about all of the service that this woman had done for the fellowship, starting in 1967. Then members and her family came up to speak about her. She seemed to be quite a spirited woman. Several of her grandkids spoke. They were in their 30s, like me. They talked about how involved she had been in their lives. Everyone spoke about how she taught them to live their life through love.
During these, I kept thinking of my Gram. I thought about how nice it would have been to have had a service for her, to hear all of these wonderful stories. To be reminded how amazing she'd been. To see how her loved changed so many people.
As I've been unpacking this past week, I've found a lot of pictures of Gram and items that she'd given me. I've put most of them in my superhero-themed room. She is a hero to me. It was a good time for me to reflect on who she was and what I lost. And to remind myself that she'll live on through how she changed each of us, and how we who she helped us become is raising the next generation through love.
I love you, Gram.
Monday, August 6, 2012
What I've Learned from Superheroes
Buffy
- You are most powerful when you have support.
- Sex is dangerous.
- High school is Hell.
- Love is the most powerful thing that exists. Even more powerful than Courage.
- War lords wear dreadlocks.
- With great power comes great responsibility.
- Being special hurts your loved ones.
- You have to hide yourself and be subservient for a man to love you.
- You can run if you have enough support in your corset. But your boots should not have heels.
- Be willing to sacrifice yourself if it will save many others.
- Be polite and courteous.
- Life is not worth living without people to share it with.
- Traveling is fun.
- Helping is fun.
- Aliens are hot. Humans are hot.
- Being an intergalactic lover is lonely.
- Never give up, never surround.
- There is no unwinnable situation.
- Alien women are hot.
- The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
- Do, or do not. There is no try.
- You may be on the losing side, but that doesn't mean that it's the wrong side.
- Take care of, and fight for, your crew (chosen family). Even if you don't like them.
One Hour Choir
Yesterday was my last Sunday at my current congregation. Although I stayed up too late watching their production of "8", I really wanted to go to the Sunday service. Additionally, this past Sunday was the one-hour choir! That means that interested congregants show up an hour and a half before the service, learn a couple of songs, then sing them at the service. I love this concept. It's a good way for me to be able to participate in the choir without having to commit to one evening a week for years.
Although, it was difficult to get up that morning. Even for the One Hour Choir.
But, I did. I was a little nervous. I took that singing class, but have never been in a choir. The music director taught us a song, then realized that she had more people in the choir than solo parts. She asked who would not want to solo. I thought that I heard her wrong because no one raised their hand. Heck no, I don't want to solo! So I raised my hand. Phew, got out of that one!
On the next song, she had me singing with two other women. After we sang our part, she asked if I could go higher. Like an octave higher. Okay, may be it wasn't that high. But still. I looked at her with giant, amazed eyes. I think that she understood: No, I can not sing that higher. So she switched the trios around a bit to get me a lower part. Phew, another save!
In the end, it was really fun, and we sounded good. A nice experience. My next congregation will be TINY, so I'm glad that I did this while I could.
Although it's strange to think that I sang in a church choir. May be I should find the songs that we sang so that you would know how not Christian-right-y we are...
Although, it was difficult to get up that morning. Even for the One Hour Choir.
But, I did. I was a little nervous. I took that singing class, but have never been in a choir. The music director taught us a song, then realized that she had more people in the choir than solo parts. She asked who would not want to solo. I thought that I heard her wrong because no one raised their hand. Heck no, I don't want to solo! So I raised my hand. Phew, got out of that one!
On the next song, she had me singing with two other women. After we sang our part, she asked if I could go higher. Like an octave higher. Okay, may be it wasn't that high. But still. I looked at her with giant, amazed eyes. I think that she understood: No, I can not sing that higher. So she switched the trios around a bit to get me a lower part. Phew, another save!
In the end, it was really fun, and we sounded good. A nice experience. My next congregation will be TINY, so I'm glad that I did this while I could.
Although it's strange to think that I sang in a church choir. May be I should find the songs that we sang so that you would know how not Christian-right-y we are...
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