Rex Lee

I'm pretty happy about running my first 5k this morning (the Rex Lee Run).  Christy and I have been "following" a training program for the past few months, "running" several times a week.  (Being pregnant stifles speed somewhat)

We walked the first part (the uphill part) together, then I jogged to the finish line alone.  It was fun to walk the uphill part for a few reasons: 1. I didn't have to run it, 2. everyone else was dead tired after running it, so I could easily pass them, which is strangely motivating.  As Christy put it, when you pass someone (anyone; even the lady in the cast, carrying a baby in her arms, pushing a stroller with a broken wheel) you think, "Yeah, I'm fast!"  You might be going an inch an hour, but passing someone still makes you think it.  Motivated by such, I jogged to the end without stopping!

Both water stations on the course were out of cups when I passed.  At the first, the girl cheerfully said, "Sorry, we're out of cups, but the next station is only three quarters of a mile away."  What a politically astute way of describing the 1 mile distance to the next station.

At the next station, the girl said (also cheerfully), "Sorry, we're out of cups, but you're almost at the end."  Maybe the psychology department volunteered to handle the water stations to conduct an experiment.  You could probably extend the almost-there logic to really reduce costs for a Marathon.  Place stations a mile apart staffed with apologetic people encouraging you to just jaunt on over to the next station.

Luckily it was cloudy and cool (and it's only 3 miles), but I stopped anyway to put my head under the water cooler for a mouthful.

Good day!

Stickin' it to the Man

About two years ago, I bought a lawn mower, if you remember.  Since that time, I've been paying back the money I borrowed from the bank to purchase the lawn.  The bank makes a lot of money off my desire to mow a lawn.  People should be able to earn a living, and the bank has found a niche that enables "it" to earn a living.  But they could still make a comfortable living on much less than what I give them.

I've always liked tangible metrics.  I would sometimes place MnMs on the piano, one for each song I had to practice, and eat them one at a time after doing the required work.  I have a jar I fill with marbles after accomplishing some of my goals (it's about 1/4th full now).  Christy and I had a paper chain counting down the days until marriage.

Now, there's a man living in my closet:

 We refer to him as "The Man."  Notice the stickers that adorn him.  Every time we pay down a certain amount of the principle (or principal) of the loan on the lawn and surrounded home, we stick it to the man.  It feels great.  I originally thought we could stick pins in a doll, but Christy pointed out that it wouldn't do for inquisitive children to happen upon a porous Cabbage Patch hanging in daddy's closet.




Also, we clean our house each week by reading clothes pins.

Each pin represents a job and has a numeric frequency written on it (you do the number 2s every other week.)  You clip the pins to your shirt while you work, then hang them on the line for the coming weeks (put the 3s on the line to be done in 3 weeks).  It's fun.

Belly good

People who don't live around us have been wanting to see how Christy looks now that she's several months pregnant.  So we took some pictures.  Here they are:

I think she looks great, don't you?

Them people

I heard on the radio that some people somewhere were asking for legislation to prohibit ocean liners from  sailing within a certain distance of certain Italian shores.  They want the laws because of what happened with the Costa Concordia.  I think such legislation is ridiculous.  How often have cruise liners crashed in those waters?  If such a law already existed, would it have prevented the reckless captain from making the same choice?  The captain ought to be punished; and people will learn from the experience.

I've been thinking political thoughts lately.  Sometimes, I wish I had a quiet place, like a moon base, where I could go ponder in peace.  And sometimes I wish I had a quiet place, like a moon base, to which I could send politicians.

I want to vote for a normal American: someone who has worked hard to earn their living.  I would really like to vote for someone who does not want to be a politician.  If a farmer ever ran, I think I would vote for them.  Good farmers don't do stupid things -- they just get the work done.  Ammon, I would vote for you.  I would also vote for someone who did no fundraising.  Why should you need to spend a lot of money to become elected?

I have other thoughts, but I haven't yet sorted them through in my head.

Also, sometime in May, Christy and I have an appointment to meet a little girl at the hospital and bring her home to live with us for a few years.  I expect she'll want a name.  And probably some food and clothing.  She'll likely cry sometimes, too.

I hope she can do math when she arrives.

Malaika Wangu

I married an angel.

After being dumped once by a girl, I wrote this poem:

---

Where have all the butterflies gone
    Whose wings once tickled my heart?
Why does the fire's flame now burn so low,
    Which before, from the blaze made me start?
Where is the apple at the top of the tree
    That beckoned me up to such heights?
Where are those eyes, those star-shaming eyes,
    That smiled at me those warm summer nights?

They're gone.
It's spent.
Beyond reach.
They're closed.

A soft echo's all that remains...

   And a hope -- a sure hope!

That new butterflies will come,
That a flame will arise,
That I'll find that sweet fruit in the tree,
And that this time,
    Not eyes, but a heart I will find,
Who will smile with love on me.

---

And I found her!  All the pain of dating seems laughably insignificant now.  Christy is so good, so genuine and so true.  And she's cute :)

To the discouraged daters: keep trying.

10K

Today is a great day.  Today I turn 10,000 days old.  Happy Birthday to me!

I know because of www.wolframalpha.com.

sad wizard :(

I'm testing blogger's new interface.  This is only a test.  Do NOT read this.  I repeat: this is just a test.

So sad

This wizard is sad.  Poor wizard.

There's a location option: Yukon.

I scheduled this to come online at 9:15pm tonight.

Lions

Lately we've been reading about lions and wardrobes and witches. It has been great. Most recently, we finished The Silver Chair. Here are some parts of the story I liked best.

Jill meets Aslan in his land, a high mountain overlooking Narnia. Aslan tasks Jill with finding the lost prince and tells her four signs she will use to accomplish the task. After giving her the signs and making her repeat them until she had them memorized he says:

"Stand still. In a moment I will blow. But first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to your clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as your drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters." (p.560)

Taking Aslan as a figure of Jesus Christ, his words have direct meaning for us. We have distinct spiritual experiences. At those times we can see clearly and feel as though we're on mountains looking down on common life. And we may be told to do something in the future: to know the "signs" or scriptures by heart; to remind ourselves of the time we spent on the mountain. And it's true! Common life happens and the signs or scriptures seem not to fit. But they do and we should follow them.

Near the climax of Jill's and Eustace's adventure, they must decide whether or not to untie a dangerous person from the silver chair. Their reason for untying him: one of the signs Aslan gave Jill indicates that they should. Their reason for not untying him: they think he will kill them if they do.

"Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him?" said Scrubb.

"I don't know about that," said Puddleglum. "You see, Aslan didn't tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the sign."

That's faith! Either The Lion is right or He is wrong. If He is right, it doesn't matter what happens in the interim from following what He has commanded.

Life is Grand

Christy is visiting her sister this week. But it's okay. I'm not one bit sad. Life is pretty much the same.

I sleep.

I shave.

I get food out of the fridge.

I scamper off to work.

I drive to work.

I work.

I leave work.

I drive home.

I eat delicious dinners.

And even delicious desserts.

Don't even worry about me. I'm totally fine.

Oh, things

I was looking at Salt Lake's weather today and was presented with this:

The popup asks, "Would you like to save this location?"

YES! Yes, I'd like to save Salt Lake City! Is it going to be torn down? What do you need from me in order to save it? I'd donate funds to keep it around! Please, everyone, I plead with you to go to weather.com and vote to save Salt Lake City!

Also, I'm getting married this weekend.