Monday, January 30, 2012

The small, imperceptible happenings of life

I had a very full, good weekend. I was able to see some friends on Sunday, which was wonderful. It's been awhile, and it was so good to see them. In anticipation of guests, I cleaned my apartment, rather thoroughly, actually. I am not a generally tidy person. I have a high tolerance for clutter, and I really don't like minimalism. However, I let it get out of hand sometimes, and then it's a daunting task to tackle. I did have help though, which made it more enjoyable. It is very nice to come home to a clean house. I'll need to get used to this. :-) I have rearranged the furniture a bit, which is nice, and I got a nice table to put the TV on, instead of the Rubbermaid upon which it was previously perched.

I am trying to read more. I am currently reading God is Red by Liao Yiwu. It's about Christians and Christianity in China. He interviews people who survived communism and Mao and the Cultural Revolution, and there are also interviews regarding people who did not survive. It's a good book. The perspective is interesting, as the author is not a Christian himself, but he is involved in human rights and has been imprisoned and his books censored for not being in line with the communist/socialist doctrines of the state.

January is a day away from being over, and February looks like it will speed by as well. I have a lot going on, but I like being busy. I just need to budget my time well. I read an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that talked about how people work, and that everyone works differently. Some people are really good planners, and others need to take it right up to the deadline. I'm a deadline person myself. The author's take was, "whatever works best for you." If you're not a planner, then trying to force yourself to be, might not be the best thing to do, though trying different methods is not a bad idea.

I have pilates tonight, so I need to dinner.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Out with the old, in with the new

I am currently sitting in my comfortable, new-to-me, green granny recliner with my kitty snug between myself and the arm of the chair, and it is wonderful. I am feeling somewhat exhausted. I really need to get onto a decent, normal people schedule, but I don't really want to. I like my way of doing things, even if it isn't the best way. But, I know that's a problem. I will probably eventually give in and have a normal schedule.

January has been going well so far. I had a lovely time with friends over New Years. One of my friends positively spoiled us by making a completely homemade feast of turkey, noodles, apple pie, etc. I made wassail, which was a hit. It's my favorite holiday tradition.

I also went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. I'd never been to a 3D movie before. We thought it was going to be on the IMAX screen, but it wasn't. :-( It was, however, fully entertaining. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie, and though it wasn't made originally for 3D, they did a good job with it. The landscapes especially stood out. There was a scene with black tree branches and the end scene with roses that absolutely popped. Even if it hadn't been in 3D, it was still nice to see it on the big screen. I had gone when it first came out, but I didn't appreciate it as much then as I do now.

Also, I just found out that they changed the date of the Tough Mudder I signed up for. They moved it from March to June, which is a really good thing, both for safety and for my personal training. Cold water obstacles in Indiana in March is generally ill advised, so I'm glad for the warmer weather. I was worried about getting wet in cold temperatures. Also, I really don't think I would have been ready for the race in March, as I haven't been up to training yet. I need to focus on getting my energy up and eating better before I can really exert myself. But, now the Tough Mudder will be after the mini marathon in May, so that will be interesting. I think I'll just train harder for the mini, so I'll be in better shape to recover and run the Tough Mudder.

I have had a small epiphany. My friend pointed this out, and she is right. I basically always need to be busy. I need things to do, or I go a bit crazy. As I say, better to be busy than bored. :-)

TTFN