pieces

After an amazing eight year run, I decided it was finally time to let my wonderful (refurbished) HP laptop go. It still runs, but is a bit slow, and I figured it was time to give Windows XP a chance. Especially as I’m a bit wary of Vista, but that’s a post for another day.

After I get my new machine, I will transfer my pictures and may one day even post them.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

(This was the song that ended today's service.)

Yesterday and today we went to the Texas Relays.  I’m exhausted, and sunburnt despite putting on sunscreen every 45 minutes.  But it was awesome.  It was fun to watch Jamal Charles run the 100 - he was beating everyone at the 40 yard mark, no surprise!  Jeremy Wariner ran on his team’s 4×400 meter relay, and Michael Johnson was there watching.

PICTURES COMING

Here is the slideshow the photographer made for our wedding:

Click here - save it to disk, then when you click on it, it will install Photodex and then open the slideshow.

Didn’t he do a great job? I’m still working through the (over 800) pictures he took, and am going to make a scrapbook and blow some up for the walls. Fun! (And no time contraints!)

We went to the TX vs. TX A&M softball game tonight. While we didn’t win (we’re in a little offensive slump, but hopefully will snap out of it soon), Cat threw her 2000th strikeout, becoming the first person (male or female) in NCAA history to reach that mark.
PICTURES AND MOVIES COMING

I need people to come visit me. Any excuse to go to Trudy’s. Such good queso. And Mexican martinis…

Last night, we went to Trudy’s, had a short excursion to Toy Joy (see below), and then went to Friday’s for some chocolate (the Brownie Obsession is excellent, although the new decor leaves something to be desired). We finished the evening at Dave and Busters. It was lots of fun, and we started early, so were no worse for wear even with daylight savings. Stupid spring forward. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the sunlight, but man, I hate the first week. I envy morning people.

So I’ve decided to start doing monthly updates. I kind of had a New Years Resolution thing going on March 1, so I’m going to talk about what I’ve accomplished since then, and what my current goals are.

I got a parking pass. I love it, although I now drive in almost every day. But I can justify it…

As I noted on March 22, I am now doing capoeira and am playing soccer. I have been following the running program and am through week 3. The program is below:

Week 1 (March 13-17):
Run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes.
Complete 5 cycles.

Week 2 (March 20-24):
Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes.
Complete 5 cycles.

Week 3 (March 27-31):
Run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes.
Complete 4 cycles.

Week 4 (April 3-7):
Run 7 minutes, walk 3 minutes.
Complete 3 cycles.

Week 5 (April 10-14):
Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes.
Complete 3 cycles.

Week 6 (April 17-21):
Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes.
Complete 2 cycles, then run 8 minutes.

Week 7 (April 24-28):
Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute.
Complete 3 cycles.

Week 8 (May 1-5):
Run 13 minutes, walk 2 minutes.
Complete 2 cycles.

Week 9 (May 8-12):
Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute.
Complete 2 cycles.

Week 10 (May 15-19):
Run 30 minutes

So workout-wise, I am doing great. I have also started going to sporting events again, something I didn’t really do for a couple of months before and then since the wedding. But I have an All-Sports Pass, so I have no excuse. We have tickets to a couple of softball games over the next month, and we’re going to the Texas Relays this weekend.

I’m almost done with the resource manual I’m working on for SafePlace, and plan to continue to volunteer with that organization as they need me. I’d really like to get involved with RAINN’s new online hotline when it goes live, especially as I’ll be able to do that from home.

One thing I would like to do in the coming month, other than clean the disaster that is our apartment (we still have boxes everywhere), is to start playing my violin. I was really good about it at the beginning of last year, and would love to sound better than a fifth grader - I know my downstairs neighbor and her cat probably hated me, although she won’t admit it.

Last night, we had a crazy game night, complete with a game of spoons that briefly deteriorated into a wrestling match (I’ll have a video of the final round up shortly), several rounds of Are You a Werewolf? (I’m so addicted), the girls obliterating the guys in Taboo, and several people needing to get their hands on their own copy of Apples to Apples.

Much, much fun. And chicken enchiladas. And queso. And guac.

To see a movie of the final spoons round, click here (Quicktime movie).