Golf!

I had my first golf lesson today. We started and ended early, because a massive – and I truly mean massive – storm was rolling into town. I even had to go alternate routes to get home, though it wasn’t far from the driving range, because the pouring rain filled the streets so badly. I couldn’t even see more than a few feet for a bit.

Anyway, golf lesson. It was awesome. I hit the ball and everything, and I even hit it well a handful of times. Two of them were just like… Whoosh!… That was nice… And the coach even said so on those. It felt really good on those, having good form and balance and everything, blowing the ball out onto the range smoothly, as though I had done it before already. My body liked it. It liked it a lot.

So, it looks like I will enjoy this new hobby, specifically going to the driving range. We’re already going to Top Golf next week for my man’s birthday (the whole reason I took a lesson now in the first place, since I couldn’t even hit the ball when I’d gone with my brother to a range once, several years ago). But the coach let me hold onto the starter club for now, so I can practice, and I intend to practice. Boy, do I intend to practice. I can hardly wait to fulfill one of my dreams of hanging out at the driving range, hitting balls alongside someone I love.

I was nervous, a bit scared. But this has turned out perfectly. I’m so glad I got ahold of the instructor the other day so easily, and I trusted the feeling that he would help me beautifully as I needed help.

Dear God, thank you. Thank you. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

P.S. God, please, help us both keep level heads – literally and figuratively – when we go to the range together. Please. Thank you. Amen.

P.P.S. I even had a sport skirt and cute shirt to wear, like I knew what I was doing. No collar required at the range, but I still looked very nice and very cute! Woohoo! Thank you, again, God. And thank you to my man for making this all possible. I love you. 😉

Let it go…*

And, some days, life is just tough. Things can go up and down and back and forth from high stress to, ‘I can do this,’ and back all day long. Sometimes, too, it can continue into the night.

Dear God, help me to let go of whatever it is to which I am currently clinging that is causing me such stress and pains. Help me to open my hands and myself fully to you and your will. Help me to release, to let go and let God… in your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

*Ironically, I’ve had one of the Frozen songs in my head all afternoon and evening today, but not that one! “…finish each other’s…” “…sandwiches!”

What to do…

The part-time job I’ve had almost two years has implemented a new policy – suddenly – that is likely to be troublesome. Put differently, I either have to make some big effort quickly, or I will be forced to leave the company.

I determined that I would pray about it tonight, then see how it all feels. I have been considering leaving the company most of this year, but figured I at least would stay through my two-year anniversary and the special winter discount we get to purchase things for others in late November, early December. Logic tells me that, if I was already thinking that way, I likely do not want to work for the company anymore. However, I’m not going to take the easy route of avoidance simply because it is the easiest. I shall pray about this, and then do as God guides me.

Let’s see what that shall mean, shall we?

Dear Lord, please, give me clarity as to what to do to move forward in my life, such that I pursue your will fully, being who I was made to be, my best self. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Nunchucks!

ヌンチャク, really, but we usually drop that final -u in the English version. Nonetheless, we did a workshop tonight with a nunchaku master, Wayne Nguyen. He was in a Chuck Norris movie a long time ago, playing a bizarre yet awesome scene as The White Ninja, jumping and dancing around with fierce grace, showing some awesome nunchuck skills. (He also played a bad guy in the rest of the film, but that wasn’t the cool role he did.) He worked with Chuck Norris for 15 years, mostly teaching martial arts to youth as their physical education program in public schools, as part of Chuck Norris’s non-profit. And he is just this really nice, comfortable and friendly guy… who also literally could kill you with nunchucks. Seriously.

The class was fun and informative and very helpful. My man learned some skills, but everyone in that room tonight learned that I am a force with which to be reckoned. Even the teacher kept saying time and again that I would be ‘the next nunchuck master’ for our martial arts group/program/dojo. He commended me for my efforts and always working both hands equally and immediately upon learning something new. He also told me how he liked my control and my cool grace and stature when moving with the nunchucks.

I mean… that’s really cool, right?

What’s more is, by the transitive property of association, Chuck Norris approves of my nunchuck efforts and skills. And that is just plain awesome.

(And yes, I am fully aware of my own idiocy, thank you very much.)

Basically, awesome night, and I’m almost associated with Chuck Norris now. Get ready world, I’m heading to Navasota to have some water and to meet some folks soon! ;P

Post-a-day 2022

Dancing

We went to a dance event tonight. It was a country event, but we came for the west coast swing finals part of it, and the social dancing after those events. My man and I did.

And it was awesome.

We danced with each other and with other people. I gave him a sort of mini lesson after we first went downstairs and he got a bit overwhelmed just by seeing everything. (Apparently he had spent the whole day being scared and nervous and trying to create reasons not to come because of that. I had kept asking him all day what was wrong and what was going on, since he was being so snippy and unkind toward me and stressed and all. He had only ever told me that he just needed to ‘get over it’ about each little thing.m, though he never really did… until we started dancing, that is.) He then asked me to dance in the main room before and after the competitions and awards, and he voluntarily sought out four other women and danced with them (always while I was out of the room, naturally). And he and I danced more and more, and I showed him more and more bits, and he got better and better. And it was awesome.

I had begun being comfortable with the idea that I likely would not get to do west coast swing with my husband, whoever he would be, because I never much liked the men who would frequent events and get involved in the typical social culture of dance events and all – read ‘lots of alcohol and sleeping around and being pompous’ – and found it unlikely I would meet my man at any event. And then this guy showed up. In our first night of knowing one another, he voluntarily offers up that he grew up doing a bit of ballroom for kids, and that his favorite dance was probably west coast swing. He’d only learned a bit, and it was all self-taught, but he loved it. And so, God blesses us…

Thank you, God, for this lovely opportunity. Thank you for bringing my man and me together. Thank you for this awesome step into the dance world for the both of us this weekend. Phew. Thank you. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Friday night

We had a birthday dinner at Benihana for my sister-in-law tonight. We brought gifts that all were shades of purple, and the smaller ones were wrapped somewhat Japanese style, what with the wrapped item then put inside a decorative bag and tied closed, while the larger was simply wrapped in purple wrapping paper. The money was green, but it was wrapped in a cute pink Japanese gift-giving cloth. (My mom had gotten a money envelope, but I couldn’t remember the kanji that were right for birthdays or general events, so I wasn’t sure it was the right kind, and thought it actually was a wedding one…, so we didn’t use that.)

We also brought glow sticks for everyone to choose and wear. And Haribo Goldbären and Kit-Kat minis and mochi doughnuts – also wrapped in Japanese style baggies with colorful ties and stickers – were the party favors we gave everyone.

Basically, it was a silly little surprise-party-type dinner, without being an actual surprise party. Just the level of festivity was a surprise, I guess. Oh, and we also had a candle that we stuck into her ice cream when they brought that out and sang to her.

And I am exhausted right now. But that’s okay. I actually had a great time at dinner, even though it went until around 9pm, which is already late for me to be out, but especially so after this tough, tough week and the start of school.

And we’re going to a dance event tomorrow night, just for the night. I’m slightly terrified.

God, please, help me to have the energy and comfort in my body and mind to enjoy tomorrow and tomorrow night fully. Help me to help my man enjoy it all fully, please. And thank you for getting me through everything this week. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Alas

This was what I determined yesterday, as someone failed in supporting me as had been promised.

It made all the difference today. School started and went well. Sure, one class was boring and slightly annoying, but it still went okay. Plus, the other class I had seems like it could be awesome. More tomorrow.

God, give me the grace, please. I love you. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Humpf day

Well, school starts tomorrow. I’m mostly ready for it, I think. Just need to pick some clothes and get there in the morning. Then I’ll have some time to go through what exactly I’ll be doing in my two classes for the day. And I likely will have time to prep everything for Friday, too, and get some done for next week, all before my classes tomorrow.

However, that whole plan of going to bed early, so I can gym and get to school and shower and all…? Well, a massive storm showed up, crazy hard winds and all – 50mph – and rain came down and the power blew out in the neighborhood not five minutes after I got home from the gym to cook dinner this evening. We have one candle. Fortunately, we have a gas stove, so I heated up the leftover food instead of cooking new stuff, and we ate quickly. Now, I’m sitting at the front door, just letting air into the house, because I was having trouble breathing after a little while of no power and lots of breathing from us three – the dog is going nuts, by the way, with all the thunder and lightning. I’m waiting for a lighting setup for the bathroom… I never thought I’d be a ‘generator sort’, but here I am, totally okay with his plan to turn on some lights and a fan. So it goes, so it goes, I guess and suppose. But actually, so it goes…

Anyway, Imma see if I can shower and start heading to bed now. It’s just after eight, now, and the power is estimated to return around 10:15pm. Hopefully, I’ll be already falling asleep by then, and hopefully we’ll have air even sooner than that! Fingers crossed!

Plus, this poor dog… she’s so scared, she can’t tell if she wants to curl up next to me, follow him around, or curl up inside that mailbox… (Note: She would not fit inside that mailbox, but she certainly keeps looking at it like she is considering finding out!)

Dear God, please, help me to rest well and fully tonight, so that I might do a great and effective job with school and everything else tomorrow. Help me to pursue and fulfill your will. In your name, I pray. Amen.

P.S. We got an update, and it is unfortunate. The number of houses near us without power went down, and our estimated restoration time for the remaining houses now shows as 11am… ugh… Okay, God. Thank you for this opportunity. I accept. Goodnight. Be blessed. Bless us, please. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Weeping Wednesday?

I cried at least three times at work today, because of work. Talk about being overwhelmed, and you’re talking about me today. But I managed to let it out as it came up, and then get down to business again and again throughout the day. I spoke a couple times with the teacher for whom I am teaching the first quarter – she’s on maternity leave – and what she had to share with me helped immensely with my stress. I now know somewhat decently what specifically is expected of me regarding content and presentation for class, and I have my next steps clearly in place for tomorrow (and the future classes as a whole). There is much for me to learn regarding the subject matter – Sacred Scripture and Catholicism – and I want to learn it all. But it will take time. And I have a clear plan as to how to do that now. Phew.

I want to do a good job here, as with everything I do. That’s why I’m stressed – because I care so much. But I definitely sat under the desk and cried hard at one point near midday today. So, today was a lot in a lot of ways. I wonder if tomorrow will be quite so emotional…

Dear God, grant me the grace and perseverance to do the amazing job I know you have called me to do here. Help me to fulfill your will fully and wholeheartedly. And help me to see clearly where you want me and need me to go. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022