Tag: crazy

Some fun

We went to the Priests versus Seminarians basketball game tonight. It was at Rice University, in their basketball gymnasium, and the place was pretty close to sold out. This was the seventh year of the game’s history, and I was beyond excited to be there for it this time. Ever since I first heard about it, I wanted to go. This year, I finally made it happen.

Essentially, as I understand it, it is both a fundraiser for and awareness-raiser for St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. It let’s people know about the seminary, while also raising funds for it in a very fun way. The current seminarians form a basketball team to play a single game against local priests, those who have already gone through seminary, be it at St. Mary’s or elsewhere. The first two years, the priests won. The next four years, the seminarians won. Tonight, the priests won. And not by only a few points.

The final score – and yes, that was a big lead, given how they started with a 7:1 follow at the end of the first quarter.

No, they were nothing like the March Madness games my husband had me watching just recently. Not even close. These are priests and future priests, not upper teenagers trying to get into the NBA. We were not here for mad skills, but for the fun of seeing seemingly very serious folks do something very fun and, well, normal. The first quarter ended with a combined score of eight points. These were not exactly future pros here – they definitely discerned rightly in their vocations (and in a career that makes a massive difference in a good way in society, so a big thank you to all of these guys for that!).

Seeing them play at all was already a treat. When they had really warmed up and the pressure was on in the second half, though, it was actually a very entertaining game as a game. It was just extra-impressive at that point, given that some of them, as my husband pointed out, did rather look as though they may never have played basketball [or any other sport, for that matter] a day in their lives. At least, not in their adult lives. Again, sports aren’t exactly their focus in the post-seminary life.

Nonetheless, it ended up being very fast-paced and exciting by the last quarter. At every point throughout the game, the whole place went wild, anyway. When points were happening so quickly near the end, it was like a constant up and down of screams and cheers. Plus, everyone cheered for everyone. Sure, folks cheered especially for their local priests or old fellow parishioner, but they all still cheered for every point. And like it was the greatest basket ever made. It was hilarious, really, and totally wonderful. And they actually played a good and athletically entertaining game. It was not hilarious because they were being funny. It was simply hilarious that everyone was on the same team, while officially having two separate teams. Plus, Inhave never before tonight seen a basketball game where no one gets angry… where everyone plays with authenticity… It was… awesome.

At the end, they all did a group picture together and were hugging and having a great time with each other. They really were and are all on the same team.

Also, being Catholic, the invocation at the start was the coolest thing I may have every experienced with prayer. The priest says, ‘Let us pray,’ and the entire population did the sign of the cross in synch, and most of them said a hearty “Amen” to go with it. It was like choreography for the masses. Very, cool and slightly spooky in the best way.

Thank you, God, for this blessing tonight. I am so grateful to have been present for such a wonderful event. Help it to continue to grow vocations in our local society, and help me to be a part of that. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Happy Easter

This has been a bit of an odd Easter, as several of us are dealing with some very difficult stuff right now. However, it was still a really enjoyable time together today. My mom did a great job making food and feeding us (with my husband’s and my contributions to various parts), and without causing me all the hassle she typically does. I asked her specifically just to handle it and not to ask me to do things or for where stuff is more than absolutely necessary, and she actually did. I still did my part, as did my husband, and we got to spend time together with my brother, and also with my mom and stepdad. Oh, and with the chickens. We made my brother hold a couple of them to compare weights, and he even tossed Blackie back over their fence after she flew over to lay a rogue egg when we had walked inside a few minutes.

After all the food, we had a wonderfully competitive Easter egg hunt, my husband, my brother, and I. My mom put my grandma on FaceTime, since my grandma had decided not to come this morning. We were totally nuts, as usual. And I think it was just the kind of thing we all needed right now. We got to be positively competitive and physically active, while using our brains for quick evaluation and strategizing, as well as just getting to be outdoors and doing something that felt productive and as giving a sense of accomplishment.

In the end, we all got close to the same number of eggs, though it hadn’t started out anywhere near equal. my husband had two more than I had, and I had seven more than my brother, giving us each about a third of the 97 eggs. When it came the the contents of the eggs, however, I apparently crushed, having gotten the bulk of the eggs with bills in them. (Granted, my brother had several, too, but those were the ones with one dollar bills in them…) It wasn’t much – that wasn’t the point. We would have been equally competitive just for candy… actually, likely even for empty eggs, now that I consider it further. Nonetheless, it was still fun. We had a much-needed blast, and we got to have it together, which made it all the better.

We got everything cleaned up before everyone left, and the dishwasher filled and running. I did a final wipe-down of all the countertops, and it made all the difference when we got home tonight from my husband’s dad’s house. Coming home to a clean kitchen (and home) make a world of a difference. Especially after hosting a party or event.

We also had a good time visiting with my husband’s family, though it was a very different environment over there. Much more adult-like and civil, to be sure. No adult Easter egg hunts, so there was no yelling or shoving each other or ridiculous threats thrown. But it was just hanging out and chatting, and it was nice.

We got there as everyone was finishing up dessert, which was actually perfect, wince we had just finished our own desserts just before heading over. And, since we got there so far into the evening, we got to have a very intentional time with everyone before they and we all headed out after we’d been there about an hour or so. So, it was a perfect short but sweet visit with everyone after a long day (after a very long several days). It was good.

And it was a really good day period.

Thank you, God, for this day and for the ease of it. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Some true rest

Today, neither of us had work – both were closed. So, we slept in. I slept rather hard for most of the night. In the morning, I crawled back into bed and snuggled against my husband for a while after I had originally gotten up. I just wanted to feel loved, physically, this morning, especially. And I did.

I finally got back up and got the dog up – she might be dying, actually, but she might rally and be okay for another five years – and went and sat outside with her for a while, just enjoying the sun.

Of course, the chicken that always gets out was out, and she came right up to me, sitting there in the sun, and pecked one of my toes(!). As I was yelling at her, she seemed to be creeping up, considering trying it again(!). Totally nuts.

Anyway, after a while, I went and got up my husband, because midday is enough. I made us some eggs for breakfast, then hung out for a bit and had some tea before meeting a family friend.

I spent almost three hours with the family friend, mostly discussing my brain and my goals in life and how those fit in with transitioning into a tech career around coding, as well as how my struggles so far can be helpful with moving forward into it all. He has been in the industry for a couple decades, and offered to help me figure things out however he could. Why? He did even know. He said he just felt called to help me because of who I am as a person. (That was a really awesome thing to hear, by the way. I felt truly seen and appreciated.)

Then I stopped to get OJ that we need for Sunday, and headed home. I ate some food and hung out some more. Then I helped move several light-ish bags of potting soil before getting ready for bed. Just enough physical activity to keep me moving and using muscles, but not too much to be a problem for my current state. Because I do need to rest. But I don’t need to be like an invalid or massively depressed case, lying in bed all day and avoiding the world. Not at all.

All in all, it was a very productive but restful day. I spent time in direct sunlight, I spent quality time with individuals who care about me, I spent meditative time alone (and with the dog and chickens), I rested and relaxed, I got in some physical activity that used my muscles, and I ate food and drank tea and water. Yes, today was good for me, very good for me.

Thank you, God, for the rest. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Bellyache

Well, it seemed a bit easier to eat today than yesterday, and definitely easier than the previous week. I missed lunch, due to the schedule at school and the fact that the one location didn’t have anything I could eat (and not be massively ill), and so couldn’t get to the other location in time before class even to get salad and quinoa. But, since that made me very hungry by the end of the school day, I went ahead and went to one of the Chinese places to get a dish I had kind of been wanting for several days already.

So, I arrived at home with a bunch of food for us both. I kept gluten out of it, and the only grains was a box of steamed rice that we barely even touched. (Genuinely had a single bite with the rest of the food, then a few bites after we got home later from shopping.) I overate, but we went for a digestion walk, so that helped.

However, as we headed out to pick up a few things from the grocery store and to look at a shelving unit at IKEA, we discovered that the food had hit us a bit. Walking through IKEA, my husband kept saying things like, “Don’t follow me,” as he casually walked away from me… to pass gas. And no, it was not even silent gas most of the time. It was a good thing the store was almost empty, because people would have been 1) shocked and 2) on the floor. They were bad. At one point, I was running away from one, and I hid my face so the approaching woman wouldn’t see that I was holding my nose. However, a few seconds later, she was covering her own nose with her jacket as she rushed down the main aisle. ::face palm

But, before all the gas started – yes, I had gas, too, but it was silent and meager compared to what was going on chez my husband – we had gotten some cake and coffee at the cafe, since the thing downstairs was closed and we couldn’t get any soft serve. It was a nice little date that cost us only the price of the cakes, since we’re IKEA Family members.

Oh! And we got our pillow and mat for the back door for a total of a dollar, seven, because I had a $10 discount birthday reward. So, yay to that, too! Double yay!

Anyway, I’m lying in bed now, clearly with gas still in my belly. Hopefully, it can release at least a bit more before I go to sleep, or it will be a tough night for sleep. I’m glad it was easier for me to eat and to stomach food today, but this gas… yikes. Haha

Yes, I’m sure you were delighted to hear all about that part of our evening. 😛 But imagine how surprised someone would have been if I’d allowed my husband to leave one of his noxious gas deposits in one of the drawers that have the “Look inside!” sticker on them… that would have been a terrible experience for the poor soul who opened it to look inside, to be sure. (Totally hilarious, of course, but also very uncool and not appropriate or loving to our fellow humans.)

Post-a-day 2024

Flawed

The system is flawed. How are we supposed to be healthy if we can’t eat healthy foods – or just about any foods at all – and drink heathy drinks, including water, without getting totally ill? Who made this plan? Why? How do we do it??

The body does this consistently with food poisoning, sure. It needs to clear out everything and start over. But anything more than a few days… that’s just absurd.

Dear God, help me to eat and drink well, that I be healthy and be my best self with and through you and with and through your aid. Please, keep my husband safe and well, same for me. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Carnival

Tonight, we attended the rodeo carnival. My husband and I went in with my brother and his wife, because a friend gave us some carnival packs he never ended up using or reselling. Plus, we had a few free ride tickets from the volunteer appreciation brunch the rodeo had this year (which was quite cool, by the way).

I think we all went into it a little tired, but game. And I think we all ended up having actually a really good time. We walked around a bit to get an idea of pricing and availability, and then we rode the gondola across first (after I got a corn dog with the food card we had). It was actually quite neat, but also slightly terrifying. Something about it just felt kind of janky, when compared to ski gondolas, and we had this paranoid feeling that our phones were going to plummet at any second, and our hats would go flying, forever lost to us. It also stopped twice, though briefly. That didn’t make it feel any better. But it was still cool, and I’m glad we did it. Definitely a fun view to have of the whole complex.

Then we all needed a bathroom break, so we went over to Center to use real bathrooms and to see the youth agricultural mechanics contest. My committeemen who told me about this contest were not wrong: these kids make aMAZing things. We talked with one girl who is a senior in high school, and she presented her project to us. It was an automated washer and dryer for sheep, goats, and cattle (they do this for showing constantly, and it is actually kind of hilarious to watch folks struggle to clean and dry these animals by hand). It was immensely sophisticated, it boxed up neatly for transport, and it took her over a thousand hours of labor, which she did by herself, and cost $24,000 in materials. She plans to patent it in the very near future, her siblings will use it for their show animals this next year, and she hopes to get it contracted for production and sale at about $80,000 a pop. Oh, and she also demonstrated its functionality for us with life-sized stuffed animals. That was both awesome and adorable.

Pretty neat, huh?

Then we wandered back to the carnival to use up our tickets. Should have done it earlier, we quickly discovered, because the place was packed and the lines were long now.

Nonetheless, they rode a swing ride, a spinning ride with almost no line, and another flipping-spinning ride that went super high up and, somehow, had an almost-zero line as we walked up to it (which didn’t last).

We spent the final tickets on a game we had seen and called unfairly priced early on, where you get to throw baseballs at overturned beer bottles and try to break them. But you only get two balls per turn and have to break two bottles. (So, if you miss the first, why bother throwing the second? Exactly.) However, we had tickets to spare and no one wanted to wait in any lines for rides anymore, so we went for it.

The boys enjoyed it and did not succeed in breaking the bottles. They did, however, succeed in getting tiny bits of glass all over their hands from the used baseballs that had been falling on the piles of broken bottles all day (and all rodeo, most likely). So, that sucked. After they washed their hands, it was immensely better, but not all the glass was gone, apparently. I’m just hoping it’ll be fully clear from my husband’s hands during his shower, so he can come to bed with fully clean and safe hands. I’m too sensitive for stuff like that, and probably would freak out for weeks if any ended up in the bed.

Anyway, we then went to the club we enjoy, partly just to use he tickets my mom had given us, but also so my brother and sister-in-law could try the awesome frozen (think frostie-style) Jack & Coke and the awesome Milk Punch (also called Rodeo Punch), a milky drink with nutmeg that is like horchata, but not. On the way, a girl from one of my committees was clearly leaving and she could tell we were going up to the club, so she handed me a handful of drink tickets she was not going to be using before tomorrow night. (Not like we needed those, but more to share! And we did both sue them and share them, which was great.) We still ended up with three drink tickets leaving in my hat, but those had been a gift in the first place, so no monetary loss on our family’s end, anyway, and more money for the kids (scholarship money).

We finally left to go home at eleven o’clock, all of us wiped. But the highways were actually open tonight, free from construction shut-downs, so it was a quick drive home for once. (Yippee!)

So, yes, another night both out and up late for me. And I had a very nice time with my family, doing something we don’t usually get to do. So, that was fun, and so am grateful.

Thank you, God, for such a nice time with my family and for keeping us safe. I love you. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Bedtimes

I despise going to bed late. I always feel terrible the following day or three, and it takes me forever truly to catch up on sleep. Even if I get to sleep in late, that just doesn’t do it. Only going to bed early gives me the truly restful sleep.

The sleep I actually need.

And yet I keep staying up late.

And I keep being miserable.

When will I cut it out and just give up and go to bed early like both my mind and body want me to do?

God, help me sort this out, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Bedtime

I’m tired. And I want to be held. And I’m tired of going to bed alone. And I’m tired of not exercising enough.

I did actually get in some exercise both yesterday and today, though both were only partial exercise. However, they were more than I did the previous two weeks, which was an improvement, and I am grateful for that. I hope to do some tomorrow, too. Even that little bit today helped and that chunk yesterday helped, too.

I also wakes the dog today. It was the longer route, and we went kind of fast. I kept up my pace, which meant I was basically dragging the dog along by the final third of it. But it was good for us both. I got depressive today, which felt all the more terrible than I had been feeling lately for lack of sleep and for rodeo stress – aka people being stupid very unnecessarily. So, going outside into the sunlight and also doing a brisk walk we’re both helpful. And the dog’s being with me helped me feel like I had company. (I had thought my husband and I could spend the day together today, but hadn’t known until last night that he had his onboarding stuff at the office all morning today, then flying all afternoon. So, sad for the day’s plans, but good for his work, for his mental health, and for our income.)

But we got to have a Costco pizza pie for dinner (and a hot dog for me) to celebrate Pi Day together. We even shared one of the coffee freeze things that are delicious, which is rare for us – my husband doesn’t exactly share single servings of things, so that was big. We had a great little date night out at Costco, and we also got my grandma’s coffee things and fresh organic blueberries for myself (I’d say we got them for ourselves, but he never ate his half of the last batch, and they went bad, so I’m not bothering to share this time. Not in a mean way. Just in a practical sense. If he wants some, he can take them, but I’m not leaving any for him intentionally this time.).

I’ve been really wanting fresh fruits and veggies lately. I want all those awesome smoothies and juices from these couple super healthy smoothie places. But that’s super unaffordable. Why the stuff without all the added junk is so much more expensive is still baffling to me. It tastes better and is better for us, plus is easier to make, but costs loads more. I just wish I were better at making smoothies. I somehow mess them up 60-70% of the time and make something terrible, though healthy. That 40% where it is tolerable or delicious is giving me ever-decreasing confidence in trying to make them at all anymore.

But I really want a good smoothie. I can make this one morning one really well still. But making ones that don’t have too much sweet (to where they don’t give me gas) has been difficult for me the past few years. That’s why I stopped making them altogether, really. I need veggie smoothies, but don’t have any good recipes. I always just made it up. (Also why they often sucked.)

Anyway, I’m worn out. Off to snuggle with my stuffed animals and sleep half-upright, because that pizza was so bad for my digestion, I can’t even lie down flat without risk of things going back upward right now (hours later). Ugh…

Anyway, goodnight, folks! Sleep well, sweet dreams, and May God bless you beautifully and unexpectedly this week.

God, be with us all newly this week, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2024

Bedsheets

How long is right for the time between changing bedsheets? Some folks sweat at night, others (myself included) really do not. Some folks go to bed without showering – absolutely not okay for my brain – and others always shower and go to bed clean.

If one is both of the dirtier options, then one necessarily would need to wash sheets more frequently (well, change them, anyway – one could have ten sets and wash them only rarely). If one is both of the cleaner options, it can go longer, but there is still a limit.

And the weather often affects what the body does throughout the night, anyway. So, a wrench in any effort at having a clear strategy from the previously-mentioned information.

So, yeah. Just about every day sounds good to me. Thanks. 😛

Post-a-day 2024