Monday, August 31, 2009
Motorcycling
The mileage started at 24,342 and on my first tank of gas, I got 62 miles to the gallon. Sweet! But it's already getting so cold out . . . I need to find warmer morning clothes to wear (and figure out a solution for helmet hair). Still, what a contrast to the Suburban! (I went 154.7 miles on 2.49 gallons of gas.) Filling the tank cost me $6.47. Nice, nice!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
My Ring
Louie made me cry today. He gave me a box of chocolates from Abdallah's. Inside was a fabric envelope with my re-made wedding ring! After a year and a half (almost) of wearing costume jewelry, I finally have my ring again. It's beautiful!
Here's what I learned in this odyssey:
FL = flawless (extremely rare & expensive) / IF / VVS1 / VVS2 / VS1 / VS2 / SI1 / SI2 / I (imperfect)
This shows the range between a perfect stone, minor defects that can be seen with a microscope, defects that can be seen with the naked eye, etc.
Clarity of AB or C is top-quality. These stones are extremely clear. DEF is quite good. GHI is medium (most mall-store stones). JKL are poorer. Hmmm. My notes are confusing. Maybe this is the color range, not clarity. All I know is that A is best and it ranges down to L. The bottom of the color range means that you can see some tinting in the diamond.
I guess I didn't really learn a lot . . . but I love my ring!
Here's what I learned in this odyssey:
FL = flawless (extremely rare & expensive) / IF / VVS1 / VVS2 / VS1 / VS2 / SI1 / SI2 / I (imperfect)
This shows the range between a perfect stone, minor defects that can be seen with a microscope, defects that can be seen with the naked eye, etc.
Clarity of AB or C is top-quality. These stones are extremely clear. DEF is quite good. GHI is medium (most mall-store stones). JKL are poorer. Hmmm. My notes are confusing. Maybe this is the color range, not clarity. All I know is that A is best and it ranges down to L. The bottom of the color range means that you can see some tinting in the diamond.
I guess I didn't really learn a lot . . . but I love my ring!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Picnic
Way back in March, Jenifer and I went to see Picnic, written by William Inge & directed by Connie Mills, at the Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake. What fun! Connie is such a fantastic director (and friend). I haven't seen one of her shows in ages. We all went out to dinner before the show (yum!) and enjoyed a delightful evening.
The postcard has been sitting on my desk, but I wanted to blog about it before I recycled. "A handsome drifter arrives in a small town and ignites passions as he becomes a catalyst for change." The male lead was indeed very handsome. When he went shirtless, the lady sitting right behind Jenifer and I almost passed out. Truly, we were concerned for her health.
Good show, good friends. I am blessed!
The postcard has been sitting on my desk, but I wanted to blog about it before I recycled. "A handsome drifter arrives in a small town and ignites passions as he becomes a catalyst for change." The male lead was indeed very handsome. When he went shirtless, the lady sitting right behind Jenifer and I almost passed out. Truly, we were concerned for her health.
Good show, good friends. I am blessed!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Clutter: 2
Next up is a note about people I care about who have lost loved ones. Why is it that I write myself a note, but too often don't send a card. Or go to the wake. Or call and say, "how are you doing?"
Sometimes I think I'm a really insensitive and selfish person. Other times, I just think I try too hard to do too much and am therefore bound to let myself down. It doesn't make much sense to send a sympathy card three months to three years after a death, does it? So I guess I can resolve to respond more quickly in the future. And I can still gently ask how the person I care about is doing. I mean, my next door neighbor's mom died within the past year and I've never said anything about it! I feel like a creep.
Okay. Can't undo the past. Live for Jesus. Look to the future. Be content in the present.
Sometimes I think I'm a really insensitive and selfish person. Other times, I just think I try too hard to do too much and am therefore bound to let myself down. It doesn't make much sense to send a sympathy card three months to three years after a death, does it? So I guess I can resolve to respond more quickly in the future. And I can still gently ask how the person I care about is doing. I mean, my next door neighbor's mom died within the past year and I've never said anything about it! I feel like a creep.
Okay. Can't undo the past. Live for Jesus. Look to the future. Be content in the present.
Random Thoughts
As I am trying to clear away some of the clutter in my life (both at home and at school), I realize that the whole "pack rat" thing is very deeply seated in me. Even though I know that earthly things are not really very important, I still cling to them. Why is it so hard to let go? Will it really matter (in the short run even!) if certain details, ideas, communications, photos, escape my notice? Sometimes I think, what would I truly miss if our entire house burned down? Of course, the only thing that would really truly matter would be my family getting out alive. I would miss sentimental things, not unread magazines or "to do" projects that are just gathering dust.
To help me shed some unnecessary stuff, I decided to blog about it. Even if no one else ever reads it, I know it will somehow make me feel better. This might end up being my electronic recycle bin so that I can clear some of the physical clutter out of my life!
First up: Roger Nordby. In his junior year at the U, Morgan got a scholarship from Roger Nordby. Totally out of the blue. He hadn't even applied for it! He wrote the obligatory thank you note and went on with his life. I, however, wanted to send my own mother's note of appreciation to Mr. Nordby. I had not copied Morgan's inital letter, so I didn't have the mailing address . . . or perhaps it wasn't included. I know that Morgan actually had to turn his letter in to the IT office. They probably wanted to make sure that the TY got done so the donors would keep donating. Anyhow, I figured I could find a Roger Nordby in Iowa who was a U of M grade. But as much as I googled, I couldn't track down a mailing address for this kind man who has made our lives so much better. Alas, I never actually contacted the U to help me in this endeavor. But after almost two years, I think this little note with his name can now be recycled. One less piece of clutter by my desk!
To help me shed some unnecessary stuff, I decided to blog about it. Even if no one else ever reads it, I know it will somehow make me feel better. This might end up being my electronic recycle bin so that I can clear some of the physical clutter out of my life!
First up: Roger Nordby. In his junior year at the U, Morgan got a scholarship from Roger Nordby. Totally out of the blue. He hadn't even applied for it! He wrote the obligatory thank you note and went on with his life. I, however, wanted to send my own mother's note of appreciation to Mr. Nordby. I had not copied Morgan's inital letter, so I didn't have the mailing address . . . or perhaps it wasn't included. I know that Morgan actually had to turn his letter in to the IT office. They probably wanted to make sure that the TY got done so the donors would keep donating. Anyhow, I figured I could find a Roger Nordby in Iowa who was a U of M grade. But as much as I googled, I couldn't track down a mailing address for this kind man who has made our lives so much better. Alas, I never actually contacted the U to help me in this endeavor. But after almost two years, I think this little note with his name can now be recycled. One less piece of clutter by my desk!
Monday, December 1, 2008
I love my sisters, but . . .
Aargh!!!
One sister's phone is always busy, because her household uses a landline for their internet access and anytime someone's online, calls can't go through! The other sister doesn't delete messages from her machine for sentimental reasons, so you can't leave a message for her! The phone rings about twenty times and then you're told to enter the security code. . . Neither one uses her cell phone with enough regularity to be a reliable contact. Neither one checks email anytime other than at work during work hours . . . frustrating. Or smart? I suppose if people couldn't get ahold of me so darn easily, I wouldn't have spent the last 45 minutes answering the phone and emails. Grrr!
One sister's phone is always busy, because her household uses a landline for their internet access and anytime someone's online, calls can't go through! The other sister doesn't delete messages from her machine for sentimental reasons, so you can't leave a message for her! The phone rings about twenty times and then you're told to enter the security code. . . Neither one uses her cell phone with enough regularity to be a reliable contact. Neither one checks email anytime other than at work during work hours . . . frustrating. Or smart? I suppose if people couldn't get ahold of me so darn easily, I wouldn't have spent the last 45 minutes answering the phone and emails. Grrr!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Time
It's after 10pm and I should be in bed. What happens to my sense of time during the school year? I'm trying to keep some balance and not be running frazzled all the time, but each day speeds by so quickly. I guess I should be thankful for all that DID get done today and not lament the growing "to do" list! I was able to walk the dog tonight, make chili for tomorrow's dinner (thanks to Nick's help), clear some papers off my desk, visit with some people at Eastgate about our Highpoint program, and clean off the kitchen counter. Yep, need to count my blessings!
But now I really need to get some sleep. And tomorrow will have enough of it's own worries. Time to pray and truly trust in the Lord! His promises endure.
But now I really need to get some sleep. And tomorrow will have enough of it's own worries. Time to pray and truly trust in the Lord! His promises endure.
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