is a town in Alabama somewhere. It's also the distance I ran this morning. It was a great run. Effortless. My new friend the ipod and I are getting along well on our runs-- podcasts are a good thing. And so are Boston, Devo, the J Geils Band and Brooks and Dunn. The eight miles took 90 minutes. 19 miles for the week. I really should think about finding a 5K or a 10K some time soon.
After I ran, I went into Birmingham for UAB baseball, one of three dates I said I'd help with public address. They swept Ball State, 6-0 and 10-9 in 12 innings. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been to a ball game prior to today. We sat inside, in a nice, warm press box on a 55-degree day with north winds about 10-15. There was a hardy crowd on hand in parkas, blankets, coats, you name it. I found myself reminded of broadcasting baseball once in similar conditions in Kansas, except colder temperature-wise, and more wind. My fiancee (wife, now) brought a blanket for me and really saved the day. It was fun, but I wanted to go home after a while.
Sunday is my last day at Domino's. It's a bit of a bummer, since now I'm finally starting to learn how to work there. The people I work with are nice folks. My job at the census office starts Monday. I'm looking forward to having my evenings back, and to making plans (or not) for the night. It's a 40-hour work week, so it'll make GRE study time a challenge. But we'll get there. It's just nice to have some direction in my life.
And K-State and the Miners both win! UTEP definitely has the inside track for a conference championship and a trip to the BIG DANCE!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
VOCATUS ATQUE NON VOCATUS DEUS ADERIT
This is a quote on Carl Jung's tombstone, a quote I'm told he believed in very deeply. It means 'invoked or not invoked, God is present.'
Now I don't presume to understand the quote's deeper meaning, but this line came up in our Sunday School class. I really like this class, as does my wife. We don't really go into the Bible, or the lessons for the day-- we spend 45 minutes going over one or two questions in our Book of Common Prayer, and let things take us where they will. Today I learned about a black man in a church in 1866 Virginia, who went up to the communion rail and was alone, until a man came up and kneeled with him. Robert E. Lee was the second man. We enjoy the class, the people and our church very much.
I got a new (for me) ipod this past Wednesday, and I'm excited about the possibilities. I had a shuffle before, but I found it very temperamental. This new dude rocks. I can take my podcasts and my music along when I drive into Birmingham, or on my runs, which was helpful during yesterday's seven-miler. Started listening to one podcast, and liked it so much I switched to another one. And when it was done, I listened to five minutes of music. All right there on this little ipod.
I ran 17 miles last week, and 19 miles are scheduled for this week. My injured calf seems to be holding up well. I'm running 11:20 mile pace, which is much slower than what I'm used to, but these runs are getting me in shape.
GRE test preps continue-- test is April 2. I'm remembering why I had so much trouble in algebra in high school. Multiply by 1/x, etc.
And I got a job at the census bureau, which starts March 1. It's a temporary job, and I'll stop working at Domino's, but the census pay is better, and it's a day job. Delivering pizzas is OK, the people are nice and I'm starting to learn how to work there, but it's second-shift work, so I'm working 5-10 a lot of evenings. This takes me away from my wife, as well as from things we like doing. The question of 'what's on the other side of the census job' will be answered in due time.
More to follow...
Now I don't presume to understand the quote's deeper meaning, but this line came up in our Sunday School class. I really like this class, as does my wife. We don't really go into the Bible, or the lessons for the day-- we spend 45 minutes going over one or two questions in our Book of Common Prayer, and let things take us where they will. Today I learned about a black man in a church in 1866 Virginia, who went up to the communion rail and was alone, until a man came up and kneeled with him. Robert E. Lee was the second man. We enjoy the class, the people and our church very much.
I got a new (for me) ipod this past Wednesday, and I'm excited about the possibilities. I had a shuffle before, but I found it very temperamental. This new dude rocks. I can take my podcasts and my music along when I drive into Birmingham, or on my runs, which was helpful during yesterday's seven-miler. Started listening to one podcast, and liked it so much I switched to another one. And when it was done, I listened to five minutes of music. All right there on this little ipod.
I ran 17 miles last week, and 19 miles are scheduled for this week. My injured calf seems to be holding up well. I'm running 11:20 mile pace, which is much slower than what I'm used to, but these runs are getting me in shape.
GRE test preps continue-- test is April 2. I'm remembering why I had so much trouble in algebra in high school. Multiply by 1/x, etc.
And I got a job at the census bureau, which starts March 1. It's a temporary job, and I'll stop working at Domino's, but the census pay is better, and it's a day job. Delivering pizzas is OK, the people are nice and I'm starting to learn how to work there, but it's second-shift work, so I'm working 5-10 a lot of evenings. This takes me away from my wife, as well as from things we like doing. The question of 'what's on the other side of the census job' will be answered in due time.
More to follow...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Still here...
With the whole 'new job' thing going on, I've been a little preoccupied with learning a new routine, at home and on the job.
At home, I continue to do a lot of running, though at a slow pace. It's what the training plan says to run, so I run it. It's a strategy that's been good to me before. And my GRE exam is April 2, and I've been studying for that in earnest, and learning all the things I don't know, and re-learning things I needed 20+ years ago. Isosceles triangles, algebra, antonyms (but with $5 words), and such. I'm just working on getting there a little at a time. The hope is to get into grad school and pursue a masters degree. Library Science? Who knows at this point. But I'm still at peace with leaving radio behind me as a closed chapter in my life.
And at work. It's been an adjustment, to say the least. I like having a little more structure to the day, and I like being able to save some money. Driving pizzas around means knowing the area in which you drive, which is a disadvantage for a new person in town. But I think I'm getting a little better. And when you're not driving, you pitch in in the store. Cutting and boxing pizzas and working the drive-thru window are things I think I'm starting to get better at. Taking phone orders and entering info into the computer have been works in progress. Yeah, I had a bad day a few days ago. I'm learning, though, and it's been two weeks today since I got hired. My coworkers have much, much more experience than me, so they're who I compare myself to, and they're who my superiors are used to working with.
At home, I continue to do a lot of running, though at a slow pace. It's what the training plan says to run, so I run it. It's a strategy that's been good to me before. And my GRE exam is April 2, and I've been studying for that in earnest, and learning all the things I don't know, and re-learning things I needed 20+ years ago. Isosceles triangles, algebra, antonyms (but with $5 words), and such. I'm just working on getting there a little at a time. The hope is to get into grad school and pursue a masters degree. Library Science? Who knows at this point. But I'm still at peace with leaving radio behind me as a closed chapter in my life.
And at work. It's been an adjustment, to say the least. I like having a little more structure to the day, and I like being able to save some money. Driving pizzas around means knowing the area in which you drive, which is a disadvantage for a new person in town. But I think I'm getting a little better. And when you're not driving, you pitch in in the store. Cutting and boxing pizzas and working the drive-thru window are things I think I'm starting to get better at. Taking phone orders and entering info into the computer have been works in progress. Yeah, I had a bad day a few days ago. I'm learning, though, and it's been two weeks today since I got hired. My coworkers have much, much more experience than me, so they're who I compare myself to, and they're who my superiors are used to working with.
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