Tag Archives: Quirky

Wednesday was a funny day…

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I found a new gym. Or should I say, it found me. Its only .9 miles from my home, & my whole family can gymnasium (I totally verbed a noun) for less than $30/month. Haven’t left my old gym officially, but I’m not going anymore, because my new gym has NEW equipment. Functional treadmills. Nice barbells. And kettlebells. They had me at kettlebells.

Worked out today. Happened to put my car/house/every-important-thing-that-requires-a-key-in-life-key chain in a locker. Forgot my own lock, but that’s ok, right? Came back to pick up my keys to find… someone had put a lock on the locker. Sigh.

I went around to every male in the gym (thank you Jesus that there is a Men’s locker room, because it totally limited my search) asking, “So, did you happen to put a lock on locker #37? Cause my keys are in there, man.” Everyone said, “No.” It was awkward, especially with the BIG men, the guys that have a Routine, guys listening to their iPods, guys like Sal who seem like they’d rather break me into several pieces as soon as look at me…

So I called mytheBean. She brought me keys to my car so I could take care of some of the errands I needed to run. I rationalized, “I will come back in 2 hours & the lock will be off #37 & my silliness at not putting my own lock on will be but a distant memory…”

I had planned on driving the Ex down to the gym to pick up my keys. Turns out, everyone left me at home WITHOUT keys to the Ex. So…

TheWeez & I walked the .9 miles down to the gym & I expected that my keys would be at the front desk by this time. Not so. The lock was still on #37. I was able to convince the manager that the best course of action was to CUT the lock on #37, & let me get my keys. Then, I would buy a new lock at the Home Depot & bring it back. A small price to pay for my… forgetfulness.

Got my keys. Ran the .9 miles uphill home, while theWeez waited at theBean’s work. Got the Ex. Drove to pick up theWeez. Went to the Home Depot. Tried to find a lock that resembled the 1 that was cut for me. No dice. Looked for 1 that I would want, & found 1 for only $6.34 (tax included.)

Went back to the gym to drop off the lock. Girl at the front desk was amazed at the quality of the lock I chose. Go figure.

Turns out the guy that had put the lock on #37 had been in the gym the whole time, (4 hours bro?) & had said, “NO!” when asked if he had put a lock on #37, but had obviously been simply trying to avoid the responsibility of locking a space that had held my keys… go figure.

Drove home with theWeez. Weary. 3 hours & counting of my life, poured out in the pursuit of right. Gonna watch a moving picture with my girl – Shanghai Noon? That’ll work…

driving me crazy…

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Today on the way home to meet theBean in-between her Thursday double (2 shifts at work – 10-2, 4:45-close)… I observed someone driving & doing a Sudoku puzzle. Simultaneously. Not at a stoplight, but while driving. WHILE.

I was mortified. Ok, not mortified, that’s too strong of a word. Cracked up? Ok, that’s more accurate. So I decided to play a little game all the way home… on my 16 minute drive, to see what else I could observe my Fellow Drivers doing while they were driving. Or, rather, when they were supposed to be giving 100% of their attention to their driving.

  • Talking on the cell phone. Of course – even though MythBusters found that driving under the influence is less dangerous than driving while on the cell phone, everyone seems to do it. The only redeeming thing is that you can’t put down drunk…
  • Texting.
  • Smoking. And not just smoking. Chain-smoking.
  • Changing the radio station. While leaning over really close to the radio so it could be seen evidently.
  • Picking something out of their eyes, using the folded down visor mirror…
  • Eating & drinking. Using both hands, steering probably with the knees.
  • Yelling at (disciplining?) kids in the back seat. While facing said children.
  • Rocking out, using their thumb for a microphone, checking out the rear-view to see Just. How. Cool. I. Are.
  • Watching TV – the DVD player in the minivan displayed just above the driver – how convenient.
  • A couple of readers – I saw a newspaper reader (& I didn’t think they even got printed anymore,) & a big, thick book.
  • A car-cleaner upper – someone was picking up the trash from behind their seats & depositing it in a bag on the passenger seat.

    • I’m sure that there was more to observe, but I was driving. :)

    How about you? What’s have you seen other drivers doing while driving…?

    a little humility…

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    This afternoon after work, I went for a 4 mile run – nice & invigorating, especially after the sun the went down. (Read: invigorating means It was icy-cold.) Fortunately, I made sure to dress for the weather, meaning that my little ears, hands, & feet were all ably cared for & amply covered by the appropriate runners-wear.

    The only thing that really suffered was my lips – the cold caused them to get pretty chapped by the time I was done. Usually, I carry a tube of “Lip Service,” (Vanilla Ice flavor if you must know,) but today, it slipped my mind, so by the last 1.5 miles, all I could think about was getting to the car, (the Ex, the car theBean usually drives) & the tube of Burt’s Bees that I’d seen in the center console. It made me fast.

    I got to the car & applied the Burt’s Bees liberally. Ahh. Relief.

    Had a couple of places to go. 7-11 for a Double Gulp fill up. USPS.

    When I got to Sev- (which of course is the way all the Cool Guys refer to 7-11), the people in line at the soda fountain gave me a look. A double take. Enough that I noticed. I felt like the guy behind the counter was trying not to look at me. Hmmm. As I paid the $1.19 for the refill, a guy that had just come in stopped & said, “Nice!” & then kept walking. People are weird.

    At the Post Office, it was more of the same. What is UP with people today?

    Got home & got ready to take a shower… happened to glance in the mirror on my way to bathing (no, it wasn’t an Innerspace, “Tuck Pendleton, gazing in the mirror moment,”) & saw that I looked… shiny. Glittery. Shimmery even. My lips were rosy. And sparkly. Uh oh.

    I re-clothed & went to the Ex, to the center console where the Burt’s Bees was… Turns out, I HAD applied the familiar Burt’s Bees. But it also turns out, my favorite lip balm company also makes a product known as “Champagne Shimmer.” And all the afternoon’s funny looks make sense.

    And I feel pretty…

    weather…

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    It’s raining. And cold. And windy. When I went out today, I wore my jacket.

    On Monday, it was 98, & I wore shorts, flip-flops, & a t-shirt & I stillroasted.

    Who’d a thunk it?

    Reno is a funny place for weather… I never cease to be amazed. Maybe by the 4th of July things will even out.

    Or not.

    Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy the lake. Your BBQ’s. Fun in the (invisible) sun. I know I will.

    Musings on a Saturday…

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    My Saturday evening routine is well under way…

  • I sit at my computer in my room at the little card table I call “The Office” @ Home – (by the way, Mr. & Mrs. H. You’ve got 4 weeks to master the theme song before we go live. I can’t wait. I want to practice it as well…)
  • If/since I’m doing worship tomorrow, drink an extra glass or 10 of water (for the hydration & the froat…)
  • Read over my notes for the teaching I’m doing – tomorrow, I’m up for Learning Community on the topic “Praying for Just About Anything” – it brings me comfort & peace to renew & review my notes… usually, something will “POP” into my head to be added or a particular section will become more clear as the area I should focus on.
  • I’m not doing the ‘Speech’ tomorrow – Shawn L is – on the topic of his blog – so I’m praying for him, as well as our desire to ‘take it where it goes’ (to cop a phrase from my Delirious? brothers…)
  • I vacuum the room, & meander out into the hallway. Usually I take the opportunity to then empty the canister in the trash can as I seem to be the one who finds that the canister is full each week at this time.
  • Look into the mirror – wonder if I really, truly have to shave… I hate my facial hair – it itches, & yet the act of shaving is painful, & usually leaves me with a wondering if I’d made the right choice… to shave or not to shave? That is the question…
  • Read a bit of LOTR
  • Miscellaneous quirky behavior…
  • Feel a bit inadequate – wonder if I’m in the right profession.

    That leads to some introspection – tonight’s thought has been swirling my brain all week at the monastery… I’m pretty sure that I don’t know what I ‘need’ God to do in me. Sometimes I think I have an idea – now, no. Clueless. A bit foggy. Dim. Makes me wonder in the times that “I Know” if I really have a clue, or if I’m really just proud, delusional, or both…

    I just know I need Him. So I can keep standing. To be my sufficiency in weakness & inadequacy. To be faith in my fear.