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I'm one coffee cup away from going completely bonkers.

I'm a super-organized person, and that's no pun for my "Superman" family theme. I may be messy and may not dust, but I can tell you within four inches where anything is.

This is a necessity of working 40+ hours a week, training for a half marathon, and going for my Ph.D. in another state. Trust me, two years ago, I was SO not like this.

This semester should be much better than last semester...which stunk like rotten bananas. I have one of the same professors, but at least I'm used to her teaching style and know what to expect. And the other prof is my favorite. And I have all the notes for his class. So that's going well.

And work is going well. I'm organized there. I have to be.

Running is my stress relief. Nothing will knock out stress better than a four-mile run. It's heaven.

But throw one more thing -- even a super awesome thing -- into the mix, and I'm just about to pack my bag and move to Looney Toones.

I literally wrote a one-page schedule of Things Which Must Be Accomplished Today. And, in case I forget anything, I have a dozen or so reminders which will pop up on my phone during the day. Pack, pick up contacts, drop off my sweet Superdog at her Aunt Misti's house, get stuff ready for class next week (actually, that wasn't on the list -- eek!!), etc.

Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow I will be in a car riding down to New Orleans, where I can focus on my friend's wedding. Tomorrow I'll be back with my husband (who has to leave today to get fitted for his tux). Tomorrow will be easier.

But first comes today.

At Super Duper U

Superman and I are sitting at his favorite coffee shop, both typing away at our computers. It's Week 1 of spring semester at Super Duper University. I have an hour and a half before my next class. It's 5 p.m.

While I was slightly irked to find out that my 2 p.m. professor plans to let us out early Every Time, I did see the silver lining. We have a group project due April 1 (seriously, do you think it's an April Fool's Joke????), so this gives me and the other two members of my group time to plan. It may also be used as study time. We'll see.

I'm praying that my 6:30 p.m. prof lets us out early. Please!

In good news, though, Superman and I had an Ah-MAZ-ing windfall (well, after the fact -- you'll see). We got a prescription for his testing strips for his diabetes, thinking they'd be cheaper that way (they're $1 per strip normally). Well, guess who was wrong!! I'm sure my face held a Kodak horrified moment when I scanned my debit card for $106 for 100 testing strips. I might have fainted, too. It's possible.

However, as I called my insurance company today to discuss the stupidity of this (especially as Superman is supposed to test twice a day), these awesomely brilliant people (seriously) gave me a phone number to call...and the person on the other end has already shipped Superman testing strips and lancets...for FREE!!

WOO HOO!! Let me do my happy FRRRRHHHEEEEE Dance!!! Go ahead, shake that booty!

So, yeah, we do have to eat the $106, but that's okay. We learned, and they're free and being delivered to our doorstep. I'm pretty stinking happy.

Heading down to N'awlins this weekend, too, for a wedding. I doubt I'll get time to see you, Rachel, but if get out of the wedding festivities, I'll give you a call!!

BTW, give a hand to Rachel for designing this way cool site. She's so ridiculously talented. I might be a wee bit jealous.

Just a wee bit...maybe...

But the wedding will be tons of fun, as it's one of my close friend's (and one of Superman's) who are getting hitched, and both Superman and I are attendants. I'm so excited. I haven't seen C since last July (they live in Ohio), so it's going to be a great time.

Happy Tuesday!!!!!!

Superman, my rockstar

Rin and I ran 4 miles last night on the treadmill. None of the towels were clean, so sweat ran down all over my face/neck, and now those areas itch. Yes, you're probably thinking TMI!! TMI!! at this moment. But it could be worse. I could tell you that I had to walk about half of the last mile because lunch felt like it was coming back up. I could tell you what I had for lunch. But I won't.

Good morning!!! HAHAHA!!

And, as promised, here is a video and some pictures from the Grant Terry concert Friday night. I actually have three videos, but it took about 30 minutes to upload and process this one video, and so that's about as good as it's gonna get. Enjoy!!



This is one of my favorite pics of my husband.








Our friends Bret and Elizabeth came in for the show.

Where are you?

Grant Terry’s CD dropped Friday night, and, in celebration, Grant held a concert at one of the area churches. Superman played the keyboard and served as background vocals. It was an awesome night with two bands opening (check out David Dunn – he's AWESOME), children trying to play with Superman's keyboard (a hilarious story, another time), and an opportunity to visit with great friends, even via text message...

Let me give you a little background on my friend C. She’s my next door neighbor, she’s hilarious, and she loves to play pranks (Did I mention the one that involves Superman, curses, and plastic wrap?). Therefore, when I got the first text message, it’s no wonder I was suspicious.

C: I see you…
Me: I don’t see you.

C: Look around.
Me: I did. And I don’t believe you. I think you’re at the movie.

C: Nope…in a little
Me: Where are you then? What color shirt is the singer wearing?

C: The Dwight answer would be … Trick question…There is no singer…black.
Me: Ha! I knew you weren’t here!
Me: Bears beats Battlestar Galactica.

C: What…Snap…Then who am I stalking?
Me: What, wait? Do you really think you see me? Where are you? I’m at Superman’s concert.

C: Me too. At First Baptist Church.
Me: Wrong church there, Sherlock.

C: Snap. What’s going on here?
C: I thought the keyboardist looked weird.
Me: Oh my gosh, are you seriously at a different concert?

C: We give up. We’re going to the movies now. Tell Superman he played well tonight…I guess.
Me: Sad day!

C: Sad day indeed.
C: But a highly entertaining story.


Next blog: Pictures and video of the Grant Terry concert!!

Snuggle buddy

Superdog earns her keep on cold winter nights.

Granted, I understand you Northerners have -60 degree nights and shovel snow off your driveway on a daily basis in winter, but that's why I don't live further north. A 20 degree morning makes me want to cry...if I didn't think my tears would freeze.

I know lots of people don't allow their dogs in their beds, and I was one of those people until I got Superdog. I didn't want dog hair in my bed, I didn't want dog accidents in my bed, and I didn't want to watch where I tossed and turned out of fear of squashing a small dog.

But then I saw this little face:



And she cried when she was away from us. So I relented.

You wouldn't think a five-pound Chihuahua would be such a fantastic living heater, but she really is. So much so that on a cold night, Superman and I might pull her over to our side to warm our tootsies.

Last night, she cuddled up around my stomach, and I thought, "Ahhhh...now this is really nice." She was stretched out, and I was stretched out, and there was peace on the earth.

Until she moved and put her cold little nose against my skin.

I rearranged my position where my legs made kind of a 4 shape, which was an open invitation to her. She loves nesting, and any small space between your legs is fair game.

And her cold little nose was against my legs. And she kept smacking her lips. On what, I don't know, but it quickly got annoying.

I pushed my legs over to Superman, hoping to warm them, but that position quickly became uncomfortable. Superdog sneezed. Ew.

I pushed her unwilling body over to Superman.

Then I got cold.

I moved over and cuddled next to both of them.

Super Runner

One of my students said I was a secret gansta. I'm okay with that.

I don't really see myself as a "serious" runner. I see myself as a "play" runner, even though I do run about four times a week. What's the difference, you may ask?

Let's go to the Make-It-Up-On-The-Spot dictionary, courtesy of Lois Lane II.

Serious runner (seer-ee-uhs ruhn-er)-- a runner who actually runs the full eight miles needed to this week breezily and who (obviously) does not ridiculously sweat in the skin-tight workout pants

Play runner (pley ruhn-er) -- a runner who'd rather talk than run and who enjoys running for a six-minute time, walk one minute, run five minutes, walk one minute, and then goes back and forth for three to four minutes of running to one to two minutes walking because she's exhausted and has sweat dripping down her face (if it's not unbearably cold)

As a side note, what do you do when you want to run outside and it is FREEZING? (Okay, okay, for those of you who live in one of the 40 states north of me, I understand that 30 degrees is not cold to you -- but it's cold to me!!!) The church's exercise room is not open on weekends (or Friday nights), so our long runs on Saturdays HAVE to be outside. Any suggestions on how to warm my body up before it goes out in the miserable cold to cry?

Here's my more pressing question, though: Is it better to run slower and longer or the way I was before (faster but with more breaks)? I tried the slower-run-thing Tuesday and found that after 2.25 miles, I was not huffing or puffing or breathing heavily at all -- but my time was not good AT ALL (it was about 3 mins slower than usual). So....any suggestions? Thoughts? Comments?

Oh, and to the increased happiness of my parents and hubby, I finally went to go see my allergist. I have asthma and, while running obviously HELPS your breathing (so states Dr. L. Lane II), they were anxious that I would not have the breathing capability to make it a half-marathon.

I have not taken medicine for my asthma in over four years, but, unfortunately, I did discover that my lung capacity has dropped to 91%. Which IS NOT THAT BAD. But I did get put on two different mediciations -- one which I'm supposed to take before I run and which makes me SUPER RUNNER. That's when I ran 2.25 miles EASY. I'm not sure if it was because of the slower pace or the meds, but it was one of the most fun runs I've had -- and that was after exercising on the elliptical. =D

And three miles is set for tonight! I can't wait!

Blessings

No, I haven't been gone for about two weeks. Who me?

Christmas was awesome -- and I claim Christmas as the past two weeks, by the way. Superman and I headed to New Orleans to see friends and family; I felt blessed.

Speaking of blessings...

(Yes, I know that was about the cheesiest transition possible. I'm okay with that.)

So we started teaching the twentysomethings class for real yesterday (first week was introduction, second week we had one person for our Christmas party, and then we were gone for two weeks). Not only did we have about eight people, but we started the book, "The Tough Sayings of Jesus." If you haven't read it and get the opportunity to do so, do it. It's mind-blowing.

Four sessions make up the book, and we're dividing each session in two because they're long, and we like to cover each part thoroughly. Yesterday and next Sunday are on the story of the rich, young ruler who asks Jesus what he can do to receive eternal life. I could get in to what we discussed yesterday, but I really want to talk about blessings.

What are blessings?

Dumb question, right? But I'm totally serious (and TOTALLY revealing my age right now). Here's what the author of TTSOJ says: most of us look at the materialistic things people have as blessings, i.e., if you are wealthy, have a nice house, have your health, you are blessed. In that case, the rich, young ruler would have been seen as blessed. But Jesus basically shows that, while he has all the worldy possessions he needs, the man is not blessed because his identity is based on what the world gives him instead of what Jesus gives him.

Okay, then, back to the question: What are blessings? Can they be material possessions?

I actually e-mailed our young adult minister to get a better feeling for this question, and I did some research on my own (and am seeking help from bloggy Christ-followers), and here's the non-materialistic answers I found:

Jesus (and subsequently, our salvation)
Wisdom
Deliverance from evil
Children
Hearing from God
Following God's ways (which has practical applications: If you don't do x, y won't happen)
Life eternal
Spiritual gifts

On first glance, I gotta admit, I was like, "Well, um, this really isn't going to help me pay the bills or get me a bigger house, etc." But then, I realized, "Oh, WAIT. These are BETTER -- these are blessings the world cannot give." (And, frankly, they're much cooler.) Not only that, but these are from our Heavenly Father, from whom all good and perfect gifts come. WOW!

Anyway, if you have any input on this subject, I'd greatly appreciate it!! And, once I talk with our young adult minister and do some more delving into God's word and find out more, I'll let you know! =)