Failures and Successes

I failed pretty badly in my Lent ambitions to free write every day.  I did not think about how challenging it would be to remember to do something proactive for 40 days straight.  The worst part is that free writing is something any kind of decent writer really should be doing anyway every day.  Hmmm, apparently I have a very long way to go.

In spite of that failure, life has had many successes lately.  One out of the two classes I was taking this quarter is over, which has been a huge relief since it was by far the most frustrating (and time consuming) course I’ve taken so far in the program.  (Not to mention sitting through a 3 hour lecture in crazy uncomfortable lab chairs when you are nauseous and battling bowel issues is flat out torture.)  Friends are doing well/better, family is hanging tough, and the sun is shining once again.  Chris had his second degree black belt test in Soo Bahk Doh last weekend which he passed with flying colors.  He had been training so hard for it I was thrilled to see his radiant, glowing face of pride when he came home.

I’m getting really excited about the outrigger race season as well.  It is exciting to finally be nearing the “moment of truth” to put all the years’ hard work and training to the test. 

Oh, and in case anyone is interested, I have been enjoying a “lollipop” book I gobbled up recently called “Ex-Heroes” which is a genre blend novel that takes place in a world that is full of super heroes (like the Marvel universe) but after the world is smacked down by the zombie apocalypse.  Very fun and light, with some unique twists on the typical zombie lore.

Dark Times

It's funny how sometimes life really can just snowball you.  I've been having a rough week, not so much because of any one thing but a pile of little tiny things (and not so tiny things) that have just piled up.  My prayer request "inbox" has been filled recently with some heavy stuff.  Between friends doing missionary work in far off lands, folks dealing with some very serious decisions in their lives, and others that are just generally stressed out, overtaxed, working hard, whatever - I have been feeling their burdens on my heart recently.  On top of that, there was a death in my family last night, and I have been juggling what is beginning to look like too many projects.  Some gears are changing at work, paddling is going into mega crunch time full swing, Spring quarter in paralegal classes will be taking  up a hefty chunk of time, and my schedule just feels squeezed.

So far, everything is balancing out okay but I am going to have to remember this week that I can't do everything and I can't please everyone.  I hate feeling like I am letting people down almost as much as I hate admitting I'm human.

In the meantime, I've realized it's important for me to identify what things I'm doing because I love them, what things I'm doing because I feel obligated, and what things I should always keep in top priority.  For some reason thinking this way helps me remember when I can relax and when I need to be "on the ball."  Paddling today, for example, is something I really love.  I don't want to go to practice simply because I know coach will yell at me if I skip, I want to go because I know I'll feel so much better afterwards and it will lift my spirits to see my teammates.  It's a sunny, lovely day and even though I am aware the crap is going to be kicked out of me, I will feel all the better for it.

The rest, as they say, is in God's hands.

Weird Things I'm Eating

Cherimoyas

Pretty much no one knows what a cherimoya is when I talk about them.  They are only available from March - June, and are deemed a "labor intensive" crop so they aren't exactly a bargain either.  You have to love them to seek them out.  This is a very polarizing fruit, that is, you either love it or you hate it.  It's kind of an ugly Betty as well, since it totally looks like a dinosaur egg and smells about that way as well.

The taste, however, I love.  They are hard to get in many parts of the country since they really only grow in South America, but here in Santa Barbara several people have these bushes that they raise so they are available in local markets.  I think they taste a little like a strange pear, but I mostly refer to them as "the mystery flavor" of dum-dums.  You have to wait until they are a little soft, and you can scoop out the white fleshy part in the center.  The big chocolate colored seeds are easy to spit out, and the entire thing makes a fun breakfast.  (As long as you can handle the stares from co-workers.)

Baked Seaweed

This is a new obsession.  They were having a sale at Trader Joe's of this stuff, you could get a little packet of them for $1.  I bought about five, and gobbled them up over the weekend, much to Chris' horror.  They are crispy and salted, quite tasty I think and reminds me how much I miss eating sushi on a regular basis.  It's a little bit strange when it comes to texture because it kind of melts in your mouth in a gross way, morphing from a crispy sheet to a gooey sea veggie.  The salt is good though and obviously more healthy than a bag of chips.

I know, I know.  My tastes are not for everyone.  But I still thought it was fun to share. :)