Thursday, March 25, 2010

I Stuff My Bra...


Filled under TMI.

Girls athletic wear is seriously lacking in the way of pockets. I suppose that maybe some are better equipped than what I wear, but then I'm really cheap and tend to wear the same stuff for years (hence the holes in my beloved exercise t-shirts). The problem is that when I run I must have a few things, things that are absolutely essential if I want to be able to reenter my apartment complex without a lot of hassle, things like a gate key and my actual apartment key. On top of that, I enjoy running with an I-pod to add a little extra bounce to my step and while I used to have an arm band that held it in place, it somehow got lost in the shuffle in one of my many moves in the last few years. The remedy? Stuff the bras! As I wear two sports bras when I work out it's quite easy to secure my I-Pod and gate key between the layers of fabric and not have to hold everything. I admit it can be a bit uncomfortable at times and some items do shift during the flight, but it's better than gripping them in my sweaty hands and choking myself with the ear buds cord. As for my house key there is one tiny pocket in my shorts that holds it very nicely, and if all else fails I can tie it to my tennis shoes. I'm sure that all of this is much more than any of you wanted to hear, but the title came to me around mile four today and I had to share. Anyone else have creative ways to deal with necessary items when working out?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Wishing for a Taxi


One of the nice things about living in Peru was the taxi system. You could choose to walk most places because everything is fairly close, but if you had a bunch of stuff to carry, it was raining, or you were in a hurry or just feeling lazy you could flag down a taxi. In the first month or so I was there I watched as other interns haggled with prices and soon learned what reasonable rates were, what taxis you were never to take, and the routes to most of the places I wanted to go. By the end of my time there I could haggle with the best of them, normally getting what people would call the "Peruvian rate" (i.e. what taxi drivers would charge the Peruvians). Today I am wishing for a taxi. Despite the fact that my poor car has been to the shop three times (one stint for two weeks) the check engine light is on again! My mother insists that I get it in this morning because she doesn't want me to get stranded but, despite the wisdom I see in this advice, I have a few problems. 1) They live out in Fulshear, a full 35-45 minutes away from here and so, even if she drove up to lone me her car I would need to take her back. 2) I am working today, taking the Jr. High girls to the Galleria to eat lunch and ice skate. While I am using the church's suburban, I still have to drive up to the church and then back later. 3) Borrowing my mom's car would leave her stranded again.

I am very frustrated with my car right now. The check engine light has always been ultra sensitive but after being stranded (and spending an exorbitant amount of money fixing it) we don't want to take any chances. I just want the darn thing to be fixed, at least for longer than a few weeks. Unfortunately, living in a city like Houston requires that you own a car (generally speaking of course) because the transportation system isn't so great. On top of that, I pick up girls all the time, run errands, and really doubt it's safe for me to walk to work. Thankfully, both of my parents have cars and will be loaning me the truck yet again, hopefully not for too long. I just need to be praying for patience... and that I'll remember to get a temporary parking pass from the apartment complex.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Praises!

I now have both my car and computer back! Detailed stories to come but for now, let's just say it was quite an eventful time and I am very thankful to have them back!

Reflections of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Love is patient" ...even in traffic...

"love is kind" ... no matter the circumstance no matter the person...

"It does not envy" ... any of her married or dating friends...

"it does not boast" ... of her accomplishments...

"it is not proud" ... about anything...

"It is not rude" ... to anyone...

"it is not self-seeking" ... but rather seeks God...

"it is not easily angered"... no matter how justified...

"it keeps no record of wrongs" ... but forgives as God has forgiven...

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth"... no matter how painful...

"It always protects" ... everyone around her...

"always trusts" ... no matter the person...

"always hopes" ... in the Lord Jesus Christ...

"always perseveres" ... through every trial...

"Love never fails" ... even when feelings pass away.