Elizabeth (the delinquent, ecumenical) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hermionesviolin) wrote2008-08-26 09:03 pm
hermionesviolin) wrote2008-08-26 09:03 pm
[accidentally posted this before I was finished]
Yesterday I was feeling like I'm really kind of over this warm weather (though I was willing to wait until September/after Labor Day to complain, 'cause before that it's still legitimately summer) 'cause being warm and damp when I arrive at the T/gym after walking just doesn't make me happy. But it got down to almost 50 last night! I was quite pleased.
I did ~25min in the weight room this morning. I did almost all of my usual workout, though I was tired. My legs were what was most tired, which, which was weird because I feel like my legs are the strongest part of my body.
***
After the CNN hype yesterday, I had kind of wanted to watch Michelle Obama's speech last night, but I'm so out of the habit of actually sitting down in front of a tv (fall tv starting is gonna be WEIRD). Yay Google. Huffington Post -- summary, video, and text [and the text of her brother's speech, which preceded hers -- and the CNN transcript of Ted Kennedy's speech]
***
Cailin was saying that she feels like most of our peers don't listen to classical music, and she doesn't actually expect it to die out, but's interested to see what happens.
***
I had coffee with LauraRuth at Mr. Crepe. Near the end (she had to leave to go have dinner with her girlfriend) she asked if there was an agenda for this meeting or if I'd just wanted to say hi. I said I'd just wanted to say hi -- and that I'd learned not to have an agenda in mind when having coffee with clergy, that especially the first time I have coffee with clergy it turns out to be a getting-to-know-you thing even when I went into it expecting that we had an agenda for our meeting.
She did actually have a couple agenda items of her own. One was that she and Keith were gonna be meeting tomorrow to discuss the Rest & Bread service, which they've been doing for 3 (!) months now, and she wanted my input because I'm so thoughtful and considered and because I "think liturgically." I had to laugh at that one, though I did talk about how I'd learned that actually I am attached to certain ways of doing things (e.g., Benediction = "Now may grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, be and abide with you always.") and as I've been in various churches, I've picked up preferred scripts for different parts of the service.
The second agenda item came out of a conversation. She asked where I was from, and I told her, and she asked if I'd moved to the city for school and I said no, I went to school out in Western Mass. and she asked where? Amherst? and I said no, Smith, and she smiled, and I laughed and said, "Yeah, I went to a super-queer, ragingly liberal college -- which was awesome -- and came out of it with a hatred for the American Left."
She asked what "pot" I would put myself in if not "progressive" or "liberal." I said that if forced to pick a political party I pick (small l) libertarian, and that certainly I am aligned with the progressives/liberals on lots of things, but as I often say, I hang out with the liberals because they make me "less uncomfortable" than the conservatives. She asked me about that and I briefly explained my Smith experience and my issues with "inclusive" churches -- the latter which conversation I had just had with Sean and Carolyn on Sunday night.
She said she asks because they (First Church Somerville) are trying to put together a vision statement that doesn't use the word "progressive" or "liberal." (Her distance from the term "liberal" is a class thing -- that she hears the word "liberal" and thinks of people who believe that just because they say the right words they've done good in the world, like just by saying you're anti-racist you've done anti-racist work.) Thinking about it on my way home, it occurred to me that the answer is obvious: just talk about your guiding principles (justice, peace, whatever), with possibly secondarily listing the issues of primary importance.
At one point she asked me how old I was and said I seemed older than 25 (she didn't quite say "old soul" -- which I was glad of, because I think that implies more gravitas and wisdom than I have -- but it was that sort of idea) and I grinned and thanked her. As we were saying goodbye, she said she really enjoys being around me, which I was kind of touched by. And I got multiple long hugs :)
***
Had the first of my haul of gelatin-free yogurts tonight.
Whole Soy & Co. Raspberry yogurt = quite acceptable.
***
me (7:25:35 PM): [drive-by hug] I miss you. Which is not a statement of "let me pressure you into hanging out regardless of what your schedule is like," just a statement of my affection for you.
Joe (7:25:49 PM): hey!
me (7:26:06 PM): Hi! :-)
Joe (7:26:45 PM): how are you?
me (7:29:23 PM): I'm okay. Glad to be back home after a week and a half in Italy with my brother (we had a nice time, but I'm glad to be home). Excited about this cooler weather. And about the autumn generally. I'm having dinner with a friend tomorrow night and was realizing that I'm sort of hungry for reconnecting with people -- likely an effect of having been away from everyone for a couple weeks.
Joe (7:31:13 PM): I completely understand
Joe (7:31:22 PM): I saw your parents at my alumni choir concert
Joe (7:32:33 PM): I don't know if they mentioned it
me (7:33:02 PM): Yeah, my mom emailed me to say that you and Alaina said hi.
me (7:34:04 PM): I would have gone, just to see people, but I already had plans by the time I saw it on facebook.
Joe (7:34:21 PM): I didn't think to invite anyone
Joe (7:34:21 PM): haha
Joe (7:34:32 PM): I didn't think anyone would be interested, to be completely honest
Joe (7:34:40 PM): I was surprised there were as many people as there were
me (7:35:55 PM): You forget what an incestuous pit Norwood is? ;-)
Joe (7:36:53 PM): I did
Joe (7:36:56 PM): haha
Joe (7:38:33 PM): ;-)
***
[8:23 PM] mjules: Hee. You're so organized.
[8:24 PM] me: I try to be :) My backlog of writeups, my list of books I wanna read, my still-to-do list(s) .... all kind of very big.
[8:34 PM] mjules: But still, you have lists. And stuff. I think you'd kill me if we lived together, but I do think your fastidiousness is really kinda hot.
[8:34 PM] me: *loves*
[8:35 PM] mjules: *grins* Maybe because I so often lack it myself. But probably just cause it is hot.
[8:37 PM] me: *preens*
[8:38 PM] mules: *giggle* *strokes*
[8:38 PM] mjules: (as in ego)
[8:38 PM] me: Riiight. ;)
[8:38 PM] mjules: Think what you want. O:-)
I did ~25min in the weight room this morning. I did almost all of my usual workout, though I was tired. My legs were what was most tired, which, which was weird because I feel like my legs are the strongest part of my body.
***
After the CNN hype yesterday, I had kind of wanted to watch Michelle Obama's speech last night, but I'm so out of the habit of actually sitting down in front of a tv (fall tv starting is gonna be WEIRD). Yay Google. Huffington Post -- summary, video, and text [and the text of her brother's speech, which preceded hers -- and the CNN transcript of Ted Kennedy's speech]
***
Cailin was saying that she feels like most of our peers don't listen to classical music, and she doesn't actually expect it to die out, but's interested to see what happens.
***
I had coffee with LauraRuth at Mr. Crepe. Near the end (she had to leave to go have dinner with her girlfriend) she asked if there was an agenda for this meeting or if I'd just wanted to say hi. I said I'd just wanted to say hi -- and that I'd learned not to have an agenda in mind when having coffee with clergy, that especially the first time I have coffee with clergy it turns out to be a getting-to-know-you thing even when I went into it expecting that we had an agenda for our meeting.
She did actually have a couple agenda items of her own. One was that she and Keith were gonna be meeting tomorrow to discuss the Rest & Bread service, which they've been doing for 3 (!) months now, and she wanted my input because I'm so thoughtful and considered and because I "think liturgically." I had to laugh at that one, though I did talk about how I'd learned that actually I am attached to certain ways of doing things (e.g., Benediction = "Now may grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, be and abide with you always.") and as I've been in various churches, I've picked up preferred scripts for different parts of the service.
The second agenda item came out of a conversation. She asked where I was from, and I told her, and she asked if I'd moved to the city for school and I said no, I went to school out in Western Mass. and she asked where? Amherst? and I said no, Smith, and she smiled, and I laughed and said, "Yeah, I went to a super-queer, ragingly liberal college -- which was awesome -- and came out of it with a hatred for the American Left."
She asked what "pot" I would put myself in if not "progressive" or "liberal." I said that if forced to pick a political party I pick (small l) libertarian, and that certainly I am aligned with the progressives/liberals on lots of things, but as I often say, I hang out with the liberals because they make me "less uncomfortable" than the conservatives. She asked me about that and I briefly explained my Smith experience and my issues with "inclusive" churches -- the latter which conversation I had just had with Sean and Carolyn on Sunday night.
She said she asks because they (First Church Somerville) are trying to put together a vision statement that doesn't use the word "progressive" or "liberal." (Her distance from the term "liberal" is a class thing -- that she hears the word "liberal" and thinks of people who believe that just because they say the right words they've done good in the world, like just by saying you're anti-racist you've done anti-racist work.) Thinking about it on my way home, it occurred to me that the answer is obvious: just talk about your guiding principles (justice, peace, whatever), with possibly secondarily listing the issues of primary importance.
At one point she asked me how old I was and said I seemed older than 25 (she didn't quite say "old soul" -- which I was glad of, because I think that implies more gravitas and wisdom than I have -- but it was that sort of idea) and I grinned and thanked her. As we were saying goodbye, she said she really enjoys being around me, which I was kind of touched by. And I got multiple long hugs :)
***
Had the first of my haul of gelatin-free yogurts tonight.
Whole Soy & Co. Raspberry yogurt = quite acceptable.
***
me (7:25:35 PM): [drive-by hug] I miss you. Which is not a statement of "let me pressure you into hanging out regardless of what your schedule is like," just a statement of my affection for you.
Joe (7:25:49 PM): hey!
me (7:26:06 PM): Hi! :-)
Joe (7:26:45 PM): how are you?
me (7:29:23 PM): I'm okay. Glad to be back home after a week and a half in Italy with my brother (we had a nice time, but I'm glad to be home). Excited about this cooler weather. And about the autumn generally. I'm having dinner with a friend tomorrow night and was realizing that I'm sort of hungry for reconnecting with people -- likely an effect of having been away from everyone for a couple weeks.
Joe (7:31:13 PM): I completely understand
Joe (7:31:22 PM): I saw your parents at my alumni choir concert
Joe (7:32:33 PM): I don't know if they mentioned it
me (7:33:02 PM): Yeah, my mom emailed me to say that you and Alaina said hi.
me (7:34:04 PM): I would have gone, just to see people, but I already had plans by the time I saw it on facebook.
Joe (7:34:21 PM): I didn't think to invite anyone
Joe (7:34:21 PM): haha
Joe (7:34:32 PM): I didn't think anyone would be interested, to be completely honest
Joe (7:34:40 PM): I was surprised there were as many people as there were
me (7:35:55 PM): You forget what an incestuous pit Norwood is? ;-)
Joe (7:36:53 PM): I did
Joe (7:36:56 PM): haha
Joe (7:38:33 PM): ;-)
***
[8:23 PM] mjules: Hee. You're so organized.
[8:24 PM] me: I try to be :) My backlog of writeups, my list of books I wanna read, my still-to-do list(s) .... all kind of very big.
[8:34 PM] mjules: But still, you have lists. And stuff. I think you'd kill me if we lived together, but I do think your fastidiousness is really kinda hot.
[8:34 PM] me: *loves*
[8:35 PM] mjules: *grins* Maybe because I so often lack it myself. But probably just cause it is hot.
[8:37 PM] me: *preens*
[8:38 PM] mules: *giggle* *strokes*
[8:38 PM] mjules: (as in ego)
[8:38 PM] me: Riiight. ;)
[8:38 PM] mjules: Think what you want. O:-)