So, the Srs Bznz gloves I bought yesterday are really 2 sets of gloves.

[weather.com] 8:45am: 5F, feels like -13F

Biking to church this morning, I wore just the one set of gloves -- though I brought the lobster gloves that go over them just in case.

Initially, my hands were fine though other parts of me got progressively colder. By the time I got to the Powder House Rotary? (more than 2/3 of the way through the ~10min commute) Yeah.

And trying to work the key to lock my bike with frozen hands? That was challenging.

During Coffee Hour, orgainst!Hugh offered me a ride home (he saw me biking on my way to church). I said I'm a very stubborn person, and he said he used to live in Minnesota and biked year round except when it was icy, so he understood.

I put on both sets of gloves for biking home, and wearing the lobster gloves definitely felt awkward.

My eyes didn't water at all coming home like they had going to church (Jenni, who was greeting with Harold, said it looked like I had frozen tears), but my ears were definitely cold.

[weather.com] 11:45am: 11F, feels like -4F

I decided I was not biking to evening church. Instead I took the earlier bus, which meant less time on the Internet at home, but I could print out the Council agenda in the upstairs office and have plenty of time to set up the worship space.

[weather.com] 3:05pm: 17F, feels like 4F

I was LJ commenting, so I got to the bus stop right around 3:27 (when the bus is scheduled to be at that stop) and I thought maybe I'd missed the bus -- but there was a woman waiting, so I figured not. I know the Sunday afternoon #96 is often late, so I gave myself until 3:40 before I'd just start walking to Davis to get the shuttle (and then backtrack across Harvard Yard ... yeah, this was not my favorite plan). After I boarded the bus I looked at its ticker and it said 3:36pm.

***

"Joy Sadhana is a daily practice in the observation of joy."
-mylittleredgirl [more info]
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. And they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2, Handel's Messiah)

( Read more... )

We've reached that point in the season when people say, "It's so cold out" (in a negative tone) and I say, "I think it's beautiful out."

I was a bit cold when I left my house this morning, but under my snowflake hoodie I was wearing a t-shirt (for the gym). At work I wore my sparkly dark blue sweater. Walking between buildings on campus this afternoon, I didn't need my hoodie, and walking places after work I took off my hoodie because I was too warm. (Yes, it was in the 30s F today; not windy, though.)

***

When I arrived at Mt. Auburn this evening, my mom was sitting up in a chair, chatting with my dad, eating "dinner" (my dad's update email tonight said, "I've never seen so many different kinds of clear liquids in one place: soup, jello, tea, Italian ice, ginger ale, and apple juice."). She was wearing her glasses, which I realized was probably one reason why she had looked somewhat strange to me at my earlier visits (because she didn't have them on then).

Later, we walked partway down the hall. She said it feels good to walk. "It feels good to rest, but why does resting always have to be in a prone position? Isn't there a stationary bike or something I can rest on?" She still can't roll over on her own, so she buzzes a nurse every hour to turn her to her other side; she says she feels like a rotisserie chicken.

+

My mother's liturgical planning delusion today was that we were in Paris :)

She said was telling someone about how her brain apparently thinks we're coming up on Easter instead of Christmas, and the person said, "Maybe you're feeling a bit resurrected."

My mom said she was watching some PBS kids show today involving questions about books [this, I think], and one of them was something about the origin of Santa, and for a moment she held out a flicker of hope that the answer would be The Book of Luke, but no, it was The Night Before Christmas, which she conceded was fair. I said I was fairly certain Santa does not show up in The Book of Luke :) (I also thought but did not say, "Aren't the gift-bearing Magi in Matthew?")

+

Apparently she's been misquoting me to people as having said "bonus happy hysterectomy."

Near the end of visiting hours, she caught up on facebook a bit on my netbook. She can focus on short bursts of text (she's on Percoset; she called me around 4:30 and asked me to pick up a People magazine on my way, said that's about where her cognition level is at -- looking at pictures and reading captions). I told her I could leave it with her if she wanted, but she said she's still somewhat clumsy (and the netbook keyboard takes some getting used to anyway) and so she would end up spending a lot of time on it not actually doing much when she could be, for example, sleeping.

My mom to me, as I was leaving: "Say hi to Melissa [my housemate], Ari, random people you meet on the street..."

As I said, yesterday I didn't leave the house until I went to get my hair cut.  Despite having absorbed the information on weather.com, I was still thrown by just how cold it was when I left the house.  It was good for me to get out, though.  Walking from the salon to dinner, I found myself wishing I had my laptop with me because I wanted to work on my sermon (something I hadn't wanted to all day).

I forgot about Molly's Diesel office hours until I got the reminder email she sent to the listserv Tuesday night ("five golden rings"!), so I chose to sleep in -- having gotten home from dinner around 11:30pm and in bed around 1am.

Today I had a 2½ hr lunch with Cate and then went and gave blood at the Masonic Lodge near Porter Square (and got a free travel mug).

I don't have keys to the church, so I hung out at the library for about an hour (and had wireless, which surprised me).  I got a phone call at one point and went outside and was fine despite the fact that it was 25F (though I did go back inside after I was off the phone).  Yes, today was significantly warmer than yesterday and I remain made of polar bear.

Dear Church,

Tonight at Rest & Bread, we will reflect on the love of God in the flesh.

Music for meditation begins at 6:15 in the chapel, leading into our service of prayer & communion at 6:30.

Peace,
-Keith

It was literally me and Keith.

Call to Worship was:

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word.

Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives.

Psalm was from Psalm 96 (vss. 1-3 and 10-13).  Sacred Text was John 1:1-5, 14. We talked about the language we use for Jesus and about finding language that speaks to our contemporary experience.  Keith suggested language of "guide" (as in, on a journey), and I talked about Tillich's Ground of Being and the idea of Jesus being transparent to the ground of his being and how for me that's one way in to understanding Jesus being fully divine and fully human.

I had dinner in Harvard Square with my brother and his girlfriend tonight.  We were thwarted in our attempts to get Thai food (both 9 Tastes and Spice were closed), so we ate at Uno's.

Tomorrow I'm getting up at 5:30am for morning prayer and the going on an adventure to Northampton and environs with Carolyn.  Yeah, I think when I get home I'm just gonna post year-end wrap-up posts and then fall into bed.

First Church is doing 7am morning prayer on weekdays during Advent, so for the second morning in a row I have gotten up 20 minutes earlier (i.e., now 5:40am) and attended. I intend to keep it up for the duration of Advent.

Tuesday has us read the Canticle of Zechariah (Monday is the Magnificat), and I'd forgotten how much I love it.

[I'm not sure exactly which version we used, so I'm just pulling the NRSV and inclusifying it; I think the prayer service is all fairly well inclusified/non-hierarchicalized ... though whatever Bible Ian was reading from this morning for the daily lectionary had an overabundance of "Sovereign Lord."]

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
     for you will go before the Holy One to prepare the way,
to give knowledge of salvation to God's people
     by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
     the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
     to guide our feet into the way of peace.

It reminds me of a sermon Tiffany preached about how we are all called to be John the Baptist -- to prepare the way of our God.

After a couple days of unseaonably warm weather, it is appropriately beautiful winter weather today (i.e., mid-30s F right now).

And leaving my house twenty minutes early means I see the sunrise again (fiery orange tinged with red yesterday, soft pink today).

I also remembered to make my future-dated Christmas post yesterday.

I walked to work.  I considered taking the bus, but I decided the walkways were manageable (that the ice was often uneven made walking far less treacherous).  I am often mega lazy and avoidant, but I am also mega stubborn.  I fell on my ass twice (once on College Ave. and once on JFK St.) and still went to the gym (though I didn't do quite a full routine 'cause of soreness).

***

"Joy Sadhana is a daily practice in the observation of joy."
-mylittleredgirl [more info]

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine
     -"You Are Mine" (David Haas)

Five good things about today:
1. B praised my handling of Recruiting this year (even with "the fuckup that ruined Saturday").
2. A friend of mine repeatedly thanked me for being so supportive -- and I was touched but simultaneously thrown because I didn't feel like I'd done anything beyond just of course what I would have done (as I articulated this as an Affirmation at CAUMC tonight, I recalled how I had nearly this exact same dynamic with L. around her move).
     i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
     my heart)
3. Katie and I did get to walk to the T together after work and talk.  Not terribly long as she had dinner plans, but given today we actually probably had less to say than we would have yesterday.  And there is talk of brunch on Saturday.
4. Laurie was at CAUMC, which was a totally unexpected bonus (I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving).  At Affirmations, she said that she thinks about me a lot, and said that I'm not conventional but that I'm very comfortable(?) in who I am.
4.5. Sean left vegetarian chili for dinner, and I was concerned that I wouldn't like it (tomato, spice, etc.) but it was actually v. good (and there was also sour cream to add to it).
5. I RSVPed (again) for tomorrow night, and Jeff replied, "Looking forward to sharing the meal and time with you!  It was really fantastic to see you again, and to get your amazing hugs! :)  See ya tomorrow!"

Three things I did well today:
1. [gym] ~25min weight room
2. I'm a good friend.
3. I did the Lilith reading for tomorrow.

Two things I am looking forward to (doing [better]) tomorrow:
["anything that you're looking forward to, that means you're facing tomorrow with joy, not trepidation," as Ari says]
1. Lilith book group
2. reading friends' "25 Random Things About Me" notes on facebook

Friday

( on a lack of heat )

( train ride home )

( Singspiration )

( joy sadhana )

---

Saturday

( joy sadhana )

I have new reasons to be concerned about Terry, which was about the opposite of what I had been hoping for as a takeaway from today's brief time together.  Sigh.  The song as a whole doesn't really fit, but as I was listening to OMWF I was struck by the line "Wish I could slay your demons."

First off, can I say how much I love Ari?  Yeah, a lot.

***

My hair didn't freeze this morning, but walking across the River I saw patches of it were thinly iced over -- which is an indicator of winter I'd forgotten about.  This week is going to be warmer than last, so I don't expect it to last, but it pleased me.

I've been thinking sometimes recently that my insistent fondness for and literal tolerance of the cold is in part that I am committed to this idea of who/how I am, but I was jogging outside tonight and the feel of cold air in my throat gave me this nostalgic happy which it wouldn't have occurred to me consciously to cultivate/perform, so I was comforted that it is at least in part still legitimately organic.

( gym )

Recruiting eating me up last week has put me so off my game.  Sigh.

I did have a moderately productive day, though.  And I was relaxed enough to feel like I could begin to skim some blogs again.  (Yeah, I know, I should really plug everything into a GoogleReader or something.)

The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna, taught the Obama girls, Sasha and Malia, how to jump on the White House beds.

First Lady Laura Bush verified the story, and added that there was a real trick to proper White House bed-jumping: "They're really tall beds; you need to get a running start."

***

In some families, you can jump on the beds, and in some, they tell you no jumping on the beds. Both the Bushes and the Obamas allow bed jumping. Or, no, maybe Barack and Michelle are the no-jumping-on-the-beds kind of parents. And Malia and Sasha will say but Jenna and Barbara jumped on the beds -- they showed us how to jump on the beds. And Barack and Michelle will be all: The American people voted for change. No more of the failed policies of the Bush years. No more jumping on the beds.

Speaking of the Obama transition, I was reading a blurb in the metro this morning about the Richardson appointment, and it concluded along the lines of, "the aide spoke on condition of anonymity, not being authorized to speak about this matter," and that always squicks me (I mean, I know I share inappropriately, but not like that), but having watched The West Wing, part of me also wonders, "Was that an intentional 'leak'?"

***

[giving blood again]

I just missed the 94 bus, so I walked to Temple Shalom [from Davis T].  It took me just about 40 minutes, hustling but not booking it.  I had a 6:30 appointment and arrived about 6:15.  An hour later blood was actually dripping out of me.  The paperwork is such a process, plus there was a delay because like six people came in like ten minutes before me.  Also: apparently I have thin veins?  Whatever.  Anyway.

When I sat down at the "cantina," a man was explaining to a woman about the early episcopal councils anathematizing the Jews.  He's not Jewish but is very committed to seeking "God's will" (I got the conservative Christian vibe from him around there).  Later in conversation, she asked him if he was familiar with The David Project and he said yes and then brought up CAMERA, which he said exposes anti-Semitism in the media, including all the b.s. from Jimmy Carter and the like around Palestine.  I don't have strong opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but this was the part at which I started withdrawing internally.

But during one of the conversations, she mentioned that this Temple has a Torah study from 9:30-10am on Saturday morning before service (which is 10-12!) which he would be welcome to come to (he'd be welcome to the service, too, but obviously might be less desirous of going to that).  I wasn't really engaging in the conversation (in part because I was anxious to get home for The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- and it took me little over 15 minutes to get home, which pleased me, though I was definitely hurrying), but I made a mental note of that ... 'cause clearly I need more religious engagement in my life.  (Torah study, though!  How is that not win?)

Also: They gave me a Red Cross blood donation t-shirt which I will probably never wear, so if anyone wants it...  (It's a size Large.)

Yesterday morning, Ian e-mailed me (in response to something else): "I'll be in in about 20 minutes.  I'll have a surprise for you."

He actually didn't get in for more like 40 minutes, and I never did get anything, so I e-mailed at the end of the day:

> I'll have a surprise for you.

Why does that frighten me?

(However, I was still hoping I'd get a toy surprise* or something.)

* From BtVS 3.20:
GILES: You did good work tonight, Buffy.
BUFFY: And I got a little toy surprise.

This morning he walked in and handed me a large hot chocolate.  Which had marshmallows.  Which led to an extended conversation about gelatin and what products contain it.  [snopes on JELL-O]

[I'm extra-amused because I prompted a comment thread about the use of miniscule amounts of dead cow in McDonald's french fries on one of Amy's filtered entries last night]

I'd forgotten about photo emulsion and pills.

Cosmetics, lozenges, and ointments.  Okay, this makes some sense, though it had never occurred to me to check.

News to me: Salad dressing?  Sour cream and cream cheese?  Cake icing and frosting?  I've always thought the frosting on store bought cakes was gross anyway.  Though cream cheese?  My mommy's awesome frosting is cream cheese based.  *pouts*  (I guess after my yogurt issue I shouldn't be surprised by all this.  Wikipedia also suggests jelly and ice cream and, oh, good grief, "Gelatin is used for the clarification of juices, such as apple juice, and of vinegar. Isinglass, from the swim bladders of fish, is still in use as a fining agent for wine and beer."  Oh and then there's fun stuff like "Gelatin is closely related to bone glue and is used as a binder in match heads and sandpaper." and "As a surface sizing, it smooths glossy printing papers or playing cards and maintains the wrinkles in crêpe paper."  *facepalm*  Also: "Used as a carrier, coating or separating agent for other substances, it, for example, makes beta-carotene water-soluble, thus imparting a yellow color to any soft drinks containing beta-carotene.")

Theater lights?  I'm unclear as to whether this is still true.

***

Yesterday, Laura put up (blinking!) multi-colored Christmas tree lights around her desk.  They subsequently showed up on Rich's and Katie's desks as well.  They actually don't bother me as much as I might have thought they would, but I remain a white light girl (as well as one who's not particularly into seasonally decorating, at her workplace in particular).

This afternoon she asked me, "Do you want some lights?"  I said no politely, and she said, "Okay, if you want to be a scrooge."  I said I was fine with that.  She said she was just teasing, and I said I knew that, but that I was still okay with that identification.

In other news: The other day, Katie said the ice wouldn't be so bad if only people put sand out on it.  My immediate thought (unspoken) was: Nah, if it doesn't melt the ice (like salt) then what's the point?  However, recent commutes have convinced me of the error of my thinking.  Traction is awesome, people.

I got my hair cut at Salon Cu tonight.  (And checking my tag, I'm comforted that it's been about a month since I last got it cut, so it's not quite as ridiculous as I had feared.)  It goes down to my ears, which takes a little getting used to (it's only about two inches shorter, but at that length everything feels a little dramatic) but I think it's what I want.  The woman who cut my hair, Christine, basically didn't talk to me at all, which as I've said here before is fine by me, though it was weird to me that she didn't even make any effort to engage me (I mean, I don't think I sounded that stand-off-ish or anything when I answered her question about what I wanted done to my hair).

If only I could pull off butch short hair.  Really my life would be easier in so many ways if I were a boy (hello finding dress shirts and pants that fit, and no bras, and pants with pockets, and on and on goes the list).  Not that I have any actual desire to be a boy.

***

I was browsing Reason online today and read "Why The Right Shifted on Immigration" (Steve Chapman), which was interesting.

Later, reading the comments on a post by Megan McArdle on needle exchange, I learned the term "negative externality."  I used the term "opportunity cost" in conversation this morning, and I've started jokingly using the term "human capital" (as in "building human capital").  I need a quippy tag for my budding usage of business school terms.  [I'm not entirely sure what to do with my "it's the economy stupid" tag.]

---

Advent meditation: Matthew 11:2-11 (NRSV)
     Tom did the meditation, in which he mentioned (re: Jesus): "Maybe the important thing is not so much who he is or what he does, but the effect his presence has on those around him."

+

joy sadhana for Advent (17)

"Joy Sadhana is a daily practice in the observation of joy." -mylittleredgirl [more info]

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before our God to prepare the ways, to give knowledge of salvation to God's people by the forgiveness of sins.  By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
-Luke 1:76-79

Five good things about today:
1. Strawberry yogurt parfait, still making me happy.  (I didn't have breakfast, and after the gym I was hoping to have one, not quite feeling in an omelet mood, and indeed they had some.)  And while I really wasn't into the Alsace GlobalVeg for lunch, dried cherries turned out to be pretty good.
2. Tomorrow's CHPC Bible Study got canceled, so now I can go to the Blue Christmas Longest Night service at the UCC.
3. I got my hair cut.
4. Dear Ari: Your card came today.  You referenced one of the greatest fics you've ever written, so no worries about the general plotlessness or whatever of the ficlet.  I am envisioning Charlotte having made a collage card and am trying to decide whether she went traditional skin mag or suggestive combination of pictures and text from like Good Housekeeping or something in her collage selection.
5. Southland Tales graphic novel Volume 2 had some interesting bits to it, and I'm liking Our Lives As Torah a lot.  (Supposedly -- meme at the bottom of this entry -- I've already read the latter, but I don't actually have distinct memories of it, so I'm discovering it anew.)

Three things I did well today:
1. I did ~15 minutes in the weight room.
2. I purchased (and wrapped) a Christmas gift for Nicole.  (I had the idea on a whim based on recent chance incidents.  I really do like doing nice things for people, but obligatory gift-giving occasions do not agree with me.)
3. I made myself dinner and washed dishes.

Two things I am looking forward to (doing [better]) tomorrow:
1. HBS holiday party
2. Coffee with Tiffany.
BONUS: Longest Night service

I did some minor work on the Course Platform for one of FormerUnitHead's doctoral classes and he used the phrase "super-fantastic."  I also tweaked the citations 'cause the inconsistencies were making me twitchy.  I asked him, "Is there a citation format that you... use?" and he good-naturedly replied, "Are you implying that I might be a little inconsistent?"  I admitted that no one else was ever gonna care (though I told Alyssa and she shared my pain, as I knew she would) and he did say, "I'm sorry it bothers you."  He also said he would offer to drive me to the T but he was going in the opposite direction and had to get his daughter to her piano lesson (he'd taken her car 'cause she had no school and her car has four-wheel-drive).

Around 2:30 this afternoon our tech commented that it looked like it was turning to rain and said, "Rain is good, right?"  I very much disagreed, pointing out that it would freeze overnight.  What I had not considered was the mass of puddles it would cause, which was in fact the bane of my commute home.  (It was really windy when we left the building, but that quickly dissipated, and the rain was basically mist.)  I went by CAUMC and there were lights on inside but the door was locked, so rather than ring the bell I opted out of the possibility that bible study was happening and continued on my way home to check out my stairs.  By the time I got home the the bottoms of my pants were frozen.  That was interesting.

The stairs were moderately clear, but I'm not sure whether that was due to any shoveling effort or just the rain.  The shovel we have on the porch has a weird bend in it which I'm sure is some ergonomic thing, but I don't know how to use it, so it makes me feel incompetent and weak.  However, I got the stairs fairly well cleared off.

We are on to the second bag of de-icing crystals, and I noted it was already opened and was about half-full of a solid hunk of crystal.  Le sigh.  I had to do some grocery shopping anyway, and FoodMaster was of course out of de-icing stuff.  Hopefully tomorrow morning won't be too treacherous.

Damn, I forgot to look for Dramamine.  (I didn't see any at Brooks yesterday.)  Also, I hear the new AXM came out today.  Must pick that up at some point.

Wow, that was more weather-related content than you probably ever needed.

In other news, this post made me all sappy.

And yes, I committed porn.

Work tomorrow and then root canal commences a 4-day weekend.  Weirdness.

Dude, Eric e-mailed me and Alyssa (2:50pm):

Subject: Leaving for the day
Won’t be in tomorrow.  Have a good weekend.  See you Sat.

Aww, my sweet gay notboyfriend.  (Why do I have so many of those, btw?)  Am really pleased he's still planning to go to Alyssa's party Saturday night, despite his sinus infection and giant move.

Oh and P.S., we're working on scheduling some time to all go out for drinks after work.  Alyssa sent out the initial e-mail, though I soon got put in charge of keeping track of everyone's schedules (spreadsheet!) since I'm less busy than Cailin and Alyssa.  ( from the e-mail exchanges )

***

Um, not sure what happened with CAUMC tonight.  Trelawney sent an e-mail yesterday saying (in part), "also, the young adult small group meeting continues this thursday at 7 [...]" but I got there about five minutes of seven and no one was in the office or anything.  Guess I'll be watching CSI in real time after all.  Edit (7:44pm): Mike just called. Apparently some family stuff came up with Trelawney and the e-mail didn't go through the server (no idea why there wasn't anyone in the church office, though). So that's solved. (Though it turns out that he and Meredith are spending this weekend at a long-planned Tufts event, so I'm now a bit more concerned that no one will come tomorrow and I will have to eat an entire fruit trifle myself.) /edit


***

Nicole successfully petitioned to be able to work from home tomorrow, citing Winter Weather Advisories with words like "Arctic" and "frostbite."  "Why do people settle here?" she, the O.C. transplant, asked me (rhetorically?).

My mother e-mailed me:

Subject: just sayin'

THESE BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL COMBINE WITH SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH TO PRODUCE BELOW ZERO WIND CHILLS. WIND CHILLS WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 5 AND 15 BELOW ZERO LATE TONIGHT...AND REMAIN BELOW ZERO ON FRIDAY.

EXPOSED SKIN CAN SUFFER FROM FROSTBITE IN A VERY SHORT TIME UNDER THESE COLD CONDITIONS...SO DRESS ADEQUATELY IF VENTURING OUTDOORS. BE SURE TO WEAR LAYERED CLOTHING...AND WEAR A HAT AND MITTENS OR GLOVES TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE DANGERS OF FROSTBITE. PROLONGED EXPOSURE COULD ALSO LEAD TO THE MORE SERIOUS CONDITION OF HYPOTHERMIA.

***

Edit: Some moments are just winning. NewRoomie had been soaking a pickle jar and picking it up said to me, "Can I put this in the recycling like this?"
me (trying to not sound too excited): "Yeah."
her: "I don't need to take off the label?"
me: "Naw."