May 15, 2013: One last hurrah.

Starting tomorrow we fast media.  Which means I give up:

1.  facebook

2.  television (including hulu)

3. my blog (like I've been updating it anyway...)  

4.  internet use (unless work related)

5.  iphone apps (unless work related)

6.  unnecessary texting

7.  did I mention hulu???

As a last hurrah, we took a picture with Dugal's mustache coasters to post of facebook, because, that's the kind of stuff we do.

May 14, 2013: Mrs. Brooks would not be proud

I am really trying not to waste food and to eat what is in my house before going and buying new food.  I am sick of looking in my cupboards and complaining that I have nothing to eat when I know that others would be overjoyed if they walked into my kitchen and had the opportunity to eat from my fridge (again, Jen and Jesus working a number on me).  So...This is what I get:  pasta and cheesy potatoes.  I added the Pepsi for a splash of color.  

May 13, 2013: Pound it, Thor.

In case you haven't heard, my students are weird.  Super weird.  A coworker once told me that I was the perfect teacher for them.  I have no idea what she is talking about.

May 12, 2013: Long(ish) run

Last week I downloaded the Nike running app for my phone.  It is AWESOME.  It has a little voice that announces how far you have run, your time, and your average pace.  It has turned me into a somewhat competitive person.  I have run three times since getting it, and I am DYING at the end of each run, sprinting to my house in hopes of crushing my last run time.  

Today, I decided to go for a longer run, but was hoping to stay close to my same pace.   Meg and Artie face timed me in the middle of the run, and I forgot to pause my running lap while I stood still and talked with them.  Once I got going again, the little voice on the app announced to me that my average pace was a 16:30.  I was so far off, I decided it was no use trying to make the time up, so I stopped multiple times during the rest of the run and took pictures of my city.  This one was my favorite.

May 11, 2013: Fasting possessions

Jen Hatmaker and Jesus are really doing a number on me this month.  I am still reading 7 with my small group.  This week we were encouraged to look at our possessions and give 7 items away.  Each day.  49 items by the end of the week.  Sounded nearly impossible.

My closet alone yielded 54 clothing items I didn't even wear anymore.  Scrounging around the rest of my house, I came up with another 49 things.  What really got to me was that I could easily find 103 different things in my house that I had no use for but wouldn't have gotten rid of if not for this challenge.  Getting rid of this pile was easy.  What would it look like if I gave until it hurt?  If I had to find another 49 things?  What else am I holding on to that I don't actually need?  How much have I wasted by spending money on things I use a few times and forget about?   Why am I misplacing my security in my stuff and not my Savior?  

By the way, about 20 minutes after I took this picture I added two mini Christmas trees and an end table to the pile.  The nicer clothes are going to New Moms, a shelter for teen moms.  I am not sure what I am going to do with the other stuff.  Maybe hold on to it until I come across someone with a need?

May 10, 2013: Nuthin

First of all, I would like to say that I know I was MIA for a while.  I don't really have a good excuse other than I stopped caring about the pictures this month.  Maybe it was school bogging me down, maybe it was too many good episodes of Law and Order SVU (I made it to season 4).  Maybe I just got lazy.  I had plenty of fun moments, and commentary that was probably more cool in my head than it ever would be if I had actually written it out, but I was not eager to log on and share for some reason.  As a result, I missed a lot of days this month.  I am going to try my best to sort through my pictures and remember why on earth I took some of them.  This formal apology covers all missed days in the upcoming 20.  No further explanation needed.

May 9, 2013:

And things like this make it ALL worth it.