Archive | February, 2008

My “Most Annoying Things Ever” List

22 Feb

So, I thought it would be fun to come up with a “most annoying things ever” list earlier today.  What prompted the concept?  Well, I was right in the middle of something and the bottom of my foot started to itch.  Naturally, I had shoes on, so itching the bottom of my foot was somewhat of a challenge.  I ended up having to take off my shoe…which was totally annoying.

 Then I started thinking about other annoying things.  Here’s what I came up with:

1. Actors/musicians who feel the need to share their opinions on politics
2. Having to scrape ice off of the windshield
3. Pouring spoiled milk on Peanut Butter Captain Crunch
4. Bob Saget
5. The “look Ma, no cavities” kid
6. Driver-side windshield wipers
7. Ink-less pens
8. Corporate cliches (we’ve all heard them: “touch base”, “innovative”, “user-centric”, “circle back”, “in the zone”, etc.)
9. Crying babies in restaurants
10. Scrappy Doo
11. Chuck Norris infomercials
12. People who tailgate…especially in bad weather
13. The cost of health insurance
14. Having over 100 channels and yet nothing good is ever on
15. Only having three squares worth of toilet paper (you obviously need at least four)

Well, that’s my list.  I’m sure there are more things that I could add, but I’ll leave that up to you.  Let me know if I’ve forgotten anything!

Flurries in Kentucky

12 Feb

I’m sitting at my desk at home staring out the window. It’s a beautiful snow-covered scene. We got about three to four inches of snow last night. Unfortunately, a warm front was close behind, which has left us with freezing rain. But, the snow still looks beautiful nonetheless.

My original intention for blogging was to complain about my almost three hour ride home from work last night. But, stories about frozen windshield wipers and snow plows that always end up behind my car don’t exactly capture the spirit of the morning.

It seems that whenever we have a substantial snow fall, we are forced to be still. If I were to walk outside right this moment and simply listen, I would hear silence. No buses. No car horns. Nothing.

It’s somewhat humbling to think of how the weather can cancel our plans. We are forced to stop our daily routines. Perhaps it’s God’s simple reminder of who He is…and how small we are.

“He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.”

Lessons in Humility

2 Feb

So, I have gotten out of my running routine and I’ve tried desperately to get back into it. I have NO excuses, anymore. I can run outside when it’s nice out (like today, for example). Or, I can go to the YMCA. That’s right, I now have a membership. So what’s keeping me from diving back in? Perhaps, it’s moments like these…

Last weekend I decided that it was time to get back in shape. I had watched one of those action movies and suddenly felt inspired. So, naturally, I had to go for a run. It was rather cold out, so I bundled up. I had two layers on the bottom and three on top. Plus, I wore a hat and gloves. Before I left, I did some stretching and hooked up my iPod. I was set.

I live in the Springview neighborhood, which has plenty of hills. The sidewalks are a bit uneven, but a biker wouldn’t flip end over end if he hit a rut or anything. The houses are fairly close together and many are similar in shape. In fact, I often pass by homes that have what seems to be an identical layout to my own.

Anyway, as I was out running, I was listening to Travis Tritt. He usually keeps my mind preoccupied, which is usually helpful when you’re inflicting pain on your own body. “For Sale” signs also catch my attention. I happened to notice one as I was running. I was looking intently at the house and I remember wondering how much the owner wanted for it. As I passed by, I looked to see if I could see inside and then imagined a conversation I would have with the owner. By now I was looking over my right shoulder…when suddenly, it happened.

As my left foot pushed off of the sidewalk, my right foot was making its way forward for my next step. My toe caught one of those uneven spots in the sidewalk.

Now, I have stumbled before, but not to this degree. I usually catch myself and keep going. Not this time.

As my toe met its misfortune, my head quickly turned back to the forward position. Gone were the thoughts of my imaginary conversation. I knew there was going to be no stopping me. I was going down.

My left knee was the first to hit, followed by my two hands. I did what anybody would do in that situation. As I went down, I let my momentum carry me through the spill. As soon as my hands hit, I rolled over my right shoulder, on to my back, continued my roll and before I knew it I was up again and jogging in place. I looked around to see if anyone had seen my tumble. No one was outside or peering out a window, so I kept going.

As I finished my run, I kept thinking, “did that just happen?” My throbbing knee kept saying, “Yes.”

For the next 24 hours I laughed to myself. Every time I thought about it, it made me giggle. What if someone had been looking out of a window? Can you imagine what that would have looked like? Oh, it still makes me laugh. I almost wish someone had been there to share in my experience. Almost.

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