I'm indignant for my friend

Last week a friend of mine (and a friend of many of you, as well) was riding his bike in Pittsburgh and got a bit roughed up by some policemen. All Chris did was ask the cop not to touch him and another cop came in and pushed him up against a car with his club and then arrested him.
I'm utterly ticked. Talk about your illegal arrest.


I'm very, very, very indignant. Okay, and angry, too.

We need to stand up against things like this and do what we can to stop them from even happening in the first place. Seriously? Ugh.

guilt vs. godly sorrow

I know that this is sort of semantics, but it's useful to me. A few years back I realized the difference between two forms of shame. Guilt is something that festers that makes you feel unworthy, especially if you dwell on the problem causing the guilt. Godly sorrow is something that's sorta like guilt, but it pushes you to want to improve, let go of and become more like God.

Anyway, the reason why I mention this is because it again popped into my mind over the weekend. I know that I can get on a soap box about it. But if it's not helping us to improve, really we just need to let it go.

And that's all I have to say about that.

A couple of things: books

First, a good friend of mine recently blogged about books and then asked what books others thought she should read. I am now asking the same thing:
What books should I read? What dramas? What humorous books? What short stories? What books did you love growing up. Please comment.


I've needed new jeans for months and months and months. I ended up with some time tonight so I went book shopping. I had decided that I wanted to read The Once and Future King. I went to Barnes & Noble (I prefer the no-blee pronunciation). I found that book and then spent another 85 minutes looking at book after book after book. And I found a journal that I love. I already have a blank one waiting for me, but I might end up going back and buying this particular one.

I tend to buy books that have a lot to do with the human struggle. You know, books that may be a coming-of-age theme, or an adult learning to deal with a situation or deal with something from the past. I think this is why I love Chaim Potok's book so much. He is an amazing author. Lately I think I might just be tired because I'm not sure I want to read something that might be emotionally draining. So what do I get? A novel about epic struggle. Sigh...I can't hide from me.

So, during my 85-minute perusal of B&N shelves, I took cell phone memo pad note of future books to read. Here's the list:
Conversation in the Cathedral by Vargas Llosa
Homeland by B. Kingsolver (read The Bean Trees. The book means so much more to me now years after reading it.)
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
José Saramago (I just don't know if I wanna read them in English, though)
The Known World by Edward P Jones
Dreaming in Cuban by García
Welcome to the Monkey House by Vonnegut
Eudora Welty
Dawn & Day by Elie Wiesel (2nd and 3rd in a series with Night being the first book and a must read. I read Night during my junior year when I was a history major. I read it in one sitting and then sobbed for an hour. But it is important.)
True Compass by Ted Kennedy

woe, weeping

I'm really, really sad. The elation of two Saturdays ago against Oklahoma has dissipated. But I have faith in my mighty mighty Cougars that they'll rebound. Vegas Bowl ahead.
But I think tonight I just might cry myself to sleep.

Some name help

I have very vivid dreams sometimes.
Anyway, this morning I had a dream that I had a baby. He was really cute and in the dream I was only pregnant for a couple of weeks, so that was nice. The problem is that Millie woke me up before he got a name. Oh, and like Anakin Skywalker, there was no father.

So, what good, solid first and middle name should he have gotten?

Gum.

FYI: Polls.

I am a gum addict, as I referenced in an earlier post. I got questions about what gum I chew, so I thought I'd answer that with a post.
My preferred mint gum is sweet mint or spearmint by Orbit. Did you know that the spearmint comes in a big pack of 35? That's 5 rows of 7 pieces and I like to remove the sticks so that I get this nice pyramid effect. I thought I had a picture of this. I'll find one at some point and post it.

I've found that if I chew gum, mint gum usually, I play sports better. In fact, if I don't, I have a harder time focusing. I'm not the first person who uses gum to improve play.

Anyway, there are times that I go through Dubble Bubble like crazy. This is due to Sarah's influence.

5 has a place in my life. Stride can also be good. The fruity and other flavors are only okay in my book. There's also this gum called IceCubes that I sometimes have in the car, b/c it's easy to pop into my mouth from the box, but it doesn't last very long and sometimes disintegrates.
I also like to go out on crazy limbs and try odd flavors, like chocolate mint or blueberry pomegranate.
On my mission I chewed Chiclets (shee-Kleh-chee), hortelã (peppermint) flavor.


I hope that's enough gum info. I can divulge more later.

Another blunder posted for Larissa

I like gum. I also like to try new flavors of gum. This means that I have a lot of packs of different kinds of gum in my room. Mostly I put them in my Gum Bowl, which is a bowl made to look like a basketball with a goofy face on it.
I was explaining this to my coworker, about how I love gum and I said, "I'm just a dru........." At this point I put my head onto my desk and start to laugh. She doesn't know why I'm laughing, so I tell her I'm a gum addict. To which she responds, "Drug addict, huh?"

Man, I'm batting a thousand.

Mental Lapses lead to awkward Freudian Slips

I got used to using bigger spoons in Brazil. A couple of years ago, explaining this to Scottie, I said, "I'm really a big spooner."

Then today I was thinking about how I tend to drink a lot of water at work. I almost said, "I'm a heavy drinker."


But something that I did on purpose? I brought up the Chastity Talk Bingo that I made. I knew this would lead to an awkward moment of people having to think and mumble--while at work--about the dreaded Chastity Talk.
I know, I am a jerk.

CF & Peaches

I watched (or am still watching) parts of 5 college football games tonight.
I also got splattered by peach goo working at the cannery earlier.
Tonight has been a great night.