Monday - Columbus Day

Downloaded my first iTunes movie to watch on my iPod on the train tonight (Smart People - $4). We'll see how it goes. I also have a lot of podcasts to listen to - I should get iTunes on my laptop so I can sync/download new podcasts for the trainride back. Hrm. Something to do on Tuesday night in the motel room.

Columbus Day so no work. Last year on Columbus Day I was newly engaged - as in, new sparkly ring and sparkle in my eye. I still feel that spark, but with all the worries of my health/skin condition, I'm a little preoccupied. But I am disgustingly happy with my marriage. As Martha might say, it's a good thing. I just need to not take it for granted!

Yesterday I went to church. I had SUCH fun subway rides - because there were interesting kids in the subway cars with me. Not in a creepy way - but just how cool and interesting kids can be. The way there featured Rachel - a cool little girl, probably 6-yrs-old who was FASCINATED with her sweater zipper and asked her mom "how do they do this? it AMAZES me." I took notes so I want to write up the dialogue ... maybe as a scene for a future piece of fiction. I wanted to tell her "Watch Mr. Rogers - there's a great episode about that!"

On the way back, there were these DARLING little twins in a double stroller - little boys, with mops of blonde, thick hair, dark grey eyes and dressed alike except for their T-shirts. They didn't really talk - were about 2-yrs-old and sleepy, maybe a little sick with colds. But just so cute. And I was fascinated with how alike they were - and then the subtle differences. I hope it wasn't creepy I was looking at them - but they were just too cute, so I kept sneaking looks - plus they were directly across the car from me, so I didn't think too much of it.

At church - the sermon was "Rejoice! In a Time Like This?" Being in NYC, with our proximity to Wall Street, many of the people here (the pastor's parishioners) are directly impacted by this downfall of the stock market -- as in, they're losing their Wall Street-related jobs ... not just their stock options/retirement benefits. It's scary everywhere - seriously scary, but I wonder if pastors in middle America are delivering sermons like this?

The bottom line/message of his sermon was this: God is with us always, including (scary) times like this. If we feel blessed by God, then we can bless others.

I also found myself trying to ACTIVELY listen. My mind wanders easily, especially in quiet moments meant for reflection - so I repeated the words in my head and heart as the pastor said them - especially the prayer and the scripture readings to keep myself focused and really hear the words. I wasn't 100% successful, but a good trick to try to keep my mind under my control and focused on what I really need to learn/know.

Have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon - before the train ride, so that should help. I need to pack my heating pad just in case (haven't needed it lately) and plan to use the ice from the motel to ice my back in the evenings. There are lots of other little things bouncing around in my head - do I have copies of all my files from my desktop computer to use on my laptop. (I did move everything on my desktop to the work server, but I can't always access that from my laptop ... basically because of my own failings.

Puttering around for a while. ~Mari.