Reminiscing, Routine, Rhythm, Rescue, Random, Reiteration

Reminiscing

Here is a picture of the three girls taken on Dec 23, 2006. I can hardly fathom wearing short sleeves and having green grass and leaves in Dec. What a difference geography makes on the seasons. Houston's "autumn" comes at about Christmas time -- and you have to pay super close attention or you might miss it-- since spring starts around the end of January.

Routine
Today was a normal day. We got up. We got ready. We ate breakfast. Trent went to work and drove Julianne to school. Catherine and Madelyn caught the bus -- at the NORMAL time -- Adam had Monday club. I made it to the gym. I love routine. We haven't had it for some time due to the weather, but today we did.

Rhythm
Today at the gym, I swam laps for an hour. I haven't done that since I was 18 years old and practicing for the high school swim team. Sure I have done some laps over the years, but never all by myself for an hour. I LOVED IT. There is this silent rhythm about it -- knowing when to breathe and when to blow out air. Listening as your ears bob up and down in breastroke. Using all of your body to do butterfly. It was awesome. I felt at home. I don't need any music, any entertainment, anything to swim. (now put me on a treadmill and I need all of those things) Swimming just feels so right to me. I always describe swimming as a "finesse" sport. There is a certain gracefulness about good swimming. You don't muscle your way through 100 laps (well, I suppose you can do it that way but it is not very efficient). I had a great time also because all of a sudden I realized that I still had it in me. Here I have not been swimming for a while (although I have done a lot of cardio) and I got in and swam and swam fast. I used as a benchmark this young guy in a lane 2 over from me. His strokes looked good, he was younger than me and clearly in better shape and yet, I could do every lap faster than him. (he was not privvy to my comparison nor to my glee at beating him with every lap) In fact sometimes he would take a break and I would swim another lap and sometimes I would only kick or only pull and I could still keep up with him. Yes, I know it sounds stupid, but for me it was a reminder that I am not all that old or washed up and the nice strokes and style that I worked for hours a day on for my whole growing up are still there.

Rescue
It has been a big relief for us to hear that our friends who just moved to Cairo at the first of January have been safely evacuated to London. Moya and the girls got there yesterday. We are all anxious to hear if Stanley has made it out today.

Random
I am in love with root beer (diet of course)

Reiteration
WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH SNOW. All that talk of routine can be thrown out the window for the rest of the week. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, snow, plows, shoveling, delays, cancellations, early dismissals -- well they are all back on the table. so much for enjoying today.