Filling my spare time

My spare time has shrunk quite a bit this year. Due to an increase in Deacon duties, many of my weeknights are spent prepping and databasing and printing and phone-calling. It's a joy to serve, and a blessing to many, but it's like another job. (Probably the most interesting thing about serving is how much I'm learning my heart had shrunk - a la the Grinch - a size or two smaller than I would like. But that's for another post. Maybe.) But I carve out time for my two favorite activities - reading and listening to music.

I just started a book by Diane Ackerman called The Zookeeper's Wife. A true story, it tells of Antonina Zabinski and her husband Jan, whose Warsaw zoo was bombed during WWII. They ended up saving people from the Nazis by hiding them in the zoo. I don't read a lot of history, as a general rule. But this book caught my eye for a number of reasons, and I find it engrossing so far.

I'm also enjoying India.Arie's new cd. I love (love, love, love) her Testimony: Volume 1 CD, so you can imagine how excited I got about her new one. Her voice is getting sweeter and her songs are still relevant. Good stuff.

Faith restored (sort of)

Thanks to the Sacramento citizen who turned in Lance's bike. He'll be riding it in part of the Tour of California. Props to Sacramento PD, too.

I'm just sayin'.

On behalf of all the good people in Sacramento, Lance, I apologize that your bike was stolen here. It does not display good hospitality, good manners, or grace. Sacramento, if we want the world to respect us, we should not be disrespecting world-class athletes.

Dinger-Gram

Jenni and Dinger pose for the camera.

TH and I never do much for Valentine's Day, but this year we couldn't resist this fundraiser for the River Cats Foundation. Dinger, the mascot for the Sacramento River Cats (AAA Oakland A's affiliate) showed up at my work with a valentine and a goody bag which included two tickets to a game, a baseball cap, and a small box of chocolates from Ginger Elizabeth.

It was AWESOME.

Whip-my-butt-into-shape Update

After several weeks (and a week-and-a-half vacation), I've stepped up the workout to week 5. So yesterday was the first day of this regimen:

• 5 minutes run
• 3 minutes walk
• 5 minutes run
• 3 minutes walk
• 5 minutes run.

It went better than I imagined. It's amazing to me to think that last October, I could barely jog a minute without losing my breath. Now I'm at five minutes (about 1/2 mile). That's progress!