So, Today I'm Thinking...

...that it's pretty cool that my friend Melissa finished yesterday's Dallas White Rock Marathon in 4 hours, 18 minutes!
...that it's pretty cool that my friend Jonathan finished the same race in 5 hours exactly!
...that I'm giving serious consideration to running in next year's race. For some reason, finishing a marathon appeals to me.
...that I can't believe that nearly 5 billion dollars goes unused each year from gift-card purchases. If I have a gift card given to me as a gift it lasts all of about 8 minutes.
...that I'm really starting to believe that Tony Romo is one of those guys that is just a winner. He just finds ways to win games and some athletes can just find ways to get it done when the game is on the line. And, yes, he creates his own luck.
...that I have three books in my book stack to try and finish before Christmas.
...that I have about 8 books on my Christmas list.
...that it's kind of a bummer when one of your kids only wants one thing for Christmas, and that one thing is also the one thing that a lot of other people want for Christmas, and that one thing is sold out for sure and the only way to get it is to way overpay on eBay--which ain't happenin' at those prices.
...that I sat in front of a group of high schoolers last night for the first time in months and I was surprised at how quickly I could go back into that style of teaching. Not many people know that, in a teacher's preparation & delivery, the audience at hand is widely considered. It really was like riding a bike.
...that my wife has been working really hard at her business lately, and it's cool to see her enjoying it. I think when you work in an area where you really enjoy what you do (understanding that every job has elements we don't like) that it makes life easier on everyone around you.
...that Kid2 is taking some finals this week, and in her type of education, finals weigh heavily on the final grade. In most middle schooling options, that isn't the case. So, she can work at her own pace, which is the upside. But one test can change everything, which is the downside.
...that the drizzle and cold yesterday & today is doing my Grinch-heart some good.
...that my favorite Christmas decoration in our house is this moose cookie-jar, and I accidentally knocked his head off a couple of weeks ago--knicking one of his antlers. Now, it's all I see when I look at that cookie jar: One noticeable paint chip & crack. Most people wouldn't catch it at a cursory glance.
...that I'm going to bring back the term "sneakers" in reference to athletic shoes. I don't know why or how they were called "sneakers" but I used it last night in front of a group of teens and they couldn't believe it. So, everybody, let's start calling them sneakers and just see what happens.
...that the holidays really bust up my diet discipline as people just start dropping off all sorts of goodies at the office and it's kinda difficult to walk by them and not pick anything up. Man, everything is more or less bite-sized, which makes it more difficult.
...that I've noticed when you talk to computer I.T. workers, and mention the word "Macintosh" they give an almost rehearsed litany of how inferior the product is. Despite their mumbo jumbo, what I hear them saying is, "We know it's easier and better for the average joe, but we have to protect our job security with all this Windows certification stuff we have." Most computer users are average joes who will be much happier in a Mac world.
...that I can't believe I just had little mini-rant about something computer related AND included a product endorsement.
...that when something like that happens I need to get on with my day.