So, Today I'm Thinking...

...that The Masters golf tournament might just be the most overblown sporting championship ever. All the whispering and talk of hallowed grounds and such. Even at its most dramatic (like yesterday), I'm bored stupid by it.
...Wii Fit told me that my health equivalent was for someone who was 52 years of age. That machine caused me to lose a decade. That's right. I'm blaming the machine, not years of poor health/diet choices.
...just completed day 70 of the 90-day P90X. I've lost 16 pounds at 3 inches of waist. I shudder to think what Wii fit would've told me if I hadn't completed day 70.
...rumor has it that this year's Outside Lands Festival (I went to the inaugural three-day concert last August) will feature Pearl Jam. They'll announce the headliners today, and if Kings of Leon, Raconteurs/White Stripes, B-52's and/or the Grateful Dead show up on the announcement, well Bay Area friends and relatives, I'm pretty sure I'll need a crash pad in late summer.
...no, I did not forget April 4's remembrance of the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King. I simply didn't post about it. I never forget that day.
...yes, I did have an "all-Nirvana" playlist on April 5. Has it really been 15 years since Kurt killed himself?
...we had our church's sunrise service under the awning of our church's traffic circle yesterday because of the pouring rain. I thought being dry but hearing the hard rain fall (not to mention the nifty acoustics when a cappella singing occurred) made for a terrific church experience.
...I'm a reluctant misanthrope. I mean, given my druthers, I'd much rather be in my hammock reading a book or in my chair watching a baseball game, but I truly enjoy things like my church's picnic they held on Saturday. Just hangin' out, mixing it up with nice people and watching their kids hunt eggs or the teenagers congregate together around the pond or seeing people's dogs and such. Very cool, and our children's minister does a great job of making that happen yearly.
...I've been too ambitious in my reading choices thus far this year. I've got a scholarly work (heavily footnoted) on grace I've been meaning to dive into, a Pulitzer-prize winner on America from 1929 to 1945, and a collection of essays by C.S. Lewis sitting on the nightstand. Each is between 10% and 50% complete but it's slow going. I might not be reading MORE books this year, but I'm reading BETTER ones, that's for sure.
...that some of the most fun you can have is moving the furniture out of the way so everybody in your family can play doubles tennis on the Wii (which the Easter Bunny brought us this year in lieu of candy). It's even better after eating grilled steaks with the same people.
...that I have three ideas for writing projects (re: books) but none seem to be powerful enough to drive me to the keyboard with any consistency. I'll entertain subjects the patronage might be interested in me writing book-length works on beginning immediately. Maybe that'll do the trick.
...that I fired the initial e-mail salvo asking a few questions about admission into a program to begin working on my doctorate. I'm kinda feeling ready for that kind of challenge, so I'd at least like to explore that option and see what happens.
...that I'm looking forward to my trip to Birmingham this week. It'll be nice to have a few days in a row off. I've been "on" for longer than I should've. It seems like I always do that and should be more proactive with my vacation days.
...I've really gotten into cooking with a crock pot. I've found lots of web sites with great, easy recipes and my family seems to be enjoying watching dad putter around the kitchen. I think they like the food, too, but the novelty of the process and end results seem to have worn off after 6 weeks of it.
...I miscalculated the bulk-trash pick-up day for my neighborhood and a big pile of spring cleaning brush has been outside my house for almost 10 days. That annoys me, and I'm pretty sure my neighbors aren't too fond of it, either.
...Kid1's car has been broken into twice in 3 weeks in the parking lot at her downtown high school. The first time the thieves were polite in that they unlocked the car with a coat hangar but ruthless in taking the car stereo. The second time they were rude in smashing out the driver's side rear window but pitiful in that they took a $9 CD player that was in a bag they rifled through. After it happens, the kids start comparing break in stories and it's a "normal" occurrence. Yes, the principal is aware, but what do you do? You'd think the Arts District would be safer during the day.
...getting replacement parts on a 16 year-old car takes a few days longer than replacement parts on newer vehicles.
...that I got my new 18 month calendar book (still not in the computer age with my scheduling process. Old habits die hard with me) and the first thing that goes into it every time I get a new one is the Auburn football schedule. Check. Even got the new move of the Iron Bowl to the Friday after Thanksgiving.
...that here's a photo of me & Lloyd at the church picnic (taken by my friend Sherri Sund):

...that I need to get on with day 71 of P90X to work off the grilled steaks that Wii tennis, bowling or golf failed to do.