• The calendar says that spring is coming in a couple of weeks, but there are no bright skies, clear air, or blue-birds prophesying Spring here today. It’s snowing. In March. In South Carolina. We’re supposed to get 2-4 inches today. Thankfully it is expected to be gone by tomorrow and the weekend is supposed to be nice.

• I was at W-Mart this morning and saw these cute sandwich cutters. I never liked the idea of cutting sandwiches into cute shapes because of the waste of what’s left over, but this looks like it would create little waste. Unfortunately, my guys are beyond the cute sandwich stage — though it would be fun to see how they would react to little dino-sandwiches. 🙂

• One of my sisters in Texas and I had e-mails going back and forth about a Christmas package she had sent. We were talking about the contents and the fact that I still have some of the things in it that were for two of my other sisters about 45 minutes away (even though it is two months past Christmas….we have conflicting schedules and a hard time getting together.) She was all right with that, but then she asked, “Did you like the ring?” “Ring? What ring?” She had sent one my my mom’s “mother’s rings” — years ago it was popular to have a ring made with all your children’s birthstones. I had not seen it at all and didn’t know it was in there. I went back and searched thoroughly the box and the two different areas where it had been, but saw nothing. If it was mixed up in the packaging material, it’s long gone. I was hoping maybe it fell out of the box near the wall or between different items nearby…but found nothing so far. I am so heartsick over it. My mother’s taste in jewelry was much gaudier than mine, so I would never have worn it, but I would have liked to have it because it was hers. I’m praying that if it is still anywhere here, we’ll find it.

• Update: FOUND! Okay, between e-mails and phone calls, here is what happened: My husband had gone to Houston for a business trip last fall and couldn’t get by to see my sister but had called. They talked about the ring, and decided she would send it to him in a Christmas box before our anniversary, and he was going to give to to me then. But it didn’t arrive in time, so when we got back from our anniversary trip, he opened the box and took out the ring and put it on a shelf in his closet, thinking he would get it cleaned and give it to me another time. So when I e-mail my sister back that I searched everywhere and couldn’t find the ring, she e-mailed back and said, “Oh no, I ruined the surprise!” and told me what was supposed to have happened. I called my husband, and he told me where it was — and I found it! I am sooo relieved!! Whew — talking about hitting the heights and depths in one morning!!!

You’ve probably heard that there was a major earthquake in Chile which is setting off a tsunami. I have several friends in the predicted path of the tsunami — I am sure they and the people affected by the earthquake would appreciate prayer.

Also, our family may be facing some major changes in the coming months. I can’t say anything more specific right now, but would appreciate prayer for discernment of the Lord’s will and leading and reconciliation of our feelings to His will.

UP: I had a really good, thoughtful post pretty much composed in my head in the shower at about 5:15 this morning.

DOWN: By the time I got to the computer at 8:15, it wasn’t flowing. I remembered parts of it, but it just wasn’t coming together. I’ll work on it and see what happens.

UP: I only got five hours of sleep last night and was up late a few night this week, so when I was falling asleep in y computer chair this morning. I decided to take a nap.

DOWN: I slept much longer than I intended to and now have a bit of a headache.

UP: But my mind is clearer and I am more alert.

DOWN: I got summoned for jury duty.

UP: It’s only for a day rather than a week. I requested to be excused due to medical issues that make it hard to stay seated for more than an hour and a half at a time. I don’t know if it will be regarded a legitimate request or not, but I felt it was better to bring it up now than not mention it and have it become an issue then.

DOWN: All of us except Jesse have taken turns being sick with some kind of cold/sinus issue.

UP: All of us are better…

DOWN: …except Jim. He’s actually better, but things seem to have settled in his throat. I thought for sure he had strep, but he went to the doctor Monday, who said it was just raw and inflamed. Every time he talks for very long, he starts coughing…and a lot of his job involves talking. The doctor did prescribe some medicine, so hopefully he’ll be on the mend here soon.

UP: I am loving the Olympics. I am watching more than I usually do — I think perhaps because of viewing history in the moment and in context rather than in short clips on the news. Loved especially Canada’s first gold on its own soil with Alexandre Bilodeau (who seems like a genuinely nice guy. I don’t know how anyone can do moguls and keep their knees for very long, though), Anton Ohno’s speed skating, the men’s short program in figure skating Tuesday night, especially Evan Lysacek’s routine, and Shaun White’s gold medal snowboarding last night. Looking forward to the men’s long program in skating tonight.

I don’t usually discuss TV much here, but I’ve been wanting to jot some thoughts about  The Biggest Loser. I’ve only been watching it for a few seasons now, but here are some general thoughts about it.

What I like about it:

• The opportunity the contestants have to put everything else aside to concentrate on their health.
• The opportunity to lose weight with specific instruction and guided workouts.
• Eucational segments, like when they show the actual calorie content of many popular foods.
• When they show simple, healthful, tasty alternatives.
• The medical evaluations where the doctor shows scans of the amount of body fat in their system and their actual body age based on their health vs. their actual age. Painful, but it is a needed wake-up call.
• Seeing the contestants’ progress.

What I don’t like about it:

• The trainers yelling in the contestants’ faces.
• The trainers referring to workouts as “beating them up” or “torturing them.”
• Unnecessary producer-induced drama: some change or shake-up or requirement brought in just to add drama to the show. Sometimes it does help the contestants to realize that whatever they’re depending on — their routine, partner, etc. — is not what they need to be leaning so heavily on, and in that sense it is good to help them find the source of strength they need to carry on despite circumstances. But sometimes the changes seem to be designed just to get people upset so the camera can catch it so they have conflict for the show.
• When they send people home in the first show. One or two seasons ago they sent one half of every couple home and it was up to their partners to keep losing enough weight to stay on the show and bring them back after some period of time. This season just a few minutes into the show, two teams were sent home with the opportunity to come back in a month, and whichever had lost the most could stay. Can you imagine the excitement and preparations only to be sent home so soon without the opportunity to learn what you came there to learn?
• Jillian’s penchant to reducing a contestant to a blubbering mess so they’ll open up so she can psychoanalyze them. They all probably do have issues besides diet and exercise they need to deal with, but I don’t think it has to be done that way.

Why I could never be on the show:

• I could not weigh in in public in those outfits designed to show every bump and bulge, not just because of embarrassment, but because of modesty. I couldn’t do so even if I was slim — especially if I was slim.
• I could.not.stand the yelling in the face thing. Or yelling at all.
• Physical issues that would mean not being able to do the kinds of physical things they do as much as they do them. They do sometimes have someone with bad knees or something who has to work out in the pool, but I think it puts them at a disadvantage on the show in the long run. I think it would be interesting for them to do a season with people with physical limitations just so people in that situation know it IS possible. But they probably would not have the big dramatic weight losses every week.
• I don’t really like group things. I tried Weight Watchers for about a month but really didn’t like the sessions.
• I’m too private to do all of that in front of the group there, not to mention in front of cameras and the public eye. Blogging about it is one thing — I did have a weight-loss blog at one time (I still have it, but have not done much with it) and participated in group weigh-in and encouragement blog until it went defunct, and I like reading other people’s weight-loss blogs, but I would feel uncomfortable in a group setting in person.

Meanwhile I’ll keep watching and hopefully learning and being inspired. Ironically, though, every time I watch it I want to eat during or after it….

So I stopped into a new grocery store this morning after taking Jesse to school. As I walked in the door, I saw about half a dozen manager-types  huddled over to the left and a girl restocking the produce bins on the right. As soon as I entered, they all stopped, turned to me, and said, “Welcome to (name of their store)!”

And I thought….”This is a little creepy, folks.”

That feeling persisted as the managers finished their meeting, scattered different directions, and greeted me every time they saw me throughout the store with some of the biggest, widest smiles I have ever seen and a “Welcome to ____ ____!”

At another store a few months ago, I heard a manager who was training someone say that whenever they passed within ten feet of a customer, they were supposed to greet them.

I guess that is better than workers who ignore you or seemed bothered if you ask for help, and I imagine that’s what the powers that be who make these policies are trying to combat. But the fake friendliness or commanded friendliness just bothers me for some reason. I like natural friendliness. If I happen to come across the path or come next to a worker where it would be normal and natural to speak, that’s fine. But to paste on a cheesy grin and state a standard greetings within ten feet of any customer just seems so strange and unnatural, especially to be greeted so several times throughout the store. After a while I just wanted to say, “Please just leave me alone and let me shop in peace!”

So am I just antisocial? Or too crabby to shop so early in the morning? 🙂 Does anyone else think this is weird, or do you like and appreciate it?

And I know, I know, there are bigger things in the world to be concerned about, and I’m not complaining per se — just wondering if other people share my “stray thoughts” about fake over-friendly greetings.

• A few mornings ago when I came back home from taking Jesse to school, Suzie-the-dog was way out back barking, and I saw little white puffs of air coming from her mouth as she barked. That struck me funny. I’ve seen that, of course, on people, but never from a dog. I wish I had thought to try to get a picture, but if I had come closer to her she would have stopped barking and loped over to be petted.

• I mentioned way back when basketball season started that Jesse’s JV team won their first two games. Unfortunately, they’ve not won since. One loss was pretty bad, and one was a nail-biting squeaker, but most have been moderate. Our state association of Christian schools divides all the teams up into leagues based on their school size, and our school just barely has enough to be classified with bigger schools — which have more people and therefore a bigger pool of talent to chose from. Plus there are only three guys, I think, who have played on our school team before this year — everyone else is new. Though I love winning, I really don’t mind so much if they win or lose as long as they’re playing well and learning and growing. Being only human, of course, they don’t play well all the time. But I do think they are learning and growing. I do hope they can get a few more wins in before the season is over to encourage them. They have a good coach who is instructive without brow-beating them.

• One of my “comfort foods” that my mom used to make that I get a hankering for every now and then is spam casserole. Is that weird? I am having the leftovers from earlier in the week for lunch even now. You cut up the spam (though I use Treet, actually, I still call it spam) into cubes, brown it with onion in some margarine, add cooked noodles, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a can of cheddar cheese soup. Mmmmm. Probably not the healthiest thing on the planet, but it hits the spot sometimes. I also like to slice spam up and fry it and make sandwiches of it.

• I love Saturdays when I don’t have to set the alarm clock and can experience a leisurely morning. But I suppose it is time now to go and be somewhat productive. Hope you have a great Saturday!

…at least, that’s what I thought today would be. Everyone is back at work or school, and I have plenty of things to do, but nothing pressing. So I was going to compute for a while and then dig into some project or another.

I had several threads of ideas for blog posts, but nothing really came together…and I just seemed to have some strange sort of malaise. I got more and more sleepy and couldn’t seem to think straight. I ended up taking a nap. That did help some.

Though the past 2-3 weeks have had pockets of relaxation and a lot of fun, I have had something pressing to do just about every day. So maybe it all just caught up with me. I hope I am not catching something.

I’ve always said I don’t work best under deadlines or pressure, but I do get more done then. Part of that has to do with having a limited amount of time, but part of it, I just realized today, is that a deadline helps you focus on just the thing that needs work and helps you prioritize. With many projects needing to be done but no real time constraint on any of them, I tend to just float around indecisively and not make headway. I need to just pick one and get started.

I think today I’ll declutter. That doesn’t take a lot of mental effort. We got the Christmas decorations put away Saturday and a lot of the house in order then, but I see some stacks of stuff that need sorting through.

Hopefully by tomorrow I’ll be back with something more interesting to read. 🙂