I actually took a lunch today. As in, I packed my lunch and took it to work (this in and of itself isn’t unusual these days), and then (and this is the amazing part) I stopped what I was doing for an hour and took a lunch break.

I did it yesterday too.

The sad thing is, neither of those two breaks were actually used for eating… I still ate over my computer, while working (or attempting to, at any rate). Yesterday, I took the break to run down to Half Price Books and look around, specifically for a little journal-type book to use for the bible study thing — I found one that will work great, I think, and in addition to that I found another journal that has graph paper instead of lined paper. Who thought of that? And why didn’t they call me when they did? I bought it, with no specific purpose at the moment. I just miss writing on graph paper — and today’s break was spent reading (with my office mate out of the office, I could shut the door and enjoy some quiet for an hour, reading the Time Traveler’s Wife. Except it wasn’t really quiet, as I share an office wall with someone who projects very loudly into the phone, mostly about finance, and am around the corner from someone else who also projects into the phone (and at people in person), mostly about travel arrangements).

I might continue to take real lunch breaks. Until such time as I have too much work to do to really enjoy them (which will be, you know, right before the next big deadline). Not sure about the reading thing though… might have to take it outside, at the very least. Not just to escape the loud phone people, either. I forgot that 9/10 of my reading time is in bed, right before (and sometimes slightly after) bedtime, so when I finished my hour and stood up to open the door, I thought I was going to fall over. I didn’t, but I’m still not sure if the lightheadedness had to do with the reading, being stationary for too long, or was just a fluke.

Actually, this week has been really easy, work-wise. Which is a nice change after last week, where I was rushing to get everything ready for user testing and trying not to die in the process (In the end, everything was ready, and I’m not dead yet). I attended a conference for two days, and spent some time tying up a few loose ends that slipped through the cracks last week. Since then, I’ve actually been inventing work to do, as I was so busy last week I forgot to ask for extra work to do this week

There’s a lot in my head, and very little of it particularly blog-worthy.

I ate Brussels sprouts for the first time in literally years last night. They were awesome, just like I remembered only better. Thank you, Bird’s Eye, for inventing single serving frozen veggies that cook in the bag in like, a minute. Actually, frozen veggies in general are pretty awesome. Tastes almost as good as fresh, and I don’t have to worry about them going bad in the crisper while I get around to eating them.

I joined a Curves studio down the road from my house… I’m now working out 3+ times a week. So far, it has been pretty good. On the off days I‘m trying to do something aerobic, but that’s been kind of hit-and-miss the last two weeks. At least I’m doing something. (That’s what I keep telling myself).

This week, I picked back up Kingdom Hearts II, noting that there will be a sequel coming out at some point that will actually fit in the timeline right before the game I’m playing. I figure I should actually beat this one before the sequel comes out, so I can justify buying it. I managed to get to Johnny Depp world (Pirates of the Caribbean), but I haven’t beaten it yet. Almost 12 hours into the game, and I still had to have Chad explain to me what was going on in the plot (to be fair, he had to look it up online to figure it out).

I’m joining a women’s bible study starting next week… should be interesting, and will give me a chance to interact with some more people who might or might not be my age (the jury’s still out on the age thing). The woman who’s running the study has been married for something like 15 or 20 years, so I would guess she’s quite a bit older than I am, but younger than my mother. I’m hoping there’s a good mix of ages in this group (that always makes it more interesting), but that I’m not the only young married chick without kids (it’s less lonely that way).

I’ve been thinking for a while that I really miss State. I came to the conclusion the other day, while talking to a friend, that I probably do miss State somewhat… but what I really miss isn’t Abner’s, SEC football, the Union, or the Drill Field, but feeling like I really belonged someplace. Like I was supposed to be there, and like I was part of a community. When we moved to Texas, I kind of retreated into my own world, mostly because I didn’t feel there was a good community to be a part of. And I’ve missed that feeling… so I’m trying to reach out of my now tiny comfort zone, and find a community. It was easy at school… we were all basically the same age, and dealing with basically the same set of experiences. In the real world it’s hard. But not, I think, unattainable. And probably worth the extra effort.

For the record, I believe in the right of every human to decide what they do or don’t believe on just about any issue, and to hod lthat belive without ridicule or persecution. I will, in fact, defend that right even for people who’s views are opposed to mine.

That being said, I know I hold some rather particular views. Several people, over the last few months, have asked me what I believe. Since that is a huge topic, which would probably take years to exhaust fully, I’ll just list a few things that I’ve been questioned on lately. I’m disabling comments for this post, as I’m not interested in starting a war on my blog.

I believe in an eternal, omnipotent, omnicient, omnipresent God. I believe that God is love, but He is also a God of justice. I believe in the deity of Christ, and that he was born, lived, died, and rose again. I believe that God can still exist in a world that doesn’t believe in Him, and that sometimes He allows bad things to happen to good people for His own reasons that we don’t understand. And we don’t have to understand. I believe that there’s something after this life, some greater existance that we are moving towards. And I belive that, in my own small way, I can make a difference in this world while I’m here. And that, dear readers, is literally what keeps me alive. If I honestly thought that this life was it, that when I die I will cease to be, cease to exist, be nothing but dust and ashes… I would have seriously killed myself a long time ago.

I believe in Intelligent Design. To be more specific, I belive in a literal six-day creation. Why does an educated modern woman believe in biblical creation? Because I can. Because I choose to. Because you can’t prove me wrong. I know science dates things as being millions of years old. That’s fine. Had you scientifically examined Adam the day after he was created, he probably would have looked to be about 20 or 30 years old. Not 1 day old. The underlying difference between me and someone who belives in some form of evolution is that I use a different set of underlying assumptions than they do. That doesn’t make my view any less valid than anyone else’s, or make me stupid or weak for having faith in something bigger than myself.

I am pro-life, more ardently than you can probably imagine. That being said, I don’t advocate picketing clinics, or bombing anything, or killing abortion doctors. I don’t come by my views lightly either. My reasons for this are mostly personal, and I don’t really care to explain them in detail here. Suffice it to say, I belive that life beings at conception, and that a child’s right to live is greater than a woman’s right to choose. And, being a woman, I like to think I have more right to say that than most of the old, male politicians you find espousing that view.

That concludes, for now, my rant. I might follow it up with more later, at some point, if I am in a ranting mood.

Quotes I came across:
And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
~ Anais Nin, Danish diarist

There is no difference between living and learning…it is impossible and misleading and harmful to think of them as being separate.
~ John Holt, author

We went to Mardi Gras Galveston this past Saturday… it was fun, and crazy, and everything I suppose Mardi Gras is supposed to be (except, you know, it wasn’t in New Orleans). And now I want to go dancing, so that may be the plan for this weekend (we’ll see).

I spent most of Sunday recovering from Saturday (and the weird feeling-tired-and-blah sickness thing I’ve been fighting for like, two weeks now). It was raining, so I couldn’t finish the yard work (which was more than ok with me)… but I did get some house work done (go me!).

I bought a new calendar this week… the squares on my old (free) one were so tiny I was having trouble recording all the things I wanted to keep track of. I ordered this specific calendar because everyone said the squares were big enough for anything. So yeah, it came in the mail this week, and I opened it up to put it on the fridge on Sunday. Oh. My. Goodness. This is like, the calendar of huge squares +10. It is so freakin’ big, I couldn’t hang it on the freezer door (it’s too skinny), so I had to move everything from the fridge side to the freezer side and put this one on the fridge side. I was able to write meals for the week (instead of trying not to lose my little meal plan lists), and still have room for everything I need. And more. nd I don’t have to write tiny (or smaller than usual, anyway).