I never heard of a holter monitor until very recently. My doctor asked me to have one when I went to visit him last month, simply as a safety precaution. I looked it up to find that it's a small box attached to my belt clip that is connected to several wires. At the end of those wires are several sticky pads attached to various parts of my torso. Electricity is going through my body right now, just to be sure that my heart is functioning well. I'm supposed to record anything weird that happens. Don't you hate it when they tell you that? That only places ideas in your head. I've had this on for one hour and have wondered, "Is my breath short? Was that a chest pain? Am I too warm?" Psychosomatic symptoms are fun, aren't they?
On a different note, my niece Destiny Dawn Emmerson was born on my birthday last week!
30 May 2005
25 May 2005
Has It Really Been This Long?
Yes, it has. I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. It's actually been a nice release for me since I've started it, but you know how life goes. Shortly after my last blog came the "Intense Two Weeks of Doom" at ATS. I had more to do than I care ever to have again. Between the last papers and exams at ATS, the travel and office work at BBC, and regular life, it was all I could do to think the word "blog," let alone do it. Now I'm done. I've even had five days of let-down time, part of which was a relaxing Victoria Day. This is the first mental break I've had since summer 2003. It feels really good. Here's a shout-out to my dear AP, whose blog you should read (therealap.blogspot.com), who graduated Saturday along with my soon-to-be-local-again friend Andrew.
Speaking of shout-outs, if anyone sees Scottie and he's not running, kick him in the rear. (How's that for accountability, Scottie?)
Speaking of shout-outs, if anyone sees Scottie and he's not running, kick him in the rear. (How's that for accountability, Scottie?)
05 May 2005
Getting To It
How many times in the last week have you looked outside (on the nice days) and said to yourself, "What a nice day for exercise!" or something like that? How many times have you done it?
I shouldn't be using the pronoun "you" up there; I should be saying "I." I've looked outside and thought, "It's warming up again. I should get back to last year's exercise plan." Then I lay in bed, enjoying the laziness. People, you need to know this - I AM LAZY. Lazy like lazy. However, it hit me that I need to move it if I'm going to stop dreaming about getting back in shape. I'm not in shape, but I'm glad to say I'm getting to it.
What's the point, you ask? Annoy me this summer, friends. Ask me, post on my blog, whatever...just annoy me by asking if I'm outside. Just beware that I believe equally yoked relationships are the best, so I might return the favor. :) (Misery loves company, in other words.)
I shouldn't be using the pronoun "you" up there; I should be saying "I." I've looked outside and thought, "It's warming up again. I should get back to last year's exercise plan." Then I lay in bed, enjoying the laziness. People, you need to know this - I AM LAZY. Lazy like lazy. However, it hit me that I need to move it if I'm going to stop dreaming about getting back in shape. I'm not in shape, but I'm glad to say I'm getting to it.
What's the point, you ask? Annoy me this summer, friends. Ask me, post on my blog, whatever...just annoy me by asking if I'm outside. Just beware that I believe equally yoked relationships are the best, so I might return the favor. :) (Misery loves company, in other words.)
03 May 2005
The Ruff in the Diamonds
Friday morning I sat among hundreds of people to celebrate the commencement of 41 brothers and sisters in Christ who are going out into the ministry. The speaker was perhaps the best commencement speaker I've ever heard, and he was arguably the best speaker I've heard, period. He spoke about the Christian pilgrimage in a way that inspired all of us to march forward in the name of the Lord. His speech was full of jewels of wisdom and understanding.
At one point in the speech, the speaker gave an illustration that was intended to show the manner in which Christian pilgrims should follow God's adventure. The illustration, however, did something very funny to me. In the middle of all the good words, I felt offended. The speaker began by saying, "If it were up to my wife, the United States would never have been settled west of Boston." After a brief chortle, he moved on to explain the pioneer spirit that led the early settlers west to take land. He called it "free" land. The moment he said, "free land," all I could think of was my Native American grandmother and those of our relatives who are in no-man's land somewhere on a reservation because white people took the "free" land. My emotions flooded with disappointment that such a learned, eloquent man would join generations of ignorant people who have overlooked my native ancestors for years. "But you're white!" you say. Yes, I am. However, being white with native ancestors, I've heard both sides of the story. Yes, the pioneers were amazing. Yes, they fought vigilently to settle mostly untamed land. Yes, they are excellent examples of people who face adversity to get what they want. Far be it from us, however, to overlook the fact that they are also fine examples of robbers, murderers, connivers, torturers, rapists (of people and the land), and manipulaters who put my "uncivilized" ancestors into organized land. The only reason my native relatives didn't have land is because they didn't have flags to stick in the dirt like the white people.
For what it's worth, I spoke about my hurt feelings to a friend earlier today and was told, "What's your problem? The Indians didn't have anything. It was free land." If you're white and you think this, you're wrong. Perhaps some of the land was free, but as a rule, the natives shared and honored the land. Imagine if another, more "civilized" culture came here after us. They might look at us and move us around as "uncivilized" people. When things happen to us from foreign invaders, we call that terrorism. Yet, when we do it to others, we call it pioneering. Now that this is somewhat out of my system, I expect at least half a dozen white people to tell me how off-base I am. I welcome your comments and reserve the right not to reply, simply because you know what I'll say.
At one point in the speech, the speaker gave an illustration that was intended to show the manner in which Christian pilgrims should follow God's adventure. The illustration, however, did something very funny to me. In the middle of all the good words, I felt offended. The speaker began by saying, "If it were up to my wife, the United States would never have been settled west of Boston." After a brief chortle, he moved on to explain the pioneer spirit that led the early settlers west to take land. He called it "free" land. The moment he said, "free land," all I could think of was my Native American grandmother and those of our relatives who are in no-man's land somewhere on a reservation because white people took the "free" land. My emotions flooded with disappointment that such a learned, eloquent man would join generations of ignorant people who have overlooked my native ancestors for years. "But you're white!" you say. Yes, I am. However, being white with native ancestors, I've heard both sides of the story. Yes, the pioneers were amazing. Yes, they fought vigilently to settle mostly untamed land. Yes, they are excellent examples of people who face adversity to get what they want. Far be it from us, however, to overlook the fact that they are also fine examples of robbers, murderers, connivers, torturers, rapists (of people and the land), and manipulaters who put my "uncivilized" ancestors into organized land. The only reason my native relatives didn't have land is because they didn't have flags to stick in the dirt like the white people.
For what it's worth, I spoke about my hurt feelings to a friend earlier today and was told, "What's your problem? The Indians didn't have anything. It was free land." If you're white and you think this, you're wrong. Perhaps some of the land was free, but as a rule, the natives shared and honored the land. Imagine if another, more "civilized" culture came here after us. They might look at us and move us around as "uncivilized" people. When things happen to us from foreign invaders, we call that terrorism. Yet, when we do it to others, we call it pioneering. Now that this is somewhat out of my system, I expect at least half a dozen white people to tell me how off-base I am. I welcome your comments and reserve the right not to reply, simply because you know what I'll say.
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