1.5 days off!

So, because of this, I get the next 1.5 days off...(JSC closed)...nice...and I can't even work from home 'cause the email, and IM, and other servers will be down. .."sigh of happiness" :)

TS Edouard

Dynamo Game!

So even though I profess soccer to be the best sport ever (it really is) and that I am a die hard fan of Dynamo...I have to confess it has been awhile since I went to a game. So yesterday, Nujoud, Natalie, and I went to the Dynamo vs Columbus Crew game. Really good game (and we won 2-0) and I got to wear my bright orange Crocs :).

The team warming up


Orange Crocs!



Nujoud, Natalie, and me


Getting ready to play

Triathlon Training Update

So, inspired by my friend Erin, who is also training for the Ironbabe Sprint Triathlon this month and created a new blog dedicated to tracking her training, I decided to give an update on my training (since many of you have been asking)...but no new blog, just an update :)

For the first time in 5 years, I took a REAL bike out on the road this morning. Yep. So what's the difference between 11 miles on a stationary bike and 11 miles on a REAL bike...oh...wind resistance, hills, cars trying to hit you, a group of women running a 5k race who you can hear plotting to jump you and take your bike and helmet (actually I found that pretty funny :) )...and about 20 minutes different on my time. I'm borrowing a Trek 850 mountain bike from a friend of Erin's. Nice bike- but I would be interested to see what difference a road bike makes...I think I'll be borrowing my friend Jeff's to perform that experiment.

My swimming is improving! My time on Friday for 300m was 7:45...I took a few minutes rest then did another 300m in 7:46. I'm alternating 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. While the competitor in me would love to do the whole thing freestyle, it just isn't going to be possible with the time I have left...but there are no rules on which stroke you use, so I figure I can live with that. What is going to hurt me the most is my run time- I'd love to run an 11 minute flat pace, but I have a feeling it will be closer to 11:15....again, I have to keep telling myself, "you are doing this to finish, it doesn't matter what time you get". Yeah...I have to remember to LISTEN to myself :).

Random...

So I got a letter from my student loan company yesterday and get this: my interest rate is going DOWN over the next year! By over 3%!!!! I couldn't believe it...it has done nothing but increase about 2% each year so I was extremely excited and had to do like a triple take on the numbers. This is such a blessing because my car is almost paid off and then I will be hitting the student loan amount with a bigger bat and this lower rate will definitely help me out. Yay!

Huntsville, AL

So this past week I traveled to Hunstville, AL and to the Marshall Space Flight Center for Backup Control Center (BCC) testing. This is where we go if we ever have to evacuate due to a hurricane and JSC is damaged. Anyway, this is also the place where the NASA Great Moon Buggy Race is held every year- something that I participated in as a driver/racer for two years, and a co-team lead for one year. Some of my best college memories, and memories in general are centered around this race and the awesome friends I made while doing it. I took one of my co-workers and friends, Josh, on a wild-goose chase through the woods outside the space center to show him the random rockets, capsules, and separation rings, that dot the woods- probably leftovers from testing. It seems they have cleared out a lot of the debris, so Josh couldn't see the camo-capsule we all posed by oh...6 or 7 years ago, but I have PROOF that there used to be more stuff out there:

Wall Art Project

"Koi-noi-nia"

So, well over a month ago, one of our Pastors-In-Training, Darrel, gave a message on Acts 2:42-47 and asked three questions:

1) What are you devoted to?
2) What do you live for?
3) What is your purpose?

In 1 John 1:3 the word "fellowship" is mentioned twice. When Christians think about "fellowship" we usually think of the time of hanging out with other believers, catching up on each others lives, eating good food together, and just enjoying being with one another. But, as Darrel pointed out, fellowship isn't limited to those descriptions. Fellowship involves worshiping and studying God's Word together with other believers. This definition challenges me a bit more. Am I devoted to studying God's Word? Am I living for God? Is my purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever being lived each day? If I can fellowship with my Christian friends, enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them better, shouldn't I also be fellowshipping with God- whom I claim to live for? Hmm, some hefty pondering. Well, how does one know God better? By reading His Word, by studying His Word, by meditating on His Word.

"For all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" 2Tim 3:16-17 (ESV).

The Greek word for fellowship is "koi-noi-nia" phonetically spelled of course :). I finally found some Greek wood letters on line, and made this wall art.

Every time I look at it, I will be reminded of "am I fellowshipping with God?". And I hope that it will become a description of my home, for both my Christian friends- for us to become better friends, to study and converse about God's Word, and to glorify and honor him with our speech- and for my non-Christian friends- that my hospitality and true desire for and enjoyment of their friendship will be an outward reflection of Christ's work in my heart.

Patio project

So I really did most of this two weeks ago, but I decided to use the Home Depot gift cards I got a birthday and a half ago (that were supposed to be for building some more bookshelves) but since that isn't going to happen for awhile, I figured I would spruce up my plants already thriving on my little balcony garden and replace the ones that died uh...months ago :). I finally got the small table for my patio (had to order it online), so I figured I would post some pictures...I still need to find an outdoor rug and I bought some paint (orange, red and yellow- of course!) to spray some metal chairs I have. Those will get done at some point :)

My new patio furniture! It's simple I know. But its bright...that's what matters :)