Just a Bike Ride

Every once in a while I'm in the mood to-- what do they call it?-- work OUT. My muscles start getting an itchy feeling, and the only response is a big walk or a bike ride or-- if I'm feeling TRULY ambitious-- a run.

Today it was a bike ride.

Ironic twist of fate: I have TONS of hard core work-out clothes from when I worked at my running shoe company, but I never wear them when I actually work out. Why? Because people look at me and think that I'm going to be completely hard core. Once an old man stopped his bike next to me at an intersection. I was wearing my "Canada" technical tee, Brooks running shoes, and Brooks pants. "Did you come down from Canada just to ride this trail?" he asked.
I laughed. "No! I'm from here."
"Oh," he said, disappointed. "Are you riding all the way to the end?"
"No!" I said again. "Just-- home. Which is like, three miles away."
"Oh," he said, disappointed again. Then the light turned green, and he blitzed by me.

I've learned to wear cotton on my bike rides.

All this meant, however, that I had no fancy hidden pocket to stick my i-pod in. I tried first jerry-rigging it by putting it in a sock that I wrapped around the handle-bars, but that didn't work, and then I just held it, and that didn't work, and then I stuck it in my sports bra.

Anyway. The great part of the ride started when I was actually stopped, at Gasworks park-- one of my favorite spots in Seattle.


I saw a man flying his kite, and it fell. He tried to loft it himself, but it wasn't working, so I hopped over and helped him and that made me happy. Then it fell again, and I helped him again, and I felt happier.

As I was leaving, I spotted JOUSTING. I found men wearing silver armor, with shields and swords, and they were jousting with a jousting referee!!


That was hilarious, obviously, and also made me happy.

I began riding home, and saw blooms on the blackberry bushes, which means there will be blackberries soon. I saw a girl walking along and thought of my kids' Positive Propaganda Projects and hollered, "Have a GREAT day!"

I passed UW and decided to ride up to the fountain and smell the roses. They were ALL in bloom-- it was incredible!


I smelled about ten of them, and one fushia colored rose had the most incredible scent. I saw an old man sitting by himself and plucked one of the roses, hopped over the little hedge rose-garden-protector and gave it to him. "Here!" I said happily. "This is for you. It smells amazing!"

And then I got on my bike and rode off and felt sort of giddy.

I saw another girl walking and yelled, "You are lovely!" and I saw a little boy riding his bike on two wheels and called, "Good JOB!" I smiled at everyone, and loved the trees, and loved the flowers, and loved the overcast sky. I waved at people on their "Ride the Ducks" tours and they all waved back.


It was a very happy bike ride.

And now I am showered, and in a new sweatshirt that's just a little too big, and I'm just a little bit sleepy, and thinking that I ought to-- perhaps-- rev up the endorphins a little more often.

Making people happy is the happiest thing to do. I bet my students would be proud of me. :)

Dancedancedancedancedancedance

Today we had an African Dance assembly. Cool!

I shepherded in my group of 9th graders, and we joined the 9th/10th grade section. One sweet girl gave me a note as she sat down, for Teacher Appreciation week. It read: "Greta is... An amazing singer and a WONDERFUL teacher!!" It gave me the warm fuzzies all over.

At one point, the girls in front of me were talking, and I rubbed one girl's back gently. "Hon, quiet down." She turned around with a scowl, but when she saw it was me, she relaxed and grinned, nodding her compliance.

The music started, and the kids all started clapping along, terribly out of rhythm. It made me laugh and like them.

Then the African Dancing Singer Lady ordered all the teachers to get up on stage. What? Really?

I joined the rest of them, the lot of us laughing self-consciously. Once we were up there, the African Dancing Singer Lady told us we were going to dance. From my 9th and 10th grade corner, I heard a roar: "Gooooo Greta!!"

Ha!

And the music started, and I DANCED. Oh yes, I DID DANCE. I danced AFRICAN dance. And I was into it. I was in front, so I couldn't see what the other teachers looked like-- apparently they were "marking" the movements that the lady was instructing us in. But they were behind me, so I just tried to make myself look like her. And I did the DANCING DANCING, I DID THE DANCE.

When we were done, the kids all clapped and cheered, and when I booped and bopped my way down the stairs, they all started giving me high-fives. I got back to my corner of kids and they were all congratulating me! As they filed out of the assembly, I got one high-five after another, and kudos from the kids on my dancing. When I found out I was apparently doing it "bigger" than the other teachers, I felt a little embarrassed, but the kids' comments made me laugh and grin.

I just LIKE them all so much. I love what I'm doing. Another one of those starry eyed, shmoopy posts. But especially after yesterday, I realized how much I like MY students, and how much I'd missed them. I told them as much, this morning. "I really missed you guys!!"

The other day, the kids were still getting settled in their desks, and I was looking over them all. Eduardo said, "What are you looking at? You're wondering if we love you, huh?"
I grinned and rolled my eyes.
"We like you, don't worry," he said. "You're one of the good ones, we like you."
"Sometimes you get on our nerves, but we like you," another girl supplied.
"I'm sure I do!" I said, and laughed.

Just right then: they like me, but I'm not so buddy buddy with them that I never get on their nerves. When I'm telling them that they need to turn in their homework, or stop talking, or that cursing in their blogs is inappropriate, I SHOULD get on their nerves. But they like me, too.

And I like them. :)

Such a good thing.

The Good Things

Last night, I had two dinners. The first was steak, baked potato, and corn with Grandpa. I'd remembered earlier in the day that I'd had dinner plans, but when I mentioned that to Gramps, he looked at me and said, "Well. I've already gotten out the steaks." I didn't have the heart to NOT eat dinner with Gramps-- especially the night before he was leaving for a big trip, so I ate First Dinner and we chatted.

And then I went to Keith's for Second Dinner, which happened to be Breakfast. Cam rolled in shortly after, and Cam gave me one of the best, longest hugs: Cameron gives GREAT hugs. Shay, Keith's 90 lb. Bull Mastiff, made her presence known first in Keith's arms, then on Cameron's chest, then under all our respective hands. Mary blew in: glamorous, cloaked, blonde, with offerings of turkey breakfast meats. Matt was next with two freshly baked coffee cakes: one which had been done just right, the other which had alarmingly domed up about 4" above the pan. Then my old friend Aaron and his new girlfriend Katherine arrived, who I've been dying to meet. Their contribution: a magnificent quiche, pulled out of a pizza box carrier, like a rabbit from a hat. Last was Mark, fresh off the mountain with stories of the day's skiing exploits, and with two giant bottles of alcohol for Blood Marys.

We nibbled and drank and chopped and mixed and prepared; Keith cracked 24 eggs, and at least two of them were split PERFECTLY down the middle. Mary made gut-buster pancakes, the biggest of which had cooled into a yarmulke-shaped dome. I put it on my head, and then stuck the rose in my hair on top of the pancake. Following the others' instructions, I sat down on the floor to tempt Shay, and she downed the garnish as well as the dish: gobbling up the rose and pancake off my head while I yelped and shrieked and laughed.

We listened to Ryan Adams, and the Kings of Leon, and the Cold War Kids, and Tom Petty, and so many others. Katherine and I bonded over protesting the stories that Aaron had told us about one another. ("You told her the motorcycle guy story?? Why would you tell her that?! I can't even believe I told YOU that!") When I heard David After Dentist roaring bloody murder from Keith's room, we all crowded in there and watched the poor kid reel ("Will this be FOREVER?"), and then watched the Japanese Sauna Prank, and then watched Ellen call Gladys. It's so much funnier watching those videos with a group of people-- we were rolling!

Played a game that involved yelling and guessing and hilarity and fierce competition. Katherine-- who had started the night out relatively quietly-- led the competitive trash talking. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard-- I was holding my stomach, we were RIDICULOUS.

Then we somehow we segued into a talk about theology, which was intellectual, and interesting, and controversial, and impassioned, and at last, rhapsodic. The froth of the earlier silliness buoyed us into a place of greater depth where we then all knit ourselves together in deep conversation and questions.

And finally, at 1AM, I went home. Still giggling; still warmed and enriched by the conversation about God; still full from my two dinners. And so THANKFUL for a night and for friendships like those.

This morning, I dropped Grandpa off at the airport: he's off to take a train across Canada with one of his old college buddies. I hugged him goodbye and he grinned, and he looked so darling with his backpack on and his rolly-suitcase. And I drove home as the Seattle fog lifted, and Rainier emerged, and then the Cascades, and the Olympics, and I thought of how much I love this city. And I thought of my students, and how they've shown me such a more enriched picture of Seattle, and I loved them. And I listened to "Sunday Brunch" on the Mountain radio station, and they played acoustic, folksy songs that I love, and one of them reminded me of someone from the past, and I thought of him, and I hoped for GOOD THINGS for him. I thought of God, and the way I'd discovered Him last night, and I felt warm, and happy.

I felt SO HAPPY.

And that is really just the point of this post: life is GOOD right now. Grad school is easier this quarter, and my students are some of the best people to SEE every day, and I have friends that make me LAUGH, and that make me think, and that care about the world... I'm seeing Annie in only a FEW DAYS, and Grandpa is darling, and God is BIG around my heart, and I just feel HAPPY.

I just feel really HAPPY!

This is Me When I'm Me

From the journaling archives: One great day about two years ago, I was at the beach and craving a journal session but I'd forgotten my journal at home. I had some song sheets with me though-- just pages with lyrics and chords on them-- so I grabbed a couple and scrawled down these happy thoughts on the backs of the pages. Every once in a while, when I'm sorting through the songs I have in my guitar case, I stumble on this old entry and it never fails to make me feel a little happier. Given that the last week has been a little rough, I thought I'd spend some time in my old buoyed self. Hope it makes you feel good too.

11-17-06: Mama's Birthday!!

I am full of love this afternoon, I feel it bubbling up on my insides and feel it close to bursting out of my chest.

Earlier I was looking in the mirror, closely scrutinizing the large red spots on my chin. I haven't been wearing makeup/cover up since I got home from Malawi, so they were definitely flagrant. I considered though, that I sport them with a good deal less embarrassment than I would have last year, when I was wearing makeup all the time. I'm getting used to myself being imperfect, but marvelous, nonetheless. One doesn't have to have perfect skin to be marvelous. So I looked at myself in the mirror and gave Scrutinizing Greta a firm talking-to: "You are MARVELOUS. You're a beautiful girl!" That made me happy.

I left work, where I'd been all morning and decided to go deposit a check and then head next door to my favorite cafe "Champagne," which is tragically closing in two weeks. They have DELICIOUS lemon shortbread cookies which are full of fat and calories but make me feel so full of vivacity and LIFE that I love to get them anyways on days that want to be special occasions. This day wanted to be special.

I happily greeted the Champagne workers-- most of them know me-- and ordered my cookie and my coffee. I expressed my SORROW to the owner about them closing. He said what Sylvain always said: "But. Well." He smiled wide to see me and asked me how I was doing, we had a nice conversation.

On my drive down there, I had put in a cd of my Malawi kids singing. There seriously is MAGIC in those kids' voices, I felt so happy and LOVED!

I decided then to walk to the beach, which I'd been told you can get to from behind the supermarket. I couldn't find it though, all I could see were locked gates with signs that said, "Private." I asked a man if he could help me. He couldn't, but it was a very nice exchange, and I felt like we were friends when I walked away.

Ran into Robert, another Champagne worker, who was eating Ben and Jerry's Pistachio Ice Cream on my way back. He greeted me and we had a nice conversation too. I told him the resolution I'd just made: that if I ever had a beach-front home I would hang a sign on the gate that said: Public Access. EVERYONE WELCOME! So silly, I said, for there to be so much beauty that only so few are allowed to enjoy. I told him-- he asked-- that I worked at the church with students. Robert is a kind person.

I passed a man taking pictures of a fountain, he was trying to get a good angle. I thought that God must love artists and photographers and poets because they take the time to appreciate His special little details, and it made me so happy that this man was reminding me of the special, noteworthy beauty of that fountain. When I passed him, we smiled at each other and I said, "Thank you for doing that!"

I went and sat down at the other fountain to finish my coffee and cookie and saw a student with her grandparents. She came over and hugged me and introduced me to them-- she'll be coming to Women's Ministry Girls' Night tonight, her name is Erin. They invited me to sit down, but I was almost done with my treat so I said, "No thank you!" and said, "It was good to meet you!" and we all smiled some more.

I walked back down to the drugstore because I remembered I needed to get new facewash. There was a Salvation Army bell ringer in a red apron out front which made me happy because: There is a man that is helping people. A woman walked by him and smiled at me which I mistook for a friendly smile of mutual appreciation for the man. But instead she rolled her eyes and said, "It's not even THANKSGIVING yet." As I walked in the store, I heard two other ladies walk in behind me and say to the man, "Aren't you a little early? It's not even Thanksgiving yet!" They made eye contact with me and I got another eye roll.
I said, as politely as possible, "People need help all the time though." And then I ducked down the nearest aisle.

On my way out, I spoke to the man, "Are people giving you a hard time for being too early?"
He sighed. "Yeah. I don't know why, it's only a couple days before Thanksgiving."
"Well, and people need help all the time too! Not just around Christmas."
He laughed, "Yeah!" Then he frowned. "People around here don't need any help so they forget about the people that DO."
I put three dollars in his red bucket. "Well, I'm glad you're doing what you're doing." As I walked away, some ladies came out of the doors and he said loudly to all of us, "Have a good afternoon!"

Also: there are two girlfriends near where I'm sitting on the beach right now, and they're taking pictures of each other and laughing a lot and it makes me happy.

So anyway: as I was driving away, I was thinking about how much God's blessed me, and how He's really given me just about all the "desires of my heart" I've come up with so far. I decided God must like me a lot, I feel as though we are good friends, and I think He likes how much I love Him, and how I do my best to pass on His love to me. I thought about how I've been wishing for a boyfriend lately and then suddenly felt convinced that I don't need to worry about not having a boyfriend now and I don't need to worry about ending up an old maid, because I feel sure that God wants to bless me with a deep love and a family too. I felt Him saying, "Greta, I have got someone SO great for you, don't even worry about it! Just don't be impatient, remember my timing is different than yours! I've got someone SO good for you!"
"Like the connection with [someone's name], will he be like him?"
"WAAAAY better than him. Just you wait."
"Like [someone else's name], but will he pursue me?"
"YEAH. You've got pursuit in store. Just trust me, that I'll bring it about in the right time. Remember that red dress you're going to twirl in, and that bubble you're going to let me hold until you're ready to share it with someone? Do that. I'll take care of it." And He grinned BIG at me.

And I know this is true! God has worked so many other things out in my life in the most RIDICULOUSLY perfect ways, I KNOW that He must have put that much attention into my future MATE too! He's going to be AWESOME, and I feel sure that he exists. I'm pretty sure God isn't willing me to be single forever.

I said, "God, remind me of this the next time I forget."
And I said, "Oh! And help me not to idolize him."

I LOVE GOD, AND ME, AND MY LIFE!!!!!!

GUESS. WHAT.

Okay. Well, since I've spilled my emotional guts on this blog about sad things, I suppose it's only fair that I spill them about happy things too.

Something so great happened yesterday. I'm wiggling a little while I'm typing this, and I'm definitely grinning like a stupid person.

SOMEONE SENT ME FLOWERS.

And, well, not just A someone, but a really GREAT someone. Like, a male someone.

And I have never been sent flowers by a boy before!! I've been GIVEN flowers by a guy before, like for an anniversary or to ask me to a dance, but can I just say? It is so much more fun to be playing guitar in your room, and see a van stop in front of your house, and see a little Asian man get out, and see him pull REALLY PRETTY FLOWERS out of the car, and then hear a knock on the door, and then hear him say, "These are for Greta...?" and be able to say, "What?? Really??!!" and then sign your name, and then read the card and realize that it's NOT from your parents, and it's NOT from your Grandma, but it is in FACT from this seriously awesome someone, and it says, "Good luck tomorrow!" And then you realize that this totally cool person was considerate enough to remember that you started your student teaching on Tuesday, and was thoughtful enough to send you the best good luck present EVER.


So this is my Tuesday blessing to all the lady readers: MAY THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. May some fantastic guy think of you, and send you flowers unexpectedly, and may you then tip-toe and twirl around your room for at least an hour, and feel wonderful. Every girl should get to experience that, at least once.

And you? The someone? Thank you for the Once. And I hope this blog doesn't embarrass you, but I can't very well blog about my experiences on celebrity scan, and NOT write about something great like this. You made me feel great. You made me feel super great.

AND I get to start my student teaching internship today!! Good things, huh? :)