Graduation (and Saying Goodbye to Waco)
Okay, here are all the details from graduation! But first- the burning question… was I happy with my outfit? The answer is, it was COMPLETELY FINE. There were people more dressed up than me, and people wearing jeans. The only way I could have gone wrong is if I had worn running clothes or pajamas. I did not do anything about my toenails, and no one noticed. So, note to future self- do not worry about these things. Let’s move on to the important topics. Every year Paul plays for graduation (the music is provided by a paid student brass ensemble). We knew he was playing again this year, and about a week ago he said “You know I won’t be walking in with my class, because I’ll be playing Pomp and Circumstance?” Oh. Hmm. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. My husband said “Well, that’s the life of a musician- you’re always playing while other people are celebrating.” Okay… Before the ceremony started, the brass ensemble played several pieces as a prelude. And then, they played a fanfare to signal the start of the processional, which caused a ripple of excitement through the audience. They broke into Pomp and Circumstance as the graduates appeared, and I realized- that’s the other part of being a musician. You’re making the music that makes these moments special, and that’s pretty cool. I’ll tell you what I WASN’T fine with, though. Also shortly before graduation, Paul told us that when he ordered his cap and gown, he went with the absolute cheapest option. Wait. What? There was an additional colorful stole, and a cord for being magna cum laude, but he decided not to “waste” money on those. OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Let’s look at a photo: It didn’t help that the school of music gowns were black (some schools had green gowns) and that he had to wear a black shirt, since he was playing in the brass ensemble. But he looked SO INCREDIBLY PLAIN compared to everyone else. He said he wore a green tie “to make up for it.” After graduation was over, he said “NOW aren’t you glad I saved us the money?” NO I AM NOT! There are great times to save money, and this was NOT one of them! I’m going to be sputtering about this for a long, long time- possibly the rest of my life. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Let’s move on. Going back to the ceremony- once the processional was over, Paul and the other seniors playing in the brass group joined their class, and of course he walked across the stage to get his diploma like everyone else. In addition to several poignant moments during the ceremony, the entire time in Waco was an emotional land mine for me. I teared up when we passed Paul’s freshman dorm. His trumpet teacher gave him a present and a card, and when Paul read the card all three of us- Paul, my husband, and I- cried. We had to say goodbye to his best friend and roommate of the past three years- a boy who has visited us in Florida and who we absolutely love. (Paul smoothed that over by saying “Don’t worry- Russell will definitely be invited to my wedding, so you’ll see him again.”) We initially regretted that the trip was so short, but it turned out to be the perfect length. If we stayed longer it would have prolonged the goodbyes. We got to spend some great quality time with Paul, and he has his own loose ends to tie up. He’ll stay in Waco for another week before leaving for a trumpet competition and then a summer music festival. We’ll see him again in July (which will be my next trip- more on that later!) So that’s it! I’m definitely suffering a little from post-trip blues, but also relieved that everything went smoothly. Oh, and my daughter- who opted to stay behind with a friend- said she didn’t really have a good time “because Abby and her mom argued so much.” HMMM. I feel like there’s a deep lesson here, but I’ll leave it for now. Would you have been upset about the “econo-gown” situation? (Back me up, people!!!)
Weekly Rundown- Big Emotions
Well, it’s been quite a week. Lots of emotions! We traveled to Texas for our son’s graduation, but there were still some workouts sprinkled in there. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Here we go.. Sunday Oops. This was supposed to be a gym day, but as the day went on, neither my daughter or I felt like going (note to self- this is why you work out IN THE MORNING). I ended up doing the Caroline Girvan deadbug workout, and then had a 45 minute walk. Monday Following in the theme of the week (which turned out to be “No Gym Days”) I did an upper body strength workout at home, and hip stability exercises. Tuesday I ran, for the first time since my race! It… didn’t feel great. My left hamstring is still nagging at me. I did intervals of one minute running and one minute walking, for 3 miles. After work I went back to the chiropractor, and I’ll admit I was a little down that my hamstring still ached. I subtly implied that maybe his treatments weren’t working, and HE had the nerve to imply that maybe it was because I ran a 50 mile race when it was already hurting. Hrumph. Whatever. Wednesday I started the day with some exercises I know have helped hamstring issues in the past- Runners Touch, and side planks with a leg lift. Then, another exciting 45 minute walk. Thursday Looong day with no exercise. I got up, packed, worked for a few hours, and then we left for the airport! We flew Miami (ugh) to Austin. Then, we had to drive 90 minutes from Austin to Waco. WHEW. We made it! Friday Graduation Day! My husband and I started with a 3 mile run near our AirBnb… and by that I mean 1 minute run/walk intervals. Shut up, hamstring, I’m not listening. I REALLY needed this after all the sitting yesterday. I also did some planking (including side planks with leg lifts, my new favorite exercise). Then… Oh, you know I have more to say about graduation! Details coming soon. Saturday You know what? For all my complaints about walking, I’m so grateful I can walk. This was another long day, starting with meeting Paul for an early breakfast. Then, it was time to travel back to Florida! At one point my husband said, “Can you imagine how hard this would be if we couldn’t walk very well?” Yes- we’re lucky. No exercise today, other than a lot of airport steps. Sunday It was… a week, and I’m pretty wiped out emotionally. But after all that sitting, I feel like I need to run 20 miles, lift weights, and do an hour of yoga. Obviously most of those things won’t be happening- but there will be a trip to the gym. How was your week? Do you get emotional at graduations? – Er… yes, I do.
Reading and Eating
Before we start, thanks for all the feedback yesterday! I’ll go with the cream top. Not sure what to do about the toenail situation (Nicole seemed very sure I should NOT go the bandaid route, so I’ve quashed that option). But I feel like things are looking up, outfit-wise! Anyway, I recently finished two pretty heavy books- Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth (oof) and then We Burn Daylight by Bret Anthony Johnston (about the Branch Davidian saga in Waco). I liked them both, but felt like I needed something a little lighter after that. These were both rereads- I read all the Agatha Christies in my youth. If I’m lucky, I don’t remember the plot and can thoroughly enjoy the books all over again. About halfway through Caribbean, I was pretty sure I remembered it, but still enjoyed seeing how Christie put it all together and managed her famous misdirection. I did NOT remember Appointment With Death, so that was a very fun reread! I’ve recently started listening to the Currently Reading podcast, and I love it! One of the hosts, Meredith, is making her way through the Christie mysteries, and she had a VERY interesting tidbit to share. Agatha Christie’s books are all around 200 pages, and guess what- there’s a reason for that. At the time she was writing, paper was rationed, so there was a page limit. Reading her books as an adult, my one complaint would be that her characters aren’t very well fleshed out. But it turns out, she didn’t have the time (or paper) to flesh them out! Knowing that she had a page limit, it was extra interesting to read these books and see how she did what she did, with that constraint. Next up: I’m pretty sure I heard about this from…Stephany? (Please correct me if I’m wrong!) I believe it was also discussed on an episode of Currently Reading, but I haven’t listened to that one yet. This is a mystery about a middle school teacher in Japan whose daughter is killed by two students (I didn’t give anything away there, don’t worry). It’s interesting, very easy to get into, and I think it’s going to be a quick read because I don’t want to put it down. Oh, and what’s that, you ask? That golden bookmark? That was a present from ELISABETH! She sent me a congratulations card after my race, and in lieu of a gold medal or gold star, included a gold book mark. Obviously I love it very much and will use it every day from now on!!! Okay… eating. Well, I used this recipe for Gochujang sauce, and put it over tofu and broccoli. It’s easy, we all like it, and my daughter can take leftovers to school for her lunch (win-win-win!) We garnished it with cashews- basil would be good too. And, for Mother’s Day my husband made lentil Sloppy Joe’s from Minimalist Baker. These were good! Here you can see our classy dinner with potato chips and Olipop sodas. What are you reading? If you had a special dinner for Mother’s Day, what was it? Top photo by 2Photo Pots on Unsplash
We’re Going To Waco!
Woohoo! The big week is finally here- on Thursday we’re going to Waco for my son’s graduation. This is unusual for us- due to my husband’s schedule and commitments, we rarely travel during the school year. As it is, my husband is missing some important things, including graduation at the school where he teaches- but obviously Paul’s graduation takes precedence. My daughter isn’t coming with us. Suddenly, after being a mediocre student all year, she’s very concerned with her final exams and doesn’t want to miss school. The truth is, she just doesn’t want to travel with us because, well, sometimes she doesn’t like us very much. THAT IS OKAY! I don’t want to travel with an angry, surly teenager either. We arranged for her to stay with a friend, and I’m looking forward to a trip with just my husband. Another reason this is unusual is that I have to actually wear clothes that look presentable. The graduation is in the afternoon, so I don’t think it’s going to be a super formal occasion, but still- I have to make some sort of an effort. At least, I have to look like I’m not going to the gym, or a baseball game. With that in mind, I ventured out again (you may remember I had a failed shopping attempt in February) to try to find SOMETHING to wear. I came home with two tops- hopefully I will wear one and return the other. I don’t love either one of them, but here are the two choices: I know you’re probably thinking, “JENNY! How are we supposed to judge these outfits when they’re sitting on your couch, all wrinkly? And do you have to wear that skirt?” Well… yes, I do have to wear this skirt. It’s actually a skort from Athleta that I’ve worn for every “skirt” occasion for the last ten years. My only other choice would be a black skirt, and I don’t think it would go with my shoes… Why, yes… these are Crocs. But they look pretty cute (at least… I think so? Maybe I’m kidding myself) and I’ve also worn them for every “dressy” occasion in the past ten years. I know… I need some serious help in the wardrobe department. I live in fear that I’ll be invited to a fancy wedding or something AND THEN WHAT WILL I DO. But for now.. I think I can get away with what I have. I’m thinking the white shirt? The blue one would make me look frumpy, right? Sigh. Oh, and I’m basing these choices on the weather forecast… If graduation had been one week earlier, we would have enjoyed temps in the upper 70s. But it’s spiking up just in time for our arrival! That’s okay- I usually go to Waco in August, and I don’t think it’s ever been less than 100 degrees. 94 and windy will feel… pleasant (?) Oh, one last thing. The only problem with these shoes is that I have two “souvenirs” from my race- both big toenails are a deep, dark shade of purple. My husband suggested that I paint the rest of my nails purple and hope that it looks intentional. OR, I could just put bandaids over them (that’s probably what I’ll end up doing). I know… do NOT invite me to any fancy parties, unless you want to take me shopping and help me dress. I’m pretty hopeless. Who else is celebrating a graduation this month? Top photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash