1. Today I finally went back to the gym after a 3 week hiatus! I did something to my elbow and my entire arm hurts with any kind of weights, so I wanted to give it time to heal. I did the water aerobics class today, and of course, as soon as I started with the water weights my arm started to burn. I need to go see my favorite orthopedic surgeon! Now that we are totally off the point...after the class I sat in the sauna for a few minutes. Two other older people from the class came in (I'm the youngest by at least 30 years) and started chatting. The man was from Egypt and the woman from Costa Rica. They just talked about how much they loved living in the USA. "It's the free country. You can say whatever you want and not get punished for it." They kept listing all the freedoms we have here that they didn't grow up with - the main one that struck me was the freedom of speech, that not only could you think differently than others; you can voice that as well.
My Google page brings up the top 3 stories from the New York Times, and I consider this my way of staying in the world since we don't get a newspaper. I need to understand current events at least a little bit! Two stories I've been thinking about this week were the Chinese schools that collapsed and the basic dictatorship in Zimbabwe. I can't imagine living in a society like that, where you are beaten and tortured BY THE GOVERNMENT for supporting a different leader or wanting to vote for 'change.' Along with those things, I've been almost obsessive with the presidential elections this year. I credit my dear Autumn and our favorite neighbors for getting me slightly educated on politics. I can't tell you how many articles I've read on Obama - one of these days I'll probably read his autobiography! Not that I support him - just interested in his drive...
2. We've had a few late nights around here lately, so neither Andy nor I have been coherent when Ben and Annie awake. That translates into movie time, and the movie of choice has been Return to Neverland. They both love it! Annie thinks it is a princess movie. Somehow, this has sparked Ben's little brain, and we've had several conversations about what things float and sink. Maybe swimming helped spur this on too. We went to the library today and he reminded me at least 3 times "to get books about floating and sinking!" so there was ONE, and I got it. I need to look online and see if any other libraries have them. We've been checking out more and more books from the non-fiction kids section, and the kids are eating them up! That was the section I always avoided as a child, but I'm loving it now! We did also get a cowboy book - "Don't Touch My Hat!" about a sheriff that wears a 10 gallon cowboy hat.
3. I think that's all my brain can process for one night. Other than the fact that my old roommate is getting married in August and I am super excited!!! Especially because the wedding will be in Dallas, so the other 4 girls are flying in and I get to play hostess! And tour guide! It's going to be so fun!!!
