Saying Goodbye to the Philosopher

I think that I have made a personal record...After 3 months of dating, my relationship with the philosopher has ended.  This is actually the shortest that I have ever dated anyone, with 6 months being the shortest before this.  I think that the amazing thing is that I'm largely ok with this development, in part because I had an inkling that this might happen a couple of weeks ago, and in part because the Lord has given me a lot of peace leading up to this.  I'm still processing it, but I'm at a really good place in my life--I have a job that I love, a parish that is downright awesome, and a new town to learn about and explore.

One of the flowers blooming around campus at my new job.  I look forward to the fall colors.  I also look forward to the spring when more plants will be blooming!

God used the Philosopher to get me out of my comfort zone back home and bring me to here to a better job and and an awesome parish.  I can only be thankful for that.  I don't regret the move, and honestly, I don't regret my behavior during our relationship.  I conducted myself to the best of my ability in a Godly fashion, not without struggle, but with integrity.  I hope that he can say the same.

So, my job for the next few months will be putting down roots where I am, and following where ever the Lord may lead...Right before I came here, I started a new journal, and decided that I needed to make my theme to be "Putting down roots."  I actually had the perfect journal to use for that theme, as well.

My current Journal.

I had already started doing so before the break-up, but now it starts in earnest.  I now have an hour scheduled for weekly Adoration at my parish, and will begin teaching CCD classes this coming Wednesday...I'm co-teaching the 6th grade boys, so please pray for me!!!  I hope to go dancing tonight at the local country-western hot-spot, and am finding my way around pretty well.  I also plan to go for a bike ride just for the fun of it this afternoon--something I haven't done since I was a kid exploring my neighborhood!  Just as I did before I started dating, I plan to enjoy being single--spend time with friends, exercise, work, and grow.  Yes, it can be lonely, but I'm learning that, when you take it to Christ, that loneliness becomes solitude--it is all a matter of perspective.  

This is my favorite Superbowl commercial ever--it seems to best illustrate the following poem!

Tilting at Windmills

Loss of sleep feeds my melancholy

A voracious monster who

Sucks at my marrow with abandon

The unknown will be known

And he is poised for another feast

His utensils gleam, napkin beneath the chin

This outcome might bring sorrow

A slow drip of nectar or a 

Great 10 course dinner--I know not which

One thing is certain: Melancholy's glut

Will be his downfall.

Like an illusion, he transforms

Prayer and gratitude diminish him

And the monster morphs--

Shadows dissipated, he is a pesky mosquito

Defeated with a timely swat.

(sorry this isn't a sonnet--hopefully next week!)

The Big Announcement...

So, I found out earlier this week that I'm going to be moving to Central TX for a new job, and I start on the 20th of this month.  So, I've been really busy with packing and taking care of last minute details, such as finding a place to live and a way to move our stuff. Things are coming together so that my niece can move with me, since she really wants to go to the junior college that I'm going to be working at--they have a veterinary tech. program, and the town has a university that has a veterinary program, so it will be a good move for both of us.  

This is a picture of the outside of the apartment we are trying to rent.  It has a yard for the digdogs, washer and dryer hookups, and a DISHWASHER!!!

As for what the job is, I will be teaching Communication Studies/Speech at the oldest Junior College in TX!  It looks like my schedule for the fall will be 5 sections of public speaking, and one section of Argumentation and Debate.  I've never taught the latter before, so I'm going to be busy keeping ahead of my students this semester.  Even so, I'm really excited, as teaching full-time is my dream job, and I have been jonesing for a chance to teach at the college level again.  

It also has the benefit of being about 3 hours away from where the Philosopher lives, so we will be able to see each other more often.  All things being equal, I would love it if we can see each other on a weekly basis, but realize that every other week is probably more realistic.  It is also only about 6 hours from my sister Sarah, so I'm going to get to see her more often as well.  She doesn't know it yet, but I'm probably going to crash her Thanksgiving dinner, as long as she will let me (although I don't know if it is really crashing if you ask permission!).  

The Philosopher sent these to me as a congratulations on the new job.  As far as I can remember, this is the first time anyone has ever sent me flowers.  I'm so blessed with him!

Because I'm moving, I'm probably not going to be writing very much in the next week or two, but will try to begin posting 3x per week once I'm settled so that all of you can keep up with what is going on in my life. All I know is that I'm really excited to be starting the next chapter in my life, and look forward to sharing the journey with all of you!

Spending time with the Philosopher

So, the Philosopher came to visit for the weekend the Thursday before last, and I had a really good time...So good that I'm going to visit him in a few weeks for the weekend. We've been e-mailing and Skyping pretty regularly since we first started talking, and there is a lot of joy in getting to know another person.

I stole this from the Philosopher's Facebook page. I really like this picture of him!

So, after 5 weeks (to the day), of talking via Skype and text and e-mail, he flew in.  I made him dinner (chicken curry over spaghetti squash--a really good recipe!!!), and we watched Blazing Saddles.  My niece joined us for both, and it was really nice.  Then, we went for a walk.  Poor Ginger took a while to warm up to him, but she did finally quit barking at him, even if she wasn't sure what to make of this person in her house.

Friday didn't go quite like I planned, as I started the day by locking my keys in my house...Thankfully, my niece had gone to the gym that morning, so I was able to get back in without making her late for work, but it was kind of embarrassing to have to text the Philosopher that I would be later than planned because I did something that boneheaded.

We spent the morning at White Sands.

It was a perfect day to be at White Sands...not too hot, and partially cloudy most of the morning. 

The clouds look a little bit like cotton candy.

My favorite picture of him from the weekend.

Attempting to surf the sand dunes. I got a few good runs: the Philosopher, not so much.

Falling off the sled.

Finally to the bottom of the hill!

Then, we had a picnic in Alamogordo at one of the city parks there.  It was fun to sit and talk and learn more about one another.  

Next, a trip to Coas--no trip to this part of the country is complete if one is a bibliophile!  Then, back home in order to get ready for the evening: Dinner theater!

This was the play we saw: I liked it, anyway.

I specifically asked the Philosopher to dress nice for the dinner theater, and he obliged. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the both of us together.  I did have my niece take my picture, though.

All dressed up and ready to go!

I probably should have taken off my fitbit, though...

Then, a quick trip up Scenic Drive to the lookout near the top of the mountain.  I was surprised at how busy it was--there was no parking, and a couple of food trucks at the lookout, but the view was gorgeous.

Saturday, we went to Adoration at the Monastery downtown, but, unbeknownst to me, there was a group meeting there for communal prayer at the same time we were there.  I was expecting the usual quiet time with God, and instead we sort of participated in an all Spanish prayer group for most of our time.  I believe Robbie Burns says it best:

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,  

In proving foresight may be vain;  

The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men  

Gang aft agley, (from http://www.robertburns.org/works/75.shtml)

And, our plans went "agley" quite a bit on Saturday, for the afternoon was supposed to be for going on the tram, and it was shut down due to lightning.  Then, we were rained in for close to an hour as a gully washer rolled through town and shut off electricity at my house until almost 11pm that night.  

At least the rain was over by the time for the baseball game, and we were able to eat at L&J's for dinner.

My dinner: Chicken Enchiladas with a side of Guacamole.

Enjoying dinner. 

Mom and Dad were sitting right in front of us.  It was nice to enjoy the game together.

Sunday comprised of Mass, eating lunch with my sister, an then going to Chili's to enjoy the final for the World Cup before the Philosopher had to fly home.  I'm glad he came and I look forward to seeing him again.

Since then, we have continued to Skype and talk, and that has been good, although I'm finding that the perpetually turned on world that we live in is quite the temptation.  The Philosopher works from home, so I'm sure that I'm a bit of a distraction at times with the occasional text or message via Facebook--I'm trying to be circumspect about how often I say hi when I see him online, but I'm not sure that I'm succeeding. I'm also coming to realize that working from home can be both a blessing and a curse--it gives insane amounts of flexibility, but it also means that work and leisure can easily bleed over into one another, for there are no clear contextual clues to mark the end of the work-day. I suspect that is why the Philosopher will usually go to the local coffee shop to work rather than do so from home. Of course, that was also true when I taught, since grading takes over your life at certain times of the semester.  

And, I count the days until I will hop a plane to go see him in his natural habitat.  I had a lot of fun planning our time while he was here, and look forward to seeing what he will plan for us while I'm there.