A: I left Nashville on Thursday, June 14 for Oregon. On Tuesday the 26th I fly from Portland to Cleveland, where my parents will pick me up and bring me back to Pennsylvania. I return to Tennessee soil on Monday, July 9, assuming that Paul has successfully held it in place for me. (And not that you asked, but "Big Stuff Moving Day" is scheduled for the following Saturday, July 14!)
Q: How and why are you away from home for almost a month?
A: In a nutshell, my last day of employment at Midtown Fellowship was Tuesday, June 5. This turn of events was not one that had really been anticipated by me, and while adjusting to the change has not been easy, the change itself is both good and right. The situation is complicated and difficult to explain, particularly in writing into the void of cyberspace, but the upshot is that very little (maybe 15%) of my job at Midtown brought me joy, and that's not very much. And there were some parts that I really hated. Midtown and I both deserve better.
Anyway, when I was suddenly and unexpectedly unemployed, it seemed like a good time to go visit my good friends in Oregon, and my family in Pennsylvania. I had already planned to be at my parents' for the first week in July, so I just extended the trip forward about three weeks. In addition to spending time with loved ones who I've known and have known me for many years, this trip is an opportunity for some space and reflection, thinking and listening in order to answer the question What's next?
More answers to your questions tomorrow! And now, the news:
My "run" with Nick this morning was not as successful as I would have hoped--I mostly ended up walking, and had a little asthma trouble for the first time in many years. Nevertheless, I decided to go ahead and register for the Pacific Crest 5K on Sunday. The start is only a quarter mile from the front door here, so it's unlikely that I'll ever have a more convenient opportunity for a first running event--even if I don't do all that much running.
Kristen, Zoe and I rode bikes (Z in the trailer) over to the Sunriver Nature Center this afternoon. It was a little bit of a struggle for me at first, as it was my first time on a bike in over twenty years (!), but I eventually got the hang of it and avoided causing injury to myself or anyone else.
The Nature Center has different indoor displays about the local wildlife, as well as indigenous animals and plants immediately outside the building. We went into the newly opened Bug Barn, but the only insects we saw were outside of it. We learned that the prairie dogs we had been seeing were actually ground squirrels (prairie dogs are much bigger), but weren't able to spot the disabled eagle that lives on the grounds.
Next, we biked back towards the house and stopped off at Goody's ice cream. Kristen had a root beer float, Zoe had a dish of vanilla, and I had a homemade cone of Almond Joy. OH MY GOSH, was it ever good.
It has been discovered that the French press cozy featured in yesterday's blog has additional uses:
In closing, I am borrowing and reading Kristen's copy of Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires this week. It is so great that the only reason I can put it down is out of sheer physical exhaustion. If you like good food and/or good books, I highly recommend it.
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