Fun at Work, Part 3

Many of you (meaning 3 of the 4 of you) may be thinking "Part Three? When were parts One and Two?" And then you notice that there are suddenly links in your question!

The medical students get fed more than the homeless in Palisades Park. (Ask Joe - when his college ministry group would go there, the most common answer to "Would you like a sandwich?" was "What type is it?" and many turned down the PB&J.) While working in a laboratory often means eating when you can smell some very disgusting things, here it also means often eating a cold sandwich when all you can smell is BBQ or some other delicious lunch.

But today was different. A co-worker (June Bug if you read the other posts - he is well known for his scavenging expertise) opened my door and said they had pizza down the hall. He didn't have to say it, the cheesy, buttery smell could only mean one thing: Pizza Hut. I headed down the hall and noticed that the medical students had already been through the line and that everyone getting pizza was from neighboring labs. I also noticed that two nicely-dressed people were standing near the pizza. This usually means office employees are guarding the food for the medical students, but since I knew everyone down there, I kept on my path. [They were both Indian, so imagine the words they spoke with the overly enunciated English that comes with Indian accents.] As I came close, the woman greeted me and said "There is pizza, bottles of water, and these cookies." I thanked her and was taking a slice of pizza when the man said "We have many more! Please eat until your heart is content!" That made me smile. I guess I'd never thought about that phrase, and and it's probably not something that medical professionals should suggest, but it was very kind and made my Friday.

Behind the Scenes

I've got a story for you, Ags. (pause for whoop)

A year ago about this time, Joe and I were squeezing in quick segments of recording for a video for our church's filmfest. Now, Joe and I have EACH lost 15+ pounds from this time last year (this is related, I'm promise I'm not just sharing my excitement), so we were both the heaviest we've ever been while doing that video. Joe wore an orange jumpsuit for the opening and closing scenes, but it only barely fit him years before when we made the purchase in Thailand.

Picture this: It's a Saturday afternoon, and campus is mostly empty. Joe gets keys to a piano practice room in the bottom floor of the MSC (Memorial Student Center at A&M) while I wait a safe distance away with a camera, tripod, and backpack. If you've never been there, a double-door opens to a short staircase which leads to a hallway with 4 practice rooms that are locked. Our key is for the first one on the left. We meet at the room where I keep watch (there is a small window in the room that you see at the end of the video) while Joe changes from his street clothes into the jumpsuit. The jumpsuit doesn't button at all above the waist, or (to be honest) the first one below the waist.

We're about halfway done with the taping (it is hard to make sure him hitting the keys lines up with the music) when we hear someone open the door to the practice area and start up the stairs. I go to the little window to see that it was a cleaning lady (or whatever the current PC term is). Joe hid in the front corner of the room (to be out of window view). She goes into the other practice rooms looking for any trash, and I know she's heading our way. I decide it'd be best to head her off, so I open the door and step partially out, still blocking the opening in the doorway. I asked her if she needed anything in the room, and said that we didn't have any trash. She said she was about to leave for the day, and that she would get in trouble if there was any trash in the rooms the next morning. I promised that I'd do a final sweep and make sure we didn't leave any trash in the room. She seemed satisfied with that, and then suddenly mumbled "quick check," pushed open the door, and walked into the room. I'll try to create a collage of what she saw:
A man in an orange jumpsuit (that is clearly unbuttoned) standing facing the corner of room, but looking over his shoulder trying to figure out who else is in the room and looking embarrassed.
A pile of clothes on the chair, including a watch and rings.
A camera on a tripod.

Of course there were other things in the room, but judging by her expression she hadn't noticed them. She started to laugh. She again explained how if this room was a mess in the morning that she would get in trouble (in many more words that took decades to say), and I again assured her that we would clean up, and then she finally left... still laughing.

Here's the video if you'd like to enjoy it again:

busy bee in my bonnet

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last blogged! We've been very busy, and I haven't had a chance to download pictures from my camera (I know - my excuse dictionary is stuck on that page).

So, here's a summary of what we've been up to the last two weeks...

Soccer: Joe played on a city league outdoor soccer team (the Scrubs) a couple of years ago, and he's back on it! This time he's leaner and has been running at least weekly or biweekly for months. He's doing great - the last game he did not sub out for the whole game, and that's a LOT of running. As a bonus, the team has several of our friends from church, which means good social time (with other wives or friends) for me during the games.
Chinese / Mandarin: We're taking a Chinese language class together at night through some city education program. (I love that you can be vague and just link to whatever you're talking about in case people really care.) Tonight will be our forth lesson. It's really neat, and there are some easy (no verb conjugation) and hard (tones and writing in characters that have nothing to do with the way the word sounds) parts. There are only 6 people in our class and we have a good teacher, but we've been so busy we haven't put enough in to preparation for the class. We're still learning, and hopefully we'll get some more time to study soon! The main reason we're taking it is that both Joe and I would like to be fluent in the same language. Lots of people ask why Chinese, and the real reason is actually kinda long and complicated for me, so I generally stick with just part of the reason that's easier to explain. If I remember (and have time), I'll blog about why sometime.

DFW: We went to DFW to visit my parents and the Parks last weekend. We got to see more work my parents have done on their place - it's looking really nice and their bathroom will look like a spa when they're done. They generously bought us a very nice 14 piece set of pots and pans! They are so shiny, I'm almost afraid to use them. I'm very excited about the 11 quart pot it comes with... our "big" pot before that was less than half that size, and this one comes with an insert so you can cook pasta and just lift it out (instead of nearly burning yourself with a colander).

The Parks just moved from here in November, and we've seen them a couple of times when they've come back to visit, but it was great to spend some extended time with them. We saw (for the second time) the movie Enchanted at a dollar theater, which was a lot of fun, and then had time to just visit and catch up. My prayer for them, especially Shelley, is that they are blessed with good friends who live close to them.

My sister: My younger (and only) sister lives here in College Station, but her husband just got a big promotion - now he's going to be an Assistant Manager at Toys R Us. The only thing is that they have to move to San Antonio for him to do this - and in just two weeks (half of which they'll be on vacation in New York)! I'm really happy that they recognized Kevin's potential, but I'm very sad that they're moving away. It has been great to live in the same town as my sister for the last almost 5 years, and San Antonio is not that far away. But almost 3 hours isn't the same as 5 minutes away. I'll miss her!

First Birthdays

Apparently a side effect of the flu is temporary amnesia. I kept thinking that not much has happened since New Year's, but that's just not true!

The two most prominent babies in my life just had their first birthdays! In both cases, the mom / party planner let me help a little. I've helped for a few baby or wedding showers, but this was my first time to get to be a part of a birthday celebration. It was great - I felt like I got a chance to celebrate even more than the two hours at the party.

The first weekend of the new year, Sam turned one among banana splits, monkey cake, banana cookies and many, many friends. His mommy, Jenny, was the one I wrote about in December who was in a freak accident and had very limited use of her arms. On Friday (2/1) she got the go-ahead from her doctor to hold Sam for the first time since the accident! Despite her handicap, Jenny put together a stellar party and the weather was great for the outdoor venue. I got to help her make some banana-shaped cookies. The only sad part is that they are moving to Tennessee this summer, so I probably won't get a chance to be there for Sam's second birthday. Oh, and it's sad (but not all that surprising) that I forgot my camera and didn't get any pictures.

Two weeks later (on the 20th), Joel turned one! We first knew Joel from his kicks on his mommy's tummy, and have been blessed to see him about twice a week since then. Boy, has he grown! I helped with his baby shower, so it was special to get to help with his first birthday party, too. I helped Ari decorate the cake for the party (which had a kite theme). Some of the action involved croquet, chicken-watching, kite making for the kids, and opening presents. Even Joel tried to help make it memorable by flying out of his high chair (he was just fine). It was a fun party with great people. :)