the Week of March 31, 2008 MH article

Week of March 31, 2008

Last week was a busy one and I must truthfully say that I am most content when I am busy. I absolutely cannot handle just sitting around doing nothing. Oh believe me, I like to take a break and sit just as much as anyone, but I can’t do it for extended periods of time and be idle. I have to be busy doing something.

At work, I spend the majority of my time staring at my computer screen as I review page after page after page of what sometimes seems like endless amounts of information. For that I have to sit but I am busy. When I study I have to sit, but my mind is busy and usually so are my fingers because they are busy typing a paper. I can’t even watch television without ‘doing’ something. I am usually doing two things while the television is on. I watch American Idol and cook supper. I watch CSI Miami and fold towels. I watch CSI Las Vegas and attempt to straighten my desk. Or I draw or paint something while keeping one eye on the television and another on what I am working on.

The time is rapidly approaching when I will be finished with my final Theology paper and then I can start reading books again. I have stacks of them just waiting for me. I miss my favorite authors like Clive Cussler and Daniel Silva and Patricia Cornwell and Tim Dorsey. I did break from my traditional reading fare this year and I joined a Reading Club in Tupelo at my old parish of St. James. Once a month we have gotten together and discussed some wonderful books and Authors. The first author was Flannery O’Connor and her story Revelation. The next book was Willa Cather and Death Comes to the Archbishop. The April selection is Alice McDermott’s Charming Billy. They are all books I probably never would have picked up if not for the book club. Now I want to read more of those authors’ works and maybe even start a local book club. If you are interested let me know. Tell Mack or Debbie and they will tell me.

Last Thursday, the BHS Forensics Team made their last trek of the year to Jackson for competition. The four qualifying team members, their sponsor and coach, Mrs. Movitz and I loaded up the white whale of a van and headed south. The team had to sign in at 8 AM on Friday morning so we went down Thursday evening so they could be well rested and ready for the mock Congress. While the team was in Congress, I had nothing to do for five hours so I thought I would drive across the street to a Barnes and Noble bookstore I had seen at a new shopping center just a stones throw from the host school. It was just pure bliss. Inside was the pre-requisite coffee shop where I got a much needed cup of coffee made to my specifications and then I just walked around and browsed through the thousands of books. If the Publishers Clearing House people ever draw my name, you can rest assured that I would spend a huge chunk on books.

The Forensics Team gave it their all and they were competing against some cut throat teams from schools all over the state. Mrs. Movitz and I were judges for the debate portion of the competition. I came away from the teams that I judged thinking I didn’t want to get into an argument with any of those budding politicians. Most were poised and confident and very well versed in the subject they were debating and some were just ‘fluffers’. By and large it was a great experience for all of us. Ariel and Dustin broke to the 3rd round finals. We had our fingers crossed for the prize of going to compete in Las Vegas but alas, it was not to be. They had some pretty stiff competition. Now we just want to get the score sheets and read the comments written by the team that judged them.

While we were down in Jackson, we ate at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. It was a great dining experience with chop sticks. The food was excellent and nothing like some of the china buffets that we are used to in this part of the state. Trust me on this one. We all ordered different dishes and shared so that we could all get a taste of everything. It was good and extremely affordable and was in a very elegant setting. I loved the lettuce wraps and as soon as I can find all the ingredients, I am whipping those up for supper.

The trip back home was uneventful. The three young men snoozed all the way home, Ariel played co-pilot and watched traffic for me while Mrs. Movitz was quietly figuring out her strategy for next years Forensics Team.

When Ariel and I arrived at home, we were greeted with the sight of a cute, cuddly four legged puppy on a leash. There stood my grinning husband and second daughter. “Look what we have! He was free to a good home and he was the prettiest of the litter.” From the looks of his feet he is going to be the size of a moose too! So I think I now have an exercise companion. Since I always have to be busy, I believe that young Tucker, as he has been named, will soon be dragging me through the streets of East Bruce helping me to drop some of this excess weight I am carting around. After walking him a few times I may just finally learn to sit and do nothing except to breath.