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| Taken from my balcony on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 11:15AM |
The hill running has caught up to me a bit, all in the name of progress. I am building good stamina in my running, so I decided to burn a little more by running uphill a little faster, and of course, I added the BIG hill (80 feet climb in 800 feet laterally), and this is what strains any one of the groin muscles (lateral movements do, also, but hill running is a known culprit). I had to sit out of my Saturday run, hoping for a Sunday run. I did the "readiness test" described on the web, and I failed. So I rest another day (today). Because of the long walks I do going to and coming from church (just to bus stops and church itself), I decided to not to go. But I joined in for worship at the time the family of faith was gathered from my apartment -- not via the Internet, but the old fashioned way: in the Spirit. I was surprised to find I had not packed my old Baptist Hymnal, or maybe it is misplaced, but I found my old Romanian songbook, and a few of the songs I had come to know well. I spent some time singing in Romanian, worshiping, and then I work on my Bible study blog, where I am working through Ephesians.
The Great Cheese Experiment continues, and this week, after one of my "better eat these steaks as the expiration date is already a little past due" dinners, I had a cheese plate (the French do a cheese plate immediately after dinner, which is then followed by dessert) consisting of five different cheeses (and only a small portion of each): Camembert, Gruyere, Compte, Chevre Frais, and Saint Agur. I left Reblochon, Babybel, and La Vache Qui Rit in the refrigerator. Dried fruit is a nice complement to cheeses, or so I was told by my admin, Christine, who set me out on this mission (Clarissa knows squat, Christine Knows It All). I still have three more cheeses on her list, but by then, I will be cheesed out. Most have been nice, some I will not revisit. I will post my report of The Great Cheese Experiment another day.
Guitar practice, with focus, has begun. I went back to the fundamentals with Matteo Carcassi, whose works are still regarded as standards almost 200 years after their composition. I do love the sound of the classical guitar I commissioned Aquiles Torres of Katy, Texas to make. That was just over three years ago...the tone of this guitar is motivational in that it projects so well and sounds brilliant (not as in my playing, but tonality).
I think I am ready to begin traveling within France on weekend (Saturday) trips. My French is still poor, but well enough to go and tackle some of the countryside. Oh, speaking of my French, the French tutor at work, who is working with three of us, has kindly agreed to a standing "Dejeuner a parler la langue francaise" ("lunch to speak the French language") on Fridays, in addition to our normal class time. The four of us will sit together for lunch, and only French will be spoken, however broken. I pity the poor woman, listening to a Brit, a New Yawkah, and an adopted Texan pummel her native tongue for an hour over a meal. She'll probably lose weight after what she hears makes her sick...I think I will suggest to other two we buy her lunch.
Well, that is all for now, a very busy week ahead of me, and a quiet weekend almost behind me. Thanks for coming along.
Au revoir,
Mark
PS: Follow me on Twitter @lonewillheath (it is an anagram, not a new name), as I start exploring more I will be "posting" more from my phone
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