I have eaten too much.
Seriously, the entire time my mom was here, I ate as if there would be no food left when she got on the plane to IAH. It was worth it (of course), but now I am so bloated that I cannot move. Perhaps I needed it, though. When I am not eating socially, I take in so few calories that I’m not sure it’s healthy. However, my pants are tight with that “just took ’em out of the dryer” feel, and that is not the look for which I am going. I decided I needed some exercise on the way home, so when I got to Silver Spring Station, I walked to my house. It’s almost two miles, about a 30 minute walk for me, and by the time I got home I felt better about myself. I decided that whenever possible, I was going to make myself walk to the Metro instead of taking the bus. As a depression patient, endorphins really make me feel better- as well as the sun beating down on my Vitamin-D deprived shoulders. Yes, it was 88 degrees. I didn’t care. I stopped at 7-Eleven for a Super Big Gulp of Coke Zero and a 24-oz water bottle and off I went.
You would think that walking two miles would ease this bloated feeling, and I have to say… not so much. Perhaps it was the two days of McDonald’s that did it. This morning, I took my mom to Busboys & Poets, where I had a tofu scramble with some actual vegetables in it… like vegan bacon. There was also spinach, salsa, and some other stuff, but if you’re going to eat vegetables, why not eat the ones that taste like pork? Plus, there are times in my life where I prefer Daiya to actual cheese (I know, I know… cheese is awesome and beautiful. I GET IT. Stop looking at me that way.).
The restaurant itself was recommended by Pri Diddy, and I’m glad we made the trip. It is now possibly my favorite place in the entire world. Stacks of books and a great bar/cafe, complete with amazing tea and coffee. I’m going to go back with my laptop and my Kindle when it’s not busy so I can work. I need to get my shit together and up the ante on this job search. At this point, I will take anything, and I am surprised that none of the places I’ve sent online applications have even bothered to reply. I went to McDonald’s web site yesterday to send them yet another application, because they’re the ones that have the best tuition reimbursement program and Howard is a private school (read: I need lots and lots of money).
Why did I choose Howard? Several reasons. The biggest is that their MDiv program is a United Church of Christ-based school, and I didn’t want to join the Virginia Mafia (the nickname for all the Episcopal priests that come out of VTS). The second is that I’m white and I thought it would be cool to play against type. It’s hilarious the responses I’ve gotten. Geoffrey looked at me, wide-eyed, and said, “you know you’re white, right?” It was even funnier because he is black. If I remember right, I told him that I hadn’t noticed and he laughed even harder. Additionally, it is in Prianka and Elena’s neighborhood, and close to Giles as well, which gives me a great excuse to drop by… as if I needed one. 😛
Several people have asked me why I want to go to a UCC school. I think I’ve answered this before, but I will answer it again. I don’t want to be an Episcopal priest anymore because I realized that with the UCC, I can include Anglican elements to my service, but I can do more with liturgy, writing my own instead of being tied to the Book of Common Prayer. I have it in my head that I will collect my own liturgy over years and years, publishing what I think would be a great book for our denomination. Some people are blessed at writing call-and-response. Some people aren’t. I think it would stifle my growth to go the Episcopal route, so I won’t.
There are like, ten people in Portland sticking out their tongues and saying, “I told you so.”
Plus, in the UCC, you don’t have to be ordained to do communion/preach/etc- it’s on a church by church basis. So if I get this job as a youth director at my church, it is possible that I could get some experience in worship as well. If I know I’m preaching, I will send out a “Save the Date” announcement just like I did in PDX. I have fewer friends here, but I am changing that every Sunday. Christ Congregational was a great way to plug in- the people have been fantastic to me, supportive in all the right ways of both me applying at Howard for my eventual MDiv and welcoming me into the choir.
The choir. Gotta talk about it.
I went up to Nae, the choir director, and said, “are your sopranos mean?” He said, “No, the only one that’s mean is me.” I told him that was acceptable and I would see him Sunday morning. I have been told that I have a gorgeous voice, but that’s not why I joined. I joined because I have a corkscrew scoliosis and the pews are traditional Shaker benches that wreak havoc on my back. I noticed that the choir had padded chairs in the loft, and that was that. It only took me three Sundays to realize that one, along with everyone who sat next to me saying, “you should join the choir.” One of the sopranos was sitting behind me in church two Sundays ago, and I asked her when we started back up. She said, “not until after Labor Day.” I quietly said “fuck” to myself and said, “I have to wait all the way until AFTER LABOR DAY?” She said, “man… you sure are eager.” I told her the chair situation and she laughed until she cried. I’ve sort of adjusted. Last week I took my backpack empty and leaned on it like a pillow. It kind of worked.
I was really sore by the time I went to pick up my mom at the airport after church, but I wasn’t going to leave her to make her own way to my house. I am not sure that would have ended well.
I just took a big gulp and left.
Stories That Are All True 