Deal of the Century

I bought milk today, in half-gallon containers, for $.15 each. (Their sell-by date was today so they were marked down.) I bought eight of them. Isn't that a steal? Pretty much 4 gallons for $1.20.

Get back!

In the past three days:

*I have stayed under 1500 calories, each day.
*I have exercised, each day.
*I went visiting teaching.
*I did all the laundry (washed, folded, put-away).
*I did the dishes, twice, every day.
*I did some other stuff that needed to get done.

Small potatoes for most people, but for me. Get back! That is awesome!

Ich danke dir für all das Gute und Liebe und Schöne...

I've been reading the "Diary of Anne Frank" this week. Except this edition is not the one we read in school. About ten years ago, the Anne Frank foundation in Switzerland allowed publishers to re-release her diary in its entirety.

Previous to this, Anne's father had only allowed specific edited passages to be published. And I can understand why he would feel that way. Reading over the passages I feel somewhat like a voyeur... Almost every entry is explicit--the mind and soul of any teenage girl looking forward to "impending menstruation," struggling over the clashes with her mother, suffering from want of attention from her father, and discovering boys. Sometimes I think "Why did you write this?..." But then I remember that she never expected this to be published or that anyone would ever see it.



What touches me most is that, though she certainly faced some exposure to the horrors of the Nazi regime (via radio, etc), she seemed wholly unable to see her life and the future without optimism.

Last night, after reading passages for an hour I flipped to the afterword--a cold and frank paragraph that snuffed out the life and vibrancy of a stubborn, vulnerable, candid and witty little girl.

Anne must have died in late February or early March. [Her body was] probably dumped in Bergen-Belsen's mass graves.

I couldn't help but pray more fervently in gratitude, this morning, for the freedoms I enjoy but don't always appreciate.

Boys Are So Lucky

"Men are Just Happier People"

What do you expect from such simple creatures.Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President.. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.

---

I stole this from my brother. Who knows where he got it. But it certainly made me laugh. I think that I am going to write a dissertation, next week, on women and all their great advantages in life. We'll begin with the obvious: We just plain smell better!!!

...Trusty, dusky, vivid, true...

Often times, when I am away from Aaron for long periods of time, I feel much more sentimental and dreamy-eyed. (Sometimes to a point that becomes extremely sappy..) I think it is waking up in an empty bed and feeling the immediate loss. This is certainly the case today.