Tangents

Since I sort like to start with a song... I was reading this blog post about how to improve a bad day and I thought about the importance of a good soundtrack.  When I am confronted, yet again, with my family's demand to have dinner (seriously, I just fed them YESTERDAY!), I turn to my "Hey" playlist.  Might I suggest it the next time you find yourself struggling?

Mat Kearney Hey Mama

Michael Franti & Spearhead Say Hey

Train Hey, Soul Sister

And the outlier...

Freestylers Weekend Song


This year is an odd mishmash of extremes.  I veer between complete interpersonal immersion to being alone in a way I never felt in the US.  I'm mostly embracing this.  I call it "my year of no committees."  While I don't recommend a life devoid of service to others, it is nice to have a year long hiatus.  I am not bringing over a meal, finding a speaker, and/or emotionally blackmailing anyone into volunteering for anything.  Although, I suspect I am about to take on the nursery at church- a leopard can only get rid of so many spots...

What am I doing with myself, then?  Well, Allen and I are getting sucked into NCIS.  They are showing seasons 1-8 in syndication in the evenings so we're catching up with the backstory and season 9 shows on Friday nights.  I think we start season 10 (the current season) in January.

I also decided to figure out my personality once and for all by taking 6 Myers-Briggsy sort of personality tests.  People said that they didn't tend to be very accurate so I thought I would cross check and with only 15-40 questions they are quick.  Interestingly, I got the same thing on all of them- INFJ.  For those with a burning curiosity, I am only slightly introverted but quite solid on the sensing and judging components.  This neatly explains why I like people so much but find them so exhausting.  According to one summary, Shirley MacLean and Jesus were also INFJs.  But, of course!  Because when people are searching for ways to describe me Shirley and Jesus are always the first things to come to mind.  Although, I have to say, wouldn't you assume Jesus was an extrovert?

I've been getting to watch Dr. Who in a timely manner.  This is a mixed blessing as it was always sort of nice to watch them in a big gulp but the anticipation is fun, as well.  I'm torn on who is most crushworthy:

Rory as Centurion

Doctor Who #11

Rory who goes from nothing special to 2000 year old Centurion of unsurpassed loyalty, y'know, as you do.  He also gets some of the best romantic lines written for a television character.

                or

The Doctor who is the smartest and, even more importantly, the most clever, man in the room pretty much always.  I always have loved a geek.

Allen is of course, the best of both worlds being both brilliant and loyal.  He also has the plus of NOT being fictional...

Jennifer
in the Red Pyramid

Sharing about living in Egypt reminded me of a funny story.  The Egyptian man on the street tends to not have the highest opinion of American women's morals.  This is quite understandable when you remember that the main exposure they have to "typical" American women is Beverly Hills, 90210.  The main defense you can employ against attention that is getting a bit too intense is a wedding band.  My friend, Jennifer, came to visit us.  Since she was unmarried, Allen loaned her a ring to wear when we were out and about.  At one point in the Souk, a man started hitting on Jennifer and we explained that she was married.  I had already explained that she was a friend.  With the absence of a second American man, the vendor made some assumptions getting a big smile on his face and proclaiming Allen a "Lucky, lucky man!"  I remind Allen of how very lucky he is on a regular basis.  :-)