Fodder

I have a problem updating this blog. Not because nothing blogworthy happens in my life or anything... but maybe because of that? I go to work, I babysit the girls, I teach piano, I go to football games, I go to bars with my friends... and what happens between all of that? Not a lot? Is it the events that I write about? Or is the fodder in between them more important?

My Lily and my Emma are still the most adorable, most precious, little girls. That hasn't changed.

I drink a lot more coffee these days, but I spend a lot less on it. I recently figured out that I really like iced americanos, but I'll take a simple doppio espresso, too.

My dad and stepmom hosted a barbeque last weekend where I met a girl who was best friends with some girls who I went to middle school with. Small world! Even had that not happened, the night would have been a win from the hugs I received and the delicious ribs I ate... YUM.

I saw AWOLNATION in concert last week and their live performance blew me away. Seriously. So good. Their CD got me through my last big paper in college, and I listened to nothing but it for about a month. Even their opening bands, Zeale (an indy rap artist) and Imagine Dragons (up and coming alternative), were just freaking amazing. Probably, overall, one of the best live events I've ever had the pleasure to attend.

And speaking of CDs I listen to nonstop, lately it has been the new Mumford & Sons album, Babel. Track 12 is a song called "Not With Haste", where it culminates on the lyrics, "Do not let my fickle flesh go to waste / for it keeps my heart and soul in its place / and I will love with urgency / but not with haste". I don't meditate, really, but I've been thinking about those lyrics a lot lately, wondering if I understand the difference between urgency and haste.

I sat in the back room during my break this afternoon, drank an espresso, and spent my ten minutes reading a book. It was awesome. I went back to a crazy busy store, but felt like I had actually spent way longer away from the register.

A coworker of mine likes to make a lot of blonde jokes (about me) when customers ask about whether we still have our blonde roast. People will say stuff like, "Do you still have blonde?" and he'll respond "Well, she's more of a strawberry blonde..." I've been quite lonely since I graduated college. Being around people who like to laugh and joke and sometimes poke fun at me, the new girl, means the world to me.

There's another girl at the store who started just before I did, who has recently reached out to me. She's lonely too, and so we usually grab drinks about once a week. I like having friends again.

One of my piano students in particular has been doing so, so well this semester. It's a complete turn around from last year, and I am so very proud of her. I worry about all of my students, but her in particular has suddenly started to understand a lot of the concepts I've been teaching her for the last year. I think it has to do with many, many things, not the least of which is that she is a year older now (6) and that she knows me well, but when I challenge her to try something new and she can do it, it makes my heart burst with pride.

I don't know what I'm going to wear for Halloween. It's not my favorite holiday, but I figure I should dress up as something. I work next Wednesday, so I'm hoping my manager will let us wear silly hats or something.

I used a new recipe to made bread earlier this week, but it turned out really awful. I need to buy some more flour before I can try again, but I was really looking forward to all of the delicious toast I was going to have this week.