Nought may endure but mutability

"My experience has taught me that it isn't the distance that creates the difficulty. The difficulty is because we continue to maintain those relationships as if they are unchanged."

That quote comes from the comments section of my friend's blog. The friend is moving to Texas to start a whole new life with his family, and is struggling with the idea that the relationships he's made here can't stay the same.

Yesterday was a send-off morning in our Sunday School class. All four of our shepherding couples have been led by God, independently of one another, to follow Him in other directions. For three of those couples, that means following Him somewhere else in the greater Denver community. I found it especially challenging to say goodbye to these couples. They're not really going anywhere, so we can call them up whenever we feel like getting together. But they're leaving our community and they will invest themselves in new communities. And we will continue to invest ourselves in the lives of those who join our community. So, even though we're no further apart physically, and even though we will always be friends, those relationships will never be the same again, even if I do call them up to get together now and then. And that is the really uncomfortable part of saying goodbye.

I am thankful to Than's friend for the idea that he expressed in Than's comment section. If I acknowledge that the relationships are changing (and will continue to change) and if I accept them as the new relationships that they are, will it make the transition easier?

If I think of it down the road, I'll let you know.

"Change is certain. Peace is followed by disturbances; departure of evil men by their return. Such recurrences should not constitute occasions for sadness but realities for awareness, so that one may be happy in the interim." -Percy Bysshe Shelley

"Man's yesterday may never be like his morrow; Nought may endure but Mutability." -Percy Bysshe Shelley

Colorado's worst natural disaster*

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Big Thompson Flood, the worst natural disaster in Colorado history. (Some of my regular readers will remember it firsthand.)

For those who don't know, the Big Thompson Flood (named for the canyon in which it took place) was a flash flood that hit without any warning sending water through the canyon at a mind-boggling 31, 200 cubic feet per second. At least 144 are known to have died that night, and 88 people were injured. Seven victims have never been located. The devastation of those two hours led to large scale research and development for better warning systems and building standards in flood-prone areas across the country.

That day, my husband (then 7 years old) and his family had spent the day in Estes Park. They were driving back home to Fort Collins when it started raining. Eric complained that he was hungry, so the family stopped at a restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat. Before they left the restaurant, word came in that the highway on which they were to travel home had been completely washed away by the flood - a flood they didn't even know about until that moment. They sought higher ground and traveled home the next day by a different route. The grumblings of my husband's hungry belly had saved his family's life.

The 25th anniversary of the flood came only two weeks after my first date with Eric. Yet, during those two weeks we drove through the canyon together and he told me all about it and showed me various landmarks. So, the information was fresh in my mind when it was on the news five years ago, and I remember writing about it in my diary. I mentioned this to Eric as we watched a commemoration on the news tonight. He said it, too: Can that really have been five whole years ago?

Some who read this blog have their own memories of the night of the flood. Please share them in the comments section! Between the anniversary of the flood and my trip to the Central City Opera on Tuesday, it's been a very educational week for me in terms of Colorado history!



*The death toll of the 1921 flood in Pueblo may have been higher, but was not well documented. Estimates of lives lost in that flood range from 100 to 350.

I'm a plaintiff!

Yes, I sued a former student today for neglecting to pay past tuition. He paid for three lessons, then came for two more after those three and kept saying he'd get paid that week and he'd bring it next week. (I'm way too trusting!) Then he stopped coming. That was mid-May. At the end of May, after two weeks of trying daily to reach him by phone, I sent him a letter advising him that I still expected him to pay for the two additional lessons, and that I would take legal action if I didn't receive the funds by the end of June. A couple weeks before the deadline, I finally got a hold of him on the phone. He said he had received my letter and he would send me the money by my deadline. Well, it's the end of July, and I still haven't seen a dime. (I didn't really expect to, but I had hoped my threat would encourage him to pay.)

I might not have taken him to court over it, but a trusted friend & colleague reminded me that anyone who'll do that once will do it again, and I owe it to his next music teacher to make sure he takes his financial obligations seriously, even when they're with private businesses.

I was further encouraged to sue when I remembered that he had just turned 18. And I mean just turned 18. The first lesson he missed a payment on was two days after his 18th birthday. Someday he's going to realize that not paying your bills is more serious than not turning in your homework. I'm probably doing him a favor by making that clear to him now when it won't hurt his credit, rather than letting a credit card company teach him the lesson later. And yes, I tried to contact his parents first (even though I never met them), but they don't speak English very well and didn't seem to care (i.e. didn't return my calls, or said they'd call me right back, but never did). He's going to wish he'd just paid on time since he owes me nearly twice as much now with court costs figured into the settlement. And just in case he doesn't take the court summons any more seriously than he did my letter, it's nice to know the judgement automatically goes in my favor if he fails to appear.

This sort of thing would be a major pain in the butt if it happened often, but this is the first time I've encountered any trouble collecting tuition from a student, and I think it will be interesting to go through the process. Kind of like a hands-on civics lesson.

I really do hope this experience encourages him to straighten up and fly right in the future. Otherwise, it's just a shame.

How to eliminate doping scandals

Okay, the news that Landis is on the verge of losing his title and being fired from his team is just exasperating, especially after the number of times they tried and failed to discredit Lance Armstrong. Can a person win the Tour without people thinking he cheated and launching a huge, retroactive investigation? This is getting ridiculous! The sad thing, of course, is that there are always riders who do try to cheat the system and they seem to be ruining it for everyone else.

So, how 'bout this? Before each leg of the race, let's just dope up all the riders so that everything's fair. It's probably cheaper than all these blood tests, and far more effective.

Triathlon training update

Okay, I've decided that two hours is perhaps too ambitious a goal for completing my first triathlon.

The swim is still no problem, at least in the pool. I still need to get out and try it in open water before the big day.

The biking is also not too rough, but I've found that I can't go as fast "in the real world" as I can on the stationary bike at the gym. Lots of variables. So, that part will probably take a little longer than I previously expected.

And thirdly, I'm just not the runner I was when I was winning red and blue ribbons in 5th & 6th grade track meets. (It wasn't that long ago, was it? oh dear....) I did the full 3.1 miles on the treadmill last week and took ibuprofen every four hours for two days afterward. Tonight I ran a more sensible 2 miles out in "the real world," but my legs just turned to rubber after about a mile and a half. I wasn't "tired" or out of breath, but my legs just wouldn't do their thing for more than 10 or 20 yards at a time after than 1.5 mi mark, so I mostly walked after that. My first mile took 15 minutes and the second one took 21 minutes. And on race day, there's still that third mile. So, two hours will just not be enough time. Maybe this time I'll just congratulate myself for finishing.

An experience to remember

Last night I saw the 50th anniversary production of "The Ballad of Baby Doe" at the Central City Opera. It was, for many reasons, an experience to remember.

Naturally, I thought it fitting to write about it in my blog. But it turned out to be more of an essay than the typical blog entry. So I have posted it in a separate .html file for those ambitious enough to read it. Just to whet your appetite, here is the first paragraph:

Last night I had the privilege to attend somewhat of an historic event. Central City Opera is in the middle of their 50th anniversary run of “The Ballad of Baby Doe.” It was our own Central City Opera that commissioned the opera and performed its world premiere in 1956. Baby Doe herself was almost certainly in the audience of Central City Opera’s maiden productions in the very same hall, as the opera house was dedicated during the three years she lived in Central City with her first husband, and she was known to be a lover of the theatre. What a privilege to hear this opera in its original home, less than 80 miles from the actual setting (Leadville, CO) of the true story of America’s most fascinating love triangle.

To continue reading about my evening in Central City, click here.

New wheels!

You know, I used to ride my bike all over the place in college - rain, snow or shine. It saved me a lot of time. But the city is a little more spread out than the campus was, and I've only ridden once since I graduated six and a half years ago. In the meanwhile, my bike has deteriorated and is (was) just not adequate for a triathlon. I rode it down to the bike shop this evening, and on the way I had to stop twice because the chain came off its track and once it actually got caught over one of the bars - I have no idea how I did that. But that finally convinced me I couldn't ride it in the triathlon. And just about every bike my size in the city of Denver is already rented out for the triathlon weekend. Hmmm...wonder why...

So, Eric met me down at the bike shop and bought me a nice new road bike. It's soooo much easier to ride and shift than my old bike. I had to have an odometer for it so I can track my progress in the race. I don't think I could stand not knowing if I was almost done or just barely halfway. We left it there tonight to have the odometer installed on it. So, tomorrow I can probably post a picture of it. I've never had a road bike before. I've always had wider wheels. But road bikes are much more appropriate for racing. So, I have some adjusting to do between now and August 6th, but it's still much better than trying to fight with my old bike, which we donated to the shop to fix up and give to charity. I'm also hoping that with a nicer bike, I'll be encouraged to ride more during the mild months, even if it's just for exercise, rather than a viable mode of transportation.

Future Triathlete?

Yes, I think so!

Eric has been volunteering for local women's triathlons for years and I joined him last year and this year. I started to catch the bug at the Danskin triathlon we volunteered at on Sunday. On Monday, I talked to my supervisor at my new summer job with Parade of Homes, and she is participating in the next triathlon on Aug. 6th. And she talked me into doing it, too. So, I canceled my commitment with the volunteer coordinator and signed up yesterday to be a participant in the Tri-For-The-Cure triathlon which raises money for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The timing of this burst of insanity on my part is quite timely given that my stepmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in early April. I know I take for granted that her so-far-successful recovery is thanks to foundations like these.

The women's-only triathlon consists of a 750m (1/2 mile) open swim in the reservoir, a 20K (12.4 mi) bike and a 5K (3.1 mi) run. Sunday's Danskin triathlon took place in 100 degree heat. I'm hoping for some cloud cover on August 6th.

But, I'm thrilled to say that I am very confident that I can complete the race. Tonight I went to the gym and gave it a try. I started with the 12.4 mi bike ride on one of the stationary bikes on random mode (34.5 minutes!), then did the 1/2 mile swim (35 pool lengths) in the pool (31 minutes!). I decided not to go ahead with the 3.1 mile treadmill run because I wanted to get to Jamba Juice before they closed, and I just barely made it. But I felt like I could handle the run at that point. There's no question that the actual race will be more difficult than the nice, consistent conditions of the athletic club, but at least I know now that it's something I can handle with only 2 and a half weeks to prepare. At this time, I think my goal will be to finish the triathlon in under two hours.

I feel empowered by this. I CAN run a triathlon. In a few weeks, I hope to be able to say that I DID run a triathlon. And in a month and a half, I'll start my master's degree in music education at UNC. And with the same steady determination with which I am facing the triathlon, hopefully in a couple years, I can say I've completed a master's degree program. That will be SO COOL!!

My parents are in Indonesia

"The International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) issued a tsunami watch after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 rumbled in the Indian Ocean 220 miles south of Jakarta."
-CNN

" At least five people were killed when a tsunami triggered by a major earthquake hit the southern coast of Indonesia's Java island Monday, the country's president said." -CNN

My mom and stepdad are vacationing in Bali, the small island just off the southern tip of Java island.

Mom sent me an email at 11:30 last night. According to CNN, the tsunami hit at 2:19 AM mountain time, nearly three hours after she sent her email. I have no doubt that communications in Bali are severely compromised at the moment, which means it could be days before I hear from them that they are ok. I suspect time will be moving very slowly until I hear that they are safe. Please pray for their safety.

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Update:
I know I could just add a comment to my post, but I wanted it to be clear and obvious.

I remembered I have Mom's itinerary. I called their hotel in Bali and the receptionist told me that Bali was safe. I tried to get her to put me through to their room, but after about 3 minutes trying to help her find their name, I gave up. I am content for now.

Unforseen side effect...

In my practicing this week, I became acutely aware of a wobble in the base of my tongue which was causing a wobble in my singing. Alarmed and unsure how it got that way, I started doing some reading on the subject on how to work it out. Then, in my lesson today, I told my voice teacher about it. She asked about my weightlifting...

Apparently, weightlifting that stresses the neck and shoulders is not healthy for the voice because of the tension it creates in the neck. At a voice symposium once, she saw a body builder with huge muscles, and his speaking voice was very strained. The muscles in his neck had gotten so big that they put enormous pressure on the larynx, thus inhibiting its functionality. In my case, she advised me to cease the lifting that directly affected the neck and reduce the weight in other upper body lifting, replacing it with more reps at a more negligible weight.

I might add that I started my weightlifting under the instruction and guidance of a personal trainer, and he understands that I wanted to lose some weight, not build huge muscles. But even so, the singing voice is outside his area of expertise. And for someone like me who sings every day, honing details in my sound that most people wouldn't even notice, the effect was noticeable at a very early stage.

How very unexpected!!

My fingers hurt....

I just spent an hour practicing for my piano proficiency at UNC. It's kind of scary that the piano proficiency test at UNC is more involved than the one at IU, or at least, the one at IU 8 years ago. Fortunately, teaching piano and accompanying my voice students has kept my fingers in shape, so most of it will be a cinch. But there are a couple things I'm a touch nervous about, like say, harmonizing a melody on the spot. I do it all the time, but I take a couple minutes to work it out before I actually try to play it. Hmmm..... Well, if any non-piano major can pass this thing, with 25 years of piano under my belt, I guess I ought to be able to. Then again, there's my inherent fear of playing the piano under scrutiny. In 11 years of piano lessons, I never had a piano recital, so I never developed a comfort zone for playing in public. It scares me to death. Which reminds me, it's about time for my piano kids to have another recital.....

Update on my diet

July 5th marked one month since I started my diet. It's also the last time I happened to be at the gym to weigh myself. In that first month, I lost 11.5 pounds. I'm quite pleased! It went really fast at first, and then slowed to about 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. Thus, I expect next month's progress to be substantially smaller. But I'm already more than halfway to my target weight of 125 lbs., and that is very encouraging!

Harry Potter

I just finished reading the 6th book. I'm really glad I waited this long to start reading them, and I almost wish I'd waited another year. It was nice to be able to just keep going. Now, I wait in anxious suspense with the rest of the world for book seven.

As I got through books five and six, I started wondering if this is truly a children's book series. The nature of the plot matures and deepens as the characters (and perhaps the readers?) age. The first few books ring of childhood innocence and curiosity. The last two, in particular, anything but. The characters come face to face with death and deception on a level that most children do not (and certainly should not!) comprehend. Yet, while the series pushes the envelope of children's fiction, I can't help but wonder if the story would half as fascinating if each book didn't exceed the expectations set by the one before.

The story is amazing in so many other ways, too. It seems ridiculous to repeat the sentiments of nearly every critic and every "ordinary reader," but what else can one say? J.K. Rowling is no less than a genius, and Harry Potter, no less than a timeless masterpiece.