Random Thoughts and Observations: January 6,2009 Edition

• You may think that I’ve been uncharacteristically quiet these past weeks. I suppose I have been, but if you could have seen the slew of unfinished drafts that I just deleted, you would know that it hasn’t been entirely on purpose. By the time I get to sit down in the evenings with my Mac, I usually seem to completely lose focus on the things I wanted to post about throughout the day. Today I’m taking advantage of a little down-time at work. So I can actually publish a post, even if it isn’t devoted to just one topic but is filled with my random thoughts and observations.
• First of all, please pray for Bart. His IBS is getting so bad these days that he’s miserable more often than not. He’s been to the doctor about it, but now I think it’s time for him to see a specialist. He can’t go anywhere without becoming ill anymore, and the severity of his illness is growing. Just to see if an intolerance to something is triggering this, we’re avoiding MSG in everything he eats for a while. I’m afraid it’s not just MSG but an intolerance or allergy to glutens as a whole. If that’s so, then we’re going to have to seriously rethink our entire diet.
• Secondly, I appreciate all the prayers coming our way as we continue to try for a baby. Sometimes I grow impatient and irritable, but I understand that it will happen in God’s time, not mine. I must stop setting little, personal deadlines for it because other than making the conscious decision to no longer use birth control, I have little to no control as to when it will happen.
• With the start of a new year, I of course want to organize my entire house and get rid of anything that has little to no sentimental value and hasn’t been used in at least a year or two. It’s amazing how quickly two people and a dog can clutter a decent-sized house! Until we really get at this, we really don’t have room for a baby!
• Now that Christmas is over I ready for Spring. We had a pretty, warm day Saturday, and it was just so nice to be able to be outside with Lucy. We took her for her first walk in probably weeks around the neighborhood. She was so happy to go for a walk again that she just ran and ran and ran. Then I handed Bart the leash, and she ran just as much again. OK, I don’t want you to think that she’s not getting exercise since it’s cold, but it’s been limited to playing the back yard when we were able to be outside. Also, between my having the flu, a cold, stomach flu, and whatever else I haven’t been able to be outside, and you know Bart’s plight.
• Lastly, even though my favorite team (Oklahoma) is playing in the BCS National Championship Game Thursday night, I am more convinced than ever that NCAA football needs to overhaul the Bowl System and create a playoff system not unlike March Madness in basketball.  There was once a time when I loved to watch every bowl, but that’s no longer the  case.  Most of the teams think they should be at a better bowl and don’t play to their potential, and there are so many bowl games that they’re no longer the special, wonderful event they once were.  I also hate that most of the games aren’t played on New Year’s Day now.  The Championship should be played on New Year’s Day, and all of December should be used as a playoff time.  New Year’s bowls are boring now, and it absolutley horrible that  most of the BCS games are played on weeknights when you have to choose between watching one of the only good bowl games and going to bed to prepare for work or school the next day.