Feeling Turquoise

Blogging is the last thing I should be doing right now (Martha is going to be mad at me), but I woke up feeling a tiny bit blue today, and I knew that talking with my bloggy friends would fill me with cheer.

Denise, why are you blue? you ask. (You didn’t really ask that, but you should have. It’s rude for someone to admit that they’re blue and then not ask what’s wrong. Also, why are you “feeling blue” when you’re sad? Where does that come from? Let me scour the Internets to see … umm, the Internets are proving to be unreliable. I’m finding all kinds of theories for the etymology of “feeling blue.” Some people say it has to do with rain or the fact that blue is a dark color (boring). Others say it has to do with Zeus, which I think also has to do with the idea of storms (less boring). Others say it has to do with deepwater ships. If the ship lost a captain or crewmember during its voyage, it would fly blue flags on its return (least boring, but I’m not sure I buy it). Also, I think we could be more creative. What about feeling aquamarine? Or feeling navy? Or feeling Carolina blue? Thanks for nothing, Internet! Although I did find Tobias.)

Where was I? Oh, yes. The blueness. Basically, I have so many things to do and none of them are fun. That makes me a bit whiny and sad. For the next two months, my life consists of the library and frantic writing/studying. It’s the worst. A rough draft of my thesis is due by March 18. And a rough draft it shall be. Most programs at my school either do a thesis or comprehensive exams. I wisely (unwisely) chose the program that does both. That means that I will be taking a six-hour essay test on March 2. This test covers everything I’ve supposedly learned at school. And according to the reading list, it also covers a whole lot of stuff I’ve never learned. I’m supposed to study for this test for two months. I am behind. I am also teaching two Old Testament classes at Colorado Christian University, doing other freelance projects, taking Greek and trying to keep up with the demands of Pinterest and Facebook. It’s a lot, you guys. Feeling blue.

But let’s move on and talk about some happy things.

* The Bachelor is back, which means that Knox McCoy is back! He is the only reason to suffer through that show, and he makes it so worth it.

* This is a thing.

* I started teaching at CCU this past week. I am a professor! I’ve already had fun teaching the kids things about the Old Testament, and I think they didn’t hate it. I’ve also already received bribes in the form of Skittles, so my plans are going perfectly.

* I ran away from work and spent two weeks in Canada over Christmas. Andrew’s family goes to a hot springs resort every year, and it was lovely. Our days consisted of sleeping in, eating breakfast, lounging around, going snowshoeing or hiking or skiing, eating a snack, taking a nap, eating dinner, playing wallyball, going to the hot tub, eating a snack, playing a game, and going to sleep. I literally never knew what day it was because time didn’t matter. So relaxing.

This is wallyball, by the way. Notice my fierce athleticism as I gently tap the ball into the net because I have absolutely no skills.

Andrew took me cross-country skiing one day, which was a huge treat for him. I’ve done it before in Minnesota, but on a very flat trail. The trail we were on had a few hills. Guys, cross-country skis have no edges. You’re trusting your feet to two long sticks of sheer gliding crap. I fell about 16,000 times, and the trail that should have taken us about 35 minutes took over 40 hours. I was crabby and prideful, and Andrew was patient with me. (Also, he laughed at me a lot, which was rude.)

* My mom sent me a DVD of the PBS series Frontier House. I love it, you guys. It’s about three modern-day families who do a project in which they go live in Montana for five months. But they live as though they were in the 1880s! They build cabins and milk cows and sew clothes and grow crops. It’s like Little House brought to life. This is what I would have died to do when I was 10. Here’s the thing, though. Life was hard in the 1880s! Just think of all the whining I’d have to do! It’s fun to watch, though.

* And finally, Grumpy Cat is always feeling more blue than I am. And that cheers me up.

Okey, dokey. I feel better. Have a really wonderful weekend, friends!