Cross Country!

I am overjoyed to be able to still compete in cross country races! (AJ's thrilled that I have this "outlet" too! Ha.Ha.) It's been a good 6 years since I've strapped on the ol' racing shoes...but now they're coming back out! This past Sunday, we competed in the 2nd race of the Gwent Cross Country League series at the University of Bath. It was AWESOME! I am just fascinated with racing here! Typically in the States, cross country races tend to include high school and university-aged folks. Here, however, cross country is encouraged at an early age (13) and continues through the ages (see pictures below!). Our 6k race included ladies 20 years and older...including many college runners. It was fast, somewhat flat, and included "land mines" galore (a.k.a. cow pies!). Ha.Ha.

Hope you enjoy the photos!! Can't wait for the next race on December 2nd in Bridgend, Wales!

Here's the ladies team just after the race! Go Great Western runners! Did I mention that the majority of our teammates are over the age of 55?!! Audrey (on my left) is 67!! Go Grandma! She's a sweetheart and a super-funny lady!

The University of Bath campus sign welcomed our team!

Here's Arthur, competing on the men's team! You may notice that there's a "great range" in age of male running participants, too! (hee.hee)

Here's Audrey and her husband Chris after the race! Chris took some great race photos. He even got one of me surrounded by 50+ aged ladies during the race! Phew...there are some tough ladies out there! I'm pleased to say my teammate Hollie (age 20) and I got 31st and 29th place, respectively, which boosted the team score! Our teammates were so proud of us! :)

Until next time!

Costco vs. Small Refrigerators!

Thanks to our wonderful Colorado friends (the Crowley's, Pedersen's, and Pitzer's!), we were introduced to the wonderful world of Costco - the land of large quantities and yummy things! Often times, AJ and I miss the joys of buying 4lbs of peeled garlic, 15lbs bags of grapefruit, and 2.5lbs bags of spinach in one fell swoop! Not to mention a 12lbs hunk of cheese and a loaf of bread large enough to fill your refrigerator! Look, I still have my card!
However, I must admit how much money we're saving on food here in England...and it's not because we're eating ramen, carrots, and parsnips! It's pure and simple...using a small refrigerator! AJ and I used to joke about our "little guy", but now we're thankful for the lack of space! It would be impossible to freeze a 4lbs bag of chicken (note: our freezer is the size of an ice cube tray holder!) or house a 3lbs tub of sour cream (it's known as "soured cream" here and is sold in tiny yogurt-sized containers). As you can see below, our little guy is stuffed to the max and is well loved! Ha.Ha.Ohh..and another money saving idea is having to walk 1.5 miles with groceries! It really cuts down on overbuying! Ha.Ha. AJ and I miss the luxury of overeating Costco things...but are enjoying the savings! :)

Note: There is a Costco store at the edge of town...what I want to know is, how do the English manage?!! Ha.Ha.

Hedgehog Rescue!

Who can resist this little guy?! My co-worker just informed me that the Hedgehog Rescue in town is searching for foster care-givers over the winter months for their little "chappies". Unfortunately there are too many of them for the volunteer staff...thus they're going into premature hibernation. I tried to "work my angle" by giving a sound argument for being a hedgehog foster care-giver, but was reminded that our property manager won't allow for it. Darn rules! Can you imagine us with these little guys?! So scrumptuous!!

What I Do

Enough people have asked about my studies that I'm beginning to think it's more than mere politeness! So here are some bits about my life as a PhD student. Regarding routine, I try to keep things quite regimented. At least 8 hours a day are spent in the library. The basic breakdown is like this: 1 hour doing Hebrew reading, 3 hours doing research--lunch break--1 hour doing German, 2.5 hours researching, and some more Hebrew to finish the day.

Concerning the research itself, I'm looking at remembrance in Deuteronomy. You will see by looking at Deuteronomy that remembering has a lot to do with how the people behave. In fact, the books following Deuteronomy record the distaster of when the people don't remember the Lord and his ways. So, anywho, right now I'm studying exactly what 'remember' in Hebrew means. The tool I'm using for this is modern linguistics. People often want to know why I don't 'just study the Bible and not mess with frilly-dilly ideas such as linguistics.' A fair question. The simple truth is this: Linguistics is the study of human language. The Bible is written in human language. Therefore, linguistics can greatly aid our interpretation of the Bible. Anywho, that's a little about my studies.

Here's where AJ sits! (posted by Andrea)

If you're sneaky enough...you can hide behind bookshelves and scare Mr. AJ!