Day 39 - Commencement

Dear Friend,  

This is a post I wrote last Wednesday which was day 39.  I wrote it on my iPad while I attended our college graduation ceremony.  Here it is.  Some major stuff happened right after I wrote this.  

Lisa

Well, I am at my first commencement ceremony.  There was a prayer by a pastor of a church around here and, as he was praying for the graduates as they set out on their next section of the journey, I wanted to add "... and, as they return to their parents' home while looking for a job, please help everyone be patient and help the graduates find a job so mom and pop can get their house back to themselves!"

The is a big ceremony.  I don't know how many we are graduating, but this is the second ceremony and there are several hundreds of graduates.  My husband is the last person in the processional here, completely different from where he was before.  The students cheered as he went by!  He's already making a difference!  We don't have any place even close to being large enough to do this on campus, so we have to rent an arena in a nearby city.  

I tried on all my white pants yesterday finally.  None of them fit!!  Ten pounds will do that to you.  I'm just going to get some summer dresses.  The ones I wore last summer were already a few years old and looked pretty bad.  I don't think any of them are salvageable. Well ... one might be.  

You won't believe what I did yesterday!  I ordered SIX BRAS!!  Won't that be awesome if they felt which I think they will?  I don't think I've ever had that many bras before in my life.  Two half slips and three pairs of pantyhose.  Whoo hoo!!

Our vacation has been decided.  Were going to go to the Bahamas for nine nights!!  That should be wonderful.  Were not doing an all-inclusive.  We did that last summer and ate and drank waaay too much!

I haven't had any time to write to my brother or my niece yet. I still have to write my biography for the seminary and figure out what to do about my immunizations.  

My husband told me that this ceremony started at 2:00, so I was here by 1:30, unbelievably.  And then, it turned out that he had the time wrong and it started at 4:00!  So, I ate a lunch they provided, including a couple of cookies and potato chips, and went to bed bath and beyond FINALLY to return all the things I bought to get the bedroom ready for the conference back in March.  Couldn't find the receipt, of course.  And I apparently bought it with my American Express which I didn't have with me,  without it to show what I paid, they would take things back, but take 20% off.  That makes complete sense because they give t so many 20% off coupons so, if you can't provide proof of purchase, they're going to figure you bight it at a discount and now want to get full price back,  but I was sure disappointed. That means I have to get the Amex back from my daughter and come it here again.  I'm almost through with that massive a not of returns I had to make. I have to return Tim's robe to Nordstrom, the bed bath and beyond stuff, and two pairs of shoes to Lord & Taylor.  I have to have my Amex to return those shoes also.  WHY CAN I NOT HANG ON TO RECEIPTS???

Now this is exciting.  We are awarding some doctoral degrees and the students are getting hooded with these big long hoods.  Such a fine moment if you are in academics.  And, why would you want to be in any other life, I ask??!

So, I wanted to exercise yesterday.  I really did.  I just wanted to walk and the block once and do my hip exercises.  But ... I had to get things ready for a dinner last night and managed to out it off until it was too late.  Knowing I am almost certain to hurt myself when I workout and tear a tendon really hampers my desire to do so!! I'm wearing a nice dress I've had a few years.  It had gotten too big and I had almost given it away.  I'm glad I didn't now since it's one of the only things that fits!  

Well, the recessional is about to start, so I guess I'll say goodbye for now.   

Cheers!

Lisa