before I go to bed

1. In my blog post about breakfast at the monks' refectory, I forgot to mention one important element: after the audiobook was turned off, Brother Luke gave a reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict. I found this much more fascinating than the audiobook (sorry, all) for what it implied about monastic life, which is a strict commitment that requires constant tending, like a weed-prone garden.

I suppose the same is true, in one form or another, with any deep commitment or loving relationship: you commit, but commitment implies constant recommitment as well, for these things can lose momentum when they're not maintained. For Benedictine monks, perhaps this means listening to excerpts of the Rule on a regular basis. For a married couple, this will mean doing big and little things more than once: saying "I love you," giving gifts, remembering birthdays and other special times, sharing thoughts, feelings, and touch. Commitment is the garden you choose to tend. Ignore it, reject it, pretend you didn't choose it-- and soon there's no more garden.

2. The good news: I uploaded all the photos I'd taken during my second 20-miler. The bad news: the library closed before I could complete the blogging. Fear not: I'll be at a computer almost all day tomorrow (Wed.), so it'll get done and you'll have a chance to enjoy the freakishness.

3. I'm going to attempt to do most of the Genjo Marinello transcription the old-fashioned way tomorrow if the library IT people prove unable to help me.

4. Around 10AM tomorrow, I'm hoping to sit down and have a talk with Brother Luke about life, the universe, and everything. Keep fingers and tentacles crossed: I have to remember to bring my voice recorder.

5. Haircut and laundry MUST be done sometime tomorrow. Must.

6. An evening visit to the teriyaki place revealed a staff that, unlike on Sunday, was almost entirely Korean. Even the one non-Korean Asian lady I saw could speak Korean, though with a cute accent. I wonder whether the customers knew they were hearing Korean and not Japanese. By the way, I still don't know which foods make up the "happy trio."

Busy day ahead. No rest for the weary.


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