Anchorage Zen Center

My wife and I had intended to visit the Anchorage Zen Center last night for their newcomers night which they have every Tuesday evening from 7-830. Needless to say--we intended to visit--we missed our time. We ended up staying in the hospital longer than we'd planned, then laundry, mail, and dinner got in the way. I suppose there will always be excuses eh? We're going to try again next week. I think next week may be better anyway. I'm not actually sure there was any zazen last night. I think it was basically a class on posture, but that would have been good too.

Jonny isn't very interested at all in Zen or meditation. She isn't very eager to attend this newcomers night w/ me either, but she is willing. I've been trying to sit everyday, but it's hard. We're cooped up in this one-bed hotel room at the hospital and we have exactly the same schedule, so my only alone time is while she's in the shower. I suppose I could just sit there while she tapped away at her laptop or read a book or something, but that's a little awkward. So I've only been able to sit about 10 minutes a day at the most. I think meditation is especially helpful right now though with all the added stress/worry about Ella. She's doing fine I guess, but we worry a lot, and it feels very unstable.

I have been reading quite a bit online about Buddhist practice though. I think that's good. Still reading Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist too. The book got a little slow, but it's picking back up. When Stephen Batchelor goes on about his investigations into the details of Gotoma's life before he was enlightened, it gets pretty nitty-gritty and a bit deep into Indian history for my taste. I really enjoy his writings on philosophy though.

I really need to start studying and working out again. I can't let it go for too long or I'll regret it. That's about the last thing I feel like doing right now though. Maybe if I just start really small. ;)