Dana Burland

Here we go again. I’ve kicked off another sprint triathlon training plan. I’m locked into a routine for the next eight weeks, prepping for the Grand Rapids Sprint Triathlon on June 7. I love training. The race is fun, but have you ever challenged and surprised yourself on a near daily basis? The discipline, the athletic mindset of it all–THIS is the best. Except this morning. After eating roughly 6 pounds of chocolate covered matzo leftover from Passover , track sprints at 5am just didn’t sound fun… or feel fun, frankly. Some of these workouts just get done vs get done beautifully. My goal for this tri is fun, healthy completion. I specifically would like to NOT PR. I’d like to prove to myself I can train and race with enjoyment, without needing to prove anything to myself. The other challenge, of course, is the family calendar. Piano and soccer and weekend activities all pick up in the Spring–just as my workouts will go from 30-40 minutes to 50-70. It’ll be a balancing act, for s...

B and I saw one of my favorite comedians (Marc Maron) in Grand Rapids last night. He was great, and as predicted — dark, political, mundane, and with a peppering of some Jew jokes. I can so relate to nonchalant, yet chalant , way he talks about his judaism.  Which brings me to Passover, which is this weekend. Another major Jewish holiday to reckon with my religious feelings, and determine what's right to teach my kids. I want Passover dinner to not just feel like another dinner. But what is it we're doing here to set it apart? Are we chewing on bitter herbs to remember the pain and tears of our people enslaved? Are we focusing on the current and continued suffering of Jews around the world? With a 7 and 5 year old? Nope, we're not. Please, PLEASE!, I asked ChatGPT, can you create a semi-secular, kid-friendly, Passover seder reading. And did your girl ChatCPT ever deliver. I made some tweaks to get this even farther in line with what I was looking for. The result is perfect....

Forgive me for my delay in reporting the news: it's officially Spring! I knew it about two weeks ago, the same way I know it every year--one wreath, two birds, and three eggs. My Spring wreath goes up every year after the Valentine's door hanging heart comes down. There's still plenty of snow, but it's me wishing. It's winter business as usual for awhile until the birds come. Maybe they're sparrows? Finches? I don't know, but every year it's the same thing. The two birds arrive, scoping out the top of the wreath at first. Then I'll spot one on the wreath with a twig in its mouth. Then I blink, and a nest is built. And shortly after that, there are eggs. I used to work with a guy who said he knew it was officially Fall when he'd be out for a run and would happen to catch a leaf as it fell from a tree. And so I've deemed it officially Spring when these two birds show up and build a home on my home's Spring wreath. Now, the oddest thing happ...