So, I'm such an incredible bike nerd, and Hark, A Vagrant, which is one of my favorite webcomics of all time, has posted this awesomeness for the new year.
I'm shamelessly stealing all of her links, because I love them. Indeed Kate, there is nothing better than cartoons. Especially ones about bikes, and even better, ones about ladies rebelling by riding bikes. Thank you for 331, it's officially my favorite, though that one with the duck saying "Aw Yiss, some mothafuckin' bread crumbs" is still pretty good.
Also, free books on Google! Velocipede book for free especially? Especially. Punctuation issues today. Too much excitement.
Showing posts with label Laughing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laughing. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Redneck Bicyclist
And also, Merry Christmas!
For once, I have had money to spend on Christmas gifts. I paid off my school bill, I bought Christmas gifts, I made a ton of gifts, and frankly, I'm pretty stoked about this whole Christmas thing this year. Though, admittedly, most of my gifts will be sent late, since I got them kind of late, and they still need to be wrapped and packed.
Sad news this week, Warren Hellman, who has put on the amazing Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival for the past 10 years, passed away this week. If every billionaire spent his money like that, the world would sound beautiful.
I thought I was a horse person. Turns out no, I am a bicycle person. I have moved far away from the hustle of Oakland, and I am in the woods with no cell phone service, no phone, little contact with the outside world, and yet I can end up making friends with one of the highest level directors of Safe Routes to Schools, because he chose to bring his family here on his two week vacation, instead of to a fancy hotel. His kids are rad, his wife is awesome, and he was fun to talk to and play music with. They were so Portland. I saw the future of my friends right before my eyes. I don't even know how I ended up in this world, except that sitting in a park when I was 24, I said to myself on a whim, after seeing a messenger fixed gear riding type, that THAT was who I wanted to be, who I wanted to hang out with, and how I wanted to get around. And today, here I am.
He also looks like an old sailing instructor I know, who happened to start one of the more successful community bike shops in Portland a decade and more ago, only director guy is significantly shorter than sailing instructor. Also, there must be some Portland specific affliction that causes 40 year old ish men to grow soul patches. I don't get it.
When I was talking to my dad about possibly visiting Texas, he asked why I would want to go there?
"It's full of Rednecks!"
I told him I wanted to go there BECAUSE of the rednecks.
"Well", he huffed. "I don't know why."
"Well because I come from a family of rednecks and I'm more comfortable around them."
He looked at me and said, "You think I'M a redneck?"
I raised my eyebrows at him in the classic "Really?" style.
He goes, "Yeah, I'm a redneck...hehehehe" (really, my dad laughs like that.)
Then we got into talking about bike shops and he told me he wanted to make me a t-shirt.
"Yeah? Of what?"
"It would say Redneck Bicyclist!" He's a genius.
I told this to my Texan friends later, and they laughed and said it would go over really well. Sincerely. We decided iron on letters on a white t-shirt would be the best way to pull this off.
I'mma get me some.
Also, my amazing grandfather has been haunting me lately. Can't say I mind it, he was pretty awesome, but it's been interesting. And I don't mean haunting like he's flipping switches or doing weird things like he's a ghost, only that he's been on my mind a lot lately, more so than he has been in years, and it happened suddenly, and it started about two weeks ago. I'm not sure what's up with that.
I'm going to go for some hikes in the next few days and see if I can hear what it is I'm straining to hear so hard and settle my mind a bit.
For once, I have had money to spend on Christmas gifts. I paid off my school bill, I bought Christmas gifts, I made a ton of gifts, and frankly, I'm pretty stoked about this whole Christmas thing this year. Though, admittedly, most of my gifts will be sent late, since I got them kind of late, and they still need to be wrapped and packed.
Sad news this week, Warren Hellman, who has put on the amazing Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival for the past 10 years, passed away this week. If every billionaire spent his money like that, the world would sound beautiful.
I thought I was a horse person. Turns out no, I am a bicycle person. I have moved far away from the hustle of Oakland, and I am in the woods with no cell phone service, no phone, little contact with the outside world, and yet I can end up making friends with one of the highest level directors of Safe Routes to Schools, because he chose to bring his family here on his two week vacation, instead of to a fancy hotel. His kids are rad, his wife is awesome, and he was fun to talk to and play music with. They were so Portland. I saw the future of my friends right before my eyes. I don't even know how I ended up in this world, except that sitting in a park when I was 24, I said to myself on a whim, after seeing a messenger fixed gear riding type, that THAT was who I wanted to be, who I wanted to hang out with, and how I wanted to get around. And today, here I am.
He also looks like an old sailing instructor I know, who happened to start one of the more successful community bike shops in Portland a decade and more ago, only director guy is significantly shorter than sailing instructor. Also, there must be some Portland specific affliction that causes 40 year old ish men to grow soul patches. I don't get it.
When I was talking to my dad about possibly visiting Texas, he asked why I would want to go there?
"It's full of Rednecks!"
I told him I wanted to go there BECAUSE of the rednecks.
"Well", he huffed. "I don't know why."
"Well because I come from a family of rednecks and I'm more comfortable around them."
He looked at me and said, "You think I'M a redneck?"
I raised my eyebrows at him in the classic "Really?" style.
He goes, "Yeah, I'm a redneck...hehehehe" (really, my dad laughs like that.)
Then we got into talking about bike shops and he told me he wanted to make me a t-shirt.
"Yeah? Of what?"
"It would say Redneck Bicyclist!" He's a genius.
I told this to my Texan friends later, and they laughed and said it would go over really well. Sincerely. We decided iron on letters on a white t-shirt would be the best way to pull this off.
I'mma get me some.
Also, my amazing grandfather has been haunting me lately. Can't say I mind it, he was pretty awesome, but it's been interesting. And I don't mean haunting like he's flipping switches or doing weird things like he's a ghost, only that he's been on my mind a lot lately, more so than he has been in years, and it happened suddenly, and it started about two weeks ago. I'm not sure what's up with that.
I'm going to go for some hikes in the next few days and see if I can hear what it is I'm straining to hear so hard and settle my mind a bit.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Stress Makes me Lose Things
And cry a lot. The last 24 hours are no exception.
Hardly Strictly was awesome, super fun, I met fun people and danced a lot, and laughed a lot, and got a full dose of Tahoe love. It's always a hard thing to say goodbye to the people in my life from there, even if it's for not too long.
I definitely caught the flu at some point in the last few days. I don't honestly know if I caught it working last week, or if I caught it from the camp kids, since camp cold happens to be going around up there. Regardless, it makes me feel like death for at least 70% of the day. I've pretty much spent the whole day sleeping.
Yesterday the combination of feeling wicked sick, a little too sun burnt, and a little too tired, caused me to lose my wallet.
Disaster. I know. Trust me, I know. But the good news? Just as I was writing this, 311 called me to let me know that they'd found it! Awesome Sauce.
Also, I peed my pants. Not on purpose, and not for lack of trying to hold it. It's just that I downed about 3 liters of water in the last two hours of the festival, and we were walking to the beach (30 blocks) and I held it as long as I could, but there were no bathrooms! We finally crossed a park, and I found some good bushes, but I was JUST short of getting my shorts off before things started to flow. Luckily I had a tropical print towel and clean underwear in my bag. I should have brought the jeans. Who knew? Also, I had to pee ALOT on that walk, and it was by far one of the weirdest city walks I've ever done with a group of people.
I didn't sleep much because I'm pretty sure I have the flu. Plus I was upset that I'd lost my wallet, plus I was sad that the three lovely people sleeping on the floor were going to be taking off in a car without me in three hours. Not gonna lie, I cried a little, threw myself a little pity party, slept a little, woke up and helped them get stuff out to the car, hugged them hard, and tried to sleep a little more. What ended up happening is that I wasn't very good at sleeping, so I woke up at 4:30am, read, called the EBT people to cancel my EBT card (they are sending another one to replace it, probably they sent it today, but who knows really), and read.
There's been a lot of reading. Had to miss work today because of the sickness, and it looks the same for tomorrow too. I can't go out into the world and spread whatever this thing is.
Hardly Strictly was awesome, super fun, I met fun people and danced a lot, and laughed a lot, and got a full dose of Tahoe love. It's always a hard thing to say goodbye to the people in my life from there, even if it's for not too long.
I definitely caught the flu at some point in the last few days. I don't honestly know if I caught it working last week, or if I caught it from the camp kids, since camp cold happens to be going around up there. Regardless, it makes me feel like death for at least 70% of the day. I've pretty much spent the whole day sleeping.
Yesterday the combination of feeling wicked sick, a little too sun burnt, and a little too tired, caused me to lose my wallet.
Disaster. I know. Trust me, I know. But the good news? Just as I was writing this, 311 called me to let me know that they'd found it! Awesome Sauce.
Also, I peed my pants. Not on purpose, and not for lack of trying to hold it. It's just that I downed about 3 liters of water in the last two hours of the festival, and we were walking to the beach (30 blocks) and I held it as long as I could, but there were no bathrooms! We finally crossed a park, and I found some good bushes, but I was JUST short of getting my shorts off before things started to flow. Luckily I had a tropical print towel and clean underwear in my bag. I should have brought the jeans. Who knew? Also, I had to pee ALOT on that walk, and it was by far one of the weirdest city walks I've ever done with a group of people.
I didn't sleep much because I'm pretty sure I have the flu. Plus I was upset that I'd lost my wallet, plus I was sad that the three lovely people sleeping on the floor were going to be taking off in a car without me in three hours. Not gonna lie, I cried a little, threw myself a little pity party, slept a little, woke up and helped them get stuff out to the car, hugged them hard, and tried to sleep a little more. What ended up happening is that I wasn't very good at sleeping, so I woke up at 4:30am, read, called the EBT people to cancel my EBT card (they are sending another one to replace it, probably they sent it today, but who knows really), and read.
There's been a lot of reading. Had to miss work today because of the sickness, and it looks the same for tomorrow too. I can't go out into the world and spread whatever this thing is.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Carson City!
There's a lot more to this city that I'll have to share later, but I just got back from Carson City Nevada. A couple of my best girlfriends from Oakland checked in with me yesterday and picked some theme songs for my life, completely seperately.
First, Sarah's pick, when she heard I've not yet gotten the Tahoe job:
And then Amanda's Pick:
First, Sarah's pick, when she heard I've not yet gotten the Tahoe job:
And then Amanda's Pick:
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tahoe Pt. 3
Spent:
6 on breakfast
5 on lunch (peanut butter sando and a hot cocoa.)
5 for a monthly bank fee
6 dollars on a bank fee I was not aware I was going to be charged.
Total in bank:
324.22
Total in pocket:
10
I appreciate the sounds of this place:
The look and color of the leaves of the Aspens
Lake waves at Kiva:
Wind blowing between the moraines and peaks and brushing the needles of the pine trees
Update: I am in a friend's home looking to leave tomorrow for a few days. I miss Matty and Jared, but Becca is here, and I love her so much, and am so grateful for her and Tom for letting me stay a few nights with them. I've been to two open mic nights since I got to town, spent a day out at Kiva with the boys, spent a day watching movies with Becca. I heard yesterday that there was an opening at camp, so I gave Brian a call to let him know I was still very interested in working out there, then spent today waiting for a call back, looking for other jobs, applying to other jobs, though what I most want is camp.
I got a call from Cyndi and talked plans (on her side) and ideas (on my side).
There are many more ideas, as change of location is bound to bring. Matty gave me his guide to short term job adventures to go through, and I'm finding a wealth of outdoor education jobs. It's making me so stoked to get out and apply for them. A lot of them require previous experience, so I'm trying to get on this path so I can go work these awesome jobs.
I have to say that I'm incredibly grateful for the wonderful men in my life that are based out here for the moment. Jon has been incredibly generous with food, and has stuck with me through movement, driving us around and offering really awesome conversation and encouragement, since we're both homeless right now. I feel protected and less lonely with him around, plus he's hustling sleeping spaces and has way more connections out this way then I do. Matty has been generous with the mobile space he owns, and I'm glad David and Jared are out here because they make me laugh a lot.
Then there's this, which was a Becca gift tonight:
6 on breakfast
5 on lunch (peanut butter sando and a hot cocoa.)
5 for a monthly bank fee
6 dollars on a bank fee I was not aware I was going to be charged.
Total in bank:
324.22
Total in pocket:
10
I appreciate the sounds of this place:
The look and color of the leaves of the Aspens
Lake waves at Kiva:
(Photo Credit: Jon Green)
Wind blowing between the moraines and peaks and brushing the needles of the pine trees
Update: I am in a friend's home looking to leave tomorrow for a few days. I miss Matty and Jared, but Becca is here, and I love her so much, and am so grateful for her and Tom for letting me stay a few nights with them. I've been to two open mic nights since I got to town, spent a day out at Kiva with the boys, spent a day watching movies with Becca. I heard yesterday that there was an opening at camp, so I gave Brian a call to let him know I was still very interested in working out there, then spent today waiting for a call back, looking for other jobs, applying to other jobs, though what I most want is camp.
I got a call from Cyndi and talked plans (on her side) and ideas (on my side).
There are many more ideas, as change of location is bound to bring. Matty gave me his guide to short term job adventures to go through, and I'm finding a wealth of outdoor education jobs. It's making me so stoked to get out and apply for them. A lot of them require previous experience, so I'm trying to get on this path so I can go work these awesome jobs.
I have to say that I'm incredibly grateful for the wonderful men in my life that are based out here for the moment. Jon has been incredibly generous with food, and has stuck with me through movement, driving us around and offering really awesome conversation and encouragement, since we're both homeless right now. I feel protected and less lonely with him around, plus he's hustling sleeping spaces and has way more connections out this way then I do. Matty has been generous with the mobile space he owns, and I'm glad David and Jared are out here because they make me laugh a lot.
Then there's this, which was a Becca gift tonight:
Friday, August 26, 2011
Harry Potter Sticks
So, yesterday I found a Harry Potter wand. I'll admit that it's a little long, but I'm pretty sure it could "stupify" an elephant. Of course I picked it up and carried it home, using it as a strut cane through the worst neighborhoods along 27th and San Pablo (in Oakland, you gotta look tough, and carry a big stick.) I was prepared to whoop some butt, if it got too close.
What I really wanted to do with this post is tell the story of my amazing day Wednesday, since yesterday was just ok, I mean, outside of finding a Harry Potter stick. (And yes, I went from an exciting day to a day where finding a stick was the highlight of my day)
Wednesday started off with a dog walk. I would just like to take this moment to say I hate dog leashes. Dogs like to sniff things, people like to get places with out stopping. Leashes do not equal fun for either party in this equation.
I had a job interview that went really well, and then had some amazing sushi in celebration, and from there, went to Berkeley to hang out with some people I hadn't hung out with in a while.
We went to Venus where one of them works, and by the way, Venus is lovely and the head chef Kevin is a super nice guy. They also make beautiful cocktails. Well, specifically, Lauren, who is one of the servers there and happens to be my friend, makes beautiful cocktails. On our walk back to the Ashby heaven that is James and Lauren's apartment, we were gently accosted by a small quiet asian girl, asking for donations for world peace. Yes. Give a dollar for world peace. None of us had any cash on us, so we politely declined. As we walked, she followed us, and ended up coming across one of the addicts that sells the addict newspaper for a dollar on the street. In a serendipitous moment, they happened to ask each other for a dollar at the same time. It was picture worthy, and is still making me giggle.
After the Tahoe crew drank lots of whiskey, and I took over the kitchen to make dinner, and many things were discussed on the porch, (including near dead languages, obscure middle eastern countries, and other things I don't necessarily remember) we retired to the dining room to play a Russian card game called Durok (and of course in Russian it's spelled differently), and it was fun, and complicated, and really hard, and did I mention fun? Because it was. Then somehow I ended up on an air mattress in the empty room of the neighbor's house to sleep. The next morning we took a breakfast walk, hustled me to my JFK session, and finally the finding of the Harry Potter stick before taking a shower and a nap.
So what's the point? The law of attraction, if you must know. Because for a minute there, it felt like I was just manifesting all the things I wanted in life, coziness, food, Tahoe friends, ice cream. All I had to do was mention it and like magic it was there. I wasted at least one of my manifests on ice cream. So what happened yesterday? Yesterday I did not get hired. Though really in the grand scheme of things, maybe manifesting ice cream is not the same as manifesting a job offer.
Not that this is all that different from the rest of my days this summer. I've spent an entire summer not getting hired! Only this time, my references got called, and said they gave me good reviews, but still, I did not get hired.
Law of attraction says I want something more than these jobs. Or, perhaps that something wants me more than these jobs do. Logic (at least mine) follows that this must be mutual. If that's the case than the mutual pull is warping the universe and keeping me really poor. And I wish I knew what that something was. Suspense and me don't get along very well. Dear something! Reveal yourself to me!
(Here is where I was going to insert a hand drawn picture by me, of the universe warping, but it turned out very poor and nothing like what I had envisioned. Instead I give you this:)
(image was found on Quest.)
I think the G on the left is the mystery something, and the g on the right is me? That's how I'm choosing to interpret this. Regardless, I'm no closer today than I was yesterday to figuring out what that "something" is. I see my role in this whole law of attraction thing as the choice maker. I choose where to apply, each being something I would like to do or am qualified to do, in places I would like to live. The universe decides which one of these places is right for me. In the mean time, all my money exists somewhere between the up vector and the down vector. Or something. Either way it's not in my pocket. Or my wallet. Or my bank account.
What I really wanted to do with this post is tell the story of my amazing day Wednesday, since yesterday was just ok, I mean, outside of finding a Harry Potter stick. (And yes, I went from an exciting day to a day where finding a stick was the highlight of my day)
Wednesday started off with a dog walk. I would just like to take this moment to say I hate dog leashes. Dogs like to sniff things, people like to get places with out stopping. Leashes do not equal fun for either party in this equation.
I had a job interview that went really well, and then had some amazing sushi in celebration, and from there, went to Berkeley to hang out with some people I hadn't hung out with in a while.
We went to Venus where one of them works, and by the way, Venus is lovely and the head chef Kevin is a super nice guy. They also make beautiful cocktails. Well, specifically, Lauren, who is one of the servers there and happens to be my friend, makes beautiful cocktails. On our walk back to the Ashby heaven that is James and Lauren's apartment, we were gently accosted by a small quiet asian girl, asking for donations for world peace. Yes. Give a dollar for world peace. None of us had any cash on us, so we politely declined. As we walked, she followed us, and ended up coming across one of the addicts that sells the addict newspaper for a dollar on the street. In a serendipitous moment, they happened to ask each other for a dollar at the same time. It was picture worthy, and is still making me giggle.
After the Tahoe crew drank lots of whiskey, and I took over the kitchen to make dinner, and many things were discussed on the porch, (including near dead languages, obscure middle eastern countries, and other things I don't necessarily remember) we retired to the dining room to play a Russian card game called Durok (and of course in Russian it's spelled differently), and it was fun, and complicated, and really hard, and did I mention fun? Because it was. Then somehow I ended up on an air mattress in the empty room of the neighbor's house to sleep. The next morning we took a breakfast walk, hustled me to my JFK session, and finally the finding of the Harry Potter stick before taking a shower and a nap.
So what's the point? The law of attraction, if you must know. Because for a minute there, it felt like I was just manifesting all the things I wanted in life, coziness, food, Tahoe friends, ice cream. All I had to do was mention it and like magic it was there. I wasted at least one of my manifests on ice cream. So what happened yesterday? Yesterday I did not get hired. Though really in the grand scheme of things, maybe manifesting ice cream is not the same as manifesting a job offer.
Not that this is all that different from the rest of my days this summer. I've spent an entire summer not getting hired! Only this time, my references got called, and said they gave me good reviews, but still, I did not get hired.
Law of attraction says I want something more than these jobs. Or, perhaps that something wants me more than these jobs do. Logic (at least mine) follows that this must be mutual. If that's the case than the mutual pull is warping the universe and keeping me really poor. And I wish I knew what that something was. Suspense and me don't get along very well. Dear something! Reveal yourself to me!
(Here is where I was going to insert a hand drawn picture by me, of the universe warping, but it turned out very poor and nothing like what I had envisioned. Instead I give you this:)
(image was found on Quest.)
I think the G on the left is the mystery something, and the g on the right is me? That's how I'm choosing to interpret this. Regardless, I'm no closer today than I was yesterday to figuring out what that "something" is. I see my role in this whole law of attraction thing as the choice maker. I choose where to apply, each being something I would like to do or am qualified to do, in places I would like to live. The universe decides which one of these places is right for me. In the mean time, all my money exists somewhere between the up vector and the down vector. Or something. Either way it's not in my pocket. Or my wallet. Or my bank account.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Brain Grumbles
1. If I sell all my bike parts, I can go to Mexico.
2. If I work a full season and buy some plane tickets, I can go to South America, Or Big Bear, Or Colorado, or, or, or anywhere I want really. This appeals to me on so many levels...
3. My back hurts.
4. I wrote a new song today that i need to write down.
5. It feels good to get rid of all my stuff, even if my room is a disaster area right now.
6. Utah is getting closer.
7. It feels really awesome to have a camera again. I figure I can print and frame pictures for Christmas presents this year.
8. I bet if I went to Latin or South America, I could buy a bike for cheap there and get around. I'd like to volunteer at a couple of places down there. Maybe that will be my winter. I could skip winter this year and be ok.
9. I think I'm going to take a day of silence and detach myself from technology on Monday. It's going to be an overwhelming week of people next week and I'll need a super charge to get through it.
10. I think I'm going to take a long bike ride in the morning on Saturday up to Tilden. And then I'm going to buy myself a bakesale betty chicken sandwich.
11. My foodstamps were approved, so tomorrow I have to go pick them up. I'm pretty excited to have access to hella food.
12. Free Nachos at A's games are awesome.
13. I just tried this warhead spray candy and it's weird, but delicious, but also kind of numbing.
14. I got a new toy yesterday, and his name is Grumble. Grumble's job in my life is to go on adventures with me and get his picture taken in odd spots or with random people.
2. If I work a full season and buy some plane tickets, I can go to South America, Or Big Bear, Or Colorado, or, or, or anywhere I want really. This appeals to me on so many levels...
3. My back hurts.
4. I wrote a new song today that i need to write down.
5. It feels good to get rid of all my stuff, even if my room is a disaster area right now.
6. Utah is getting closer.
7. It feels really awesome to have a camera again. I figure I can print and frame pictures for Christmas presents this year.
8. I bet if I went to Latin or South America, I could buy a bike for cheap there and get around. I'd like to volunteer at a couple of places down there. Maybe that will be my winter. I could skip winter this year and be ok.
9. I think I'm going to take a day of silence and detach myself from technology on Monday. It's going to be an overwhelming week of people next week and I'll need a super charge to get through it.
10. I think I'm going to take a long bike ride in the morning on Saturday up to Tilden. And then I'm going to buy myself a bakesale betty chicken sandwich.
11. My foodstamps were approved, so tomorrow I have to go pick them up. I'm pretty excited to have access to hella food.
12. Free Nachos at A's games are awesome.
13. I just tried this warhead spray candy and it's weird, but delicious, but also kind of numbing.
14. I got a new toy yesterday, and his name is Grumble. Grumble's job in my life is to go on adventures with me and get his picture taken in odd spots or with random people.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Way and the Mountains
First the first gratitude list in a while:
This week I'm grateful for the people in my life. Most of them stand out on their own, but lately they have been coming in pairs.
1. Nick and Laura
2. Dom and Celina
3. Dan and Cindy
4. Matty
5. Alcatraz
6. Devin
7. Matto
The pairs of people are people who love each other, are generous with others, and have strong boundaries. Each expresses it in their own way, and each individual is one I admire and love a great deal in their own right, but the core of what I am grateful for this week, is how they interact with the world as a pair. There are definitely stand out individuals for very specific reasons: Matty for being, well, Matty. I've known him for a long time. He makes my brain and belly feel ok. Alcatraz for making me aware of how much I don't listen to the world around me and should. Matto for being a sweetheart and making me laugh, and Devin for showing that he cares without a hint of hesitation.
I'm using this week to begin a major tectonic life shift and today I'm feeling productive. I decided Saturday night that almost all of my stuff would have to go and that very little is going into storage this time around. For one, I need the money. Secondly, I need a new life. So the craigslist ads are posted, I'm in the process of uploading pictures, and my room is a disaster area. It feels amazing to be clearing out the clutter.
Liz Song just posted something up on Facebook yesterday that did a little thought reshaping for me: Brainpickings list of Five Manifestos for Life. Wow. What a treasure mine this website is. Definitely going on my favorites list.
There is some saying about how harmony and/or happiness come from having everything in your world projecting the same message. The same goes for a good marketing program with a company. Consistent messaging is key. So I'm working on clearing that up for myself. What's my plan for happiness that I'm not going to let circumstances interfere with? I guess that starts with what the hell makes me happy? I have an inkling, and things are becoming clearer in that area.
I feel a little bit like I should be really anxious, but for some reason, almost all the anxiety I've had the last year is gone. I am feeling somewhat in my element, I am exploring my world and my options, and the last two months have opened my eyes to a lot of things about me that I was not previously acknowledging or simply didn't know. Things like, I hate being in front of a computer all day. Being outside in nature makes me ridiculously happy and drops me right into the flow. Riding bikes is great, but doesn't even half way compare to riding a horse. Travel calms me down and gives me space to think. I don't like being inside all day. I like cooking simple and clean. I like having a beer or a glass of wine with friends and talking fluffy and serious in small groups. I like dance breaks. I like being on stage. I'm not sure what all this says about me, other than that it is who I am, and my best friends are the ones that understand it and love it about me.
I had a friend break off our friendship when I got back from Hollywood. Seeing as how we haven't really hung out very much outside of band stuff for the last year (almost) and our dealings with each other haven't been very friendly as of late, I can't say it was much of a surprise. Still, it sucks to lose a friend.
Another friend of mine posted up a pretty fantastic list of reasons why the 21st Century is Making you Miserable, on cracked.com. It was laugh out loud funny, but also really struck a nerve. Man, I love laughing and this one was just perfect for my morning.
This has been an interesting two months, and promises to be a continually interesting year. Adventuras!
This week I'm grateful for the people in my life. Most of them stand out on their own, but lately they have been coming in pairs.
1. Nick and Laura
2. Dom and Celina
3. Dan and Cindy
4. Matty
5. Alcatraz
6. Devin
7. Matto
The pairs of people are people who love each other, are generous with others, and have strong boundaries. Each expresses it in their own way, and each individual is one I admire and love a great deal in their own right, but the core of what I am grateful for this week, is how they interact with the world as a pair. There are definitely stand out individuals for very specific reasons: Matty for being, well, Matty. I've known him for a long time. He makes my brain and belly feel ok. Alcatraz for making me aware of how much I don't listen to the world around me and should. Matto for being a sweetheart and making me laugh, and Devin for showing that he cares without a hint of hesitation.
I'm using this week to begin a major tectonic life shift and today I'm feeling productive. I decided Saturday night that almost all of my stuff would have to go and that very little is going into storage this time around. For one, I need the money. Secondly, I need a new life. So the craigslist ads are posted, I'm in the process of uploading pictures, and my room is a disaster area. It feels amazing to be clearing out the clutter.
Liz Song just posted something up on Facebook yesterday that did a little thought reshaping for me: Brainpickings list of Five Manifestos for Life. Wow. What a treasure mine this website is. Definitely going on my favorites list.
There is some saying about how harmony and/or happiness come from having everything in your world projecting the same message. The same goes for a good marketing program with a company. Consistent messaging is key. So I'm working on clearing that up for myself. What's my plan for happiness that I'm not going to let circumstances interfere with? I guess that starts with what the hell makes me happy? I have an inkling, and things are becoming clearer in that area.
I feel a little bit like I should be really anxious, but for some reason, almost all the anxiety I've had the last year is gone. I am feeling somewhat in my element, I am exploring my world and my options, and the last two months have opened my eyes to a lot of things about me that I was not previously acknowledging or simply didn't know. Things like, I hate being in front of a computer all day. Being outside in nature makes me ridiculously happy and drops me right into the flow. Riding bikes is great, but doesn't even half way compare to riding a horse. Travel calms me down and gives me space to think. I don't like being inside all day. I like cooking simple and clean. I like having a beer or a glass of wine with friends and talking fluffy and serious in small groups. I like dance breaks. I like being on stage. I'm not sure what all this says about me, other than that it is who I am, and my best friends are the ones that understand it and love it about me.
I had a friend break off our friendship when I got back from Hollywood. Seeing as how we haven't really hung out very much outside of band stuff for the last year (almost) and our dealings with each other haven't been very friendly as of late, I can't say it was much of a surprise. Still, it sucks to lose a friend.
Another friend of mine posted up a pretty fantastic list of reasons why the 21st Century is Making you Miserable, on cracked.com. It was laugh out loud funny, but also really struck a nerve. Man, I love laughing and this one was just perfect for my morning.
This has been an interesting two months, and promises to be a continually interesting year. Adventuras!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Quick, Get Me a Cow Costume!
And take me to chick-fil-a!
Oh the things I would do for a free meal. But this actually sounds incredibly fun.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tomorrow Will Be Better...Right?
I'm losing my mind. Or at least my sense of balance.
Yesterday was a day of forgetting and falling and dropping things and maybe a little bit of manic kind of joy.
I already mentioned how I lost my glasses. The other day I also took my keys off to look at chickens and left them on the table in a garden which I do not frequent, leaving them behind and annoying my friend who had a yoga class to attend. I found them eventually but generally was lost in confusion for a good ten minutes. We won't talk about why I took the keys off in the first place. Well, Ok, yes we will. I was afraid the keys jingling would scare those chickens. Turns out, those chickens don't care about jangle keys.
So yesterday I was supposed to meet my friend for dinner before heading to the city. I'd been hanging out on my bed all day (it's a lovely spot really, very soft and sunny.) I was applying to a job, you know, since applying to jobs is my full time job right now. I realized I was late, like, really really late, so I jumped up to get out of bed. When I say jumped up, I mean I stood up on my bed. I went to step down on the floor and landed first on the headphones, then on the hammer, then fell headfirst into the closet door, which was open. This is a case where having your hands out in front of you will not help (I did not have my hands out in front of me.). I did manage to turn my head to the side, catching the edge of the door on the side of my head instead of directly to the forhead, and fell into the closet. I kid you not. This really happened. I was a living cartoon for 30 seconds of my life.
I did eventually make it to friend's house for dinner, which was lovely and delicious. We had an awesome night in the city learning fun things about guitars and Simpson Science and Lasers. The laser talk caused some funny dreams, but it was still facinating. Physics! Fuck yeah!
Lastly, I got home, and went to put the awesome salad I got from my friend into the fridge and I saw a gladware container full of yum looking noodles. So I asked Roommate Matto if it was house food. The answer was a confident yes, so I took some and put it in one of our bowls. I put the bowl on the stove and opened the microwave, only to have the top venty thing come crashing down, making me scream, causing a rucus, and knocking my bowl off the stove. All I could do was stand in stupid horror as my bowl turned in slow motion, fell to the floor, and shattered into three million pieces that spread out over the ENTIRE kitchen. I was in my socks. I took one step and stepped into glass. I hopped out of the kitchen in as few steps as possible and headed downstairs to grab the broom and dust pan, and put on some shoes. Bike Pajamas. Black Tank top, Shoes on, broom in hand, it's 12:30 am and I'm sweeping the kitchen. This is my life folks.
As for today:
Well the stress finally came to a head. Between bad timing and uncomfortable non and mis-communications, I did manage to rip a little at the seams today. Luckily, Moms can be good teammates sometimes and mine told me to do exactly what I was planning to do, let me know she could relate, and said she loved me. She also offered her house to me, to which I said very quickly "No. We'll kill each other." She said she could last a week without killing me. Maybe two. She's a funny lady.
Tomorrow I make my last trip to the office to pick up my things and then I can resume rolling on down my path. This will be rather awkward. I left lady things in the bathroom, a wheel under the work desk, and my favorite mug on the dishrack. There are files on the computer that may or may not be important. I was hoping to avoid awkward conversation. No such luck. So I'll have to suck it up, come in light as a feather, swoop up my things, and fly on away.
The past is past and there's naught you can do to change it. The future is now. Think about that folks.
In the midst of the stress and the forgetting and the falling, there's been plenty of laughter. In excitement for the Nerd Night, I was babbling. I said something weird and kind of annoying and looked at my friend who is very tall and was looking down at me a little wide eyed. I kind of smiled and said "It's been a while since you've seen me happy." He smiled and said it had been.
"You forgot how annoying it was!" I said. He cracked up. He's got a great smile, but I rarely see him crack up so it brings me great joy when he laughs at my jokes. I laughed too and said "That's ok. I'm going to use that to my advantage for as long as possible!"
There's been some really hilarious things posted up, but this is probably my most favorite of them all that I've seen the last few days:
Yesterday was a day of forgetting and falling and dropping things and maybe a little bit of manic kind of joy.
I already mentioned how I lost my glasses. The other day I also took my keys off to look at chickens and left them on the table in a garden which I do not frequent, leaving them behind and annoying my friend who had a yoga class to attend. I found them eventually but generally was lost in confusion for a good ten minutes. We won't talk about why I took the keys off in the first place. Well, Ok, yes we will. I was afraid the keys jingling would scare those chickens. Turns out, those chickens don't care about jangle keys.
So yesterday I was supposed to meet my friend for dinner before heading to the city. I'd been hanging out on my bed all day (it's a lovely spot really, very soft and sunny.) I was applying to a job, you know, since applying to jobs is my full time job right now. I realized I was late, like, really really late, so I jumped up to get out of bed. When I say jumped up, I mean I stood up on my bed. I went to step down on the floor and landed first on the headphones, then on the hammer, then fell headfirst into the closet door, which was open. This is a case where having your hands out in front of you will not help (I did not have my hands out in front of me.). I did manage to turn my head to the side, catching the edge of the door on the side of my head instead of directly to the forhead, and fell into the closet. I kid you not. This really happened. I was a living cartoon for 30 seconds of my life.
I did eventually make it to friend's house for dinner, which was lovely and delicious. We had an awesome night in the city learning fun things about guitars and Simpson Science and Lasers. The laser talk caused some funny dreams, but it was still facinating. Physics! Fuck yeah!
Lastly, I got home, and went to put the awesome salad I got from my friend into the fridge and I saw a gladware container full of yum looking noodles. So I asked Roommate Matto if it was house food. The answer was a confident yes, so I took some and put it in one of our bowls. I put the bowl on the stove and opened the microwave, only to have the top venty thing come crashing down, making me scream, causing a rucus, and knocking my bowl off the stove. All I could do was stand in stupid horror as my bowl turned in slow motion, fell to the floor, and shattered into three million pieces that spread out over the ENTIRE kitchen. I was in my socks. I took one step and stepped into glass. I hopped out of the kitchen in as few steps as possible and headed downstairs to grab the broom and dust pan, and put on some shoes. Bike Pajamas. Black Tank top, Shoes on, broom in hand, it's 12:30 am and I'm sweeping the kitchen. This is my life folks.
As for today:
Well the stress finally came to a head. Between bad timing and uncomfortable non and mis-communications, I did manage to rip a little at the seams today. Luckily, Moms can be good teammates sometimes and mine told me to do exactly what I was planning to do, let me know she could relate, and said she loved me. She also offered her house to me, to which I said very quickly "No. We'll kill each other." She said she could last a week without killing me. Maybe two. She's a funny lady.
Tomorrow I make my last trip to the office to pick up my things and then I can resume rolling on down my path. This will be rather awkward. I left lady things in the bathroom, a wheel under the work desk, and my favorite mug on the dishrack. There are files on the computer that may or may not be important. I was hoping to avoid awkward conversation. No such luck. So I'll have to suck it up, come in light as a feather, swoop up my things, and fly on away.
The past is past and there's naught you can do to change it. The future is now. Think about that folks.
In the midst of the stress and the forgetting and the falling, there's been plenty of laughter. In excitement for the Nerd Night, I was babbling. I said something weird and kind of annoying and looked at my friend who is very tall and was looking down at me a little wide eyed. I kind of smiled and said "It's been a while since you've seen me happy." He smiled and said it had been.
"You forgot how annoying it was!" I said. He cracked up. He's got a great smile, but I rarely see him crack up so it brings me great joy when he laughs at my jokes. I laughed too and said "That's ok. I'm going to use that to my advantage for as long as possible!"
There's been some really hilarious things posted up, but this is probably my most favorite of them all that I've seen the last few days:
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Destroying the Man
So even though this is not a bicycle related blog (trust me, I could make it one so easily) I do get to post bicycle related stuff every so often. :)
This seems to be all over right now, and I'm not gonna lie, it's making me laugh and fist pump with joy. I love New Yorkers for all that they are.
This seems to be all over right now, and I'm not gonna lie, it's making me laugh and fist pump with joy. I love New Yorkers for all that they are.
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