Garden Of Blog

… Santa.

The commercials on Pandora seem to be getting more frequent… is it me?

I logged into LinkedIn for the first time in awhile. They’ve really added a lot to that site.

In other news, I’m dying for a Celtics game. I’ve abandoned a couple of my “mind off” activities this summer, and I really miss the pure escape of watching a game or, let’s say, playing a little World of Warcraft. The latter, however, is forever behind me, I officially quit a couple months ago, never to return to the land of Azeroth.

Lastly, I don’t think shopping cart software should be used to collect town and state vehicle registration dollars. After payment, one has the distinct feeling that the cart is still quite empty, and that one may have been robbed.

Very interesting article, here (Did emotions evolve to push others into cooperation?)… makes all the sense in the world to me. I definitely find that lowering my expectations of others has a mood stabilizing effect. I actually find that stability so gratifying that I’ve tried to remove any and all expectations, and the zen-like royalties keep coming in. I sincerely, honestly and completely just don’t give a damn what people do with their lives, and it feels amazing…

One of my oldest lines in response to an emotional person (’you make me so angry!’) has been “I can’t make you feel anything‘. And I think it’s true. People feel stuff on their own, probably in an effort to manipulate those around them, subconscious though it may be. The actual sensation of ‘feeling’ an emotion is probably secondary to the outward behavior it is meant to produce for the ‘benefit’ of others…

[note: I titled this post 'I Second That Emotion' after the Smokey Robinson song because it's exactly that relationship between motion ('I second that motion') and emotion (Robinson's savvy twist) that I want to point out: both parliamentary motions are human emotions represent movement, or the yearning for movement, in an evolving contract between individuals or groups.]

When you celebrate your birthday by yakking up room service…

When everything on Animal Planet is ‘repeats’ for you…

When you’re looking for an affordable ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ringtone at 3:30am…

… it’s time to go home.

Wow, in two days I’ll no longer be a member of Playboy’s target audience?

Hogwash. This proves I’m young at heart.

… not realizing this was another Gulf of Mexico oil story.

Or hell, let’s just win!

I have been thinking lately of how little life actually requires of me, moment to moment. Sure, I have responsibilities to fulfill, but beyond that baseline… what do I require of myself? Not much these days; I’ve been backsliding for years, in truth.

I’m hoping to make some changes in my lifestyle, maybe just little tweaks at first, but inching toward the Good Life. Nobody is getting any younger. I’m pretty sure there were days at age 30 that I felt worse than some folks in their 50s, because I wasn’t taking care of myself mentally and physically, and because I allowed my dreams to sputter. I’d rather beat the clock than have it beat me. I turn 35 in July.

I want to feel proud of myself as I hit that halfway mark to 70. I want to feel really, really good. And I’d like to feel that engine of my dreams hum to life again. Not because there’s any point to it. Just because that’s the way to live.

Too good not to share.

…this. Because the more hummus, the better.

Too bad they lost, and had their lowest scoring half of the season to start things off, but I still had a lot of fun at the Celtics game last night.

My daughter has been writing me emails. We are usually both in the basement when she does this, and I reply the next day from work. I like how she describes the simple things. Here are a couple examples. They are not edited but I did make one comment inline.

3/31/2010

I see you. You’re sitting on them basement couch watching the Celtics game. the other team has 41 points right now. The Celtics have 37 points. It’s the second quarter with 5 minutes and 47 seconds left in the second quarter. You have a cup of milk and you’re yawning. It’s 8:28 p.m. We will have to go to bed soon. Rashid Wallace just got the Celtics 2 points. THE CELTICS ARE STILL LOSING! The Celtics aren’t doing their best here in the second quarter. You just said we have to go to bed at halftime. Only 3 more minutes! Why do we have to go to bed so early? You just went WHOOO!! I think you’re happy about the Celtics now having a 1 point lead. 1 more minute until bed. I’m going to tell you to read this email after I’m in bed. Halftime the score is the Celtic with… here we go, and drumroll please… Celtics have 61 points, and the other team has 57 points. We’re ahead at halftime! you said I need to go to bed now. BYE!!

Love,
Abby

A week or so later, another evening, another Celtics game…

4/6/2010

Hi Daddy. We do need to work on the tardies. I have a question. Are those tardies for the whole school year so far? [I have been getting the kids to school late this year. A lot. -Daddy.] Celtics are on again. The score is Celtics with 29. The NY team has 32 points. You just came downstairs with cheez- its. I think the NY team is called the Knicks. You just went back upstairs to help Marco get Monkey and Elephant. Now we have 31 points and the other team has 35 points. We have 7 minutes and 39 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. Now we are only 2 points behind! Oh no, the other team gets to take free shots! There having a time-out now. You’re eating cheez-its and hommus. Why do you like dipping cheez-its in hommus? We’re only 1 point behind. Why on my laptop when it says you spelled something wrong and you right click the misspelled word it doesn’t give you a list of words that are almost like the misspelled word? It does that on other computers. When you get this e-mail can you e-mail me back and tell me if this e-mail is longer than the other long e-mail I sent you? The score is now the Celtics with 49 points and the Knicks with 48 points. Great game, we’re tied at 50! Now we’re tied at 52. A minute ago no one new who last touched the ball. I thought it was Kevin Garnett, but the Celtics got the ball. 3 seconds left until halftime. HALFTIME!! The score is, once again drumroll please! Celtics with 52 points and the Knicks with 53 points. Well, bedtime. Goodbye!

Love,
Abby