Man eating tree baby: Better hug them while they're still rooted

Apparently I missed a classic this morning on the Sundance Channel. The film is called Little Otik, click above for the link. Looks interesting...

Tonight I heard Buckwheat Zydeco play to a room full of sober older white people, myself included. I couldn't help but think how much fun it would have been if I had a long island iced tea and room to dance. Happy Mardi Gras!

Walking the pot belly pig

Last night was the most exhausting Friday nights I've experienced in weeks, scratch that...months.

I was a Senior High Lock-in Chaperone.

Lock-In Schedule

9:00-9:30 pm
Welcome/Mixer Games (What really happened: The boys whipped ping pong, volleyballs, bouncy balls, footballs and golf balls around the room until they discovered wrestling with one another was equally thrilling).

9:30-11:30
Scavenger Hunt (What really happened: I drove four 15 year olds around North Riverside, Berwyn, LaGrange Park and Countryside while they critiqued my driving and wrestled for "shotgun". We ended up at Wendy's at 11pm along with the rest of Lyons Township High School. I look young...but not that young. They soon caught on to me and they cleaned up their language automatically. It was hilarious. One of the kids looked at me after hearing his friend curse and said..."er, sorry. You have heard that word before, right? You're not like a ya know...good all the time, right?")

11:30-12:30
Ice Cream!!! (What really happened: everyone ate ice cream except for the kids that drove in m car. My trip to Wendy's was discovered)

12:30-1:00
Scavenger Hunt Results (What really happened: I don't know)

1:00-3:00 am
Sardines/Capture the Flag (What really happened: They played games. They ran around the church and broke a lamp. They ate some more. They played xbox, DDR, Karaoke Revolution and that electronic dance game)

3:00-4:00
Free time (What really happened: at this point we were supposed to suggest they sleep)

4:00-6:00
Movie time (What really happened: we watched a movie! It was that Wallace and Grommet video and I don't remember much of it. There isn't a lot of animation that can keep me awake at 4:30 in the morning. However, the group FINALLY fell asleep at 3:40am!

6:00-6:30
Spare time (What really happened: Now they wanted to sleep. Especially when we turned the lights on and blared music at 6:15)

6:30-7:00
Clean-up and leave! (What really happened: I don't know if they helped clean too much. I was too busy picking up the mess so I could go home and sleep for a couple more hours. They seemed to have had fun and their parents seemed happy to have had their houses to themselves for an entire evening)

Patience: An easy concept...in theory

I was the kid that got what they wanted. Not in a spoiled, I want a pony way but in a do whatever it took way. When I was 8 I wanted my ears pierced. I negotiated a deal with the folks. If I kept my room clean for a year then I could get my ears pierced for my 9th birthday.

I kept my end of the bargain. My ears are now pierced and that may have been the only time my room was truly clean.

I was raised to dream big and to put my everything into accomplishing my hearts desire. Because of that I am stubborn and passionate.

In two areas of of my life I've heard the exact same feedback: please, be patient.

Sometimes I wonder, what does it feel like to have patience? It must be sort of peaceful.

cold-hot-cold and the just rights

The static electricity in my room has been unbearable for the past few weeks. The other day I reached to turn the light off but before I even got to the switch I received a shock that turned everything off.

This made stripping the bed today unbearable and in my haste I shoved the bundle of sheets into the washing machine. In the bundle of sheets was my TV’s remote control.

I let it dry out and not only does it work but it's really clean.

Also, for the first time in years I used a dryer sheet. What's the use of keeping carcinogenic chemicals off my skin if I'm risking spastic electric shocks?

slippery way home: the sudoko puzzle haunting

Letting someone down is an unsettling thing because one can have the best intentions with the best heart to back them and still manage to cross the invisible line of internal hurt, scaring and brutality.

Back to square one. Relationships are tricky because it concerns the heart.

To Love: a metaphysical power that far exceeds the physical organ of the heart.

Complicated gyrations that jump painful tracks while fueling the train that is breath. To ride or gather your belongings along the track is our only true choice.

Those that ride hold their breath and anticipate the switching of the tracks while those that choose not to ride sit homeless along the track and daydream of sleeper and observatory cars.

Next time I'll drive myself or plug in my ipod.

walk this way

Disclaimer: I too prefer my goofy entries. No need to adjust your volume. I know I'm sounding dramatic as of late. Like other things, it will pass.

I'm not happy about how I've been reacting to life bombarding me. I've been disappointed before, therefore...this should be no different. However, it does feel different and the result is a numbing effect. In my eye that’s the worst because when I feel numb I feel stagnant.

Earlier in the week I walked around the arboretum. The fresh air did me good. As I made my lap around the pond I contemplated T-B, work, finances and God.

As my walk was ending I found this message in the snow. It reminded me of a B.C. cartoon my grandma had on her fridge. The main character was praying on an issue and was asking God for a sign. The following frame showed a neon sign dropping from the sky. It read "I'm up here."

No, I'm not happy. I walked on a bit further and discovered they wrote "yes" or "no"...well, gee. If I circle my answer will it help me any? Will an enchanted doe emerge from the forest to guide me?

The last message in the snow read, "happiness this way" and it had an arrow pointing along the path to my car. If there were any more messages it had melted away with the snow.

So, I guess the answer is...keep moving?

Ribbon dream exchange

In college I had vivid dreams with vivid colors. Usually there'd be multi colored ribbons streaming in the air. One end was tightly wound around a pole while they were allowed to move, weave and tangle as they wish. Sky or water, there was always a blue background with streaming colors grasping at life.

Now, I dream about my cubicle and the papers that wait for me there. Earlier in the week I dreamed I was chasing my cat around the driveway. Last week I dreamed T-B was hushly whispering about the complexity of the day.

Point: I'm stressed. It's not as if I'm laughing any less or anything as measurable as that. Its more like I'm starting to achieve what I set out to accomplish and...now what? Do you know the maintenance cost for the intangible? The way I see it, you pay out of the soul and it's difficult to keep that kind of thing in the books. Who likes to keep receipts for 60 hour weeks while using corporate lingo like "disconnect" and "opportunity"?Dudes, in real time "opportunity" means an additional 10 min. with a crabby boss.

Yesterday a co-worker told me that at the end of each day he's mentally created a list of 5 things he wishes he hadn't said out loud. I can't remember some of the things that come out of my mouth and he's thinking about details that he wants to take back?