Thursday, February 7, 2013

More Thoughts (I think a lot)


Saw this headline today and thought,
"Wow, just when I thought people couldn't get any stupider."
-- New technique could track brain damage in NFL --
Really? Now we can TRACK it? Swell.
Rather than see a problem and do what it takes to end it,
 we'll track it.
Natural Selection is tough at work in the great USA.

----------------------

We watched a Taylor Swift interview
in which she said about her mother,
"It's unreal to me how she was just so behind my brother and I,
 no matter what.
Like I don't remember ever having the thought,
'My mom's so selfish.'
Like I never thought that.
Or 'My mom's vain'
or 'My mom, you know, like, cares about all this stuff.'
I've never thought my mom was self-involved,
not even one time.
Because she's always been, like, so behind us.
So I think if I could ever be that kind of a parent
 someday way way way way wayyyyyy in the future . . . "
Wow! What a testament that is!
I hope I'm that kind of parent to my children.

---------------------

This is the problem -
We're expressing ourselves with Memes
 and making them suit our points.
 Clever and brief.
I like a lot of them,
but sometimes it seems like
there's no rational dialogue among people anymore.

---------------------

As I write this (Saturday afternoon),
there are 6 men at my dining room table
playing D&D.
I love that I married a geek.

---------------------

There's this new social media trend
where people start sentences with the words,
"That feeling when" or "That moment when . . . "
except that
THOSE AREN'T SENTENCES!!

--------------------

The 30 Rock series finale was awesome.
So awesome I could cry.
I absolutely love that they didn't sexualize
Liz and Jack's friendship.
It was beautiful.
Also? Liz Lemon is such a cool character name.

---------------------

Thing 2 has been working hard
 on creating a game with Mark.
He finished it, the directions are all typed up,
and we get to test it out!
He is REALLY excited
and I am REALLY proud of him.

--------------------

Thing 1 did a beautiful job on her violin recital Sunday.
We're grateful to good friends who came out to support her
and cheer for her!

---------------------

If you have to call yourself a hippie,
 you're probably not one.

--------------------

At breakfast one morning this week,
Thing 2 leaves the room and says, about a door, "I'll leave it ajar."
"Ajar?" I say.
Thing 1 looks at me and says,
"He's been listening to too much Lord of the Rings."

-------------------


January 20, 2013

Kids are at a birthday party at one of those places
 that has gymnastics, rock climbing walls, etc. 
Mark took them and gave me some much-appreciated quiet time. 

He just texted me and said:
Kids are having fun. Kate made it to the top of the rock wall.
 Max stayed firmly planted on the ground.

Me: Did he try?

Mark: No. He’s not much for heights. 
I suggested he try and he said, “Daddy, you know me, right?” 

 -------------------

 I just read a book about a woman's struggle
with bipolar disorder.
Her meds cost her about 3K/month
and that didn't count expensive,
 not-covered psychiatrist visits.
She said her mother helped her.
How do people do it?!?

-------------------

Something I love and appreciate about my gay guy friends
is that we both agree on good-looking men!

------------------

Know what really stinks?
People get ideas in their heads and stick to them;
they project an idea and then believe it
(whether or not it's true).
Our perceptions are our realities.
And if two people disagree and stick to their own perceptions
about the same thing,
who budges?
They both think they're right.
Ugh.

------------------

I've been thinking a lot about R.O.I.
(return on investment),
not just with money, but with time and energy.
Is what you get worth all that you put in?
Food for thought.

------------------

The advice is given:
"Live each day like its your last"
and
"Save for the future" -
Anyone have the secret on how to do BOTH
at the same time?

-----------------

I hate appointments.
Dentist, hair, whatever.
Even a fun thing can seem like something tying me down.

-----------------

We have the BEST little independent theater in our town.
It is one of our favorite places here.
It's attached to a great coffee/sandwich shop with a fantastic vibe.
We saw Les Mis there (incredible!)
and this week they're getting "Silver Linings Playbook!"
So excited.

----------------

I'm restless again.
I get like this now and then.
I feel something creative coming on
(I hope!).

----------------

Saw a great quote this week by Louis CK:
'I’m bored' is a useless thing to say.
 I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world
 that you’ve seen none percent of.
 Even the inside of your own mind is endless,
 it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand?
 The fact that you’re alive is amazing,
 so you don’t get to say ‘I’m bored.”

---------------

Piggy-backing that,
I don't think I've ever heard the phrase
"I'm bored"
come out of my kids' mouths.
Maybe once if ever.
And I love that.
Isn't the goal to keep them hungry and curious
and not to squelch that with busywork?

--------------

If you could live anywhere,
where would it be?

--------------

January/February are not easy months for me.
I think I have SAD.

-------------

We've had a lot of good discussions around here.
Everything from sex to Santa.
Parenting is fun.

--------------

I hate it when nothing sounds good,
because I love food so much.

--------------

8 comments:

Dr. Mark said...

I think you are that kind of parent, even if the kids don't completely realize it yet. They will.

Memes. I feel like the collective attention span of the human race is so short that we've lost the ability to express ourselves in complete sentences, completely spelled words, or complete thoughts. Facebook updates and Twitter feeds are the only ways to get any information any more. As if 120 characters could really explore the nuances of any conversation worth having. I've mentioned it before, but if one more person shoves a smartphone in my face to show me what the latest cat who can't spell shared . . . (can you tell it's a sore spot?)

I agree, The 30 Rock finale was perfect. I'm so glad we caught up in time to enjoy it in "real time."

Thing 2 and I are both really excited to test the game. Then we can make the real copy.

Yeah, hippies just kind of feel it, right? It doesn't even occur to them that some label applies.

We have some great and talented children.

I love that Louis C.K. quote. He can be a real jerk, but sometimes he really hits the nail on the head.

"Everything from Sex to Santa." Sounds like good title for an interesting book.

Boquinha said...

Aww, thanks.

I LOVE that title idea!!

Also, the attention span thing? I read a post on Alison Bechdel's blog where she wrapped it up by saying, "Holly is looking over my shoulder and remarking on the extraordinary length of this blog post. I should make more frequent, shorter ones. Well, that’s another thing! God forbid we should exceed anyone’s attention span by going on for more than two sentences."

Spot. On.

Jagged Rocks said...

I am not a big fan of Taylor Swift. I liked a few of her first songs.
I have no idea how people can spend 3K a month, and not think that is expensive. OUCH!
I have heard "Sliver Linings Playbook" is suppose to be really good.
If I could live any where, I would probably live somewhere like Bali, or Tahiti. Somewhere warm and sunny.
I have wondered if I have SAD. I don't do so well during winter.

Peg said...

I had a gay boss for about 23 years and we totally checked out the same kind of guys. He also has great taste in clothes and jewelry!

Anonymous said...

I think Taylor Swift is really smart.

I gave up hope with facebook. Rational dialogue and facebook are like oil and water. I’m working up to eliminating facebook from my daily routine.

“That moment when…” Hate those.

You have so much to be proud of with Thing 1 and 2!

A few years ago we took a family vacation in our 15 passenger van. We stopped at a gas station in Cuba, NM, where there was a huge hippie gathering that summer. We were so proud when a hippie came up to us and asked if we were hippies. But now I wonder if we just all really needed showers after being on the road for 12 hours.

I keep thinking the country is turning a corner when it comes to gay people, but then I read where BSA is holding back on their decision to allow gays to participate in Scouts. “Be Prepared,” right? Well whether we agree with it or not, Scouts are going to grow up and attend colleges, work at jobs, and live in a society with people that are gay. Maybe we should prepare our children for that, and more importantly, teach them to treat everyone with dignity and respect?

I’d live in a beach house somewhere. This January we took our youth to a cabin in Chama, NM for Winter Youth Conference. Living in a cabin surrounded by snow quickly lost its charm. I want to live in warm weather near an ocean.

When nothing sounds good, a bowl of Cocoa Puffs always works.

Dave said...

I, too love the name Liz Lemon. I also love that Tracy call's her LL. I want to start calling our sister-in-law Lindsay LL, since her maiden name is Lovell.

Your dislike of the expression, "That moment when..." simply means you're getting old because all the cool kids are doing it. My least favorite is "That awkward moment...".

I'd live in Benicia (although Gallup is a close second).

Emily said...

I started the 30 Rock finale today but haven't finished it. Love Liz Lemon. My friend Emilie knows a girl named Liz Lemon I real life!

Facebook isn't for rational dialogue. That's not its purpose. People who try will always fail. Rational dialogue needs to happen in person.

I'd live anywhere but Gallup. :) beach house? Italy? France? Albuquerque? Benicia? Anywhere that doesn't get to be too cold.

Boquinha said...

SLP was excellent - Mark and I saw it yesterday. EXCELLENT acting and such a good portrayal of mental illness.

Sorry to hear winters are rough for you, too, Kim. It's hard, I know.

Peg, that's hilarious! How fun!

Jimmy, agreed.

Dave! Yes, I love "LL," too. Mark does, too.

I totally agree with you on "That awkward moment . . .".

I'm guessing Gallup has lost some of its charm?

Emily, have you seen the rest yest? Rational dialogue may not be the purpose of Facebook, but it is still a platform for communication, so when the opportunity presents itself, it's a shame to see it degenerate into name calling and hissy fits.

Oh man, Emily, and you wrote that BEFORE the break-in. UGH. Poor you. I'm so sorry you're going through that.