Saturday, July 06, 2002
perhaps i am the last on the planet to see it, but i rented HIGH FIDELITY tonight. i read the book and loved it. i really almost expected to be disappointed with the movie - as is the norm when a book i like is translated to film - however, it is a very good movie and is very faithful to the book - i was especially dubious given the britishness of the book - as the fil moved the story from the uk to chicago - good screenplay and good performances all around.
of course, what probably got me hooked on the book and the movie is that i remember hanging out in record stores like that and being obsessive about records and making lists and having a theory for everything...
big fun...
of course, what probably got me hooked on the book and the movie is that i remember hanging out in record stores like that and being obsessive about records and making lists and having a theory for everything...
big fun...
not a big ac/dc fan - but the intro-first verse-first chorus of YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG is classic
although as god is my witness, i swear the lyrics sound to me like "she was a fax machine, she kept the modem clean"
although as god is my witness, i swear the lyrics sound to me like "she was a fax machine, she kept the modem clean"
i told my mail carrier yesterday to tell lance good luck. he looked at me puzzled til i reminded him lance armstrong rides for the us postal service team. mail carrier actually got a good laff at that one...
last night, as i was sitting amongst friends, it briefly flashed thru my head "what a nice sunday evening, but back to work tomorrow"...then i realized, that it was a 4 day weekend and i had 2 more days off
4 day weekends rock!
woo hoo!
4 day weekends rock!
woo hoo!
Thursday, July 04, 2002
i should go to sleep cause i am tired - up early and had a very active day, but somehow i really don't feel like it. i'm kinda depressed tonight and i'm not sure why - but that's how it works - if your sad cause something bad happened, it's just a normal reaction, but the nature of depression is to be sad regardless of the external conditions. actually i do kinda have some ideas why, but really don't want to go into them. just gotta ride it out and not internalize this. oh well, what a nothing post - sorry for wasting anyone's time who read it...
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
i am sure that for most americans, this fourth of july is different than any in a long time. i love the usa for it's ideals - specifically two of them: equality and freedom. these are ideals which were revolutionary when our country was created and they are revolutionary today. i know the usa has not always lived up to these ideals, but that to me is besides the point. ideals are there to be aimed at. if we have fallen short on these and other ideals, that should only serve to strengthen our resolve to aim for these ideals in the future.
equality, to me, means that we are all equal under the law. there is no "nobility", no "privileged class". i know, i know, in practice it doesn't always work that way. but it is our ideal and every american ought to be dedicated in bringing reality more in line with the ideal. we ought to hold our leaders accountable on this.
freedom, to me, means that there needs to be some compelling reason for the government to prevent me from doing whatever the heck i want to. i can say what i want. i can be wrong, i can be overbearing, i can be critical, i can be stupid. i can be offensive. i can do all these things, until i infringe on the rights or safety of others.
i am sure there are more things which can be described as american ideals. but equality and freedom sum it up pretty well for me - ideals which every american ought to work for...
equality, to me, means that we are all equal under the law. there is no "nobility", no "privileged class". i know, i know, in practice it doesn't always work that way. but it is our ideal and every american ought to be dedicated in bringing reality more in line with the ideal. we ought to hold our leaders accountable on this.
freedom, to me, means that there needs to be some compelling reason for the government to prevent me from doing whatever the heck i want to. i can say what i want. i can be wrong, i can be overbearing, i can be critical, i can be stupid. i can be offensive. i can do all these things, until i infringe on the rights or safety of others.
i am sure there are more things which can be described as american ideals. but equality and freedom sum it up pretty well for me - ideals which every american ought to work for...
well nothing to say - if there are any readers who have not signed the guest map, please do so - perhaps it is a bit sad, but i actually get a kick looking at the map and seeing folks from all over that have read what i've written and vice-versa...
went swimming again, got goggles (karen, you're right - i am an online junkie g-o-g-g-l-e-s, just doesn't look right), but i didn't buy them 'til afterwards - so will porb. try them tomorrow
anywho - it's a 4 day weekend - i see a beer in my future (future defined here = next 1/2 hour...)
went swimming again, got goggles (karen, you're right - i am an online junkie g-o-g-g-l-e-s, just doesn't look right), but i didn't buy them 'til afterwards - so will porb. try them tomorrow
anywho - it's a 4 day weekend - i see a beer in my future (future defined here = next 1/2 hour...)
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
as i continue my goal to be the lenny harris of yoga teachers, i taught my second class substituting for my regular teacher.
everything went pretty well - was a little more nerve racking - more people, including a few i didn't know plus the extreme heat - forgot to do a pose i planned, but picked another one up instead - only real hitch was the guy who burst in at 8:50 to say everyone has to be out so we can lock everything up by 9. well, the class runs til 9 and anyone who has taken a yoga class knows that pacing is vital. we always conclude with savasana - so essentially i had to tell the class to hurry up and relax - oh well - other than that things went well - and the class was well received...
everything went pretty well - was a little more nerve racking - more people, including a few i didn't know plus the extreme heat - forgot to do a pose i planned, but picked another one up instead - only real hitch was the guy who burst in at 8:50 to say everyone has to be out so we can lock everything up by 9. well, the class runs til 9 and anyone who has taken a yoga class knows that pacing is vital. we always conclude with savasana - so essentially i had to tell the class to hurry up and relax - oh well - other than that things went well - and the class was well received...
stumbled across this - took me a minute to realize it is a dept. store in canada
Which Zellers employee are you?
the results lend some credibility to these quizzes
Monday, July 01, 2002
i went swimming with my family today. now, this may seem uneventful, but a year ago it wouldn't have been possible. you see, i learned how to swim last summer. how does one go 40+ years living within a few miles of the world's largest freshwater source (the great lakes) manage to NOT learn how to swim. well, it wasn't easy - but i worked at it. you see, i was afraid of the water. not pathologically - water coolers didn't induce panic attacks and i showered regularly. but, being in a pool was another story. much higher than waist deep and it was hard to breathe and i couldn't stand getting my face wet at all. perhaps the source of this is my extreme near-sightedness. i mean what do you do - wear your glasses in the water or take them off and not see anything. and of course, this is a cycle that fed itself - being uncomfortable in the pool made me avoid being in the water, which therefore made me less comfortable the next time in the water, which made me avoid it all the more. so much of life is either self-defeating cycles or self affirming cycles. success breeds success; failure breeds failure.
so last year motivated by a desire to join in on all the fun my family has at the pool and wanting to show to myself and my kids that one might be afraid, but one doesn't have to allow fear to run one's life, i decided to take swimming lessons. the young lady who taught me is probably a saint - combining the patience of job and the compassion of mother teresa. i am sure i was her oldest and largest strudent by probably 35 years and 150 lbs. she was encouraging and supportive and if she snickered about this big old guy who was afraid of the water, at least she had the decency to do it behing my back.
so anyhow, it was fun today. chemicals burning my eyes a bit - must get some googles. but each time out i'm a bit more comfortable. now that i have seen i can survive without drowning, i have loosened up a bit, making swimming a bit easier. my breast stroke is servicable - still need to work on the freestyle - even tried some underwater swimming...while i doubt if i'll be going for the gold in swimming in the athens 2004 olympics1, i can at least have a fun evening sharing an activity my family loves to do
1do look for me on the speedskating podium in turin 2006 ;-)
so last year motivated by a desire to join in on all the fun my family has at the pool and wanting to show to myself and my kids that one might be afraid, but one doesn't have to allow fear to run one's life, i decided to take swimming lessons. the young lady who taught me is probably a saint - combining the patience of job and the compassion of mother teresa. i am sure i was her oldest and largest strudent by probably 35 years and 150 lbs. she was encouraging and supportive and if she snickered about this big old guy who was afraid of the water, at least she had the decency to do it behing my back.
so anyhow, it was fun today. chemicals burning my eyes a bit - must get some googles. but each time out i'm a bit more comfortable. now that i have seen i can survive without drowning, i have loosened up a bit, making swimming a bit easier. my breast stroke is servicable - still need to work on the freestyle - even tried some underwater swimming...while i doubt if i'll be going for the gold in swimming in the athens 2004 olympics1, i can at least have a fun evening sharing an activity my family loves to do
1do look for me on the speedskating podium in turin 2006 ;-)
Sunday, June 30, 2002
i commented on Elaine of Kalilily, Resident Crone of Blogdom's blog (see her new home) about how cool her name was and how i wanted cool name. well, she gave me a much smarter and more profound answer than my silly comment deserved. paraphrasing her response, she spoke of the "power of intention" - how one can become what one wills to become. after thinking about this for a bit what powerful words this are. i have seen this even in my own life - i willed myself off the couch and onto the yoga mat, inline skates and the trail and it happened. i willed myself a healthier and more compassionate diet and it happened. please, gentle reader, do not think i am tooting my own horn here. there are PLENTY of things about which i need to, - ummm - will my self into better shape about - trivial and more important. but, as they say, success breeds success. seeing the little victories i have made can perhaps, inspire me to go for the gold.
i know, that it really is not so simple as willing it and it will happen, but who know, maybe it is...
i know, that it really is not so simple as willing it and it will happen, but who know, maybe it is...
