Bliss

I had to go to the bank today – not likely what you expected to find in a post titled “bliss”, is it? – so I headed into town. I was wearing flip-flops (bliss point 1, because flip-flops mean summer is comin’). Flip-flops maybe aren’t the best idea when driving a standard, but it was no problem cuz I’m just that talented.

I took the ocean-side route so I could get a great view of the water sparkling in the sunshine (bliss point 2). The sea breeze was rushing through the open windows of my car (bliss point 3), and cherry blossom petals were swirling along the road like confetti (bliss point 4). And to top it all off, Cheap Trick was blasting from my car stereo (bliss point 5 – hey, what can I say? I’m a 70’s girl). So yeah, a five-pointer! W00t!

ETA: Rats. The video doesn’t wish to be embedded. Check it out HERE.

Oh, and also ETA: if you don’t think you know Cheap Trick – y’know, like if for some bizarre reason you’re not into classic rock or have been off the planet since the mid-70’s – check this out:

See? You do know Cheap Trick!

Wishing you bliss….

Running, writing, and a 70’s flashback

1. Man, did I ever get soaked on my run this morning. (If I’d thought to take shampoo, I could’ve done the multi-tasking thing and cut my morning prep-time in half.) Despite the downpour, though, the run was great. What is it about running in the rain that’s so awesome? People driving by in their cars stare at me like I’ve lost my mind (maybe I have), but I figure they just have no idea how good it is to feel your body working and be drenched in refreshment at the same time.
2. Once I was dry again, I headed into town for a couple errands. I got stopped by ferry traffic both ways (the highway traffic gets a red light while the ferry unloads) — my timing is great, hey? But while I waited, I heard this on the radio:
   
   …so all was not lost. Flashbacks to high-school are always great. ::gasp:: What am I saying? Yikes. Okay, flashbacks to some moments of high-school are great. ::breathes into paper bag:: There, I’m okay. Really.
3. And now that I’m angsty and distressed about high-school, it’s probably a good time to jump back into writing that YA fiction stuff I’m supposed to be working on.

Peace….

I got the music in me…

Or not. But these guys definitely got it in ‘em:

Peace….

Amazing Grace (the iTunes meme)

Okay, I’ve seen this a few times – most recently courtesy of Libba Bray – and I finally decided I had to try it. Yup, it’s the “My Life In iTunes” meme! Yay! Here are the rules…

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You MUST write that song name down, no matter how silly it sounds.
4. Play tag, have fun, and all that jazz.

So here, for your reading pleasure, is my life in iTunes:

IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY?
Don’t Let Me Fall (Lenka) – Do I sound needy?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Adrift (Jack Johnson) – Funny, I was thinking exactly that earlier today – anyone got a lifeline they can toss me?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Kissing the Lipless (The Shins) – Ew. Need I say more? (And yet I’m going to — this just brought to mind a story about Godric, by Frederick Beuchner – something about kissing a leper. It’s a very good story.)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
We Can Work It Out (The Beatles) – Ah, optimism.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Daylight (Matt & Kim) – staying in it? bringing a little of it to darkness? I dunno, but sounds like a decent life’s purpose.

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
And it Stoned Me (Van Morrison) – After reading this explanation of the lyrics, I totally love this as a motto.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Hope (Jack Johnson) – What? You guys think there’s hope for me? Aw, you’re the sweetest….

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Pataskala (John Reuben) – You mean like in Ohio? They want I should move to Ohio?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) – Okay, I’m a bit of a daydreamer. No surprise there.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Long Nights (Eddie Veder) – talktalktalktalk… oh my gosh, is it 3 a.m.?!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Blue Eyes (Cary Brothers) – Hee! Mine are green, but my sweetie has blue eyes, and my kids all do.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Forever Young (Bob Dylan) – I totally did not rig this, I swear.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts) – Not a bad choice, really. Life is a journey. Everybody wear their running shoes or hiking boots, k?

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I am a Rock (Simon & Garfunkle) – Okay, fine. I’m a little boring. I just sit there and don’t do much at all.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
These are the Days (Van Morrison) – Actually, if this is it, I’m okay with that.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
The Show (Lenka) – Mwahaha! You shall never know about the show!

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
The Hallelujah Chorus (Relient K) – It’s always nice to have a reason to sing hallelujah.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Island in the Sun (Weezer) – You guys are totally my island in the sun. I <3 my friends.

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Amazing Grace (Ray Charles) – nice.

If you haven’t done this one yet, consider yourself tagged!

Into the Wild

I watched this movie last night, and now Eddie Vedder’s incredible voice is haunting me. Oh wait, no. My hubby is watching the movie again to find a couple quotes he liked, and the soundtrack is drifting upstairs to where I’m supposed to be working on revisions. But that voice. Wow.

I actually have made decent progress on revisions today, despite the haunting. But soon my writing time is up: kidlets shall arrive home, and chauffeur duty will commence. But perhaps I can swing by the bookstore and pick up Jon Krakauer’s book. (When there’s a movie based on a book, I like reading the book first. Too late this time, but I still want to read this one.) Might have to watch the movie again, too. And buy the soundtrack. And the haunting will continue….

Loose ends: to gather or not to gather, that is the question

I seem to have misplaced the last two weeks. Night-shift does that to me — I sleep all day (six hours of it, anyway) and then when I’m off, I exist in a fog while I revert to being awake in the daytime, getting nothing at all done and feeling absolutely robbed of the day. Ack. Excuses aside, though, I’m definitely a delinquent blogger. I have, at least, been getting some words done on a couple writing projects, so that’s good. But blogging? What can I say….

Today was a gathering-up-of-loose-ends kind of day. I sorted recycling and items for the thrift store. I pulled more dead and dying foliage from my front garden and cut back some ground cover that had many loose wandering ends. I also plucked loads of mushrooms from my perpetually wet lawn. It looks a little tidier out there, but I’m wondering if I’d be smarter to go for the wild, natural look.

After the yardwork was done, I went back inside and changed the strings on my guitar (which, when the strings were cut but not removed, definitely had loose ends, hence it fits my theme here!). And I remembered how much I hate new strings! Well, okay, actually new strings are lovely, once they are not-quite-so-new-ish and hold their tune for more than a few minutes. Play one song, re-tune the guitar, play another song, re-tune the guitar…. Sigh.

Now I should do something with the loose ends that are in the form of STACKS of paperwork in my kitchen. Newsletters from three different schools, bills to pay, mail to sort, blah blah blah. A lot of trees died to bring me all that paperwork, so I guess I should at least read it and maybe move the piles around a bit.

Speaking of trees dying (notice the great segue?), a 1000-year-old cedar fell in Stanley Park this past week. It was one of the largest Western Red Cedars on the planet! Now it will be left as is to nourish the ground, et cetera, and nature will run its course. Which brings me back to my idea of scrapping yard work in favour of that natural look….

I may be onto something there — if nothing else, it would give me more time to blog.

Peace.

Everyone has a “wow” factor

I saw something amazing the other day. Maybe you’ve seen it, too — a hidden talent, an unexpected gift. Check this out:

(Want to see more? Here’s his performance in the finals and the announcement of the winner.)

Isn’t that incredible? I mean, who knew? I wonder how many people — ordinary people, whom I cross paths with on ordinary days — how many have some hidden talent or gift, or some amazing history or future, and I have no way of knowing about it. Would I look at people differently if I believed each one had something special? Thing is, I do believe that. I believe each person has some inherent gift (not necessarily opera singing!) and value and purpose. I guess I forget it sometimes, though.

How important it is not to underestimate people — like the judges, and maybe the world, did about Paul Potts. If only the world (me included) let people “sing”, maybe even helped people “discover their voice”. That’d be cool.

Anyway, I’m not exactly a huge opera fan, although I could easily fall for pretty much any tenor aria, but the emotion in these videos — and perhaps the unexpected “wow” factor — had me in tears. Yeah, I’m a sap. I just thought I’d share my sappiness.