So, this is going to be me, after I get my bees:
Okay, except that I probably won't be Eddie Izzard.
(video courtesy of Benn)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
For the Birds
My bird, San Francisco (otherwise known as Frankie), still lives in Boston with my parents, where he likes to eat the foam off my father's cappuccino. He reportedly got so enthusiastic one time that he actually fell in while trying to get the last bit of foam off the bottom! But he quickly recovered.
In other bird news, I found myself laughing to tears over this one:
Peregrine Falcons
And my father sent me this link:
Dancing Cockatoo
The bird is pretty good, I think. I always did enjoy the Backstreet Boys myself.
In other bird news, I found myself laughing to tears over this one:
Peregrine Falcons
And my father sent me this link:
Dancing Cockatoo
The bird is pretty good, I think. I always did enjoy the Backstreet Boys myself.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Soccer
So I emailed a contact for a recreational soccer league in San Francisco recently, which I'd heard about from a friend of mine at work who plays with them. In my initial email, I did not specify my gender. I only said I wanted to play on a co-ed team for the winter. The response was, great, we have a spot on a men's team, they play Wednesdays at such and such a time, and at this particular location.
So I wrote back and said, thank you, but I think I should tell you that I'm female. That got me a different response.
"oh...how old are you and what's your experience?"
Now, granted, it may be that there are no spots on any women's or co-ed teams at the moment. That may be indeed. But she didn't say that. She said how old was I and what was my experience - as if whether or not she decided to offer me anything depended on that. But only as a female. As a man, it was like a free ticket. No questions asked. Okay, here you go, you're male, you must be automatically equipped to play soccer.
To be honest, I think my soccer skills are probably pretty dismal at best right at present, but that's only because I haven't played since High School. But that's the whole point. I don't see how I am going to improve my game if I don't actually play.
So anyway, we'll see. It's a little late for the winter season anyway. Maybe I'll be able to sign up in the spring...
So I wrote back and said, thank you, but I think I should tell you that I'm female. That got me a different response.
"oh...how old are you and what's your experience?"
Now, granted, it may be that there are no spots on any women's or co-ed teams at the moment. That may be indeed. But she didn't say that. She said how old was I and what was my experience - as if whether or not she decided to offer me anything depended on that. But only as a female. As a man, it was like a free ticket. No questions asked. Okay, here you go, you're male, you must be automatically equipped to play soccer.
To be honest, I think my soccer skills are probably pretty dismal at best right at present, but that's only because I haven't played since High School. But that's the whole point. I don't see how I am going to improve my game if I don't actually play.
So anyway, we'll see. It's a little late for the winter season anyway. Maybe I'll be able to sign up in the spring...
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Orchids
I have been told it is very difficult to make an orchid do anything for you. That is, if you want to have it sprout again after it has flowered, you have to be patient. It may sit there for years, like an amaryllis, with only its leaves, and then, finally, it *might* decide to give you a shoot. It might. But there's no guarantee.
So what then, exactly, is going on with my orchid, I would like to know. Why is it that I am completely ignoring the thing, and it's growing all kinds of bulgey little new things all over the place?
It was a gift for a housewarming party in March. It was an unexpected pleasure, which did indeed make my house seem much more warm. And so it proceeded to bloom through the following months, including the entire time that I was away in France. Its last petal died possibly in September. The arcing stem is still there, clipped to its little support.
But look below, as I did, and you will see some amazing things. First, new leaves began to sprout. You never know when exactly they begin. One moment they are not there, the next, they are. And slowly one of the old leaves dies.
And under that, even more amazing, was the tiny green nub that poked its nose out from the base of the stem, back in September, and which has slowly but steadily reached its way out into the air, like an antenna that is looking for something: itself. And beside it, came another one. I thought, no, that's impossible. An orchid never goes on after its bloom, especially not twice. But go on it has. Until this morning, there was even a third.
Underneath the plant lie the tan and crisp remnants of former leaves and stems. I wonder how long this process has been going on? How long, before the flower shop sold it to my friend, had this plant been producing flowers and leaves? And was it raised from a nursery, or was it found in a swamp, and lifted out, just like that, all its former labors intact?
Who knows. But this is by far the most prolific orchid I have ever imagined, much less possessed. I did not think such a thing was possible. And, like luck, it flourishes unattended. I never even water it. I basically ignore it, and in return, it reaches out its tendrils, begging to be loved by being love itself. Perhaps the best secret of any relationship. If you think you should be doing more, probably it means you should be "doing" less. And just check on it, and love it, and know that it is there.
So what then, exactly, is going on with my orchid, I would like to know. Why is it that I am completely ignoring the thing, and it's growing all kinds of bulgey little new things all over the place?
It was a gift for a housewarming party in March. It was an unexpected pleasure, which did indeed make my house seem much more warm. And so it proceeded to bloom through the following months, including the entire time that I was away in France. Its last petal died possibly in September. The arcing stem is still there, clipped to its little support.
But look below, as I did, and you will see some amazing things. First, new leaves began to sprout. You never know when exactly they begin. One moment they are not there, the next, they are. And slowly one of the old leaves dies.
And under that, even more amazing, was the tiny green nub that poked its nose out from the base of the stem, back in September, and which has slowly but steadily reached its way out into the air, like an antenna that is looking for something: itself. And beside it, came another one. I thought, no, that's impossible. An orchid never goes on after its bloom, especially not twice. But go on it has. Until this morning, there was even a third.
Underneath the plant lie the tan and crisp remnants of former leaves and stems. I wonder how long this process has been going on? How long, before the flower shop sold it to my friend, had this plant been producing flowers and leaves? And was it raised from a nursery, or was it found in a swamp, and lifted out, just like that, all its former labors intact?
Who knows. But this is by far the most prolific orchid I have ever imagined, much less possessed. I did not think such a thing was possible. And, like luck, it flourishes unattended. I never even water it. I basically ignore it, and in return, it reaches out its tendrils, begging to be loved by being love itself. Perhaps the best secret of any relationship. If you think you should be doing more, probably it means you should be "doing" less. And just check on it, and love it, and know that it is there.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thank You
To Obama for being elected.
Even though it was a group effort.
I think it makes us all Lucky.
Even though it was a group effort.
I think it makes us all Lucky.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Getting Lucky
I have been told I am a lucky person. I believe that's correct!
What can one do to be as lucky as I am? Nothing! That's right, there is absolutely nothing you can do, and if you do nothing, you, too, can be phenomenally lucky. And you can enjoy other perks. Like, for example, making other people jealous and baffled by your luck. Because what did you deserve such luck? Nothing! Exactly.
And the other good thing about it, too, is that you can make OTHER people lucky, too, just by standing around them. I guess the chimney sweeper was onto something.
The funny thing about it - vis-a-vis my last post (and/or the chimney sweep) - is that luck often comes in the guise of misfortune. So watch out! If you want to be lucky like me, you might have to just get unlucky first. But it will happen for you. Trust me.
What can one do to be as lucky as I am? Nothing! That's right, there is absolutely nothing you can do, and if you do nothing, you, too, can be phenomenally lucky. And you can enjoy other perks. Like, for example, making other people jealous and baffled by your luck. Because what did you deserve such luck? Nothing! Exactly.
And the other good thing about it, too, is that you can make OTHER people lucky, too, just by standing around them. I guess the chimney sweeper was onto something.
The funny thing about it - vis-a-vis my last post (and/or the chimney sweep) - is that luck often comes in the guise of misfortune. So watch out! If you want to be lucky like me, you might have to just get unlucky first. But it will happen for you. Trust me.
Side Effects
Everything happens for a reason. Or maybe we could say that, for whatever reason things happen, if it's something you perceive as bad, chances are that it is going to lead you to something good.
If you can't figure that out, don't worry about it. It happens for a reason.
For example. A bad thing happens over here. So that means, maybe this situation is bad. But it provides an opportunity for something over in this other area of my life to improve.
This is why people say not to get too hung up on bad situations. Because if something is bad, and you don't like it, it's like, wait five minutes and the weather will change. You can put a bandage on it (the situation, not the weather), so you don't have to look at it, and wait for it to heal itself. That's really about the only thing you can do. And meanwhile, if you've hurt your arm, for example, you can be sad about not being able to use your arm, or you can concentrate on getting really good at using your other arms. Or arm. Or whatever.
What am I talking about? Well, this is really a collection of occurences, in my mind, and kind of a pattern I observe. It's even, to me, sort of like a rabbit trail, or a little game where I go and pick up the stones that are laid out in a line that will eventually lead me to somewhere, I don't know where, but hopefully it is a good place and not very evil. I like to think they were left by a benevolent source.
But even though they are stones, and they are hard, the point is, that they lead me somewhere good. Maybe somewhere solid.
And while I may mourn the passing of some things along the way, I realize that I really just have to keep going. I can't stop to get upset about any of these things, or I won't get to where it is I am supposed to be. Maybe one good thing turns out to be something bad on the other side, when I turn it over. And then I leave it and take the next one. And maybe I would like to bring some other people with me. But you can't unless they want to. If they are too stuck in the mud to move themselves, there is nothing you can do. Because pulling isn't going to help. Like the dog on a leash that wants to go sniff at something foul - you can't really make him stop by pulling on the leash. He's going to go anyway, even though you try. Or you can try to help him steer clear entirely. But once you get too close, your options are limited.
So maybe I let the reins go a little slack. Maybe I let the horse decide where it wants to go. And I can ride in the carriage, or I can walk in my own direction. But creating a lot of tension isn't going to help, and I can't blame horse for being a horse. Or for having reins, for that matter, if I'm the one who put them on.
Now I'm mixing metaphors a little. I sat down thinking I was going to write out all the details, but now I guess the particulars are not important. I could tell you, but I don't know that it would illustrate my point any better. This way, I leave it open for your interpretation. And we've all been there. We all know how stubborn and incorrigible people can really be, and how hard it can be to be the person who lets go.
But we all need to lead by example. We can't really keep anyone, or anything captive. We can't change who or what we are, or who or what anybody else is. In the end, we can only be responsible for ourselves.
If you can't figure that out, don't worry about it. It happens for a reason.
For example. A bad thing happens over here. So that means, maybe this situation is bad. But it provides an opportunity for something over in this other area of my life to improve.
This is why people say not to get too hung up on bad situations. Because if something is bad, and you don't like it, it's like, wait five minutes and the weather will change. You can put a bandage on it (the situation, not the weather), so you don't have to look at it, and wait for it to heal itself. That's really about the only thing you can do. And meanwhile, if you've hurt your arm, for example, you can be sad about not being able to use your arm, or you can concentrate on getting really good at using your other arms. Or arm. Or whatever.
What am I talking about? Well, this is really a collection of occurences, in my mind, and kind of a pattern I observe. It's even, to me, sort of like a rabbit trail, or a little game where I go and pick up the stones that are laid out in a line that will eventually lead me to somewhere, I don't know where, but hopefully it is a good place and not very evil. I like to think they were left by a benevolent source.
But even though they are stones, and they are hard, the point is, that they lead me somewhere good. Maybe somewhere solid.
And while I may mourn the passing of some things along the way, I realize that I really just have to keep going. I can't stop to get upset about any of these things, or I won't get to where it is I am supposed to be. Maybe one good thing turns out to be something bad on the other side, when I turn it over. And then I leave it and take the next one. And maybe I would like to bring some other people with me. But you can't unless they want to. If they are too stuck in the mud to move themselves, there is nothing you can do. Because pulling isn't going to help. Like the dog on a leash that wants to go sniff at something foul - you can't really make him stop by pulling on the leash. He's going to go anyway, even though you try. Or you can try to help him steer clear entirely. But once you get too close, your options are limited.
So maybe I let the reins go a little slack. Maybe I let the horse decide where it wants to go. And I can ride in the carriage, or I can walk in my own direction. But creating a lot of tension isn't going to help, and I can't blame horse for being a horse. Or for having reins, for that matter, if I'm the one who put them on.
Now I'm mixing metaphors a little. I sat down thinking I was going to write out all the details, but now I guess the particulars are not important. I could tell you, but I don't know that it would illustrate my point any better. This way, I leave it open for your interpretation. And we've all been there. We all know how stubborn and incorrigible people can really be, and how hard it can be to be the person who lets go.
But we all need to lead by example. We can't really keep anyone, or anything captive. We can't change who or what we are, or who or what anybody else is. In the end, we can only be responsible for ourselves.
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