Saturday, December 30, 2006

My latest happy thing

I have been on the look-out for a good laugh outloud comedy for quite some time, but I just don't watch a lot of tv. I need comedy. Need the laugh. So, the other day on a whim, I saw that this sitcom, "Scrubs" was playing re-runs on the Comedy Channel. I set it up to record on my Dish DVR (aka TiVo knock-off) and I have been laughing ever since. Oh my goodness, what an outrageously silly and funny show, but also at times so full of touching truth. I can't believe it took me 3 years (or is it 4 that the show has been out) to finally watch it.

So, it has me laughing and I am hooked. Maybe it isn't my latest happy thing...I think it is more like my latest addiction. I've watched it 3 days in a row which makes that 12 episodes from Comedy Channel. I was so disappointed to see it won't be on the next two days!! At this rate though, I could be caught up to the latest season in another week or so.

In the meantime, I think I need a Dr Cox poster for my room or something so I can gave him a fake kiss on the lips or slap on the ass everyday (maybe both!). Aw, sweet Dr Cox with his crazy facial expressions and long, LONG rants. My hero. Swoon.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

A pet peeve lately

Oh, in the old days I had so many pet peeves, I practically had a zoo, a menagerie. So many little things to tick me off. I have mellowed though and my list is shorter. I rant less often. However, I caught myself ranting lately about this inane little quote that I see tagged on those humorous emails. You know, the emails that have all these cute life lessons in them or the fun reason why chocolate should be considered a health food or why beer is good for you (I think it is, isn't it??), etc. Then at the end of the email is that quote about how I rather end up sliding into my grave, partied out versus old and well preserved. I am summarizing the quote since I don't have it memorized and I typically delete it after it illicits a wry little smile from me.

Why does it bother me? I guess it is a by-product of the new job. I see lots of people who lived their life vicariously and end up in the ICU regretting it or so comatose they can't regret it and in the worse of cases, they lived their lives so wild and crazy they are sick beyond recovery and no one is left in their life to have any regrets for them (except for me, I suppose). I read that quote and I think the person dying in this hospital bed obviously felt the same way at some point. That they were living life to the fullest when in fact they were just killing themselves with overindulgences. I see them there in the bed and I am thinking they are full of regret, pain and loneliness and not one of them saw their lives becoming so drastically altered, at 41 or 49 and sometimes a very young 21 or 25 year old.

I think the majority of people wished they could live to that quote, but only a few really do, fortunately. I'd like to live according to a more moderate life philosophy. One, where you do things in moderation, not excess or deprivation. Life is meant to be enjoyed, but you should also cherish it. It is a fragile thing. Truly fragile.

Basically, far too many times we all take our health for granted. How many times has someone asked if you could have anything in the world? Did you say, "Good health and the ability to die in my sleep at the ripe old happy age of 100."? Nah, most of you would say, "I'd like to win the lotto" or "Write the Great American Novel". However, it would be hard to do or enjoy either without some decent health to get you there.

Yeah, I suppose I am in a dark ranting mood today. Best I should shuffle off to go listen to my old "Smiths" cassette tapes....if I could only find a tape player.......

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Shout it out loud

I love music. Nothing special about that. Lots of people love music. Every once in awhile I hear a song that really strikes an emotional chord with me. Recently, it is a new song from Amos Lee. Everytime my local radio station (kfog.com) plays it I have turn the volume to 10 and sometimes, shout it out with Lee.

It reminds me of my old office job and why I chose my new career. However, music and poetry are so similiar, in that each song and poem can mean many things to many people. Here are the lyrics. Maybe it will mean nothing to you or something altogether different.

"Shout Out Loud"
A thousand empty windows
And only half the lights are out
I wonder what these people's lives
What they might be all about
Do they got a lover
And could they have a family
Could it be they're just as lonesome
As you and me
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
Why don't you all
Just come on out
And we can
Tear it all down, yeah
White lights burning
Down an empty avenue
I wonder if their driver
Found someone he can go on home to
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
Why don't you all
Just come on out
And we can
Tear it all down, yeah
Cause everybody's got a part in the game
And everybody's got a cross they can claim
And everybody's got somebody to blame
But we all must find our own way, yeah yeah
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud

You can listen to his song at http://www.amoslee.com/music.php

PS: "I wish I was a punk rocker" by Sandi Thom TOTALLY ROCKS!!! Makes me wish my stereo went to 11 on the volume dial. http://www.sandithom.com/site/audio.php

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

A Red-Letter Day

I developed this habit a few years ago of marking a red X on my calendar at work to designate a good day. I disliked my job so much back then, I started to try and accentuate the positive. Everytime I got a little down about the current day, I could look on my calendar for a red letter and remember the reason(s) I put it there and feel a littler better.

So, in keeping with that, I would like to share my wonderful red-letter day this past Sunday with my daughter. It was one those rewarding, rare moments you need to document to make up for the HOURS of torture and hard work that child-raising can be. Our daughter is a strong, free-spirited, must-be-the-lead-dog kind of child. She is only 3 and we are always butting heads on just the basics of the everyday....like washing hands after going to the bathroom, saying "please", getting dressed, don't run off in the mall ... the list is endless! However, from what I hear, this is common of all 3 year olds.

Back to that red-letter day. She woke up in a wonderful mood. We were going to spend the day putting up the Christmas decorations. She said her pleases with no queenly proclamations such as, "I am thirsty!" She picked out clothes to wear that were actually appropriate for the weather and matched. She dressed herself. She announced that she washed her hands after going potty (and she wasn't lying about it). She combed her hair all by herself. She was grinning with pride at all these accomplishments. I heaped on the praise for all the jobs well-done. She says, "Mommy, you are not made, are you?" I said, "Nope. You are being such a big girl today." It was so pleasant, practically perfect.

Christmas music was playing and she loved it. The decorations were going up (only a few minor curses from the husband dealing with lights blowing fuses). The sun was shining on a crisp day. Ahhh, just a brilliant red-letter day. (Can you see me smiling?)

Then, later that night as we sat in the living room admiring our Christmas decorations, I jokingly asked, "So, do you think we have enough decorations up?" My husband said, "You mean we actually have some left?" (Of course not, silly!) Our daughter puts her finger to her chin and says, "No. We still need pink presents." (Pink is her fav color and her grandparents said they are sending her "pink presents" for Christmas).

I'll be smiling over this day for quite awhile.

PS: Out of curiousity I wanted to know where the expression "red letter day" comes from and found this site: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article1391.html