Category: Life

I just heard this line from Michelangelo describing his work as a sculptor.  While not as famous as “removing anything that isn’t David” I love this image much more, because it reframes stone to be its own opposite.

I wonder if it applies to life in general.  Most likely cause it feels too hard to let go of the stuff that needs to be released.

I started this past weekend off with grabbing coffee with someone who I previously met in a professional capacity.  I don’t know where it may lead, but it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  And then we spent the weekend hanging out around town with some old friends of my wife who came over all the way across the continent.

To meet friends old and new.  If this isn’t the high life, I’m not sure what is.

I have been slipping back into the addictive algorithm lately.

I just realized the essential paradox of trying to quit Facebook. Ultimately I need to replace it with some other go to activity.

But part of the reason I’m quitting the network is because I want something less addictive. So by definition any replacement activity it with will be less addictive than the beast I am trying to quit.

And the beast just sits there biding it’s time.

Then again I did quit smoking….

I thought I’d just buy something real quick before heading out to work.  And then ran into random issues and half an hour I’m here writing a blog post.

It’s easy to get into the trap of just one more little thing…but how often does it actually work out that way?

There was a buy 2 get 1 free board game sale at Target last night so we rushed off to pick up a couple copies of Operation for our daughter and her friend and a treat for me.  Even though this deal ran for another week, Operation was further discounted “on sale thru monday” which made last night a little bit of a rush to figure out what other $14 item we should purchase.

I ended up picking up a copy of Kahuna, a now-old Kosmos 2P game. Its a title that I had seen over the years but I have never researched particularly thoroughly, but the price was right and the selection wasn’t great.

In the age of the internet and unlimited returns, it has been a while since I impulse purchased something that I doubt I will ever return, even if it comes up “meh”.  It was actually quite a thrill and I had a hard time falling asleep after our rush.

I can see how this gets addictive. Most likely not a good thing, though I assume the occasional indulgence isn’t the end of the world.

Trying to find an exercise program has been my white whale ever since I quit landscaping that first year after college.  I’ve never felt the runner’s high, just boredom while moving around.

I’m trying again to get back on the wagon.  Because the primary issue is my family’s hereditary high blood pressure, this time I am particularly focused on cardio.

Jump rope looks like it may be a promising approach.  It is incredibly taxing in a short amount of time and doesn’t require leaving the house, which is difficult to do with two kiddos in there.

Hopefully I will avoid injuring myself, I guess I should take a moment to google “jump roping downsides”.

Earlier this month, we went to a reading by the Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith.  Aside from the moment when our boy decided to lose his mind right at the start (I think the audience applause startled him) and some lovely poems, she made two very interesting observations at the Q&A session at the end.  These lines are well rehearsed, but they were new to me.

1. She brought up the fact that we are bombarded with advertising.  By definition this type of language is manipulative, furthermore the algorithm of modern life means we are being spoon fed more and more effective versions of this language.  Her interesting twist is that she posits poetry confronts us with something real inside of us.  Her hope that tapping into this inherent common reality made explicit via poetry may be the salve for our fractured time.
2. She was asked how often a poem goes in a direction she doesn’t expect it go when she started.  She responded that if a poem doesn’t go sideways she is disappointed.  The process of developing the poem should startle the poet, creating new discoveries.

It made me realize how lecture series are lost on the young.  During my college days I was so overloaded with schoolwork and new ideas coming from so many directions, the last thing I could handle was an additional set of lectures outside of my studies.  It’s only now that living a more regimented life that I might be able to get something out of attending these things, even if I end up holding a grouchy baby watching the video capture in the foyer.

I have been lucky to generally avoid headaches.  However, I had a flu shot on Saturday and was completely waylaid on Sunday with a headache that alternated between mild to moderate.  It felt like the headache related to caffeine withdrawal, but towards my forehead instead of the crown.

For those who have to deal with regular headaches I’m certain I sound like a total wimp, but such is the curse of living a blessed existence.  Every glitch is magnified when it occurs, and a clear head is something I’ve taken for granted.  I remember a similar lousy day after last year’s flu shot, and once a year is plenty!