Saying yes...

Taking a Different Route

While writing a post from a few days ago, I suddenly realized I was on a different block... yes, in my mind, I had a very clear image of walking, and I had taken a different route to my blog... I'm not sure where I made the turn, but I was definitely in a different place. I actually stopped typing long enough to look in and see what was on the block... to take a look at the houses, see how it felt. Yes, I was somewhere else, I hadn't taken the usual route, or the route of choice for the past few months.

I think with blogging, along with so many other things I routinely do,  I often tend to phone it in. OK, maybe it's not that disconnected... I'll just get in a groove, for better or worse, I'll take the same mental route so often that I don't notice and then something will shift and off I go in a different direction, usually not fully realizing until I'm en route. It's funny to all of a sudden realize you've made a change... why did you not realize it when you took that turn? Why did it just click in now? And what made you take that turn, maybe one so subtle it didn't even cause any immediate ripples??

I don't know that this route is better than the others or even that different, but it didn't feel bad either... didn't feel like one to leave right away... and instead it felt kind of interesting.  You just realize you've shifted. Maybe it's just a mood shift or a momentum shift. You're experiencing something differently. I tend to experience those shifts in images. Surely others feel it in their gut or maybe there are those who are always on top of the shifts, directing every move. My alert system is most often an image. I love it when they finally get through and let me know I'm off on something else. I probably notice it before then on some other level, but it's an image that pops up with something unrelated that lets me know for sure. Yes, I love the images and what content they carry. They also show up even if it's not a change, but maybe a way of seeing something unseen.

The other day I was e-talking with someone when I realized that for awhile I had had a visual of our ongoing conversation. This conversation is not one of dire importance, but merely the thoughts that trickle out from time to time... usually mine. This person is much more concise... much more Spartan in their use of words. I'm anything but... I can be, but for some reason, in email, I flit from topic to topic, get pulled off on tangents, go here, go there... It's probably very inconsiderate and selfish... I should stay on point, but I don't. Anyhow, I realized I had a very definite visual of this ongoing conversation... most of the time it was a fairly simple line surrounded by a line with many flourishes. That will stick in my mind... until the images tell me things have changed... until I find I've turned a corner and have ended up in a new spot.

Oops

It dawned on me the other day that my driver's license had expired in the end of August. It was now nearly November... I was going to have to do something about it so as not to have a repeat of the time after the Eldest Lamblet was born and in a blur of exhaustion, confusion, awe, identity loss, identity found... I let it lapse for over a year.

For anyone who doesn't know, if you let it lapse over a certain amount of time, you don't exist anymore. What was worse, when I went to take ALL tests, yes all... you have to take the damn road test if you're enough of a chucklehead to let it lapse for a year... I found that my old license no longer counted for as valid ID, I would need my social security card, which I had, and went to pull out, only to find it was my Second City ID pass... there would be no tests that day. After another month of BS, I managed to prove I was living, was a citizen, could drive, and was given a license again. I never let it lapse again, until this year.

This time wasn't so bad, but I still had to go to the DMV. Last time, due to a spotless record, I could merely send in my moola and wait for new stickers to arrive in the mail. Apparently a good record is only good for a 4 yr waiver from having to step into the DMV, this time, I had to go.

The facilities had been updated since I had been there some 8 years ago, but the people behind the counters were still soulless, with nary a sense of humor. I know, I know, they've probably heard it all. They've dealt with the worst of the worst and are used to giving minute directions.
The thing is, if you give me minute directions, my head will break those down even further, trying to figure out what you want, thus making me do something stupid and giving the impression that I don't have a clue. I believe I exhibited at least 3 of those instances today.

And... don't argue. Don't try to explain that you know better. Oh god no. That just makes them even worse. When I progressed from the woman at counter 10 to the woman at counter 14 and that woman asked me to give her EVERYTHING the woman at counter 10 had given me, I mindlessly handed over everything I still had in my hand which caused her to respond with, "Honey?? That's your credit card receipt. Why would I want your credit card receipt?? You  need to keep that."

I wanted to throw something, but instead said something about "Oh, I forgot I still had that with the other stuff..." to which she responded with, "Go sit down... over there... wait for your name... ok??"

Grrrrr.

Sure, I could do that, and I did, and I waited for the photographer woman to call, which she did. She called out and said, "You need to come right in over here", stressing the in and then gesturing with her hands... right next to herself, I thought, hmmm, ok and started to walk where her had was pointing only to realize that she was being vague with the hand and not specific because the place where she was pointing was in her little maze of stuff, a maze of stuff that looked official and not for the average visitor. I got a multiple fingersnap followed with a "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!!!" Of course I had realized about a step into her maze that this was not what she was wanting and didn't need the snap or the chorus of no's, but like good cattle and someone who had spent years in parochial school, I moved along to the proper spot, where she took my mug shot. She was miffed at this point, I was miffed at this point. She took the photo, looked at it and said, "Hmmm, that'll do." I looked down at the photo as I hightailed it out of there and thought, shit... 4 years of looking like a very angry prison warden.

Did you hear what Jon said??

CLOSE YOUR TRUNK!

Also, it's apparent, Hannity hates really small fish... they're to blame for all that is wrong with America.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Where the Riled Things Are
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

Where my head is these days...

Thank you Von for reminding me of a song I hadn't thought of, let alone heard in a long time. One I always loved. I'd add yet another video to the previous stream of them, but embedding has been disabled, for my own good, no doubt...

I still cranked it... think I scared the next door neighbor who happened to be out on his driveway, who no doubt, not only heard it and heard me, but probably also saw the mini-dance-a-thon. Oh well.

Have a good weekend everyone.

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

And now for something completely different from a galaxy far, far away. And also because the week hasn't had enough Shatnery-goodness...

Have a good weekend everyone.

Just messin' with ya...

Update: All has been returned to normal... no more black blog, no more parrots with "drink bubbles"...  we're back to the original template I chose before I even realized what I chose...

Carry on.

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BG- see what I mean?? Nothing suggests a parrot more than polka dots... or vice versa... I did kind of like the black background. It made the images pop... but then nearly every paint shirt I own is a black t-shirt.

I own nothing with a parrot on it. :(

If I can't get this template changed back, I'll be pissed. Now I am a little scared...

It is 63 and raining again... and it’s July 8th. WTF??

While not a fan or the scorching heat and oppressive humidity that often accompanies a Midwestern summer... this eternal Meh is bizarre. My heat-loving annuals are losing the battle to the cold and moisture-loving weeds.

random randomness about snags

-- Because I am so not blogging right now, today I'm going to post two! I feel like Ernie Banks.

I am a big fan of the random conversation... the stream of consciousness conversation... the conversation that takes on deep importance even though the subject matter is quite bogus. Maybe that's why I like any number of comment threads around the internets. They just take off into parts unknown and everyone is on board, treating it as though it were a serious matter.

My lamblets are naturals at the random bogus conversation, as is Grizzled. Grizzled didn't realize it though until he met me. I've built up his ignored RBC muscles whether he liked it or not. The lamblets though have been steeped in it since birth. As soon as they were old enough to talk, I went from spelling everything and naming everything to asking random questions. Car time was perfect for this. While driving, I'd ask, "Ok, if the dogs could drive, what type of car would they drive and why?" It was decided that Argus (RIP) would have driven a big Kleenex box of a car since he loved to eat Kleenexes. He'd also have a convertible. Wilson (RIP) would not have a convertible. He hated thunder and was not fond of wind, however he did love the sun, so maybe a sun roof, but he'd need the reassurance that a partial roof could bring...

And off we'd go, discussing what music they would listen to and why. What destinations and why. There were many conversations like this. Still are. They seem so normal I rarely notice them, but every once in awhile I find myself stepping outside of myself and observing, wondering what a fellow traveler might think if his car window had been down and he'd heard a snippet of our chat.

Today, after leaving the pet store, the eldest lamblet said she had been checking out the "Snags". I asked if she didn't mean "ferret". She said no... it was a Snag, she was sure, because Snags will eat anything-- they're part goat and part ferret, but the goat gene is recessive, which is why they look like ferrets-- and this one was apparently chewing on a cage-mate's tail, therefore it was really a snag... Conversations about Snags continued until we were in the car and listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Adam Raised a Cain". The lamblet was certain he was singing "Oyster Pig" during the refrain. I assured her he was not singing oyster pig... besides, what was an oyster pig?? A pig covered in a shell? Would it live on land or in the water?  She said she thought it would be an oyster shell that when opened, had ham inside... they were found in fresh water.

Fresh water??? I was skeptical because ham is nothing if not salty. I would seriously doubt the existence of oyster pigs in fresh water... which led to the question of would a fresh water oyster pig hold pork while a salt water oyster pig would hold ham??

It was about this time that we were pulling into the driveway and I was discussing what needed to get done before the day was over...  thoughts of oyster pigs leaving my mind while wrestling with the large bag of dog food, I heard the lamblet say, "Fresh water or salt water, I'm guessing a snag would eat them...".

I think she's right, but preferably wrapped in bacon and drizzled with bourbon.

Non-Post #3 or #4... Or Something...

It's June 10th and there's a windchill... it's 59 out, but feels like 53. Did I mention it's June 10th? I thought the weather in zone 5 was not allowed a windchill after the full moon in May. It's June 10th. No more windchill, ok??

Speaking of June 10th, it's insanely bright in the wee hours during this time of year which is nice since I'm usually awake in the wee hours. It might as well be light out. Tomorrow is the youngest lamblet's b-day (It's also aif's b-day. Happy early B-day, aif!!!) and since today is the last full day of school, she took her b-day treat with her today. She decided that she needed Dunkin Donut Munchkins which was fine with me. Our school still allows homemade treats so I was actually happy I didn't have to crank out 24 monkey cupcakes ala last year. Munchkins it would be, but I knew I had to get them first thing... I wanted them to be fresh and wanted to get them before the run on donuts began. Since Grizzled and I were wide awake by 5... did I mention it's insanely light in the morning during this time of year... we ventured off to the DD to make sure we scored enough Munchkins. I expected a line, I forget that not everyone is wide awake at 5:30. I was kind of worried ALL MUNCHKINS WOULD BE GONE!!! I forgot we had an advantage by being early risers. There were only 2 other cars in the parking lot, one of which was a police car... there oughta be a law...

But enough about Munchkins... I'm currently working on some sketches for some paintings. The ideas for these paintings came about during a side conversation and actually have nothing to do with the final subject matter. Anyone looking at the final work will have no idea what the initial seed looked like or what the initial conversation was about. The final paintings will be images of a metaphor, but no one will know but me (well, and a couple of other people). It had me wondering though if as science, etc, advances, if there might be a way for us to find out. Could you grind up the painting, put it into a solution and then break down the componentswhich would also ultimately reveal the original inspiration?? Wouldn't that be interesting? Pretty soon museums and galleries, etc, could show not only the original work, but the original idea that led to the final piece. Who knows what you'd see! And I wonder how many of the original seeds would have absolutely anything to do with the final piece? I'm guessing very few.  And of course, ultimately the original idea means nothing to the viewer because the viewer is the final "decider". The viewer is the one who decides what it means to them. The rest may be interesting, but doesn't really matter.

Still... I can't help, but wonder if the original idea that led to these paintings will affect how I go about them. Will they look different than had I approached them with a different thought in mind? Will that original thought be perceptible on some level that we aren't aware of?? Will there be some cell, somewhere in the viewer's body that can pick up on the subtle path from start to finish? Or does it just matter that they are finished and connect with something in the viewers mind...

I'm finished. End of non-post. I need to find a sweater.

Second Non-Posting Post: For the Birds

Our neighborhood has a murder of crows hanging around again. I don't mind them. They're fun to watch and look even funnier when walking. They look like old men to me, old men whose hips hurt and who aren't as flexible as they once were. I can't help but imagine them in high-waisted pants, belt pulled tight. They don't walk very fast and never very far before stopping, looking as if they're trying to catch their breath, bent over, wing on hip. I imagine them heading off to play Pinochle with their buddies.

 We also have a pair of ducks. I often see them meandering through yards. I love it when I look out the garden-level laundry room window and see them looking in or when I see them crossing at an actual crosswalk. It reminds me of a favorite childhood book. The other day I saw them come flying in for a landing, they landed on the roof. I didn't see the actual landing, but I heard it... didn't sound very smooth. I'm not sure if ducks are made to land on roofs. Their walking isn't very smooth either... they remind me of pregnant woman long past their due date.

Walking robins remind me of ditsy women in high heels (Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot), always on the verge of tripping or falling, but they never do. They look like they're late and on their way to something fun and by gawd, nothing is going to stop them and yet everything does, they're distracted by everything and yet they still manage to get to their destination and have a wonderful time.