Up With the Upnessgrades
I’m working on updating this maxpower action to 2.3.1 and creating a new maxpowericon. Stand-by!
Speak Directly into the Mic
Webmaster, Andy Koop, made his — as far as I know — radio debut earlier this evening. All in all, I would say it was a success. In true Koop fashion, he left ‘em wanting more. And worked in a sweet plug for WordChasm.
Alas, if only there were a way to hear the broadcast. Oh wait there is! Follow this link to hear the show!
Breakfast Cereal Philosophy
This past week I had a bit of a revelation … an analogy that describes the way I have lived my life. It will, of course, sound corny or simplistic or ridiculous, but here goes …
As a kid, I remember eating sugar-infused breakfast cereals, especially those with marshmallows. Ah, the monster cereals, by far the best. Frankenberry. Count Chocula. Even BooBerry. [A quick aside to acknowledge the long-forgotten, marshmallowless Fruit Brute] I found Luck Charms to be the least enjoyable. Ritualistically, I ate all the brown crunchy bits of no discernible shape and pushed the marshmallows aside. I would dutifully eat all the “good-for-you” part waiting to enjoy the sweet, colorful decadence. Postponing gratification until the very end.
I realize now that I follow a similar pattern in my adult activities. I wake up, prepare for work, do my job, exercise, eat dinner, perform whatever mundane choirs await. Laundry to wash, fold, or iron. Dishes to wash or put away. Floors to sweep or mop. Furniture to clean. Shelves to dust. Trash and recycling to tote.
Weekends are consumed with home repair or maintenance. Cars to wash. Oil to change. Grass to mow. Broken things to repair. Expired things to replace. Dogs to bathe and groom. Family to visit.
I do everything that I am expected — by myself and by others. I perform all my tasks with that ever-elusive carrot dangling in the distance. As soon as I wash the dishes, I can sit down to write. Once I iron the laundry, I can read that book loaned to me. As soon as the yard work is finished, I’ll research [insert topic] on the web. All I need to do is put up that ceiling fan, patch that leak, organize the office … once everything else is done. I’ll be able to sit down and enjoy some marshmallows without the threat of choirs looming over head.
The fundamental flaw in this theory: there is no end to these tasks. There will always be more. I’ll never finish. I never do. Consequently, I rarely do the things I enjoy. I haven’t posted a WordChasm entry in months. I haven’t read a book for fun in years. I haven’t painted — except for rooms in the house — in an eternity.
So, I’m trying to learn to stop myself and let myself eat some of those marshmallows … to enjoy the sweet flavor and bright colors.
Of course, this is only a metaphor. I haven’t marshmallows since I learned they contain gelatin. I don’t want to think about the analogy that is reflected there.
Planes, trains, automobiles
Well, we made it back from Chicago alive and well.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to report. We enjoyed ourselves. All around a good experience.
Would I move there? Of course. I mean you can buy liquor in the Super Wal-Mart! Gotta love any place that sells hard alcohol in the grocery stores. We already have a handful of friends in Chicago and hope to convince two more to move as well. If Jay & Marissa relocate to the Windy City, that will seal the deal.
Everyone was so courteous and friendly to us, which makes me wonder: did we experience good old-fashioned mid-western hospitality or were those folks just taking pity on a couple of rubes in the big city?
Not to say that the trip was free of stress or trouble. Primarily, the onset of illness & Tisha feeling motion sick for most of the two-hour train ride from Chicago to Harvard, IL.
Windiness
Welcome to Chi-town, Mauneys!