More Happiness Out of Doors

Yesterday , I was fortunate enough to get to do an outing. I was invited to go with a group to aid in making an archway at the entrance of a nature preserve. The Blue Heron Nature Preserve, to be exact. This was just the sort of outing I needed. A bit of exercise, some fresh air, wildlife, sunshine, and running water made for a more mentally relaxing day. A contrast to today. The post needs no more words. Here are a few pictures.

Invasive Ivy I spent most of the morning yanking out

Really big ants!

People staring at the Wisteria vines we used.

Nancy Creek

Lunch by the water.

For the Love of...

People often ask why I run myself the way I do. Why do I do so much? Why am I a science blogger? When did I become a musician? Why did I add radio? Do I like being cellular tech support?

 I wear myself out.

A lot.

But I do it for a lot of reasons. I do it for love:

for the love of butterflies...

and secret beaches...

for Floyd...

for the hidden beauty of the unfinished canvas...

for hurt and pain and becoming the monkey on his back...

 

for lights and productions and music...

for bacon and good times at Betsy's with new faces and old friends.

But mostly, I do it for me.

I do it because even though sometimes I feel my world falling apart, I know that there is always something else, someone else, someplace else, some new adventure just around the corner. I do it because I love. So much.


What keeps you motivated?

Playing On-Air

I have to say, I honestly wasn't  sure how I would deal with my new job. As a morning show co-host on a radio station, the hours are ridiculously early, the pay isn't so great, and it means that you can't stay out too late the night before. It is exhausting to try to be humerous at 6:30 in the morning.



Fig. 1 A wall in the studio



It's a bit tough to get used to, but I actually enjoy waking up before the sun and really like having witty banter with my co-host. Well, it's more like I'm his sidekick, but I have learned a lot from him. I have no radio experience whatsoever and I am having a blast!

The perks can be kinda nice, too, like this little concert I went to in Puerto Rico a few weeks back.  



Fig. 2 Little Concert



This still is a ton of work as I do have a full time job as a call room person for cell phone tech support... usually until around 9 pm. I don't have many days anymore. I don't mind too much. The days go quickly. I can't spend a whole lot. I REALLY appreciate my days off. I don't have time to stress and think about things anymore. The Buzz is an incredibly enriching experience so far. I speak more slowly (thank goodness), my confidence is up, and I feel better about public speaking. I think I may stick to it!


 

Things You Need but Didn't KNOW You Needed

OMG FINGER LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!


Apparently I really have been living under the rock I am supposed to be living on... hmph! Anyway, I didn't think I needed these until I saw the link below. It was all clear at that moment: they really are perfect for night blogging. Or night digging for cellphones in cars. Or night gaming. Or playing piano in the dark. Yes.

The possibilities are so boundless. I am so excited to have stumbled across something that made me giggle so much today. I needed a good laugh. 

What's something funny you want that is practical in an impractical way?

Things You Learn Being in a Band Part 2

If you think you have enough extra  _________ you should bring one more (or refill or whatever).

This applies to just about everything: drumsticks, rolls of duct tape, guitar picks, beer for a party, gas for a road trip, underwear for a vacation, sunblock for a beach day... you get the idea.

Guitar strings are notoriously manipulative like that. You will have sets for months, but being the good little guitar owner you are, you change your strings. You get down to the last two spare packs and even with new strings on your axe you break two B strings in one show! What the heck?!?!? Now you have new strings and 2 new incomplete sets! Should have brought an extra set.

Fig. 1 The picks I use mostly. See duct tape post for proof.

Guitar picks are the same, too! It must be a familial thing. You are great about not losing your picks. You get rid of them only after you have worn them down. You still have five and that should be enough, EXCEPT this show is particularly sweaty and the playing is a little more aggressive and the picks start flying. Like crazy. Should have brought a few more, buddy. And don't even get me started on the plight of drum sticks, snares, 1/4" cables, extension chords, 9V batteries... The list goes on.

Real life examples abound as well! Let's say Jedediah gets invited to a swanky party and all he has to bring is ice. He brings two bags and half of one gets dumped on the deck accidentally and there are way more people than were expected. Way to go, Jedediah. You should have bought one more bag. Seriously, they're like, what, $2?

I suppose the moral of this similar to the girl and boy scout motto: be prepared (or always ready or some derivative thereof). Even when you think you are prepared, just remember, you might just want to reconsider that one last roll of film that you unpacked (yes, some of us still enjoy film) and just stick it in your camera bag.

Be prepared.

A Very Appropriate DailyOM...

I am  a dork and receive the DailyOM every day in my inbox. I have found quite a few gems in there and today's was one of them. I figured I would repost it. It is called "Recharging Your Batteries."

Our natural state of being is vibrant, happy to be alive. Yet, there can be times when we feel run down and worn out. This does not mean that we are lazy or unfit for the tasks in our lives; it means that we need to recharge our batteries and find a way of keeping them charged. Vitamins and extra rest can be very helpful in restoring our physical bodies. And if we are willing to delve deeper, we may discover that there is an underlying cause for our exhaustion.


Whenever you are feeling run down, take an honest look at how you have been thinking, feeling and acting. You will likely find a belief, behavior pattern or even a relationship that is out of alignment with who you really are. Perhaps you believe you have to be perfect at everything or you have been bending over backwards to get people to like you. Maybe you are dealing with mild depression or simply have too much on your plate right now. There may also be people or situations in your life which are draining your energy. Once you get clear on the root cause, you can weed it out and better direct your flow of energy in the future.

In time, you might notice that the reasons you feel run down have less to do with how much you are doing and more to do with the fact that in your heart, you would rather be doing something else entirely. From now on, try and listen to what your heart really wants. It may take meditation, or just a moment of silent tuning in to gain the clarity you need, but it is well worth the effort. When you know what you truly want to do, and honor that in all situations, you will find that getting run down is a thing of the past.

I really enjoyed this today.

A Mode of Transportation

I finally got one. I am so excited. Honestly, I didn't want to spend quite so much, but I did and I am glad that I did.

This week I did something I never thought I would do on my own. I bought a used car and got financing. A 2008. Yes, dear friends, Mimi bought a car that was built within 10 years of her driving it and it wasn't a beater that cost less than $2000. That never happens. It is just what I need, too: good gas mileage, four wheel drive, room for gear, working windows, no leaky roof, great price and functioning seats. The seat thing is a long story but let us just say that my passengers usually got a great core work out or a good nap in while riding with me.

The whole reason I have been carless was the topic of much controversy as of late. All one really needs to know is my beloved Beast is dead. It died the week I accepted a second job that takes place in the wee hours of the morning on the top of the mountain on the other side of the island. Yeah. Awesome. So now I must wake up to be at the station at 5:45 am, leave there by 9 - 9:15 to be at work usually between 10 - 12 to then put in my eight hours. Fantastic. Especially when you do not have a reliable mode of transportation. Trust me. There are not too many friends who will help you out for a ride at five something in the morning.

Fig. 1 Yes, I bought the blue one

I managed, though, and asked around and looked at beaters and even rented a car and then, when I was dead to the world yesterday, I insisted on car shopping. Then I found it. The price was right. My bank was awesome. Now I have keys.

There is something to be said for having an enclosed vehicle with good ground clearance. Being dry while it is raining is a luxury I was okay without, but rolling up my windows and not having my car leak on me yesterday made me realize that I was okay with that luxury, too. Oh, and I don't have to worry about my music equipment getting wet, and I can lock the doors, and give people rides without apologizing for the wildlife that made it's home in my open to the elements car. This could be good.

Almost Smart

I can't help but eavesdrop on people's conversations. Since I was a kid I have been unable to block out background noises and conversations. I can have a conversation with you and still know exactly what three of the four other tables around us are talking about. I hate it. Believe me when I say I have blushed horribly at some of the vivid imagery that comes to mind when I am talking about potatoes but the person behind me is talking about something far more naughty.

This has made me really fascinated with topics of conversation. I especially enjoy topics that upon first encroachment sound really intelligent, but end up painfully almost smart. What I mean by this is it is obvious that the person may have read a book pertaining to this topic the odd 15 years ago or may have seen something on some historical documentary a few weeks ago, but the information seems somehow off and the names are just a bit confused and the vocabulary is just out of reach and you end up with very wrong words in very wrong places. Words like "argumentated" come out in conversations like this. Things like Copernicus become Capricornius in said conversations. "Irregardless" is commonly used in such conversations.

I know it sounds like it should be a headache, but it's not. It gives me hope.

FIG 1. I'm pretty sure this monkey may think I am almost smart, too.

Why? Well, these conversations about heliocentrism and New World discovery and existentialism show me that even though people believe you have to have certain grades, an IQ above crazy points, a degree or whatnot, the fact of the matter is even these misguided people WANT to have intelligent conversation. It shows that they WANT to learn and feign scholarly some of the time. Heck! I feign it most of the time! I would rather hear misinformed people at least attempting to have intellectual conversation then limiting themselves to the latest celebrity gossip or grunts of approval or whatever.

At the end of it, the more you push yourself to learn, the more you talk about those same topics, the stronger the synapses in your brain get. This is where you really begin to absorb information and realize how very little you know. Once that self-actualization moment sets in, the REAL learning begins. Everyday I try to learn something new. I enjoy it. I can't imagine not learning a little. I am an eternal student and I intend to keep it that way.

These conversations actually occasionally pull back memories of things I hadn't thought of in ages and force me to refresh myself. They do give me hope and remind me that I, too, am almost smart.

 

A Song and Dance

I honestly cannot believe it has been so long since I have posted anything anywhere! My life is in this bizarre state of flux and I am waiting for it to stabilize but right now I feel the desire to type. So I am. I started by thinking of how drastically my life has changed in the past few months when my posts started to die down. New living situation, new job, social revamp, new hairdo, missing my doggy... it has been insane. How I have managed to survive is beyond me.

Somehow through it all I managed to maintain my sanity. Well, I maintained what little of it I had to begin with. The holidays were a bit not what I expected, but it seems ok now that I am on the far side of things. I loaned my tree to a much deserving friend. I feel more like myself than I have in a while and more alone than I have in a while. I guess that is to be expected.

In the end, though, I am lucky. I still have my studio, although I seldom visit. I have a good paying job so I count my blessings there. I still have my health, although I am a bit sniffly now. I still get to play music with some pretty amazing (albeit occasionally drama infested) musicians. Aren't all bands drama? I guess I kind of like it though. Keeps me on my toes.

Speaking of toes, every time I say "my toes" I think of mitosis. It's the science geek in me. "Mitosis" cold! Ok... maybe I am the only one who thinks that is HILARIOUS, but I do. Like my super cool math shirt... if you have to explain it, it's not so funny. Oh well.

On to yet another tangent. I would really love it if someone, ANYONE, would give me some advice on some great recent albums to buy, I think the last time I bought an album the year it came out was "The Beekeeper" and I do have some (SOME) more recent ones than that, but I bought them like 2-3 years after the fact and I still have no clue what's current. What's good, guys? Give me some feedback. I need some ear candy badly. I am craving something different and new. Who better than an audience spread the world over

to give me something different to listen to, right? There is something really cool about listening to people tell you why they love such and such album. So much of music is how it speaks to a person and how it moves a person. It can be just the rhythm that gets you dancing or in a trance. It can be vocal harmonies that send shivers down one's spine. It can be a lyric that pierces your very soul. Whatever it is, I want to hear it. Really.

Anyway, this little note seems to state nothing of importance, and I am still trying to figure out why I posted this random picture, so what is new and exciting with you?