10. Middle School Boys
9. A not so "Quick Lunch" out on a busy day
8. Falling behind on program prep
7. Unseasonably cold weather for a pool party
6. Middle School Boys
5. Phone calls during program
4. 14 Senior Highs whilst flying solo
3. Dogs eating cat shit
2. The displaying of a blank face when asked to help clean up
1. Cleaning up after the blank faces when they "Have to Go"
Nights like these, a good beer at the pub is medicating.
The Cards are on the TV, and beating the Cubs... there is a silver lining to PITA* Wednesday's.
*PITA - Pain in the Ass
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A Recipe of Love in a Time of Grief
“Spam”
Take one Dog:
Mix in a unique blend of differing breeds:
Body of Lab
Stance of Corgi
Legs of Terrier
Snout of Dachshund
Personality of Cat
One ear to stand up like the ear of a Boston
One ear to fold over like the unclipped ear of Boxer
Add a desire to bark and attack fellow K9 breeds, regardless of size, and welcome any feline company (particularly those of the “Black” variety).
Fold with loyalty and recognition of any family member, despite the time of absence.
Dash heavily with:
Joy: When family or really any human arrive, pup welcomes by standing on hind legs, front paws waving as she eagerly awaits acknowledgement by a simple pat of the head or rub of the ears.
Excitement: At the mere sight of one lacing up shoes, she will dance by the front door, slight whimpers turn to happy yipping as the sight of the lead appears from the closet. She will hardly contain this anticipation, as again the standing on hind legs, front paws waving, she thinks she is assisting in the connection of the leash. The exhilaration is so great, she will hold on to her own leash as she prances along her walk.
Energy: Even in old age, you will recognize the eternal puppy in her soul as she bounds up and down the stairs, wagging her tail for all situations, and looks at you with that knowing eagerness as you grab the coveted bag of treats from the pantry.
This little creation has a highly unique, not so secret, ingredient: The pup must be one orphaned at an early age by a deeply loved owner, whose entire family whole-heartedly has adopted this little dog. Her original “pet” human gained her initial admission to the home with the simple phrase: “How could you say no to that face?”
Who would have known “that face” would give years of comfort and joy to the surviving family after her owner had left this world?
Finally, once all is thoroughly mixed, love for over 15 years. The result will be the happiest pup, as she is certainly a genuinely jovial little dog. This can be recognized by the constant tail wagging, couch cuddling, and continuous (often underfoot) presence. After 15 years of love, and when her health can no longer sustain her life, gently send her home to her original master. There she will again play and wait in peace for the rest of her family, each of whom she will enthusiastically greet: on hind legs, front paws waving.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Time Continues...to Fly Away
I come and visit my post almost daily. It is like dealing with a sick pet. You really don't know what to do to help or heal. The dog cannot bark it's displeasure, informing you of the cramp in it's belly. Sometimes the continual licking of a certain area leads you to the thorn in the paw, but this blog has yet to show me where it is hurting.
It is a site more for my own entertainment. A place I can write about topics which fascinate me. I do not write to make a fan base, I just write to write. But as I visit my own place each day, two things cross my mind:
1. Maybe I can make it a full year without posting.
2. I need to rekindle my site.
I see other sites and feel the uninspiring tug of my own brain fester like an infected oyster cut. It hurts... but then again, it'll heal. I will get a spark of inspiration someday...I hope. Until then, I can live with the scar of an 11 month hiatus.
But what to do? How can I make my postings more fun for this site I once envisioned years ago? I do not want this to be a site of journaling, telling lonely passerby's my life stories. Not only because they need not know my busniess, but perhaps because it'd bore them to tears.
I have got a hatchling brewing in my brain of some creative menu's for the Mele Cafe. Patience, my dear blog, we are under renovation. We will soon have our grand opening, complete with daily/ weekly specials. I have an idea, and that is what this cafe has been waiting for the past long months...
More is certainly to come.
It is a site more for my own entertainment. A place I can write about topics which fascinate me. I do not write to make a fan base, I just write to write. But as I visit my own place each day, two things cross my mind:
1. Maybe I can make it a full year without posting.
2. I need to rekindle my site.
I see other sites and feel the uninspiring tug of my own brain fester like an infected oyster cut. It hurts... but then again, it'll heal. I will get a spark of inspiration someday...I hope. Until then, I can live with the scar of an 11 month hiatus.
But what to do? How can I make my postings more fun for this site I once envisioned years ago? I do not want this to be a site of journaling, telling lonely passerby's my life stories. Not only because they need not know my busniess, but perhaps because it'd bore them to tears.
I have got a hatchling brewing in my brain of some creative menu's for the Mele Cafe. Patience, my dear blog, we are under renovation. We will soon have our grand opening, complete with daily/ weekly specials. I have an idea, and that is what this cafe has been waiting for the past long months...
More is certainly to come.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Time Flies
When you are having fun.
I've noticed lately how time has gotten completely away from me. It is here one minute, then in the blink of an eye, it is a month later. Technically, more than a month in posting time. How does this happen?
I will not get into the scientific and revolving explanation of the sun and earth and stuff. Rather, I will shed light on this second slipping reality by blaming it on a “someone new” disrupting life’s routine. Assuming you are genuinely happy with this someone new, time can sneak away without warning while you rearrange your life to include this extra body. Nor do you mind taking that time to blissfully dance around this new lifestyle. (Right cuz?)
But it does bother me to think about this in relation to the inspiration aspect of writing. Why is it we are only really inspired to write when we are stressed or bugged or depressed or in a negative frame of mind? In other words, why, when in lags of writing, do we (I) resort to that excuse of happiness disrupting the muse? Are optimistic thoughts not worth the time to write and read about?
Why must creativity be motivated through melodramatic misery? I know it is not always this way, but there are so many good things to talk about…like unicorns and rainbows and little dancing gophers.
Ok, so happiness can tend to lack in motivating topics and skills. I still think it sad that society can lean more towards the negative aspects of life than the good stuff. When you read the news, there are stories of people dying, war raging, children hurting. Folks inflate drama to gain pity for some misfortune that has befallen their space. Games seek unhealthy modes of competition so one can feel good through the defeat of a weaker link. TV emphasizes the losers in reality based shows. It is no wonder we forget the good out there when we allow this negativity impact our days.
I mean really, it is truly amazing waking up to a blue sky lightly dotted with cotton ball clouds. It is amazing how sliced apples and cheese can tickle the senses. It is amazing feeling the breeze of spring tussle the hair from a car’s open window. It is absolutely amazing running through the smells of mountain air. It is even amazing admiring the bruises incurred from a great game of soccer.
Admit it: life is much more fun to live when you look at the world through rose colored glasses. Seemingly mundane moments now erupt with the simple shape of childlike joy. Then the time passes and you realize it is a month later. The memories are still in connection, and your past days look more like a photo album rather than a blob of wasted time. Not to mention: YOU ARE STILL SMILING!!!
So, the dance of trying to reconfigure this happiness is not necessarily a bad thing. We are just going to have to look to new directions for inspiration…like that class I took this past week, making some amazing knife handles.
I've noticed lately how time has gotten completely away from me. It is here one minute, then in the blink of an eye, it is a month later. Technically, more than a month in posting time. How does this happen?
I will not get into the scientific and revolving explanation of the sun and earth and stuff. Rather, I will shed light on this second slipping reality by blaming it on a “someone new” disrupting life’s routine. Assuming you are genuinely happy with this someone new, time can sneak away without warning while you rearrange your life to include this extra body. Nor do you mind taking that time to blissfully dance around this new lifestyle. (Right cuz?)
But it does bother me to think about this in relation to the inspiration aspect of writing. Why is it we are only really inspired to write when we are stressed or bugged or depressed or in a negative frame of mind? In other words, why, when in lags of writing, do we (I) resort to that excuse of happiness disrupting the muse? Are optimistic thoughts not worth the time to write and read about?
Why must creativity be motivated through melodramatic misery? I know it is not always this way, but there are so many good things to talk about…like unicorns and rainbows and little dancing gophers.
Ok, so happiness can tend to lack in motivating topics and skills. I still think it sad that society can lean more towards the negative aspects of life than the good stuff. When you read the news, there are stories of people dying, war raging, children hurting. Folks inflate drama to gain pity for some misfortune that has befallen their space. Games seek unhealthy modes of competition so one can feel good through the defeat of a weaker link. TV emphasizes the losers in reality based shows. It is no wonder we forget the good out there when we allow this negativity impact our days.
I mean really, it is truly amazing waking up to a blue sky lightly dotted with cotton ball clouds. It is amazing how sliced apples and cheese can tickle the senses. It is amazing feeling the breeze of spring tussle the hair from a car’s open window. It is absolutely amazing running through the smells of mountain air. It is even amazing admiring the bruises incurred from a great game of soccer.
Admit it: life is much more fun to live when you look at the world through rose colored glasses. Seemingly mundane moments now erupt with the simple shape of childlike joy. Then the time passes and you realize it is a month later. The memories are still in connection, and your past days look more like a photo album rather than a blob of wasted time. Not to mention: YOU ARE STILL SMILING!!!
So, the dance of trying to reconfigure this happiness is not necessarily a bad thing. We are just going to have to look to new directions for inspiration…like that class I took this past week, making some amazing knife handles.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
It's Two AM
Actually, the time has rolled past two AM. You are still lying there, wiggling your toes under the covers; eyes open to the ceiling, millions of thoughts rushing through your mind. Those thoughts, comprising of all things positive and all things negative with the other souls whom surround your life: the golden ones, the young ones, the close ones, the past ones, the new ones. This is not the first time you have watched the hours tick by while you lay awake, toes wiggling with the same velocity as your minds racing. Funny how you think your toes are connected to your brain, measuring its thought waves as a seismograph measures the earth’s rumblings.
You know one of the main reason your mind races is because of “he.” There are too many he’s in this world who have rattled your mind from the darkest hours of dusk to dawn’s wakening flash. He’s who have hurt you, confused you, teased you, pleased you, comforted you, annoyed you, loved you, hated you. He’s who have spun you in circles and he’s who have propelled you down different lanes in life. Why does it always have to be stupid he’s!! You are too old to let him get under your skin…but you forgot to tell your toes this, as they are still wiggling under the covers.
“Remember the European?” they wiggle in Morse code. “Tall dark and handsome. The first to pay any attention to you since you ate divorced waffles for breakfast.” Yes. You remember him. In love with you the first night, hugging you, holding your hand. You did not think this single life would be so bad. Yet there you were, the night after your first date, staring at the ceiling, toes wiggling, brain running an all night marathon. Thankfully that round ended soon, with his prompt boredom of your life and the casual cessation of communication. The dating game, round one, ended with a score of You – Zero, Team of He – One.
“How about that one kid who was a friend from the past?” Your toes wiggle next. The night you called to plot that rendezvous… yep, following the phone call, you were here with cramping toes and dark eyes. Then the he who served you divorced pancakes, he has a hard time letting your mind rest easy. The he who was young and refused to accept the hint that you were trying to back out of this Game of He. The he whom a sympathetic mother put on your path.
I thought you swore off this anxiety riddled mess.
Yet here you are, and there is no rest for your toes tonight. Have you upset the Sandman? Why has he neglected to come and sing you to blissfully sound slumber? That is definitely a he whom you need to dance with on the plain of good terms. He sets your mind to dreams of flying along the water’s edge, it’s waves crashing just under your sailing being. He stops the racing minds day dreams from working overtime into night dream’s domain.
Great, your toes have wiggled too much tonight and now you have a piercing cramp in your right arch. May sleep or sunrise come soon.
You know one of the main reason your mind races is because of “he.” There are too many he’s in this world who have rattled your mind from the darkest hours of dusk to dawn’s wakening flash. He’s who have hurt you, confused you, teased you, pleased you, comforted you, annoyed you, loved you, hated you. He’s who have spun you in circles and he’s who have propelled you down different lanes in life. Why does it always have to be stupid he’s!! You are too old to let him get under your skin…but you forgot to tell your toes this, as they are still wiggling under the covers.
“Remember the European?” they wiggle in Morse code. “Tall dark and handsome. The first to pay any attention to you since you ate divorced waffles for breakfast.” Yes. You remember him. In love with you the first night, hugging you, holding your hand. You did not think this single life would be so bad. Yet there you were, the night after your first date, staring at the ceiling, toes wiggling, brain running an all night marathon. Thankfully that round ended soon, with his prompt boredom of your life and the casual cessation of communication. The dating game, round one, ended with a score of You – Zero, Team of He – One.
“How about that one kid who was a friend from the past?” Your toes wiggle next. The night you called to plot that rendezvous… yep, following the phone call, you were here with cramping toes and dark eyes. Then the he who served you divorced pancakes, he has a hard time letting your mind rest easy. The he who was young and refused to accept the hint that you were trying to back out of this Game of He. The he whom a sympathetic mother put on your path.
I thought you swore off this anxiety riddled mess.
Yet here you are, and there is no rest for your toes tonight. Have you upset the Sandman? Why has he neglected to come and sing you to blissfully sound slumber? That is definitely a he whom you need to dance with on the plain of good terms. He sets your mind to dreams of flying along the water’s edge, it’s waves crashing just under your sailing being. He stops the racing minds day dreams from working overtime into night dream’s domain.
Great, your toes have wiggled too much tonight and now you have a piercing cramp in your right arch. May sleep or sunrise come soon.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Dear Prudence...
Won’t you come out to play.
Dear Prudence,
Greet the brand new day
The sun is out, the sky is blue,
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence,
Won’t you come out to play.
Prudence: Wisdom. Insight. Knowledge.
Not the action, but rather the motivation for appropriate action at a given time and place. The exercising of sound judgment.
Should I stay or should I go now? (Clash)
With or without you? (U2)
Three songs, all relating in someway to the same question we all face from time to time: now what?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Have I been in the same place so long that it is now time to move on, to go out and play? It is so easy to want a change of scenery. Possibly Prudence is here to show me that where I am is where I need to stay, perhaps a move is not in the picture…yet. Or maybe that is Prudence packing my bags, hinting to me that it is time to go.
With or without you?
Do I go it alone? Am I in a life that needs another to help, or will the other hinder? Do I seek this other for comfort? Is it love or am I settling because I have not yet found a Better Man (Pearl Jam)? Perhaps Prudence is holding up a mirror to show me I am beautiful enough a person to continue it solo. Or maybe Prudence is singing out so I recognize the person in front of me is truly my mate, sans mirror of course….
Dear Prudence,
Open up your eyes
Dear Prudence,
See the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence,
Won’t you open up your eyes.
Prudence is inside each of us…docilitas…an open mindedness. Prudence helps us to recognize true variety of things and situations. We turn to others for advice because Prudence needs the input of others who have lived, who have the experience and authority of a given idea.
Dear Prudence, open my eyes so I too may see the sunny skies. I need that clear day coaxing me out with promises of warmth and adventure. I need to hear the birds calling me out to relish in beautiful surroundings. Dear Prudendce, I want to know where it is I need to be, so I can truly be a part of this life.
Dear Prudence, open up my eyes.
Look around, round, round, round, round….
Choices. Bombarding from every direction. Dear Prudence, open my circumspection. Help the battling choices creating chaos in my mind work out a way to peace. Make the answers more clear just as the days for which you want me to join. Dear Prudence, don’t make the day sunny and bright, yet cold and crisp… the sun’s heat better felt through closed windows. One choice may seem simple, yet wrong, like shorts on a blustery day. Close my eyes to those tricks. Dear Prudence, Look Around. Where can I go?
Do I stay inside today, or do I go out into the world?
Where are my sunny skies? Where are the birds calling me to be?
Like a little child on a new adventure...
Open up my eyes to see where it is I can go to play.
Dear Prudence, I would like to smile again.
Dear Prudence.
(Dear Prudence - John Lennon; The Beatles)
Dear Prudence,
Greet the brand new day
The sun is out, the sky is blue,
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence,
Won’t you come out to play.
Prudence: Wisdom. Insight. Knowledge.
Not the action, but rather the motivation for appropriate action at a given time and place. The exercising of sound judgment.
Should I stay or should I go now? (Clash)
With or without you? (U2)
Three songs, all relating in someway to the same question we all face from time to time: now what?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Have I been in the same place so long that it is now time to move on, to go out and play? It is so easy to want a change of scenery. Possibly Prudence is here to show me that where I am is where I need to stay, perhaps a move is not in the picture…yet. Or maybe that is Prudence packing my bags, hinting to me that it is time to go.
With or without you?
Do I go it alone? Am I in a life that needs another to help, or will the other hinder? Do I seek this other for comfort? Is it love or am I settling because I have not yet found a Better Man (Pearl Jam)? Perhaps Prudence is holding up a mirror to show me I am beautiful enough a person to continue it solo. Or maybe Prudence is singing out so I recognize the person in front of me is truly my mate, sans mirror of course….
Dear Prudence,
Open up your eyes
Dear Prudence,
See the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence,
Won’t you open up your eyes.
Prudence is inside each of us…docilitas…an open mindedness. Prudence helps us to recognize true variety of things and situations. We turn to others for advice because Prudence needs the input of others who have lived, who have the experience and authority of a given idea.
Dear Prudence, open my eyes so I too may see the sunny skies. I need that clear day coaxing me out with promises of warmth and adventure. I need to hear the birds calling me out to relish in beautiful surroundings. Dear Prudendce, I want to know where it is I need to be, so I can truly be a part of this life.
Dear Prudence, open up my eyes.
Look around, round, round, round, round….
Choices. Bombarding from every direction. Dear Prudence, open my circumspection. Help the battling choices creating chaos in my mind work out a way to peace. Make the answers more clear just as the days for which you want me to join. Dear Prudence, don’t make the day sunny and bright, yet cold and crisp… the sun’s heat better felt through closed windows. One choice may seem simple, yet wrong, like shorts on a blustery day. Close my eyes to those tricks. Dear Prudence, Look Around. Where can I go?
Do I stay inside today, or do I go out into the world?
Where are my sunny skies? Where are the birds calling me to be?
Like a little child on a new adventure...
Open up my eyes to see where it is I can go to play.
Dear Prudence, I would like to smile again.
Dear Prudence.
(Dear Prudence - John Lennon; The Beatles)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Take Me Back to New Orleans
Life is a journey. Not meant to be stagnant, lived in “rut”ful worry about what tomorrow might bring. Sure, I am one to give advice, but not one to live the advice. Yet this weekend, I did something out of line with type “A” thinking… (which I am certainly not “Type A”…nor “B” for that matter…)
Sunday night, I travelled to New Orleans for a concert at the House of Blues. I did not have tickets for this concert, certainly not for lack of trying. Nor did the website once advertised a sold out show. Was I a fool to head to the “Big Easy” for a show sans guaranteed entry to the musical festivities? Many thought yes. And sure enough, upon reaching the box office with hopeful anticipation for tickets, I and my small group of fellow travelers were confirmed in our fears of the sold out show. So off we went, to the “Gumbo Shop” to determine if we were truly disappointed in our failure to gain access to the House of Blues. The result remained part yes and part no, no definitive on either end of the line. However, Monday found us back to our scheduled plan: waking to chicory coffee and binets, wandering the galleries of the French Quarter, and picnicking on Whole Foods fare at Audubon Park. All in all, an amazing day...full of sunshine and great company.
So my question is: would we have still gone to the Crescent City knowing we would not gain access to the show?
I hope the answer would have been yes. Too often we miss great opportunities because we need an “excuse” to get to where we really want to be. Do we really need a reason to take a day off from work to wonder the streets of a nearby city, or lay on the beach during an unseasonably warm day, or sit at home in bed for hours finishing a really great book? Too often we feel guilty or selfish when we take the time to simply enjoy our existence. Why?
I can understand the abuse of these situations. But I also understand the opposing abuse: we too often feel like we need to be doing something “productive” – laundry, cleaning, yard work. We rarely do stuff just for us.
I love life, I want to live life. I don’t want to have to answer a “for what reason” question with much more of an explanation than: “because I want to.”
Why do you want to go to culinary school? Because I want to – I love to cook
Why do you want to move away? Because I want to – there is so much to see
Why do you have three dogs? Because I want to - they are my children
Why do you want to learn a new instrument? Because I want to – music moves my soul
Why did you up and go to New Orleans for the day? Because I wanted to…I love that place!
Sunday night, I travelled to New Orleans for a concert at the House of Blues. I did not have tickets for this concert, certainly not for lack of trying. Nor did the website once advertised a sold out show. Was I a fool to head to the “Big Easy” for a show sans guaranteed entry to the musical festivities? Many thought yes. And sure enough, upon reaching the box office with hopeful anticipation for tickets, I and my small group of fellow travelers were confirmed in our fears of the sold out show. So off we went, to the “Gumbo Shop” to determine if we were truly disappointed in our failure to gain access to the House of Blues. The result remained part yes and part no, no definitive on either end of the line. However, Monday found us back to our scheduled plan: waking to chicory coffee and binets, wandering the galleries of the French Quarter, and picnicking on Whole Foods fare at Audubon Park. All in all, an amazing day...full of sunshine and great company.
So my question is: would we have still gone to the Crescent City knowing we would not gain access to the show?
I hope the answer would have been yes. Too often we miss great opportunities because we need an “excuse” to get to where we really want to be. Do we really need a reason to take a day off from work to wonder the streets of a nearby city, or lay on the beach during an unseasonably warm day, or sit at home in bed for hours finishing a really great book? Too often we feel guilty or selfish when we take the time to simply enjoy our existence. Why?
I can understand the abuse of these situations. But I also understand the opposing abuse: we too often feel like we need to be doing something “productive” – laundry, cleaning, yard work. We rarely do stuff just for us.
I love life, I want to live life. I don’t want to have to answer a “for what reason” question with much more of an explanation than: “because I want to.”
Why do you want to go to culinary school? Because I want to – I love to cook
Why do you want to move away? Because I want to – there is so much to see
Why do you have three dogs? Because I want to - they are my children
Why do you want to learn a new instrument? Because I want to – music moves my soul
Why did you up and go to New Orleans for the day? Because I wanted to…I love that place!
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