The Oddness of Facebook

I was goofy boy-crazy my junior and senior high years, the highlight possibly being the day I brought my camera to school (American School, Philippines) and stalked the boys on my list. When I remember this, I just cringe. I'm not even sure, actually, that they knew I was following them around! I don't remember any actual interaction between myself and any of them.

But earlier this week, just for fun, I searched on Facebook for one of them. He has a very unique (Icelandic) name so he was super easy to find. He looks of course nothing like he did back then -- oh he had the coolest shaggy blond hair and played guitar. Still a musician, however.

I like to think back to life before Google and Facebook. Before smartphones. Hell, before cell phones and computers. It is hard to remember, to be honest, these things are just that embedded in my daily life.

What, for example, did one used to do when one got home from work? Where now signing onto Facebook is done within thirty minutes, then I probably did any number of productive activities.

Well one thing I know I did was read mail. There isn't any of that either these days. That doesn't stop me from still experiencing, after all these years, the excitement of opening the mail box and thinking something fun is going to be in there! Still feel that anticipation!

Kind of like putting a name from long ago in the search area on Facebook, and waiting to see what comes up!

Pain with Mobility

Self-diagnosing again, I have left-sided sacro-iliac joint pain, which is kind of a mother to deal with. First of all, it's unpredictable. Yesterday, I worked pretty much non-stop in the garage, with no pain or instability issues at all, but then in the evening and in bed, was absolutely unable to find any comfort. Took some advil PM, but it really didn't help me get a good night's sleep, only about two hours' sleep, then up again, then trying to find a good position again, trying all the time not to wake up Husband, etc., etc....and now today...it's with me non-stop.

Probably worked too much yesterday and am paying for it today. As my home care clients tell me all the time!

There are times when I move (or don't move) and the pain is just SHARP! and I feel quite unsafe. Took a bath instead of a shower to wash my hair, for example.

The thing is, I'm really pretty much of a wuss when it comes to learning about joints, bones, ligaments, etc., and thinking about the re-alignment that is probably needed. I just hate the idea of manipulation, going to the chiropractor, etc. Had one experience with one and thought it was bogus.

Some sites say stretching is good, some sites say absolutely not, don't stretch.

It's been going on, off and on, for about a month, so I'll probably have to do something constructive, like, oh I don't know -- see my physician and get a referral to a sports medicine or physiatrist doc? Or physical therapist?

I take so much for granted. Like being pain-free and being able to get from point A to point B without even thinking about how I'm going to manage.

Thank Goodness for Fresh Air, or I wouldn't know anything

On the way home from the gym this evening, I listened to Fresh Air on NPR, specifically a segment about haiku, and even more specifically, about haiku on TWITTER!!! I had no idea! Here's the link

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=127774103&m=127834132

This guy actually goes further and talks about poetry, the lack of which in children's lives he laments.....which reminded me of poems I had memorized in my life...

We performed The Highwayman (author?) ("and the highwayman goes riding, riding, riding....") in 7th grade at the 8th grade graduation.....

I learned I Must Go Down To the Sea Again (wrong title?) by John Masefield, I think probably at the British school I attended for 6th grade in Lagos, Nigeria.

Again, nostalgia. Seriously started to get into the memory of being a pre-teen, so earnest, so self-conscious, such a little smartie-pants.

Well, that's enough of that! Thanks, Fresh Air!

World Cup

What I think about when I watch soccer -- in this case, this week, starting today, World Cup action -- is my kids' early games, when they were 5 and 6 and 7....how cute they were, running around in circles, clumping up (parents yelling "don't clump up!"), running into each other, occasionally getting in a good kick (parents screaming "good kick Luc!"), my daughter playing goalie in an oversized shirt, making unreal efforts to prevent goals.

Sigh. Cold Saturday mornings with coffee in a thermos. The invention of portable camp chairs coming just in time for our turn to be soccer parents.

That time in Rochester when my son kicked that great shoot-out goal. How excited he was another time, in the back seat, chattering "I just LOOOOVE soccer!" (for a typically reserved child, a moment for a parent to remember).

Soccer was good for my kids.

For myself, I had no such experience with team play, or really any competitive play, no encouragement to focus on anything physically challenging. My generation was maybe the last where girls just did not have that cultural approval to get moving. Too bad for me! Now playing catch-up!!

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

Work today being frustrating and unsatisfying, I arrived home in the afternoon low energy and low motivation, hungry because I had left in a rush this morning and never had lunch, and with no plans for the evening. Rain rain rain. The evening has been boring and there's only so much scrabble you can play on-line.

The reason for the blog post? Decided I better do some gratitude work.

I have the most awesome children, now young adults.
My husband is the hardest-working person I know. Focused, talented, and creative.
I have amazing friends who stay in touch and let me know they love me.
I'm healthy, active, mobile, and curious.
My dog, despite posts to the contrary, is adorably middle-aged.
I'm more focused on qualities than on STUFF.
I am organized and productive (usually!).
Our new house is quite cute and the view is great, even in the rain.
I have options and I'm not stuck.

OK. That helped!

My dog is driving me crazy

It was nothing but whine whine whine all morning before I left for work. Whatever he wanted, I couldn't figure it out. He'd been outside multiple times, his water and food bowls were newly filled...WHAT IS IT????? As I left, I realized -- I believe he knows when it's time for me to leave for work, and he was "communicating" in his own obnoxious way "goodbye." Oy vey.

Husband and I can be sitting around, watching TV, messing around on our laptops, and it's -- oh -- about 9:10 pm....here comes The Dog, whine whine whine....."it's time for bed."

When I come home from work, it is SNACK TIME and don't you forget it, missy. RIGHT NOW!!!

Husband knows the secret is to rub The Dog's tummy and scratch his ears, and that will suffice in any (whining) situation. But I do not a) remember this and b) care to do it all that long. So even if I remember, I can do it for about three minutes and then -- oooof -- get away from me.

I do love The Dog. But his whining makes me completely nuts. Just wanted to say that!

Church Ramblings

Returning to my first post and the list of things I'd been thinking about, first one being "Church. Why?"

For many years I had no church involvement at all, and do not remember even thinking about God, spirituality, etc., etc.

Returning to church in my early thirties, I felt a great sense of relief and thankfulness that I could be with others thinking about the "big questions." It was the right place at the right time for me.

My most recent church connectedness, for the last 13 plus years at a church in Minneapolis, is now completed, as I have moved to Washington State. I was way over-involved there and it had become a duty and a chore to attend meetings. I had very little feeling of spirituality, although I did love and do miss the community of the church.

Now I feel no pull to go to church. The question is "why?" I do feel there is something missing, but I don't feel that I will connect with it at church or in worship.

HOWEVER! A thought has been repeating itself inside my head, "just show up." So I can see I am toying with something that is almost like an idea and possibly might turn into a want...to be in a worship experience and see where I go with it.

Like so much in my life, I know more about what I don't want/like/feel good about, than about what I really DO WANT.

And now I have reached the rambling section of my thoughts, so will stop.