Soul Thumping

New Year's Resolutions - Go Small, People

Photo:  Calvin and Hobbes, from inquisitr.com

I adhered to a fast and hard rule (with a death grip) for many years:  Do not make resolutions for the new year.  Why?  Because I, like many, chose to go for broke.  I will be at the gym 5 days a week.  I will cut down on my frivolous spending and put more money in savings.  I will be nicer to people.  I will give up diet soda because I don't want to be drinking formaldehyde.  I will live greener.

Like most humans, I'm doomed from the get-go because these are vague, broad and H U G E promises I'm vowing to keep, predetermining my failure.  The inevitable breaking of these resolutions leaves me feeling more like a walking emotional implosion than ever!

Having realized this, yet still possessing the urge to continue on my never ending journey of self-improvement, I have resumed with the resolution making, only I am keeping my goals modest and obtainable.

We can stop beating ourselves up.  It's simple...we over-commit.  Nearly 90% (I got that statistic from somewhere, but for the life of me, can't remember where) of those who make resolutions, fail.  Let us all change that stat!  Think big, sure (as in the big picture the future), but go small.

For example, I am fairly certain I will not give up diet soda (I don't mind a little formaldehyde in my blood)...but I can cut down.  I can say with certainty that you will not see my behind in the gym 5 days a week this year, but I've been running an average of 3 days a week, and I can maintain that.  I know I will not cut out all frivolous spending this year, but I can choose to allow myself a new pair of jeans for maintaining my weight!  Me being nicer to people in general is never going to happen, but I will promise to go out of my way to be nice to those who don't piss me off.

Happy 2012 everyone.  Do your best!

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Musical chairs - A Childhood Game Responsible for My Nightmares

Last Friday Poseidon and I were hosting one of our legendary fire pit parties and as I carried chairs from the patio to the yard, I had a kindergarten flashback that stopped me cold in my tracks (literal tracks...I was trying to step in my existing foot steps each time I carried a chair):  Musical chairs.  I hated this game with every fiber of my being.  Pressure.  Pressure to win, to be the victor.  Pressure to get through this rot of a game without embarrassing myself.  The word "game" implies fun.  Evil trickery!

If you've read any of my previous posts, my aversion to most childhood games, not just musical chairs (the Chutes and Ladders post is eerily similar), is well documented.  Stress and anxietal depression are my long-time pals (the kind of friends you really don't want to play with but are too shy to say no to them), and competitive games were enough to make me sweat and tremble in sheer terror (fortunately, I was usually able to stop short of vomiting), and musical chairs was among the worst, in my opinion.

On one particular occasion when playing this game, I remember wearing a red dress with red socks and black shoes.  I was so nervous and hoping to heck I would be near a chair when the music stopped.  The anxiousness of it all turned me a nice shade of white (which I'm sure looked lovely against my red dress, red socks and black shoes).  There were three of us left, and two chairs.  The music played and played and played.  I was ready.  As soon as the music finally stopped, I turned to plant me behind in one of the remaining seats, but one of my little black patent leather shoes had other plans for me, and headed in the opposite direction.  I ended that round of musical chairs with my behind on the floor, not in one of those two seats.

Luckily, I kept my dignity in tact by not exposing my ruffled panties or this ending would have been much worse...written from behind the walls of a padded room, wrapped in a nice warm straight jacket, typing with my nose.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Mah Na Mah Na: The Generation X Theme Song - Captain Kangaroo and the Muppets

Hurray, the song is my head and even an exorcism won't make it leave.  When the new Muppet movie came out a few weeks ago, Poseidon and I and our pals went to see it and we had amazing fun!  Nearly every member of the audience was a Gen Xer, and very few children (except for the woman who thought is was appropriate to bring an infant into a movie theater).  We laughed and sang as we spent an hour and some change with our old furry friends, the Muppets.  My favorite part?  The obligatory singing of the Mah Na Mah Na song of course!

I ransacked my brain (and didn't clean up afterwards) to remember where I first heard the Mah Na Mah Na song, and I don't think it was the Muppet Show on television, I believe, though I could be wrong, I heard in on Captain Kangaroo TV show.  I vaguely remember some round balls that "danced" or flung themselves around to the beat of the Mah Na Mah Na song.  It seems as though it was a semi-regular skit on Captain Kangaroo.

I tried to find a clip of the Captain Kangaroo version on Youtube, but no success.  If anyone finds a clip of the Mah Na Mah Na à la the Captain, please let me know, will ya?

Now I'm swimming in a great warm wave of nostalgia thinking about the Captain Kangaroo show.  He brought us so many memorable characters (Mr. Moose, Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Green Jeans).  The Captain also brought us Simon in the land of chalk drawings (I'm humming those lyrics now in my head...not out loud), Grandfather clock, ping pong balls!  I'm so excited I can only do this:

 

 

And this:

 

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Blue Record on a Turntable: A Post-Christmas Pick-Me-Up

Poseidon and I survived Christmas in Florida (78 to 80 degree weather isn't too shabby for December).  We even went out fishing one day with the parental units.  I caught nil, but Poseidon caught a sting ray and a small shark, both were promptly set free of course...we don't need dead sea animal karma on our hands.  Catch and release.

Now, back to the grind.  I have only a 3-day work week to endure, but I'm already whining in what is my usual fashion.  I feel the need to post an after-Christmas-pick-me-up.  I came across this image a few weeks ago and decided to save it to my collection of happy pictures for future use, and today is as good a day as any.

Today I may even attempt the futile task of scribbling out a New Year's resolution or two (I usually don't make resolutions, but my sister inspired me with hers, so why not), putting off the work that I actually get paid to do for an hour or so.  Maybe less whining in 2012 should take the top spot on my list of resolutions?  Now that just made me laugh so hard I nearly choked.  The phrase, "save one's breath" popped immediately to mind.

Happy post-Christmas Tuesday cyber world.

 

Photo from Dan Stiles from Sharesomecandy (one of my favorite "happy" sites):

 

--Fortuitous Observer

My Christmas "Yeah!" Countdown: You Can Decorate ANYTHING for Christmas

I think I now have Poseidon's cold, so this will probably be my last countdown to Christmas post (boo, I already miss Christmastime, and Christmas isn't even here yet).

Apparently, you can decorate anything you want for the holidays.  Christmas...it's not just for trees anymore.

Decorate an entire house, trees, and yard (photo from mentalfloss.com):

 

One can even decorate a vacant lot (Athens report):

 

How about a boat? (from moon.com):

 

 

Your motorcyle! (photo from Snapshots):

 

 

What about the family pet? He looks merry  (photo from Sunday's Child):

 

Yes, you can even decorate your RV in holiday finery (from The Funtimes Guide):

 

--Fortuitous Observer