I was exhausted Friday. So tired that I felt silly. It was the type of tired that almost makes you feel like you're drunk - you can't stop laughing and no longer have a filter. I had agreed to help Jessi with some set-up/ushering duties on the day of the wedding, so I was invited to the rehearsal dinner. After work, I rode my bike over the church and went through the motions. There was so much to remember it seemed, even though in reality it was not that much.
I joined them for dinner after at a brewery a couple miles away. When the rehearsal dinner ended, I rode my bike the final 5 miles home and crashed. I got to bed by about 11, and couldn't wait to sleep in...I had nothing planned tomorrow except for the wedding.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Day 48 - Bachelorette / Wedding Part 1
These next five entries are a bit of a series. I've been either super busy or sick during the last week. Because I've had so little free time, I've simply jotted down a few sentences about each day, to be fleshed out later. I'll start with the beginning of the series: the Bachelorette.
My good friend Jessi got married over the weekend. She had her bachelorette party Thursday, the rehearsal dinner Friday, and the wedding on Saturday. On top of participating in all these events, Bill also catered the desserts for the wedding. Suffice to say, I was pretty exhausted when it was all done. I remember telling myself: "don't get sick til it's done. Don't get sick til it's done..." and my body was kind enough to listen.
Thursday night I met Jessi and all of her lovely lady friends at a wine bar. It was like a blast from the past; several of my old high school friends were there. We regaled each other with embarrassing stories from high school and "what's s/he doing now?" questions. A couple glasses of wine turned into a couple more, and before I knew it, we were on the way to go dancing...and apparently I was the leader. I must have let it slip that I knew a nearby place that has 90's night on Thursdays.
By about 1am I decided to let go of the thought of work tomorrow. Whether I go home now or in an hour, I will feel like the same shit, I decided. So I stayed. We closed the bar down, and all headed out together laughing and hugging goodbye.
It's been a while since I've allowed myself to let go, without worrying about repercussions (hangovers at work). I used the excuse that it's not so often that your good friend has a bachelorette, but in truth, a night like that was just what I needed.
My good friend Jessi got married over the weekend. She had her bachelorette party Thursday, the rehearsal dinner Friday, and the wedding on Saturday. On top of participating in all these events, Bill also catered the desserts for the wedding. Suffice to say, I was pretty exhausted when it was all done. I remember telling myself: "don't get sick til it's done. Don't get sick til it's done..." and my body was kind enough to listen.
Thursday night I met Jessi and all of her lovely lady friends at a wine bar. It was like a blast from the past; several of my old high school friends were there. We regaled each other with embarrassing stories from high school and "what's s/he doing now?" questions. A couple glasses of wine turned into a couple more, and before I knew it, we were on the way to go dancing...and apparently I was the leader. I must have let it slip that I knew a nearby place that has 90's night on Thursdays.
By about 1am I decided to let go of the thought of work tomorrow. Whether I go home now or in an hour, I will feel like the same shit, I decided. So I stayed. We closed the bar down, and all headed out together laughing and hugging goodbye.
It's been a while since I've allowed myself to let go, without worrying about repercussions (hangovers at work). I used the excuse that it's not so often that your good friend has a bachelorette, but in truth, a night like that was just what I needed.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Day 47 - Nails and Hair
I don't fully understand the functionality of nails and hair. Hair I understand is supposed to keep us warm, but why does it continue to grow? Why can't we just have fur on our heads? Are we supposed to use it as a scarf of sorts, or string it into clothes?
And nails I find somewhat useful for opening beer cans, and picking food out of my teeth when no one's looking, but I tend to find them more cumbersome than anything. I also don't understand why they continue to grow.
Toenails are the worst. There is literally no situation I've ever been in where I've thought, "thank god I had toenails in that situation. That was an evolutionary win!"
Anyway, I've obviously run out of things to write about and am very tired.
And nails I find somewhat useful for opening beer cans, and picking food out of my teeth when no one's looking, but I tend to find them more cumbersome than anything. I also don't understand why they continue to grow.
Toenails are the worst. There is literally no situation I've ever been in where I've thought, "thank god I had toenails in that situation. That was an evolutionary win!"
Anyway, I've obviously run out of things to write about and am very tired.
Day 46 - Insomniac
To piggyback off of yesterday's post, I made the decision this weekend to start watching The Wire, the new season of True Detective, and the movie Gone Girl.
I must have decided that the since noise was no longer keeping me awake, fear and contemplation should.
I must have decided that the since noise was no longer keeping me awake, fear and contemplation should.
Day 45 - White Noise
I've always considered myself a light sleeper, even though I grew up in a relatively lively neighborhood, in a room facing the street. The sounds of passerbys, cars, and the occasional bus all became background noise to me. Although heaven forbid I left my door open, and the sink in the bathroom was leaking.
A few months ago my landlord changed the water heater in our building. Bill and my bedroom so happens to be right up against it. The new water heater is not a friend of mine; it clanks and clunks and thumps loudly every time someone flushes a toilet or turns their sink on. After a few back a forth emails with our landlord I realized that it was either unfixable or just not going to get fixed. I spent several sleepless nights, and several more on the couch.
Aside from the water heater, we are also surrounded by many other lovely sounds. Our neighbor upstairs works odd hours, and paces back and forth in her apartment during the wee hours of the morning. Across the narrow space between our apartment building and the one next to us live a stoner (I can only assume) college couple, who watch movies with their window open, laughing and commenting loudly at anything and everything until the sun comes up.
Yet somehow after months of thinking that we would have to move, I've gotten used to it all. I mentioned to Bill the other day that our landlord must have fixed the water heater. Bill looked confused, and said that it's still as loud as it's ever been. Although Bill is a heavy sleeper, so it never really bothered him.
I guess like the cars, and the passerbys, and the buses of my youth, the waterheater, stoner couple, and pacing lady upstairs are the new noises in the background. I've gotten so used to them, I don't even notice them anymore. Perhaps they should add another setting on white noise machines for city dwellers. It would consist of water heater banging, loud stoned neighbor laughter, and much more.
A few months ago my landlord changed the water heater in our building. Bill and my bedroom so happens to be right up against it. The new water heater is not a friend of mine; it clanks and clunks and thumps loudly every time someone flushes a toilet or turns their sink on. After a few back a forth emails with our landlord I realized that it was either unfixable or just not going to get fixed. I spent several sleepless nights, and several more on the couch.
Aside from the water heater, we are also surrounded by many other lovely sounds. Our neighbor upstairs works odd hours, and paces back and forth in her apartment during the wee hours of the morning. Across the narrow space between our apartment building and the one next to us live a stoner (I can only assume) college couple, who watch movies with their window open, laughing and commenting loudly at anything and everything until the sun comes up.
Yet somehow after months of thinking that we would have to move, I've gotten used to it all. I mentioned to Bill the other day that our landlord must have fixed the water heater. Bill looked confused, and said that it's still as loud as it's ever been. Although Bill is a heavy sleeper, so it never really bothered him.
I guess like the cars, and the passerbys, and the buses of my youth, the waterheater, stoner couple, and pacing lady upstairs are the new noises in the background. I've gotten so used to them, I don't even notice them anymore. Perhaps they should add another setting on white noise machines for city dwellers. It would consist of water heater banging, loud stoned neighbor laughter, and much more.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Day 44 - Things
I always have a running mental list of all the nice things I'd like to buy for myself. For over a decade a nice bike was on that list, but I wasn't able to afford one until recently. As soon as I could afford it, I bought one. Next on the list was a new snowboard. I bought a new one last year, and was able to get rid of the 15+ year-old one I'd been using.
Now that I'm making a little more money, I'm able to cross things off the list faster than I ever thought possible. A nice camera had been on the list for years, and I finally bought one this year.
The strange thing about the list is it doesn't seem to get shorter, it's actually getting longer.
"Now that I have this nice road bike," I think to myself. "I should get a sweet commuter bike, and rack and fenders..."
And more recently: "this camera is nice, but I could use a better lens. And I definitely need a tripod..."
It's strange how we adjust to every new income level we reach. And as soon as we adjust we suddenly "need" more things.
The odd thing about the list is that actually buying those things doesn't bring me as much happiness as the prospect of buying them, or the idea of the list. I'm afraid my nice new bike will get stolen so I still usually ride my old bike around. Since I bought my new snowboard during a drought, I've only ridden it once in the year that I've had it. Most of these new things sit around, unused, gathering dust. In fact, if I hadn't started this 100 day challenge, I'd probably almost never pick up my camera.
If the idea of the list makes me happier than actually purchasing the next item on it, wouldn't I be happiest just saving my money and dreaming of all the things I'll never have? Of course this would never work, because the happiness ultimately comes from the hope that I will someday have these things.
So I will continue to work hard, and strive for my imaginary surfboard and wetsuit. Whether or not I surf is a different question.
Now that I'm making a little more money, I'm able to cross things off the list faster than I ever thought possible. A nice camera had been on the list for years, and I finally bought one this year.
The strange thing about the list is it doesn't seem to get shorter, it's actually getting longer.
"Now that I have this nice road bike," I think to myself. "I should get a sweet commuter bike, and rack and fenders..."
And more recently: "this camera is nice, but I could use a better lens. And I definitely need a tripod..."
It's strange how we adjust to every new income level we reach. And as soon as we adjust we suddenly "need" more things.
The odd thing about the list is that actually buying those things doesn't bring me as much happiness as the prospect of buying them, or the idea of the list. I'm afraid my nice new bike will get stolen so I still usually ride my old bike around. Since I bought my new snowboard during a drought, I've only ridden it once in the year that I've had it. Most of these new things sit around, unused, gathering dust. In fact, if I hadn't started this 100 day challenge, I'd probably almost never pick up my camera.
If the idea of the list makes me happier than actually purchasing the next item on it, wouldn't I be happiest just saving my money and dreaming of all the things I'll never have? Of course this would never work, because the happiness ultimately comes from the hope that I will someday have these things.
So I will continue to work hard, and strive for my imaginary surfboard and wetsuit. Whether or not I surf is a different question.
Day 43 - Happy America Day!
I spent the 4th of July at the Marin County Fair for the first time in years (almost decades actually). We rode the ferris wheel, dodged some suspiciously friendly Stormtroopers, and hung out with some farm animals. Did I mention we watched a Queen cover band?
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