light-green

I do not own a digital photo frame.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Black Friday paralyzes me with anxiety. Christmas shopping in general does. I've been up all night, combing through 5 pounds of ads for stuff I never knew I needed. But after seeing the same Famous Maker cutlery sets, $19.99 comforters IN ANY SIZE!!! and assortment of $5 family games in every ad, I realize how much I deprive myself and my family. We have none of this shit.

We have managed to survive quite happily without some of the basic comforts of modern life like a microwave, dishwasher or cell phone. But when Christmas comes around, I can't deal. I don't know how to shop. I get incredibly overwhelmed trying to decide what to buy my kids -- do I go for quality and get them each a couple of higher end gifts, like an ipod for my daughter (will she use it? where will the money come from for itunes? is it better to upgrade to the itouch or does that open another can'o worms with social media?) or do I just barf out a bunch of $15 plastic toys so the tree looks chock full of good cheer? Or, do I go the practical route and buy something the whole family would enjoy, like a TV (although without cable, does that make sense?) Or I could go the "need" route and get everyone clothes and be ostracized until Easter.

Like many people, I've had to become way more responsible with every cent we have. In a way, it's easier when you can't afford anything beyond the basics (plus good coffee, of course!), because the decisions are black and white. Learning how to live a reasonable lifestyle by today's standards is much more difficult.

FIRE!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:29:00 +0000

I don't have the comedic talent to do justice to the circumstances surrounding an event such as I witnessed this evening, so I hope this sentence is enough:

Some days just seem fitting to end with a malfunctioning popcorn machine, a convenience store filled with smoke and the need to hold the building door open for 3 hook'n ladder crews, the chief and a fireman named "Burns".

Rare sighting

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:50:00 +0000

I usually hate on all pics of me, but this one somehow managed to capture the many sides of my complex personality!

Seriously, how many people do you know who can rock a fur AND a Southern Comfort tee at the same time??

humility

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:19:00 +0000

a few times in life you get a brief moment of clarity when the veil of self is lifted and you see all of the people who prop you up. a collection of the old familiar and least likely that spans time and place. i think that's the face of God - i saw him today.

Ruff

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:17:00 +0000

So today I was at the bank, checking the status of all of my investment accounts and watching a little Fox News on those TV's that hang from the ceiling. The hot story was that even in this economic down-turn, sales of pet food have held strong. This was a joyous report, peppered with cute photos of people with their way-spoiled dogs and cats. High society women prancing through Central Park with French poodles in matching outfits, cats about to fly First Class, etc. It didn't take long for me and my teller friend, Mr. Todd Tomorrow, to lock eyes and say, "Duh!!!" at exactly the same time.

Fox News...you out of touch bastards. Clearly sales are high because PEOPLE ARE EATING ALPO!!!

Happy shiny birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:05:00 +0000

A shout out to my bloggin' friend, Paul, on his birthday!

The cool thing about Paul is that although I've never actually met him in real life, he has shared Christ-centered wisdom with me through some difficult times. We have a mutual friend who has assured me that Paul is not some kind of crazed maniac.

What else do I like about Paul? He's got great, eclectic taste in music. He has a quirky sense of humor, as evidenced by his obsession with toothpaste, he has a super cool family, and an eye for finding something interesting in the ordinary. If you don't believe me, you can go here and see for yourself.

In honor of his birthday, me'n Arturo went on a public vandalism spree and posted stickers promoting Paul's website in strategic places along First Ave. Like, well, on First Ave. If you want some, just ask Paul -- he's that kinda guy!

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:39:00 +0000

The Current (89.3) is playing "Victoria"...spontaneous memory popped into my head of a Kinks concert a long, long, long time ago. I was at the front of the stage taking pictures, being knocked around by some obnoxious old guys (they were probably my age now and I was early 20's). Dave Davies saw this happening, grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the stage. I got to sit up there for the rest of the concert. I have great photos and a particular memory of him hamming it up with his brother, singing "Victoria". I think they hated each other back then. I wonder if they still do?

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Note to disgruntled spouses:

When your hard workin' s.o. calls to say he/she is going to be working late and you start hollering about how rude it was not to get a call earlier and lamenting about what a kink this is putting in your evening, do not think he/she is going to gather up all of his/her stuff in a mass panic and run out the door, eager to right all that's wrong with your world.

No, there's a good chance that he/she will decide now is a good time to check out yahoo news and read a very interesting story about the capture of a giant squid in the Gulf of Mexico. And then organize his/her pencil holder, file some of his/her 3,902 emails and write one last witty comment on his/her facebook page.

Did I mention that squid was, like, 20 feet long??

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:03:00 +0000

Hi. Haven't been motivated to write much lately, but here's a cute pix of my kiddies. I'm already missing the lazy days of summer...all 3 of them!

Two thumbs Up!

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Have you seen that movie, "Up"? It was WONDERFUL! Any kid from 2 to 102 will love it. See it at the Riverview, the best neighborhood theater in Minneapolis, and you'll even get popcorn with real butter. I am still smiling...

i'm back.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Sometimes when I'm flying, I forget to look at the sky.

I bet you were bracing yourself for another contemplative life metaphor...nope! Tonight it's just pretty and I'm glad to be safely home.

That's all. Did ya miss me?

Lost

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:38:00 +0000

In which the Thomas's go for a hike...

We pulled into a makeshift parking lot off of a dirt road about 40 miles up the Gunflint. A place that Eric goes hunting every year, he knows it well. In the early winter, there is nothing green around and you can see miles in every direction through stark forest landscape. A rocky ridge line up ahead, a trail meandering down the hill to a small lake, Gunflint Lake off in the distance. Power lines, service roads, marked ski trails. But in the thick of the summer, everything is green. The trails are grown over with heavy brush, and downed trees and trail markings are easily lost.

Despite the change in perspective, we easily found the trail head for Rabbit Run, a trail we've hiked before. This was going to be a leisurely stroll into the woods, nothing at all challenging for Lilly and Samuel. We had enough water and snacks to make it across the ridge and down to the lake where we would stop to have a little picnic. Eric knew this area well so we were very casual in our preparation...no maps, no compass, a little water and a bottle of "Off" to spray down with.

We started up the trail and although the growth was heavy, it was mostly open and grassy and posed no problems. The weather was unseasonably cool, in the 60's and overcast so there was little threat of dehydration or sun burn. It was a perfect day for a quick hike to tire everyone out.

Maybe half a mile in, the trail started to get lost amidst heavier brush and pine tree scrub. The mosquitoes were thick and I began to realize that "Off" was more like mosquito nip than anything that would really keep the bugs away. We had left the hard stuff at the cabin. Still, we could see the blue tape wrapped around trees every 100 yards or so to mark the trail. Even though the brush was getting thicker, we felt confident that we were headed in the right direction.

As we climbed the ridge, we realized that the trail was zigzagging up and down through thickets of berry bushes and fallen trees. It was no longer easy to get through. The grass was over Samuel's head in some places. We were at the point where we had come far enough to not be sure if going forward or going back would be our best bet.

Eric was sure there was a break in the brush just over the ridge line - a heavily used walking path that led down to another trail beside Gunflint Lake. I trusted that he knew the area well, but I wasn't so sure he had his bearings. I was no longer noticing the blue taped trees and the mosquitos were chewing us up, particularly Samuel. He was getting tired, hot and overwhelmed so Eric had put him up on his shoulders. Walking behind them, I noticed a colony of mosquitoes biting Samuel around the top of his underwear waist band. In the comics, Spiderman might save the world, but when it came down to insect-on-insect, he was no match for the skeeters.

Samuel was growing increasingly uncomfortable and squirmy on Eric's shoulders. I began to sense just a little bit of anxiety in Eric as we followed a clearing in the brush that seemed like the trail, only to have it lead us to an impenetrable thicket or grove of new pines. Picking up on his bewilderment was all I needed to set off full-on panic.

I knew that we were not far from the car, in a heavily populated area of the Gunflint Trail. But, over the past few months, I have been reading nothing but "woodsmen in peril" adventure stories. I guess I was jones'ing so badly for a trip to the cabin, the fresh air off of Lake Superior as you head out of Duluth and into Two Harbors, the smell of pine and cedar that gets stronger and stronger as you drive up highway 61...that I had started reading nature books just for the contact buzz. So even though we hadn't been air-lifted into the middle of Quetico or lost on a portage in the BWCA, my mind was racing with images of people who had simply wandered a few yards off the beaten path and ended up in desperate survival situations. It was always the stupidest errors of judgment that started a disastrous chain of events leading to hypothermia, dehydration or starvation.

With two young kids in tow, the slide show in my head was fretful, to say the least. What if Eric tripped and bonked his head or broke his leg and I had to get out on my own somehow? What if Lilly wandered too far ahead into the brush? No one really knew where we were. Our car was not in a designated parking lot. We hadn't entered our trek from a marked trail head. It would be Monday morning halfway through our work status meeting before anyone really began to wonder where I was, and with my propensity to always be running late, realistically, it would be more like Tuesday. That would be 5 days. Probably not too many for a family of 4 to survive on a chunk of summer sausage seeing that we were in prime berry picking season, but who wants to go that long without coffee??? Serious crisis mode was setting in.

I wanted to go back to the car, immediately. Eric agreed that we should turn back, even though he was quick to point out that we weren't technically lost. He knew this area well and was certain that we were only a few feet from a well marked path. He was probably a lot more confident than I was because he did at least have the perspective of knowing where on the Gunflint we were. He knew we were fairly close to the road, the power lines and the lake. But as far as I could tell, we were heading into deeper and deeper woods and in the opposite direction of where my natural bearings told me we should be going. I was desperate to catch a glimpse of the blue tape.

When we finally saw a couple tagged trees, I realized that we were still following them but seemingly in the wrong direction. When I brought this to Eric's attention, it only annoyed him, which set off our usual struggle for control. I was quick to talk over his suggestions and become the practical one, in charge. Aside from my new hobby of adventure reading, I had absolutely no first hand knowledge of the woods that would make me an authority. While Eric has lots of survival skills and experience in the woods, he also gets easily confused on direction and suffers from lack of judgment once his adrenaline is pumping. The kids took daddy's side and were quick to repeat what he had told them, "Daddy's been hunting here for years. He knows exactly where we are." In hindsight, they were right to have faith in him and to be calmed by his knowledge. Even though we had wandered off our path, my anxiety was mostly self-inflicted.

Within a few minutes, we had found a series of tagged trees that seemed to be leading us in the right direction. The path was a different one than the one we had walked in on, but as we followed it, it started getting easier to discern. I felt the grip of panic let go and in no time at all, we were back to the car. During the ride back to the cabin, Eric was still crabby at me for over-reacting and not trusting him. He admitted that the trail looked completely different in summer than when he was hunting, but insisted that we were never in any real danger. After 23 years of marriage, I'm still not sure when he's trying to convince me or trying to convince himself.

That could be one reason why we tend to take longer than most to find our way out of the woods.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Tonight, I've finally escaped St. Louis and have made my way to Louisville. The vibe of Louisville is a relief from the edginess I feel in St. Louis - like the heavy sigh of a city trying to revitalize itself too little and too late.

But in comparison, Louisville feels like a "glass half full" kind of place. The hotel staff said it was safe to walk alone at night so I decided to take a stroll down the waterfront parkway along the Ohio River. I ran right into a bluegrass festival. Outside on a large, grassy field, people were setting up chairs, blankets, coolers, etc. to enjoy this "hillbilly hootenanny". I got a basket of fish'n chips from Joe's Crab Shack and enjoyed it picnic-style while listening to great music and watching a huge orange sunset over the river.

The evening was perfect, but I left wondering why it takes going out of town to have this kind of fun. It made me kinda sad, actually, missing my kids and thinking of how much they would've enjoyed this night.

It's clear to me that we need to shake off St. Louis once and for all and start living like Louisville.

Cheers, St. Louis

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0000

A good thing to do when finding yourself alone outta town, in a city where you really had no inclination to ever visit in the first place, a city like, say...St. Louis, is go to a baseball game. Nothing beats an outdoor stadium on a muggy night in August.

A crowd of people brought together because of the love of the game creates instant bonding, without ever even having to talk directly to anyone. You can mutter observations under your breath, second guessing the ump on a terrible call, or loudly exclaim, "Brilliant!" when the pitcher lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt.

And, if you furrow your brows and make a forever controversial statement about the merit of pitchers batting in the NL, you can be sure that some hometown fan nearby will pipe up and invite a healthy debate. Then you'll have a friend to high five or lament with for the rest of the game. I think that's why little boys like baseball so much...instant friendship, no strings attached.

At the end of the game, you've enjoyed an acceptable level of social engagement over something genuine.

You can walk that mile back to the hotel, even through the dangerous part of town, because you now recognize others going your way. Your half-eaten bag of peanuts identifies you as part of the faithful.

Two slightly drunken elderly gentlemen gladly agree to escort you to your hotel. They tell you their names are Larry and Bob and they are from Oklahoma and South Dakota, respectively. They've already hatched a plan of self-defense in case they get mugged at gunpoint. They share the story of how this happened to one of their cronies on a recent trip through St. Louis. You would be lying if you said you felt the least bit safer with these codgers, but at least you can laugh in the face of fear.

When you tell them you are from Minnesota, Bob teases, "So you're one of those liberals then! Huh huh huh! Nice job on that new senator! Huh huh huh!" You consider this for a minute and then reply, "Well, let's keep that in mind when the mugger comes. I may be able to offer him food stamps, but we all know I ain't got no money." "Huh huh huh!", reply Bob and Larry. They wish you a wonderful evening and safe travels.

Back at the hotel, with a glass of room service wine to help finish off the peanuts, you drink a toast to a night well spent.

command-zzzzzzzz

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:44:00 +0000

I am finding myself in St. Louis this week, traveling for business. Here in the hotel, it seems kinda lonely and too quiet -- so I've decided to sleep with my laptop, screen open, on twitter. How's that for cyber-sychotic??

Revelry

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:35:00 +0000

There is no better soundtrack for chugging up the side of a mountain on a forest road than trumpets. With the nautical blue gray Lake Superior sky behind me, the trumpets blasting from the local classical music station make me sit up straighter in my seat as I gun it up the trail road. Up ahead on the horizon, there is a grove of tall pines spotlighted by the emerging sun in an unearthly way. Although the sign says to slow down to 35mph as I approach a tight curve, the feeling that I could keep going full speed ahead and blast off into the air with a regal trumpet fanfare is almost too hard to resist. Chest pumped out, head held high, here I go!

When they find me an impressive distance off the road, smashed a mile up a pine there will be only one way to accurately describe my demise. It was clearly death by trumpet.

From where I'm at...

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:18:00 +0000

It's been too long since I've been here, to this blogging space in my brain. I too often fall into the trap of thinking too hard about what to write here and forget that just showing up is good for me, if no one else. Having never been a planner in any area of my life, it's out of character for me to do it here. So I'll write today from where I'm at.

Which happens to be in the parking lot of a landromat in Grand Marais, MN. That's way Up North to all you city folk. A beautiful harbor town on the shore of Lake Superior that feels more like somewhere in New England than in the midwest. Even though I love this town with it's quirky characters, the best public library in America, the Ben Franklin store and last but not least, those world famous donuts, the real reason we come through here is to get even further outta town up the Gunflint Trail.

The trail is about a 60 mile long road that stretches through the heart of the BWCA and Superior National Forest. It's one road with no civilization except for a few resorts and outfitters. It's the closest thing to heaven on earth for me and my family. We stay in cabins, so we get the best of the woods along with good coffee and modern day plumbing, although as my kids get older, the call to paddle and portage is getting stronger for me. I think it's only a matter of time before I get really granola and start carrying and burying.

But for now, the cabin life is good enough -- going to the laundromat is a small version of roughing it, as proven by the van full of bikers that just parked next to me. There they are, stripping down naked inside their old van, throwing clothes into a garbage bag and dumping quarters out of an empty Marlboro box. I assume they're in town for the Hell's Angels convention happening a few cities back down Hwy. 61.

Maybe tomorrow I'll post some Wisdom From The Woods -- some soul searching insight gained between washing dishes, picking blueberries and playing with my kids. But for now, this is where I'm at, about to sink a few more quarters into the soap machine.

I ain't no Rumi...

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:31:00 +0000

but I do coin a phrase of my own every now and then. As a matter of fact, what's this? I feel one coming on right now, inspired by several hilarious conversations with friends lately. Here goes...

"Beware the man who smiles from his heart. Especially if you've already married the one who talks out his ass."

Okay, okay - go ahead and use it. No credit necessary.

Rumi...i love this guy.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Rumi. Ever heard of this dude? An Islamic Persian poet, living in what's now Afghanistan in the 1200's. His poetry is timeless, crosses "religion" (such a problematic word) and is full of simple wisdom.

Here's a gem from inward/outward.org. Find happier friends - a life-changing piece of advice.

Do What Is Given
Rumi

When you start some new work,
you give in completely to it.

You're excited,
because the Creator keeps you
from seeing what's missing.

Your heatedness hides that,
so you do the work, and then look back
and see the nature of it.

If you'd seen that at first,
you wouldn't have done anything!

Don't worry about repenting.
Do the work that's given,
and learn from it.

If you become addicted to looking back,
half your life will be spent in distraction,
and the other half in regret.

You can live better than that!
Find happier friends.

Say: Show me the faults
of my destructive actions, but don't show me
what's wrong with my good work.
That way I won't get disgusted and quit!

Solomon had a habit of visiting the mosque at dawn,
because then he could see
with an early morning eye
the new spirit-plants that were growing.

Encourage that freshness
in yourself, and not what clouds you
with dullness and futility.

Source: from "An Early Morning Eye," in Delicious Laughter

A royal pain

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:38:00 +0000

So all this bike riding has proven to be very good for me. I've lost a few pounds, toned a muscle here and there and am well on my way to having a discernible waistline. I come to work with more energy and focus, and get home less crabby and tired. Even my skin has a healthier glow. I'm feeling pretty good on my way to a little further over 40 next week.

But I have noticed a bit of discomfort that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Just a little squirmy in my chair. Can't quite sit comfortably. Not a big deal, pushed it to the back of my head. Until yesterday while i-chatting with my friend, Arturo. Sometimes I tell him he's got a stick up his butt, because sometimes he does. This was one of those times. Then he wrote me back that no, I was the one with the stick. At that very moment, the light bulb went on. I googled. The connection was made. Ugh...wince. George Brett. And I ain't batting .400.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:44:00 +0000

A fun thing to do to rile up your 10 year old - walk around the grocery store, or any public place, talking like Yoda. "Mmmm, wise is your mother. Mini-waffles good for young Jedi."

The one-line rapper

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Going home last night, Eminem crossed the street in front of me. He was gettin' loose and shouting loud and had peaked the curiosity of the corner people going home from work. He looked legit and full of promise. A few people stopped to watch as he seemed prime to lay down some sweetness, and...here it comes...wait for it...wait for it...

"Hey digga digga digga welcome to my household. Drinking all night, too much liquor 'till I'm out cold."

And that was it. He stopped cold with a blank look on his face as the next line was just not there, nakedly aware that some expectation had been built and he had not delivered.

A collective groan out of the few people waiting to cross the street. A head shaken in disappointment over What Could Have Been. The deflated look of a small personal tragedy. The light turned green and we all moved on, but I felt sorry for Em all night long.

Good reads

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Went to the Book Store last night. The book store is like church to me. I don't go often because I can't buy books these days, so when I do go, I'm like a kid in a..book store. There's a lot of great stuff on the first 3 tables in B'nN. Here's what got me full of want and desire last night:

1. What Would Keith Richards Do? Daily Affirmations from a Rock and Roll Survivor
Why did I not write this book? I have lived my life guided by Keith quotes (yes, I know, that might explain a few things on this here blog.) This book is written by some chick who doesn't have anything to do with anything. I shoulda SO wrote this.

2. Driving Like Crazy - PJ O'Rourke
I forgot about PJ! How dare me? Back in the day when Rolling Stone was worth reading, I worshiped his political commentary, even though he was a card carrying Republican. Remember "Parliament of Whores"? It's all you need to know about government. Anyway, this one is about the love affair with American cars sprinkled with thoughts on the downfall of the U.S. automotive industry.

3. The Women - TC Boyle
Another great writer I had forgotten about. This one is the story of Frank Lloyd Wright told from the perspective of the 4 women he shared his life of varying degrees of weirdness with. I love a dysfunctional family!

4. When You Are Engulfed In Flames - David Sedaris
David Sedaris writing about death, body parts, general anxiety, as usual. Can't wait for this one. I might have to steal it. (fyi...ever since the fire safety unit in second grade, I've been convinced that engulfed in flames is the way I'll go. This could be a prophetic.)

5. So Brave, Young and Handsome - Leif Enger
Did you read "Peace Like A River"? One of my favorite books...great storytelling. I think this dude is from Minnesota, too.

One more thing to note -- B'n N currently has a buy 2 get 1 free table with some great titles, including a couple of CS Lewis classics. Go! Go now! Or, wait until they come to the library...*sigh*.

Velvet

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Today I was hungry for an afternoon snacky so I decided to run over to Target. I used to hate on Target all the time until I discovered their Market Place brand. Halfway decent food, which is really all I appreciate anyway, at prices that are a STEAL! I got a box of 12 ice cream bars for less than the price of one designer Dilly bar. A steal. Target, even though I'm not buying into any of your psycho branding voodoo, I have returned.

Anyway, I don't get out much so when I stroll down the Nicollet Mall it's always a treat to see the freaks, of which I am one. Especially lately, when there are just as many not-working people as there are working people and lots of flavors in between.

So I'm waiting to cross the street and notice that the man standing next to me is wearing a black velvet blazer. There are several things weird about this:

1. it's hot out
2. as far as I know, we are not in the middle of any festive season
3. he's looking pretty hetero, and not even in denial hetero
4. the rest of his wardrobe is decidely casual

I studied him more closely while waiting for the light to change and came to this conclusion - his girlfriend bought it for him. Can't be his wife, because he would have the balls to say, "No way am I wearing that." He's got a girlfriend who thinks she knows what cool is. The poor slob is doomed and by the look on his face, he knows it.

i believe in evil spirits.

noreply@blogger.com (chris) — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:50:00 +0000

when i'm low and feeling distracted, evil spirits seep in and bite at my heels. like little dogs, they seem cute and harmless as they yelp, "play with me, play with me, play with me!" they wear me out. i'm a sucker. i reach down to give them a pat on the head and they take off running. stupid me, i run after them. always exhilarating at first...the promise of excitement, something to break up the same old, same old. maybe lead me down a whole new avenue i've yet to stumble upon. or, more likely, into a familiar alley that i didn't recognize until here i am, stranded. the dogs have tricked me, led me here and ran off once again. i can do the rest of the damage all by myself.

this is what happens sometimes, when i feel low and distracted. you would think i would know better by now and that i would be able to see these little menaces and shake them loose. it is getting easier. last time i got the notion to run off, i called my friend, kz. she is my Friend Who Talks To God so i rely on her wisdom a lot. this time, i was describing my latest mental frolic, how it was making me feel, what i had analyzed it to mean, how i was rationalizing, excusing, fretting, whining, moping, etc. she listened to me blabber for about 1/2 hour, like a good friend will do. and then she leaned in real close, this friend of mine who Talks To God. my eyes widened, waiting for the wisdom, and she said, "Stop it. Just go home."

Huh? That was it? Brilliant. I had been playing in the park with these little evil dogs, letting them twist their leashes all around me, tangle up my head, suck my energy until it was me who was on the end of the leash. And all I had to do was stop it. Go home at the end of the day, when my work is done.