Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed and like there is no way that I can make sense of the situation I”m facing, I think of these immortal Words of Wisdom (no, not “Let it Be”)…
“Just throw the napkin over your head and eat with your hands.”
Okay, this may not be an exact quote, but I’m pretty sure that the character of Dr. Johnny Fever from WKRP in Cincinnati gave this advice to a caller with a question about table etiquette (as in, what fork should she use when?) Johnny finally gave up and issued the above proclamation. (I can’t find any Google evidence of this so I get to rely on my memory).
This might not seem like very inspirational or even helpful advice. It might feel like a call to surrender. And it probably is, but in the best sense: Just go with the flow, and stop worrying so much. Hey, it actually is pretty close to “Let it Be.”
And Johnny’s advice is practical too–at least he’s advising the caller to eat.
My attempt at the “WKRP in Cincinnati” theme song
I’m certainly learning that one experience of aging is the death of beloved celebrities of your childhood. Sad, yes, but I am a little harsh on people who seem super emotional when a celebrity (or the character they embodied) dies. After all, it’s not like you actually knew the person.
But I am definitely having lots of feels about the death of Howard Hesseman, who was, for me, Dr. Johnny Fever from WKRP in Cincinnati.
I loved WKRP sooo so much. I had a crush on Andy (station manager) with his tight, tight jeans and feathered hair. I totally felt like mousy Bailey.
And Dr. Johnny was my hero. (As was Kermit the Frog).
I wanted to be a radio DJ because of WKRP. (The only other career I ever wanted as a kid was to be a “writer”–never clear of what). Yes, it’s HILARIOUS that I wanted to be a DJ because I’m pretty sure that being a DJ requires at least a smidgeon of technical interest and expertise, both of which I completely lack. (The closest I ever came to being a DJ was “deejaying” our school “record” hops–we didn’t literally use records–with my friends Jeff, Jenny and Tim. My role was only to begrudgingly pick out the hair metal to play for our classmates. I had nothing to do with the tech and there was no speaking. It was mostly a way to attend the dances without feeling like a complete loser because I wasn’t successful at the dancing and romancing and what not).
WKRP just made being a DJ and working at a radio station seem so awesome. I knew/thought that music was very important, and I liked to talk, so it seemed like a good fit.
Besides affirming love for music in me and an obsession with the profession of DJs, I learned at least one other important life lesson from another favorite WKRP bit featuring Johnny–when Johnny is convinced the “Phone cops” are out to get him, when he is actually facing a real, although unknown to him, danger from a bomb.
How many times do we worry about threats that we’ve exaggerated or even, like the “phone cops”, completely made up? How many times do we ignore the real dangers that we should be concerned about?
I never became a DJ, but I think WKRP really made me yearn to experience teamwork, friendship, family, loyalty, and working together for a common dream (just like another Amy childhood favorite, the “Muppet Show” did)–experiences I have been blessed enough to have in my adult life.
WKRP was so much more than a show about a radio station and gloriously regrettable 70’s fashion. It was a celebration of misfits and underdogs and being your authentically weird self (yes, yes YES just like the Muppets).
And I am still holding out on my dream to have a podcast–which maybe I can still achieve if I can talk Chad into handling the tech for me.
As I perused the essay, I was most struck by this line “To seek wonder is an act of bravery.”
Whoa…bravery? I had just been reading how 2022 could be seen as a time for bravery and courage–it’s now the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac, and the Tiger potentially symbolizes bravery. Mind officially blown.
Sprout, one of our household tigers, in a surprising appearance in StanLee’s nest. I wonder why she caterwauls?
Sarah Davis’ essay explores how children’s literature and fantasy/sci-fi in general open us up to wonder through exposing us to worlds beyond our normal experiences. I’m pretty down with that. I’m a geek because I love the sense of wonder the genre generates. Not surprisingly, I have a well-developed suspension of disbelief muscle. I love musicals and have no problem with people bursting into song.
I’m definitely sold on wonder, especially as experienced through fantastical stories. But how do I cultivate wonder in my mundane, everyday life?
Maybe I should back up a bit…What is wonder? I often casually equate it with curiosity (“I wonder why StanLee ate that?”) but I think it’s so much more. Curiosity may be a component, but to me it suggests…awe, delight, gratitude.
I can’t experience wonder without paying attention and being present. I’m not going to be aware of the amazing colors of the sunset or the softness of my cats’ fur if I’m too distracted.
I’m definitely sold on the value of wonder, but why does it take bravery?
Sarah Davis also writes: “We need to prime ourself to look at and experience our world through fresh eyes, to accept the inspiration that wonder creates, to brave the scary thought that anything — safe or otherwise — could happen. To seek wonder is to be vulnerable, to risk hurt and pain, to go beyond the logic of the world we know, to chance that we’ll run up against evil.
ANYTHING can happen–fun, boring, sad, amazing, painful, profound, goofy.
This new year of 2022 really does seem like a very appropriate time to open up to wonder. We’re very aware that we don’t know what’s going to happen, but wonder can be waiting for us, whether we’re getting all dolled up for a night out around other humans, or snuggling up with our pets in our comfy pants.
Wonder is an act of courage because it may not last and we end up feeling and looking silly. Wonder opens us up to acknowledging not only things that delight us, but also things that scare us. Wonder makes us treasure our world and our everyday gifts, and the more we treasure these ephemeral things, the more we’ll hurt when they are inevitably gone.
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “I Wonder as I Wander,” as performed by Ed Ames. It’s a beautiful, but very somber, almost depressing song. But I wonder if I can find everyday inspiration in it? I certainly do my fair share of daily wandering, if not literally–although I do a surprising amount of wandering around our relatively small house–but figuratively in my thoughts and emotions. Wandering seems like a side effect of distraction, but perhaps I can combine wandering with intentional wondering?
I hope in this new year of the Tiger I’m brave and increase my capacity for experiencing wonder and all the joy, awe, vulnerability and even fear it brings.
But I’m never going to stop wondering what StanLee just ate.
Happy Birthday to my blog! As of January 27, 2022, my blog is 8 years old!
Or maybe it’s more appropriate to say it’s the 8th Anniversary of my Blog. The traditional gift for an 8th Anniversary is bronze–which feels rather appropriate. After all, bronze medals are usually given for 3rd place, and while I don’t think my blog is first rate, I might say it’s third rate (at least if there are only four blogs by middle-aged white ladies in the running?)
My shirt is older than my blog
Whether blogs celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, imagine an “Entertainment Tonight” style fluff piece, with a very enthusiastic TV personality, to publicize it.
Blogger Tonight Host: Wow, eight years of blogging, you must be so proud! What an accomplishment!
Me: (humble with an “aw-schucks”) Well, yes I am. I love writing, and I’m glad I’ve been able to stick with writing this blog for 8 years.
Host: Yes, eight years! How many posts have you written?
Me: This is actually my 350th post!
Host! Wow, a nice solid number! That’s an average of 43 posts per year–that’s at least one a week!
Me: I admit, once I realized my anniversary, or birthday, er blogversary? or whatever, that my 8th year milestone was approaching, I tried hard to make sure I hit a number that felt aesthetically pleasing–500 would have been cool, but that was way out of reach (self-deprecating chuckle).
Host: Now you keep referring to “your blog” but haven’t you actually had at least two blogs? If my interns have done their research, didn’t you actually launch the blog “Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout” on January 27, 2014, followed by this “Amy-Lu’s View” which started on November 11, 2017?
Me: Wow, your interns are good! Yes, I’ve technically had two different blogs on two different platforms, but I consider that a re-branding more than a new blog. Truthfully, I moved from Google’s Blogger to WordPress thinking that WordPress would be easier to use and make my blog feel more up-to-date, but WordPress–at the least the free version–kind of sucks.
Host: Hmm, okay, but didn’t you even have a blog before that? Didn’t you get your start as a blogger with a rather controversial little blog about being a librarian…
Me: (cutting in)…whoa, whoa! I was told you weren’t going to ask about this? (grumbling) This is supposed to be a “Blogger Tonight” fluff piece for goodness sake…Ah yes, I did have an earlier, rather ill-conceived blog in my youth that did have a lot of content about working in a public librarian, but that is no longer available to the public (mumbling)…I HOPE…
Host: Very interesting! Any other skeletons in your blogging closet?
Me: Well, I wouldn’t call it a “skeleton” but I also had a very angsty, emotionally-intense blog about dealing with my mom’s death. It was very cathartic to write and good free therapy, but I don’t think even I would want to revisit that–too painful.
Host: (tearing up a big and conveying big sympathy) Okay, let’s focus on the present…why do you blog?
Me: I do periodically blog about my blog–I know, how meta– so I may have covered this all before, but primarily, I just like to write. And while I think I’m pretty realistic and don’t expect that many people will read my blog, I like the possibility that they could. Of course I journal, too, and that definitely has its own value, but I like the challenge of sharing my ideas in a way that might be of interest to others in a way that feels appropriate to share.
Host: How interesting!
Me: I guess that need to share and be seen is just another side of my drive to perform.
Host: How perceptive!
Me: Blogging also helps me feel like I’ve accomplished something…I can look at a post and say, “Hey, I did that!” In fact, reviewing old posts in preparation for this interview has made me feel really happy with what I’ve been able to create. And, unlike some other things I like to do, it’s something I can mostly control…I don’t have to depend on other people or external circumstance to blog. Failed auditions or pandemics or whatever can’t stop me from blogging!
Host: That’s inspiring!
Me: But I really love how grounded blogging makes me feel. If I go too long without blogging, I start feeling angsty and antsy. Blogging helps me feel like I’m making some order out of the chaos of my ideas, and that in some small way I’m holding on to precious, ephemeral thoughts, feelings and experiences. As I wrote in my very first blog, “ Life seems to go by in such a whirlwind and maybe if I take a little time to write about it I will be a little more aware and reflective.” Having this eight year record of my life is really pretty incredible, and I’ve been surprised by how much I like many of posts. I’ve definitely had several “Wow, I wrote THAT?! It’s pretty damn good” reactions to posts I’ve completely forgotten about.
Host: Whoa, my mind is blown!!! Let’s pull this back to more concrete topics a bit…So what do you blog about?
Me: I guess I follow the old adage to write what you know, ha-ha…so I usually just write mostly about what I’m doing or thinking. Depending on what’s going on in my life, lots of posts about and inspired by running or theater or church online coffee house, frequently something about my mom, and drinking and food are always tried and true topics. I’ve learned to be very careful when writing about work, and I definitely stay away from politics or most current events because I really don’t have anything helpful to add to those conversations.
Host: What’s the hardest thing about blogging?
Me: To misquote Buffy…just doing it! But going along with your previous question, finding new things to blog about, or new things to say about perennial favorites. And when it comes to an individual post, coming up with a catchy title is super hard, and I always struggle over a zingy ending.
Host: How would you describe your blogging voice?
Me: Slightly slurred! LOL–I mostly want my blog to sound conversational, like I’m talking to (or maybe at) my reader. Me, but perhaps slightly wittier because I have a little more time to think about it. But I don’t want to take too much time in writing–I’m okay that my posts are a little half-assed because I’d rather get something out there rather than agonize over it being perfect. And I want to be funny but also honest but not too troubled–I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to help me get professional help because of something I’ve written. And I don’t know if this is really about voice…but I definitely start many sentences with and, but, however, so…I’m trying to be more judicious about that. And…I love parentheses! I think they definitely capture my tangential way of thinking and all the asides that happen in my head.
Host: How has your blog changed through the years?
Me: The biggest difference I’m aware of is I try to write shorter posts–well, not counting this post.
Host: Amy, this has been just delightful! I could talk to you for hours, but I need to move on to my interview with Pete Davidson. Any final thoughts to share?
Me: Who is Pete Davidson?…but I want to send a huge thank you to anyone who has ever read one of my posts, and an even bigger thanks to those who are regular readers. And if you’ve enjoyed reading any of my posts, don’t forget there are 349 more out there! While I do blog mostly for myself, knowing that someone has read one of my posts gives me a feeling like somebody got my message in a bottle. I feel connected and affirmed. It’s like…
Host: (cutting in as show’s theme music starts, under her breath) Geez you do really suck at wrapping these us…Thank you!…Where’s Pete?
Xfinity disconnected our internet on Friday. Intentionally. We were without internet access for 24 plus hours.
They did this without giving us any advance notice.
They did this without contacting us after they had disconnected us. They did this without proactively taking steps to fix the problem.
This is astonishingly bad customer service. It actually transcends the realm of customer “service”–it’s probably more helpful to classify it as astonishingly successful customer sabotage.
They disconnected us without warning, but not without cause. No, it wasn’t because we didn’t pay our bill. There was a technical reason they needed to disconnect us. Of course, I don’t really understand it, but there was something wrong with “our line” that was making internet service crappy for everybody in the neighborhood. Maybe the tiny internet gnomes or trolls that live in the cable were having a huge and ongoing party and were too drunk to effectively use their magic to transmit data through the interwebs.
Did tiny boozy gnomes/trolls disrupt our interwebs service?
Whatever. The cable needed to be cut/disconnected to improve service for several customers. Fine (although I do hope the tiny drunk gnomes found a new place for the party). But Xfinity couldn’t be bothered to tell us? Chad even talked to the guy who disconnected us (obviously, we didn’t know that was what was happening at the time)–Chad was out in the garage while the guy had the Xfinity service truck in the alley. No “Hey man, we’re disconnecting you” heads up transpired.
As we all know, you can’t just “call” a company like Xfinity when you have an issue. Chad lost years of his life to an automated menu purgatory he will never get back trying to report the outage (yes, 15 minutes on hold with Xfinity = 2 years of a middle-aged man’s life). THE OUTAGE THEY CAUSED!
AND it didn’t occur to Xfinity that they would need to do something to restore our service? No, in fact they mocked and gaslighted us–as soon as the Xfinity van pulled away, Chad saw a notice that there was a service disruption…that had been restored. Well, not for us!
I really am so bewildered by the situation that I haven’t even been able to get really angry yet. Was this caused by ineptitude, poor communication, apathy? A “We can do whatever we want because what the hell are you, the little customer, going to do about it?” customer service philosophy? Or does Xfinity really hate its customers, or perhaps just Chad and I specifically (okay, I know we’re probably not important enough to be targeted by Xfinity but sometimes a gal needs to feel special).
We DID receive excellent customer service from the service man who came out on Saturday morning. He was not only on time and polite and friendly, but he restored our service and explained the situation. (We did not press him for answers because we were pretty sure it wasn’t his fault, and the absurdity of the situation really didn’t hit us until after he left. We were just so excited to get our interwebs back).
He did make sure to let us know that the customer service survey we would receive would only be about his performance–not our experience with Xfinity as a whole.
Today at church we discussed how good things can eventually come from bad or challenging situations. I do realize that losing the interwebs is hardly a catastrophe, but from our privileged perspective, it was pretty frustrating. Yes, we still could access the internet via our phones and even use our phones as hotspots, but that could only get us so far. I could still get to Facebook and Wordle, but working from home was going to get tricky. (Thankfully, I have a selfie stick/tripod so I could use my phones for a Teams meeting without the video being too unflattering. I couldn’t blur my background, though, so I’m not sure how much of the clutter of my home office was visible).
And how were we going to stream our entertainment? This was ruining a Friday night of television viewing! I mean, what were we going to do, talk to each other? (Yes, I’m stealing Chad’s line but I’m pretty sure jokes are marital property, and being married to a lawyer means I have a vicarious law degree).
So, what good or at least beneficial things came from our period of internet estrangement?
Obviously, we now have a much greater appreciation for our good fortune that gives us reliable home internet access (which I’m sure we’ll soon go back to taking for granted).
I was hoping for inspiration for an insightful blog post about our interdependent web–but although a great metaphor, the situation was almost too obvious. Plus, it’s hard to take inspiration from corporate dumbassery.
But, since we weren’t able to stream anything, and we didn’t want to overdo that whole talking thing, we discovered we had an unwrapped old MST3K DVD! So we watched a truly horrible movie (“Red Zone Cuba”) that received a truly hilarious treatment from Mike and the Bots.
Xfinity saved us from missing out on an MST3K episode that had fallen into our household obscurity…I guess that IS really awesome customer service!
When I hear “Pete Davidson” I immediately picture this:
NOT Pete Davidson
This is wildly inaccurate.
Up until quite recently, I had no idea who Pete Davidson is. I now know that Pete Davidson is a current (or at least recent) SNL member and possibly a Kardashian boyfriend (I really am not interested enough to find out). I won’t share a photo because you probably already know who Pete Davison is, or can easily find out.
Whoever Pete Davidson is, or isn’t, he is definitely NOT, PeteR Davison, the actor who played the Fifth Doctor Who back in the early eighties (January 4, 1982-March 16, 1984, to be exact).
But that’s where my mind goes because that’s my frame of reference, my realm of knowledge. I know very little about SNL since 1993 but my heart and memories are steeped in Doctor Who, especially pre-reboot (“pre-re”? Yes I guess that is a thing). It’s pretty easy for me to ignore the missing “r” and extra “d” and conjure up Peter Davison. I definitely, totally, completely had a crush on him. Yes, please keep in mind he was the most crush-plausible Doctor in a pre David Tennant world. Forget walking 20 miles in the snow to school, kids…I had to have a crush on Peter Davison.
The recent Wordle Word for January 19, 2022, was…SPOILER ALERT…Point. This may be a good word to reflect on at this moment. What is my point with sharing my Pete Davidson/Peter Davison confusion (and good heavens, speaking of confusion, just writing these two names frequently and in proximity is making me a little dizzy)?
My point: It makes me laugh. I hope it might make anyone who reads this laugh, too.
It also makes me think about how and why we know what we know. It makes me ponder what information we share and value as a culture and subcultures, especially now as our unlimited media landscapes and information sharing tools can enable us to create smaller and more specialized tribes.
It also makes me think about what it means to be “cool” or “old”–or what I think it means. Do I think I’m not cool enough to know who Pete Davidson is or do I think I’m too cool? (Yes, “cool” is probably way too outdated of a word but I think that just makes my point).
I am solidly in the middle of the age continuum and not in anyone’s target market for relevance, but I can also be confused and ignorant in many situations that have nothing to do with age or hipness. Just recently when I heard about “cousins” having covid it took me a while to realize the conversation was about the Viking’s quarterback and not my friend’s cousin. #sportsball
I’m also fondly remembering way back when I was a teenager, circa 1987, and two of my friends were talking about “iced tea” and I said, “Oh yeah, I like iced tea, but unsweetened” and they just rolled their eyes because they were talking about Ice-T (the rapper).
Or…there was that time when a friend was talking about PT Cruisers and I asked her what they were and she didn’t believe me that I didn’t know.
BUT I can have a good ten minute discussion of old Target clothing brands. Although…it took me a while to remember “Merona” just now. My mind kept defaulting to “merlot”.
My knowledge, especially of popular culture, is definitely rooted in my age, my whiteness, my geekiness, and my lack of interest in things like cars and cooking and sportsball. Like all of us, I don’t know what I don’t know, but I’m shocked that you don’t know about the things that I think are important.
And this all makes us feel just a littler superior. Okay, a lot superior. We all know that.
At best, that may feel like a disappointing question, as covid has certainly taught us that our plans can quickly go awry. At worst, that question can feel terrifying as we wonder what additional covid variants, political upheaval, beloved celebrity death, etc. might be headed our way.
I’m pondering corners and what is around them with inspiration from a new year and old Frog and Toad story, “The Corner.”
In “The Corner” Frog recounts how as a young frog, his father told him spring was just around the corner, so Frog went out to look for it. Frog was met with disappointment on his search as he kept finding boring things like some dry grass, some mud, and a worm. Of course, all these things are spring, just not the sexier side of spring, which Frog eventually experiences when the sun starts shining and the birds start singing.
I love the idea of a sunny, bird and flower-filled spring being just around the corner, but also don’t want to be gloomy about the present as I wait for things to get better, or be disappointed when I don’t get exactly what I hope for.
“What are you looking forward to in the new year?” I’ve seen this question posed as a way to welcome in the new year, so I’m going to give answering it a try. What do I hope is just around the corner for 2022?
At first, I didn’t think I was looking forward to much in 2022, but after thinking about it for a couple of days, I’ve actually created a pretty big, if not exciting, list. And though these anticipated joys are small, they actually ARE exciting to me.
This list is possible because I purposefully zeroed in on macro level things that I have a fair amount of control over and that do seem pretty likely to happen. Some of these are looking forward to old favorites (running, sleeping in) and others are more aspirational than others and do veer into “mostly-feasible” goal territory.
Wearing my NEW winter coat in a very literal photo illustration.
So, in no particular order, things I’m looking forward to being around the corner (the corner may be hours, days or months away):
A Pigeons From Hell gig. I’m pretty sure our band can at least play outdoors in Mike’s driveway (adjacent to the garage where we practice) but we will happily come to YOUR driveway or backyard, too! (Seriously, let me know.
Watching Peacemaker, Station 11, Ted Lasso (and all the other geeky TV we will watch).
Enjoying coffee, cheese, crackers/chips, brussel sprouts, noodles, mushrooms, Coke Zero, Hai Hai spring rolls, hummus, peanut butter, poached eggs, nuts, Halo, yogurt–etc., all these Amy food & beverage favorites and more
Daily dance breaks
Weekend “Lie-ins” (yes doing that annoying thing of using a British term) while listening to NPR with StanLee
Getting caught up on my magazine reading
Running
Latch hook (specifically, finishing current polar bear pillow project and then starting rabbit project for my friend Steve)
Trying a new restaurant–not set on a specific one, dine in if possible or takeout
Trying a new–to me–bourbon; trying a new–to me–red wine
Gaining any level of appreciation for rum and tequila
Taking some clothes to Savers and clearing out some space
Wearing my new winter coat–it’s such a gorgeous color and the lining is so soft. Although I won’t be disappointed if spring comes early and I don’t get to wear it too much.
Wearing a somewhat fancy dress–even if it’s just at home for a selfie
Going to parks and walking and exploring–state parks, city parks, county parks
Hearing some outdoor music
Getting some nights of better sleep (qualifiers are key here)
Reading some books (in addition to listening to audiobooks); reading part of a book every day?
Listening to the “Glass Hotel” audibook
My birthday–it’s not a milestone and I may need to celebrate with only Chad and the pets but damn I love birthdays.
My 350th blog post (only 3 more to go!) AND finishing my Frog & Toad Challenge
Improving my home office, i.e. cleaning out some junk
Listening to the new Live Wire Best News podcast (and continuing to listen to the current Live Wire and TBTL podcasts, of course)
Chad transferring Willy Porter’s “Leaving Tomah Home” from cassette tape to MP3
Being in our sunroom
At home Happy Hours with Chad
Planning a vacation for 2023
Trying a new hot sauce, any new-to-me hot sauce
Using Babbel to learn at least un poco Spanish
Spending time with friends in the same physical space. Probably won’t be as much as I’d like but I’ll appreciate every moment.
Whatever is around the corner, and whether or not I can share it with others in person, I’ll definitely share it online!
I’ve seen that question posted in a wide range of places, so it seems like a good question to tackle. And it does require tackling–as I’ve been pondering it, I realize learning isn’t so straightforward. Often learning starts, and stops, and then builds–so if I’m getting better at something this year that I started in 2020 or 1978, does that still count for 2021? Or what if I’m relearning something I forgot? (Author James Clear includes “relearning” in his year-end reflection).
I have to put a shout-out to my Mom here: I learned the saying “I’ve forgotten more than they’ll ever know” from her (she was referring to education experts). I now realize that she probably didn’t originate that (and I’ve learned there is a “I’ve Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know” song) but I’ll always think of it as “her” saying.
And what type of learning am I talking about? At first, I went to the “life-lesson” category of instruction, such as the epiphanies the boys would have by the end of a South Park episode (As introduced by Kyle saying “You know, I think I learned something here today.”) These are pearls of wisdom and insight such as “My sense of control is mostly an illusion but I can still be happy” and “I need more patience with other people” and “I want to be more present” (all things I actually did start to learn and get better at and then forget and re-learn in 2021, 2020, and 1978, etc.)
Along with these broader life lessons, I also learned some more distinct pieces of knowledge and skills. All these learnings are interconnected–learning how to play a song, for example, definitely teaches me some life lessons about perseverance and bravery–but I do want to focus on some individual facts, skills and realizations specific to 2021:
Damn, these trees–Pacific Madrone–are pretty
Pacific Madrone Trees are gorgeous and inspiring. We discovered these trees on our vacation to the Pacific NW. I’ve never seen anything like them and couldn’t get over their color and feel and couldn’t stop taking photos of them. (We also learned about, and then promptly forgot, about so many other things on this vacation including whales, salmon, mushrooms, banana slugs and birds).
I learned my lines for 4 different plays, including the “What a Piece of Work is Man” monologue from “Hamlet”
I learned, thanks to my incredibly talented and educated theater friend Dani who was my “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” castmate, that there is no subtext in Shakespeare! (This may explain why I’m not a big fan of Shakespeare. I find it rather tedious when characters just say what they mean…and they say it again and again and again).
I learned how to play keyboards and sing at least 20 different songs for our church’s online coffee house.
Nightclub Pringles exist/have existed! No, I have not tasted them and they may only be available in South Korea. I learned about these while listening to “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” and I would totally try them although I have no idea what “nightclub” could or should taste like.
The artist Margaret Keane created “big eye” artwork and her husband took the credit for many years, and StanLee and I could more or less successfully recreate a piece of her art for a church fundraiser.
How to use Cub’s pickup service after they dumped Instacart.
Fernet exists, and I like it with Diet Coke, and small amounts of it straight
How to do a Covid saliva test–okay, more accurate I learned how NOT to do a Covid saliva test.
Learned, forgot and then relearned how to stream movies on our TV
How to use Overtone hair color (it doesn’t cover my grey hair very successfully but is easy to use, doesn’t require mixing, and smells great).
There is a Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville and it is very cool–hope to return in 2022.
Fundamental attribution error–mostly, I learned this is a tendency, but don’t grasp yet what it is. I think the heart of it is making mistaken assumptions about people’s motives.
Pickleball is a thing, a very popular thing. I have not played it, and only know what I do about it because a court opened up next to our beloved Brother Justus Distillery.
We are NOT supposed to put recycling in bags in the city of Minneapolis collection bins–we’re just supposed to dump it in free form. Wow, this makes it possible to fit so much more into the bins. Life-changing, and troubling– have I corrupted my last 5 or whatever years of recycling attempts?
As I’ve been writing this post, I’ve heard Chad practicing the song “Least Complicated” by the Indigo Girls. Whoa, how meta–this song features the lyric “What makes me think I could start clean slated? The hardest to learn was the least complicated.”
I’m definitely not hoping for a clean slate in 2022, especially when it comes to learning. Even when I’m relearning or learning things that I’ve forgotten or even forgotten that I ever knew, I hope that the knowledge and experience is buried in me somewhere and creating a foundation for growth.
But I definitely agree that the most “simple” things–drink less, be more present, don’t leave socks out anywhere within StanLee’s reach, be kinder, and this is how to stream movies–can be the most difficult to really grasp and put into practice.
Our photo holiday card this year may make us look like barflies. (Not that we’re opposed to looking like barflies, but it’s not an accurate description of us–because of Covid and full schedules, we currently do most of our drinking at home).
So I’m going to provide some context for the card that may make us seem less like barflies. However, it may make us seem like stalkers.
Our card features photos of us hanging out at Teddy’s, a dive-y sports bar in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle, that we visited while on vacation.
“Let the fun begin!–Minnesotens Chad & Amy”
We’re not sports fans, and Teddy’s wasn’t that close to the downtown hotel we were staying at, but visiting Teddy’s was basically a pilgrimage for us. We wanted to visit Teddy’s because it’s one of the favorite hangouts of Andrew, a co-host of our very favorite podcast, “Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL)”. I’ve written several blog posts about TBTL, and we talk about it quite a bit, so you might recognize this.
To be clear, we did not go to Seattle just to stalk, I mean see, Andrew, or any of his favorite hangouts. We went to Seattle because that’s where we embarked on our small “uncruise” of the Salish Sea. But, since we were going to be in Seattle…why not make a pilgrimage to the place we’ve so frequently heard Andrew talk about on the show?
Of course we really wanted to meet up with Andrew…so we did reach out to him, via email, in a completely socially acceptable and not creepy or weird way. We casually let him know when we would be in Seattle and threw out how awesome it would be if we happened to run into him so we could buy him a drink. And Andrew was very gracious about our invitation, but had other plans.
I won’t lie, we were disappointed that it didn’t work out for us to hang out with our imaginary friend Andrew. (TBTL fans often refer to the show’s co-hosts as our imaginary friends because we feel like we know them, but realize we aren’t really friends. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to say in a conversation “Oh, my friend Andrew blah blah blah”).
Even without an Andrew sighting, it was cool to visit Teddy’s, a fun bar in its own right. Teddy’s felt like it would be right at home in NE Minneapolis with the other classic divey bars. It was also good to have inspiration to explore a Seattle neighborhood that was outside of downtown and a place we probably wouldn’t have gone as tourists.
Like any good pilgrimage, having a real-world based experience makes us feel more connected to this thing we love that is mostly intangible. (Visiting Teddy’s and the Roosevelt neighborhood was similar in many ways to the Beatles Tour I took of Liverpool way back in the day). Now when we hear Andrew talk on TBTL about visiting Teddy’s or the Whole Foods by his apartment, we can really picture it. (Did I mention that we also walked past Andrew’s apartment? It was totally non-stalky…it’s not like we took selfies on his street or anything) (Editor’s Note: Amy only didn’t take a selfe outside his apartment because Chad pointedly noted that that would, in fact, be quite stalky). We also got to see the Broadcast Coffee, featured on TBTL, that we get our beloved coffee from through a subscription (it was closed by the time we got there so didn’t actually go in).
Most importantly, it was really awesome for Chad and me to have this goofy shared mission. This was totally a Chamy endeavor. The fact that most people, even our most sympathetic friends, wouldn’t really get it made it all the more special.
But there are folks who might get the Teddy’s Pilgrimage–other TBTL fans. One of the reasons we love TBTL is that it has such a devoted fanbase, and we love feeling part of that community. Which brings me to another piece of our card that needs some explaining: We signed it “Minnesotens” because TBTL fans are known as “Tens” — as in there are tens of listeners of the podcast. Okay, I’ll stop explaining now, just trust me that it’s endearing.
Holiday cards we got from other Tens
The very reason I made this photo card in the first place was not just to confuse recipients and/or bore folks with this lengthy explanation, but to send the card to other Tens who participate in a holiday card exchange. Now is that a cool community based on a podcast or what? So yes, I am also admitting that this was not our “primary” card so if you got this card and you are not a Ten you could feel special and/or annoyed.
We signed the card, “Let the fun begin,” not just because we like fun (ahem?) but that is one of the ubiquitous sayings/slogans from TBTL (okay, it’s actually from an “audio drop” of Tom Shane played frequently on TBTL https://audio.marsupialgurgle.com/audio/letthefunbegin.m4a and I’ll spare you a trip down the rabbit hole of how key audio drops are to the TBTLverse).
Whether you find our TBTL-themed holiday card weird, nonsensical, boring, or slightly scary, I hope it inspires you to appreciate all the hobbies, interests, communities, etc. that bring you comfort, joy, and connection.
Now we’ll start planning our next vacation to Portland to stalk Luke, TBTL’s other co-host. I mean, make a totally normal and appropriate visit of appreciation to the city where Luke lives. (Luke is also the host of “Live Wire,” so at the very least we can buy tickets to a live show of that).
I was surprised to feel a little remorse as we took down our Christmas tree today.
I usually feel a little bit sad, but mostly relieved, to undertake this end of the holiday season task. But this year, as I felt the still-rather-soft, not-completely-dried-out needles, I thought, “Hmm, maybe this tree still has some “life” left in it. Maybe we shouldn’t be taking it down quite yet.”
This was unusually early for us to take our tree down, but this Sunday when we didn’t have too much going on and StanLee was away at a playtime, seemed like a good opportunity. We probably typically wait too long to take down the tree. As Chad said, waiting until the needles are all dried out and falling all over the place isn’t ideal, and we usually pick a time when I’m just sick of the tree and grumpy and/or hungover. (Okay, the grumpy and/or hungover can really happen at any time but was NOT my state today).
I did ask Chad if we should start naming our Christmas trees–would that make it easier to say goodbye to them? You know, like “Thanks, Bruce (yes, an homage to Bruce the Spruce), it’s been a pleasure to have you as a guest this holiday season, and now it’s time to wish you a fond farewell and throw you out in the snow bank.” Chad’s reply was “You’re adorable, and that’s a terrible idea–we’d NEVER get rid of a tree we named.”
My Christmas tree quandary got me pondering exits–was P.T. Barnum right? Should you “always leave them wanting more”? My tree definitely left me wanting more–at least a little. A little more light, a little more specialness.
Bernie!!Last night of our treeThe next stage on our tree’s journey
But, I am also ready to not have to deal with dead needles and relieved that we got the ornaments put away. I’m relieved that the stress of the holidays is over, too.
When is it a good time to let go? Perhaps when you’re not quite ready, but before you are totally over it. (Yes, “it” can be a Christmas tree or many other things in life).
AND…we still have a Christmas tree up! Yes, we took our real tree down today, but we still have our fake tree up. I’m sure it will be up at least until MLK Day–even if I don’t decide to make it a non-Christmas, holiday agnostic, running medal tree.
Is this long goodbye to the holiday season healthy? I’m not sure, but it IS fortuitous because today, just after we had taken our real tree down, I got THE MOST awesome ornament from my friend Stephanie–Bernie Sanders looking pissed at the 2020 inauguration. Honestly, all winter holidays aside, Bernie is so awesome that he may become just a standard piece of our home decor (like our John Denver and K-9 ornament).
Our Christmas tree has taught me a lot…know when to make an exit (write shorter blog posts?), know when to let go…and every day can be a holiday with Bernie.
Now that 2021 is over, I can officially announce that I did NOT make my goal of running 1400 miles during the year. And I’m mostly okay with that.
I’m pretty sure that no one else in the world remembers or knows that I had this goal, but I still feel the need to be public about not making it because I share so much about my running via this blog and social media. It’s only honest to share the agony of defeat along with the thrill of victory, right?
Don’t worry, I’m actually not in agony or sadness or anything beyond mild disappointment. I just wanted to evoke a quote I remember from childhood that I thought Howard Cosell said but Google just informed me it was made famous by Jim McKay on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
I do think there is value in taking some time to think about the goals we don’t achieve, along with celebrating the ones we do. So is there anything for me to learn in this particular goal I didn’t make?
To put things in context, this was a small goal, or at least a goal I hadn’t invested a lot of emotional energy in. Not only was it a goal that others were unaware of, I didn’t even set it myself until mid November. That’s when I realized that as I was getting close to the end of 2021 I could reasonably make a yearly running total of 1400. I even toyed with setting my sights on 1500 miles but decided that would be pretty ambitious in light of the constraints for me of winter weather running.
I came pretty close to making my goal–I ran 1,390.2 miles in 2021. Certainly a fair amount of running and more than the 1,304.14 miles I ran in 2020. But slightly less than 10 miles short of my 2021 goal. Not surprisingly, getting so close but not making it is rather frustrating, especially as I was capable of running that additional 10 miles. Capable, but I chose not to risk falling on icy sidewalks or catching Covid at the gym to attain a goal that felt pretty arbitrary.
I think that’s my key takeaway from not making this goal: It was my choice not to complete it because I didn’t feel it was meaningful enough to be worth the risks and hassle, and I’m proud of myself for making that choice. I’m proud because I realized and accepted that my main motivation was just to have something to brag about on Facebook, and I could let that go. What I really wanted to accomplish by running (at least at this point in the year) was just to get cardio exercise and I could do that safely (if tediously) via our exercise bike.
A goal I did achieve: Running a Halloween Half Marathon, Turkey Trot 10K and Reindeer Run 10K. Now I have a plaque to add to all the medals I don’t have room for!
Of course there are important and meaningful goals that we can’t achieve because of circumstances beyond our control, and that can be heartbreaking. But realizing that we can adjust or even let go of a goal that isn’t particularly meaningful or realistic can be freeing and even empowering.
This life lesson about goals does NOT mean won’t continue to set goals or challenges for myself, especially in this season of resolutions. And I’m sure some of my goals (which I may or may not publicly announce) will continue to be silly and unattainable. I might even set slightly higher goals for myself, now that I’m a little wiser about understanding that not reaching a goal isn’t necessarily a big whoo and that there can be value in the process of pursuing a goal even if it doesn’t end in success.
After all, if goals were too easy they wouldn’t really be goals, would they? Now “easy” is relative and changing, even for the same person, but let’s just say I don’t need to set a goal to spend more time on Facebook.
But I think a helpful goal for me for 2022 will be to set goals after I’ve spent a little more time and energy reflecting on my priorities and what is meaningful to me and why.
I haven’t set any 2022 running goals yet (I usually don’t set any yearly running goals until February and they are mostly vague) but I’m pretty wide open–I’m considering everything from running the Twin Cities Marathon in October (it’s the 40th anniversary!) to cutting back on running so I can spend more (any, really) time on strength training. Most likely, I’ll ponder some different alternatives and land in place with goals more or less like the ones I’ve had this year–run as much as I can without going too nuts, and “earn” some more race medals and t-shirts that I have no use for.
Whatever I do, I won’t have to set a goal to blog about it.
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