I am Resolute!

I am aware that people sit on both sides of the resolution fence. But I have always been a believer. I enjoy this holiday more than most, not for the popping of champagne as the ball drops in Times Square, but I look at it as a new opportunity to clean house and start fresh again. We all take detours in life and this is a chance to press the rest button or jump ahead to a past our current road block.

My countdown has taken place in different places - sometimes in decadent fashion at First Avenue, others time in silence up North. But it is usually in the company of good friends having so much fun that we forget to turn on the television and announce the actual moment. A good tradition to have.

With my new blogging ritual; I am feeling the need to proclaim this years resolutions. Not as a way to dangle them in front of others. But, possibly if I put them out there in print to the larger world, it will hold me more accountable? I usually have about a 50% return rate. Here in no order:

1) My biggest need is to find more Balance in my life. General I know. But my Virgo tendencies get caught up in the details and it binds me up more than it should. I need to give myself small benchmarks, pat myself on the back when I reach them and let go. Instead of brooding and pandering to the minutiae of little things that seem to matter to me, but make no dent in the much larger picture.

2) Eat breakfast. I enjoy my mornings, but tend to ease into the day with a cup of coffee or tea and launch into my tasks. By noon or 1PM I start to realize that I am running on fumes because of neglect. I have never been ruled by my stomach. There is always plenty of food in the cupboards so all I need to do is take the time to grab something and go. Today it was a bit of granola with blueberries. An easy fix.

3) Read more BOOKS. I do read plenty, but most of it is now digital media. I am a huge fan of daily blogs and my Google Current magazines. Usually a few paragraphs in GQ or Entertainment Weekly. But I have a set of shelves next to my bed with gift books and garage sale finds that have been waiting for patiently a few years now. It should be an easy task of reading a short chapter or two each night before bed. My the goal is to finish a single hardcover book each month. 12 - is not too big a task.

4) Eating out. Jeff always jokes about my Group-on fix of buying great bargains and then never using them before they expire. But another possibility are the onslaught of eating adventures within the neighborhood. I always notice the barrage of joints along Lake Street. There are always great write-ups about happy hours for the taking. We have talked about the Food Truck craze for months now and even have a tablet app for them. So once a month, I will sample something new and unique instead of drawing on my regular standy-bys.

5) Eating in. This should be an easy challenge. I really do enjoy the task of cooking and baking. Jeff & I both do. On a long work day I love coming home to the crock pot on low and a fresh baked loaf in the machine. It is never the cooking at issue, but the menu planning. It starts with a grocery list and then allowing the extra time to let it bake. Once a week should not be too hard to have the nice sit down meal with all 4 food groups.

6) Fitness. This is on almost everyone's hit list. I need to find a way to include it and make it unique for me. I think the days of hitting the gym are long gone for me. I don't have the money for the membership or the time at hand to make it a daily task. So I need to find creative ways to sneak it in. I love yoga classes for centering but never make it the priority. In winter it can be as simple as sledding or skating. In the summer I love the biking at sunset. I just need to pencil it in rather than making it a luxury. Abs will be back by spring.

7) Game nights. My family has always been a playing one. I love logic games, creative games, skill games. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have an entire closet devoted to over 50 games. I love Clue, but does anyone else have 4 versions of it? (Although I am still on the lookout for "The Office" edition.) But games are no fun to play by yourself. I want to be able to have a game night a month with friends and food. Stay tuned for invites.

Bring on 2013

The thing I am looking MOST forward to in the coming year. Net flix instant viewing - I cannot wait. 14 Brand new episodes starting on May 4th! Can I get a Woot Woot!

Will Buster still only have one hand? Will Tobias still have his never-nude complex? Will both Lucilles still be next door neighbors? Are Maeby & George Michael still kissing cousins or more? And what about Lindsay - is she family or not? All will be revealed.

The Year that was 2012

As I take the last few days of the current year to reflect on a growing slate of resolutions, I think it is always important to look to the past for insight and perspective. Personally, it has been a year of much introspection and challenge and I am still trying to emerge the stronger for it. I am hoping next year is about recovery and balance foremost. I think many are in a similar spot and would agree.

But one quest I have always had, is the search to know and comprehend more. I am a huge fan of technology and Google in particular. My tablet this year has opened up vast channels to read, search, play & listen exponentially. I have authored not one - but three separate blogs. It is my personal form of journaling. I have learned how to set up and manage websites. I read all my news on line and also use it to bake, shop, video conference and sing-along. Who would have ever guessed what a "cloud" is a few years back? Amazing stuff.

So it is fitting that I turn to Google and their Zeigeist montage to capture the defining global moments for 2012. Olympics, Elections, landings on Mars; they are all here and this is only the tip of the iceberg. But the amazing thing is that with the press of a button, we will always be able to find and remember them.

RIP Geo

New Years is always a time of change - often out of our control. Such is the case with my beloved car Geo. He will be missed....

Went on the blink last Thursday in the middle of the holiday stretch - how is that for shitty timing? Stumped the mechanic with a clutch pedal assembly that somehow snapped. Trouble was finding a salvage part to fix it since they no longer make them. And then also heavy labor because of involving the entire dash and steering column. I was told it is lucky that we were not driving it at the time as the clutch and brakes would have stopped working completely. So Tyler at Tires Plus advised me to make some bucks off it via Craiglist with someone who can repair it and use it as on off-road vehicle. He is going up north to Mora MN to become a 4WD plowing car on the range. Sad but true.

He has been a very loyal sporting pal for both Waylon and I with many adventures in the Region and will be missed. Anyone who knows a good dealer they trust - send them my way!

Merry Christmas

And then - simply put. Have a blessed and meaningful day however you choose or are able to spend it.

Last day of Christmas Shopping

I am not sure why, but many of my holiday postings have been campy. Three alone now are involving drag queens. What does this say about me and my view of this season? No idea, but maybe I am just needing to find some humor in my day to day life?

Today's comes from my morning read of Towleroad again. It is Miss Coco Peru and her last-minute quest to find some Panetoni for her neighbors. If you are not aware - it is a boxed Italian fruitcake that is heavy and lacking by itself, but actually makes a great French Toast when soaked in an egg/ rum baste. Her list includes Armenians, Indians and a gay man in what must be an eclectic Jersey neighborhood. She even has her naughty list of who she will NOT be buying for - the gay boys who never wave back at her. Her pilgrimage is comic as she hits a local store and walks out. Then a Walgreens which seems to have everything she does not need. And finally a great shout out to Trader Joe's which has exactly what she is looking for but overwhelms her and she leaves empty handed.

I gravitate to her frustrations this year as I came up quite empty on much of my shopping as well. I thought I had a great idea to assemble stockings for all. But finding the stockings themselves was not an easy task as I seemed to buy more and more of less and less to fill them up. A noble effort but still feel like I rate a D+ on my efforts. The ultimate smack was the mailing cost which likely amounted to more than the gifts themselves. Bah Humbug?

Leave a Light On

 

 

Sadly, much of this holiday season has escaped me. There has been plenty of holiday music, a show, and I did decorate a tree late in the game. But many of my normal traditions have gone the wayside - not by choice. Cookies that were never baked, cards yet to be sent and lights around the house that never were hung.

Here are a few pics that have been shared through the StarTribune. 'Tis the Season of Sharing so I am taking in the joy that others put out in the universe for now.

We Three Queens

In the spirit of holiday irreverence, here is something that is wrong in many ways. But so campy that it merits sharing here. WRONG!

It is almost like one of those hidden object pictures where the longer you look, the more you see. I think my favorite are the jingle bell nipples, the recorder, the white leggings and whatever color lip-gloss that is they are wearing - could it me mother-of-pearl? Here are the Pussy Willows in their holiday rendition...

Tower in the Sky

56 Leonard Street

Today a forward from a really interesting architecture website called Architizer. I was tipped to it by some of my tablet readings. It is showcasing major building projects in NYC that are either too controversial to build or have faltered in the economics of building. Some bordered on sci-fi and others are definitely water cooler conversation. I'd have to see them in person to know for sure from the renderings.

MOMA Tower

Moynihan Station

South Street Seaport - Pier 17

An Altar In the World

With all the musings and discussion on the holiday tragedy in Connecticut, I have been teetering between processing in silence or ranting publicly like so many others are doing on Facebook et al. My consolation came this AM at church which centered around this writing by Barbara Brown Taylor. Without getting preachy, I will try to summarize it:

Her writings and philosophy are about encountering a God who does not live in a church - but among the people. The particular passage - which I cannot find on line, but am interested in reading the book now, (Which anyone who knows me is a challenge) - concerns a study group that is challenged to personify the Beatitudes in living form without text. I honestly had heard the term but had no recollection of what they actually were. They are New Testament teachings based on love and humility. Anyway ....

The one discussed today was Those who mourn: for they will be comforted. Apparently one women was reluctant to participate and designated herself as a corpse to remove herself from the assignment. The group of 5 women made a simple tableau by cradling her head, and connecting hand to body amongst them. When it came time to display, it began in silence - but the women on the ground was soon overcome with sobbing. And from there it elevated through the rest of the women. It became such a living, breathing enactment that the whole room was soon overcome with grief at the simple gesture of the tableau. And what hit us all today was that simple element of connection, grieving in silence where no words were needed. We all need that touch or common bond - in these times where words are not of worth.

Flat Tire

I have been bitching much about driving in this insane web of ice rinks over the last few days. I don't think I ever remember travel being this difficult on a daily basis. Where I am at a loss is that it is not the result of any terrible storm of the century. This is Minnesota and it makes no sense. Someone at City Hall needs their head on the block for accountability. (and will likely hear it from me - my civic duty)

But the thing that has been ludicrous to me are the bikers that are insisting on defying the elements!!! God bless them for reducing the carbon footprint and give them 4 gold stars for effort. But people - it just does not work! Sidewalks are passable, but every street I have seen, excluding highways, are virtual skating rinks. Getting through an intersection at a red light is questionable in my Geo Tracker which has four wheel drive. And yet I see these countless bikers putting their life at risk bumbling along beside me. In half instances they give up and dismount the cycle and merely walk it along. The point is lost on me and I would be frustrated and bitterly cold beyond belief. If anyone out there can justify this please tell me why. Put it in storage until March maybe and let the Bike Messengers downtown pedal for now. This is why we have Public Transportation.

Christmas Camp

In the spirit of keeping things light! Or light in the loafers I should say.

I keep finding these silly things of the season, but want to share them anyway. If no one else reads them, at least I have them to refer back to. I am all about holiday music in any shape or form.

This one from a drag trio called the Supreme Fabulettes and directed by no less than Boy George. As expected, some of the lip syncing is less than accurate and they chew up scenery as much as the Christmas dinner on the plate. I am also guessing they got much help in terms of studio embellishment, auto tune and additional back up help. But they certainly are having a good time screaming about a done wrong holiday romance. The eye candy of Johnny Hazzard adds to the scenery as well. Costumes and production values are an A+. Here is You Ruined My Christmas.

Christmas Cookies

One of my favorite traditions of the season is my baking. Spotted this of our dear friend Cookie Monster and wanted to share his spirit with you. I am SICK of this song and the many interpretations of it; but he brings a new twist to it as the Muppets always do. Bottoms up.

Fag Hag for the new Milennium

The blog title sounds a bit harsh, but it is actually a silly trifle of a post. Totally off subject with the holiday season, irreverent, and adds some needed humor to the ongoing Gay Marriage agenda after the recent heated political season.

As we take note of our allies in the "battle", it seems our strongest opponent are straight white men that somehow feel threatened by the changes it would bring. And our most likely co-horts might be their girlfriends that feel disenfranchised over their lack of commitment to them. So in revolt - they are staging a movement to marry us instead; reaping the benefits lacking in their current relationships.

The video spoof is funny, the four actresses each bring a character that we all know, and the background new age music is cloyingly annoying. It is produced by Feet First Films. Enjoy!

Eric Whitacre's Beauty

I was at a work conference yesterday that spoke to thinking outside the box and advancing our art into new paradigms using the technology and media that we have. Eric Whitacre came into the conversation, and I am very familiar with his work and thought I should revisit it and share it with others.

He is a choral composer from the West coast and the modern equivalent of a rock star in that industry. He has movie star good-looks to back up his tremendous talent and outreach. Everyone should know his work. I first became acquainted with it via the pageantry arts where winter guards started using his pieces and even drum corps would adapt his epic compositions for the field. They are complex clusters of heavenly chords.

But where we has pushed the envelope are his forays into the digital age. His first big "hit" was Sleep; where he opened his composition to a virtual world where singers across the globe could access the score along with his conducting of it - and then submit their own personal vocal track. Produced by Christophe Taddei and mixed by Floating Earth, it took 1752 vocalists from 78 countries and edited them into a glorious output.

More recently he went "live" with a virtual chorus of 150 selected vocalists from around the globe and conducted them in a unison concert of his Lux Aurumque. Both are amazing.

Spark - a bright idea

A little technology tidbit for the day. And right here in our own backyard from some residents of South Mpls. It comes from Zach Supalla; he and his team have come up with a new form of smart light socket called a Spark. It is a cyclinder that attaches between your lamp and the light bulb. But where technology takes a massive turn is that it uses a chip called an Arduino that enables us to adjust that light bulb remotely via wi-fi. So if you are away from home and running late, you can turn on that front room light from work. Or program the lights while you are away on vacation.
 

The web part of this is a free app which anyone can access. The more difficult part is the physical hardware which is not yet easily affordable or available. In the meantime, the innovators are mounting a Kickstarter campaign to help generate $250K for production line costs. It only takes a spark.....

Milestones

I have had this post brewing for some time, and Thanksgiving seemed the appropriate time to put it in writing. This is the time of year for reflection and looking back. And this year has been monumental in that regard.

Every year and day are measured in benchmarks - events that you can look back on and a moment becomes a memory. Perhaps because I am now so much older - in my 50s - these benchmarks seem to be larger and more potent. Instead of measuring a month or even a year - they now have tags on them where they amount to decades. This fall we had a reunion for the Rosettes - the first color guard I taught when I moved here. The defunct organization is 50 years old and the time I put in with them is 25 years back. I went to DCI this summer with a childhood friend from my formative days in Erie and celebrated its 40th history. What makes this astounding is that I can say I was actually participating in the very onset of the activity. It is still a large part of my vocation. I started my new job this Fall with the youth theater that honed my teaching skills 20+ years ago. My house is getting closer to being paid off and it is almost 15 years that I have tended to its gardens now.
 
It is boggling if I ponder on it too much. But yet it is important to stop and pay homage to it and honor these monumental passings. Just as you observe the people that pass in and out of our lives. I have a last grandmother that is in her mid 90s. I am raising my 3rd adult dog in my lifetime. Still learning in a new relationship. All profound reflections at the end of the day. Take time to notice them.

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings... The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of our memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these."

Susan B Anthony