Couch Surfing

Here I am again. Ensconced on the couch. It is sunny and looks a little breezy and I am full of tacos. But it is a perfectly fine way to spend the second of my two days off. I wonder if others look at their "weekends" this way? Probably not. Straight from the old contract. "Second of two days off."

Hoping I can get the motivation to pry myself up and take a ride. Oil freshly changed, chain freshly lubed and even the chain guard freshly cleaned of its accumulated gunk. That is how I spent much of my productive time yesterday (first of my two days off). It's not rocket science, but more of a meditation, I find. It's the journey, not the destination. The slow journey. I need some more stuff to make it a little less goopy on the cement outside the garage. If I could just get a few more weeds to grow into the cracks, I could always park it over them and they would catch the drippage. 'Course they also might catch fire after all that, which would be a sight indeed: a motorcycle over a hot weed fire. Not so very nice. Another perfectly good idea gone into the dumper.

This touches on the subject of "the small things in life." The "being" part (versus the "human doing", as someone said). I've been concentrating on the merits of this idea for quite a while now, as it has always suited me, but I have struggled against it for a great many years. Less stress with the "being." This translates: whatever seems good to be doing or not doing at a given moment is fine. Enjoying it? Valhalla. The should's and could's and what-not are immaterial. It's not a perfect system, of course. Ya gotta do certain things eventually. It's just that the list of "things" gets remarkably smaller and less important. Like all those appalling emails that seem to be so popular amongst older folks (65+...creeping closer and closer) that exhort one to "dust less, enjoy life more!" These are the very people, I think, that have spent most of their lives doing all those other things that "had" to be done: cleaning, fixing, straightening, doing all the kid-related stuff, appointments, and on. Especially the former: cleaning. Not like your regular cleaning, from what I have surmised, btw, but the kind that used to be the norm for your garden variety housewife of 40 years ago.

I guess if it had been me, I'd have been the recalcitrant, smoking, diazepam-taking, crabby wife whose house didn't quite make the grade, as judged by "the other wives." I never did chew all the way through the "Feminine Mystique," but the pages I did get through gave me the idea vividly enough. Not hard to figure out where the mystique came from: boredom and dying life aspirations. "What are they THINKING and what do they really WANT??" Uh, I'd like some real mental stimulation and a whole adult life. No mystery there. Unless you figured women were not really human beings in the same mental sense. I happen to know someone whose life was shaped by that bifurcated social reality. I lucked out, I suppose, between the era and my childhood. Choosing between the abundant possibilities was the more pressing concern to me. Not that it wasn't also clear that there were still "limitations," societally speaking, like funding for school sports and and who was asked to move tables and who was not (e.g. physical abilities). That would be a long diatribe whose time is gone I think.

As usual, time marches on and so does "progress." At least in that area a bit. The possibilities open more each day, I think. But, it is really what the individual conceives for herself, isn't it? That is my strong suit, though I have scaled things down a bit, just out of laziness. Laziness is a luxury, I've come to realize. This sitting on the couch stuff and pondering the stories of the day, the things I might buy to help me on my way, the discussions over motorcycle projects & plans, or just inane banter, the communication with others in email and Facebook and even a dumb game or two (yes, you, Mafia Wars).

Where is the sunshine in all this? It's not only out there, right where I can see it, through the picture window, but also as a state of mind. And that's a good way to wrap up this post.

Moving On

My much neglected blog.

It's been more than a year since I sold the Buell and Reflex and bought a Honda 599. It was in sorta sorry shape, but, as Michael says, I saved it. I've dolled it up to my personal fit and taste and now it is a singular beast. It even has its own UFO on the back.

But after having frothed my way through most of the year chomping on the bit of accessories and minor modifications, I've hit a bit of a slump with the warm weather. Today I actually got up off the stick and got the bits for an oil change. Starting back in with the basics. It's been so hot my mind has just left it and wandered into the freezer. No longer. Today I rode into work and it was gloriously cool for the 10 minute freeway excursion. Thanks to my fabulous Olympia-poke-your-eyes-out jacket, the venting kept me from melting completely on the long way home on side streets.

My new facebook/mafia wars fascination has kept me from revealing all here in my blog. Poor "old" tech. Along with actually exercising regularly, I'm going to turn over a semi-new leaf and make an attempt to actually post to the blog every now and again. Maybe even look up the necessaries to post from the old iPhone. We shall see. Perhaps inspiration will strike.

Coming topics I have thought to write about, but haven't: My motorcycle, or More obsessive behavior; People I Know are Dying All Around Me; Enjoying the Small Things: A Cynics Oddly Uncynical View; What Is Wrong With People? To The Bottom Of The...and others that I have yet to remember and/or think about. I don't even know if anyone is reading any of this, so, I won't feel as constrained, except that perhaps my parents might remember that it is here and pop in (well, maybe Mom and my brother).

iPhone Post Test

This is a test of the emergency iPhone blog post. If this had been a
real emergency you would have been told where to go, ya know?=}

MacWorld Expo 2008!

So, I'm here at the MacWorld Expo with Mom and my brother and a friend. Mom and brother's first time! I feel like an old hand. Last night, we watched the Steve Jobs keynote on Mom's Macbook, and it was a lot of fun. I didn't expect to be sucked into the new stuff, but now I see possibilities, as a true gearhead. The file was quick and seamless, and began playing flawlessly (with a couple pauses in between even) within seconds. So much nicer than two years ago when the Quicktime download took more than a half hour on our DSL.

Ogling all the stuff and trying hard to not pick up a lot of promo materials. I still have stuff from ten years ago...in a bag...still sitting in my room. Bleah. Don't laugh. I sometimes have a hard time throwing stuff away. I still have an old Soviet style Power Computing poster! Those were the days, when being a mac head was like being in an embattled camp. Ah, sweet revenge!!

So, it's only been an hour or so here, and already I'm a whoring my body with PR from a couple companyies: Storyist ("I stand with the writers", which I actually do as a good union worker and believer in such things), and DriveSavers, which I've never had the money to use, since none of my weeny little data was ever worth trying to save with outlays of money. :( Just shows what you can really stand to lose. But, a very good service, from my brief contact with the company years ago.

All kinds of doo-dads, which I always love. Beautiful weather outside, too! Not that we will be seeing much of it. Har. Good temp inside, feet doing ok so far. We have just enough gack between the four of us to be thoroughly entertained by the possibilities and accessories. Now I'm thinkin' I may "need" a new iPod so I can accessorize with the new stuff that's out there, because my poor little third gen, black and white, 20G iPod doesn't have a lot of "followers" with accoutrements. :( Yes, this "need" thing.

The AppleTV has my newest attention after the keynote last night. I need a life. Badly. But the couch is still one of my favorite friends. Too bad the couch doesn't have a dispenser (yet) for the medications I'm gonna have to start taking because of all the sitting about on my bum, listening to my arteries harden along with whatever is playing on the Pod.

Good times! Get out there and enjoy the show! I am!