Well, it's over. The Cowboys are out. Which means those blue Christmas lights I bought will have to wait another year to be superbowl lights. In case any of you aren't familiar with the intricacies of american football, I've written a layman's guide to watching.
1. Pick a team. I like to choose something with blue, or horses. Try to remember which team is yours. For example purposes, I've chosen the ponies.
2. The rules of the game go like this: Get the ball. Run like crazy, or throw, then run like crazy. If you're a wuss, kick it. If you lose the ball (shame on you), hit the other guy. If the other guy throws it, catch it, or hit whoever does catch it.
3. Be sure to shout a lot. Good phrases include:
when the ponies have the ball- "Run! Gogogogogogo!!" "Oh! go around! Throw it! He's wide open! Gogogogogogo!" "oh, no! ack! Gogogogogog!" "yeah!!"
when the ponies don't have the ball- "Get'im! Hit im! RUN! Catchim! Make'im bleed! Bite him! Gogogogogogogo!! Yeah!!"
4. If you get confused, or forget which team you've chosen, just shout "Run! Go! Yeah! Get it! Gogogogogog!" A lot.
See? Football is fun. It also helps to choose the team your friends are _not_ rooting for. It adds drama.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Rose-colored Glasses: an exercise in positive living
So, how was your day? Chances are, it was like this: "Went to work, don't like my job, interacted with coworker x. Came home, did some dinner; that was ok."
Generic... blah, in fact.
The truth of the matter is, your day was probably full of fantastic moments that you forgot as quickly as you witnessed them. Moments that may not seem worth writing home about, but they're definitely worth writing to yourself about. Perhaps on the commute, the sun lit up the skyscrapers, gold and rose. Or on the way to lunch, the sound of a street musician playing a horn- not well, but a welcome surprise. Maybe the pavement smelled of rain, reminding you of what it feels like to wake up to a drizzly morning in the mountains.
The point is, your day probably wasn't ordinary at all.
So how do you change the way you remember your days? Start with a simple, once-a-day exercise. If you journal, write down 3 moments in your day that seem fit for a fanciful, artistic reflection. If you don't, tell someone who asks how your day was. If no one seems likely to ask, tell someone anyway. It won't take long- a few days, a week- before you start paying more attention to those particular moments, training your mind to recognize and remember them.
Warm rumbly cats, the reflection of morning sun off a yellow wall, and an unexpected kiss from a lover.
-m.
Generic... blah, in fact.
The truth of the matter is, your day was probably full of fantastic moments that you forgot as quickly as you witnessed them. Moments that may not seem worth writing home about, but they're definitely worth writing to yourself about. Perhaps on the commute, the sun lit up the skyscrapers, gold and rose. Or on the way to lunch, the sound of a street musician playing a horn- not well, but a welcome surprise. Maybe the pavement smelled of rain, reminding you of what it feels like to wake up to a drizzly morning in the mountains.
The point is, your day probably wasn't ordinary at all.
So how do you change the way you remember your days? Start with a simple, once-a-day exercise. If you journal, write down 3 moments in your day that seem fit for a fanciful, artistic reflection. If you don't, tell someone who asks how your day was. If no one seems likely to ask, tell someone anyway. It won't take long- a few days, a week- before you start paying more attention to those particular moments, training your mind to recognize and remember them.
Warm rumbly cats, the reflection of morning sun off a yellow wall, and an unexpected kiss from a lover.
-m.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Unemployed: spending cuts
A new year, a new blog.
Shall I introduce myself? I'm 25, and unemployed. I have an undergraduate degree in animal science. I just dropped out of grad school, after making the decision that science was good, but art is my life.
I heard a theory once that the quarter-life crisis is every bit as bad as the mid-life crisis. Well, I suppose I'm living proof... but life for me, so far, isn't bad.
With a little money in my pocket, and a few temporary prospects of income (teaching swing dancing at workshops), I'm hoping to stave off the job-hunt until April. So how do I stretch my money?
1. Turn off the heat. It's beautiful weather in Georgia right now.
2. Go outside! No need to use lightbulbs, tv, or radio. Besides- now is a really good time to stay in good health, and excersize is one of the sure ways to take care of your body.
3. Absolutely no restaurant food. When you're going from bed to job to evening activities, it's hard to find time to cook. When you're sitting at home all day, no such excuse will hold water. Cheap but tasty meals include:
Pasta and sauce. The various"plus" types have a lot of protein. They're more expensive, but they're good for you.
Red beans and rice. A little sausage goes a long way towards flavor, and this dish is easy to make, cheap, and very nutritious. Plus, you can make a big batch and refrigerator for later.
Spinach salad with tuna, sunflower seeds, crutons, raisins, carrots, and grape tomatoes.
4. No entrance fees. This could be clubs or movies for you- for me, it means not going to dance events that have cover charges. If I have a free pass, or it's a free event, great! Otherwise, I'll have to do without for a while. There are plenty of free events in the city. Pick up an arts newspaper and check some out.
5. Carpool, walk, or drive like a granny. The first two are self-explanatory- gas is expensive. But did you know that you can make a huge difference in your fuel economy by the way you drive? Cars are much more efficient at 55 than at 80. If you don't believe me, check your gas mileage on your next road trip. My car gets 30mpg in the city, 34 at high speeds on the interstate, and 40 at low speeds on the interstate. That adds up fast over several hundered miles each way. The same applies to city driving. Do you accelerate towards a redlight? Why? It's a habit. Take your foot off the gas and coast if you know you're approaching another car or a red light. Be content. (But that's a topic for another post).
6. Get a library card. How does that save you money? When you're bored, you're tempted. Getting a book from the library is free, and will give you something to do when you're itching to so shopping. Plus, you might just learn something.
Shall I introduce myself? I'm 25, and unemployed. I have an undergraduate degree in animal science. I just dropped out of grad school, after making the decision that science was good, but art is my life.
I heard a theory once that the quarter-life crisis is every bit as bad as the mid-life crisis. Well, I suppose I'm living proof... but life for me, so far, isn't bad.
With a little money in my pocket, and a few temporary prospects of income (teaching swing dancing at workshops), I'm hoping to stave off the job-hunt until April. So how do I stretch my money?
1. Turn off the heat. It's beautiful weather in Georgia right now.
2. Go outside! No need to use lightbulbs, tv, or radio. Besides- now is a really good time to stay in good health, and excersize is one of the sure ways to take care of your body.
3. Absolutely no restaurant food. When you're going from bed to job to evening activities, it's hard to find time to cook. When you're sitting at home all day, no such excuse will hold water. Cheap but tasty meals include:
Pasta and sauce. The various"plus" types have a lot of protein. They're more expensive, but they're good for you.
Red beans and rice. A little sausage goes a long way towards flavor, and this dish is easy to make, cheap, and very nutritious. Plus, you can make a big batch and refrigerator for later.
Spinach salad with tuna, sunflower seeds, crutons, raisins, carrots, and grape tomatoes.
4. No entrance fees. This could be clubs or movies for you- for me, it means not going to dance events that have cover charges. If I have a free pass, or it's a free event, great! Otherwise, I'll have to do without for a while. There are plenty of free events in the city. Pick up an arts newspaper and check some out.
5. Carpool, walk, or drive like a granny. The first two are self-explanatory- gas is expensive. But did you know that you can make a huge difference in your fuel economy by the way you drive? Cars are much more efficient at 55 than at 80. If you don't believe me, check your gas mileage on your next road trip. My car gets 30mpg in the city, 34 at high speeds on the interstate, and 40 at low speeds on the interstate. That adds up fast over several hundered miles each way. The same applies to city driving. Do you accelerate towards a redlight? Why? It's a habit. Take your foot off the gas and coast if you know you're approaching another car or a red light. Be content. (But that's a topic for another post).
6. Get a library card. How does that save you money? When you're bored, you're tempted. Getting a book from the library is free, and will give you something to do when you're itching to so shopping. Plus, you might just learn something.
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