Thursday, June 19, 2014

Power Up

Much like Zeus with Athena, I woke up this morning with a fully formed blog post sprung right from my head.  I'm not claiming to be a god, or this post a goddess, but it's creation does rank with the mythical.  Worship as you see fit.

I've never been a good video game player.  In fact, I've never made it past the first level on the original Mario Brothers.  Todd would soar through that blasted thing and I would sit there, so frustrated, stuck at level one.  I'd keep trying.  For a good long while.  Then when I couldn't feel my thumbs, I'd go to my usual position of Couch Cheerleader.  I'd do the same with that Crash Bandikoot (sp) thing.  Ooooohing and aaaaaahing, being amazed and exasperated in tandem.  I do it now, with his much more sophisticated games.  I'm still really a twelve year old in many ways.

It's easy to get disgusted when you/we watch people excel, comparing those imaginary societal high scores with what feels like your last life on the first screen.  What's not easy is tiring your thumbs out giving everyone thumbs up just for playing the game. 



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Morning Song

Early April of 1986, just before I turned 15 I spent a couple of nights out in the fields next to our house in Idaho, in my Dad's Toyota 4-Runner, clutching binoculars and hoping I'd get to see Halley's Comet.  I thought it was providence that the comet was coming so close to when I was born.  With Mark Twain dying on my Birthday, the final bookend to his story that began with the comet coming on the day of his birth meant it was going to happen. This was a part of my story.

I never saw the comet.  I looked and looked.  I waited and waited.  I had the coordinates, I had the equipment.  It just never happened.  I took this as a serious defeat.  It still saddens me to think of this young girl staring into the heavens for hours on end, alone, knowing that she will never live to see her wish.

I may never see Halley's Comet, even if I live to 2061 and at 90 years of age my eyes are working well enough to see this marvel, what I know NOW is I don't want to miss all the wonders happening right next to me.  I don't need binoculars for that.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Spinster in the Hood

Went over to my cousin's house to play games and hang out today.  Her good and longtime friend Nadine was there with two of her kids as well.  We giggled, talked, ate, got competitive and corralled kids.   Their plan for dinner was a meat based dish so I took a quick trip to get a couple of burritos.  Nadine rode shotgun.

As I made my order (bean burritos, with red sauce, no cheese, add onions and lettuce) Nadine looks at me like I'm from Mars.

Nadine -"So, you don't eat cheese."
Me -"No."
N. - "Or eggs."
Me - "No."
N. - "Not even yogurt?"
Me - "I eat almond milk yogurt."
N. - "They make that?"

We both start to giggle and I tell her how the last guy to hit on me was a guy 20 years younger, undoubtedly a meat eater and at least five inches shorter.  We didn't even get to the health issues.  I'm just left as the Jolly Green Vegan Giant.

Me - "What do I have in common with a guy like that?"
N. - "What do you have in common with any guy?"

Nadine just summed up my spinsterhood in one sentence.

The Bun

The Bun
If you don't like rabbits, you can suck it, shove it and then go soak your head.