New Year’s Eve commentary
One of my dreams is to have a library of floor to ceiling books. Rolling ladder and all. The very best bookstores we’ve ever been too were in San Francisco, Berkley and Concord Mass. 2nd place goes to NY and LA. And we both are simply jubilant most of the big city libraries we’ve visited. Special credit to the respite the San Fran main branch offered. And nothing compares to the NY public library.
The only thing better than books is old books.
There used to be an amazing old bookstore in Archer City, TX. It was owned by Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment). We bought a few 100+ year old tomes over the years for each other. (funny, giving gifts to your mate, in some ways you're giving it to yourself) And we would sometimes just drive over an enjoy looking through the collection and enjoying the smell of old ideas made tangible.
Reading The Secret life of Librarians and Booksellers made me want to own a bookstore. I joked to my wife that we could call it the Wine Nook and sell cheap chardonnay at ridiculous markups and host readings and have really old books and lots of new ones. And be in a hundred year old building. It’s a longtime fantasy for both of us, to run a bookstore. But you’d need at least one human with a modicum of business sense, not two artist-dreamers.
Another dream was working in California. A few years ago I went out to interview with an advertising studio, spending two weeks there so we could all get to know each other. While I was there I got to know a guy at Pixar. I got to know him and eventually he assured me if we lived in the Bay area, I could wrangle my way into the studio. Not exactly a hard offer, but the artists there absolutely were my people and it was the kind of role I’d longed for over 20 years. Then there was the exploding arts scene that we got wrapped up in. Artist openings all the time and invites to join collectives and show and paint. It was all pretty heady.
In hindsight, I’m glad it didn’t work out. If I’d gotten on an Pixar, I’d be lost. It would have become my entire world. Partly because that’s how places like that work and partly because that’s what I wanted: to be embraced and celebrated for my creativity. Ultimately it was family and God that took the priority and I’m glad. But sometimes I feel trapped and get to longing for the perceived freedom I felt in those days. I say perceived because when I was there in Berkley for 4 months a couple of years later, I felt like a slave.
My neighbor was no superhuman rocking the headboard all night every night. Over-enthusiastic ecstasies surge and ebb with the tide… but all night I hope is not a normal male physiology! By the time psychosis took hold, I'd be in a full blown inferiority complex. The problem with BASS is that low frequency’s really travel and penetrate right to the soul. Never clear enough to enjoy your favorite song, just a varying pulse or vibration. A tractor driving through your soul. I wonder what became of that man. He's probably a CEO now.
My pièce de résistance in Guestures was NERD. Suspenders, glasses push, awkward pose and pointing to an imagined pencil protector was all it took. Though I was VERY proud of LION and my funniest? FAST. It was 6 seconds of pure comedy gold.
We had one friend on our team who is a honest-to-god clown-school graduate. Yep, not hyperbole. He wanted to be a clown in the circus and went to some kind of school where they taught him miming, puppeteering and other clown-ing skills. It didn't help us though. Girls are just too smart.
I had a chuckle when I heard our new friend say in an undertone ‘well, no way I’m doing THAT’. When I glanced at the discarded card I saw STRIP!! 😂😂
We both still kid from time to time about your play of SEDUCE decades ago. 🤣
I Scrabbled a little and tipped logs in Jenga and toyed with dominoes, but didn’t end up getting involved. Couldn't get enough people to get any momentum for pictionary. :–/ It made me want to have more big game nights. Another brother and I are conspiring to do something like this again.
Sounds like you had a proper Monday. Did I tell you I had a mani/pedi once? It was delightful. Why don't we men do this more often? I didn't know going barefoot was hard on foot beautification. Was it the sand? Or just wear and tear from being a shoeless-Jo in general? We fasted all day so no stunning aromas filled our house. Just a nice simmering cinnamon tea.
Interesting in this week's Bible reading how all of the Psalms were songs of ascension. Kind of makes me think of the original convention songs. Very special. Usually incredibly moving.
I did NOT fare well for time in Dec, weighing in at 28. My saving grace will be the 12 h of pre-assembly work and 10 of construction. Cheating, I know. I'm getting better.
Construction, was mostly Sticker work! They are project stickers. The group does a custom sticker for every project. This our 20th that we’ve done for our buddy in the Caribbean. The commissioners are just absolutely a delight. We connected with them when they came here to volunteer.
Sorry your time traveler left and Shrek-a-thon will be delayed slightly. He comes and goes, but you always know he is somewhen. The plus side is that when he's home, he's home. No pesky clients butting in on a lunch date or the ministry. And you'll get your dream house by the ocean one of these day. You guys might have to build it yourselves, and maybe a some friends'll even help!
Time to spring into my day. Some sunshine and a vigorous workout (can I brag a little that my scale tipped to 209 yesterday!!) Lots of projects to get to today getting ready for this weekend and TWO meetings tonight. Pray the first one sees me demoted (PROmoted?) from service overseer and that we can make a change to the operating committee. Then, ironically, an operating committee meeting. Using the whole buffalo from 2024 before the calendar tips over to the official quarter century mark of the new year. Sheesh, how'd we get here, dear sister?
We'll probably stay up too late tonight. We do anyway. Maybe we'll dig in on a movie tonight and munch on popcorn. Or just sit and draw and chat.
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Thank you for coming here and walking through the garden of my mind. No day is as brilliant in its moment as it is gilded in memory. Embrace your experience and relish gorgeous recollection.
Into every life a little light will shine. Thank you for being my luminance in whatever capacity you may. Shine on, you brilliant souls!
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