The Myth & The Majesty

(For the sake of avoiding questions later, this comes from a string of conversations I had some time back. If it seems to come out of nowhere, then those conversations weren't with you. Don't worry about it.) I am an optimist. I know this comes across with some regularity on this blog. In fact, I've been accused of being a little too ... cheerful and vapid here. However, give me the chance to defend myself. To put this more accurately, I am a methodical, cautious optimist. This means: 1. I will try to find the silver lining in whatever situation I find myself.   2. I will give you the benefit of the doubt until there is a reason I shouldn't.   3. I will try to see your side of an argument. This does not  mean: 1. I'm happy with a situation.   2. I trust you.   3. I think you are right. You will also notice that I will not always express an opinion. I know that's not to everyone's liking but before I'm willing to spea...

Let's keep this simple, shall we? Rules for Driving In the Snow 1. Take it slow or stay home. 2. That's it.

I've certainly mentioned this a few times (this is, after all, my life now), but here's the rest of the story. * A few months ago, I made a questionable decision. It started with a semi-surprise job loss in 2010. Along with the usual anger and grief came a deep feeling of relief; this was a job that at the beginning had made me very happy, but by the end was something I nearly dreaded each day. There were a lot of reasons, but the bottom line was that when I was called into the HR office and informed that my position no longer existed, I knew not so deep down that they'd chosen the right person. This didn't mean I was unaffected. What followed was a depression for which I hadn't totally prepared myself. I could pull myself out of it here and there, but the rejection was still at the back of my head and it took a lot of effort to get going again. After a move back to Sioux Falls, I started trying to sort out my life again. I spent the better part of two...

Let's talk about germs. There has been a massive shift in recent years to an abject fear of germs as a whole. When I was growing up, my mother was not afraid of letting us play in the mud. [I have stories.] We were taught to wash our hands but we were not raised with any fear of getting particularly sick. Mom kept the kitchen clean and encouraged us to help her. Dad ... well, he just wasn't worried about much, except maybe if we got in the way when he was moving something heavy. (Or using a table saw. Which seems fair.)  This is the first time I've ever wanted E. coli.  ThinkGeek is awesome . And believe it or not, we all turned out fine. Or at least we're all healthy. (The rest is admittedly up to opinion.) In the last month, the school in my home district has had a major problem that goes by the name cryptosporidium. For those who don't read about such things for fun [... yeah, definitely up to opinion], crypto is a protozoa (little bug that's b...

I frequent this little website called That Guy With The Glasses . I do so mostly for two reviewers. The Nostalgia Chick reviews movies from "back when" (that being anything from before 2005) from a female point of view. Todd in the Shadows does pop song reviews. Now. Before getting into the Todd videos, I hadn't really listened to pop music. It's ... not my thing. Since I've started watching his videos, there has been a bit of a shift in the way I listen to the radio. I'm more willing to give pop music a chance, and we'll also say I'm a bit more discerning than I used to be (read: I pay more attention to lyrics and arrangement). At the end of November, I had the opportunity to take a handful of teenage girls (15- and 16-year-olds) to a conference in Minneapolis. It's a four hour drive and they listened to exactly one CD the entire time. Over. And over. And over again. Generally speaking, parents and other drivers recommend not wrestl...

It is the first day of spring. Six days ago, it was around 70 degrees. A couple days later it snowed several inches. Today, I looked outside and thought, "I could manage just a fleece jacket" ... only to turn around and go back because it was a very deceptive 16 degrees. Of course, today's high is nearly 50. And we've got a "wintery mix" forecast for this evening. Either the weather's deranged ... or I am.

I wish I could describe this past weekend, which I spent in moderate seclusion with a large group of women. In Iowa, no less. But beyond that ... well. It just has to be experienced. However, in amongst the intensity and the food, I found myself doing something I don't generally do. My family is not a particularly affectionate one. We share love through conversation, time together, and no small dose of sarcasm. (Generally -- and I think this is true of all of us -- if we're willing to tease you, we like you.) With the exception of Shorty, we are not really huggers. And it's possible he became a hugger as a small act of rebellion. This goes double for me. I just don't hug. In fact, in my awkward engineer kind of way I generally avoid physical contact. I get squeamish and uncomfortable very quickly and then it just gets weird for everyone involved. This last weekend, however, something shifted. I didn't even realize what it was right away, but at some po...

I've worn contacts or glasses since I was eleven years old, when my mother realized I couldn't read the scoreboard at my sister's basketball game. This morning, I finally went to the eye doctor after faaaaaaar too long (my prescription expired ... awhile ago) and all I could think of was this Brian Regan bit. For the record, giggling while looking through those dang goggle things is kind of awkward. Especially with a new doctor. Who doesn't know you. When nothing funny is happening except for the video you're remembering. Enjoy.

It was the 1870s. Gold had been found in them thar Hills and the miners were pouring in, sneaking over borders into Indian territory to make their fortunes. Mining camps popped up in valleys and on hillsides as the search began. Southwest of Rapid City, then just a settlement on the far east border of sacred land, miners struck gold -- but had a problem. They were digging into dry mountainside, the search slowed by the lack of water. An entire town had grown around the find but it was slow going without a steady supply for their panning. But to the west was a small lake and this gave an idea. A group of people gathered, calling themselves the Rockerville and Spring Creek Hydraulic Company and developing a plan for a flume that would carry water from Sheridan Lake to the boom town of Rockerville. With investors from the east coast, a plan was laid out involving a dam on the lake, tunnels, trestles, built-up rock walls, and plenty of track to cover the twisting route throug...

Do you see it? Do you realize why this makes me laugh?  

One of the best parts about my job is that I frequently have random breaks in the middle of the day. Granted, on days like today that's because we had a 6:30 breakfast and I was up at 4AM ... but no matter. Now I've got a chance to drink some coffee, eat one of my amazingly perfect croissants (seriously, I'm astonished at how well they turned out ... I may have to post about that later), and hang out with my rented cat. It's a rough life, I tell you. In any case, I just saw this commercial (okay, so maybe it was coffee, a croissant, a cat, and some television) and I had to share it. Because I laughed really, really hard. So ... here you go.