General Thoughts

I had a glimpse of a perfect morning (Shawn style), earlier today. It was tainted by sick day guilt, but it was still a refreshing, almost utopia-like view of morning perfection.

I sat at the kitchen counter, on a hard wooden stool. The sun was pouring in the window behind me so that I could feel the warmth soak through my bathrobe. My feet fiddled around with the bar stool rungs, and my over sized monster slippers amused me because they are too big to be practical, yet too fun not to wear. Surprisingly, the contrast of the hard chair, and cold, white, countertop against the cozy bathrobe/slipper/sun combo was quite pleasant. I read my morning paper (which for me, is a 12″ PowerBook, browsing random blogs), and sipped on some fresh coffee. The quiet of a still home, interrupted by occasional sips and “cla-dunk” sounds as I nursed the mug, offered a glimpse of perfection.

The moment vanished quickly, because the dog barked at the neighbor, and the sun brightened a bit so that my screen was hard to read — but those few moments were amazing. I hope that you get a moment or two of perfection today, they make the rest of reality a little easier to manage. 🙂

Many months ago (and 2 blog software iterations ago), I did an experiment which involved waking up every morning at 5AM. It was difficult, but I made a video podcast every morning, and it was fun. At the end of the 30 days, I went back to waking up around 7AM, and life went on as normal.

Ironically, my work schedule recently changed, such that I now wake up every morning at 3AM, and go into work at 4. Yikes. Today, I woke up with a huge headache at 3, and tried to get rid of it, so that I could at least go in for a half day at 8. By 6:30, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to manage, so I called in sick. (I still had to leave a message, because no one else gets there before 7:30, but the deed was done.)

I crawled out of bed around 10:30AM, and still felt miserable. Donna had brewed a pot of coffee (she doesn’t drink coffee — it was just for me, awe…), and I felt it was time to move on with the day, headache or not.

The problem I have with sick days, is that I can’t rest. I have this cursed work ethic that gnaws at my soul when I’m home instead of at work. I even have that problem on vacation days. It’s 1PM now, and I feel the urge to go into work and do the things I didn’t do earlier. How sad is that? With my contractually accumulated sick days, I could take off a month and a half STRAIGHT, and no one could complain. I could never do that though. Is that admirable, pathetic, or possibly a little of both?

So how about you, lone reader, do you have sick day guilt when you stay home?

I write because I want people to value my thoughts. Is it because I have self-worth issues? Maybe, but more than that I think it’s that the brain is a lonely place. I am a family man, and my wife and kids know me very well. There is a privacy in thoughts, however, that you can’t really convey well in daily banter. So, I write.

I’d love to be a career writer. No, I’m not saying that fishing for praise or criticism, but rather to lead into the reason I’m rather afraid to do it. Does writing for cash ruin the craft? See, on another level, I love technology. I speak computer. If you’re one of those people that just understand what a computer is or isn’t doing, you know what I mean. I have almost an intuition regarding computer problems, and I’ve never met a problem I couldn’t fix. (Boy was that conceited…) I logically took a career in the computer industry. I’m a Technology Director for a K12 school district. I like computers a lot less than I used to. Really.

Is writing the same? I LOVE to write. I may not have a natural flare for writing like I have for computer repair (again, not fishing for compliments or scorn), but I love it. It fulfills me, and I love to have people read my work. It’s a feeling I can’t explain. Maybe it’s deep seated in a psychological need for acceptance, I dunno, but it gives me joy. If I had to write for a paycheck, would I enjoy it as much? I really don’t know that answer.

Thankfully, I can write as much as or as little as I want. And if you are reading this, at least one person is reading my stuff. 🙂 (Sorry I make you read my blog Donna, you’re very sweet to do so without falling asleep)

Maybe someday I’ll be able to report on whether getting paid for writing ruins it. But today, I’ll just click publish, make a cup of coffee, and enjoy my Saturday.

First off, I fully believe that “famous people” are absolutely normal people. Often quirky, but that’s not an attribute reserved for the famous. They’re just people.

If there is a difference, it’s the huge disadvantage they have because they’re known by so many more people than they know themselves. So what’s a star to do? Good question, and one that those of us with limited fame can only guess.

It’s not uncommon to see actors, singers, etc. together. While I’m sure it’s not terribly fun to be known by so many, and know so few — misery seems to love company. It makes sense to find comfort with folks that understand the plight of fame. (and yes, I’m sure it is a burden, the cool factor would wear off quickly)

What am I getting at? Here’s the deal:

I’m a fan of Wil Wheaton. Yes, I’m a Trekkie — but much more than that, I enjoy his writing. In fact, he’s the kind of person I’d like to have a cup of coffee with, and discuss our vastly differing views on things. I don’t want his autograph, I don’t want to pose with him for pictures, I don’t want a poster, and I don’t want to steal his shoes to sell on ebay.

Here’s the problem: Wil Wheaton happens to be rather famous. To add insult to injury, the only way I was ever exposed to his writing is due to his connection with Star Trek. I’m not a groupie, I don’t know his favorite foods, I’ve never stood in line for his autograph — but it it weren’t for his fame, I’d probably never have been exposed to his blog.

So now, any attempts to contact him outside the normal “Wil, what was it like to work with Patrick Stewart” type question, delve into the “creepy fan” domain. That kinda sucks.

So, in order to ask him some pointed philosophical questions (like what’s his favorite strategy in “Settlers of Catan”), Wil Wheaton needs to become a fan of *me*, because it’s less creepy that way. (Maybe it’s more creepy that way, but at least I’m not the creep…) So here it goes:

Wil:

I need you to be a huge fan of educational technology. My work in transitioning a school district to Linux thin clients for their primary workstation need to fascinate you. Lengthy diatribes about vegan food, space, struggles with faith, the meaning of life, and coffee should be the first thing you want to read about in the morning. You should know the name of my wife, even though I’ve never introduced you to her.

There. Now we’re even. Drop me an email, we’ll have coffee some time. 🙂

Apparently, to me, this sign means: “Women, men in kilts, or people who enjoy sitting in recliners are welcome in this room.” Since I fall into the last category, its OK for me to stroll in, right?

Here’s the deal: my wife and 2 youngest daughters were looking at “capri pants” or some such girly thing. I thought we were about to leave, so I left the electronics department (where I was dreaming of buying a PS2 with Guitar Hero) and followed the fam’ to the front of the store.

When they stopped by the girl’s clearance rack, I figured I had some time to kill, so decided to jaunt to the bathroom. I’m not sure if Walmart stores all over put little displays of guitars and telescopes near the restrooms — but here in northern Michigan, there’s always guitars, telescopes, and metal detectors right outside the bathroom doors.

As I gazed longingly at a $300 telescope, I walked directly into the ladies room. Thankfully, a surprised shopper (of the female variety) was on her way out as I walked in, and I noticed my error by the mortified look on her face.

The good news? Well, apparently I’m manly enough that I don’t pass for a woman. It would have been much more damaging to my psyche if the woman thought it correct for me to walk into the same restroom she had just used. Also, it’s good that she was on her way out, and I didn’t run into her INSIDE the room as I looked around curiously for the urinals.

Oh well, no harm, no foul. I quickly did an about face and went into the proper room, where men get to just pee at the porcelain wall decorations. Heck, in Walmart, we don’t even have to flush anymore — there are sensors that do it for us. If only they could make sensors that automatically made guys wash their hands. Am I the only guy on the planet that actually washes his hands after using the bathroom? Don’t answer that, my manliness has been challenged enough today…

In an irony that I just relish, this post has been in my “draft” area for about 5 days.

Are you a procrastinator? I am. My whole life I’ve been trying to avoid being a procrastinator, but I think I just needed to redefine the rules to fit my tendencies. (nothing like redefining reality to suit your own needs, eh?)

It turns out that during my time of procrastination, I am subconsciously perfecting the end result. Oh yeah, I’m going to procrastinate MORE often. I urge you to do the same thing. If we all waited until the last minute, think how much more thought would go into things. We can make the world better — maybe not today, but when we get around to it.

If my methodology gets you into trouble with a spouse, parent, etc. — just use some old idioms back up your position. “Look before you leap”, “Patience is a virtue”, “never put off till tomorrow what you could do today”, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”, “you can’t rush perfection”, etc, etc.

Have a great day everyone. I’m going to go take a nap. 😉

I was going to post about 10 ways to make blogging fulfilling, but while I was surfing earlier, I came across a much better post. His list was slightly different, and only 8 points — but I’ll just send you a link. It was a great read.

I’m going to follow his advice, and leave him a comment. Maybe he’ll visit my blog as well. 🙂

Have a great night everyone.

I must admit, I’ve never had a journal. I know, I know, for someone who loves to write so much, it seems a shame not to have a journal. I never really realized how sad it was until I started regularly blogging.

I wish I had a journal for the last 30 years or so. It saddens me deeply that so much of my life has been forgotten. Is it egocentric to read your own journal entries? I think not. I’d love to rediscover myself, and be able to look back on hardships, etc, with the wisdom of time. Oh well, maybe I’ll start a journal now. Maybe I’ll consider *this* my journal, although it’s much more difficult to share the nitty-gritty details of life online.

I think later today I’m going to have a “10 ways to love blogging” or something similar. I’ve learned a lot exploring the blogosphere (gawd that’s a cheesy word), so I might as well write it down so I don’t forget it. ;o)

G’day everyone.

There are some words that have bad connotations bestowed upon them. We’d argue some are deserved, like the evils of “murder”, “adultery”, “saturated fat”, or “LA Clippers.” (I had to take a cheap shot at SOMEONE, and it’s unlikely that either Clippers fan will ever read my blog…)

Escapism, however, often gets a bad rap, and I don’t think it’s deserved. While there are definite forms of destructive escapism, that’s true of almost any virtuous thing. Avoiding population overcrowding is a great idea — genocide to accomplish that is not.

What is escapism you ask? Well, it’s any form of subversion from reality. It could be reading SciFi/Fantasy books. It could be using illicit drugs. It could be daydreaming. The idea is that it gets you mentally and/or physically away from your present situation.

I have a high stress job. I like to escape into many different worlds as a little vacation. *This* is one of those worlds. I explore my thoughts and the thoughts of others in the blog world. I also read a lot. I tend to read Fantasy, but more recently I’ve been drawn to hardcore Science Fiction. Is it wrong to escape from the drudgery of reality? Since cocaine and Asimov are both vehicles to escapism, does the former make the latter wrong by association?

I urge you to escape once and a while. Stepping out of the daily grind for a bit offers perspective that you just can’t get while in the thick. Read a book. Watch some TV. Play some Warcraft. Comment on my blog (or others, that was a shameless plug). Write something.

I’ll see you all later. I’m off to explore the ring-shaped alternative to a dyson sphere. I’ll bring you back a tasp.