It’s been a tumultuous February. My bag was stolen out of my office over a week ago (ipod – serial # 8K834NLG2C7 / panasonic lumix camera, serial #EN6BA14667R / wallet / cc’s / PICTURES FROM THE INAUGURATION AGH) and it has been aggravating to say the least. For the first few days I kept having daydreams of catching the bastards with my bag, and proceeding to tackle and/or beat the crap out of them. That didn’t make me feel much better, though, so I’ve mostly just been focusing on GettingThingsDone.

and

Today a couple folks got laid off from the office. That is distressing to me on a couple levels – first, one of them is a buddy of mine and I feel bad for him, and second, what if that had been me? Truth be told, we would not be in that bad of shape – we have a decent savings and a place to stay rent free if it came to that. (And at the end of the year Em will have her degree, which means we will be a two-fulltime-income-family). But just the very thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

I’ve been meaning to meditate more, and mostly by accident ran across the big sit – a westernized version of the traditional 3-month buddhist practice period. I decided I need to get Serious Yo about meditating more frequently, so I signed up. I sat for twenty minutes tonight and my mind was in a fucking insane maze mode, mostly about work. It’s going to be really important to keep things in perspective in the coming months.

I’ve been talking to my folks more in the past few weeks. In the past when I’ve been distressed, it’s been over things I didn’t think I could talk to them about. But now it is comforting to call them up and hear their voices. (I think E. having such a good relationship with her folks has inspired me.)

And now, I know most of the internet has seen Barack Obama Is Tired Of Your MotherFucking Shit, but maybe you haven’t. These audio clips of Obama reading “Dreams of My Father” are absolutely hilarious (and NSFW).

I’ve been distracted lately – mostly by work outside of work – and I haven’t had much time to myself. I haven’t had much time for this blog either, but I’m not really sorry.

Tonight I went over to an apartment complex with a gate and fixed a computer. Got home, and W. came over. We had a beer and some cloves and she talked really fast. I’m still worrying I might have offended Robyn terribly by emailing her mid-gasp while watching zeitgeist. Turned off the tv, the noise was overwhelming me. Lit some incense, sat on my zafu, drank some tea afterwards, wrote in my journal. I need to make that a habit, like so many other things.

Still wondering what will happen with fnb. Most of the homeless folks have been run out of town, or at least northside, and we haven’t been having hardly anyone stop by on Sundays. We’ve been at it almost four years. Part of me thinks it’s been a good run, the other part of me hates to give up the only unselfish thing I do each week.

Maybe I need to make that a habit, too.

Emily had a long day – a 38 hour day, if you want to be specific – and she’s in bed now, asleep. I fully expected her to be asleep by the time I got home from work, but she was a wee bit manic and giggly and talking about how she was going to stay up for 50 hours straight! We got takeout from Surin’s and popped in last night’s episode of Lost…and it took her about thirty seconds to fall asleep after she finished her tofu coconut soup.

I’m watching the high school basketball tournament on tv. Soon the NCAA tourney will be here, and I’ve got tickets to the first round in Birmingham.

Things have been a little crazy around here lately. I’ve been sick, Emily’s been sick, everyone’s been sick. We’ve been having bad storms here; one knocked out our power for about 12 hours and knocked down a tree next door that took four cars with it. That was the last day I was sick; I went into work and got sent home (actually, my boss drove me home), and when I got home the power was still out so I couldn’t even pretend to be productive. It was kind of nice, to be honest. I sat by the window and read, and napped on the couch, and I’m sure getting some solid rest (I mean, there was nothing else TO do!) helped immensely.

I had lunch with Robyn last weekend; she was in town for some church conference thing. It was awesome to see her – I sure would like to get back out to Berkeley before she graduates from seminary. I literally came up with an absolutely fabulous idea for a book the night before we had lunch, and it was nice to solidify my ideas by talking with her about it. Now that I’ve put it out into the universe, I have to write it before someone else has a similar idea (as happened with the last book idea I had a brainstorm about, thanks Garrison).

I’ve been working on a side project that’s been keeping me up late, too. I should be completely done with it this weekend, though.

I’ll be getting another tattoo soon. (Emily was going to get me a skateboard for Valentine’s day, but I told her I’d rather have a tattoo.)

Stories like this make me want to buy a pistol to take with me on hiking trips. i grew up shooting guns (mostly rifles) but haven’t shot one in a very very long time. i’m just not sure i want to go down that path. i like hiking solo but get freaked out sometimes about theDangerFactor in a wilderness (usually) deep in redneck country…the closest i’ve ever come to being attacked is by wild boars, however, not by humans.

of course, i’ve started being a little more … careful of my surroundings … on my walks home, since some girl was (randomly) shot&killed about a block away from where i used to live (and a block away from my path home). life is precious, yo.

p.s. “spirit if…” by the broken social scene presents kevin drew is my favorite download of this emusic cycle. so far.

p.p.s. work is absolutely batshit crazy right now. everyone needs everything done now! and by now i mean yesterday!

It has been much warmer in the house since I put bubble wrap over the windows. Our heater is about eighty five years old, and every time I light it I singe the hair off my arms. Poof! Bubble wrap.

The leaves have fallen; the tree is up. I have most of my Christmas shopping done, but haven’t sent a single Christmas card. It’s the season I love to dread; it isn’t cold enough to be pretty, but it’s cold enough for everything to hibernate for the winter. (Including me, I guess).

Emily’s going to be done with nursing school in 4 semesters. Maybe we should just move when she’s finished, instead of waiting until she has experience and I’m vested.

Highest on my list: Portland, Vancouver, Denver, and Minneapolis. Maybe Albuquerque.