City Toilet

As promised a story or two about Turkey Day and my travels.

There really aren't any traveling woes to report, minus the full plane on the way there, where I sat in the window seat at six in the morning with all of my carry on luggage piled on top of me. That was the BEST four hours of my life.

It was a great trip and fun was had by all.

I believe that the funniest thing that happened was the City toilet incident in Boston.

My companions and I traversed this fine city by foot that day and it was quite nice. Then we reached a crossroads when one member of the group needed a restroom break. We found the latest technology...The automatic cleaning city toilet. Well, there was a mishap and well let's just say that the doors opened when they shouldn't have and too many things were exposed to the city. Luckily, there weren't too many people around. And probably the most comical part of the ordeal was the man selling boat tours of the city just kept on yelling his pitch and offered no assistance whatsoever, like it was an every day occurrence.




We immediately found ourselves a libation and nursed the injured party's wounded pride.

That's all I have today. I'm still trying to recover the funny from the depths, please be patient. I hope you found some in today's post.

Coming Attractions

I've been blogging about some deep stuff lately and I assure you that it is not without it's merit, but let's get back the funny shall we?

This week promises more tales of the weary traveler as I embark on Thanksgiving travel. So stay tuned for how that turns out. I'm headed to the east coast and they were warning of storms.

Are you checking out my album recommendations? Here are a couple more....

Lewis Taylor & Zero 7
And this is an old one, but if you haven't checked out Maroon 5, well, what are you waiting for?

I recommend the following service from Real Player...Rhapsody. Do it and do it now, especially if you are not already a member of the iPod cult. There are alternatives people.

As you were....Watch the parade and Gobble! Gobble! (in other words... Happy Thanksgiving)

The Analysis of Leaving

I've heard good-bye a lot in my life. And as a result shed rivers of tears.

When I was young I cried when my brothers and sisters would go back to college after a weekend visit. I carried that on through high school, without fail at each departure.

I cried when important people like my beloved high school music teacher resigned and moved away. She was a mentor and a friend and I didn't like her replacement. I couldn't fathom her leaving.

I always cry at the airport. I'm a crier. What can I say? In fact, so much so that it has become somewhat of a family joke and trait that identifies me.

What triggers this flow of emotions in people; in me? I know there were times that I thought that I'd never see the person I loved again. I'd run a lot of scenarios in my head. Car accidents or plane crashes mostly. Which is completely macabre but that's the conclusion I would jump to.
When the leaving was more like my music teacher I think it was because I was going to miss some of the special treatment I'd received for being a favorite and the mentoring I'd received as a result.

When friends would leave, say at the airport, I would attribute it to missing the special connection one has with friends and how nice it is to joke around and have fun with someone who you like and who likes you. Which although it may not warrant a bucket of tears, it's legitimate.

I think the prevalent thing that we think of when someone leaves us is "What am I going to do without this person" regardless of the reason for the going.
It comes from fear of being alone, of no else understanding us as much as that person does/did, of losing the love and comfort that the leaver provides,even more simplisticly, being forgotten. And no one wants that.

As I've grown up more I've learned to not cry so much about leaving, mine or others. In fact, I've fought tears many many times in airports, at work, in the car on the way home. It's been a good thing. It's taught me that leaving can be positive in some way; that it doesn't always have to be negative and sad. (I could spin out all the reasons why it's okay, but I won't.) Bottom line is it's made me stronger because I know that even if the worst happens that person has loved me and I them and has left an indelible impression on my heart and soul forever.
And experiencing that in this life can never be forgotten or replaced. Which is my version of the following favorite quote....
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."

Burning Down the House

I've been burning a lot of the food I've been cooking lately. I'm normally a good cook so this is a trend I'm noticing and frankly it's a bit disturbing.

First, it was bacon. Which can be tricky anyway. I had to throw that out. None of it was salvageable. So, I tried again and watched it more closely or so I thought. There were still burned bits but I ate it anyway. It had a maple brown sugar flavor added so it wasn't too bad.

Next came the grilled cheese and ham. None of those came out golden. I ate those too.

So, I tried something new and put a lid on the pan. Because what often happens with grilled sandwiches in the frying pan is that the bread burns but the cheese doesn't melt and then, well, what's the point? You're making it this way because you want cheese melted on bread and you want it fast!

The lid gave me a false sense of security. Meaning, that I could leave the room altogether and expect perfection once I returned. It was a disaster. But it was the last of the bread and so I ate it anyway.



Then yesterday plain grilled cheese. I used the lid again, which really does work well for trapping heat in order to melt the cheese. I obviously did not learn a blessed thing from the first lid experience because as you can expect that one had one black side and one nice golden side.

And finally, today, in fact the thing that made me notice this charcoal food trend, a simple BBQ beef Hot Pocket. They aren't kidding when they say microwave cooking times may vary. We have two micros in our kitchen at work and one, the one on the top, always turns out a Hot Pocket that is moist and delicious. The other one on the other hand doesn't work that way ever. And I'm sure you'll say, well, use the top one and you'd be right. But you have to use the one that's available when people are waiting to use them and a line has formed.

Anyway, I think I'm distracted and that's why I'm burning and eating sub-standard food. Which I've concluded is HEAVY distraction mind you. Especially when you can't pay attention to the smoking frying pan stinking up your kitchen.
My mind is apparently full of more things than you can shake a stick at and can't be bothered with the nuances of cooking a grilled cheese properly.

You're probably asking yourself why did I just read this whole thing about burned food? Well, I don't know, why did you? Were you hoping for a better explanation for the distraction? I can indeed give you one, but the basic underlying theme is a distracted cluttered mind full of decision-making and juggling and avoidance and sadness and dare I say it melancholy.
But let's leave it at that because I think the funny will die if we don't.

So just remember that if you are burning your food a lot in one week then you should check your mind and de-clutter it because charcoal is bad for you.

Autumn

Living in Southern California one doesn't really witness the change of seasons as much as, say in Maine. But make no mistake the trees still change color here and the weather does get colder.

A lot of people like autumn. I can get behind that. It's pretty and it makes you feel like wearing a sweater and drinking hot cocoa or tea and enjoying the misty grey color of the sky in the afternoons.
It's apple pie and pumpkins and Halloween and Robert Frost poems.

Which is nice.

Today's blog comes with two album recommendations. Sheryl Crow's Wildflower and Aqualung's Strange & Beautiful.

Sheryl goes back to the old days and actually writes some songs we want to listen to. And the Aqualung, well the Brits have brought us another group to enjoy. And though I don't know much about them as yet, I'm grooving to their tunes.

Happy Autumn Chipmunks!