Day 2589: 02/02/2020

Today is

1. Groundhog Day,
2. a palindrome date (the numbers are the same backwards and forwards), and
3. my 67th birthday!

In 2018, I wrote a song titled “Shameless Appeals for Applause” which starts out

I’ve made it to age 65,

Nothing gets in the way of my passion and drive,

I was born with heart problems but I’m still alive.

I wonder if I need to rewrite that opening?  If so, not today.  Today I’m going to

• watch if the groundhog sees his shadow.
• think about the return of spring in the midst of winter.
• spend the day with my eminently quotable husband Michael who recently said, “If you’re going to learn something, you have to not know it first.”
• enjoy a new production of the musical “Hair.”
• enjoy not having to color my hair.
• get a free meal.
• watch for this Super Bowl commercial, which mentions my hometown:

• share my latest photos with you.

I have all I need in this corner of the world on my birthday, including YOU!

 

Day 2245: Desperation

There’s been a lot of desperation around here lately. Are you noticing desperation where you are?

Here’s one source of my desperation: I’m wondering if I control the universe with my anxiety.    When I am anxious about something (like planning a dinner in Los Angeles, for example), things seem to go wrong.

I also have desperation about my inability to write something on this blog without using the word “thing.”

Michael has been experiencing desperation about charging his laptop — for days, he has had to anchor the charging cord in intricate ways to  get any charge.

Yesterday, a replacement charging cord came in the mail and Michael said, “I’m going to keep that as an art installation called “Desperation.'”

Do you see desperation in my other photos from yesterday?

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to make a peep about desperation or anything else, please comment below.

Also, Dr. Matthew Salzler at Tufts Medical Center dispersed any desperation I might have about my healing rotator cuff,  a year after my falling and tearing it.

Out of desperation about not having any new ideas of how to celebrate my son’s birthday (he’s turning 21 today!) on this blog, I’m sharing, again,  his misheard lyrics of “Louie Louie” on YouTube.

Here’s a comment from somebody who might have had some desperation looking for my son’s video until finally finding it:

Deku Tree
8 months ago
I finally found you this is a weird story so sit tight

I was in a music class in elementary school and the teacher there wanted our next song we sang to be Louie Louie he then told us a story about how the song had weird misheard lyrics and showed the class this very video to show us what the misheard lyrics were and I finally found it when I was watching a video on YouTube for weird misheard lyrics throughout history and my mind thought about this video and I thought “I know the in’s and out’s of YouTube now I’ll try to find it.” and I did yes! It wasn’t even that hard to find I was just lazy back when I was a kid and didn’t look very hard now I have liked the video from my memory’s finally.

No desperation at the end of this blog post, just gratitude for all who helped me create it and — of course! — YOU.

 

Day 1044: At Last You’re Here

At last I’m here with today’s daily blog post.

At last you’re here to read it.

I heard “At Last You’re Here” by Pat Metheny last night and knew, at last, that today’s blog title was here.

“At Last You’re Here” is a perfect title and song for today, because:

1. I know my parents said, “At Last You’re Here” when my older sister Ellen was born, 68 years ago today.
2. At last it’s official that my esteemed friend and fellow social worker Megan will be here with me at the hospital, starting in December. At last we’re here, working together again.
3. At last, these photos are here from my iPhone:

  

At first and at last, Oscar is here while I create these posts.

At my last birthday party (almost three years ago), Megan was here (next to my ex-sister-in-law Deborah):

At last, my sister and I are here:

At last and at least, we’re all here together on this earth.

At least since January 1, 2013, I’m here on WordPress every day.

At last you’re here, at the end of this post.

Lasting thanks to Ellen, Megan, Deborah, Oscar, Pat Metheny, Marie Kondo, and all who are here today, including you!

Day 963: How to choose the title for a post

 1. Check recent photos for a good-enough  post title. 

   
  
  
  
Which of those photos might inspire a post title, for you?

 2. Acknowledge a special event.

For example, today is my and my son Aaron’s first day home after an incredible vacation in Edinburgh, Scotland with our excellente relative Deborah. Plus, it’s my boyfriend Michael’s birthday.

 3. Go with your first instinct. 

Okay!

Before I end this well-enough-titled post, here’s a song inspired by one of my photos, above.

Everything IS awesome, sometimes.

Awesome and aptly titled thanks to Aaron, to Michael, to my ex-sister-in-law Deborah,  to everybody else appearing in this excellently-titled post (mostly from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015), and to you — of course! — no matter what your title is.

Day 763: And many more

Today is Groundhog Day!*

Here are some things* I notice about that image* (which I found online, here):

1. There’s a misspelling  in a newspaper.*
2. An animal can act at least three ways* that a human* might not expect.
3. That story* assumes the hero is a “he.”
4. I can’t tell what country that noozpaper is from, which reminds me that Groundhog Day is celebrated in the countries* of the USA (my home) AND Canada (the home of many of my readers).
5. G. is an abbreviation for  the word “Ground.”*
6. Readers* of that noozpaper want to know “will he or won’t he.”

There are many more ways I could riff on that opening image,* but I think it’s time to do my job, on February 2, 2015.

What is my job, today? As I see it, to write a post somehow celebrating

1. Groundhog Day,
2. an exciting Super Bowl game here in the USA,
3. my birthday,
4. having my birthday off from work,
5. and many more.

Today, I considered other titles for this post, including:

1. “Don’t panic!“
2. “2/2/15,”
3. “Do Your Job,”
4. “Six more weeks* of what?!?!,“
5. “How to Train Your Draggin’,”
6. “I Love Michael,”
7. and many more.

So why did I choose “And many more” as the title for this post?  The primary reason* is that “And many more” is what people say, in my neck of the woods, * after they wish somebody a Happy Birthday.

From the Wikipedia page about the song Happy Birthday to You:

It is traditional, among English-speakers, that at a birthday party, the song “Happy Birthday to You” be sung to the birthday person by the other guests celebrating the birthday. More specifically, the birthday person is traditionally presented with a birthday cake with lit candles, with the number of candles sometimes corresponding to the age of the person. After the song is sung (usually just once), party guests sometimes add wishes like “And many more!” expressing the hope that the birthday person will enjoy a long life.

Speaking of “the hope that a birthday person will enjoy a long life,” that’s a wish* that’s been expressed on this blog, especially lately.

Here’s a conversation* I had with Michael, my boyfriend, right before I sat down to write this post:*

Me:  Michael, do you think I’m going to make it to my 63rd birthday next year?

Michael (incredulous pause): Of course!

Me: But, Michael!  We were just talking about how you* think it’s likely I’m going to need heart surgery before the summer! There’s a part of me that’s afraid that heart surgery  might kill me.

Michael: You’ll live a long life, baby (or words to that effect*).

Michael has been right about lots of things.* So, now I know.

I am very grateful for Michael.

I’ve got these photos* to show you, regarding “and many more”…

 

Here’s to many more chocolates (thanks to my friend, Jeanette).

.

Here’s to many more photos of Oscar staring at me while I’m blogging, every morning.

.

Here’s to many more snowstorms near Boston, USA (%$#!!@#!!*).

.

Here’s to other things I’m grateful for, on 2/2/2015*:

1. My son, Aaron, soon to turn 17.
2. My family of origin, including my sister and my late parents.
3. My other family members, including the members of my ex’s family.
4. My friends, including Jeanette.*
5. My upcoming trip with Aaron to California.*
6. My work doing therapy with individuals and groups.*
7. WordPress, as the platform for my blog.*
8. All those who have ever visited this blog.*
9. Music (whether it be jazz, blues, pop, or classical)*
10. And many more.

Here’s today’s song:

From Arizona, it’s several classical renditions of “Happy Birthday” (found here, among many more videos on YouTube.)

As Nicole Pesce says, at the end of that video, “I need a break after that one.”  So, I’m going back to bed to keep recovering from the flu.

Many thanks to every person, animal, and thing that helped me compose this post.* And thank YOU — of course! — for visiting here today*.

---

*  … and many more (?)