Day 1945: Adventure Awaits

Yesterday, when I was on an adventure awaiting the end of a wonderful day, I saw this.

I love seeing life as an adventure, even when things happen that I don’t like. It’s good to know that wherever I am, adventure awaits.

Exactly a year ago, after awaiting a long time, I first saw the house where we now live.  Thus began our by-the-sea adventure.

New photos await, from yesterday’s adventure.

 

 

An explanation awaits for that last photo — it’s a memorial at a high school for a beloved teacher. The complete works of William Shakespeare include this quote about adventure:

The day shall not be up so soon as I

To try the fair adventure of tomorrow.

SgtPepper1200’s original song “Adventure Awaits!” awaits you on YouTube.

 

The comments section awaits you, below.

No need to await my gratitude for all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — for YOU.

Day 1000: A Thousand

A thousand days ago, I published my first blog post ever:  “Day 1 in the Year of Living Non-Judgmentally.”

A thousand days ago, I had no idea I would:

• blog a thousand days in a row,
• get thousands of followers,
• have a thousand ideas for blog posts,
• grow and learn in a thousand ways, and
• be a thousand times grateful, every day, for this blog.

There are a thousand different ways I could celebrate this thousandth blogging day. For example, I could write a post that contains exactly a thousand words. Or, I could share a thousand memories from over the last 1000 days of blogging. Or, I could include a thousand links to past posts. Or, I could quote a thousand favorite comments from you, my readers.

However, after a thousand thoughts and feelings about this, I’d like to use my tried-and-true formula,  here and now.

Therefore, today’s thousandth day post will include sharing less than a thousand pictures.  Yesterday, I took almost a 1000 (base 2) x 1000 (base 2) photos, when I went into Boston to see a matinee of  A Little Night Music with my son Aaron and spent the evening with Aaron and my boyfriend Michael.

I hope this thousandth post doesn’t take a thousand seconds to load, with these all these images:

   

Perhaps you have a thousand things you might say or ask about those photos.  No matter what number of words it takes, consider leaving a comment to celebrate this thousandth post.

I bet if you took a thousand guesses, you wouldn’t come up with the song I’ve chosen for this “A Thousand Days” post.

Should I wait a thousand seconds while you guess?

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Times up! I’m sure you didn’t get it, because it includes a much higher number than a thousand.

“A Hundred Million Miracles” is the song that was in my head, yesterday, as I was thinking about this thousand-day post.

As that song says,  a hundred million miracles happen EVERY DAY.  Infinite thanks, to each and every one of you, for sharing some of those miracles with me.

Day 778: Getting back to each other

Yesterday, in beautiful, non-New-England-ish* Southern California, my son and I had fun in the sun and mild weather while we were waiting for Ron Lynch to get back to us.

If you don’t know who Ron Lynch is, let me get back to you about that, right now. Getting back to my 20’s, Ron Lynch was an amazingly funny stand-up comedian in Boston and an incredibly great teacher of stand-up comedy to me and many others. Getting back to  August 2014, Ron Lynch did his midnight Tomorrow! show daily at Scotland’s Festival Fringe, which Aaron and I got back to after spending August 2013 at the (getting back to Wikipedia) “world’s largest art festival.” (Getting back to clarity, Aaron and I first visited Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe in 2013 and returned there in 2014, during which we saw Ron perform there, several times.) (Getting back to previous blog posts, you can read about our experiences at the 2013 Fringe here, here, and here and then get back to our 2014 Fringe experiences here, here, here, here, and there.)

Getting back to yesterday, here are some photos  I took in the Los Angeles area while Aaron, Ron, and I kept getting back to each other about our plans to spend some time together later in the day:

             

One thought that’s getting back to me when I look at those photos: Aaron borrowed my boyfriend Michael’s sunglasses for this trip, and I know he wants to make sure to get those sunglasses back to him, in Boston.

While Aaron and I were at the Griffith Observatory, Ron got back to us with finalized plans to meet for dinner and a comedy club, where Aaron might be able to perform, getting back to doing Open Mic. We picked Ron up  in Glendale and met his girlfriend’s cat, Eric …

… who got back to us, for a moment.

Over dinner, Ron told us that somebody at the Conan O’Brien Show had just gotten back to him, hiring Ron to get back to impersonating Abraham Lincoln on tonight’s show.   Ron, who is always funny, generous, AND kind, asked us if we wanted him to try to get back to us with two tickets for tonight’s show.

I  said Aaron and I would get back to Ron about that, because our original plans were to leave Los Angeles today and start driving up to the coast to see friends in the San Francisco area. Ron said he would get back to us this morning about whether (1) he would be appearing on the show live or on tape and (2) people from the Conan show could actually get back to him with two of these in-demand tickets.

Also during dinner, I followed my own recent blog post advice of “Just Ask” and just asked Ron why he always got back to us so quickly when Aaron and I asked to hang out with him. Ron got back to us immediately with this: “Because I like you guys.”

Getting back to the comedy Open Mic plans for last night, when we got to the comedy club in Echo Park, there were already 90 people signed up to get back to the audience with three-minute sets. While we were waiting for people to get back to us about whether Aaron could perform, I took this photo:

I can’t get back to you now with the name of the club, but I CAN get back to you with why I noticed that art work: I’m waiting for cardiologists back in Boston to get back to me about possible future surgery for my very unusual heart, where my ventricles and arteries  face in a direction that is backwards to yours.

Soon, people got back to us and Aaron was able to get back up on a comedy stage:

After Aaron’s performance, Ron got back to us with this analysis: Aaron was one of the best we saw last night.

Now, I have to get back to preparing for the day, including getting back to my friends in Northern California about different possibilities of getting back to seeing each other after we leave LA and before Aaron and then I get back to Boston.

I hope you get back to me with comments or questions about this post, including your thoughts of what “Getting back to each other” means to you. And, I want to get back to sharing some favorite music with you, too:

You can get back to the Beatles performing “Get Back” here on YouTube.

Thanks to Aaron, Michael, Ron, Conan, the Beatles, Los Angeles, cats lost and found, comedy clubs with hearts, James Dean, rebels with or without causes, anybody who has ever gotten back to anybody in any way, and — especially! —  to you, for getting back here today.

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* In case there’s any need for me to get back to you about this, I’m in no hurry to get back to New England.

Day 301: Bearing up

Yesterday, I met my old friend Lawry in Harvard Square, Cambridge, for brunch, with some members of his family.

It was great to see everybody.  I loved talking to Lawry, his wife, his daughter, his sister, his brother, and his brother’s wife.

It was particularly special for me to spend time with them, because I had been feeling some anxiety, over the weekend, about my health (and some about the Boston Red Sox, too).

And it was wonderful to be back in Harvard Square. (See “What’s the problem?” and “Random Images (paired)“, two earlier posts, for more adventures in Harvard Square.)

Here’s a little photo essay, about my time in Harvard Square yesterday.

A Little Photo Essay

by Ann

On my way to meet Lawry and his family for brunch, I saw this amazing tree.  I had to stop and take a picture. Thank you, tree.

It was another beautiful autumn day. Those of us who live in the Greater Boston area have been remarking, this year, about how friggin’ great the fall weather has been.  Those of us who dread the onset of winter in the Greater Boston area have been wondering whether this is a good or bad omen about how painful it’s going to be, too soon. (Actually, I can only speak for my own thoughts about this.)

Moments after  I took that first shot of the tree,  I had to stop and take the above photo. Why?  It’s a sign about a group, people!

Here’s a closer shot of the sign (and some of the flags) that you can see in the background of the previous photo.

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As I said, it was a beautiful day. Look at those trees and that sky.

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Another sign in front of the church. I snapped this, as a is Note To Self:  “Ann, make sure you sing more (especially as the cold and dark descend)!”

After I took that photo, I stopped dilly-dallying, and focused on getting to brunch with Lawry and his family.

I didn’t have any photos of Lawry or his family members to show you today, because I was too focused on interacting with each of them, in the moment. Right now, I wish I had some visual proof of how great they all are, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.

After brunch, I went to Urban Outfitters because I needed a scarf and gloves — that is, gear for winter,  coming too soon to a location near me.

And …  I DID find a great scarf and some colorful gloves there, which definitely cheered me up. (My philosophy: If I’m going to be cold, I might as well look cool.)

While I was shopping  in the store, I couldn’t help but notice this:

I had never seen anything quite like THAT.  I’ve noticed lots of children — and adults — wearing animal hats in these parts, but a full-bear winter coat?  I was very intrigued, but assumed it was most likely just for display. (I mean, it’s almost Halloween, for heaven’s sake.)

However, when I was in line to pay for my merchandise, I noticed that the people in front of me — a woman and her son —  had just bought one of those bear coats, which was being stuffed into a bag. I blurted out, “Wow!  You got one of those!  Can I see it?”

The woman paused, but then kindly took it out of the bag, to show me. She told me it was for her son, Asa, who was a student at Boston College. “Will you try it on for me?” I asked Asa, as I told them both about this blog.

This was Asa’s reply:

How cool is THAT?

Now it’s a day later, and I’m still feeling better.

Many thanks to Asa and his mother, Lawry and his family, Christ Church Cambridge, Urban Outfitters, all things that make life bearable, and to you, of course, for reading today.

Day 289: Sometimes, it just helps to know you’re not alone

Two confessions, this morning:

1. Sometimes, I confuse words for things. For example,  I’ll say “January” when I mean “July.”  I wonder if people think —  when I do that — that I am confused about what time of year it is.  THAT could be embarrassing.
2. Sometimes, I procrastinate making changes. That can feel embarrassing, too.

So it helps when I realize that I’m not alone in these imperfections. Especially when I realize that I am joined by a person — or an establishment — that I respect.

Therefore, I was pleased to see this sign, this past October weekend, in front of one of my favorite local restaurants.

Besides the headline, I want to point out some other things about that sign:

1. It’s located in the eastern United States (not in Australia or any other place south of the equator).
2. It uses one of my favorite words (“yummy”).
3. It concludes with something I’ve considered using more of, lately (an emoticon).

If you don’t like emoticons, insert your own preferred smiling image, here, to conclude.

Wait!  Before I do end today’s blog post, I’d like to present some of MY preferred smiling images (from previous posts, this year):

There’s more, but it’s time for me to end this post, people!

Thanks to Patou Thai Restaurant, people confused in any way by seasonal change, procrastinators (and anti-crastinators, if such people exist), smilers everywhere, and to you, of course, for reading today.

Day 288: Expected/Unexpected

Yesterday, I went for a long walk, through places I’ve been before.

As a matter of fact,  I wrote a blog post, over 100 days ago, called “Surprised by Joy,” which included pictures from a similar walk.

I was surprised, again; this time, because part of the walk had been transformed. 

In previous visits, I had walked by a large portion of fenced-off land, where changes were obviously happening. Yesterday, I saw the result of those changes.

This morning, I would like to share some photos I took, as I encountered that unexpected transformation.

I don’t know details about this transformation, and I don’t have time to find out more right now, before I leave for work (after a 3-day weekend).

I do want to tell you one detail, though.

On my walk, yesterday, I did not expect to stop and take photos. I was focused on the purpose for the walk, with an end-point in mind. And I thought I knew what that walk would be.

But in the moment, yesterday, I stopped and looked.

Here are some photos I took, where everything old was new, again.

Thanks to the Mystic River Watershed, to all those who contributed to creating the images in this post, and to you, especially, for joining my path today.

Day 287: Opening a can of worms

“Opening a can of worms” is an idiom.

“Idiom” is a word I avoid, sometimes, because it sounds like the word “idiot.”

When people use this idiom, it’s a warning about a possible negative result of change.

If you […insert change here….], you’ll be opening a can of worms!

I hear this a lot, from within and without.

If you try something new, and it doesn’t work, you’ll feel like an idiot!

If you ….

1. change a process, at work or elsewhere,
2. talk to somebody about something upsetting,
3. introduce somebody new into your life,
4. move, one way or another,
5. take a risk, of any kind

… you might be opening up a can of worms.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!   Worms!!!

Last week, at work, we were discussing a possible change, and a manager used that expression.

Yesterday, at home, I was discussing a possible change with my boyfriend, and he used that expression.

I’m not kidding, people, I hear that expression a lot.

This is what I said to my boyfriend, though:

Wait a minute!  We might be opening up a can of worms, it’s true.  But, Michael!  It’s just a can!

Because I was picturing a can of this size:

and so was he.

So I asked,

Why are people so scared of opening a can of worms, then?

Here’s a quote, from Mental Floss, about the idiom:

Metaphorically speaking, to open a can of worms is to examine or attempt to solve some problem, only to inadvertently complicate it and create even more trouble. Literally speaking, opening a can of worms, as most fishermen can attest, can also mean more trouble than you bargained for.

Here’s another one, from Yahoo Answers:

Opening a can of worms means to start to reveal something that will be messy and hard to conceal. A literal can of worms would be filled with hundreds of squirmy worms that would fall all over the place. Attempting to catch all of them and get them back in the can would be very difficult. The same goes for so many things in our lives. Sometimes there are things that we say that can’t be reversed or put back in the can, as it were. And like the worms that spread out everywhere the thing in question will spread out and impact other people.

Hmmm.  So I guess the fear makes sense, doesn’t it?

But, as I said to Michael,

What if the worms DO all escape?  How can they hurt us, really?

I mean, it’s not like we’re opening up a Tanker of Tarantulas.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not so scared about opening up a can of worms, right now.

Thanks to Michael, grasshopper_ramblin, spaghetti in cans, worms everywhere, people considering a change, and to you, of course, for reading today.

Day 233: Leave behinds

Yesterday, throughout the day at work, I re-discovered that moods can switch for people. People feel better, then they feel worse.  Then they feel better again.

Et cetera, et cetera.

At the end of the therapy groups I do at work, I often invite people to leave behind anything they choose,  in “The Magic Wastepaper Basket” (which is whatever wastepaper basket is in the group room).

For example:

I’m not sure whether people take me up on that invitation.  I just like giving it.

People who’ve read about The Worry Box may notice a similarity here. The Magic Wastepaper Basket is another way to let go of unhelpful things.

However, I’ve noticed that it can feel scary to throw something away, even if it’s something that’s definitely not helping.

Therefore, I’ve also made the suggestion that people leave Unhelpful Things (like worry, harsh self-criticism, paralyzing fears, etc.) outside the room — like a piece of baggage,  “which you can pick up, if you choose, on your way out.”

I do like the idea of throwing things away for good, though.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

For example:

Wouldn’t it be great if one could just crumple up a fear like that …

…. and throw it away!

I think an important part of that “trick” would be this: to be non-judgmental and accepting, if the fear came back.

Here’s a thought, though:

Maybe every time we throw something away, it gets smaller.

Thanks so much for reading today.

Day 223: Reasons why I should move to London, Part 3

Today is our last day in London, as we get on a train to Edinburgh.

I had a great time here, with my 15-year-old son. I (re-)learned lots of things.  We met many amazing people.  And we saw some incredible theater.

We’re both sad to leave London, but I’m sure that Edinburgh will be fabulous, also.

In order to deal with sadness of saying goodbye, here are more reasons why it’s so difficult to leave Olde London Towne:

Reason #4: I have olde and new friends here.

This is Alexa, whom I first met when we were kids, at Children’s Hospital in Boston, helping each other deal with some difficult medical challenges. It was wonderful to spend time with her and her son Alex, as they took us to a terrific sushi restaurant and to Camden (pictured above).

This is Sen, our amazing concierge at our hotel in London. He helped us feel welcome and safe from our very first day (and every time we’ve encountered him since then), with his can-do attitude, listening skills, kindness,  ingenuity, knowledge (of details and important issues),  humor, and appreciation for how a good game of 20 Questions and Charades can cheer up some weary travelers.

Reason # 5:  You can barter for goods here.

This was particularly applicable in Camden, where there were so many goods, everywhere:

And so many interesting people with whom to barter.

This is Ali, who was born in Afghanistan.  He had some perfect sunglasses to sell us.  After he quoted us a price  he said was “firm” (after giving my son and me some excellent monetary and psychological reasons for why this was a fair price for these sunglasses), he responded very positively to our requests to have the fun and pride of bartering him down.

Reason # 6: All the beautiful and historic things to see here.

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Okay, there’s a lot more I could show and tell, but it’s time to get ready for the transition to Edinburgh.  Thanks to London for all its riches and gifts, and thanks for reading today.

Day 221: Reasons why I should move to London, Part 2

Reason #3:  Photo opportunities.

London is well known for its photo opportunities. As a result, lots of photographers will take pictures of the same things in London, including this:

this:

this:

and the river that runs through it, from different perspectives:

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Here’s another example of lots of photographers taking pictures of the same thing (from different perspectives):

360 degrees of Royal Arrival

Thanks to all those photo opportunities in London, to photographers everywhere,  and to you, for looking today.