Day 2691: Numbers

When I first published this post, seven, which is a common lucky number, appeared twice in the number of today’s blog. (Since then, I discovered my numbers were off and I had to do a recount.)   Seven is also the number of my previous blog posts about numbers (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

It’s been quite a number of days since I last wrote a post about numbers (one thousand and eighty-two days,, but who’s counting?) I think “numbers” is a good topic, here and now, because there is so much in the news about numbers (number of new coronavirus cases, number of deaths, number of jobs lost, etc. etc.)

Also, this is today’s Daily Bitch:

Please take a number for your favorite photo from today’s post. That first photo, above, is, of course, #1.

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

I think there are a number of people who would not allow a cat to be on the dining room table.

The Ranker website has a list of the best songs with a number in the title. What’s your favorite song about numbers? Here‘s one of mine:

And another one:

And one more:

Now I have to prepare for a panel discussion about doing therapy groups remotely during the age of the coronavirus.  There are four  people on the panel and I have eight minutes to talk about my Coping and Healing groups. I don’t know if that will be too much, too little, or just right.

I’ll let you know how it goes in post # 2728.

I have a large number of photos indicating gratitude, and here are just a few  of them:

Day 2612: All I Care About

All I care about, at this point, is getting through 2020 doing as little harm as possible to others and to myself.

All I care about is explaining that “doing as little harm as possible to others and myself” includes:

• kindness,
• compassion,
• authenticity,
• acceptance,
• openness,
• forgiveness,
• learning, and
• balancing care for others with care for self.

All I care about is sharing my photos from yesterday.

Here’s “All I Care About” from the musical Chicago:

All I care about is what you care about, so please comment, below.

All I care about, in the end, is gratitude.

Day 2563: Anxiety’s moments

Yesterday, many moments after creating Day 2562: Moments you dream about, I heard the 1970s Chicago tune, Anxiety’s Moment …

… which lasts only a few moments.

In the 1970s, I had several anxiety’s moments, including when I heard about Chicago’s wonderful singer-guitarist-songwriter Terry Kath‘s  untimely death from “an accidental gunshot wound to the head.”  That still causes anxiety’s moment when I think about it  in this moment.

In these very early moments of the 2020s, many people are already expressing lots of anxiety’s moments.  Are you one of them?

Do any of my photos from yesterday add to or relieve anxiety’s moment?

Please no lectures but please do take a moment to leave a comment about this anxiety’s moments post.

As always, I relieve anxiety’s moments by expressing my gratitude to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

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Moments after I published this post, I found this video on YouTube, which includes many amazing moments with Chicago and the Beach Boys:

Day 2366: All Thumbs

One thousand, four hundred, and forty-four days ago (but who’s counting on all thumbs or all fingers?), I typed — with all thumbs and fingers — a post titled  Day 922: Thumbs, which included a discussion of thumb-related phrases including “all thumbs,” “thumbs up,” and “thumbs down.”

Yesterday, I was all thumbs at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, as

• I was so focused on removing liquids or semi-liquids that might be more than three ounces from my bag that I forgot to remove my laptop,
• security gave me a thumbs down and sent my bag through twice, the second time without zipping it up,
• I didn’t noticed that the bag was unzipped,
• people told me everything was falling out of my bag after I picked it up, and
• I got so flustered I dropped my laptop on my toe.

I’m glad to report that all thumbs and all toes were all okay, even if my dignity got temporarily damaged.  After all that happened, I hung around the scene of the crime and said all this to myself:

See!  You were trying to avoid feeling shame about doing the wrong thing by taking out those items from your bag, but you missed the obvious one!  And what you feared came true: you did the security thing wrong, people got annoyed, strangers noticed your mistakes,  things fell out of your bag,  you were exposed, you looked like you were all thumbs (and maybe like a crazy old lady), but you know what?  It doesn’t matter! You survived and you’re flying home to those you love!  Hooray!

And I celebrated by grabbing, with all thumbs, the #1 Best Airport Grab-and-Go Dining in the Country  (which turned my thumbs orange).

It’s time to thumb through all my photos from yesterday, when I was feeling all thumbs (but lots of heart, too).  By the way,  I thought “thumbs up!” when I was taking one of these pictures.  Can you guess which one?

Here‘s “All Thumbs” by Mark Casstevens:

I’ll reply to all  comments later (using all thumbs if I’m on my iPhone).

Thanks to all who helped me create this all-thumbs post and — of course! — to YOU, for visiting, here and now.

Day 2365: You are here

I’m so glad you are here!

Yesterday, when I was here in Chicago, I saw this here mural during a wonderful architecture boat tour on  the amazing Chicago River.

Yes, that’s a map of the Chicago River  on the side of a riverside high-rise, with the red marker indicating: “You are here” ! (If you want to hear more about that building and that map, click here.)

When we were here at this building …

I was definitely hearing some boo’s. If you want more information about that building, click here.

I hope the rest of my photos make you feel like you are here, in the mostly beautiful city of Chicago.

Yesterday, when I was here …

… I gained another, useful perspective on the building I had photographed the day before (here).

When you are here at my blog,  there will be different perspectives and the occasional pun.

Who’s here in my last photo from yesterday?

Here‘s “Here to Stay” by the Pat Metheny Group, from the album We Live Here.

Since you are here, why not let me know where you are in a comment below?

As always, I’m grateful that you are here!

 

Day 2364: Leaving town

Sometimes, leaving town is a great way to

• get perspective,
• find unity with new people,
• unify the different parts of yourself,
• replenish & refresh,
• put down some baggage,
• practice saying “hello” and “goodbye,”
• leave worries behind,
• change your mood,
• explore your feelings,
• get smarter,
• notice what’s there, waiting for you,
• get recharged,
• put a new spin on things,
• become more social,
• find your voice,
• take the next step towards change, and
• get new ideas.

Yesterday, as I was in the process of leaving my home town of Boston and traveling to the great town of Chicago, I took these photos:

Ah ha!  There I am in Chicago.

Here and here are today’s songs about leaving town:

Last night, I was feeling kind of shy  in Chi-town when I was having dinner with some people I didn’t know,, but when the group organizer asked me to sing, I stood up, found my voice, and  sang my latest song  — “Everybody’s Somebody’s Asshole.”

People seemed to like my new song but even if they didn’t, I’ll be leaving town tomorrow.

No matter what town I’m in, I see gratitude everywhere.  Thanks to all who helped me create this out-of-town post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 2232: What makes me smile

Yesterday, I got this in the mail from my friend, Janet, who makes me smile:

It makes me smile to read what Fluffy and Spot are discussing and Janet’s thoughtful note at the end:

Hi Ann!  Thought you could use a pick me up after all the not-great news you’ve been getting. Hope this makes you smile.  ❤  Janet

Janet has made me smile MANY times over thirty-plus years, including the smiles in previous blog posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here, here,and here.

It makes me smile to think of all the great smiles Janet has given me.

Sharing these other recent photos makes me smile:

 

 

Those last two photos were taken by our cat Oscar, which makes me smile:

 

It also makes me smile that one of the linked blog posts, above, including Janet (who, as has already been discussed,  makes me smile) involved Oscar posting on Facebook.

Oscar’s mastery of technology and social media makes me smile.

It makes me smile to realize I’m seeing my friend Megan for a birthday brunch today and then my friend Arnie for dinner.

It also makes me smile to realize that all the work I’ve been doing to silence my harsh inner critic, who does NOT make me smile, has been paying off!

It makes me smile to see Chicago‘s  Terry Kath, gone way too soon, rocking out on vocals and lead guitar  on “Make Me Smile”:

 

What makes you smile?

Gratitude makes me smile, every day.

 

Day 2043: I look for the good in everyone

Today, I’m sharing another hidden thought:  I look for the good in everyone.

Is that Foolish? Wise? Naive?  Effective?  Dangerous? Safe?  The cognitive distortion of overgeneralizing?  Helpful?  Bad?  Good?

Yesterday, I looked for the good in a local production of the musical Chicago starring my son Aaron’s cousin Victoria as Velma Kelly. I found a lot of good AND a foolish, naive character singing “A Little Bit of Good (in Everyone).”

Here and now, I find good in this performance  of “A Little Bit of Good”by the original Mary Sunshine.

Even though Mary Sunshine spoofs a naive and foolish “sob sister” in Chicago, I will continue to look for the good in everyone.

I looked for the good in everyone yesterday and found these images:

 

 

Thank you for looking for the good in my blog post today and many thanks to all who helped me create it!

Day 2002: What gives you a lift?

In times like these,  it’s important to ask the question “What gives you a lift?”

What gives me a lift includes a visit to Chicago,

sunshine, being near the water,

urban parks,

liberty,

freedom of the press,

 

Edinburgh, Scotland (which I’m visiting again with my son in August), good public transportation,

Lyft drivers who have candy for their passengers,

sand sculptures,

embracing that it’s my time to fly, and most of all, coming home.

My friend Dave guarantees that watching this will give me a lift:

 

It did!  I’m sure your comments will give me a lift, too.

Gratitude, as always, gives me a lift. Thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 2001: A Real Piece of Art

Yesterday, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, I saw this:

Is that a real piece of art?  Do any of my other photos today show real pieces of art? Or real pieces of anything else?

This post has 70 photos, but who’s counting? (For the answer to that question, please see yesterday’s post.)

In case it was difficult to see the real pieces of art in one of the photos above, here’s a closer look at it:

That’s the exterior of the Chicago Tribune building, which includes real pieces of art from around the world, including pieces of Edinburgh Castle and the Taj Mahal.

Here‘s a video about a real piece of art featured in today’s post:

Here‘s another one:

I’ve been working on real pieces of a new song, which somebody recorded when I performed it yesterday. Perhaps a real piece of  that will show up on YouTube soon, too.

I’m looking forward to real pieces of comments, below.

A real piece of gratitude to all the real pieces of art and real pieces of other things that appeared in today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.