Simple Joys

I've been meaning to update my blog for a while, but the funny thing is....I've just been too busy.  Not too busy doing anything in particular.  Just busy....doing.  And being.  I have enjoyed the last week quite a bit.  Here's as far as I got last week.....


Thursday 1/26

It was 63 steamy degrees as I made my way to my car at 6:30 this morning.  It's supposed to get into the mid 70's today.  Again.  I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone that this is my kind of mid-January weather.  I wish I had time to be out enjoying it but that's another matter altogether.  I have this thing called a job that's keeping me very busy and is actually pretty intense right now.  But the good news is that I'm still loving it.  I look forward to getting there in the morning, and sometimes I don't get out until after 6 and the day flies by. 

Charleston was the only US Mainland destination listed as part of Fodor's Go To List for 2012.  It \Sprovides 21 suggested destinations ranging from Paris to Milan to South Korea (see the List here).  What's the number one attraction they mention?  The food.

Anyway...I dunno why I needed to share that but I obviously did.  Next topic....

I'm scheduled to have a root canal tomorrow.  It's not really a big deal, but still I can name hundreds if not thousands of things I'd rather be doing. Yuck.

Speaking of Yuck, this legislator in TN who said he'd "stomp a mudhole" in a transperson if they ended up in the bathroom with him, his wife, or his daughter is still at it (see it here).  All I can say is that some of us are more than capable of defending ourselves, and I'd love to see the look on his face if he were to have the opportunity to realize that first hand.

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My week has been full of some amazing little moments.  I suppose none are special in the bigger picture but somehow, just recognizing them as special makes them so.

I'll share a couple of them:  I have come to know the people at the local MAC store and went in for a while on Saturday to do eyes.  Makeovers are one of those special things.  I don't do them very often, but for some reason this one was particularly so.  I can't explain why....  I've made a list of all my MAC "stuff" and came to realize that I don't even know how to use it all.  They're helping me, and I'm really enjoying it.

I went for a nice long run over the weekend.  It was my first outdoor run in a while.  The weather here has been just amazing....sunny, highs in the 60's and low 70's with crispy cool nights.  Anyway, while I was running I could see my shadow directly in front of me and my pony tail was wagging back and forth to my gait.  I've seen that in others, but never in myself. It was cool.

I spent a late Sunday afternoon before wrestling practice walking around The Citadel campus.  It's a very pretty place, and I took some nice photos.

I could go on, but in the end it's all just trivial stuff special to nobody but me.  And it is still special.

The week has had some less than wonderful moments, too.  I need a root canal, and I'm headed to the dentist later in the week for that.  After wrestling last night I was absolutely exhausted - I've been doing 6 minute matches and was disappointed about how things unfolded.  I stopped at one of my usual restaurants downtown afterwards for a medicinal glass of wine and a shrimp cocktail.  By the time I got home I felt better.

I attended a big-deal all-day resource planning meeting for work today.  There were twenty of us in the room.  Only two of us were women.  I notice these things, and it rocks.

I weighed myself today.  The last Olympic Qualifier tournament is 2 months from tomorrow and it's time to start the unnatural process of getting down to my competition weight.  Today's weigh in was not pleasant, but I suppose it wasn't a surprise either.  Regardless, I'll be where I need to be when I need to be there.

I watched the movie "The Time Traveller's Wife" on DVD.  It was ok, but I'm glad I didn't go see it in the theater.

I haven't been online much which is probably a good thing. The more I'm out doing stuff, the less I'm in front of a computer.  That's just a good thing.

My friend Michele Angello asked me to do a little video for a class she's teaching back in 2007 or so (it's on YouTube). 





Well, she called over the weekend and asked if I could do an update.  So, on my way to work this morning - I did.  Nothing profound other than my ability to talk and drive at the same time, but I think it's interesting to compare...



What I suppose I'm trying to say by sharing any of this is that life feels as though it has found a pretty good groove and I'm very aware of simple things going on. 

While my Simple Joy week has been going on I've noted more than once (partially due to people writing about it on FB) that the Creating Change Conference has been going on in Baltimore.  It brings together ~3,000 LGBTQIAA activists of all kinds from all over the country and has become THE place to come to learn to create change.  I've only attended twice, and I suppose I create change in my own way.

The reason I mention it is that what I'll call "formal" activism isn't part of my life balance any more.  I'm not on any boards.  I don't attend conference calls.  I don't go to conferences unless I have a reason to be there.  The notion of goind to "see and be seen" escapes me at this point.  I really have no formal ties to anything and, in fact, decided a while ago that the best thing I can do to further the message that a fulfilling, sane, happy life IS possible is by actually living one.  That's what I'm trying to do....

Wicked is coming to town and I can't say the last time I saw a play but the cost of a ticket is about the same as the cost of a good pair of biking shorts.  Life is very much about trade-offs, and I'm very comfortable with the ones I've made lately.  :)