Beautiful, just beautiful

I've always loved this song and this is another great version of it. It's a terrific song for a late night listen, don't you think?

I'm a trainwreck sometimes

Even when I'm doing things I'm like "don't do it!", "shut up!", "stop talking", "let it go" — do I listen? Not as often as I wish I did.

Grr.

Man! I got up on the wrong side of this week...

Drama Queen

I never considered myself one, but we all have our moments.

I can get myself into a huff over small things. Breathe. In and out. Annnnddd... okay, back to myself. Mostly, anyways.

What would I do if I had real things to worry over? My goodness, my issues are so small in comparison.

Okay, still valid, but small.

A good stress-cry goes a long way. Oh, and thank God for understanding moms.

How did we get here?

Eesh. Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could turn back time. Un-know things, as it were. Redo conversations and reactions. Remain aloof. Remain ignorant. But can you hold off the tide forever? Can you ever actually not know and still be present in your interactions, in life? Burying your head in the sand isn't a way of life, but sometimes taking the full shock of the wave is a tough transition.

Onward solider. Life awaits.

Other people make life messy

They also make life worth living.

When should you walk into the lion's den and when should you take the quickest exit?

Have you ever been in that uncomfortable situation where a topic comes up or a comment is made that you either completely disagree with or find offensive?

Do you say anything?

Do you challenge them? Purposely stay quiet? Quickly exit the room?

When should you stand up for what you believe in and when should you just respect a difference of opinion and leave it at that?

I have been in many of these situations. Most of the time I don't say anything. At most, I offer a different way of seeing something, but I don't get into a nitty gritty deep discussion or aggressive contest of opinions.

Sometimes I feel bad that I don't say anything, although I'm also of the opinion that it's probably not worth saying something to someone whose ears are closed.  Of utmost consideration before saying anything is who is speaking and when and where they are speaking. It's often not the time or place.

Plus, there's no use throwing your pearls before swine, as the saying goes...

The clichés irk me where they didn't use to

When did I become this picky person who pulls apart plot points and critiques the chemistry between characters and the flow of the story and the character arcs and the believability of the story?

I feel like I just can't enjoy movies the same way anymore.

I still love the items on my tried and true craptastic film list. I still have cheesy predictable movies that I love, it's just becoming harder and harder for new films to make the list.

Hollywood — would you make a good movie already? I'm tired of the B-storyline being sold as an A film... or maybe it's just me?

Why are first dance songs always slow?

My friend told me it's so that the husband can win brownie points with the wife (which made me laugh).

I suppose it's true women care about these things more then men do. Slow songs are generally more romantic. Plus, no one wants to flail about to a fast song with all eyes on them, or to have those awkward movements recorded for posterity on camera.

Come to think about it, I may have just answered my own question...

Sign I'm not as young as I used to be?

Apparently there are consequences to staying up to almost 12:30 a.m. and then getting up at 5:15 a.m.

Today it was nausea.

Bummer.

Who's right?

Have you ever had arguments that boil down to people remembering the situation differently? They are fairly common but I especially dislike them because they always seem to end without resolution.

Who's to say who's right?

Sometimes it's just different impressions of the same experience. You might agree on the players and dialogue, but not on the tone or intention of the conversation.

Communication is an interesting minefield of missteps and triumphs. Especially now in this day and age, because let's face it — emoticons leave something to be desired. I can't for the life of me understand if I should read behind the words, or take them at face value. Sometimes you can ask, sometimes you'd rather not. Like I said — an interesting minefield and depending on the conversation partner, at times easier or harder to navigate.

I am fascinated by Harper Lee

She wrote one novel.

One novel that won the Pulitzer Prize.

One novel that still sells millions of copies a year.

One novel with rich characters and textures and layers.

One novel with a poignant message.

One novel that says everything she wanted to say.

One novel yes, but what a novel.

You gotta be

Dear weekend,

thank you for arriving just on time.

3 things I learned this week

1. Cheap shoes = sore feet (so elementary and yet...)
   
2. If it looks like it's going to rain, you probably shouldn't take a walk at lunch... without a raincoat...or an umbrella...especially when you have a meeting after lunch...
   
3. Texting is not my special skill. I have a clumsy tendency to send half finished sentences. 

Shh...

I think I like books more than I like reading. I love book covers and titles and the ideas behind them. I love strong characters and plot lines and library-browsing. I love holding books and stacking books and talking about books, but sometimes when I sit down to read the actual book, I'm less interested.

Of course, it certainly depends on the book and it's not always the book's fault. I'm convinced it's my impatience. Most books work into a story. The prize is sticking around long enough to get to the moment where you are no longer consciously reading, but are completely absorbed into the words on the page. Those are books worth reading. Unfortunately, not all books (classic or otherwise) are worth sticking it out for.

Compliments

Someone called me beautiful the other day and I have to say, it made me feel very flattered. What's more (and if I'm being completely honest) I may have walked a little taller today because of it. Why do we hold back compliments so often instead of passing them on? Why the hesitation to share a kind word?

I am not going to go into the whole debate about why what someone says about you or how they perceive you should affect how you feel and la-di-la-di-da. We all know it, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, compliments are awesome and I for one am not above liking to hear one every so often.

Just a thought

When you don't feel social, it's probably a good thing to avoid so-called "social media".

When you do feel social, it's probably a good idea to make the first move and say hello, otherwise those unsocial online individuals will not extend the greeting and you'll be left wondering why.

I am convinced

No one else even comes  close to capturing and delivering the essence of this song as heartfelt, heartbreaking, simple and sweet as Ms. Audrey Hepburn. Her version is far and away my favourite.

Ray LaMontagne

I love the sound of your voice. A lot.

All I'm saying is

People make time for the things they want to do. People find money for the things they want to see and places they want to go and things they want to buy.

The "I'm just too busy" line grows a little stale 6 months down the line.

The "I don't have any money" line grows a little weak when you and I both know I have eyes to see the other things you're buying.

If you're not a priority, you'll know it. That's all I'm saying...

Take note

Something I learned tonight: don't start a large cleaning project in your room 2 hours before you plan on going to bed. Inevitably you are left with the following dilemma: stay up even later and keep working on it, or push and pile things on the floor and nooks and crannies of your room to clear a path to your bed. What ends up happening for me is I work an extra 1.5 hours before finally giving in and doing the latter — e.g. stacking things all around just to temporarily clear them away. Then what was once a large, but manageable, project becomes that much larger of a project (and that much more spread out). Worst part, once the path to my bed is cleared, I lose the drive to start back up on said project. As such, what was once a full day project trying to be crammed into 2 hours becomes a full day project spread out over weeks of procrastination. Not good.

Maybe I'll learn my lesson for next time?

Dear blog,

It came to my attention that I have neglected you for almost four months now (four months?! where did the time go?). I have been busy with life, as they say. Although truth be told, I've come to the conclusion that people make time for what they want to do... so basically, you haven't been a priority in my life. Yes, I know...harsh, but also true. The problem, you see, is that I can never figure out what I want to write. I don't want to spill my guts to you, but I'm also not always clever or inspired; and so, random posts are your lot. There were fleeting moments when I missed you and thought about you. Moments I wanted to sign in and say hello, but hesitated. Will you forgive me?

I'm coming back. I really am. Soon...

Still friends?