My Favorite Song of All Time

I'm pretty sure I should have been born in the 1970s.



More on KC and the Sunshine Band

Embarrassment + Organization

It's funny. I consider myself a happy and easy going person but when I think I've unintentionally hurt, offended or upset someone, I really just want to cry and hide. Lately, I've been so happy that I've noticed it. I was just thinking this morning that it's been so nice to have been on a high for so long. Even the occasional bad headache hasn't messed with my mood. And then, the rest of today happened. In one instance I said "hi" to a co-worker, who's name I thought I knew. I totally called her the wrong name. Not even close. I thought she was a completely different person. Ugh. Earlier today I was reprimanded by a friend for inappropriate Facebook posting. I didn't even consider that it might be inappropriate. Oops. I feel like poop.In researching embarrassment, however, I learned that it is also a medical term. Yay learning.

In other news, I'm thinking about starting a website for millennials called getyourshittogether.com. (Unfortunately someone already has the domain name but I'm sure I can work out a deal.) The point of the site would be to share useful tips in managing life's many facets in order to live and work as productively as possible. I'm often amazed by how hard it is for people in my age group to manage multiple projects, i.e. some people are really organized at work, but not at home, or vice versa. And, while we have so much more technology to help us keep our shit together, it can be hard to choose the right kind for our needs. Or, even if we use it, it can be hard to keep up with all of it. Our generation is somewhat unique in that we are pretty tech-savvy, but we were also alive for awhile before the internet took over our lives. Expectations about our reachability have grown tremendously in our lifetime. Also, some people just aren't that into using their phone as their calendar. I get that too. I think it would be interesting to pull together different literature on staying organized, keeping the e-mail inbox under control, managing voicemail, helpful websites, etc. There could also be some info on financial management and career advancement. If you know of existing stuff like this, let me know. I haven't delved into any research on it yet.

Song of the Week: "Don't Vote" - Cass McCombs

Wedding!

I just returned from my third wedding of the summer, this time Wyatt's sister got married, in Vermont. I now feel that all summer weddings that don't take place in cities should be held at lakes. Being able to swim before/after partying is such a treat.

Some pics for the kids:


James walking Andrea down the aisle.



Maddy ( the mom ) in the foreground.



Wyatt with his cousin Willie, affectionately referred to as "Wild Will."



The harbor at the Basin Harbor Club, near Vergennes, Vermont. The wedding was held just to the right of this shot.



Babies! These are Henry and Gus, respectively. There must have been 100 babies at this wedding. During the ceremony, there was a whole crew of moms standing to the side of the crowd, either bouncing babies at their breast, or gently pushing strollers back and forth.



And finally, a garden shot for the other plant nerds out there.

Aggregated Goodness

Here is an amazing blog post on the hardships of trying to be a responsible adult. I'm pretty sure that the author of Hyberbole and a Half is my long lost best friend. Even the title is so me. More than a few people in my life have been bothered by my hyperbolic tendencies.

Apparently Chinese basketball players have trouble with starting sh*t on the court. One team recently beat the crap out of the Georgetown team at an exhibition game in Beijing.

If you live in Boston and you haven't yet RSVP'd for the Boston Cyclists Union First Annual Meeting, please do so now. I have acquired some really swell raffle prizes including, but not limited to, a free CSA from Allandale Farm for next season, a gift certificate to Salmagundi (sweet hat store in JP), free bike tune ups, a helmet, a tire pump, and a 10 class card to South Boston Yoga. I'm planning on buying $20 worth of raffle tickets and you should too. RSVP for the sweetest bike party of the year here.

Song of the Week: Video Games

This week's song is dedicated to my friend Laura Richardson, who plays the harp, darts, and video games.

"Video Games" by Lana Del Rey:


This says she's inspired by the filmmaker David Lynch (Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, etc.) and you can definitely feel that in her sort of creepy, super romantic ballads. She apparently defines her genre as "Hollywood Sadcore," which seems right on to me.

Tuesday (!)

My best friend has pronounced Tuesdays "Posi Tuesday," an opportunity to block out the bad and celebrate the good. Its a swell idea and it leads to a lot of fun, entertaining Facebook posting.

I, however, need to get some shiz off my chest this Tuesday. I've been trying to keep it posi (positive) for awhile and I need a small break. Please forgive me.

Mostly, I just want to get away. Away from computers, emails and Facebook events. Away from resizing photos to fit websites better. I want to re enter the world of real conversations and quiet time. I'm over the city. Over the sounds of my quarreling neighbors, stomping above and below, and the mysterious midnight train whistles that keep me up late.

I'm also sick of cancer, and injuries and "America's posture of endless war." Especially the war that's sent my little brother to get shot at by Pakistani paramilitary fighters in Afghanistan. I'm sick of seeing everyone so sad. I'm sick of John Boehner and our president saying the same things over and over, with tired eyes and undoubtedly tired hearts. Come on America, we can do better.

If you can't reach me on Monday, hopefully it'll be because I've jumped ship and hopped in the Cadillac for a journey to the promised land. Ideally that'll include a dog, a tree house and lots of singing and dancing.

Who would be on your super hero dream team?

I'd like to start a new collaborative series on super hero dream teams. Maybe it's the grassroots organizer in me, or the dreamer, or whatever, but I often think about people in terms of their usefulness in a team setting. More specifically, if I was charged with saving the world from some kind of impending doom, say a natural disaster, a surprise third Bush administration, or a nuclear meltdown, and I could put together my dream team of problem solvers, intellectuals and Olympic athletes, who would I pick?

I've worked with a lot of amazing people in my life so far, and I would like to feature some of them and their potentially world-saving qualities, on this blog. I would also like you, dear readers, to submit some writing on who you'd pick for your team. One person per piece, 250 words or less per person. Sound good? Send 'em in. superherodreamteam@gmail.com

Gardening Rules

This post is dedicated to Dan Abrams, whose enthusiasm for this blog never ceases to surprise me.

Cucumbers in the front yard,



Bigger, in the kitchen,



And pickled as spicy half sours




Raspberries from the community plot!

Really?

When I was living in Columbus, Ohio in 2007, I saw a lot of Ron Paul street art and wondered how that asshole got people to stencil for him. It seems his guerilla street teams are already at it again, putting stickers on every lamp post in Cambridge.