Stick a pin on me

Don't under estimate a properly placed accessory. I was walking my dog Baxter and seemed to catch the eye of every person walking by, enjoyed a couple of conversations w/ a few of them.  Had I been a solo dude minding my own business I would have never had these encounters. I'm thinking there is something to this.

Without Canine? Try these ideas:

• tie a balloon to your wrist
• carry a bouquet of flowers
• set your ring-tone to a Sade tune

all could be considered olive branches or gestures of openness to your fellow man, folks may think you a bit off your rocker but the second glance they give you may become a conversation worth a lifetime of perspective.

I was reminded recently the importance of embracing those around us, even when it can be difficult and uncomfortable. To ask questions and give each other a chance to respond.

5 days a week I share a train ride amongst hundreds of other people going in the same direction, all with goals, ambitions and mixed up insecurities.  As I was reflecting on the ten year anniversary of 911, I remembered how for that moment, we all were on the same page, grieving and supporting one another.  It is a good feeling to know your community has your back when a crisis hits.  I want that feeling to continue, I want to make myself accessible and available moving forward into the next 10 years.

Maybe I should get one of those blinking buttons that reads:

'available to talk, let's share ideas & fun'

I'd make sure it had a picture of a flower or a bird on it, just to show I was a peaceful sort, I wouldn't want anyone to think I was a FreakAnature.   

Drop a Hook & Rap Me Up

There's a dude free-styling on my train and by free-styling I mean a dude shouting out words to the back of my head. He's ranting about god,men & race all laced and peppered with a creative use of swear words. I will say, He did deliver it all in a nice syncopated rhythm, I'll give him that much

"Express yourself
(You've got to make him)
So you can respect yourself
Hey, hey
So if you want it right now, then make him show you how
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not"  Madonna 1989

I think it is very important for one to share thought and idea, I'm all for it, even when it is some dude honking out rap lyric on a 90 degree human packed train. Sure it was obnoxious and all of us silent folk wished we could just stare into our cell phones in peace but this guy made himself known to all 60 + people on this train. I say good for him! Let it rip. 

Sure the dude made us feel uncomfortable, but isn't it great that he made us feel anything at all? Isn't that why people go to scary movies, amusement parks, & sex parlours?   To feel and test the emotion inside themselves?

There is a good chance my Rap Master P Diddity Flasher was either crazed or high as a kite but who cares. That uneasiness I was feeling was precious and in some way triggered a strength inside me.

We all need a good shake every now and then, but careful not to shake the babies. They are fragile and break easily...........poor feeble babies.

my legs feel like sugar free jello

ever notice how one day the universe will pour a bucket of rainbows over your head making you feel all rosy, peaceful and gorgeous, and then the next day all you get is a prominent place directly underneath a bug zapper.

Today, I came across trip wire after trip wire.  I felt like I was in some mad mind scientists boot camp. 

Morning:

I'll put him into a morning coma and make him believe he is awake but truly sleeping.  Those vivid dreams he's having will surely make him late for work.  bwahh ha ha

Afternoon:

Office mate's last day, says peace and good luck


Customer Complaint warrants company wide meeting

Verizon Store sends em away from a device upgrade cuz he is 25 days early on a New evr'y 2 program

bwahh ha ha

Evening:

Train ride home he will pick the car w/ some hopped up 20 something's dropping N'bombs, F'bombs, Gaymo Bomb's for not just 1 or 3 stops of his commute............. but all 18!!

His dog Samson's back leg will suddenly freeze mid-walk, forcing him to carry the creature all the the way home while contemplating the 14 year old dog's life expectancy. 

bwahh ha ha

I've survived the licks for now, but I'm just shaking my head asking where the hell did this day come from?  I feelin the wise words of Huey Lewis right now:

I want a new drug
One that won't make me sick
One that won't make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick

I want a new drug
One that won't hurt my head
One that won't make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red

One that won't make me nervous
Wonderin' what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you
When I'm alone with you

A Hula Hoop addiction. I think a hula hoop might just be the spark I need, a hip flipping, gyrating good time.  Do dudes look cool doing the Hula Hoop or it just a Lady Thang?

Yo ho ho and a btl of Perfume please!

Take time to smell the roses they say........ I wish I had time to smell roses, unfortunately for me My evening commute had me pressed against a sweaty chica w/ a yoga mat hanging out of her back pack, I have no idea what yoga technique she uses but judging from the amount of perspiration saturating her tank top, I'm thinking it needs to be taken down a notch.

I thought yoga is supposed to be peaceful, pressed up against this lady you'd think I was standing in a field of cow manure watching dirty hippies blowing peace bubbles using ass gas. Complete rankidty rank.

I go to great lengths to keep my odor under control, I use breath mints, I incessantly check my teeth in the mirror looking for debris, my aim is to be presentable when in public, not a drippy sweaty mess; of course the fact that I never work out certainly helps.

I guess I should give this yoga princess a break, here she is just trying to find her spiritual calm and here I am slinging judgment all over her, I'm lousey, just a big ole jerk.........however just when I'm about to give this funkarella a pass, my own spiritual calm calls me up, 

Ring ring ring:

Todd:

Hello

Todd's Spiritual Calm:

Uhhhmmn, you know. Smelling like a toxic clam shell on a stick isn't my idea of harmony and peace.

Todd:

Relax, it's just a few more stops.

Todd's spiritual calm:

well, she isn't really doing anyone any good by dripping her spiritual toxins all over the train floor, she should try soap, water & some moisturizing cream. 

Todd:

Give me a break, everyone has a bad day.

Todd's spiritual Calm:

Bad Day!  I wish I could cure a bad day w/ a simple wipe of a moist toilette underneath a funky pit!

So you know what Yoga Lady! These pits don't lie, wipe up that funk beforez youz drip the stank sweat all over my work loafers, if you truly want to be one w/ this earth and all that peaceful concourse, then I suggest you don't rub your yoga brew all over my starched shirt. Word!

Shoo fly into a glue board

Aaron has adopted a retro 80's  prep look for the summer. He bought pastel shorts, light weight sweaters and finished them off with a pair of plaid Ralph Lauren boat shoes. He's looking very dapper, light and summery.

He also bought a couple of pairs of Tom's shoes, the company who provides a pair a shoes for every pair sold to a child in need. Originally the company offered a simple slip on, kind of like the ones worn in the Disney animated feature Aladdin. Aaron opted for their new offering, a full lace up w/ rubber sole.

I caught a whiff of these suckers fresh out of the box, I was in heaven. That new glue scent screamed through my nasal passage like an adrenaline rush. I kept huffing that new glue sensation over and over until aaron walked back into the room, preventing an explanation of why I had his new shoes up my nose.

I imagine it is similar to that new car scent people all rave about, I absolutely love new car smell. My local car wash facility offers a few spritz of new car smell for a $1. I tried it but realized its not the same. Bummer

Am I a Junkie!?  There are several scents out there that I am beginning to enjoy as mid life gets a strangle hold of me. Skunk, gasoline, the under belly of a goat. Its crazy how my scent tastes have changed since I was a kid

I've been told that my nose and ears will continue to grow as I get older, perhaps that's the reason for my ever expanding appreciation of odor. Hopefully before retirement age I will be able to appreciated the odors I come across on my morning commute, this public transit scene I endure every morning smells like the wrong end of a Rhino.

Doe a Deer -- Ride a Pony

 

 

Day light come and me wanna go home.  

please mister tally man, tally me banana.

I wish I were a tally man, dude who gets to ride around in a jeep w safari clothes counting bananas and letting people go home, though I'm terrible w numbers and my attention span is that of a gnat w/ indigestion.

 I'm sure tally man has a boss also. Tally man probably has his own song to sing bout going home. 

Ridin in my jeep all day Long! 

Day light come and me wanna go home.  

Countin damn bananas as my crew pick more! 

Day light come and me wanna go home

I tell you, this daily grind can be rough, this journey we find our selves on. There's some poem mantra floating around that is intended to remind us that we should enjoy and respect our lives as they are, not wallow in our pain but acknowledge our riches.

"Don't hate your job because at least you have a job to hate, don't complain about money for at least you have breath to speak your hate. Don't fret the price of gas at least you have a car that needs gas" something like this....I couldn't google it.  DAMN IT! CHRIST!

.....yeah yeah yeah.  How bout. "Don't stop! Keep it moving --- Get your drinks up!"...... Yup Ms J Lo laying it down real good. Who's got problems now?  Not me, jenny from the block has spoken

Its rough everywhere, no matter where you look. Cops, bus drivers, teachers, doctors, window cleaners, choreographers.  We all get 24 hrs a day to live, and no one owns me, every minute is mine. Can I get an amen!  - think I'm gonna turn on some ABBA, those swedes sure looked liked they made the most of their minutes.

My Head is in aisle 8, bottom shelf next to the cake mix

I woke up like a flaring python today, the type in Indiana Jones where you play a flute and the snake comes dancing out of a wicker basket, whoa honey!

Having just got off a 3 day weekend and loving the freedom, the shackles of my reality were freshly placed on my wrists as my alarm jarred me out of bed this morning. Yeah, I'm being a tad dramatic, but man, it took me a while to shake this off.

I'm on my way home right now, typing on a blackberry sweating amongst 100 or so strangers, looks as if there is a Cubs games tonight, I see a lot of fans adorned in the franchise regalia. As a commuter this is really the pits. Me heading home with the mind set of relaxation, amongst these sporting folk who are filled with excitement of home runs, chewing tobacco and corn dogs. I can't blame em.  If I was wearing a numbered shirt with another person's name on it, I'd be animated to. That's what fans need to be, Big, Loud and obnoxious. "Come on ump! That was a strike...get your eyes checked!" Or " why did you swing at that? my grandma has better instincts". Unfortunately if I were present my chants would probably sound more like "hey grounds keeper, you call that green grass, try some fertilizer,  $9.99 at Menards yah idiot".

A quiet submissive fan is not what you wanna be, so how can I fault these folks. We just happen to be completely different people who for the moment are sharing a common course. Ok, I can roll with that, I'll remind myself of this the next time I find myself on a 45 min hot box train amongst Cubs fan discussing pitching arm, catcher squat position and which beer tub hottie to harass.