Tag Archives: Friday

I Confess to Some Distress

Is it Lame Post Friday or Wrist to Forehead Friday? I confess to feeling some distress. But here’s some half-baked philosophy, in which I delight to indulge on Lame Post Friday: it rarely works to think “I ought to feel happy!”

Sometimes you can really jinx yourself earlier in the week by thinking, “I am going to be so happy on Friday.” It doesn’t have to be Friday. “I will be so happy when BLANK happens.” “When I am thin.” “When I finish that novel” (like that one’s going to happen any time soon). “When I am married.”

Wait a minute. I am married and in fact I am rather foolishly happy about it. Strike that last one.

My point is, I don’t think things necessarily MAKE us happy. Oh, I can hear the rude people saying now, “Well, DUH, everybody knows THINGS can’t make us happy.” Is that so? Then why did I see YOU wheeling around the local big box store with a cartload of crap?

Anyways, I’m not talking about objects. I thought I would be ecstatically happy on Friday because I have a three day weekend. Instead, I felt happy on Monday, because I knew that the three-day weekend was coming. That feeling lasted till the end of the work day, when I thought, “Crap! I still have four more days to get through!” Then I laughed at myself.

And that brings us to a philosophy of life which I have held for a while now: It is quite possible that nothing good will ever happen. BUT something funny will happen to make you laugh. Put another way: you can laugh or you can cry. Might as well laugh.

I think I’m in a better mood now. I’m going to get on with my weekend.

Do Something Lame

I shall never forget the sad morning when I thought to myself, “I wish it was Thursday instead of Wednesday.” Then I thought, “You idiot, it’s Tuesday.”

Thousands of Monday through Friday wage slaves are nodding wisely in agreement (hey, I MIGHT have 1,000s of readers. It could happen!). Others are shaking their heads in disparagement. I think the ones that annoy me most are those that smugly chirp, “Do something you love. You’ll never work a day in your life.”

I have to take exception to that. I can’t believe there is any job you love SO much that there is NEVER a day that you wouldn’t rather stay in bed an extra hour, go to the beach, stay home and watch old movies, whatever. Perhaps it is a matter of proportion. These people feel that as long as MOST days they are happy to get out of bed and go to their job, they can gloss over the occasional bout of Don’t Wanna. I can only say, “That’s nice for you; the rest of us work for a living.”

Well, what’s wrong with work anyways? Work is what gets us stuff. What else but work gives one the satisfaction of a job well done? May I point out that many of us spend much money and effort WORKING OUT?

I think it is a matter of definition (and not the definition your muscles get if you work out enough; that’s different). I quote Mark Twain in Tom Sawyer. Work consists of anything a body is obliged to do. Play consists of anything a body wants to do. (OK, I’m paraphrasing. I can’t quote, because I don’t have a copy of Tom Sawyer handy).

He’s got something there. Then again, there is the school of thought that says we always do what we want to do. For example, I don’t want to go to work, but I do want to get paid.

I think both schools of thought have a point, but quite frankly, it is not the way people talk and I for one am not going to begin talking that way at my age. I will continue to WORK on my novel, and insist that I am doing something even though I DON’T WANT TO. So there.

Does anybody remember what I was talking about? I think it was Friday. Today is Lame Post Friday, my favorite day for half-baked philosophy. Getting back to the “never work a day in your life” folks, I argue thusly: That sort of job is not easy to come by. In the meantime, I attempt to get at least some enjoyment out of every day. And I can’t imagine any job where the day before my day off is not a pretty darn good day.

Happy Friday, all.

What if None of my Guesses are Right?

It does not matter how bad I have been all week, I cannot, I simply cannot be good on Lame Post Friday.

That statement just cries out for some half-baked philosophy on what is “good” and “bad.” In this context, apparently “good” is “good writing,” a manifestly subjective term. Although, I guess by “good” I must mean a blog post about something OTHER THAN the fact that I have nothing to write a blog post about. Something I wrote earlier today and, dare I say, edited. Maybe thought about. Maybe made a little bit “better” than something I just type off the cuff at the computer.

Well, here is my problem. Every time I write something foolish (like this, I hope), I get Likes from other bloggers. Apparently my writing off the cuff is extremely entertaining to some people. On the other hand, perhaps they merely hit “Like” because I have made them feel so much better about their own blogs because mine is so bad (note the absence of quotations this time). In any case, I have been encouraged in my folly.

My other problem is, it’s kind of fun to just sit here rattling on. Editing can be hard work. For one thing, unless it is really obvious which is the better way to say something, it leads to some very uncomfortable second guessing. I hate second guessing! For one thing, it very often turns out that none of my guesses are right.

I’m hoping for some running commentary tomorrow. In the meantime, happy Friday, everyone.

Light-headed and Light-hearted

I’m thinking no one is surprised that I am indulging in Lame Post Friday, least of all me.

In fact, I had thought to make at least a Pedestrian Post about a walk I took with Tabby this morning. Then as the day wore on, the headache I had yesterday did not go away, as expected (I didn’t mention I had a sinus headache yesterday, I believe as a result of recent cold temperatures or perhaps of spring pollens. I was pleased with myself that I managed to make a “real” post yesterday, but we all knew that wouldn’t last) (in fact, I had intended not to even mention the headache, because people who complain all the time about their aches and pains are tiresome) (oops). Where was I? Ah yes, I took a decongestant and have been lightheaded ever since.

And yet, it has been a good day. Good Friday, in fact. For Catholics a day of fasting and prayer. Of course any day is a good day for prayer and reflection. But Mohawk Valley Girl tries to stay off of politics and religion. I know, I’m a big chicken, scared of a little controversy and hate. Well, I am afraid of hate, but apparently not afraid to admit it. Yay, me.

This post is beginning to ramble if not babble. Sorry about that. Blame the decongestant, which is as good as dynamite to my sinuses, although not as loud. I certainly hope my brain comes back (I can just hear somebody saying, “Why? You never use it.” Oh that is so droll. If I say you are a wit, I am half right).

The only justification of a ridiculous post is that it be short. Happy Friday, everybody.

Making with the Random Observations

Well, I’m afraid it is another Lame Post Friday and it probably surprises nobody, least of all myself, that I got nuthin’. In my defense, I was working on my novel. And talking to my husband on my cell phone. And helping my co-worker with the crossword puzzle. Yes, the same lame excuses as last time.

As I sat at work and it was quite clear to me that this would indeed be a Lame Post Friday, I thought I could at least come up with some random observations. I feel that Lame Post Friday has been heavy on half-baked philosophy lately. In fact, it has been spilling out onto other days. So I thought I could leaven the mix with random observations.

I sat at my machine at work and observed… Well, you see, I look out the window, across a very short expanse of grass and weeds, onto a brick wall. The bricks are old. There is some grey foundation beneath the bricks. There are windows, some open, one hanging brokenly. I don’t believe they are ever shut.

How boring is that? Oh, I did notice one thing on my drive home. Two young kids on scooters, a girl maybe nine and a boy maybe four (not that I’m good at guessing ages). They were followed by a lady, presumably the mother, walking a very cute dog — it may have been part pug or maybe bulldog. The dog pulled eagerly on his leash. I think he wanted to be up there with the kids. At least, I don’t know if it was a boy or a girl dog. I use “he” and “his” in a gender neutral sense. I don’t like to call a dog “it.”

I suppose I could come up with some half-baked philosophy on “he/she/it,” but today is random observation day. Also, my word count is up to 300. Plenty enough for a Friday! Have a good weekend, everybody!

You Would Cry Too

It’s my Friday and I’ll cry if I want to, cry if I want to, cry if I want to.

OK, that’s all I got. I started to write a post about… I don’t remember what I was writing about but it was going to be too long. I have to get to the theatre tonight. The show must go on! (with gesture)

Actually, I just now took the time to go downstairs and look at what I started to write. It was about Habitat for Humanity. Tonight’s show is a benefit for that fine organization. I will try to write about them tomorrow. I have tomorrow off, so I will have more time for a lengthy post.

Thus explaining my first sentence, and you know what Friday means: Lame Post Friday! Random observations and half-baked philosophy! Here goes…

My first observation is that it would probably have been less trouble to write a short post while on a break at work and then have merely to type it in right now, instead of trying to think of something clever to say. Which leads me into some half-baked philosophy on why do I always have to do things the hard way?

Seriously, why do I? Certain members of my family say it is a family motto: Why do things the easy way when there’s a hard way? Now my question is: why do we so often ask why? Can’t we just accept what is and go from there? Do you suppose this is enough questions for one blog post?

I’m thinking it is enough nonsense. I am over 200 words. My only excuse for a stupid post is that at least it’s short. Hope to see you on Friday, when I will attempt to NOT be lame.