Christmas Bonding Time

My mom and I have a heart-felt tradition for the holidays: pretending to exercise. We love going to the YMCA and burning calories together. Do we run? No. Do we work hard? Please. We grab magazines, jump on the tv-equipped treadmills, tune into My Sweet Sixteen or Emeril - maybe even bring a snack - and distract ourselves in every possible way from legitimate exercise. When we leave, it feels like we've accomplished something and, all smiles, we leave feeling great.

Passion: The Filling

I've heard that when a person is passionate/obsessive about something, it means they've felt slighted/experienced a loss and are attempting to fill the void. Examples:

1) comedian: diagnosed with cancer and needed a way to laugh at the world

2) foodie/weight loss guru: started cooking, lost weight, and felt misled by all the "healthy" packaged foods that contain additives

3) graffiti artist: someone stole her markers at daycare

You get the drift.

My one qualm with the theory is that it makes passions/obsessions seem dysfunctional, because they're born from a negative. However, obsessions make people create things, tell stories, get things done. What if our lives are nothing but trying to fill one void after another? Is there anything wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with wanting to be a jelly muffin?

Coffee Date: Fail

In a conversation with my sister: 

A: I just went on a coffee date. I hate dating. I'm so bad at it.
H: What happened?
A: We had nothing to talk about...he kept checking his text messages and I saw him glance at his watch while I was talking. Conversation was very forced.

Afterthought:

A: It was probably a bad idea to mention that I didn't like dating while on a date.
H: Yeah...that was a bad idea...

The hilarity of my wipe-out

has worn off. Bruises have been appearing on all my limbs during the past few days. Currently trying to heal myself in epson salt baths.

My Life Is Like A Child

The more I try to control and shape it, the more it rebels and tells me what it will do. Anyone else with an autonomous life - can I get an "amen"?

Fourth Ave Street Fair, December Edition

The famed Fourth Avenue in Tucson has two street fairs per year, 

and I - luckily - had a Saturday off to enjoy it.

The artwork is the best.

Be it material

or people...

Incense is kind of a big deal here

but I love glycerin bar soap.

Visited the booth of my favorite sunglasses man, Todd.

I thought these glasses were totally me, but I ended up choosing more practical eyewear for biking.

I thought this guy sported them a little better, anyway:

That's all for now ~ until spring!

The Unwanted Guest

An acquaintance of Cindy's - John - is looking at property in the area and asked to stay at the house while he's in town. This is not a good weekend for a visit, though - she's behind on her work and has commitments for the next several days. She felt John had been a little inconsiderate in his request, but Cindy's not one who likes to leave people hanging, so she let him stay on the couch.

I try to be considerate when I can, but I find that I'm not such a considerate person if it means walking on eggshells for someone else. Cindy, Rae, and I are all early risers. We usually start our day around 5 AM and are all in bed by 9. This morning, though, I happened to wake up early.

Clock: 4:42 AM.
Amy: I'm hungry...but someone is sleeping in the living room. It would be rude to wake him while I tromp around the kitchen. I should wait a little longer. 
Clock: 4:53.
Amy: That's long enough.

I made breakfast and turned the kitchen light on, which didn't spare the living room any of it's beaming rays. Rae came in a little later and was as considerate as a mouse - not saying anything and only pouring herself a glass of water. Cindy came in right after me. I decided to finish my breakfast in my room, because Rae's good behavior made me feel guilty. After I closed my door, though, I heard vegetables being chopped, the faucet running, the microwave going, and the dishes clanging. I should have just stayed at the table with all the racket going on! I came in minutes later to wash my dishes and every pot and pan from the night before had been washed and was sitting in the rack. Cindy spared no pains for John.

Bike Wipe-Out

Sunglasses in blindingly sunny Arizona are awesome. They're like butter for your eyes. Except when they don't have the prescription lenses you need - then they're just hazardous.

Biking to meet someone for an occupational coffee chat, I encountered the never-ending university construction and turned down a side street. I saw a sign that read, "No through street," and thought, Well, that doesn't make sense. Clearly, I can go right through.

Not paying attention to some other white signs and not being able to see the brown chain stringing them together across the street, I ran into the barrier on my bike. I saw the chain right as I approached it and grabbed my brakes. In slow motion, I left my seat, went forward toward the ground, and thought, Glad I have a helmet! However, because I continued to hang onto my handles and apply resistance, I ended up tumbling to the side instead of out in front. I landed on the chain and became tangled in the metal, the bike, and my own arms. I made one feeble attempt to move and then gave up.

I heard a guy say, "Hold on. I'll call you back." I realized I couldn't get out of my self-imposed knot. Then I heard footsteps approaching.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine..." I moaned. "Except for a bruised ego." He helped me untangle myself and we went on our merry ways. Luckily, my bike was fine. I only had a giant, bleeding gash on my hand (discovered once I took my gloves off) that I tried to inconspicuously wrap in paper napkins during my interview-chat. Classy.

I thought about including a lesson for this post, like the dangers of being negligent about one's eyewear...but I honestly wrote it because I thought the whole thing was hilarious. I fully intend to continue wearing my sunglasses while I bike, too.