Weekend Upbeat
(Mango just put out a blog called “Weekend Update“… which coulda been the title for this blog!)
I had been having a bit of confused ennui so far this year. A mini-existential crisis sort of an affair wherein I have been wondering where my life is going, regretting my somewhat solitary existence and feeling guilt over the harm I have done in the past. At night, dreams of such intensity and lucidity racked my psyche so much that I couldn’t wait until morning.
Yannow… The usual.
Breaking out of it with what, on the surface, has not been THAT remarkable of weekend, but I guess it comes down to doing what I really love doing, being satisfied with the results and realizing that I am fully responsible for my own happiness. Freedom sans a dream can descend into stifling stagnation. Freedom takes work. Every moment, every day, is a new opportunity.
It began Friday Night with the open mic at the Thumbnail Theatre. Having recently dusted it off whilst cleaning up Hell, I decided to play one of my other instruments – the ‘ol 6-string bass ukulele. Nothing, nothing in this world, improves my mood more than shouting ‘BAMBOODYDOO’ at the top of my lungs!
Saturday found me back at work, continuing a remarkable run of sales I’ve been having this year, culminating with a 6-appliance-package of all high-end stuff to a couple who had just bought a new house. I finished up at closing time, and although I was technically off at that point, I decided to stick around because I had a lot of tasks still to perform. Besides, just the day before, I had been given my official company-endorsed heavy equipment license, and I was eager to use the load-picker forklift to move some heavy steel around.
Way back in the stock room, whilst riding up and down in the cab of the load-picker, apparently I didn’t hear the store’s intercom.
Twenty minutes after closing, I emerged from the depths of the store and my appliance moving tasks to find everything eerily quiet. No one was about. No one stocking shelves. No one cleaning and sweeping. I was alone. Locked in a 40,000 square foot home improvement warehouse store all by myself. Oh.
Shit.
“Is anyone else in the store?!? Please call me at 817!” I pleaded into the phone, the only response being the echo of the intercom repeating my words…
It was made even more eerie by the large flakes of snow falling in the parking lot. Apparently, the managers had gotten everyone out early in anticipation of this storm.
A few minutes later, I was relieved to see the assistant store manager open the entrance door, laughing.
“You’re lucky you’re driving these days, Joko!’ he told me, “If I hadn’t noticed your van parked in the lot, you’d still be stuck in here.”
* * *
Today, the snow continued to fall. Unlike many places at this latitude, we really don’t get that much snow here in Seattle. Last winter, it snowed twice. Year before that, not at all. Now three years ago, we had “Snowmageddon” where the city was virtually paralyzed for two weeks, but I digress. Point being, it’s a rare enough occurrence up here to still be magical, wonderful and fun without being annoying. Gotta take advantage of a snow day and a day off in one!
I needed to build a snow-something! Not a snowman. That’s been done billions of time. Aha! A snow obelisk! Mind you, given that there was a scant two inches of accumulation on the ground, it wasn’t easy to build a snow-anything!
Finally, as I was watching my Green Bay Packers beat themselves by dropping pass after pass and fumble an amazing season away, I got a new visitor at my window. Hey! You’re not a squirrel!
Given the amount of left-over chicken I fed him, the white terrier from across the street will likely be back.
Bamboodydoo, prosperous times and snow, how could I NOT feel great right now?
Is there anything you do to break yourself out of a funk? What’s your ennui-busting activity?
Sorry about the Packers, I was rooting for them too. 😳
The lonliness can be easily cured by a single speed dating session— it will serve to remind you that while it is a full contact sport for your self-esteem the first time you try it, you will get better at it each time and you’ll probably find that you’ll make friends that also return to these serial socials for social contact, and in the midst of this surreal game you can actually find love sometimes, or at least an exciting roll in the hay. Try it then blog it. :entertained:
The snow obelisk—meh, the white terrier will paint it’s base yellow and the upstairs kids will have something to talk about to all their school chums…win win… 😈
Remember it is harder for the squirrels to access their ground caches because their visual references will be impaired. Leave them goodies up where mr. terrier can’t use it for bait t jump the squirrels’ routes.
I do mischievous stuff to break out of funks. Recently i used public transportation to get to a tradeshow downtown and got a particularly surly female bus driver that gave me an almost expired transfer instead of issuing me a fresh 2 hr pass. I asked for a new one and she stepped on the gas to try to make me fall, but I just grinned and held on with one hand and asked her if that was the best she could do. She gave me a dirty look and notched me a fresh transfer. Two days later I bought a drooling, piss smelling homeless man a monthly pass and told him he couls stay warm all day just by riding her bus. She saw me pointing at her as I gave the man a hand onto the bus and I mouthed the words “now we’re even, bitch” as he showed her his ticket to a month of hell for her. That made my freaking year!
pfthahahahaha!! this is refreshing!!! thanks for sharing!!!! :entertained:
“Freedom sans a dream can descend into stifling stagnation. “—–>how true!
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…or a pony.
No hat = a head cold though
So glad you didn’t have to spend the night locked in the store…. As to my technique for shaking off a mood? I start a new project or lose myself in a great book.
Hmm. I have no idea how I shake off a mood…
Had the road to myself today on my drive home… Nothing on the radio though.
I hate clearchannel. America went wrong when they had it coming was no longer a defense and customer service reps and businesses were no longer accessible where you can go talk to them personal like.
Yep, banking went to hell when you can no longer Tar and feather your banker and run him out of town on a rail.
If you ever get locked in again, you can just call the police. All businesses have after hours contact information filed with the police department.
As far as the funk goes. just go read something like this I couldn’t stop laughing after reading that.
You know Joko your fun talented guy….i am truly grateful to know you and to be your friend. The funk thing can be a real bitch…that is why I haven’t been around lately and well its hard to type with a swollen finger two…crushed on a jobs. The way I handle my spells is get out, go to fun place where the people are out going, relaxed,a place to have fun. I love the coastal areas, you meet people from all walks of life and there is so much to do..ofcourse outdoors that is. Here right now we are in shorts …playing. There is no global warming my ass! The weather here keeps changing course!
Start a new project. Join Meetup.com….http://www.meetup.com/……like I joined and found many in my area who are alike. You should try it…its fun….this one guy in my S.A.V.E. animal group is funny as hell…he is like Kramer on Seinfeld!
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Try it Joko….I wish I live near you…I would be coming spoiling your cat and getting you to try my new recipes …MAWAHHAAA. You would need this mat! 😆 I ware all my friends out dragging them into my crazy adventures!
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Lots of love and hugs to you Joko…….later…K!
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