Toe Hold

Getting slowed a little has done wonders for patience. It was a full day at work and many more to come. I am trying to see my busted toe as a blessing to keep me a little more patient and a little more grateful. It was a good dose of humility, that's for sure.

@%$*, that hurt!

Richard Prior once said, "God can make you take five." I have probably quoted that before, but it always crosses my mind shortly after getting another five. Tonight it was a chair. This chair met my foot in such a way as to cause immense pain and lingering soreness. Tonight, the chair called my toes out. I am gimping around utterly floored that I am now looking at a stretch of healing without running. A simple miscalculation and I get to savor some delightful lessons in patience.

Great.

No. Really


great.

Stupid Monkey

Tonight was a little harder. I really wanted a cigarette. It's hard to admit that as it has been so long now, I feel that should be ancient history. None the less, driving home, my Jeep slowed by numerous gas stations. I imagined having a pack again and it made me happy. The trouble is, that is just the beginning of the story. It always starts of romantically with that sexy first pack that will last forever. Then it turns into the addiction ugly. The fishing butts out of the ash tray because you ran out and the store is too much trouble to get to. 

I got home tonight and I ran. It helped. Still, it is one of the only times I am free of the scare of smoking again. Even if I am thinking about it the whole time, I can not ever just grab one. It is truly a blessed reprieve to have that.

Tired

It felt great to get in some good food, great runs, a couple good rides, and even a few trips to the gym. I am still fascinated and excited to see what the body is capable of when pushed. It's been a good all around few days. It was also wonderful to see family and friends this weekend. Hell, I can't really find an issue to lament nor vent on tonight. Guess it's good sometimes to just get worn out.

Riding Colorado Winter

I am thrilled to have the bike back and running smooth. It's a little tough to be considerably far from most places to ride, but I have a couple of the most desirable spots within quick rides. I can get to the gym, a coffee shop, a couple decent quick bites and occasional sushi. That allows for a few good rides. I am also looking forward to stretching the distance some and ride out near the runways by DIA and the Platte River trail towards downtown.

The cold wasn't too tough either, although it is a very different cold from Chicago. I am thrilled the layering tricks from the Windy City worked so well. Despite a considerable higher temperature, I was warm and not hot.

It just felt like freedom being out whirling down the dark road on two wheels. I don't know how to explain it, but a lightness follows me on my bike out  on the open road or trail. The same comes from being out on a run longer than 10 miles. It's impossible to describe, but it is fantastic.

HappyPicture Friday

Giving Thanks

Today is a day when we all get together and give thanks. As was mentioned yesterday, that is a subject this blog is rarely short on. None the less, I am offering you my thanks for the support here on Stupie. I am always surprised and touched when someone mentions it. I write as a compulsion and love to see what comes loose from the brain when you don't pause to phrase everything perfectly.

My wish for each of you is a pleasant holiday, a great meal, and to be surrounded by those you care about.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful

Estes

I spend a lot of time discussing gratitude here. It's an important subject to me for certain. It certainly seems I could have ended up down several different, far less desirable roads in my life if it weren't for a bit of Divine intervention and pure fucking luck. That's why I like to continually come back to that focus, to stay aware how fortunate I am. Not just to have a roof over my head and food at the table, but for so much more as well. When I forget those facts, my perspective gets a little bleak. I want more and do less instead of the other way around.

Well as of late, I have been trying harder to stay attuned to that gratitude. It's been tougher to stay where my feet are and the daydreaming has amplified. In small doses it's not bad, but I tend to overshoot small doses. Thus, I work harder to remind myself to stay in the moment and what I have before me to be grateful for.

That's what I am trying.

Bike It

Just got back from the gym. The unique part of this trip was the means of transport. The bike is back on it's feet, as it were. It felt so damn good the fly through the chilly night air. The simple joys, right? Now let's see what is more of a challenge, riding the ice in Chicago or riding out here where there are almost zero bikes on my streets?

Quitting Time

Getting everything done is a good feeling. Hell, it's addictive to me. My previous employer and friend used to give me such grief for trying to finish all my work by the end of the day. Is that an undesirable trait? When did I become so OCD? I know there is a lot on my plate and I have a mental queue growing by the day, but there is still a part of me that thinks (and tries) to get my inbox cleared by the end of the day. The tough part is giving myself the room to finish in the morning sometimes.

Cold Comfort

The temperature is dropping, at least at night now pretty regularly. There has been a lot on my mind lately and working through some ideas. The small comforts have been a tremendous source of... well, comfort. I am trying to stay focused on those when my mind is so prone to wandering beyond the moment at hand. A hot cup of tea, a comfortable scarf, the subtle soreness of a recent trip to the gym. These are the items I can and should focus. I also am blessed with some amazing people I get to call my family and friends. Staying aware what is here and now helps greatly. To paraphrase a popular phrase from the rooms, I can be happy or demand to know why.

Right now, it's as simple as that for me.

Box Inclined

I was chatting with a good friend today and discussing all the relocating that I have done over the last several years. It's tough to feel settled, even in my own house just yet. For the last 12 years I have only lived in two apts for as long as 2 years. At least six I lived in for less than a year. I am wicked good at moving, esentially. Guess that takes a while to lose.

Happy Picture Friday

Writer

As many of you know from reading this routinely, I am not a writer. At least I do not profess to be. I am attempting daily posts for the challenge and to see what rises to the top when you don't spend too much time looking. I write nightly as well for years and oddly have never thought much about it. That is till I was talking to a friend that mentioned how long it had been since they wrote anything. It baffled me. I don't think the world would darken any if Stupie ceased to be nor do I imagine I would be lost without a few notes here and there on what's going on. It did seem unthinkable though to stop. I was caught by surprise by the importance writing has and how little regard I give it.

Now if I were a writer, I'd had a clever way to wrap this up.



Birdhouse.

Friendly Reminders

I have been reflecting a lot with my close friend and carpool buddy, Scott on times gone by recently. Perhaps it's the holidays or the return to a familiar setting, but we have been enjoying stories of the fantastic people we know and have known. It's been fun to revisit accounts even from just a couple years ago. It led to a few phone calls tonight to friends I don't see often. I successfully reached my west coast caveman, Cody. Once again, time did that warp where it has not been weeks, months, and the like since seeing each other... it was just earlier that day. I am continually attempting to keep an eye on the good around me as it is what deserves that attention most. The friends I have around me are the best place to find that good.

That's My Jam

Ever hear a song that just gets you feeling better in seconds? It's odd how fast that works. While scent may be the strongest, sound is the easiest of senses to call at will. Between a few days of utter shuffle on the entire iTunes library and a few episodes of Glee (don't judge), I have had a wealth of songs jumping the feeling train. It's been fun and nostalgic although at times I truly wished I had headphones in. It's a little embarrassing at times to be singing along to some of these.

Huh...

What if...

Designer

Just a quick note to check in. It has been a full day of work, but in a different way than usual. I got to work from home doing design work. I have dreamed of doing this sort of thing and today it happened. Like all realities it differed some from my imagined world. It had more uncertainty and computer gliching than the version I thought about while serving coffee for a living. None the less it was truly a gift to get to do this today, despite wishing to just not have to work on such a great fall day.

Good Friggin' Friends

It's been a little over a year since my New York Marathon adventure. I heard from both my friends I had the chance to see while out there this last week. It was so good to hear from them. These are the types of friends I feel close to regardless of the time between visits or calls or (sigh)... Facebook pokes. It makes me pause while winding up my diatribe over the number of out going calls on my phone. We all appreciate the idea of quality over quantity. I feel that with these friends, for certain (and many more honestly). I guess the question to me is how difficult would it be to spend an hour with any of these wayward friends. If it's effortless, then it would seem to be a quality case. That makes me feel pretty damn good.

Happy Picture Friday

The Type

There seems an innate sense in some people on how to read a situation. You know who I mean? They just get it. When an important meeting is happening they rise o its level. When a situation requires a specific response they know it. That skill seems so hard to define but is a thing of beauty when you see it. Unfortunately, it seems more often than not, it is easier to see when it is not there. The foot in mouth type. They just can not seem to get the right response at the right time. You know it when you see it too. I am not sure how or if that skill can be taught, but it sure deserves acknowledgement at times.

Feel Better Winter

I know it's only Wednesday and the picture thing happens on Friday's, but this needed to go out today. It'll make sense to who it needs to and hopefully just make the rest of you smile.

Cheers!

An Hour Off

It's been one of those odd days where I felt ready for bed when I noticed it was just 6:30. That pissed me off a little, to be fank. I blame daylight savings for the disruption. It was friggin' dark by the time I got out of the grocery store after work. While I love the night, it is throwing me off a little. My morning runs are once again in daylight and my evening dog walks are pretty dark. It will find a balance I am sure, but for now I am irritated at feeling ready for bed by prime time

That Old Familiar

Sometimes you just miss some of the simple thing that were easy to get. I was chatting with some folks from Chicago last weekend and we were discussing the beauty of Dunkin' Donuts in Chicago. That was when it occurred to me that I loved the DD mostly because I could grab one or some coffee at every L station anytime. It was always available, everywhere I went. That may be the ultra saturation by a corporation, but it was also just good comfort too. It's a bit of a tug of war with ideals for sure.

Quitting Time

It has been a full day. A big job wrapped up today and another project I have been working on on the side also concluded. All the work was just sent out and there is such a feeling of satisfaction in hitting send the for the last time. I just wanted to pause and drop a line here at Stupie before gleefully turning the computer off for the night. I hope this finds my 4 readers well and rested after the weekend. Cheers!

Gun Show... literally

Today I went to my first gun show with some friends. I have to admit, I have not held much interest in going to one, but I was captivated by the idea to try something new. It was fun to see an entirely different walk of life than I usually get to see. Every now and then it helps to remember to try something new.

Happy Picture Friday

Sleep Dep'd

I was up pretty late last night working on a project. It paired awkwardly with an extraordinary long day at work today. While, I feel I have done better with less sleep before it felt good to push a little further today. Nice to know when you need to, you can do a lot more.

Small Steps

I've been working my way through a bit of a funk as of late. It's not ever-present, which makes it a lot more elusive to do battle with. I am resolved though to take the steps necessary to get through it. That feels better, in and of itself. It's as my Mom likes to remind me of the saying, "when your walking through hell, keep walking." I like that, even if I like to minimize my own discomfort. It surly isn't "hell" but left unchecked will cause tremendous havoc. Today I keep walking, knowing the things in my life to stay grateful for. That's enough for today, I suppose.

Snowing

It's really coming down out there. Very grateful to be home at last. That's it for tonight kids. Hope you all got home safe and sound no matter where you are. Till tomorrow.