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Category: thought

Things one can never have too many of in Minnesota — a survival guide

  • Coats/Jackets.
  • Sweaters.
  • Wool socks.
  • Flannel Shirts
  • “Why the hell do we live here?” moments.
  • “Why the hell doesn’t everyone live here?” moments.
  • Good boots.
  • Good shovels.
  • Shovels in your car trunk.
  • Just about anything made of/with/from fleece.
  • Layers.
  • Conversations about the weather.
  • Entreaties to those that will listen that it’s not as bad as a seems, we are well equipped to handle it, and that the gloriously beautiful and mild summers entirely make up for enduring any bad that could possibly occur.
  • Warm beverages.
  • Soups.
  • Friends and neighbors who “get it”.

This is a living list. I’ll keep updating it as I come up with more to add.

Who R U? — Steven Pressfield

Who R U? — Steven Pressfield

The politician and the general serve the future in one way, the mother serves it in another. You and I as artists serve it too.

For the past few days, once again, I’ve been haunted by a story I’ve been trying to write for about 20 years now. One I have in my head but can’t get down quite right. I take a stab at it every few months and then, not satisfied by the results, walk away only to be haunted again. A disturbance in my soul drawing me back to the page to try again from another direction.

Deep down, I know it is a story that only I am meant to write. I know I’ll keep trying all my life, and any life that may come after, to get it right.

The post linked above speaks to this idea and hit me in a very deep way.

Everyone needs to take a vacation from the sort of automatic things you do, you know. The automatic things you do are basically those things that keep you from doing the better things you need to do.

Bill Murray

#OptOutside with REI this Black Friday

#OptOutside with REI this Black Friday

REI believes that being outside makes our lives better. That’s why this Black Friday, we’re closing all 143 of our stores and paying our employees to head outside.

What we believe in. With this move, they have pretty much guaranteed I’ll do as much of my holiday shopping at REI as possible. I’m proud to be a member/owner.

It’s a great business move as well. How many more like me who will now go out of their way to shop more this holiday season and beyond? How much more in sales will they make over the next year versus only one day? My bet is that it will be significant.

Organized my sock drawer. It’s been a mess for years. Socks mostly just shoved in. In a pile. Hard to find things. A minor daily frustration near the beginning of every day. One does not realize how those little frustrations add up over time and begin to cognitively wear on you. Like a pebble in a shoe.

Took me about 20 minutes to fix it. Dumped them out, found matches, set aside ones I want to give away, tossed ones with holes. Feels great.

20 minutes to solve years of minor frustration. 20 minutes to make me just a little happier every day.

Now, to find 20 minutes more.

The white man in that photo | GRIOT

The white man in that photo | GRIOT

attila:

Best thing you’ll read on the Internet for a while, I promise. This is one of my top 3 sports pictures of all times, and I didn’t know the full story behind – I’m sure you don’t. 68 and 72 were troubled times and Olympics, I am not sure we progressed that much since.

Strangely, my other two top sports pictures are Ali and Mandela, I am sure you know which ones. And then there’s that photo of Spitz being escorted away from the Olympics in 72, he’s at a London airport and doesn’t have a clue that the Israeli athletes have been killed by the terrorists. Mad world.

Jeepers! What a story.