Day 5 - 59 -- Early Start

The middle of the week is almost past. I was awake for about 2-1/2 hours in the night, so getting up to the alarm was difficult today. Clear thought was tricky a couple of times, but overall the day went well. I walked into the office in falling snow -- big, fluffy flakes that turned my black parka white. The ground cover became slushy by the time I headed home in late afternoon. I did manage to catch up with a friend during part of the walk home. We work in the same building, but our schedules are such that we don't seem to be free at the same times -- well not until the month after classes end. That was a bright spot in a monochrome day -- light grey skies and snowy ground and tree branches. The dampness of the day made the air feel much colder than expected. If all goes well, the sun should shine tomorrow and change the look of the day, at least.

Keeping a positive view can be almost impossible when feeling so tired. Working through the fatigue can help. While productivity may be a bit less or things take a bit longer to complete, accomplishing something can add to the positive feeling. As I've noted often here, being aware of internal feelings can help manage external pressures more positively. Pleasant interactions with people around you can help, too. It pulls us outside ourselves and forces us to interact in a socially acceptable fashion <smile>. And maybe that is what it is all about -- smiling.

The song shared often comes to mind when feeling a bit less than perfect. It might have been the time of year and not just the events of the day. Six years ago the singer of this song died (Feb 29, 2012). The songwriter was also a favourite of mine. So listen to the soothing lyrics and voice. Enjoy!

Early Morning Blues and Greens -- The Monkees (sung by Davy Jones and written by Jack Keller)

Day 5 - 58 -- Plans Go Off the Rails

Where to begin? The day began with sunshine followed by meetings that helped move things forward for others. A few odd occurrences landed on my desk in the afternoon, but they were manageable. In a group meeting in late afternoon, technology created major barriers to getting things completed as planned. A call to the IT people brought a tech to us who helped with one major technology difficulty. The software issues seemed not to be resolved during the meeting time, so one presentation had to be delayed until our next meeting. Other online information was accessed and we moved forward -- a bit.

Remaining calm seemed to help get through the mini-crises that piled up together compounding the effect. I looked at the absurdity of the situation and that helped me from being overly frustrated. Finding the upside in a negative situation that could go sideways quickly can help set the tone for the others who might feel frustration. Things did work, just not on the schedule we'd started with today. Learning from the situation helped to see what to avoid for the next time we meet -- things that might help avoid the same problems from recurring -- no guarantee that new problems might not choose to appear, though. <smile>

I thought of a few songs for the day and ended with one that has an upbeat melody that makes it sound better than the the words alone might <smile>. The lyrics fit with my end of day experience -- "sometimes the system goes on the blink and the whole thing turns out wrong" <smile>.  Enjoy!

Bad Day -- Daniel Powter

Day 5 - 57 -- Re-Centering

An odd day began with my startled reaction to the alarm. Granted 6:15 AM is earlier than I've been waking during the week with no classes, but I can't recall the last time I literally jerked awake when the news started. I felt tired throughout the day -- world weary tired that made feeling enthused about anything a difficult task. With some work, I expect that can change -- it just takes energy that I couldn't muster today.

Feeling like one cares about things does take effort, but for the things we enjoy it would seem this would be with us at all times. Yet, it isn't. Some days are more melancholy than others, I suppose. Working through that feeling and trying to get to the root of it isn't always easy. Was it a dream from the previous night, a fleeting memory or something that hasn't even hit conscious thought yet, that set the tone? For those who enjoy puzzles this one can be a real brain twister. Generally finding something that can begin to move you out of the mood like going for a walk, listening to music or whatever helps you to recentre can be worth the few moments that might take from the day's events. Often, the result can be worth it.

A relaxing song melody came to mind to share today. The lyrics speak about perseverance to move towards one's dream. The singer's voice is ethereal at times adding to the dreamlike state conjured by the song. The visuals for this version made me smile -- places I've been and places I want to see again. Enjoy!

Empire State of Mind -- Alicia Keyes

Day 5 - 56 -- Singer-Songwriter Remembered

Today's focus centred on cooking. A large pot of chili found its way to the freezer (and supper tonight). Spiced apple sauce sits cooling and will be put into jars in a day or two. Apple crisp for weekday desserts resides in the fridge. By then, I'd run out of steam. Even at the end of Reading Week, I still feel overly weary physically. Mentally, I am in a slightly better place but not as on top of things I'd like to be. The next 8 weeks will be interesting, intense, and sure to bring emotions of all sorts. <smile>

Seventy-five years ago today, George Harrison was born. As the 'quiet' Beatle and later in a solo career, he wrote many introspective and thought provoking songs  -- a true deep thinker, certainly in touch with his spiritual nature. Later in his career, he was integral to the founding of the Travelling Willburys, comprised of Harrison, Petty, Dylan, Orbison and Lynne. Something truly amazing occurred when their jam sessions turned into recording sessions, sharing that sound with us all.

Choosing just one song was impossible for today, so there will be two. The first was a melody that George had written without lyrics -- those came after the murder of John Lennon. The second is a  song he wrote during the Beatles era. The beautiful melody and thoughtful lyrics always give me pause. The video for this one is from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of Harrison in 2004. Enjoy!

All Those Years Ago -- George Harrison

While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- Tom Petty, Prince, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison (and others)

Day 5 - 55 -- Celebrating Heart Month

A usual Saturday was spent doing laundry and such at home. Skies looked threatening in the afternoon with deep grey-blue clouds, which usually means snow in about 5 minutes. Yet nothing seemed to happen as the clouds blew over. In the evening, I met a friend for a concert to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation -- February is Heart Month. The concert was called -- Won't Back Down, a tribute to Tom Petty performed by many local groups and individuals. It began with I Won't Back Down and ended with Learning to Fly. In between were many songs. The amps were cranked on a few tunes and others were softer. All in all, it was an enjoyable evening.

Listening to the music tonight I knew it would be difficult to choose something to share here <smile>. Petty's oeuvre contains such variety. I chose two played this evening. The first gives a bit of background to his pronunciation <smile>. The second contains some wonderful metaphors and leads one to ponder about possible isolation in our lives.

Southern Accent -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Walls (Circus) -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Day 5 - 54 -- Olympic Vertigo

Like many people around the world, I've been watching the Olympic Games for 14 days. I do love seeing the athletes do their best. I will admit feeling disappointed when the commentators focus on medals and gold medals only. Not every athlete will win a medal, but they are all part of the games and should be recognized for making personal and national best scores. At the same time, I am delighted for those who do win a medal. (And just to show my grammarian roots -- they do not medal or podium -- those are not verbs but nouns. <sigh>)

Watching most sports I realized how few there are that don't induce vertigo for people like me. Wow! The dead drop from the start gate to the run in ski cross, the jumps and maneuvers in freestyle skiing and snowboarding, the heights of ski jump, and the spinning and jumping in figure skating -- and so much more -- all could make me feel queezy watching them. Yet, I do find myself watching and trying to avoid the parts that create the vertigo -- helmet cams are horrendous for this. Needless to say, I am not an athlete and have had motion sickness and vertigo since I was a young child. I did not grow out of it as the MDs of the day suggested. It is just me, which is why I am here and the athletes are there <grin>.

A song came to mind while watching the ski cross yesterday followed by the women's free skate. It is an older tune from about 1969 that made number one in UK, Canada, and USA. It is a light bit of fluff, but it is fun. Enjoy!

Dizzy -- Tommy Roe

Day 5 - 53 -- Finding New Viewpoints

Thursday of Reading Week signaled the diminishing time to get through the 'to do' list. Some items left that list today, but it still contains some major items. Tomorrow will bring some serious efforts to make a large dent in the remaining items. I also took some time to cook today making a big pot of curried carrot soup and some sweet and sour sauce -- all to fill the deep freeze and provide some choice when coming home late. I still have two other recipes to execute on the weekend. Then I'll be set for the next 8 weeks or so. Six weeks remain for classes and labs with another couple for exam period. It will be a flurry of activity. Being well nourished can be difficult with lack of time and energy, so the deep freeze greatly helps.

While cooking, I made some alterations when I discovered that I didn't have one ingredient and when I wanted to change the final product a bit. Being flexible -- not a slave to the recipe -- made the process move more smoothly. Learning to find alternatives in a daily routine or project tasks could benefit both the final product and stress levels. Creative problem solving skills take practice and learning to see things from different angles. Use of lateral thinking exercises might support this creative process for individuals and groups. Facilitating problem solving with small groups requires strong communication skills of everyone involved.

A song with lyrics that fit my activities today shows some creativity. A sign in a kitchen sparked an idea. While not a song that would win awards, it does bring some interest and fun. The lyrics have been criticized as being sexist, but I'm not convinced that it refers only to the singer -- trying to be less literal with this one. The 'chip pan' sound at the onset is unique. Enjoy!

Cook of the House -- McCartney and Wings (sung by Linda McCartney)