Duck Sightings



Stretching wings

Earlier today, I took a walk by the river to get the blood properly flowing in my veins.  The pavement was still wet from the rain that had fallen last night, and the air was cold, damp, and fresh.  I love this type of weather.  It makes me very happy and rejuvenated.  I wish it could be like this year-round.  I inhaled deeply to awaken my sleepy self, and capture this amazing air in my lungs.

As I made my way down the path, accompanied for a few seconds on and off by a passing jogger, I came across ducks hanging out near the edge of the water.  They looked like they were enjoying themselves, taking in the view from the land, and occasionally gazing into the river to watch their fellow brothers & sisters swimming.


Taking a little break from swimming

I thought it would be fun to write a mini-poem from their point of view.  So here goes:


Ducks Deserve A Break
It's nice to have our webbed feet on land at last,
Because swimming non-stop and fast,
Makes for feeling fatigue,
And puts us in a league,
Of a burnt-out athlete,
Who's already gone through the Olympic feat,
Of winning Gold medals many,
And is now ready to retire with more than a penny.
So, here's for taking a break, with no dogs in sight to chase us into the river,
And make our feathers quiver.

A Poem: Messed Up Food Orders

The food preparer put meat in my sandwich this week twice,
It didn't look very nice,
Because I'm a bit picky with my food,
I know people make mistakes,
And was therefore very calm and not at all rude,
When I returned the meal,
And asked for another one,
The correct one for real.

I don't know if the food preparer thought I needed more protein,
But right now, I prefer my food veggie and bland.
The wrong sandwiches had to be thrown in the garbage bin,
I feel bad for that, for wasting food is a sin.

However, the error was not mine,
All I wanted was the correct sandwich to dine.
Due to the error, the food preparer threw in my bag a little freebie,
Which I was happy to see,
Was healthy and simple,
And cause me to smile with a dimple.

Here's to hoping for no more messed up food orders to go,
For it's really tiring to delay the meal time flow.
However, I'm taking all this in stride,
And just going along with this tide.

Attempt at Making Soup....

It's a simple task.  Boil water, and pour the packet of Lipton Noodle Soup with real chicken broth into the boiling water.  Wait five minutes, then pour it into a bowl, and eat it.

This is what happened 20 minutes ago.  My soup was ready, and I poured into one of my favorite bowls....a red ceramic one.  I then placed it on a tray, and as I was ready to exit the kitchen, I balanced the tray against my chest, and attempted to shut off the kitchen light.

What happened next?  The tray, along with the piping hot bowl of soup, slipped out of my grip and crashed on to the floor.  The ceramic bowl broke into pieces (15 or so), and the noodles spread out all over the floor and on the wall.  The worst of it....some of the hot soup fell on my abdomen, right side and on my right wrist.  They both turned red and stung from the heat.

The first thing I did was change my clothes.  I put some cream on the abdomen and the wrist.  The skin looks a bit bumpy :(  Next, I picked up the shards from the bowl, threw it into a plastic bag.  Then I took a sponge, and gathered all the noodles in one big pile on the kitchen floor, and using my hands, grabbed as many as I could, and threw those in the garbage as well.  Then I wet the sponge, and mopped the floor.  PS = wet noodles do not feel good to the touch.

With my dinner in the garbage, I have now decided to eat some toast with cheese.

"When Life Gives You Lemons....."

They say, "Make Lemonade."  I understand that one should take a bad situation that one is faced with, and try to find something positive with it, and deal with it as best as possible.

Easier said than done, especially when what you are faced with is just a crappy situation.  What I don't understand is that why sometimes bad things happen to good people, and why good things sometimes happen to selfish and cruel people.  I just don't get it.  It sucks and is very unfair.

I am working toward the "making lemonade."  I think the best approach is to try to take a step back, and think of what's positive with this situation, and/or try to do something to distract yourself from that lemon.

To finish this post, would like to leave another food for thought....instead of making lemonade, one can take that lemon and spritz it on salmon, and make it a savory dish rather than drinking a sweet-sour beverage.  Your choice.

The Most Pressure-Cooker Sport

I don't watch many sports, so my opinion is limited to only those that retain my interest.  Today, I started to wonder...if one wanted to be a professional athlete, which sport would be hardest to succeed at and cause the most pressure.  It's not a one answer fits all.  I do believe that that the following five criteria would increase the pressures:

1) You are all alone and have to rely on your mental toughness to overcome nervousness.

2) You likely started very young and may sacrifice school/friends and being away from family.

3) Practice costs a ton of money

4) There's very little room for error

5) Your weight plays a very key role

I narrowed it down to figure skating and gymnastics.  I have huge respect for those who pursue a professional career, but never had the desire or dream to become one myself, because I don't think I would be happy.  But to each his own.  And kudos to those who pursue it, as long as it gives them joy.

Speaking of figure skating, the US Figure Skating Championships were happening this week.  There were some beautiful performances, but I must say, every time a skater attempted a jump, my breath took a hold, and I mentally coaxed them to land carefully.  The Senior Ladies winners were: Bradie Tennell (Gold); Mirai Nagasu (Silver); Karen Chen (Bronze); and Ashley Wagner (Pewter).  Oh, and by Senior Ladies, it means anyone 15 years old and older.

First Post of 2018

Just realized that I haven't posted anything in many months.  I have a valid reason. I've had to deal with some difficult stuff.  Anyway, to distract myself from this "stuff" (yes, I will call it that, because it's easier to express myself), I have decided to start writing again, because they say writing helps, no matter what it's about.  So, I will start.  It will mostly be about general stuff.  But it shouldn't matter what it's about, as long as it's output.  Trying to keep a positive attitude.  It's a New Year.  Time for New Beginnings.

New Order in Concert....Everything is In Order

Being a huge fan of new wave, punk, electronica and indie rock, when I accidentally stumbled across the fact earlier this year that New Order was going to perform at Radio City Music Hall, I of course hyperventilated a few minutes straight at a stop light, then pulled myself together, and walked with a calm that one can technically only achieve via yoga, to the Box Office and breathed a sigh of relief that tickets were not yet sold out.  I repeat Not Yet.

Since then, I counted down the months, then weeks, then days to Thursday, Apr 13th.  I prayed that nobody at New Order would catch a cold and call in sick.  Thankfully, the show was on, and SOLD OUT.

Nothing beats being around people who have a love and appreciation for these music genres I just described above.  I mean, it's like I could just be myself, and not ashamed that I absolutely adore them.

The doors opened at 7:30am, with the show scheduled to start at 8pm.  Of course, I knew this meant New Order would take the stage at least 1hr later.  Between 8 to 9pm, a DJ played some 1980s songs.  Very loud.  I could feel a headache and ear pain coming along.  So to try to remedy this, I took some foamy earplugs (courtesy of Lufthansa) and popped them in my ears.  It didn't really reduce the sound much, but at least it had some impact.

9pm - The show started.  And it was quite a show.  The music was some from their latest album, but what really excited the crowd (and myself) was when they played this 1983 hit - "Blue Monday."  I saw a couple not far from me, getting very lovey dovey (must have been their 1st date song).  Anyway, almost everyone was on their feet at that point, and swaying and dancing.  I tried to record the song without moving my body, but that was nearly impossible....not with this beat.

Another pleasant and unexpected surprise was when Bernard Sumner announced they would play a song they'd never played in New York before.  I held my breath, because I thought, maybe, just maybe they would play my personal old-time favorite called "Vanishing Point."  But no, it was not meant to be.  I was not disappointed though for they played something so deep, dark and moving called "Decades."  I later researched this....it was a song that had been written by former band member, Ian Curtis (before he had committed suicide in May 1980).  New Order was paying tribute to him, and I found the song very moving and so intense.

A few other more upbeat songs were played, including old time "Bizarre Love Triangle."  Show ended around 10:50pm.  A wonderful, exciting, and nostalgic evening.  Would love to post the videos; unfortunately this blog site only allows up to 100MB uploads.  So, will have to find a reputable software to do some cutting and editing beforehand before uploading.  Stay tuned.

Fans streaming out after the show.....