random thoughts

The perception of time and aging: Weird

It’s an actual thing that as you grow older you perceive time differently, mainly in that it seems to fly by faster. Waiting a year for something to happen when you were nine years old felt like FOREVER. At, say, 49, it feels like the proverbial blink of an eye.

A few days ago, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac died, at the age of 79. This made me think back to the reunion of the classic Mac line-up that led to the live album The Dance, which I bought in the now quaint CD format. The concert, album and subsequent tour all happened in 1997–25 years ago as of this writing, yet when I think back to it, it feels like it happened far more recently, more like five or ten years ago. It’s weird. McVie was already 54 at the time. She rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014 at the age of 71, yet in my mind she seems to be eternally around 40 years old. This may admittedly be in part to how music videos “preserve” people as they were, but I think the time thing plays a big part, too.

I don’t have anything more profound to offer on this, only that it’s something that has become more obvious to me after I moved from my 40s and into my 50s. The death of McVie made me think again how my brain doesn’t easily wrap around how much time has passed on so many things.

Although it does feel like it’s been about a hundred years since I had a decent head of hair.

Welcome to December 2022 ~or~ Ice to meet you

Because it’s cold out there today. It’s -6C as I type this and the expected high is -1C, which scientists refer to as BRR. At least it isn’t snowing anymore. Or raining, because that would be even more fun with everything covered in crunchy snow right now.

I must venture out at some point to get some foodstuffs, plus I also want to go to the lake to see how viable it might be for running tomorrow. I’m not super hopeful, but you never know!

Also, I was down this morning, woo. Weight-wise, I mean, not in terms of my spirits. I am officially 10.9 pounds from my weight goal of 150. Can I get to 150 pounds in the month that plies people relentlessly with candy, chocolate, eggnog and the horror known as fruitcake? Possibly!

Also, here is a cat in the snow.

The Blahs

I have them.

I don’t want them.

I will be rid of them.

Soon™.

I’m assuming it’s not SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) because we’ve only had rain for the past week, and it will probably rain for about five more months. Maybe it’s the impending shift back to Standard Time, or Dumb Time, as I call it. Perhaps it’s that my weight has ticked up the last few days, instead of going down as I demand it.

So many possibilities.

While I ponder, let us gaze upon this cat, also pondering.

It’s the second day of September, here are random thoughts

In list form, because I like lists:

  • Favorite interpretation of Apple’s September 7, 2022 “Far Out” event: Refers to pricing of new devices to be unveiled.
  • Summer 2022 early review: It’s not the heat, IT’S THE HUMIDITY AAAAAGGGGHHHHH
  • Weight loss 2022: Going way better than previous attempts in the past few years!
  • Running: Back in the groove, with potential injuries, humidity and bears being ongoing concerns
  • Cats: I kind of want a cat again, but also kind of like not having the responsibility of having a pet
  • Dogs: Why are there so many of them? Do people want kids and get dogs as kid substitutes?
  • Dog owners: Why are so many of them so bad at being dog owners? Am I living in a part of the world where people just don’t understand how dogs work?
  • Diablo 3: Why did I start playing again? WHY?
  • This list of random thoughts: Why did it evolve into a list of questions?
  • Upcoming blog posts I’m committing to right here:
    • Mac vs. PC, 2022 Edition
    • Apple Watch as running watch: The 7-year review
    • R.E.M. albums ranked (again) with mini-reviews of each
    • Maybe the same for ELO
  • Ugh, it’s only 10 a.m. and already 21C. WHY.
  • WHY
  • That’s all for now

Curiously unmotivated

Yesterday (Saturday, August 27, 2022, for the record) I was curiously unmotivated to post. I was up late and as I watched the time tick by, and it got closer to midnight, I thought, “I should at least post something, even just a haiku.” and yet I did not. I watched some videos, I had a nice shower, I did some reading. I slept.

I regret none of these things. Sometimes you just need to let everything slip away and get lost in your own head for a while. Which I did.

Now that that’s done, here’s a haiku and a cat:

Enjoying nothing
Is no easy thing to do
Brains don't shut down nice

Cat:

Could it happen?

My fortune cookie fortune from Chinese food last night:

My reaction:

If I play those six numbers and win $13 million instead (the current Lotto 6/49 prize), I’ll accept that as compensation in place of people being impressed with my art.

Random things I find weird

Earrings are weird when described literally:

Punch holes into your flesh, then hang shiny metal objects from the holes.

close up photo of gold colored latched back earrings
Photo by Dima Valkov on Pexels.com

Boxing:

Two people put on gloves and punch each other repeatedly in the head and upper body. Wearing gloves magically converts this from assault to entertainment.

men doing sparring fight
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

Wiener dogs:

If you want an idea of what humans will do when genetic manipulation evolves further, consider the wiener dog.

relaxed cute dachshund dogs sleeping on cozy bed
Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

Godwin and January 2019: Random post

Looking through my “treasure trove” of unpublished/incomplete blog posts, I found one from January 2019 in which I imagined invoking Godwin’s Law on reader comments made on CBC New stories. A few things before getting to the re-imagined quote:

  • I no longer actively read the news. I do not regret this at all and, in fact, do not feel I am less informed on what is happening in the world, or locally, as a result. My inspiration to go news-free came from this post on Experimental History.
  • The world would have to endure two more years of Trump as president, and he continues to make headlines as ex-president in all the wrong ways, but thankfully, he is making them as ex-president.
  • As always, never read the comments remains stellar advice.

And now the original post:

CBC News headline for an opinion piece that is way too easy to Godwin:

No matter the politics, Trump's wall could provide jobs, stimulus if recession strikes

Godwin version:

No matter the politics, Hitler's concentration camps could provide jobs, stimulus if recession strikes

I imagine you could probably apply this to a lot of things Trump has said, or will continue to say. I, however, am not going to pursue this any further, because I value my brain.

Inadvertent homage to Windows XP

I saw this view over the top of a fence while out walking today and it kind of makes me think of the default Windows XP wallpaper.

The best part is this idyllic view is right next door to a recycling and waste center.

For reference, the default Windows XP wallpaper:

It’s time for some lists

My List

  • Your kiss

Top 5 Theme Songs for May 2020, Metro Vancouver Edition

  • Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head
  • Here Comes the Rain Again
  • Singin’ in the Rain
  • November May Rain
  • Rain is Falling

Bonus (maybe, hopefully): Here Comes the Sun

The Best R.E.M. albums, ranked yet again by me

  1. Automatic for the People
  2. Lifes Rich Pageant
  3. Murmur
  4. Monster
  5. New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Previous list (which I did not check before writing the current one):

  1. Automatic for the People
  2. Lifes Rich Pageant
  3. Monster
  4. Collapse Into Now
  5. Murmur

I swapped out their final album Collapse Into Now for their 1996 release New Adventures in Hi-Fi. It’s really close, though. Collapse is actually a really good R.E.M. album, especially considering how bored the band had seemed by the earlier Around the Sun. I don’t listen to Murmur much these days (R.E.M. joke) but when I do, it still seems kind of magical. It’s an amazing debut album.

Random things I like

  • Sugar peas
  • Taking pictures of things
  • Getting lost in a drawing
  • Watching something that makes me laugh (that doesn’t involve someone taking a ball to the crotch)
  • Walks along trails (often done in conjunction with #2)