The Sheep Dog and a Burger With a Star

“He knew what the Beats know and what the great tennis player knows, son: learn to do nothing, with your whole head and body, and everything will be done by what’s around you.” ~ David Foster Wallace

“All the stories I would like to write persecute me. When I am in my chamber, it seems as if they are all around me, like little devils, and while one tugs at my ear, another tweaks my nose, and each says to me, ‘Sir, write me, I am beautiful.” ~ Umberto Eco

“A crude way to put the whole thing is that our presence culture is, both develeopmentally and historically, adolescent. And since adolescence is acknowledged to be the single most stressful and frightening period of human development – the stage when adulthood we claim to crave begins to present itself as a real and narrowing system of responsibilities and limitation (taxes, death) and when we yearn inside for a return to the same childish oblivion we pretend to scorn – it’s not difficult to see why we as a culture are so susceptible to art and entertainment whose primary function is escape, i. e. fantasy, adrenaline, spectacle, romance, etc.” ~ David Foster Wallace

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Kind of a Goldilocks morning: not too cold, not too hot – just right. I made an excellent pot of coffee as well. Yeh, it’s a workday. It’ll be fun. You never know what the whackier customers might do or say. Like the other day. During the transaction the lady started talking about her dog. She explained that he needs to be retrained: four years old and he suddenly starts to chase sheep in the pasture across from the house, so she bought a shock collar to facilitate the training. “What kind of dog is he?”, I asked. And she says “a border collie”. OMG, who ever heard of a sheep dog chasing sheep? What is this world coming to!? Sigh. I controlled myself and said nothing sarcastic. It was the right thing to do. I hope the dog comes out of it okay. Yeh, border collies are the smartest. In my imagination there is a wily cat who whispers to the dog: “Hey, pssst, dude. Ya see those animals across the road? Those are sheep, and it’s in your DNA to herd them”. Troublemakers, those cats. Stir up some shit then go take a nap.

Now, before I take a shower I want to admit to a shortcoming, a capitulation to pessimism. I was telling a good friend about my blog, and how I usta, once in a while, invite Taylor Swift to lunch for a burger and a beer. My friend said, “Wow, don’t stop now!”. Soooo, Taylor, my dear, I’d be right pleased to have you join me for lunch a qui en Taos. My treat. Nice pizza joint here as well. Your choice, k? I know it’s a long shot, but I gotta ask anyway. Let’s just say that it’s a bucket list kind of thing. It would be fun. And your vibrant presense and smile would be a medicine for melancholy for this here agin’ fella. What do ya say, hmmmm? Onward folks, time to prep for work. Dag nab it. Now I’ve got a fantasy of singing harmony with Taylor. Not likely, right. But I’ve got the chops, my dear. No worries. Ciao.

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Peace out, y’all. Goof gloriously.

That Eerie Hue of Pale Orange-Umber

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“Television knows no night. It is perpetual day. TV embodies our fear of the dark, of night, of the other side of things.” ~ Jean Baudrillard

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“Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home. In a cosmic perspective, most human concerns seem insignificant, even petty. And yet our species is young and curious and brave and shows much promise. In the last few millennia we have made the most astonishing and unexpected discoveries about the Cosmos and our place within it, explorations that are exhilarating to consider. They remind us that humans have evolved to wonder, that understanding is a joy, that knowledge is prerequisite to survival. I believe our future depends on how well we know this Cosmos in which we float like a mote of dust in the morning sky.” ~ Carl Sagan

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If it were not for the computer it would be difficult to tell what day it is. That’s the whole point. I took an extra day off, to get four consecutive, due to the fact that I am wrung out tighter than Van Damme’s abs. Nah, that was last week: two sentences! But now it is Monday morning, and, as far as I know, the world is still ending, as we speak. The missing operative words here are “as we know it”. Thank you Michael Stipe – ya done good, buddy. Anyway . . . it’s Monday morning . . . as stated before. Sheesh, I’m a little out of practice at this writing thing. That’s what I get for slacking; and I won’t blame it on the world situation, because I can’t think of a better place for it. The accommodations and amenities could use some work, however. That said, I’m going out to have a smoke then feed the cat. Bisy backson.

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There is a lot of smoke in the air. Of course the fires have been the news of the week. And the wind. The closest fire is perhaps 100 miles away; a pittance, as the smoke flies. A couple of days ago, as I was nearing home on my commute, the wind was blowing a steady 43 mph, gusting to 70 mph. Air full of smoke and copious amounts of dust. It was somewhat apocalyptic. And gucky. My lungs are aching and congested. Yeh, allergies as well. Waaaaah. Quack. Woof. Whatever. There has been some nice cloud cover this morning. It’s muted the morning light quite nicely. The smoke is thick over along the mountains. Japanese watercolor kind of scenery. Pretty. All with that eerie hue of pale orange-umber that distant fire can portray.

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Today is laundry day. I have again taken to doing it myself, having come to my senses after having forgotten what a spiritual balm it is for me to do laundry in the Wash-o-mat over by the Pueblo. Chop wood, carry water. Wash rinse, and dry. Then home again. Sigh. I was planning on being a recluse today. Whatever. It is a nice day. Nuff said.

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Peace out, y’all. Goof gloriously.

A Seeming Fog of Contentment

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“Having a bunch of cats around is good. If you’re feeling bad, just look at the cats, you’ll feel better, because they know that everything is, just as it is.” ~ Charles Bukowski

“Pain is a spiritual wake-up call showing you that there are oceans you have not yet explored. Step beyond the world you know. Reach for heights that you never thought possible. Go to places you have deemed off limits. This is the time to take off the shell of your past and step into the rich possibilities of your future. God does not give us dreams that we cannot fulfill. If you want to do something great with your life-whether it’s to fall madly in love, become a teacher, be a great parent-if you aspire to do something beyond what you are doing now, this is the time to begin. Trust yourself.” ~ Debbie Ford

“How do we teach a child–our own, or those in a classroom–to have compassion: to allow people to be different; to understand that like is not equal; to experiment; to laugh; to love; to accept the fact that the most important questions a human being can ask do not have–or need–answers.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle

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It’s a tad stormy out there. Forecast suggests rain on about 10 AM. Before I go too far here I want to assure you I will not proffer a guess on what the driving conditions will be on your commute to work. I’ve no desire to present a status quo weather, whether, whatever, report isn’t that what . . . oh, never mind. Tis a workday after two days off. Small – tiny even – tasks and chores were done. And the laundry as well. Go figure. Here I sit in a seeming fog of contentment. The wind is sporting that “Heathcliff on the Moors” sound. And it’s nearly warm out, relatively speaking. I could go for sunset, Guinness, and whiskey. Nah, not really. Sunrise will do just fine. A workday will be doable as well. Coffee too. Sigh. I have little time to write this morning, but I did not want to not write. Thanks for reading. Y’all make my day.

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Peace out, y’all. Goof gloriously.

In the Balloon Over My Head

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“These tales, without exception, express the truth that justice triumphs in the end. They all contain the idea that it is worth while to fight for the truth, in any situation. In this fight man is assisted by more powerful beings than ordinary mortals. And the triumph of justice is the only sense and consolation in this world. Indeed, the world itself started out with this hope. The human race received it long, long ago as a cradle-song.” ~ Gyula Illyes

“I believe that maturity is not an outgrowing, but a growing up: that an adult is not a dead child, but a child who survived. I believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in the child. . . . that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these faculties is the power of imagination.” ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

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Dull gray sky. Feeding time is over and the cat has gone quiet. Eyes puffy with allergy issues, with a touch of lingering, liminal sleep. It’s been one of those weekends when pattern disruption is an ongoing intentional process. Happy Monday . . . and, hey, I’ve got the day off. Laundry to be done. Coupla bills to pay. Would that I could, assuming enough energy is to be had, I would delve into some tasty intellectual reading. Not likely, but the hunger for intellectual fare is real and recognized. World weary, tired of and from life, burnt out retail mentality — but ya jest gotta keep going anyway. Hemingway said something about how it is easier to write about a place from far away. Likely these past few years will be in the same category. All I know is it ain’t happening here and now. I’m still wearing a large WTF in the thought balloon over my head. Yeh, sometimes it feels easier to pretend to be the cartoon character that society seems to think you are. That’s me today. Maybe it’s because I watched scary movies on Netflix last night? Yeh, maybe. I like these stories about ghosts and old houses, where the line between the haunting and the haunted is vague and impossible to pin down. That’s spirits for you, right? Yeh, to some extent, but I’ll not go into that today. Let the ghosts alone; that’s what I say; they have jobs and obligations just like me. And on that note I’ll call this a wrap, then float randomly in the River of Time and/or the River of Dreams for a while before I head into town. Ciao.

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Peace out, y’all. Goof gloriously.