Resolution Resolutions

Okay people, I want to write a post about my new resolutions, and in fact I need to for blogduel2011, but before I do that, I have to bring a little closure to the ones I made last year. We'll keep score and see how I did. So without further ado (because who likes further ado? NOBODY. Incidentally, this parenthetical note is completely made up of futher ado. Sick.), here are the Resolution Resolutions.

#1 Think more of others and less about myself. Well, that was completely un-quantifiable. I'd like to think I did okay, but I can't really measure how well I did, so I guess I'll just call it a TIE.

#2 More books, less TV. Check. I have now developed a potentially dependent relationship with my neighborhood library. Or more specifically, the holdshelf. I'm gonna be honest and say I'm not in love with the books generally contained within the walls of the Hillsdale Library, but the books it gets for me are great! Also, the clutch hitter this year was books on tape. Because my commute is about an hour a day. WIN!

#3 Know when to be upset, and when not to. I got upset a fair amount this year, but most of that was at myself, for being stupid. I also had some good, well-thought-out upset-gettings, but they were fewer and farther between. I think more notably, there were more times when I SHOULD have gotten upset that I didn't, about things like injustice, which are very present at my workplace. Some good progress, but I'd say mostly LOSE.

#4 Cook more often. Crap. The good news is that I've discovered that I don't really like cooking. And I'm pretty okay with it. Baking I'm fine with, but cooking? Nah. LOSE

#5 Go on some dates. Done. And for the details, you will have to ask. And no, you can't ask in the comments. WIN!

#6 Dress better. Utter Victory. I have mostly my family (Christmas and Birthday gifts) and friends (Much needed shopping help) to thank. Button up shirts are now being worn, and hoodies are...well a LITTLE less common. And I own a tie. *puke* WIN!

#7 Play more music. Ummmm....I've made some life changes that don't really lead me in the music direction anymore. And I've decided that playing music is more of a coping thing. However, I did make good use of that, and I played at work a little, and in church, so I'm gonna call it a TIE.

The score stands at 3-2-2. In soccer I would have 11 points, which would probably get me into the playoffs, or at least a wildcard seed. In contrast, if it were football I would probably not be in the playoffs, unless I was in the Seahawks' division. If this were baseball I would still be in May and would have 155 games left to play.

In conclusion, we'll do even better next Resolution Season! (Which started last week.)

I'm back?

I'm back. For now.

The thing about me and writing is that, being an untrained professional, I don't have the discipline required to write on a regular basis. Instead, I rely on a thing I like to call Inspiration. My assumption is that professional writers have somehow come up with a way to lure Inspiration into an elaborate snare (probably involving bent saplings and bear traps), corralled it into a cage, domesticated it, and then go out and milk it once a week for their column in the newspaper. 

My Inspiration has so far been elusive. And that's fine with me - I'm content to hunt Inspiration on its own terms. I stalk it, corner it in the woods, pin it down and milk it 'til it's dry. Meanwhile, it flails around clawing and scratching me with its talons and chomping me with its 37 rows of teeth, inflicting some heavy casualties of its own. 

That's pretty much where the metaphor breaks down, but the point is that I'm anything but regularly inspired. It's been over six months since I wrote here. It's not that I get bored of it, it's more that I'm selective of what I do with my time, and unless I've got a good head of steam from Inspiration I won't really write anything.

However, the facts are these: I've lately been more contemplative, and I'm redistributing my time accordingly. I've also had a number of great conversations with people lately, which has given me a lot to think about. (Number One among those things is that I am, apparently, and horrifyingly, becoming a verbal processor).

I guess it's only a matter of time before Inspiration makes a run for another part of the woods, but until then - I Write!

Be Nice to your Gas Station Attendant

One time I had a conversation with Gregory about how to be a good customer at Starbucks. I expected him to say something like, "Tip lots" or "buy expensive drinks so I get paid more", or even "Don't make a mess". What he actually said was "Answer me when I ask you how you're doing."

It makes a lot of sense. Think about it - it has to be demeaning when customer after customer responds to your optimistic greeting of "Hi! How are you today?" with no eye contact as they shovel through their purse for spare change and a mumbled "doubletallicemochalattewithhalfandhalfsugarnowhipcreamerandsoymilkonthesideandextracoffeegrounds."* That is not, in fact, a legitimate answer to the question, "how are you doing today?". And it's pretty damn rude.

So I took that conversation with Gregory and tried to apply it to other people in service occupations. The next day I had to go to the DMV to get my license replaced (I think it went overboard on a kayak excursion, but if you see someone who is not me trying to use my Costco card, stop them). Everybody knows about DMV people. It went well though. I'm not going to say that being cheerful will change the very cold heart of a DMV worker, but I did get a friendly conversation and she let me take the test after the advertised closing time. It was pretty great.

Then I stopped to get gas a couple days later, and instead of my usual "fill 'er up", I asked him how he was. He was surprisingly talkative. Turns out he just moved up from So-cal, and his friends had told him that people would be more polite here. His experience had been the opposite and he hated it. I hope I was able to restore some faith in the people of the northwest.

Since then, I've become really sensitive to the plight of the gas station attendant. They sit around all day long in the heat, cold, wind and rain, waiting for someone to drive up and demand to have their cars filled. They are surrounded by exhaust fumes and impatient people all day long. I can't imagine eight hours of that. I did a couple four hour shifts of pushing carts at Costco, and by the time I was done I was ready to key the cars of people who refused to return their carts to the corrals. Gas station attendants must have way more patience than me.

Today, I backed into the last remaining spot at a gas station. The person in the truck behind me had just finished and really wanted me to know that he was leaving right then. He didn't want to have to go around me, so he honked his horn at me a couple times before proceeding on. The attendant came up to me and apologized for the guy. 

You're a selfless hero, Mr. gas station attendant.

*This is what I hear when I hear people ordering at starbucks. I'm sure those of you who work there can translate it. As for me, when I order something it usually goes something like this: 

"Hey, can I have tea?" 

"Yeah, what size", 

"Uh...like a medium amount?" 

"So, grande?", 

"Maybe. That sounds kind of big though..." 

"Well, it's our medium size." 

"Oh, okay. Yeah a grande tea. Earl Grey please." 

"Grande Earl Grey. Do you want any sugar, honey or creamer?" 

"In my tea?!"

"Yeah."

"No. Just regular style please."