Monthly Archives: March 2010

Things That Make Me Swoon

Disclaimer: this blog post may be a stream of consciousness… be aware, tangents may ensue.

SCENE: Right now, it’s 68 degrees, there’s a slight breeze, I’m sitting out on my patio, writing, I have a Magic Hat Circus Boy in hand [in a Christopher Newport University alumni coozie], my dog is sleeping at my feet, and I’m listening to a mix tape I found that I had made in the summer of 1993. Yes, an actual cassette tape with songs recorded from the radio. [WPGC 95.5 and 93.9 WKYS, FTW!]

Thumbs up for painted Elvi

I worked for 14 hours straight today, yet I’m totally relaxed. This is the first time this has happened in easily, uhh, a while. For those of you that know me, those of you that don’t, and those of you who just read this blog, you may or may not know that a lot has changed in the past year. A lot. Some good, some bad, some happy, some sad, but needless to say, I’m a stronger person now than I was 365 days ago.

And the truth is, I’ve been incredibly stressed lately. Like, I honestly think the last time I felt this much stress for this amount of time, was my senior year of college when I was going through all that stuff. (Not going to rehash it all… I’ll simply link to the blog post where I discuss it.) Loss of sleep, migraines, back pain, the works – I’m going through it all right now. I’m not complaining by any means – life is a “rollercoaster” (or some shitty cliche like that) – and good and bad happens. It’s how you deal and how you handle it that matters.

So, to not digress any further than I already have, and in this solitary moment of relaxation I seem to have found, I wanted to “Yes, And!” the awesome day I’ve had and list the things that for realsies make me swoon (i.e. things I lurve):

Spending time with my family
A Diet Coke from the soda fountain
Crushed ice
Chipotle burritos
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds LIVE recordings
Writing
A really good laugh
Romantic comedies
LOST
24
A really good heart-to-heart with someone
The way my dog licks my face in the morning to wake me up (even though her breath STINKS)
Even though I hate running, the way I feel after a long run
Naps
Walking on the beach holding my flip flops in my left hand
Comedy bits
New York City
Getting flowers when I least expect it
Spending time with my best friends in the whole wide world and giggling for hours
The feeling I get when I’ve just played in an amazing improv set (it’s like no other feeling in the world)
Sleeping with my window open and waking up a little bit cold so I have to put another blanket on
Watching old home videos or looking at old pictures
Googling my mom and reading old pieces of her writing or news articles about her and remembering her for just 5 minutes
Telling “you had to be there” stories
Holding an impromptu dance party… anywhere
Taking a longer than necessary shower
Using a brand new toothbrush or brand new tube of toothpaste
The way a brand new magazine/book smells
Karaoke
Sitting outside at night and staring up at the moon
Pool parties!
Being Frattastic… super frattastic
Football season (even though the Browns always suck)
First dates
First kisses
Making new friends or rekindling an old friendship
Teaching myself something new
Trying something I’ve always been terrified of
Hearing the words “You’re beautiful”
Vacations
BLASTING my music in the car and not caring that the other cars are staring at me
Cracking myself up over dumb jokes
Talking to my sister, Bridgid, who is quite possibly the strongest person I know – I don’t know what I would do without her
Laughing with my dad and calling him just because I need to talk to my daddy
Never being too old to call your dad, daddy
Never being too old to laugh at a good fart joke
Never being too old to swing on a swing set
Getting awesome and being myself no matter what

I’m sure there are more. But I’ll stop there.

I want to know, what makes YOU swoon? By the way, have I told you today that YOU, are awesome? Because you are.

Word.

Leetha on Spam Story Hour

Comedy Bits! and SPAM STORY HOUR

2:30AM Thoughts

3 Replies

Yes, it’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m still awake. I took a nap today for the first time in easily six months – and now I’m paying for it because I am WIDE awake. This afternoon I was leaving one job and heading to another and realized that if I didn’t take a nap, I would probably pass out en route.

If it’s 2:30AM and I’m still awake, I do a couple of things:

Watch SNL digital shorts
Watch old TED talks
Clean

I am doing the 2nd of the three. And although I have seen this particular TED talk a gazillion times, I learn to appreciate it more each time I rewatch it.

I love J.J Abrams for two reasons:

He gave me the show LOST
He’s brilliant

AND this particular quote from his talk is my biggest takeaway:

“No community is best served when only the elite have control.”

I think it’s such a simple yet profound statement, thought, idea. There’s all this talk of “community” going on – whether it be in technology, improv, the town you live in, your country, whatever. Yet, do all of us actively participate in our own communities? Whatever community that may be. Are you an active or passive member of your community(ies)? Do you complain when things don’t go your way or do you work to change them?

People are put in charge for a reason, yes. But for the most part, they are put in charge by the people who, well, put them there – i.e. the members of the community they serve. (Does that even make sense? It makes sense to me, but it is now 2:40AM, so it could be Esperanto for all I know).

There’s nothing that irks me more than people who sit back, are so cavalier and laissez faire about everything, and then when things aren’t exactly the way they want them to be, all they do is whine. You don’t like your situation? You don’t like things the way they are going? Change it. Work harder. Engage with passion in your own life.

QUESTION(S): Thoughts? What does Abrams’ statement say to you? What does it make you think of? I want to know.

By the way, I’m hungry.

Word.