Thursday, May 22, 2014

Normally, on days when I abandon you, like Tuesday, I’m wracked with a deep, almost Dickensian sense of guilt. I know it’s silly because, y’know, blog, but there it is. Tuesday was different, though, because I didn’t feel a thing! Didn’t log into WordPress at all, and slept like a baby who didn’t log into WordPress at all. The main reason I usually update this site, too, may have something to do with matters. I haven’t been feeling all that dull recently, likely due to all the writing happening outside this blog, and simply by stating as such I may have already jinxed myself.

Exercise may be partially to blame as well. I’ve heard regular amounts of the stuff can make you more alert or something? Regular amounts of tennis can also lead to improvements, apparently. There’s been one mental image that’s helped service substantially for King Calm and myself. Do you remember the math problem involving a lamppost and calculating the hypotenuse from the post to the ground? Well, things come together when you picture yourself as the lamppost, with the arc of your serve as the hypotenuse. Arm extension increased, form got better, and we heard the sweet spot sound a lot more frequently, like we were meant to be on Court One, upon which we were randomly assigned. This was probably the first and last time geometry’s been useful to me.

And by dint of all this tennis, I’m a pound ahead of target, and suddenly, improbably, college weight is within grasp. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, I’ve got to log out of WordPress and back into eHarmony, where 1,200 questions need to be answered. I must answer them. I was aghast when OkCupid reprimanded me for marking too many questions “irrelevant,” insipid as they were. I will not–shall not–make the same mistake twice, for wretched is the man who is scolded by a Web-based UI.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

There is a road in my new commute that’s hilly, surrounded by green, and–for at least a minute or so–causes me to forget the otherwise flat, dry environs that normally line my drives. I love it. It’s like a secret oasis in a daily ritual that should, by all rights, be strictly utilitarian. That’s the power greenery exerts over me, and I got more than enough of it when I flew back to Charlotte for a few days. The change of pace, too, was also welcome, as were the familiar faces. But aside from those few things? I honestly haven’t missed the place all that much.

About 30 minutes out from DFW Airport, there was a surprising patch of turbulence. Usually, and I don’t think this is wholly unique to my experience, the plane stays roughly level when it hits a bumpy stretch. Well, it would dive a tiny bit on this flight, with each and every jolt, which was an entirely new sensation. What was equally surprising, though, was how calm I felt. Not sure why, really, but I made my peace, and that equanimity extended throughout the trip.

This serenity’s been useful, too, because things have gotten more hectic recently, in and out of work. Maybe that’s the whole point of taking time off–to breathe and recalibrate. For one thing, I’ve recommitted to my health regimen. Also getting into online dating, but that’s another topic for another day. The main thing I’m thinking about, at this very moment, is the thick slice of milk cake sitting on a plate before me, courtesy of Bakespeare. I could try to describe the texture or flavor to you, but I won’t bother. All I’ll say is whenever I have a piece, it’s like I’m being reassured, even when everything’s just fine.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Secondhand Rants will return on Thursday, May 15.