Friday, December 21, 2018

Our Patrons Are Amazing

Hey there, Friends.

I don't know about you, but I could really do with hearing a happy story. Every time you turn on the news it seems to be filled with problems, things spiraling into chaos. It's like giving yourself an extra layer of stress and anxiety.

I'm going to share a happy story that happened at work today. Maybe it will restore your faith in humanity a bit, or at least make you smile. It sure did for me.

So, this afternoon a patron found a phone that someone had left in the men's bathroom. He showed it to one of my coworkers, and she showed it to me. Based on the photo on the lock screen we were able to identify it as belonging to our mailman.

Great! Now what do we do? The poor guy is going to notice his phone is missing at some point. I have no idea how long his route is, or what other stops he may have made. The phone is locked, so we can't get to the contacts and we don't want to violate his privacy. But I also don't want him worrying that it's gone forever, or trying to re-trace his whole day looking for it when we have it and it's safe.

So I look up the phone number for our local post office. I know, I know this is probably one of the worst times to try calling them. They have been getting slammed the last few days with people trying to mail last minute presents and cards. What else is there to do? The library was going to be closing at 5 pm, and so was the post office if the website was accurate. It was around 3 pm when the phone was found.

I tried calling several times. A coworker tried calling. The phone is just ringing and ringing. We can't get any answer, probably because they are so busy helping their customers who are waiting in line.

We had our own patrons to help as well. A lady that I was checking out had overheard that I was trying to call the post office, and she told me it was very unlikely that they were going to answer. She asked which post office it was and said it had looked very busy when she had driven by. We finished her transaction, and she left.

About  30 or 45 minutes later she calls on the phone. She had to go to the post office anyway, so after overhearing our dilemma she changed her plans and went back to our local post office. She told them that we were trying to call to get in touch with our mailman to return his phone.

The person she spoke to at the post office tells her that the mail carriers are based at a different facility. They give her the phone number to call the supervisor there. Our patron took it upon herself to call the supervisor and tell them that our library had our mailman's phone, and that we were holding it for him. I'm sure it couldn't have been a short conversation. They said they would get a message to him. She was calling us back to let us know.

I was amazed! I couldn't believe that she had overheard bits of the story, rearranged her plans, and gone out of her way to help us out. I thanked her profusely for going out of her way to try to help us and someone she didn't even know.

And it worked!!!

About half an hour before closing our mailman came in to claim his phone. He seemed pretty happy to get it back.

Maybe it was the holiday spirit infusing itself into the air. A Christmas miracle of sorts.

I like to think we just have some pretty great people who live in this area. From the man who did the right thing by turning the phone in, to the lady who went out of her way to help the library and a complete stranger, to the post office staff who took a pause in their busy schedule to help one of their own coworkers. It's so nice to see something work out with a good resolution, even if it is something so small in the grand scheme of things.

It certainly gave me a case of the warm fuzzies. It was a great way to end the work day. I hope sharing this story has maybe made your day a little better too.

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Like Flypaper for Freaks

Hey, Friends.

It's been a day. It started off with a bit of weirdness, hence the title of this post.

I had plans with my friend, who I always refer to as Gertie to give her some privacy. The plan was to meet at her house, go for a walk, and then go to the movies. Nothing too crazy.

The first hitch in the plan comes about because I can't go my normal way to Gertie's house because there is an Eggnog Crawl / Holiday Festival thing that's causing traffic chaos and closing streets.I have to drive a longer way to get there, but not a big deal.

So I'm sitting in traffic on my way to Gertie's, and I see this woman pull into a little plaza, make a u-turn, and pull out right behind me. Didn't think to much of it, assumed she was lost or something.

I'm driving along, and at the next traffic light I notice she is still behind me. As we are stopped I take a better look and she is waving hello to me. I don't know this woman. I don't recognize her at all, even as a patron who comes to the library. I don't wave back. Maybe she's trying to wave to the person behind her or something.

I keep driving. A while later I'm stopped at another light, and I decide I should really put on some chapstick because my lips feel dry. I look in the rear-view mirror, and the woman behind me is staring right at my car, and she starts clapping after I put the chapstick on. Maybe it's a weird coincidence. Maybe she's just super into whatever she's listening to in her car, or she's on the phone.

We, because she was still behind me for quite a ways and traffic was ridiculous, drive quite a bit before we get to a major intersection. I'm going straight ahead, and the woman pulls into the lane to turn left. Of course, she ends up right next to my car for the longest traffic light.

She starts motioning for me to roll down my window. At this point I'm assuming she is lost and needs directions, or maybe she finally figured out that we don't know each other and she wants to explain her weird behavior.

She definitely wanted to chat, Friends. Allow me to briefly paraphrase our conversation for you.

Woman: Hello!

Me: Hi?

Woman: How are you?

Me: Fine...

Woman: I just wanted to say hi! On the weekends I like to go out and drive around until I see someone interesting, and then I like to follow them.

Friends, I hear a lot of weird shit on a regular basis. I don't know if I just give off a vibe of someone who is willing to listen or what. I work in the public library. There are always some eccentric personalities -- like the lady who wanted to give us apples that "had only been run over a little bit" when she found them in the street, or the gentleman who told me his entire conspiracy theory about the JFK murder, or the astrology lady who desperately wants me to get together with a Virgo man, or the woman who spent an entire book group telling us all how President Obama told her to "look for the bodies hidden in the houses" on a local road. Let's not forget the woman in a parking lot who told me my car was evil and I was a devil child. I'm used to weird. It's a new twist that it is now finding me while I'm driving.

Woman: You're a really good driver.

Me: Thanks?

Woman: What's that song you're listening to? It sounds really nice.

Me: Um, Pull Me Deep by Logan Henderson.

Woman: Oh, I like that. I'm going to have to look it up.

At this point I was really wondering how long this freaking light was going to be. Not gonna lie.

Woman: Well, looks like we're going to get to go! You have a good day. It was so nice to meet you and maybe we'll bump into each other again!

Me: Bye.

And then, finally, the light turned and we parted ways.

So I get to Gertie's house and I'm still trying to figure out what the hell that was all about. So I tell her my little story, and Gertie thinks that the woman was hitting on me.

Excuse me? I mean, it's flattering if that is the case, but I don't swing that way. Why couldn't it be a cute guy chasing me down in traffic to flirt? Love is love is love, and I firmly believe people should embrace it and follow their hearts to whomever makes them happy. I hope this woman finds whatever she is looking for. It just won't be with me. Props to her for coming up with a creative new way to meet people. I think she might just be a bit odd, or maybe very lonely.

When Gertie said we had to stop at a local brewery first to pick up a growler for her husband before we went on with our plans for the day? I was more than ready to have a drink. We got there and the beer he wanted was gone, so we had to try a couple to see what we should get him instead. We are totally going with it being his fault that our plans for the day derailed at that point.


You need to go here if you have a chance. 


We eventually get his growler, and then decided that we should really go get something to eat. The place I suggested wasn't open until later, so we ended up at Melzingah Tap House in Beacon.

I recommend the Downeast Cider Winter Blend. So good!

We finished lunch, and Gertie pointed out that we had never actually gone for our walk. I mentioned that we could walk across the street to look at the waterfall, and wasn't that other brewery she liked also within walking distance? Why yes, yes it was.


I love waterfalls. 

It was cold out, but since we were supposed to have been going for a walk we decided to walk on over to Hudson Valley Brewery and see what the new releases were. We did not plan this terribly well, as Gertie ended up getting 4 four packs of the new releases to take home for her and hubby and we were going to have to carry it all back to the car.

This isn't at the brewery. I just saw it on the walk to get there.

So we walked back to the car. Gertie was bemoaning that we really hadn't walked that far. My thinking might have been a little fuzzy still at that point, but I rationalized it as totally counting as a walk. "It's freaking cold. And we're walking uphill. That makes it count as like four times as far as it really is. Plus, you're carrying all that beer. That's like weight lifting. You're working out your deltoids or trapezoids or something!" (Why yes, I am a bit of a light weight. It's a good thing I wasn't the one driving at that point.)

So then we went back to Gertie's to hang out for a while. I like to think we were amusing to her hubby before he left for work. I got to snuggle with her dogs. I am claiming Maxie as my boyfriend.


He's adorable!


And that was my day, Friends. We never made it to the movies, but it was still a very nice way to spend a Saturday. Time with the bestie is always well spent, even if it ends up in accidental day drinking. It was a long week.

I kind of wonder where the lady in traffic wound up. Does she really spend her time driving around each weekend following people? That's a little strange, and maybe a bit creepy. I would also think that she would encounter some less than pleasant people doing that. Good luck on your travels, lady. Hope you find whatever it is you are seeking.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

I Found Them By Accident

Hi Friends.

Been a little while, huh? It probably would have been longer, but my Twitter feed decided to explode today over that fact that it's been 9 years since Big Time Rush came into existence. I felt like sharing my story since I had never really heard of them until after the show was already off the air.

I've shared this before, but I first discovered Heffron Drive on Spotify. I like to check out the recommendations Spotify gives, and somehow I had found them. This was back in 2014.  I loved their music and was immediately a huge fan.

It took quite the little while before I noticed that Spotify kept repeatedly telling me I would also like Big Time Rush. I couldn't figure out why in the world that was recommended or how it was related.

Eventually, I clicked on the link to check them out. That's when I figured out why it kept being recommended. I looked at the picture and was like, "Holy shit, that's Kendall from Heffron Drive! No wonder it kept telling me to check this group out."

And I liked their music. I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoy a good boy band. Windows Down is a jam. Nothing Even Matters, No Idea, and Stuck are some of my favorites. But at that point I still had no clue that there had also been a television show.

I'm slow, Friends. I know.

Back in July of 2015, Heffron Drive was coming to Webster Hall in New York City. I was stoked and was absolutely going to go. I decided to ask my niece if she wanted to go with me since she was up visiting for the summer. (She lives in Texas.) I asked my brother first if it would be okay to take his kid to NYC for a concert. He's the one who told me she would be super excited because she loved Big Time Rush and watched it all of the time.

Even then, at the ripe old age of 12, Lili (my niece) was game for any kind of concert. She had never heard of Heffron Drive, but when I told her it was Kendall from Big Time Rush she was absolutely down for it. She listened to their music non-stop up until the concert and learned all the lyrics by heart. I thought she was going to swoon when I told her we had Meet & Greet tickets.

Some revelations came out in the middle of the night while riding the train back home after the concert. She was freaking giddy, and only then did she tell me that Kendall had always been her favorite. That he was perfect. I told her that I had never actually seen the show, just listened to them on Spotify. She was horrified and decided that she needed to rectify that situation as soon as possible.


And that would be how, about a week later, I first saw Big Time Rush. She had taken it upon herself to start recording all of the episodes at my parents' house.

Did she start us at the first episode so I could figure out what the hell was going on? No.

Did she even bother to start at the beginning of an episode? No.

She was already cued up and mid episode when I got to my parents' house, watching the episodes with her little brother. It's one of the few shows that they will both agree to watch to this very day.
(The kidlets stay with my parents when they come to visit. They wouldn't even be awake when I have to leave in the morning, so they only stay with me on the weekends if I don't have to work.)

The episode? Big Time Fever. For those familiar with the show, you can imagine the interesting conversation that this particular episode brought about. If you have never seen it, you really should. Go watch it right now, or the rest of this is not going to make any damn sense to you whatsoever.

She started me at the point where they were already in the recording studio. I immediately asked, "Why is that dude orange?"

Lili: That's James. He's not orange, he's mangerine. And it's from his tanning spray. And that's Gustavo, their manager.  He seems like a jerk but he really likes them.

I got more information as the episode went on and I kept asking questions.

Lili: That's Carlos. He's crazy and always wears a helmet. Normally he's not like this. That's Logan. He's Kendall best friend and super smart.

Me: I thought you said they were all best friends?

Lili: They are. But, Logan's like his best best friend.

Me: Sure.

*a bit further into the episode*

Me: Lil, what channel did you say this normally comes on?

Lili: Nickelodeon. Why?

Me: I'm pretty sure that dude is high.

Lili: Logan?! Oh, no! He just used the magic bongos that Guitar Dude gave him.



Sure. Magic bongos. We'll go with that.

Me: So what's wrong with Kendall then?

And I almost got my head bitten off for daring to ask such a question.

Lili: Nothing! He's perfect. *sigh*  He's the leader of the group, and he's going to fix everything. Normally Logan is his second in command and would help him.

And he did, and everyone was back to normal by the end of the episode.

So then we had a little discussion before I let her roll right into the next episode.

Me: So who are your favorite characters?

Lili: Kendall, duh. And no one else is allowed to like him.

Damn, girl!

Austin (my nephew): I like Carlos and James! They're funny and crazy! 

That devolved into an argument about the proper way to do jazz hands like James does in front of his face, as Lili declared Austin was doing it wrong when he attempted to do it.

Me: Then I guess Logan will be my favorite.

Austin: You could like James or Carlos too, Aunt Tammy. I would share them with you.

Lili: Yeah. I'm not sharing. Kendall is mine.

Me: Thank you, Austin. I'm cool with Logan. Dude is hilarious - reminded me of my friends in college who also enjoyed the bongos. 

Lili: Do you think he's cute though?

Austin: Ewww

Me: He's definitely cute, Lil. No worries about that.

And then, because I am incapable of leaving things in a peaceful state...

Me: Logan is the best!

Austin: Yeah! I like Logan, too. And James and Carlos.

Lili: What?! How can you say that? You love Heffron Drive! You just got to meet Kendall!

Me: All true, but you just assigned me Logan as my favorite, so I'm all in now. Besides, I think you might actually hurt me if I said I liked Kendall at all beyond his music.

Lili: Well...I wouldn't hurt you too bad. *smirk*


And then I got to listen to her read me fun facts about Kendall for the rest of the summer. And I mean, I would get to my parents' to visit after work and be greeted with things like, "Did you know sunflowers are Kendall's favorite flower?" Not hello, or how was work. She would tell me random facts she had found that day about Kendall as soon as I walked in the door.

And every summer when the kidlets come up to visit for a month, we spend quality time bonding and rewatching old episodes of Big Time Rush. The only real problem to come out of it so far was a brief period when Austin got a little too into the concept of a "pre-truth".

I got to see Heffron Drive in concert again since that summer. Sadly, Lili was back in Texas already by that time, but they signed autographs for her and they are proudly hanging on her bedroom wall. I have not gotten to see Logan Henderson in concert yet, but I hope I will get to do so one day. I feel like it's my duty as the sole member of Team Logan in this family. Plus, I'm pretty sure Lili would freak the hell out if I managed to meet him, which would be fun. It's good to have goals.

So, I was a little late to the party on the whole Big Time Rush thing, Friends. I hope I can be forgiven for having overlooked their awesomeness for so long. They inadvertently helped create this cool bond between me and my niece and nephew, and for that I will always be grateful.











Saturday, August 18, 2018

Don't Be Creepy

Hey, Friends.

So, this is gonna take a bit of time. Pour yourself a glass of wine, grab a beer -- maybe get yourself a cup of coffee. Pick the beverage of your choice and snuggle in.

I wasn't sure I was going to write about this, and I'm still not entirely sure I'm going to post it or share it for people to read. Clearly I need to get it out of my system since I'm still thinking about it. There's a situation going on that's kind of creeping me out, and I'm trying to sort out whether I'm justified in being a little freaked or if I'm just overreacting. It also has to do with work, so I'm hoping this doesn't cause me any problems there if I do decide to share it.

There's a patron who comes to the library. We shall refer to him here as Truck Man. He's come to the library on and off for quite a while, but it's only recently that his behavior has gotten a little strange.

It started a month or so ago. Truck Man was sitting in his truck in the parking lot at work, back in the area where the staff usually parks, for an extended period of time. I was leaving -- I don't remember now if it was the end of the day or lunch break -- and he made a point of saying hello and telling me he was just on the phone, trying to take care of something. I didn't think anything of it. People chill in the parking lot all of the time. We have wifi, and there's an Optimum hot spot close by, so it really isn't odd to find people lingering in the parking lot at all hours of the day.

Soon other people started to notice that he was spending a lot of time hanging out in the parking lot. We all kind of assumed he was just using the wifi or something, but it was kind of weird that he'd rather sit outside in his truck than be in the library in the air conditioning when we were open.

He did still come in to the library to check out and return dvds. He just really seemed to enjoy hanging out in our parking lot -- it might be in the afternoon, in the evening. He was there a lot is my point.

Not too long ago a coworker came to me and told me she felt uncomfortable going to her car. She had been leaving for her dinner break, and Truck Man had been parked right next to her car. He didn't say anything to her, but she said he definitely wasn't on his phone. He was just watching everything that was going on. I told her to park next to the library from now on, and I'd report it.

Technically, he isn't doing anything wrong. It's a public library. There's wifi out there. He isn't harassing people or even saying anything to people. It's just a little disconcerting that he sits out there for hours, watching people come and go. Or whatever it is he is doing.

Last week, as I learned after the fact, Truck Guy was there in the afternoon. A male coworker went out and watched him during his lunch break. Truck Guy wasn't on the phone making calls, or using the wifi. He just sits there, watching everyone coming and going. Still, not really doing anything wrong, but it's a bit odd. I like people watching, but I don't choose to sit in parking lots for hours on end, several days a week, doing it.

Now we get to last night.

Truck Guy had been in, about 15 minutes or so before closing. He checked out a bunch of dvds. I hadn't seen his truck lingering in the parking lot, so I assumed he had just popped in and then had gone about his business elsewhere since we were closing.

My coworkers and I closed the library as we normally do on Thursday night. It was a little after 9 pm, and it's dark out at 9 pm in mid August. I had noticed a car parked in the driveway in front of the building, where there is no parking, so I told my coworkers I was going to drive out that exit and see if there was a problem. I'm the "person in charge" so I wanted to make sure it wasn't someone with car trouble or the like. There's nothing else out near the library that would be open at that hour, and I didn't want to strand someone if they needed a phone to call for a ride or a tow truck.

I pull around to the front, and there is Truck Guy in his truck, parked in a spot near the front of the building. As I pull past him he turns on his truck. Whatever. I drive past the car in front of the building. It's someone who was in the library most of the night, and she is clearly still trying to use the wifi. Wonderful, excellent. I'm happy there isn't a problem and just want to go home.

As I'm pulling out of the driveway, I see that Truck Guy is also leaving, although leaving a bit of distance between our vehicles. There are no street lights on the main road by the library. We are out in East Bumblefuck.  It's really easy to notice other vehicles because their headlights are the only source of light on the street.

I notice that Truck Guy pulls out onto the road the same way I'm going. He only had 2 choices of directions, so not really surprising we are headed the same way.

Now, this is where I totally forgive you if you think I am overly paranoid, Friends. I've been having that debate internally for the last 24 hours or so. I may very well be. Maybe I've watched too many crime dramas on television and it's clouding my judgement.

So I'm driving and Truck Guy is behind me. But he's not right behind me like normal traffic, or being an ass and riding my bumper like people tend to do in these parts.  He's hanging several car lengths back, and all I can think is, "This is how all the cops on tv follow suspects when they are trying to blend in".

We get to the next intersection, and again he turns the same way I do. I'm still thinking maybe I'm just paranoid. He stays a ways back, not even doing the speed limit.

Red light at the next intersection. Now, I normally am very anti-using-a-phone-while-driving, but I decide that I need to put on Spotify and listen to something to calm myself down. I've half convinced myself at this point that I'm completely overreacting to something that is just a dumb coincidence. I don't even bother to see what song is going to play, I just want some music to make it seem like everything is perfectly fine and a normal Thursday night. The music starts and this is good, I love this song. Pull Me Deep, Logan, and distract me from being a paranoid freak.

He turns the same way the next intersection when the light turns green. And follows through the next two, still at a distance.

It was at this point I decided there was no way in hell I was going straight home. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe he's really being a creepy stalker. He for sure does NOT need to know where I live. Not even the street. So I turn on to a busy side street, full of people and restaurants, and find a spot to park on the side of the road.  If he turns down this street, then I'm driving straight to the police station and we'll see if he follows me there.

Thankfully, blessedly, he didn't turn. I didn't realize exactly how tense I had been until that moment. I literally just sat there in my car while the rest of the song played, and then I headed home.

And it kept bugging me all night.

Was I just being overly paranoid?
Was he following me?
What if it was totally innocent and he was just headed home as well, and we just happen to live in the same part of town?
Was I just projecting all sorts of bad intent onto this poor guy?
What if he is a legit creepy stalker?

I didn't want to make a huge to-do out of what could be nothing, but I decided that I needed to tell my coworkers this morning about what had gone down last night. They could decide for themselves if I was being concerned over nothing, but I would feel horrible if he did turn out to be a creep and I hadn't said anything to them to warn them. Better safe than sorry.

We had some storm damage a couple weeks ago, and a few trees had fallen and been broken out by the staff parking lot. Four people from the staff were out there working on removing the tree and debris most of the day today.

Truck Guy showed up at some point. One of the gentlemen out working on the tree removal project just happened to be the same person who had watched Truck Guy on his lunch break last week. He noticed Truck Guy sitting out there for quite while this afternoon, and had heard my story about closing and the drive home last night.

He goes over to Truck Guy and decides to have a chat with him, find out what he's up to. Truck Guy claims he just likes to sit there and watch movies, and he isn't doing anything wrong. My coworker agrees, tells him he can see how it's a nice, quiet spot to watch movies and that he isn't doing anything wrong.

Then he breaks it down for him that he has to understand that it is a little unsettling from the staff's perspective to have him just hanging out in the parking lot for hours on end, especially after closing when it is dark out.

Now, I trust this coworker completely, and I know he would never identify me or anyone to Truck Guy, or give out any personal information. He would never mention that I had told him my paranoia about having potentially been followed last night.

Truck Guy tells my coworker that "I wasn't following her" while pointing directly to my car in the parking lot. And then, to make it very clear to my coworker that he wasn't following me, Truck Guy tells him exactly which street I turned onto on the way home, and that he had taken a different street.

That didn't make me feel any better.

Who the hell remembers what street the car in front of them turned on to like 15 hours earlier if they aren't following them? I can't even tell you the color of the car in front of me on the drive home tonight, much less which street they turned on when we parted ways.

My coworker told him again that it was fine, and no one was saying he followed anyone. He stressed again that he needs to look at it from the staff's point of view. He can sit and watch movies in the parking lot, but maybe not for such an extended period of time. That he should consider not sitting in the parking lot, particularly when the library was closing. Leave a few minutes before that. Truck Guy said he liked to watch the movies later in the evening because it was darker and he could see them better. At which point my coworker once again told him that was fine, but he should understand that if he continues to make the staff uncomfortable then the next step will be calling the police.

I was kind of on edge for the rest of the afternoon.

The coworker who had the chat with the guy left for the day. I'm assuming he told me about their conversation so that I would know that the matter had been addressed with Truck Guy, and that the message had been received.

I was a little worried because now we all know Truck Guy is out there hanging in the parking lot, and what if he's pissed off at me?

So we close today at 5 pm, and thankfully it's still light out. No sign of Truck Guy hanging out in the back staff area of the parking lot. We were all looking for him.

I notice there a still a few cars parked in the lot, and since I'm "in charge" I should probably cruise by to make sure everything looks cool. One of my coworkers waited, and he followed behind me because -- Ta Da! -- there sits Truck Guy, in the front of the parking lot. Hanging out in his vehicle after we are closed.

I just left, with my coworker right behind me.

Clearly the message to stop lurking in the library parking lot after closing was not received.

I don't know what to think about all of this.

Am I being overly paranoid about the whole situation?

If Truck Guy was really just there to watch movies, then shouldn't it have been a hint to leave before closing today? Is it worth staying to watch movies knowing that we might call the cops on you? Did he assume it was okay today because it wasn't dark at closing?

Is he just pushing it to see when he crosses the line and we do call the police?

As another coworker mentioned this afternoon, what is he watching movies on? Mostly we just see him sitting in the parking lot, watching the comings and goings of the people in the parking lot. He's not looking at a phone or any other device. He's checking out dvds from the library. Is he bringing a portable dvd player to watch them on?

Why did he point to my car, and specifically say he wasn't following me, when my coworker had never mentioned anything beyond making the staff uneasy by being in the parking lot for hours?

I don't know. A lot of things about it aren't adding up to me. I don't know if I'm worrying about nothing, or if this guy is a creep who sucks at being stealthy and got busted. But why stay and continue the creeptastic behavior again this evening? Is he just stupid, or angry and trying to prove a point, or just really wants to sit in his truck and watch movies?

Tell me what you think. I need your feedback!

I thought writing this all out would help me sort through it and realize I was being way too dramatic about it all, that he's just a weird dude and it's all a big misunderstanding. It hasn't. I still feel just as unsettled about it as I did before.

Am I being ridiculous, crazy, paranoid about this whole thing?









Thursday, August 2, 2018

A Birthday Surprise

My niece, Lili, is 15 years old. Her little brother, Austin, has a birthday coming up. The kids have been up here in New York now visiting their Grandparents and I for the summer. Austin has no idea that my brother is taking them all to a Yankees game in August as a surprise for his birthday before they all head back down to Texas.

Lili is in on the surprise, and she wanted to try to make it extra special. Austin's favorite player is Aaron Judge. We watch all of the Yankees games on tv, and as soon as Lili saw that Judge had been injured she knew that probably meant that Austin wouldn't get to see his favorite player in action when they go to the game. Going to the game will still be a great birthday surprise, and Austin will still be thrilled, but it will be a little less magical without getting to see his favorite player in action.

So Lili took it upon herself to email the Yankees to see if there was any way that Austin could get to meet Aaron Judge, even if he is injured and cannot play. She got an email back (probably a generic response) to call customer service. She called, and the very nice woman at customer service explained that meeting players had to be arranged through their management, but they did not have that information to give out.

Lili wasn't ready to give up just yet. I suggested that she post a picture of Austin in his Little League uniform on Instagram, and put her email in the caption. She didn't want to do that because:

1) Austin would see it and it would ruin the surprise of going to the Yankees game
2) She doesn't want him to find out that she tried to get him to meet Aaron Judge if it doesn't work out.

Not knowing what else to do, I told her I would try posting her letter here and posting a link to it on Twitter. Maybe Aaron Judge or someone at the Yankees would see it that way. Worth a shot, right? Maybe the internet can work some birthday magic of it's own for Austin.

Below is the email that Lili sent to the Yankees. I'm just copying and pasting it here.


Hi my name is Lili, I’m 15 I’m from Corpus Christi, Texas. My little brother Austin is a big Yankees fan, but an even bigger Aaron Judge fan. Two years ago my little brother went to his first Yankees game, which also happened to be  Aaron Judge's first game, and he’s been his biggest fan ever since. He was so excited that after the game he passed out before he even got his food.



His little leauge baseball team back in corpus is called “Laguna Little League Yankees” and he begged to get 99. Like I said he REALLY likes Aaron Judge.




We are here visiting family in New York this summer and as a surprise birthday present my dad is  going to take us to the Yankees game on August 9th. Austin will be 11 on August 11th. He got seats in the Judges chamber and tickets to watch batting practice before the game. This a total surprise and Austin has no idea it”s happening.

As you can probably guess Austin was very concerned when Judge got injured and put on the DL. Austin is concerned that his favorite player won’t be playing for a few weeks, I’m upset because he won’t get to see his favorite player get to play at his surprise birthday game. Would it be possible for Austin to meet Aaron Judge at the game on Thursday August 9th? I didn’t tell anyone, I was just hoping to make his birthday surprise a little bit more amazing. 

Thank you for your consideration, I know Yankees are great with they’re fans.

Sincerely, Liliana Myers

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Why I Love Spoiler Alerts

Hey there, Friends.

Do you know what I really love and appreciate? Spoiler Alerts. I know, that's kind of a random thing to be keen on, but I am. Even if it's just a description of a video so you know what's in it and can avoid seeing it if you want.

I know I might be in the minority on this one. I understand that there are a lot of people who are super passionate about things -- an artist, music, a movie, etc. -- and want as much information on it as humanly possible at all times. I get it. You're excited about it and want to share that excitement with other people. You can geek out with like-minded people and have conversations that make it even better. I feel you, I honestly do. I'm the same way about some things quite often.

Here's my deal, and it might make me sound like a cranky old grandma who needs to get with the times and get over herself and realize that it's just the way the world works nowadays.

I don't ever skip to the end of a book or a story. If there's a movie I want to see I try not to have it ruined by seeing the entire plot or the ending posted somewhere online ahead of time. I buy all of the music I want to listen to. I know that there are songs out there in existence that were leaked, but I haven't ever listened to them. If the artist who created them wanted them out there in the public realm they would have shared them. Maybe he/she wasn't happy with it, or it wasn't the final product. I'm sure there are many reasons it didn't get released. Somebody leaking it and posting it all over the place is tantamount to stealing, in my opinion.

To be brief: I want to experience whatever it is the way the artist intended it to be. A lot of time and effort was put into creating whatever type of work it may be, of bringing it into existence. Sharing music before the creator wishes, or giving away an entire plot line before most people have had a chance to see the movie, is a pretty shitty way to express your appreciation and gratitude for all of their work.

The internet makes things more complicated.

I follow very few fan accounts. I try to make sure the ones that I do are legit. Do they tell you what they are posting? Do they give credit to the source of pictures/videos? I can only hope that also means they asked permission to share them, but that might be me being hopefully naive. I'm not cool with people swiping pictures and videos from private accounts. I mainly follow other fans. Normally it's people who somehow found me first, and when I look at their account they seem like good people...as much as that can be judged by anything on the internet. At least they don't seem like a bot or a creepy stalker.

Let's talk about music, specifically. I follow the official accounts -- the band, maybe a few specific band members, etc. I don't follow people's family members, their friends, their significant other. That's just a little too creepy/stalkery to me. Everyone deserves their privacy. I don't follow all of the family members of my friends, so why in the world would it be any of my business what people somehow associated with an artist I like are doing?

Here's the thing about music. I know that the artists must know that once they perform a song live it's going to be out there on the internet getting shared, whether they are ready to release it or not. I get that. The cat's out of the bag, so to speak.

Maybe they encouraged everyone at the show to shoot video and post it. Free publicity and a way to get people more excited about hearing the new music. I've seen it happen, especially with bands that don't have millions or even thousands of followers. Make that social media work in your favor and get some new fans! I've also been to shows where the artist has specifically said no pictures or videos, and security will kick your ass to the curb if they catch you doing so. Most of the time nothing is stated either way and you can do whatever you wish.

So here's my moral quandary, and feel free to tell me I have a stick up my ass and need to chill. After a concert there are always a ton of pictures and videos being posted and shared around. For those of you who actually take the time to label it -- New Song! -- I thank you. I'm probably going to skip watching it. It's not that I'm not curious and dying to hear it, but I'd rather hear it in person myself for the first time or when it is finally released. I don't want to hear it for the first time through a video of dubious quality. Maybe the artist is cool with it, maybe they specifically asked not to have that shit posted, or maybe they have resigned themselves to the fact that it will be online before they ever leave the stage.Whatever the case, I'm going to skip it, and I love that the person posting it took the time to give a warning as to the content.

What annoys the hell out of me are the videos posted with no context whatsoever. Where is this even from? I've already explained I'm not okay with people posting things from private accounts, and I also think you need to give credit to the source. The part that really frosts my buns is when it's new music. I'd prefer not to have the first time I hear something be via a retweet of a repost of an Instagram story made from a video posted god only knows where of a concert held some unspecified place that has been manipulated a bunch of times and has the shittiest audio quality in the world. I don't know what the hell I'm watching at first, and it takes a second to realize it's new music. And yes, I realize it's partially my fault for not turning off autoplay on videos. It doesn't make me want to hear the song more. I'm already curious about it. It does make me wonder how much of it is the craptastic quality of the audio by that point, and how far removed it might be from what it originally sounded like. There comes a point when what is being shared is probably not something the artist would be happy about. I'm not a musician, but I feel pretty sure that no one has the goal of saying, "I hope this video that sounds like absolute shit gets spread all over the place! I totally want people to think my new song sounds like crap before I even release it, or maybe they will think I just can't perform live and decide it's not worth coming to a concert!"

Yeah, this kind of turned into a rant. Sorry, Friends.

I realize there are many more important things going on in the world that deserve attention. I've just seen too many spoilers for too many things in recent days. I've about reached my breaking point. Just know that if you post a spoiler warning or even a brief description of what's coming I appreciate you to no end. Every one of us is different and likes different things. I might not want to see or hear something, but that same thing might make other people giddy with excitement and even more stoked about what's coming. To each their own.

So yes, you are free to tell me I'm cranky for no reason. That I need to accept that anything and everything is up for grabs and to be shared on the internet these days. That everyone has the right to determine for themselves how to navigate through the moral quagmire of what should and shouldn't be posted. You already know how I feel.




Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Coffee Talk

Hey, Friends.

I was running errands on my lunch break today, and I decided I really just wanted coffee and a nice toasty bagel with cream cheese for lunch. It was cold and damp outside and that just seemed like the most perfect lunch I could imagine. Dunkin was calling my name. I decided to just stay and eat it there because: 1) I would have to eat it super fast if I took it home, and 2) I was not about to go back to work that early. I made the right decision! If I had left I would have missed out on hearing this glorious conversation.

I fully admit to people watching. I also admit to people listening...or eavesdropping, which sounds much less nice. I might look like I am ignoring you and messing about doing something on my phone, but odds are pretty good that I'm also paying attention to what is going on around me. The conversation these two guys were having today? I took notes. It was that amusing.

Let me set the scene:

I'm eating my lunch, checking Twitter, and generally minding my own business.  These two guys sit down near by, and start talking. My guess is that the one guy was less than sober, or maybe really hungover and in desperate need of his coffee. At least I hope he was for his sake. What follows is a reconstruction of their conversation as best I could manage from my notes and from memory. It's 100% not verbatim but close enough that I hope you find it as amusing as I did.



Guy 1: Wouldn't it be amazing if you could actually feel what other people are dreaming about you?

Guy 2:  What the hell are you talking about.

Guy 1:  Like, if someone was dreaming about having sex with you right now, you could just be sitting here and suddenly WHAM! Totally feels like you're having sex with some hot chick!

Guy 2:  How do you know it's a hot chick? Do you also get the ability to see who's dreaming about you?

Guy 1:  No man, just the feeling. **wiggles around in chair to make his point**

Guy 2:  So it could be anyone then. It could be a dude, or an old lady, or that goat in the petting zoo that seemed way too fond of you.

Guy 1: It doesn't matter! You get to feel everything, and you can imagine it's whoever you want. It would be like constant bliss. All those dreams and you'd get to feel them all!

Guy 2:  Wow. You think way too highly of yourself. No one is looking at you and constantly wanting to fuck you.

Guy 1:  Shut up!

Guy 2:  I think you're still gonna have plenty of down time where you're not busy with dream sex and can actually do work.

Guy 1:  Fuck you!

Guy 2:  No way. And you clearly haven't thought this through.

Guy 1:  Yes I have! It would be awesome! And you could imagine it's whoever you want and by thinking about them you spread the joy, and eventually everyone feels the love.

Guy 2:  And then what? The world ceases to function? How would anyone ever get shit done, or safely drive a car?

Guy 1:  Well..maybe it only works when you are sleeping. That way everyone could still get shit done during the day.

Guy 2:  So at night you would feel whatever anyone was dreaming about you. That's your final idea?

Guy 1:  Yes. Everyone would have such sweet dreams.

Guy 2:  Not everyone. And I still don't think you really want that to happen.

Guy 1:  Dude, what the hell? Why deny me my dream?

Guy 2:  What about that woman in the movie theater 2 weeks ago?

Guy 1:  What about her?

Guy 2:  You were annoying the hell out of her.

Guy 1:  Nooooo, I was flirting.

Guy 2:  I bet her dream that night involved stabbing you in the eye with the straw from her soda.

Guy 1:  Hahaha. It wasn't that bad. Asshole.

Guy 2:  But if she was, you're saying that you would suddenly wake up in an insane amount of pain, feeling like someone was repeatedly stabbing you in the eye with a straw?

Guy 1:  Yeah. *pause* Well, that might not be good. And why is she stabbing me multiple times now?

Guy 2:  You tend to piss people off. A lot. You'd probably get your ass kicked every night.

Guy 1:  Yeah. *pause* You're such an asshole! Couldn't just let me have my damn sex fantasy dream idea.

Guy 2:  Or I'm saving you from repeatedly getting your ass kicked every night. Forever.

Guy 1:  You're a shitty friend.

Guy 2:  Or the best friend you ever had.

Guy 1:  Shut up. Jerk.

Guy 2:  You're welcome. 


The End.

At least that is the end for us, Friends, because I had to leave to go back to work. They were still there when I left, so who knows where that conversation went after that point.

All in all, today was pretty darn good. Not only did I get to hear this wonderful conversation, but I also got my Girl Scout cookies delivered at work, and I finally won HQ Trivia tonight!  $5.07 winner -- go me!

So, if anyone would like to do something to make tomorrow equally as awesome, be my guest. Let's all try to do something nice for another person and spread a little joy around. I think it will work much better than the dream theory in the conversation above.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Welcome to the Dream Time

Hey there, Friends.

I had a weird dream last night. I just need to write down what I can remember of it before I forget it completely. I figured I might as well share it with all of you. Maybe you can provide some deep insight into the inner workings of my brain, or maybe you'll just feel better about yourself because your dreams aren't as strange as mine. Whatever works for you, kids. This is going to be long, and probably ramble a bit. Just warning you now in case you want to skip this and come back later, or maybe not bother with it at all. Totally up to you.

Let me start by suggesting a tune for you to listen to while you get your read on. I hadn't listened to this in quite a while, but for whatever reason it was the first song that popped into my head when trying to think of a song about dreams. Could I have chosen a different one? Yes. I'm just gonna go with my gut instinct here and share the one that popped to mind first. Feel free to ignore the suggestion if it's not your kind of jam.





Friends, you can totally ignore the fact that it's from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. That has nothing to do with my dream...at least I don't think it did.

Okay, moving right along to those vague details I do remember before they are gone into the ether forever.

In my dream I was looking for someone. I have no idea who I was looking for now. Guy? Girl? A friend or relative? A random person that I don't actually know? I've got nothing now that I'm awake. I only remember that it was definitely a person I was looking for, not an object, and in my dream it made perfect sense that I was the only one trying to find this person.

I don't think the person I was searching for was actually lost, either. There were all sorts of other people wandering around in my dream and none of them gave a shit or were even the slightest bit concerned that I was looking for this person. They were polite when I asked them if they had seen him/her/whoever, but that was it. It wasn't chaotic like someone had been kidnapped or a child was missing. I've had that moment of panic with my niece and nephew -- when you're in a crowd someplace and you lose sight of them for a few moments and start to freak until you realize they just wandered off a bit and are totally fine. There was none of that in my dream.

It was like the most laid-back search, Friends. I can't really explain the vibe other than to tell you what it was not. There was no sense of urgency. You know that feeling you get when you've misplaced your car keys and you have to leave so you aren't late for something? Like, your keys aren't where you always leave them, and now your wracking your brain trying to remember where else you might have put them and getting frustrated -- like the keys moved on their own just to screw with you? You get annoyed at yourself for misplacing the keys, pissed at the keys for daring to be someplace other than where they are supposed to be, and cranky because now you are going to be late for the stupidest reason ever. None of that. It wasn't even on the level of having misplaced my phone. You know what I mean, Friends. You put your phone down somewhere and don't see it immediately, so you try calling it but you have it on "silent" so now you are stuck calling repeatedly, listening for vibrations and looking for the screen to light up as you wander the house looking. 

Do you ever have something important that you put in a "safe place" for later? Maybe it's a memento with sentimental value, or important paperwork -- like car insurance -- that you might need at some point in the future but not right away, or a present that's perfect for someone but their birthday isn't for several months. I tuck those things away in a "safe place". I know I have them and they are around if and when I need them. It was kind of like that. I knew the person I was looking for was around someplace and perfectly fine. I couldn't find them at the moment, but it was okay because whomever-it-is would turn up eventually. I hope that made sense because it's the closest approximation I can give you. There was no urgency, or panic, or looming time deadline. 

Let's move on to where this was all going down in my dream. It started in a generic downtown area of a city: businesses up and down both sides of the street, cars parked along the curb, people walking around and going about their lives. I don't know where it was supposed to be, but I know it wasn't any place local. I knew there were stores and offices along the street but the names were kind of blurred out. It was a sunny day, and I'm guessing it was Spring or Summer since it seemed to be warm out. No one paid any attention to me unless I asked them if they had seen whomever it was I was looking for. Everyone was very polite. Some of them had no clue who I was talking about, others said they hadn't seen the person recently, and still others said they had to be around somewhere and to keep looking.

I didn't go into any of the businesses or stores along the street. I don't know why. I walked down the street occasionally asking people about the person. Eventually the street came to a dead end with a big stone building in front of me. In the dream I remember deciding that it meant I should go in. I recall thinking that logically the person must be in there since they hadn't been anywhere else. I don't know how that makes any sense since I hadn't bothered to go into any of the other stores or businesses, but that's how dreams work.

I walked inside the building and was greeted by a reception desk. I asked if the person I was looking for was there. The receptionist told me that she didn't think they were in at the moment, but if I wanted to take a seat by the windows she would let me know in a few minutes. I took a seat in a super-comfy black leather chair and started people watching out the window. I don't know how long I sat there waiting, but eventually the receptionist told me to take the elevator to the fifth floor and someone there could help me.

I wandered over to the elevator, which was there waiting, and took it to the fifth floor. The door opened and I walked out onto sand. I was at the beach, I think along the ocean. I walked away from the elevator a bit, turned around and saw that the elevator was gone. This didn't phase me in the slightest. I assumed it meant the person I was looking for was around there. There were a few people walking along the dunes, others jogging along the water's edge. I walked down toward the water and headed to the right. It was definitely later in the day -- not quite sunset, but late afternoon or early evening. I don't know where the beach was supposed to be, but wherever it was the weather was warm. There was a guy jogging along the water in shorts, no shirt, with this earbuds in and wearing sunglasses. Black shorts with white stripes down the side. I didn't recognize him and didn't talk to him so I don't know why that detail stuck in my head. I ambled along the edge of the water, thinking how nice the warm breeze felt on my skin, looking for seashells and meandering my way down the beach. 

I saw an older couple walking toward me up the beach with their little dog. I stopped to pet the dog and asked the couple if they had seen the person I was looking for. They were very nice and told me they hadn't seen the person recently, but I should be sure to check out the beautiful grotto a bit further down the beach. They said it would make the whole trip worthwhile even if I didn't find the person I was looking for in this location. I thanked them and decided that I was going to head for the grotto and check it out. Maybe I'd find the person on the way there.

I kept walking, and eventually the beach curved and there was a rocky outcrop in my path. I remember being a bit confused that I hadn't noticed  that the beach came to an end earlier on - like this had sort of just appeared out of nowhere. I decided that I must have walked further than I thought and been too absorbed in enjoying the beauty around me to have noticed it. I figured that the grotto the couple had told me about must be on the other side of the rocks and proceeded to climb over them. 

The grotto was on the other side, kind of in its own secluded little inlet. I remember thinking that the couple had been right -- it was beautiful and totally worth the walk to get there. The stones were all shades of a sandy brownish color, some darker and some lighter.  There were some shaped like arches and some like separate spikes of piled up stones. I remember wishing I had my phone with me so I could take a picture of it. I wandered around for a bit exploring, touching the stones and feeling how warm they were from the heat of the sun on them all day. Eventually I realized there was a tall but shallow cave up on the beach. It seemed to line up and have a perfect view out over the water looking through one of the stone archways. Since it was getting even later in the day and I was really hot from walking so much in the sun, I decided to check out the cave. I sat myself down in the mouth of the cave and decided that I'd just rest for a bit, maybe stay long enough to watch the sunset over the ocean through the arch because it would be a pretty spectacular sight. I closed my eyes for a bit, just listening to the waves crash on the beach, feeling the last rays of the sun warm on my face, and enjoying the breeze.

I wasn't kidding when I said there was no sense of urgency in my search for this person, Friends. I seemed to have no problem deciding that I would just chill for a while on the beach.

Again, I'm not sure how long it was in dream-time that I was sitting in the cave. When I opened my eyes again it was much later and I had missed the sunset completely. It was twilight now, and I realized I could hear what sounded like running water and not waves on the beach.  

I walked out of the cave wondering how I was going to manage to climb back over the rocks in the dark only to discover that I was no longer at the beach. I left the cave and was now in a forest alongside a babbling brook. There was a dirt path that ran from the cave and along the edge of the brook. And there were fireflies everywhere. Tons of them! Even though it was getting dark I could see well enough to know that it was a very green, lush forest. It was peaceful and serene, almost like something from a movie as it seemed a little too perfect. There was no sense of danger, like a wild animal lurking nearby or anything. It was like someone's version of a forest idyll...which I guess would make it mine, since it was my dream.

I hung around watching the fireflies for a bit, and then I started walking down the dirt path. I didn't know where I was headed, but clearly the person I was searching for wasn't around. Hopefully I would bump into someone along the path, or find a clue about where I should be heading.

I walked on for a bit, the path seeming to get wider and more heavily traveled. I still hadn't come across anyone else but I wasn't worried about it. It didn't seem to be getting any darker out -- it was still the same purpley-blue-black of twilight, and everything had kind of an ethereal greenish glow from the light of the fireflies reflecting off of the brook and the leaves of all of the vegetation. I had time before I had to worry about finding a place to sleep for the night.

Eventually I came to a fork in the road, and there was an old wooden signpost with arrows pointing in each direction. How cliche of me. The brook and the more heavily traveled path curved off to the right and I could hear voices off in the distance. Maybe a town of some sort was over there? The path to the left was much narrower, more like a footpath. I don't think there was anything written on the arrows like a destination point or distance, or it was too faded to read. I decided to go to the left because the person I was searching for values their privacy and wouldn't want people in the town to know they were around unless they wanted to be seen. 

What the hell. That makes no sense whatsoever thinking about it now. How in the world was I ever supposed to find someone who didn't like to be seen unless they wanted to be? 

Back to the dream...

I headed down the trail to the left. I had magically acquired a lantern on a chain at some point as my firefly friends had gone along the brook in the other direction. So now I'm walking along carrying one of these:


The lantern gave off plenty of light to be able to navigate the trail, and there were little glowing purple flowers around the base of some of the trees.

I walked on for a while before the trail eventually opened up into a giant meadow. The grass was very tall - almost up to my waist - and was swaying gently in the breeze. It was surrounded on all sides by the forest, but there were several openings in the trees around the edges which I knew had to be more trails heading in different directions. I was glad I had on my hoodie because it was a bit chilly now. Yeah. At some point I had acquired a hoodie, and I also noted that my lantern was now gone. When it had disappeared I wasn't sure, but I didn't need it as there were so many stars in the sky lighting up the meadow. I don't know if it was a full moon or not as I didn't see the moon in the sky at all. 

I looked around, trying to figure out which trail I was supposed to take next. There was a shape out in the distance, off to the right toward the other side of the meadow. I couldn't tell if it was a person or a statue, but I needed to find out what it was. I headed over, wading my way through the tall grass.

It was a statue of a person. It was grey, or at least it appeared grey in the night. It was old and weathered so the features were indistinct. It was definitely a person with short hair, or the hair had been weathered enough that it blended into the rest of the statue. It was standing there, one hand hanging loose down by its side, the other pointed up and out as if in the direction of something over the tree line, and the head was tilted back as if it was looking up toward the sky. 

I circled around it a few times, trying to figure out if I was supposed to be noticing something above  the tree line. I couldn't see anything and was debating whether I should attempt to climb up and stand on the pedestal with the statue when I saw something white in one of the hands. It was a crumpled piece of paper that had been stuck into the space to rest in the hand. When I unfolded the paper it turned out to be a note. It said, "You're on the right track. Remember -- you never know who is watching or the influence you may have on others." I knew it was from the person I was searching for, and without looking around any further I decided to head off in the direction that the statue was pointing. There appeared to be a break in the trees there, so there must be a trail.

And then I woke up, Friends. That's all there is to it. I wish I could give you a better ending, some sort of resolution after reading all of that. I wish I could give myself some resolution. I didn't find the person I was looking for but seemed perfectly content to keep going.

I tried looking at some dream interpretation websites, but I didn't get much that was very helpful. A lot of it was about searching for lost or missing things or objects in your dreams. I wasn't looking for a thing, I was looking for a person. Also, they weren't actually missing.  They just weren't where I was looking, but it wasn't that I had lost them or he/she had been taken away.

One very popular theory is that it is anxiety manifesting about something in your life. I can't stress enough how laid back and peaceful this entire thing was. There was no anxiety, or panic, or worry involved at all. I don't think it applies in this scenario. 

Another popular interpretation is that it means you are missing that "special someone" in your life because they are away and you haven't seen them in a while, or you regret a recent breakup. I have a couple of reasons why I don't think this applies: 
  1. I am very single. I don't have a "special someone" to be missing, nor do I have a recent breakup to be hung up on.
  2. I should hope that -- whether it was an ex-boyfriend or a family member or friend -- I would remember who the hell I was dreaming about if it was really that important to me.
The third most common answer was that you are searching for the person because you idolize them and wish you could incorporate certain aspects you admire about them into your own life. That might well be true. I have no idea why I wanted to find this person. Also, it's hard to figure out what characteristics I might appreciate when I don't know who the mystery person was.

I didn't really get any helpful information is the point of all that.

This is what I'm taking away from it all:

--I need to stop eating bananas any time remotely near when I am going to bed. I know that kind of came out of nowhere, Friends. It's true though. Maybe it's just me, but if I eat a banana a couple of hours before going to bed I tend to end up with some strange dreams. I had a banana around 9 pm last night, went to bed a little after midnight, and wound up with this mess.

--I really hope there was a point to all this and it wasn't some banana-induced vision quest to give myself a pep talk via a note in the hand of a statue. And while we're on the subject of the note, that shit is a little creepy now that I think about it. You never know who is watching you? How the hell was my dream-self total cool with that and didn't even look around to see if anyone was watching?

--I really would like to know who the person was that I was trying to find. Is this supposed to be a deep moment, like "The person you are trying to find is yourself"? Is it some kind of message that I need to check in with a friend or family member because they miss me, or are going through a rough patch and could use a friend? I would love to do so, if only I knew who it was. Honestly, with my luck it wouldn't surprise me if I find an interpretation claiming it was a message from my soulmate or something, and I just screwed it all up and remain clueless because I cannot remember who he was.


Let me know if you have thoughts on the matter, Friends. At least let me know about the banana thing even if you don't want to weigh in on the rest of it. If you actually read this whole rambling, convoluted mess then give yourself a virtual hug from me. Thanks for reading my babbling and wasting precious minutes of your life on my nonsense. I really appreciate it. 💗


**I'm sorry if this is a hot mess, or gets a little confused at points. I did read it over several times to try to make it somewhat coherent. There was a good 10 hour gap between when I started writing this all down this morning and when I finished it tonight. The first half was written when it was all still fresh in my mind immediately after waking up, and the second half was based off hurriedly scribbled notes I made before going to work. A lot of it kind of faded from my mind over the course of the work day. Maybe tonight my dream will pick up right where it left off. Who knows? I am out of bananas though, so I doubt it will happen.**



Saturday, March 24, 2018

March For Our Lives

Hey, Friends.

As I'm sure you have all heard by now, today is the March For Our Lives. We had our own march here in the Hudson Valley. I had mentioned it to my Mom, and she wanted to go with me. This would require some planning.

I have the worst luck when it comes to events happening all on the same day - practically at the same time. I always do the Heart Walk every year. I've done it in the snow, the pouring rain, the freezing cold, etc. What event just happened to be this morning? That's right, the Heart Walk.

Luckily for me the team walking for the library today consisted of 3 people: Me, Tonka, and her sister. That's it. We discussed ahead of time that I also wanted to do the March For Our Lives if possible. Heart Walk started officially at 10:30, and the March at 11. That wasn't going to work too well.

We got there early. I was there a little before 9 am when registration started. I registered us, we met up, and then we just went. The routes are all mapped out and signed already. We opted to skip the opening announcements and warm ups and just went on our own. He had finished our laps around the route on Marist's campus and I was ready to leave just before the walk was going to "officially" start. I'm glad my walking buddies were willing to come early to make it all work out.

Finished. Jumped in the car and drove to my parents' house. Parking was going to be hectic for the March For Our Lives, so my Dad was going to drop my Mom and I off near the starting point, and then we would call him to pick us up when we were finished.

We got there about 10:45 and joined the large group waiting. Since we got there early, we thought that was the beginning of the group forming. The event was supposed to start at 11 am. We did not move from that parking lot, and the ever-growing crowd, until almost 11:30. Could not figure out why they were waiting to start.

They hadn't been waiting.

By the time we got from the gathering place to the actual entrance to the Walkway bridge? There were already people coming across from the other side, also in March. The entire Walkway Over the Hudson, in both directions, was all people there to do the March For Our Lives. (And a couple of random joggers who were probably very frustrated by so many people in their way.)

I really can't wait to find out how many people attended. I hope someone was counting!

I'm not going to ramble on about political views, or give you a bunch of stats. I was there to participate in the March For Our Lives. Think that makes it pretty clear how I feel about the topic. I am going to share some pictures.

Sticker says 2020 voter

If you won't save us, we will save ourselves.




















They were chanting so loud and so long, I'll be amazed if they can still talk.

















They were playing music and singing the entire time we were waiting


Check out the banner being held by the ladies at the end of the video clip. I thought it read it wrong at first. Their group is "Old Lesbians Organizing For Change."