Freedom lies in being bold.
~Robert Frost~

BUGS AND JOYS

Last night (Saturday night), when it was way too late to be doing homework, two of my favorite people came up with homework.

The friend who loves exercises, was talking about writing a daily journal. The friend who loves inspired ideas and trying new things said he wanted to try it.

There was some cool twist on the daily journal but I can’t recall what it was since it was too damn late for the conversation we were having.

But we decided to journal together.

Well, not together, but on our own and together in spirit.

The friend who loves inspired ideas came up with the format: three things that are bugging you today and three joys of the day.

My joys are easy today so I’ll get them over with.

(1) I evened out my self-inflicted haircut and took off a bit more from the length.

This is a follow up to a joy from yesterday in which I was glad I got around to cutting my hair.

I knew my haircut had not been implemented quite evenly last night, but I needed for my hair to calm down a bit after being washed. Then, this morning, I woke up with more relaxed hair and just went at it.

I’m not sure if it’s a universal feeling, but I always feel reborn when I cut my hair.

And yes, people ask me why I don’t just go to a salon.

The answers are that I am (1) too lazy, (2) too cheap, and (3) too antsy to sit in a chair and pay for conversation I don’t feel like having.

I’ll post a pic of the cut later.  It’s fresh.

A bit choppy, perhaps, but worth every dime.

(2) The second Joy is too easy since I went to hear my niece’s band play in a Battle of the Bands.

Kids being passionate. Kids rocking out. Kids following dreams.

Joys don’t get much better than that.

I won’t ruin it with words.

(3) The third Joy is too easy too.

While listening to the Battle of the Bands, I got to watch the other niece drawing on my iPad (using Art Studio)

My niece doesn’t realize it, but I could sit next to her watching her draw forever.

It’s heaven, at least for me.

She also doesn’t realize that she draws in my style.

Pure joy.

Okay…..sooooooo…..

The Bugs, or the Ughs, as we came to call them, are also easy.

(1) I got very little work done.

I generally have a certain large amount of work I need to do on the weekend to be ready for the week and to avoid starting Monday behind.

But friends came over to talk about business and life and passion and I stayed up too late on Saturday and woke up too early on Sunday for Battle of the Bands.  So my brain was fried mushy mush today.

(2) I didn’t get to run or bike with Bella (Chief Dog-in-Chief).

Sunday is usually a triple header for us – a hike through the woods, a bike ride to Georgetown and a run or scoot to National Cathedral.

But I was busy listening to middle school rock bands impress me, so no bike or run.

Boo hoo.

(3) The third ugh is embarrassing for me as a supposably evolved female.

I was outside with Bella and my best friends, two seven-year old twin boys and their four-year old brother.

We were playing and I was teaching them how to get a workout with a band.

So we’re working out with the band and talking about serious topics like why Bella wants to be picked up and carried like a baby.

One seven-year old told me he weighed 60 pounds. Or 59. Or something.

We talked about his weight for a while

I’m not sure what the focus was.

Then the seven-year old brother informed me he weighed 100 pounds, which of course he doesn’t since he’s seven.

I dramatically refused to accept his information in that dramatic way kids love for adults to talk.

So he said he weighed 99 pounds.

And I dramatically rejected the new number.

And on it went.

He weighed 98 pounds. No!

97 pounds. No! 96 pounds. No! No! No!

At some point, one of the boys asked me how much I weigh and I did something very bad.

I began to tell them it’s not polite to ask a women her weight.  I was honestly and lovingly thinking I could save them from a future of getting slapped or otherwise reprimanded.

But then I realized I was perpetuating a stupid gender distinction. I was helping these boys to think the weight of a girl matters…or that when girls obsess about their weight it’s a normal, healthy thing.

And then I got flustered because I was trying to figure out a gender political position with minor children who belong to other people.

So I did what I always do in such situations.

I told them to ask their mom about asking women their weight.

Ugh all over that one. Stupid me.

Hope your bugs or ughs weren’t too awful.

Hope your joys were joyful.

It helped me to see the cartoon I had drawn for posting today.

It was a good reminder that most of life is outside of your control and therefore not worth too much worry.

Here it is….. enjoy and have a great week. Or a good one.

xoxo, d