SamWatson.usI'm pretty good at Microsoft Excel but a freak in Google Sheets.
On TV, in the movies, and in a few relationships I have seen, it seemed there was a love/hate (or tolerate/hate) relationship with the spouse and the in-laws. The mother-in-law would talk trash about the son-in-law or the daughter-in-law couldn’t stand the mother-in-law or whatever the combination.
Early in 2010, I was laid off from my job and began working at a call center. They were quickly promoting me to other departments and eyeing me for management after a month. I also had a side gig building a website for an Ad agency I used to work with (the previous job directed them to me).
As a child, my mom would always tell me not to care what other people think. If I was embarrassed out in public, she would say, “Don’t worry, you will never see these people again.”
Last December I mentioned the furry forest friends we met during the pandemic. Baby Squirrel and later Big Mama became hand-fed squirrels. I don’t think of them as pets but more like hairy long-term campers that scrounge for food around our neighborhood. But also happen to be cute so we don’t mind them.
I’m not a squirrelologist and do not have any degrees in squirrelchitecture but I have noticed a few things about our backyard buddies.
Fifteen years ago, the band Nickleback was the butt of many jokes. But I submit to you, that there was never a more ridiculous band that gained popularity, than Imagine Dragons. Every time I would hear them, I would involuntarily go off on a rant about how dumb their songs were or how absurd their band name was.
When I was a little kid, we would go visit my grandparents in Costa Rica every so often. My mom would always bring my Grandpa gifts of cashews, black licorice, and animal-printed underwear. It was my understanding that during that time, these items were hard to find there.
Sometimes, your life will feel like a slow train wreck. One that anyone with eyes could see coming, but is impossible to stop. Your car is stalled on the tracks and even though the conductor has applied the breaks, traffic in either direction has you blocked in and your car is not going to move in time.
Many people I know engage with their families on a consistent basis. One of my coworkers will see his dad maybe a few times a week. Another coworker sees her mom very often even though they live an hour or so away. Sometimes this is out of necessity and sometimes it is out of the joy of spending time together.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how lucky I am to have not been too affected by these winter storms we had. In the end, I broke down what I thought of as the 3 parts of luck (being fortunate, being prepared, and having a positive attitude).
Lately, Pope’s passing has been hitting me pretty hard. While he was alive I kept thinking “What a great life he led, when he passes it will just be the closing of a good book”. He would always tell me to throw his body in the dumpster and he would be with the Lord.
I felt prepared.