Happy Endings

I 've been thinking about movies and books that are popular, such as the Hunger Games.  There is often not a clear hero or heroine and often the setting or action of the movies are less than heartening.  I have always struggled with the "classic' movies.  I thought it was just bad acting, but now I think it more a reflection on what I was reared on for moral development.  Shows like 30 Something which is chock-a-block with furtive glances and solemn stares kept me scratching my head. Stories like Lord of Flies always felt unfinished to me. The simplicity of a strong and moral character has become more important to me again as Maisie is getting into the meaning of things.  The shows she watches on Nickelodeon and Sprout are very heavily skewed  toward the moral high ground. I like that. She is a child-the world is suppose to be safe and happy and fair. We are branching out into Disney movies, which stretch this principle.  Bambi (which I can't watch, but apparently Maisie can), The Lion King,  Spirit, and the feel-good movie The Aristocats have been big hits, that have stirred up a lot of pretending, questions, and connections.

I think as a culture-or even-race, we need more clearly defined heroes choosing to be brave, just, and kind.

Approaching 50

My 49th birthday is coming soon.  Of course, this leads to thoughts of turning 50. Maybe 50 is the new 30, but the body is still 50 years old and I have done a lot to this machine in the 5 decades I have been in it. Crossfit has given me a new perspective on fitness and the possibilities for MY body, but it also has illuminated the creaks,  weakness, and chronic pains that seem to crop up randomly and often.

Some goals I want to realize as I approach and enter my next decade include:

• Travel-big adventure travel (for me) -Yosemite, Caribbean, Iceland, Scandinavia...
• Lose weight=live longer.  I don't want to be a chronic, long-term care patient and I want to be a viable parent for Maisie well into her adulthood.
• Build a usable Crossfit garage gym
• Own a Jeep Wrangler
• Get a good family fishing boat
• Launch a lucrative writing career

Not Over the Hill, yet.

The two goals I have in the cross hairs and will have a domino effect on the others are Crossfit and writing. I am taking a grant writing class and a nature writing class this spring and rebooting my efforts on this blog. I am issuing myself (and any of you who would like to join me) a 50 Burpees Challenge starting April 11, 2012.  Starting on the 11th and for the next 50 days I will do daily consecutive burpees, i.e. 1 on the 11th, 2 on the 12th....until on the 50th day I will do 50 burpees.  That is a total of 1275 (if I did the math right-notice math mastery is NOT one of my identified goals).

And as always, thinking about doing a Spartan Sprint.

This is What Happens to Winter People in Early Spring

   


 I was scrapping scrambled egg crud out of a cast iron frying pan tonight and when I looked down what I saw was a scrapper removing wax and klister from a skinny ski.

     Zeus, didn't I miss winter this year?  I suffer from an abhorrent form of seasonal affective disorder this time of year when we have a full on bon hiver.  This year is it is plainly a searing, festering affliction.  My wounds have experienced the soothing balm of red-winged black bird's chirlee song, yet I know, my recovery will be protracted.

Sovereign Citizen?

I recently saw a Yahoo! news blurb about individuals claiming sovereign citizenship. I didn't read the article to get a sense of what their political rhetoric entailed, but the term, sovereign citizen struck a cord with me.  It may be my Yankee upbringing, being an only child, an ISTJ (Meyers-Briggs), or my introversion, but I definitely lean toward independence and an extremely laissez-faire slant.

In spite of this, or because of it, I also value the group experience. I loved school, being on sports teams, dorm life.  I do better in life in a couplet.  I like the idea of co-ops. Small group experience is great for me...dinner with friends,  small hands on classes...

Interdependence is survival and more pleasant.