Habits have a way of sneaking up on you, and it turns out I have a new one. I'm in the habit of blogging.
Right now, I’m absolutely exhausted from a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend. It’s time for bed. All the lights are out in my apartment. It’s quiet and warm. And I can’t seem to close my eyes without posting a blog entry.
That’s because at the beginning of November, I set out to blog everyday for the entire month, and apparently my inner voice has not gotten the memo that it’s December 1.
That’s just fine by me. I’ve rediscovered the need to write. My November challenge did its job.
Blogging everyday wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but out of the 30 some entries I wrote, most are placeholders… snippets of thought recorded to meet a quota.
I want to improve that, so I’ve decided to continue writing everyday for another month, but I won’t be blogging as much.
Still, I have a feeling that additional blogging challenges may be in my future.
When I travel I always play a game. I ask myself... could I live here? In Washington DC the answer is yes! That's mostly because the Metro is 100 percent accessible. And it works! I goes absolutely everywhere. It's wonderful.
And another interesting travel tip... apparently you can get a private accessible van at many of the tourist sites complete with a personal tour guide. We took advantage of this yesterday at Arlington and it saved a lot of time, uphill pushing, and effort. I also recommend going at sunset. The views are spectacular!
All and all, it's nice to discover a second city. But Chicago is still home.
I'm very close to backing out of Facebook. That's because there is no useful way to manage my network. It has grown into an odd mix of coworkers; current friends; classmates from grammar school, middle school, and college; family, and professionals.
I don't think that these groups should remain entirely separate from each other, but I don't think the lines between them should be entirely erased either.
At the same time, I have to admit that I'm fascinated at how Facebook is connecting me to folks I'd likely lose touch with otherwise. I'm so interested in watching how it works that it's hard to back away.
I suppose it's true that with social media you're either in or you're out. But very few people seem to really think about what that means. It's all the more reason to manage your online presence closely.
Some of the things I like most about Washington DC are its monuments, museums, and landmarks. I once heard the Mall described as "a great home court advantage," a space specifically designed to illustrate America's power and to intimidate visiting leaders.
Up until this point I thought the Mall did that job pretty well. But our monuments only have meaning if you have a context for them.
I'm spending the weekend with a good friend who is not American, and although she appreciates the landmarks and monuments because they are striking, she didn't grow up looking at them or learning the history behind them. At first, she didn't readily recognize the White House.
Why would she?
That's a sure sign that I'm on vacation. There's both apple and pumpkin. At the moment, I'm thinking of having a little bit of each. I can't think of a better way to start Thanksgiving day... with dessert! Touring the city and maybe a trip to a museum is on tap for the rest of the day... along with a large French meal.
We were just discussing ways to make the corporate apartment where my friends and I are staying more accessible.
"The could buy a bath bench for the tub," I suggested.
"Hell, all you really need is a 2X4," T responded.
We might be on to something here. :)
Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful and peaceful holiday.
Check out my Quick Bite of Naha. The food is good but for some reason leaves me lukewarm.
"So I figure we'll get to the airport early," said S. "Maybe we can hop on an earlier flight."
"Sure. Sounds good to me."
"If that doesn't work out, we can just kick back and have a nice dinner at the airport," she continued. "Although I'm not sure that's possible. I was watching this news report about health inspectors finding some pretty nasty food situations at the airport."
So with that, we're off! I've heard tell that pumpkin pie and whipped cream await us upon arrival. Promises like that give me hope that all is not lost on the food front. Considering where we're starting out, it can only go up from here!
My friend Chris returned my wheelchair tonight all gussied up. He had it worked over but did most of the job himself. The chair has a set of new screws and came with strict instructions.
“Be sure to take your Allen wrench with you when you leave tomorrow,” Chris said. “You should be okay, but this is a really bad design. Your Invacare chair is better, and I have more work to do on this Quickie when you get home.”
“Thank you,” I said. “This means a lot to me.”
“I know. You broke for a minute when that wheel did. But not for long.”
That’s because I have friends who understand me.
What a wonderful thing to be thankful for.
Packing is always the most stressful part of travel for me even though I’m very good at it. I always feel like I have a million and one things to do before I leave.
There is dry cleaning to take in, stuff to buy, trash to take out… it’s madness.
I look forward to the moment when I arrive at the airport, and it’s all out of my hands. By that point, all I have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
For now I still need to pack. All I really want to do is watch episodes of The West Wing. Huh. Perhaps that counts as trip prep too? After all, I’m going to DC.
Years ago, I had a passing conversation with Stan Lee, one of the men behind Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil, and the rest of the Marvel Comics empire.
He makes a cameo appearance in every Spider-Man movie, so you might recognize him. I always keep an eye out for him myself. When I spotted him in Spider-Man 2, I tugged excitedly on my friend Dave’s sleeve.
“Stan Lee! Stan Lee!” I said.
Dave glanced at me, perplexed.
“No. I’m Dave,” he said.
I rolled my eyes and helped myself to Dave's popcorn in mildly exasperated retaliation.
When I met Stan Lee, he was a washed-up has-been. The big movie studios hadn’t given him the million-dollar nod yet. Still, there was something innately cool about him. Sure. He’s comic book geek. But I was impressed with his slicked-back hair, leather jacket, and tinted glasses.
Most of all I remember what he told me.
“All of my heroes have disabilities to overcome,” he said matter-of-factly. “Their weakness is their power.”
True. And I believe there is something to that concept. It makes for a good story.
However, in real life, I can’t help but look strangely at someone who applauds me for getting up in the morning or for wheeling down the street.
It’s not heroic to do these things. It’s just life.
