Random, quirky stuff you shouldn't read but will…anyway…everyone else is

There are a lot of people in need. People you know need you. They want your help. They want you to invite them to do things and they want to attend. Sometimes, though, the timing isn’t right or the person doesn’t feel well.
That doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
Lifting up someone’s spirits doesn’t really take much effort or time. Sharing something to eat or drink together is something that can help a person get through a tough time.
When things in our life go astray and awry, we tend to dwell on why this is happening to us. We wonder why and sometimes make ourselves a little bit crazy trying to figure it all out. We need to be able to step back from it all and just have a little fun with our friends. Like the Beatles sang, you really can get by with a little help from your friends.

***

It’s been feeling weird outside to me lately. I know the official beginning of summer is still a couple of weeks away, but it’s only in the upper 70’s and low 80’s. Seems it should be a lot hotter outside than it is. I supposed the insufferable heat will get here soon enough and we’ll all be running for A/C cover.

***

English: An old photo of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville, Indiana, found in Baird’s History of Clark County, Indiana, published in 1909 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Walked the Big Four Bridge from Kentucky to Indiana Saturday night. All different kinds of people were walking to and from the two states. I suppose you could say we were all technically walking on water, too, suspended high above the Ohio River below. The bike lane through the middle of the old railroad bridge was a nice touch. Police were patrolling the entire span as well, keeping the whole walk family friendly and civil. All in all, a great experience. Went to the Red Yeti Brewing Co. once we descended into the Indiana side. Good times. We’ll definitely be back.

***

What’s up with the lovers’ locks on the bridge in France? Looking at all that metal is not romantic. Ridiculous that they have the potential to create structural damage to the bridge and dangerous situations for the boats that pass by underneath. Love isn’t about doing what everyone else does to display it. It’s coming up with something unique and creative that represents the love you share with another person. What thousands of people have done by creating a kludgy tapestry of locks is once again remind us of what a bunch of lemmings we really are. Not doing the lock thing? What about the latest running shoe? You mean you don’t have it? See what I mean? I guess what I’m trying to say is that popular culture isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you never trend on any form of social media, you can still be creative and do something romantic for your love. So, save your locks for your bicycles and storage lockers.

***

New Yorkers like tiny bikes that fold up into something you can carry (Photo credit: Ed Yourdon)

Speaking of bicycles, what’s up with helmets? They still look goofy to me. I think I look silly in riding gear, too, but I like riding bikes and the sleek, padded, specially formulated material I wear really does absorb perspiration better than sleeveless sweatshirts and baggy shorts. Plus your rear end doesn’t get as sore. But those helmets…ugh.

***

If you work with dual monitor setups and extended desktop environments, can you get twice as much work done? Maybe you can if you’re not control/command/alt tabbing your life away and forgetting the information you meant to cull from the screen of the application you just switched to for the purposes of working on the screen you came from. It’s possible, though, I think.

***

How it actually looks… (Photo credit: Hexidecimal)

I read a lot of bad advice given on LinkedIn. The ones that really bother me are the gurus advising you to quit your job if you don’t love what you are doing. These authors who would have you believe themselves to be “coaches” and “mentors” are quite literally the opposite. If you are putting food on the table, have a roof over your head and can pay your bills on time you are richer than you might think. I think it comes down to reality and accepting the things you can’t change in life. Plus, being grateful and happy for what you do have is really where our minds and hearts should be at. And remember, jobs are what you do, not who you are. I am interested in people, not salesmen.

***

I’ve acquired a lot of pens and pencils. If I live another 50 years and don’t purchase any more, I just might be able to use them all up. Will there ever be a letter writing revival? I’m doubtful of that. After going to weddings where the speeches the best men give are conveniently on the smart phones that reside in their hands, I’m especially doubtful. But, I was encouraged by how much I used them last year during my classes. I’m thinking if I don’t use them all up before some time, I may just donate the good bulk of them.

***

Saw on the news the average age of automobiles on the road now is 11.4 years (or something like that). Plus there are more vehicles on the roads now than ever before, too–250,000,000 I believe was the figure quoted. I was thinking I was seeing an especially high number of clunkers being driven. It’s like even if cars look like they’ve been in several demolition derbies, as long as they run at all, they will be driven by someone. New cars are a ripoff, too, so I can see why people will keep their oldies but goodies going for as long as they can.

***

Is it me or has the quality of statuses on Facebook gotten better over time? I mean, I don’t see much, “I had a ham ‘n’ cheese for lunch” status updates anymore. I don’t see too many food related ones, generally-speaking, unless it’s somebody’s wonderful husband preparing dinner after a long hard day at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The caliber of selfies has improved as well, so all in all, I’m rethinking social media and even blogging being a sign of the pending apocalypse.

***

Memories (Photo credit: Photosightfaces)

This is done now and you’ve forgotten the headline that sucked you in to this point in the first place. You expected more and received less. If you just read the headline and this final burst of literary confidence, then you’ve missed the point, which is, most everything you won’t be tested on today, will soon be forgotten. So much so, that by the time your head hits the pillow, you’ll forget this, too. Now go back to the beginning, read it all again, and leave a comment if you think it was entirely devoid of merit.