Greetings, loved ones. Let's take a journey...

It's crazy to think about how perspective changes everything. Everything. Have you ever seen a peacock from the back? Not that it doesn't look sort of interesting, but it's NOTHING compared to the beauty that you see from the front. Maybe you need to walk around a situation to see the beauty in it. Just think about THAT for thirty seconds. By the way, someday I will get this tattooed on my back (okay, probably not, but my shadow archetype wants to).

Today it's hitting me, once again, how the little things really are the big things. It's not the big moments in life that make your whole life worth living. They do provide highlights, and you may always look back and remember them the most distinctly, but what makes your day-to-day existence worthwhile? Figure out what cultivates that inner calm and surround yourself with those things. There will always be more than enough negativity to deal with, so stop waiting for the next big moment and start stringing together as many little moments as you can. In fact, maybe sometimes you can try to BE a little moment for someone else. Yes, go be little rays of sunshine (some of you won't need to try as hard, since you tend to blind people with your...we'll call it "radiance," *ahem* Siobhan Stewart). Happy Hump Day, everyone.

I've recently realized a life goal of mine. First, I need to memorize and learn the words to every song in existence. Second, I need to learn to read lips. Ultimately, I hope to be able to look at people driving next to me and always know what song they're singing in their cars.

Several days ago, I saw the Google Maps car (okay, probably not the Google Maps car, but one of them anyway). This made me wonder how one manages to get the job of Google Maps Car Driver. Although, as I was looking for a picture of the Google Maps car, I came across this, and in between fits of laughter (yes, I know it's insensitive to the poor deer), have decided that this career path may not be for me. Having my driving blunders semi-permanently recorded for all the world to see isn't very appealing. Sidenote: I just realized that I could possibly be on Google Maps now, which is less than exciting considering people will start finding out about all my shortcuts.

Siobhan Stewart, since this is primarily how we communicate out feelings about each other, I have to tell you that I refuse to erase your number out of my cell phone, though I'm actually causing myself more pain, considering how often I am reminded of the fact that I can't text you absurd things at all hours of the day. Please come back to me.

Well, I'm back on the job hunt again, and as I read description after description of what qualifications employers are looking for, specifically in terms of personality traits, I am disappointed. I just read an article about how it's getting more and more uncomfortable to be an introvert in America, and I must say that the job market certainly reflects this unfortunate truth. Every other employer wants someone who's a "team player, enthusiastic, energetic, outgoing personality," blah blah blah. Not that introverts can't be good team players. But I think we have a lot of other valuable qualities. Why is it that no one is looking for an employee who is "independent, polite, efficient, can mind their own damn business"? Again, this is not to say that extroverts cannot be all of these things as well, just that you'll never see this particular combination in a job description. Introverts are neither unfriendly nor do they have bad people skills, but including "outgoing personality" in a job description would imply otherwise.

Done with rant. Back to job applications. I should probably remove "stays on task" from my resume.

where did my walls go?

I just realized today that no one took seriously my Facebook plea for donations for a new laptop. I would literally take $5 right now. On second thought, perhaps I should invest in some kind of insurance for the accident prone, on the off chance that someone is foolish enough to start THAT company. Semi-related: I promised Jo that I'd blog about my laundry basket incident. Pretty much, I accidentally stepped in a laundry basket. At the time it was hilarious. I guess you had to be there.

Lessons learned and general observations for the day:
1. It's generally better to keep your mouth shut.
2. Sometimes I wish I could put my life in the freezer when it gets too scary.
3. Misery can be pervasive, and good is not always present--sometimes you have to create it.
4. Dog gates in doorways do not combine well with sleep-walking.
5. If possible, it's always better to sit outside.
6. I'm beginning to confuse reality with dreams I've had.
7. It's okay to avoid creepers.
8. It's generally better to keep your mouth shut.
9. Pretending a burnt grilled cheese sandwich "tastes like camping food" really doesn't help.
10. Ten is just a more complete number.

Hi blog buddy Sho (did I ever tell you that Sho was the name of my first crush?).

Mama Pajama got half her neck burned to a crisp.

I am efficient so that I can be lazy.

Burnt orange Range Rovers and tourists who think they can direct traffic are all on my hit list now.

Dogs are not allowed to bark, but twenty people can get away with running their mouths right outside my bedroom window on my one day off.

Migrating futons. Velociraptors. Jeff Goldblum.

Tandem bikes are almost not worth the trouble, but they keep you young.

Crayons and margaritas are the best combination.

When you're in a creek at night, EVERYthing that brushes by you is a snake.

My retirement will consist of southern accents, canes, and lawn chairs.

According to my nightmares, I am incapable of love, but my love for cheese grows daily.

There have been recent complaints about my nearly month-long hiatus. Let me start by saying that I have no major injuries to report. It's possible that they were source of my inspiration, thus, the hiatus. However, to appease my dear older brother, here are three embarrassing incidents, as well as a recent concern of mine, to hold you over until inspiration returns.

First, my younger brother and I were driving back to Tokyo from the mountains, and, finally making it to the tollbooth in Tokyo, we prepared to pay the toll (as you do at a tollbooth). Mishap substep #1: pull in too far away from the booth, poor man has to reach half his body out to take my ticket. Mishap substep #2: cannot find correct change, but somehow it seems incredibly crucial at the time to use up as many coins as possible. Drop half of said coins all over car floor. Mission accomplished. Mishap substep #3: drop a coin in the chasm between my car and the window. Poor man has to come out of the booth to pick it up. Mishap substep #4 (the finale): try to hand poor man the rest of the change and experience an awkward fumble wherein the man drops all the coins and has to pick them all back up again, then hurries back to his booth hoping that when he turns around I'll be gone.

Second, while eating dinner with my family tonight, my father mentioned some recent flooding in what I thought he said was Oklahoma. I had no idea why he would mention this, and then proceed to talk about rivers rising and nearly flooding bike paths, as though this was at all relevant to any of us (and really, out of all the states, Oklahoma?). Not that it's not important to be aware of current events, but bike paths in Oklahoma just seemed a little too specific. In any case, I decided this might be an appropriate time to belt out that song from the musical...you know the song. Luckily, someone asked my dad why it was flooding in Yokohama, just seconds before I would have started singing and thoroughly confused everyone at the table. So maybe that wasn't an embarrassing incident. More like a fortunate sidestepping of such an incident.

Third, whilst playing a game of hearts with my mother and siblings, someone says something funny and I let out a laugh unlike any you've ever heard before. It's the kind of laugh with different pitches, and the "ha ha's" are maniacally close together, and while you're laughing, in your head you're thinking, "WHAT is this NOISE coming out of me?" The worst part is, you can't just end the laugh and move on. You know it's echoing in everyone's heads.

Finally, my recent concern. For whatever reason, I have begun to lose a lot of hair. Perhaps I have a condition, or maybe the world is trying to restore equilibrium, since I probably have more hair than most. I need to get in touch with Locks of Love so I can donate all the hair I'm losing. And while I'm at it, maybe I should order a wig myself. If anyone has any inkling of why this may be happening to me, I would love to know. Preferably before I start getting patchy, or have to fashion a comb-over.

Personal Injury and Mishap Log, 6/3-6/5

6/3
10:32pm. Opened car door on face (possible bruise on chin, will update).
6/4
7:28pm. Paper cut on finger from program during graduation ceremony (for the record, did attempt to refuse receipt of said program).
2:11am. Viciously attacked by red cockroach on bed (spent remainder of night sleeping fitfully on sister's bed; possible subsequent attacks thwarted).
6/5
6:20pm. Put shirt on inside out and failed to notice for several hours (note to self: college degree was for nothing).
9:14pm. Thumbnail bent backwards by loving mother during an especially animated game of Nertz (bruise already evident).
10:52pm. Burnt on arm by iron (glaring scar, likely to blister; siblings' ears permanently violated).

Better luck tomorrow.

Mayra: Nebusoku = "lacking sleep" (neh-boo-soh-coo).