Traditions...

The holiday season officially kicked off today, as we dragged the ornaments, pre-lit artificial Christmas tree and various decorations out of the old attic. Other annual traditions didn't disappoint me today. They include various members of the family, including...

• Husband, who accuses me of intentionally maiming ugly ornaments that originated at Hallmark long ago. (Who could forget last year, when some skanky Santa ornament mistakenly fell off the table and lost an arm? That was big trouble for me. Guess my laughter didn't help.)
  
• Dog, who dances around said clutter, with plush toy in mouth, somehow loving the sound of crinkling packages, fake Fraser fur needles being arranged, and random things dropping. (I swear, it was an accident!!)
  
• Child, who walks in from outside play, claiming upset that we've started without him, and follows with a quick exit back outside to be with friends.

We did find a few surprises this year. For one, we discovered that our Christmas candles might not like it in the super hot attic. They took out their disgust by melting into favorite stockings and holiday table decor. Interesting creations...

Secondly, a delicate felt Santa suffered a gruesome accident while hanging in the attic during the year, loosing a leg. Husband, upon discovering it already hung on the tree, ripped the other leg off and replaced him on the branch. Hmmm, guess he's at least symmetrical now. Traditions...

Keanu Reeves? Are you joking?

How could I forget? A well-respected member of our family known as a most emotionally conservative "man's man" let loose at Thanksgiving dinner. His excitement over a new Keanu Reeves movie was challenged with cries of "You like that terrible actor?"

Let me tell you, his passionate reply transcended a mere defense of Keanu's tremendous acting abilities. His toe-curling response: "If Keanu Reeves walked through the door--right here, right now--and asked me to elope, I'd be like, 'Let's go.'"

It was a bit of a shocker for all of us. Well, we found a little treat for you on YouTube. This one's for you, Stevie!

Dear Sales Associate:

I am so sorry for the load of merchandise I left in a random location of Kohl's after catching a glimpse of the 60+ person line.

For some reason, I dedicated the greater part of today--the day after Thanksgiving--to shopping. Yes, I chose to join hoards of crazy people raping the racks of moderately discounted stuff for the bargains of the century.

There's a fine balance between finding something your loved ones REALLY want and just buying because they would probably like it and it's on sale. I clearly don't have enough patience for this. That's why I'm doing a little more peaceful, well considered shopping online and sparing myself the insane traffic and war-zone parking lots. ...But that's after the fact.

I also chose to finally treat my Honda to its long-awaited oil change today, which took only slightly over an hour (a vast improvement from previous two hour visits--that's with an appointment). We spent this time doing grammar lessons in the waiting room while annoyed grown-ups sighed and cast nasty glances conveying the obvious message: "I hate grammar! Shut uuuup! Spare the child!"

We're back at home, and a pizza is sounding really good right now. By the way, Alternative Gifts International is an awesome place to shop. (I know, I just mentioned it in yesterday's post, but really, you should visit it.) How did you spend your day?

Share your wealth, baby!

However cautious we may be about spending, our jobs and the possibility that the economy may go further down before a lasting upturn, our current personal situation is usually much better than it is for so many others. The truth is, many--not all--of us aren't really hurting. We're more affected by the perceptions and fears being circulated about possibilities that haven't yet touched us.

So here's a few ways to spread some of your blessings to others...and believe me, there's something to fit every wallet--even if it's only ten bucks or a few hours of your time. Some suggestions are:

• Getting your booty down to donate some time or energy to the food bank or Salvation Army. Here's a direct link to All Faith's Food Bank in Sarasota. If you contribute $1.00 to the All Faiths Food Bank, $.94 goes directly to the product and its distribution.
  
• Giving what you can to the Season of Sharing Fund, established to help families on the verge of homelessness. The money goes to agencies that disburse funds on an emergency basis. No red tape and no administrative fees. Every dollar goes directly to those in need. And you can choose whether your donation goes to Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto or Charlotte County families.
  
• Purchasing holiday gifts from a really cool organization, Alternative Gifts International--a nonprofit group that works with organizations all over the world alleviating poverty, helping the environment, providing health care, etc. You can choose a very specific project with a very specific donation. Your gift recipient will receive a card explaining exactly what you purchased for them in their honor.

Just choose one...or do your own thing. But share the wealth, baby! The truth is, we never know when we'll find ourselves in a situation where we need a little help. If you think all people in distress are there through their own choosing or lack of responsibility, you may just have a little visit from Mr. Karma one day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Insomnia--Pour Yourself a Cup

Ideally, I would have a burning project that I just have to stay awake for. Or a great movie that is available only at this hour. But there's not much begging for a page-turning during this 1 am book of late November. I'm just up in a quiet house and even the dog has no interest in joining me.

So for now, blogging is the new reading--the new sheep counting--of a night without sleep. I probably did it to myself, hitting the sack at 8:30 pm after what seemed like an energy sucking day. Naturally, I'm annoyed, knowing that deep sleep will hit just before the alarm goes off. But instead of bitching, I thought I'd list a few things I'm really grateful for:

• Having a job. I know it sounds dumb, but really, I am so grateful. Things are pretty rough out there for a lot of people, and I'm thankful to be employed without a large, looming threat of "walking Spanish." (Read "And Then We Came to the End" by Joshua Ferris if you haven't already...it's hilarious.)
  
• Two living parents. Nerd & mom, are you reading this? Yep, I'm pretty thankful everyday that you're around and I don't take your presence and everything you do for granted. Mean it.
  
• A husband who's willing to go get new tires for me, do most of the cooking (to save himself from nasty casseroles), and be a supporting, caring partner. (Hey, I buy dinner a lot of the time, do the laundry, clean, and other stuff!)
  
• The reminder that I'll never get time back...ever. I probably think of this way too often (to the point of it being a doom and gloom type of thing), but I'm glad to live in the reality that I need to cherish each moment, even if it's the wee hours of the morning and I can't sleep.

What are you grateful for these days, and are you sleeping at night?

Ellenton: You Should Try It

Realizing the claim to fame for Ellenton is its outlet mall, many of you may have been up that way but may not have checked out the little crossroads for all it's worth. In your next scuttle up to the Columbia, Anne Taylor, Chico's and Nike outlets, may I make a few additional recommendations?

Pack yourselves a lunch, folks, and explore. Today I took my second tour in 6 months of the Gamble Plantation. It's a walk back in mid-1800's SW Florida--and well worth the trip. Our guide was a high school history teacher who drives all the way from Clearwater to volunteer there every Sunday. She's a big history geek as you might imagine, but let me tell you, her tour was the bomb. There's not much in U.S. history she doesn't know. And she was a great storyteller.

While you have your shopping shoes on, why not support some of the local stores where items aren't made by little kids in factories? When you walk in The Mermaid's Attic (right across the street from the Gamble Plantation), you'll feel like melting into sleep with the calm blue and white decour. Almost everything is either made new locally, or is vintage, adorable and in great shape. Very reasonably priced. You can find jewelry, peaceful home furnishings, beautiful ceramic bowls and a stylish and conversational store owner from North Carolina.

The Earth Box Research Center, supplying portable gardens of fresh, healthy veggies, is right in Ellenton, just 1 minute from the Plantation. It's a great place to stop and find a unique gift for your fam and friends.

Haven't been yet? Make an afternoon of it, and bring someone with you. It's a great place to share.

A Shaken Soda Can and A Karmic Mistake

I feel a bit like a soda can that's been dropped a bunch of times and is getting ready to be opened. I'm oversaturated with information from lots of clever people from all over the country and I'm eager to hatch out a plan to implement some of it in my corner of the world.

Tomorrow one of my favorite bloggers will speak. I've been wanting to meet Beth Kanter. Our brief conversation today revealed her as a genuine gal, full of informative wisdom and fresh with experiences from her work in places I'd love to visit. Have you seen her blog?

And there was good news for the cells in body--Loews did better on breakfast this morning and supplemented the regular lunch offerings with a good 'ole garden burger option. Alright! We're now at least getting to the 90's in terms of alternative food choices.

The Karmic Mistake of the Day: A large tray of cheese and fruit, a bowl of assorted nuts, and a $100 bottle of wine were mistakenly delivered to our room with a note to a gentleman I've never met. I called downstairs to inform them of the mistake, and the nice lady just told me to enjoy it. Repayment for the bowl of bare lettuce?

A Bowl of Dry, Romaine Lettuce

I guess I shouldn't complain since it was romaine, not iceberg. But really, Loews Hotel, really. This is a four star hotel on South Beach. Today during our keynote luncheon, a giant bowl of completely dry romaine lettuce (i.e. no dressing, no croutons, no shredded parm) was placed in front of me. The consolation prize for the token vegetarian was something a resort should be embarrassed about. I had no choice but to eat and laugh. And really, there are starving people in the world. I should shut up and be grateful.

Yet this evening, after walking a mile to our conference restaurant, I was getting a little on the angry side to find that none of our menu choices included anything remotely vegetarian. The substitute...a bowl of spaghetti. Hmmmm... in a place of such culture and international flavor, is this really the best you can do, Miami? One meal I can deal with. But after a few days of no sustenance but a little roughage and lots of carbs, I'm starting to feel really, really tired. Tired of crap.

The Conference Continues...

The view of Miami Beach from the balcony today was gorg. I've never seen water on the east coast so green. It almost rivaled our good 'ole Anna Maria Island (pictured right--that ain't no Miami Beach). Lots of friendly folk from around the country are here, open with sharing ideas from their corner of the world.

So what did I do today? I attended a 5 hour long session about Virtualization and understood about 4 to 6 minutes of it. I chatted with some techies who are up to some pretty neat things. And I reminded myself that I appreciate having a job and the opportunity to be here.

My co-workers and I placed the standard phone calls to husbands and kids, sending smoochy thoughts to the dogs. We had a bit of a strange dinner after a tiring day, populated by an interesting exchange of table talk.

As you've probably noted, surrounded by the same group of people for any length of time, one quickly learns that speech is bound to offend one or more in the party. After the niceties and catch-up conversation, getting-to-know you better questioning and general commentary wears off--that's when the barriers in thinking before speaking start to relax. It seems to be facilitated by the distance from home too.

There's a trite, overused saying that resurfaces from time to time. It's good advice. "Just be nice."

I Am SO Annoyed I Forgot the Camera

Today is Day 1 of a trip to Miami with four co-workers for a technology Conference. If there's one mistake I made already, it's the failure to bring my camera along. Already, we've seen some interesting things.

We all rode down together today in a white global warming bus (a large SUV belonging to one of our tribe that fit us and our motherload of crap quite comfortably). Our faithful and considerate IT man spent the 3.5 hour journey hammering away on his presentation while covering his mouth with a surgical mask. He's got a tiny sinus infection and was concerned about contaminating our car air. Aw, shucks, have you ever heard of anyone so thoughtful? I just wish I had a photo...

The hotel is beautiful, and we've got a nice ocean front room with two double beds. And we can enjoy the view of all of the freaks walking about on South Beach to our hearts' content. I'm in husband's home turf, the place where he spent hours working in the Cleveland and probably doing things I don't want to know about. I miss the bald man already...

Just found out that the two boys on the trip have a nice, comfy king sized bed to share.

And on a More Inspiring Note...

I met a super creative, innovative group of folks on Wednesday who have started a website called The Garden Now. It's a very cool place where for-profits and nonprofits can go to post their mind, body & spirit related events. And if you're an individual, you can register as a user, check the preferences for what kinds of events you're into, and get a customized glance at what's coming up for you.

At first I was thinking, these people are soooo together, but another website for events? But this one is definitely different. The intersection of design and functionality is perfecto. You feel calm just going on the site. And it's really easy to find what you want. Did I mention that groups will even have a system for ticketing and registration? It's a prayer answered for lots of small organizations with very worthwhile events that tend to get lost in the shuffle of bigger media.

The Garden Blog also shares very insightful, well-written thoughts. It's new and a little sparcely populated, but the current entries are interesting and so worth checking out. Looking forward to more...

Face-Off

This week, I've been forced to confront a number of unpleasant things.

One of them was a person who has insisted on plowing full steam ahead for months with something, despite repeated kind-hearted pleas from those affected...pleas to take stock of the fact that the effort just wasn't going anywhere.

A second was an inner-ego aspect that had to be recognized, dealt with and controlled. A third was the realization that no matter how much I want to control certain things, I just have to deal with the parts of life that can be changed...and often, those things aren't people or the economy or even transforming every person into someone who cares about what I care about. (And although I realized this third thing long before, I still find myself struggling with it.) I see a big theme here.

I guess the truth is, we all have to endure Face-Offs from time to time throughout life. The more honest we are with others and ourselves, the less frequently they occur.

I've noticed an abundance of street corner characters over the past few months, people dressed in costumes trying to wave you in to a restaurant, tire store or furniture outlet. It seems to be a symptom of the economy. The best of them are dressed in very silly--and sometimes obsurd--outfits, waving like hell to get you to notice. The worst of them have lame, unimaginative costumes with people inside of them who stand there, barely moving.

So my friend shared a little tid-bit with me yesterday as we chatted at a light: "No matter how many Face-Offs you're having, no matter how frustrating things can seem, at least you're not dressed up as a pizza standing there in 5:00 traffic."

Downtown Bradentuky is Down in the Dumps

Every now and then, I start to feel really bad about referring to my current hometown as "Bradentucky." But it certainly may be true that this name--derived from a reputation as the culture-free, hick stepchild of its posh southern cousin Sarasota--is well deserved.

Today, husband and I took a vacation day and decided to spend part of it on a walking trip through the streets of downtown Bradentucky. The most interesting things we came across were a patchouli-drenched incense store and a ginormous congregation of minnows swimming near the water's surface at the river front. While enjoying the tiny fish, we did get to witness the background conversation of three relaxed city employees spending over 30 minutes propping up a 2 foot tall, 1960's style Christmas ornament on the lawn.

Despite my (perhaps overly harsh?) assessment of downtown Bradentucky, there are a few things I'd recommend: The South Florida Museum, Art Center Manatee, and Mattison's Riverside. But if you seek people, culture, a cup of coffee in a bookstore, excitement (or basically anything a downtown might typically have), better check Sarasota or Anna Maria Island....um, or even Arcadia or Palmetto.

The Highlight of Today

I can't decide if it's...

• 2 seconds ago, when husband came in the room with a look of fear, desperately wanting me to pull off the 15 year old cowboy boots he tried on for the first time in forever and couldn't get off...OR
  
• The happy Verizon customer service rep who was thrilled to help me add more services but would not--could not--help me downgrade. (That's a separate number you have to call during the business week, thank you very much) ....OR


• The kayaking trip through Fort Hammer & the Manatee River.

I think I'll take the kayaking. The clouds were in wispy craziness across the sky, peeping migratory birds were conversing in inexplicable tongues while hidden in the tall grasses, and I got to lose myself and all worries in the entire landscape.

The lizard that hitched a ride inside the kayak from our backyard all the way to the river didn't even complain. I picture him sleeping soundly back in the overturned vessel outside the office window.

Seeking Qualified Applicants

Unmotivated individual with zero personality, lack of accountability and proficiency in making excuses sought to lead school. Prefer a male with demonstrated history of squishing creative, out of the box teaching methods. Must have proven track record of unresponsiveness to concerned parents and leading by example in the field of "do nothing, be nothing." Education: B.S. required. Piss ants are encouraged to apply. Deadline: December 1. Only applications received after this deadline will be considered.


Yes, my friends, this is the employment ad that at least two Manatee school principals answered, landing them jobs overseeing the educational institutions where our kids spend their Wonder years. I'm so over it. What's up with this?

I Had to Do It

I've debated and debated about this. But despite my best efforts to keep Gropius politics-neutral, this is after all my blog and I am afforded the opportunity to say what I want. (Just as you readers are afforded the opportunity to comment...)

So hear it is: I can't remember a time when I felt as hopeful, inspired, excited and frankly down right proud of my country as I was last night.

When I heard Barak Obama, our new leader speaking for the first time as president-elect, I could not keep a spot on my cheeks dry. The words, though reflective and carefully chosen, were secondary to the meaning behind our country's choice. And for once, I felt that the man was secondary to the message. It's the first time I can recall feeling the authenticity of a leader who is more about the voice of the people than himself.

In the eyes of the young voters, the old voters, the black voters and the white voters that the camera spanned, there wasn't a single cocky look of conquest. Instead there was a look of sincere gratitude, hope, eagerness and willingness to continue in being part of the change that needs to happen. You see, that is who Barak is for me. Not someone who will be that change, but who will help all of us be the change. From a campaign that thrived on small donations from many and from being the voice of people who have had enough of not being heard, real action rose out of what had become apathy. And it's just the beginning.

I will add that John McCain's concession speech was remarkably eloquent and beautiful. He and Obama complimented each other in presenting the need for unity bridging our differences, whether they are differences of party, color or religious beliefs.


There's hope if you're a McCain-lover...My Gropius message for you is three-fold:

1. Echoing Obama, who said in his acceptance speech that he will be your President too, I'm still your blogging friend. I hope you will still be mine.
2. A blogosphere is a terrible thing to waste: start your own and share.
3. You're always welcome to comment here.

And finally, if you're a fellow Obama fan, please be liberal in sharing your post-election thoughts on Gropius!

Local Campaign Humor

I've seen enough throw-away flyers, intersection lobbyists and yard signs to last me 10 centuries. When this flow of serious, hard core campaigning finally ends on Tuesday, it will not be too soon for me. But as with all important matters, if humor and jest don't fit in somewhere, no one is being serviced.

I'll be able to laugh at will when the Presidential candidate of my choice clearly wins on the 4th, but until then, enjoy this photo from a local contractor who kindly thinks of Gropius readers while cruising between site visits.

According to a small plot of land near the Waffle House on US 41 in Sarasota, the butler from the 80's sitcom Benson is running for a seat on the Florida House. Great stuff.

The other fave that I've come across is two warring households a couple of blocks away. One home has at least 10 McCain/Palin signs and the home beside it has just as many Obama/Biden signs. The most entertaining part is this: several signs were erected by both families directly against the property line, so that the McCain and Obama endorsements are facing each other, not the street. I'm hoping to get up enough nerve to knock on their doors and ask, "Hey, are you and your neighbor on speaking terms?"

Whatever your views, my friends, don't forget to vote.