LyrehcWorld.com

You know, one of my long time favorite songs is I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move by Yes because I have always identified with the chess board and pieces, and especially the line “Don’t Surround Yourself With Yourself”.   I love the chess analogies in this song and also those  that I learned as a child reading Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass so many times.    My 26 years of journals have many references to the board and pieces and their meanings with regard to myself and my view of the world around me.  It is a common philosophy topic that I found great interest in at a very young age.  I will date myself here, but as a child Yes was one of the many 8-tracks that I lost myself in daily in our retro 70s style family room.

Tonight I took a quiz about which chess piece I am and was surprised to be the White Bishop.   But the description seemed fitting when it said “Despite your unusual talents, you are often overlooked by your opponent.” and “One unfortunate fact of the bishop: No matter how hard you try, you can only reach half the squares on the board.”

I think that makes good sense…never having full control, but, at times, able to go great distances in one move.  And of course, I think most people would agree that I traverse life diagonally.

When it comes to the Alice In Wonderland version of the chess pieces, there have been times where I have identified with the Red Queen….so quick to say “Off with his head!”  In terms of dating and finding the slightest reason to rule him out and stay single.  It is so much easier to be single and in control of my world, but even the queen doesn’t last long on the board as the lone piece.

Most of the time, however, I think of the words of Yes and remind myself that I cannot surround myself with myself.  I must move on back two squares.

It’s that time again for me to rethink my position, determine the objectives and evaluate the plan for my next move.

For the past few months, Jamey and I have been stumbling to each other the most impressive and artistic nude and semi-nude photos we find on the net.  So, I just received a stumble from him, and the note he attached with it was really cool.  He said:

So we dated for a while, worked together for a while, have been friends forever, I became an honorary member of your family, and now we send pornographic pictures to each other.  It’s an impressive relationship

My response was simply:

I concur whole-heartedly!

I mean, really, what can be better than continuously trying to out-do eachother with an even sexier photo than the last?  The symbiosity is exciting!

Saturday In The Park by Chicago has always reminded me of when I was a
very little girl (maybe 5 years old or something) when my real Dad
would sometimes actually show up on a Saturday like he was supposed to
do every Saturday, but usually didn’t.  On those rare Saturdays that I
did get to spend the day with him, we would often go to Lake Shore
Drive in Chicago to the park there and play on the beach and I could
swing on the swings and stuff.  So, sometime later, 6th grade or so, I
started to get into the band Chicago and loved their song Saturday In
The Park, which came out in 1972, and it always reminded me of those
days with my dad in the park plus the fact that I was born on the
fourth of july and the song references that.    Hanging out with my
dad on those rare occasions always elated me because I always waited
so long for him to show up and I had him up on a pedestal in my mind
when I was a little girl.  Hanging out with him on a Saturday was like
there was no tomorrow and he could do no wrong (of course until the
next Saturday when I waited all day for him to show up).

Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
People dancing, people laughing
A man selling ice cream
Singing italian songs
(fake italian lyric)
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For saturday

Saturday in the park
Youd think it was the fourth of july
Saturday in the park
Youd think it was the fourth of july
People talking, really smiling
A man playing guitar
Singing for us all
Will you help him change the world
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For today

Slow motion riders fly the colors of the day
A bronze man still can tell stories his own way
Listen children all is not lost
All is not lost

Funny days in the park
Every days the fourth of july
Funny days in the park
Every days the fourth of july
People reaching, people touching
A real celebration
Waiting for us all
If we want it, really want it
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For the day

This is the song of the day.  I can’t explain it but I love this song right now and keep listening to it over and over…

The memories of a man in his old age
Are the deeds of a man in his prime.
You shuffle in gloom of the sickroom
And talk to yourself as you die.

Life is a short, warm moment
And death is a long cold rest.
You get your chance to try in the twinkling of an eye:
Eighty years, with luck, or even less.

So all aboard for the American tour,
And maybe you’ll make it to the top.
And mind how you go, and I can tell you, ’cause I know
You may find it hard to get off.

You are the angel of death
And I am the dead man’s son.
And he was buried like a mole in a fox hole.
And everyone is still on the run.

And who is the master of fox hounds?
And who says the hunt has begun?
And who calls the tune in the courtroom?
And who beats the funeral drum?

The memories of a man in his old age
Are the deeds of a man in his prime.
You shuffle in gloom in the sickroom
And talk to yourself as you die.

Today was family day and we had planned to go rock climbing.   Mom and Risa made egg sandwiches and crispy bacon for breakfast and then we headed out around 11:30am.  We decided to go to AZ On The Rocks which was recommended to me by a co-worker who is an experienced climber.     Once we arrived and paid, we watched a video (since this was our first time) and then we were given our harnesses and shoes.  Chris and Jacob and I all learned how to belay and we all went on the auto-belay as well.    Check out the photos (click any photo to enlarge and enable navigation):

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Today during lunch I went to the dentist and got a root canal.  That was loads of fun.  It was 3 hours long with my mouth wide open propped by some metal brackets.  I kind of took a nap, which was cool.    Word of advice to everyone, if your tooth breaks, find a way to get it fixed.  Don’t wait 2 years like I did otherwise you run the risk of having damage to the root and needing a root canal.

Afterward, I went back to work.  It is kind of funny that I can say that I got a root canal during my lunch break anyway.

Last night was fantastic.  It sarted out with dinner, drinks and darts at Fibber McGees.  I was out with the guy I have been seeing and it was a very nice time.  After I went over to Bogey’s where I had heard there would be a good band playing (Sister Cities).  When I got there, I walked up to the bar to order a beer and suddenly had several new friends.  I love when I walk into a bar and meet new people who take to me like an old friend.   It’s great.  The band was setting up, I was conversing with my new friends, women were getting body painted in the back of the bar and then a belly dancer came on stage and did a really hot show….really hot!  The band was just about ready to begin and Pink Floyd came on and I was loose enough to just start dancing and having a great time.  Then the band started and I was standing by the bar and this really hot girl came up and asked me if I would dance with her.  Of course I would.  Yay!  So we went out to the dance floor and she was a great dancer….very nice.  After that the body painted woman came out and we just stared at her.  It was all very surreal.  I got a photo:

body painted girl at Bogey's in Tempe

So, Benjamin sends me a text message a little while ago with a Haiku as follows:

Today may suck balls
But tomorrow is reborn
Each day is it’s own

So I responded with my own Haiku as follows:

We have this moment
And our perceptions of it
And then it is gone

Of course, my son, Jacob, had to add his in as well:

Haikus are easy
But sometimes do not make sense
Refrigerator

My best girlfriend came into town this weekend from Vegas for a visit.    We have been friends for 19 years and have a ton of history together that goes all the way back to when we were both 19 years old.  We spent our first pregnancies together and birth of our first child and our sons are now both 16 and they are good friends (probably lifelong friends) as well.

We had a great time Friday night at the Field House having drinks and dancing and singing and met a lot of really cool strangers who seemed to swarm to our table.  It was very fun and I was excited that she was receiving so much attention.  Saturday night we went bar-hopping in downtown Tempe and had a fun time, but I drank way too much way too fast.  It was very uncharacteristic of me and there was a lot of taquila that went down my throat.    We still had a great time and went to several bars, but I got quite goofy.  Looking back now, it seems that I just drifted back in time to when we were 20 years old.  Definitely the most intoxicated I have been in a very long time.

Here is a fantastic photo of her and I at the first bar at the beginning of the night.

Janet and Cheryl! Starting the Evening

A very nice photo of Janet and me when she came into town for a visit.

Janet and Cheryl! Starting the Evening