Noticing the year 12/18-12/21/08

It snowed. Kind of a lot.

I'm not complaining--really, I'm not

I don't usually do New Years Resolutions, but this year I want to resolve to stop complaining. Winter will not be the easiest time to do this, since I hate winter weather so much. It'll be a challenge right out of the gate.

As I shoveled snow until I felt bad this morning (only took a half hour) I was thinking about complaints: what constitutes a complaint? If you state a fact ("it took us almost eleven hours to drive to Long Island in a snowstorm") is that a complaint? Or is the intention of the statement what makes it a complaint?

I used to be very aggravated by my coworkers complaining at my last job. My belief was that the complaint didn't accomplish anything. If there is something that can be done about it, then do it. If not, then shut up and stop making everyone around you feel negative. Maybe it's the negative energy that makes a complaint what it is. Perhaps instead of resolving to stop complaining, I should resolve to have a more positive outlook.

Any thoughts?

Remembering summer

Here's the last of the summer pictures that were stored on my camera until now. It seems like a good time to remember being warm. I'm pretty sure these are all from Cutler Park.

( Read more... )

I post a lot on sundays. It helps me procrastinate.

The happy thing meme has been helpful. It's a good exercise to think about what made you happy in a given day. Sometimes it's something obvious, usually not; often when I think of it, it makes me happy all over again. I haven't been keeping track of how many days I'm doing it or how many I'm supposed to do. I think I'll just keep on doing it until entropy takes over, like every other running project I've done in this journal.

For my happy thing for Friday, I'm going to have to go with the easy rapport I have with my coworker Courtney. I think the people you work with accounts for workplace happiness far more than the actual work you do, at least for me. ( Possible complaining hidden behind Lj cut )

For Saturday, my happy thing will have to be audacian's wedding. It was wonderful to be at a celebration of love. Alexis was the official photographer, I was her unofficial assistant. Mainly that meant staying out of the way most of the time, helping when possible (find which two batteries still have any charge left) and trying not to make a total ass of myself. ( Self criticism verges on complaint )

I'm looking forward to today's happy thing! It might be the party for Jim at Alex's house in Cambridge, or it could be the wise decision to stay home and not try to drive in a snowstorm three days in a row. I'll let you know.

and then he got his sweater wet

Dane Park, last Sunday

I can't believe it was only one week ago, but here's what Dane Park looked like when Charlie and I went there last Sunday.


The weather leading up to that day--heavy rain followed by a freeze--created these frozen drained puddles. The green here is garlic mustard.

( four more pics, including one dead animal )

Pictures from the weekend

Photographing the photographer.

( but first, we had to get there )