Odds 'n' Ends

* Today was an absolutely beautiful day here in Baltimore. The sun is shining, it is about 70 degrees outside with a light breeze, and there a just the few wispy clouds in an otherwise bright blue sky. I went for chai at Starbucks and walked outside for awhile and somehow felt like I was in the middle of a movie. Days like this remind me how oddly beautiful the world is, with a hurricane just 2 weeks ago and today not a speck of evidence that it ever happened.

* Went to see "Under the Tuscan Sun" yesterday...I would recommend it. I think its a very sweet film that doesn't try too hard to be anything special, but I found it somewhat inspiring. It reminded me that frequently in our lives, we focus on one thing that we want/don't have and in doing so, miss out on the joy of the events that go on around us in pursuit of that one thing. Like the joy of a beautiful day (see #1). Plus, the movie has an extended scene of a young man doing "flag throwing" - a male flaggot! (Flaggot = (n.) an individual who puts on a costume and flips a flag around in order to impress and audience. This often occurs with musical accompaniment frequently in the form of a marching band).

* Spent Friday night with friends at a tavern in Mt. Washington. Do you have friends who are "conversation killers"? I really think that as a society we need to spend more time teaching people how to make conversation. This is not a commentary on shyness - I understand about people who are shy. My best friend Lisa is quite shy, but still one of the most interesting people I've known. And she's good at conversation. There were several people who attended our gathering who were maybe the worst conversationalists I've ever met. Learn how to talk to people. Don't let your legacy be that you're bad at conversation.

* I always bring a sweater to the grocery store. Someone once told me this was weird, which made me somewhat self conscious. But today, as I walked down the frozen foods aisle, and put my sweater on to protect against the inevitable chill that comes from the opening and closing of the doors, an older woman looked at me and said "That is so smart. I always get cold in grocery stores, but I never remember to bring a sweater." So there.

* My tivo recorded the "Anna Nicole Smith Show", somehow thinking that would be something I might like to watch. I was curious, so I watched some of it. She scares me.