Showing posts with label bridge. Show all posts
A disclaimer for the next 72 hours: I cannot promise the timeliness nor quality of blog posts. My life is reaching the apex of it's recent rat race pace.
After an hour and a half nap, I am soon heading to Midway on a midnight airport pick-up run. From there, I head directly with my human cargo to the homeland - Grand Rapids. I'm hoping to sleep from approximately 4:00 to 7:00 a.m., at which point I will have to rise (and doubtfully shine).
Throwing a quick shower in the mix, I'll be back on the road. Next destination: Novi. There I'll spend the majority of the day working from an adopted home with my former partner in workday crime. A working reunion of sorts.
Throw in some hair-doing and getting dressed, somehow 3:30 p.m. will roll around all too quickly, and it'll be time to hit the road again. On to Howell, where wedding bells are tolling. The party is bound to roll into some wee hours, hopefully I won't be asleep on my feet at some point. If only there was the post-reception promise of rest for the weary.
Instead, the plan is family tailgate time for the Spartan homecoming game. Since that's a noon kick-off, call time for pre-game festivities is about 8:00 a.m. So I'll be back to doing what I know best by no later than 7:30 a.m. - driving. Tailgate. Watch football. Drive back to Grand Rapids.
From there I should have a full 24-hour hiatus on getting behind the wheel (please and thank you). I'm trying not to hold out hope for a full nine-hour sleep, too. Alas, Sunday afternoon will find me back on chauffer duty. I'll wistfully pass my exit and make the drop at O'Hare, then make an about face and head directly home.
And any other day, by that point, I would drop helplessly into my bed and only rise when the alarm tolled for work the next morning. But October 14th happens to be the premiere of The Walking Dead and, therefore, the revival of zombie Sundays. Since my brain is likely to be in a zombie-like state by that point, it's fitting to push myself through the night.
I'm tired already. And it's just getting started. Oy.
light, bright & angular \10.11\
Full View
Labels:
bridge,
buildings,
downtown,
tree
After an hour and a half nap, I am soon heading to Midway on a midnight airport pick-up run. From there, I head directly with my human cargo to the homeland - Grand Rapids. I'm hoping to sleep from approximately 4:00 to 7:00 a.m., at which point I will have to rise (and doubtfully shine).
Throwing a quick shower in the mix, I'll be back on the road. Next destination: Novi. There I'll spend the majority of the day working from an adopted home with my former partner in workday crime. A working reunion of sorts.
Throw in some hair-doing and getting dressed, somehow 3:30 p.m. will roll around all too quickly, and it'll be time to hit the road again. On to Howell, where wedding bells are tolling. The party is bound to roll into some wee hours, hopefully I won't be asleep on my feet at some point. If only there was the post-reception promise of rest for the weary.
Instead, the plan is family tailgate time for the Spartan homecoming game. Since that's a noon kick-off, call time for pre-game festivities is about 8:00 a.m. So I'll be back to doing what I know best by no later than 7:30 a.m. - driving. Tailgate. Watch football. Drive back to Grand Rapids.
From there I should have a full 24-hour hiatus on getting behind the wheel (please and thank you). I'm trying not to hold out hope for a full nine-hour sleep, too. Alas, Sunday afternoon will find me back on chauffer duty. I'll wistfully pass my exit and make the drop at O'Hare, then make an about face and head directly home.
And any other day, by that point, I would drop helplessly into my bed and only rise when the alarm tolled for work the next morning. But October 14th happens to be the premiere of The Walking Dead and, therefore, the revival of zombie Sundays. Since my brain is likely to be in a zombie-like state by that point, it's fitting to push myself through the night.
I'm tired already. And it's just getting started. Oy.
As much as I thought that I was in touch with my
introversion and how it played into my life, this book has highlighted
behaviors and trends that I’ve always identified with but never categorized as
side effects of introversion. Usually
when I read, I’m quick to jot down or type up quotes and passages. If I tried to do that with Quiet, I’d just be transcribing nearly
the entire book.
My biggest takeaway, and a new lens through which to
consider feelings of anxiety or discomfort, is the concept of overstimulation. Essentially introverts have less of filter
when it comes to taking things in, whether they be sights, sounds, smells,
feelings, thoughts, etc. So anything
exceptionally busy leads to a quick feeling of overstimulation, followed by
shut down mode.
I’m highly familiar with shut down mode. In fact, my current life pace has me
consciously fighting it every day right now.
Being naturally accustomed to down time, quiet time, solo time – this
frenetic pace and constant interaction are making me head reel. Although I enjoy the activities that I’m
doing and the people who accompany me, I know I’ll reach a point where there is
no other choice besides recuperation.
Until then, I’ll work on taking small doses as I can find them.
I wish that I had understood introversion better as a
child. And that more educators were
aware of how to work with kids like me, instead of pushing hard in the opposite
direction. There’s no doubt in my mind
that that world needs introverts just as much as extroverts. American society just seems to place a much
higher premium on the outgoing and gregarious.
As I get older, I do notice that I’m converting into what I’m
dubbing an “adaptive introvert”. There
are certain occasions where I’ve become capable, although not always
comfortable, with exhibiting extroverted tendencies.
There’s one dichotomy of my personality that I find
exceptionally interesting, and have probably mentioned before. When it comes to the every day, I’m risk and
change averse: like cutting my hair differently or going into a group of people
that I don’t know. Then there’s the
other part of me that seeks the foreign and unknown in a major way: moving to
unfamiliar cities alone and not knowing a sole or galavanting off to foreign
countries with only a backpack to keep me company.
As much as I thought that I was in touch with my
introversion and how it played into my life, this book has highlighted
behaviors and trends that I’ve always identified with but never categorized as
side effects of introversion. Usually
when I read, I’m quick to jot down or type up quotes and passages. If I tried to do that with Quiet, I’d just be transcribing nearly
the entire book.
My biggest takeaway, and a new lens through which to
consider feelings of anxiety or discomfort, is the concept of overstimulation. Essentially introverts have less of filter
when it comes to taking things in, whether they be sights, sounds, smells,
feelings, thoughts, etc. So anything
exceptionally busy leads to a quick feeling of overstimulation, followed by
shut down mode.
I’m highly familiar with shut down mode. In fact, my current life pace has me
consciously fighting it every day right now.
Being naturally accustomed to down time, quiet time, solo time – this
frenetic pace and constant interaction are making me head reel. Although I enjoy the activities that I’m
doing and the people who accompany me, I know I’ll reach a point where there is
no other choice besides recuperation.
Until then, I’ll work on taking small doses as I can find them.
I wish that I had understood introversion better as a
child. And that more educators were
aware of how to work with kids like me, instead of pushing hard in the opposite
direction. There’s no doubt in my mind
that that world needs introverts just as much as extroverts. American society just seems to place a much
higher premium on the outgoing and gregarious.
As I get older, I do notice that I’m converting into what I’m
dubbing an “adaptive introvert”. There
are certain occasions where I’ve become capable, although not always
comfortable, with exhibiting extroverted tendencies.
There’s one dichotomy of my personality that I find
exceptionally interesting, and have probably mentioned before. When it comes to the every day, I’m risk and
change averse: like cutting my hair differently or going into a group of people
that I don’t know. Then there’s the
other part of me that seeks the foreign and unknown in a major way: moving to
unfamiliar cities alone and not knowing a sole or galavanting off to foreign
countries with only a backpack to keep me company.
Yeah, so I'm 24 hours late. My brain can barely process the day of the week anyways, so as far as I'm concerned this is a just a late edition of yesterday. We'll make this mostly visual, for my sanity.
What I do want to mention is that I'm starting to feel pretty assured that I had some sort of past incarnation - and I must have been Mexican. That seems to be the most viable explanation for my taste in the music of Selena, the art of Frida Kahlo, the language of Spanish, and thinking "Huh, I guess a zydeco band in the food court isn't such a bad idea".
Well, maybe I'm stretching a little bit. This isn't mean to be a theological discussion forum. Let's just say it's a hyperbolic way of expressing my appreciation for a culture that isn't innately mine. As exhausted as I was, and despite the cold front that had San Antonio visitors coveting my North Face, there were a few hours of schlepping around the River Walk and Market Square before I departed.
The early hour of my adventuring and the sub-prime weather thinned the crowds significantly. Photo opportunities were much easier to come by when the walkways were virtually empty. With that, I turn you over to the visuals.
just around the river walk \10.07\
Full View
Labels:
bridge,
church,
flower,
mercado,
river,
texas,
tile
What I do want to mention is that I'm starting to feel pretty assured that I had some sort of past incarnation - and I must have been Mexican. That seems to be the most viable explanation for my taste in the music of Selena, the art of Frida Kahlo, the language of Spanish, and thinking "Huh, I guess a zydeco band in the food court isn't such a bad idea".
Well, maybe I'm stretching a little bit. This isn't mean to be a theological discussion forum. Let's just say it's a hyperbolic way of expressing my appreciation for a culture that isn't innately mine. As exhausted as I was, and despite the cold front that had San Antonio visitors coveting my North Face, there were a few hours of schlepping around the River Walk and Market Square before I departed.
The early hour of my adventuring and the sub-prime weather thinned the crowds significantly. Photo opportunities were much easier to come by when the walkways were virtually empty. With that, I turn you over to the visuals.
Some things that are constantly reinforced in my life: surprises are lurking everywhere and the past seems incapable of staying history. I'm purposely going to leave this declaration in a relatively enigmatic state. I swear that I make an effort to live a relatively unassuming and non-dramatic life, but it's worth noting that this diminishes none of the aforementioned enigmas.
In other news, my morning commute took an hour today. One culprit was a little friendly morning road work on a main thoroughfare, and confused drivers with limited mental capabilities for understanding the concept of merging.
But in a freakier twist of events, a standing passenger fainted in the bus aisle and we spent fifteen minutes awaiting medical attention. She regained consciousness quickly and, besides being a little disoriented and woozy, seemed like she'd be fine. What struck me about the whole event was how quickly and automatically the passengers immediately surrounding her snapped to action.
One girl noticed the glazed look in her eyes and started to support her before she was even in full faint. Another girl bore the body weight from the other side, while a guy moved her feet from under her to get her into a seated position on the floor. As she started coming to, a guy was already on the phone with 911 and an unopened bottle of water was summoned forth. As the minutes passed waiting for the medics, she was offered a seat, some granola, and a general outpouring of concern.
Although 90% of the passengers quickly removed themselves from the bus as soon as they realized we were stopping, there was a core who was more concerned about the well-being of a human being that getting to work by 9:00. The girl sitting behind me even started her conference call from her cell phone on the bus. And I bet no one on the other end had scathing retorts when she explained why.
I felt reassured about humanity this morning. About my generation. A small group of 20-somethings sprang to immediate action. There was no by-stander effect. And there was genuine compassion. Kudos to all of those class-act individuals. I'm proud to have shared a morning commute with you.
over the river & through the loop \09.25\
Full View
Labels:
bridge,
buildings,
chicago,
downtown
In other news, my morning commute took an hour today. One culprit was a little friendly morning road work on a main thoroughfare, and confused drivers with limited mental capabilities for understanding the concept of merging.
But in a freakier twist of events, a standing passenger fainted in the bus aisle and we spent fifteen minutes awaiting medical attention. She regained consciousness quickly and, besides being a little disoriented and woozy, seemed like she'd be fine. What struck me about the whole event was how quickly and automatically the passengers immediately surrounding her snapped to action.
One girl noticed the glazed look in her eyes and started to support her before she was even in full faint. Another girl bore the body weight from the other side, while a guy moved her feet from under her to get her into a seated position on the floor. As she started coming to, a guy was already on the phone with 911 and an unopened bottle of water was summoned forth. As the minutes passed waiting for the medics, she was offered a seat, some granola, and a general outpouring of concern.
Although 90% of the passengers quickly removed themselves from the bus as soon as they realized we were stopping, there was a core who was more concerned about the well-being of a human being that getting to work by 9:00. The girl sitting behind me even started her conference call from her cell phone on the bus. And I bet no one on the other end had scathing retorts when she explained why.
I felt reassured about humanity this morning. About my generation. A small group of 20-somethings sprang to immediate action. There was no by-stander effect. And there was genuine compassion. Kudos to all of those class-act individuals. I'm proud to have shared a morning commute with you.
Honestly, it's getting more difficult to come up with something to say every day. I didn't realize how much bandwidth my brain had for extra-curricular thinking when it was unemployed. In the past three weeks, my social media access has dwindled and my visits to Pinterest have clocked in at zero. I'm still managing to read books every day, but articles and blogs have fallen by the wayside.
Maybe it's just a readjustment period, since my information intake is so great every day I don't have the capacity to take on outside pondering. So far I haven't even managed to get 50% caught up with my DVR. And it looks like I'll be spending three of the next four weekends traveling, again. How did I possibly develop such a busy life after eight months of going with the flow?
It's funny though, I've been through enough life changes to realize that a few months from now, everything that's pushing and pulling me now will come to feel like routine. Despite how different my new office life is different from my unemployed life, or even my old office life, it'll start to feel like I've never been anywhere else.
bridge to the opera \09.19\
Full View
Labels:
bridge,
chicago,
downtown,
sign
Maybe it's just a readjustment period, since my information intake is so great every day I don't have the capacity to take on outside pondering. So far I haven't even managed to get 50% caught up with my DVR. And it looks like I'll be spending three of the next four weekends traveling, again. How did I possibly develop such a busy life after eight months of going with the flow?
It's funny though, I've been through enough life changes to realize that a few months from now, everything that's pushing and pulling me now will come to feel like routine. Despite how different my new office life is different from my unemployed life, or even my old office life, it'll start to feel like I've never been anywhere else.
It's difficult to believe, as I sit on my own couch for the first time in two weeks, that merely five hours ago I was in New York. As my time wound down, clearly there was no way that I had seen all of the city. So, Sunday was devoted to a single priority, the Brooklyn Bridge. Anything else that I fit in would be bonus...I ended up with a lot of bonuses.
First of all, I started my morning with a battle of the bagels. Yesterday's H&H Bagel versus today's Brooklyn Bagel. H&H hands down, in case you happen to be in NYC bagel hunting. I hopped a C train to Brooklyn, leisurely ate a bagel the size of my head on a quiet park bench (you can find those in Brooklyn, I guess), then strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge.
The city views are great, the structure of the bridge itself is amazing, and starting the walk from Brooklyn was genius. It wasn't until I was nearly into Manhattan again that the glut of tourists was upon me. By then, I was already done and moving on.
Then it was time to do what I do best, wander. This is where the bonuses racked up. I quickly threaded through lower Manhattan, passing the World Trade Center area (obviously packed with tourists) and the financial district (heavily secured, thanks to Occupy). A mile up Broadway brought me to Canal Street/Chinatown and enterprising folks trying to entice you to follow them for a selection of "Prada, Louis, Gucci". Not my scene, moving on.
As it happened, the entirety of Little Italy was a giant street festival. I inched up five blocks, single file, with cannolis, pizzas, and assorted meats staring me in the face. Tempting, but overwhelming. It felt like time for some R&R and people watching. Another mile, through SoHo, brought me to Washington Square.
Somehow I managed to get entrenched in an hour and half conversation with the guy on the bench next to me. It all began when he, a New Yorker, mistakenly assumed me to be a New Yorker as well. Assimilation took less than two weeks. From there, we discussed the obvious: college, sports, jobs, favorite places in the city. And then things got delightfully pretentious, debating the value and classification of modern art. You know the merits of Renoir versus Pollock, how people mistakenly find Degas' ballerinas beautiful, the richness of the colors in a Seurat.
Alas, it was time to return to the Holiday Inn and retrieve my bags. The Windy City was calling. I'm glad to be here, excited to return to life in the Loop tomorrow. My morning crossover from Brooklyn and my afternoon in Washington Square created a perfect end cap to my NYC adventure though. (I swear posts will get shorter again as I return to my standard life.)
brooklyn style \09.16\
Full View
Labels:
architecture,
bridge,
buildings,
graffiti,
nyc
It's difficult to believe, as I sit on my own couch for the first time in two weeks, that merely five hours ago I was in New York. As my time wound down, clearly there was no way that I had seen all of the city. So, Sunday was devoted to a single priority, the Brooklyn Bridge. Anything else that I fit in would be bonus...I ended up with a lot of bonuses.
First of all, I started my morning with a battle of the bagels. Yesterday's H&H Bagel versus today's Brooklyn Bagel. H&H hands down, in case you happen to be in NYC bagel hunting. I hopped a C train to Brooklyn, leisurely ate a bagel the size of my head on a quiet park bench (you can find those in Brooklyn, I guess), then strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge.
The city views are great, the structure of the bridge itself is amazing, and starting the walk from Brooklyn was genius. It wasn't until I was nearly into Manhattan again that the glut of tourists was upon me. By then, I was already done and moving on.Then it was time to do what I do best, wander. This is where the bonuses racked up. I quickly threaded through lower Manhattan, passing the World Trade Center area (obviously packed with tourists) and the financial district (heavily secured, thanks to Occupy). A mile up Broadway brought me to Canal Street/Chinatown and enterprising folks trying to entice you to follow them for a selection of "Prada, Louis, Gucci". Not my scene, moving on.
As it happened, the entirety of Little Italy was a giant street festival. I inched up five blocks, single file, with cannolis, pizzas, and assorted meats staring me in the face. Tempting, but overwhelming. It felt like time for some R&R and people watching. Another mile, through SoHo, brought me to Washington Square.
Alas, it was time to return to the Holiday Inn and retrieve my bags. The Windy City was calling. I'm glad to be here, excited to return to life in the Loop tomorrow. My morning crossover from Brooklyn and my afternoon in Washington Square created a perfect end cap to my NYC adventure though. (I swear posts will get shorter again as I return to my standard life.)