A Typical Day

Art by Susan Swan

Thoughts swirl around my head like fireflies in the fading light of the evening sky. The cursor on my text message blinks, reminding me that I still haven't finished my thought. I glance at the screen and then stare off into nothingness. There is so much to say. Too much to say. Too much that can't be said or shouldn't be said.

I wrote the previous paragraph a number of months ago, but I didn't post it. I feel it still aptly describes my attempt to blog last night. I ended up writing thoughts down and posting them...and then deleting the post almost immediately because I didn't like it. I have found it to be increasingly difficult to post on my blog these days. And then I look back and remember the days when I was blogging almost non-stop. And I wonder: am I in a better place now than I was then? Was the blog simply a tool that I used to help endure the many stresses that comprised the last semester of college? If so, what should I do with my blog now? Now that it is unnecessary. Do I delete everything? Wiping away months of my life. Gone forever. Or do I leave it be, as a testament to challenges overcome? 

~TPP

Moods and More

Happiness is just one piece of French toast away. It's true. French toast, orange juice, and blueberry syrup. It's simple. It's easy. It's not even that unhealthy for you. It turns frowns upside down (I really abhor this cliche) and makes the sunshine superfluous. But is it the tasty toast that tints the world in happiness? Or is it the effort that was put into creating it? Oh, it didn't require that much effort, to be sure. There were no herculean feats performed. An hour of preparing and cooking and then the tasty toast pieces are popped into my mouth and there are smiles all around the apartment. So...do I have a point? Other than to blabber about the delicious delicacy that was breakfast today? Yes.

My point is this: Maybe you can't cook; or write; or dance; or whatever it is that you don't think you can do. Maybe you can. The actual finished product can be more than what it is if you simply put effort into it. Conscious thought. I do like the following idiom: The devil is in the details. It's true. If you put time and effort into the little things, then you will enjoy life more.

Pardon my French...toast.

 Seriously...who doesn't like French toast?? If you don't like it, leave a comment below so that I can never ever talk to you again. (just kidding. I will just be forced to change your mind for you)

~The Piebald Penguin

Memoirs of an Insomniac: 9

I frequently lie awake at night and ponder the concept of sleep. Tonight, I suppose, is no different. I recently spent time in another state, visiting friends and sleeping on a couch. I didn't get a lot of sleep because the friends I was staying with were early risers (7 is early to me haha). I don't have a problem with this. I may not have gotten a lot of sleep (and the little sleep I got wasn't truly deep sleep), but I had a good time and learned a few things about myself. No, it wasn't the lack of sleep I got the last couple of days, it was the coming home and being very tired and then working for several hours and still not being able to sleep. By all accounts, I should be exhausted enough to pass out, but it just doesn't happen. My body seems to fight sleep, as if sleep were an illness. An awful, terrible, no good, very bad disease of the mind. I haven't even had that much caffeine tonight. I still believe that one day...someday...I will learn how to sleep. For now, it's going to be another late night for The Piebald Penguin



Wishing for the Land of Dreams
~TPP

Goraxypox Puts Another Year in the Grave

Today is a big day! It's the celebration of the birth day of Goraxypox. Just think, a mere 24 years ago, he was a mere babe in swaddling clothes. And now he's all grown up and everything (*sniffle*). It brings tears to my eyes...oh wait, no, that's just the trash. Anywho....cheers to him! You should all celebrate with us by having a drink with a friend you've known for really long time. :)

~The Piebald Penguin

Higher and Higher

Today, I went rock climbing for the first time in a long while. Perhaps, to the casual reader, that means very little, but to me, that statement means a lot. What's more, I paid for a 30 day pass to the rock gym, the hope being that that will convince me to go back on a regular basis. There are activities in everyone's life that bring that person back to normal, if you will. Rock climbing is such an activity for me. It helps keep me grounded (pun intended!). Not only is it healthy for the body (I know this because I'm always sore afterwards, and that means it's good for you, right? If it hurts?), it is healthy for the mind too. It gives me something to work towards. Goals and challenges. And it makes me feel good because I am a decent climber, and I know that I can go to the gym and be at least average (even without having been there for so long).

You know, just me having a relaxing day on the wall. No big deal...

Now, why do I bring all this up? Because, as I said, it's been a while since I've been climbing, and I think this has been a mistake. It's good to find something you're good at and then to do that thing. And it's good to find activities that keep you grounded in reality. When life gets complicated, it's nice to know that I have somewhere to go. A healthy outlet for my emotions. Climbing is this for me.

What do you do to feel normal?

~The Piebald Penguin

Memoirs of an Insomniac: 8

What is life save for a mess of experiences and challenges to be overcome? I am fond of saying that we live and learn. Few things are truer than this. As life progresses, we learn who we are and of what we are capable. In all things, we are capable of great hurt to others or great kindness. And these are the lessons that everyone must learn. It is, quite frankly, what the concept of maturity revolves around. Human to human and human to environment, a mature person learns how to interact with his (or her!) surroundings. When not to hold the tongue or turn off the faucet. When a soft word will solve a problem that an angry word would merely inflame.

Maturity and responsibility seem to come later in life to some than to others. Perhaps those people merely experience less in the same amount of time, so it takes them longer to learn their lessons. Or, perhaps some are more sensitive to the lessons that need to be learned. This is, in my opinion, closer to the truth. But who is to say?

Speaking of maturity and responsibility...guess who has to be up in 5 hours for a 10-hour work day?!?? (at this point The Piebald Penguin dissolves into a fit of hysterical laughter and points at himself...)

This is not The Piebald Penguin at work. The Piebald Penguin is waaaayyyy better looking. And he doesn't have the luxury of sitting down at work. Because that's nonsense. Everyone knows that it's healthy to stand on your feet for long periods of time. It builds character. The Piebald Penguin has lots of that already, but the more the merrier, right?

Go to sleep!
~The Piebald Penguin

A Lesson Learned a Little Late in Life

You know those days where you wake up and realize that you should have done things differently the night before? I had one of those mornings today. I learned the hard way that my body does not react well to binge drinking...ok, ok, it reacts incredibly poorly to binge drinking. So, I got to spend the day recovering from that and cleaning up after my night of wildness. I now have a new household cleaning product (for the floors) and clean sheets and a clean toilet. Which aren't bad things by themselves, it just would have been nice if I had had little more forethought last night. But, I suppose the saying goes, "Live and learn." And I am alive, and I learned my lesson.

~The Piebald Penguin