Scattered Brainings XVI

* Anyone else have a routine they follow when they first arrive at work? For me, it’s simple: I go through my e-mails, have a mug of tea… and have a look at some comics & memes on my favourite sites. It only takes about 5 minutes, if that, which makes me feel a little less guilty about going onto these sites in the first place. At least I’m a diligent worker for the rest of the day.

* Smudgy might be against healthy snacking. Why else would she steal the apple I wanted to take along to work from the kitchen counter… twice? Oh, wait, that’s right – (a) it was small enough to be considered a toy, and (b) she’s a cat, so she does whatever she wants. Like sleeping on my brand new coat before I even wear it.

* Not having drowned thus far during aqua aerobics feels like a great accomplishment to me. Yeay exercise!

* I know you’re supposed to feel flattered when people think you’re younger than you really are. I’m just wondering at what point in your life this is supposed to be complementary and when the guesstimated difference is a bit too extreme or even astonishing. The women in my aqua aerobics class thought I was only 15 or 16 years old! (I’m told it’s because I’m so small & ‘skinny’.) Now imagine their expressions when they hear that I’m married and how old I actually am. The shock value / surprised faces are really quite amusing.

* The weather is cold, and for the past week I’ve been wearing not-really-heat-inducing jerseys at work with the sleeves rolled up because I feel warm & semi-claustrophobic. I’m too young to be getting hot flashes, right?

* Pink macaroons taste like Bakers Zoo Cookies. If you live in South Africa, go buy one at a Limnos Bakery and tell me I’m wrong. They are awesome!

* We’re watching the second season of GAME OF THRONES at the moment. While interesting, I can’t help but want to groan in joint despair and annoyance when we have to see another person’s naked form and all that hoo-ha. Get on with the story already!

* Also, has anyone else joked that Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly are like Frodo Baggins & Samwise Gamgee in LOTR? Come one: Samwell – Samwise? Both a bit portly, well-meaning, supportive and a true friend? Jon and Frodo each with their own type of burdens to bear and roles to fulfil / adventures to go on? No? Just me, then…

* Is it weird that I find it weird that people don’t think it’s weird to have a whole conversation while in cubicles/stalls at a public/work restroom? Weird.

Book spine poetry: Attempt 1

Something for all book lovers to enjoy and engage with:

I recently discovered the ‘art’ that is book spine poetry. It is described as an “emerging form of expression” that became popular during April, aka National Book Month (not sure if it’s limited to America or not… as if you need an excuse to read books… but at least it encourages both adults & children to delve into the wonderful world of books).

What I like about this is the fact that you don’t have to create something out of nothing. You can look at the titles of books that are available to you, and use them to make something new – the authors of said titles indirectly ‘inspiring’ and aiding you in a journey of self-expression.

I know, I know, how cheesy does that sound?

Since I am an avid reader who still loves physical books (i.e. hardcopies), I find book spine poetry as another way to engage with the beloved books on my pretty-full-already shelves. It makes creation tangible – literally holding and weighing what you are about to make in your own hands. (Yes, again, super cheesy.)

That said, I’ll bite the proverbial bullet and share my first attempt at one of these poems. I took the photo at the beginning of the month already – just shows you how lazy I’ve been with posting things on my blog. (Note: the poem is a bit long. Perhaps I should opt for something shorter next time. Blame it on my enthusiasm for working with books.)

It’s such a pity that most of the books I’ve read over the last two years have been e-books – it would have been nice to have them on my actual shelves for later use. At least they’d help diversify things and add more flavour against all my prescribed books from when I was at university.

It’s not the best photo ever, so I’ll type out the actual ‘poem’ underneath it for easy reading. Next time, I think I’ll try using only Stephen King titles. Now that will be fun!

Diary of a bad year

 

Bleak house

Catching fire

Just after sunset

 

The whole truth

and the chamber of secrets

Twisted echoes

Persuasion

 

The husband

The lover

Out the door

 

Disgrace

Misery

Our tragic universe

 

Things fall apart

Under the dome

Happy (or should that be lucky?) Friday the 13th!

Morning, readers

And happy Friday the 13th! *cue eerie music*

But don’t worry, there’s no reason to hide under the covers and lay trembling in fear until the Day of Bad Luck is finally over.

It’s not like a psychotic serial killer is going to spontaneously appear out of nowhere at the exact location you find yourself and start picking you & those around you off one-by-one until someone miraculously comes up with a ‘plan’ to save the day… with said person  being the sole survivor… and all of this only happening at night (I’d argue that the last man standing was the killer to begin with, but oh well…) See – nothing to worry about! *shifts uncomfortably in seat*

Have you ever taken the time to think about how utterly silly superstitions are?

Many superstitions we hear or read about today are rooted in mythology or came into existence because something bad happened to someone and they needed to find an explanation/scape-goat/excuse for it – no matter how ridiculous it might sound. The word ‘superstition’ means stand(ing) over, perhaps in awe of or as the survivor/witness of something. It is “a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary” (not everyone who comes across a black cat, cuts their nails/hair, walks under a ladder, etc.  on Friday the 13th has bad luck…and what is luck anyway but another sort of superstition?); “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.”

So sure, let’s all blame our problems on Friday the 13th. Anything unfortunate that happens to you before then can be explained as a build-up to the actual day… and then, depending on the amount of misfortune, you could argue that you had suffered enough and that’s why you were ‘spared’ any misfortune on the day itself *roll eyes*

Anyone else hearing how ridiculous this sounds?

 

 

Okay, another example: If there are thirteen letters in your name, you will have ‘the devil’s luck’. Really? Isn’t this just people/society trying to find a reason why some people do terrible things? Like Jack the Ripper (not even a real name), Charles Manson & Theodore Bundy? [Notice how all of them are men? And even if the same applies to women, would that be with their maiden name or does your married name, i.e. surname change, count?] Why can’t people accept that there are truly horrible people in the world who make their own sick decisions and that they cannot blame an invisible force (like the devil, who not everyone believes in) so that they at least feel better about mankind?

Anyway, let’s not get into the whole ‘God needs the Devil to prove that he is good’ PARADISE LOST discussion. The fact of the matter is, anything can be bad if you make a point of believing that it really is. Watch THE NUMBER 23. Or start believing that not colour-coordinating your wardrobe and organizing your drawers will lead to unspeakable things *cue eerie music again*

Enough rambling for one morning. Let’s all go hug a black cat, not care about stepping on cracks in the sidewalk, and only feel anxious about the long, nearly impossible to pronounce names for the fear of Friday the 13th: friggatriskaidekaphobia and paraskevidekatriaphobia.

And if you stillwant to go ahead and feel superstitious, I can only quote THE HUNGER GAMES and say: “May the odds be ever in your favour.”