April 3, 2008

Three things that went well today, and why they went well.

1. I went to a workshop at the UW career center as a positive step toward finding a job when I graduate, and it was  … fun. Well, not fun, but enjoyable, and I got some great positive feedback and Chris the counsellor was a hopemonger there.  That went well because I decided to do it even though I was scared.

2. I stopped and smelled the blossoms on one of the cherry trees in the quad today, and it blew me away with it’s powerful yet delicate sweetness.  I’m getting little shivers of joy remembering it.  That went well because I slowed down and actually stopped for the 10 seconds it took to do that.

3. I had a really great conversation with Megsie just now kind of involving trust.  That went well because I stopped and listened and interacted with her on purpose. (Megsie is yotta-awesome.) (Megsie is going to be a world-famous and rich author someday.)

Thursday Evening

1) My tire burst while i had a client in the car and i didn’t panic.  i just got out and ‘phoned a taxi for her.

2) i helped a seven month old baby do his physiotherapy exercises.  i was very patient and happy.

3)  jeez this can be difficult…

February 8. Benjamin =)

  1.  I danced with Coco.  She came running out when some music started in the movie they were watching and shouted “DANCE with me, daddy!!!”.  And I didn’t resist.  I gave in, and jumped up, and went in and danced and danced with her.  It was awesome.

2. I got into the Obama rally with 20,000 other people–the venue got totally full, and thousands got turned away.  I skipped a class, and had my bike, and got there early enough to get in.  Yippee!

3. Tomorrow we are all going away for an overniter to a resort for free.  Yippee.  Because I got a free nite there, somehow (3 guesses).  And I followed up and organized it.

First on a Wednesday.

1.  I bought a new toothbrush.  Because I am very good at attending to my dental hygeine.

2.  Meg was happy to get out of the car at school this morning.  Because I have been very patient with her, and thoroughly honest; she now knows what is going on ahead of time and feels in control enough to get involved.  I think (it’s impossible to know exactly what is going on inside her head).

3.  I paid my car rego.  Because I have a job and an income and can afford even rather expensive things.

– Seren

p.s. I am Benjamin’s sister-in-law in Australia

40 days since last post!

 So for today and yesterday.  Three things that went well and why they went well.

1. I got to go to the planetarium with E and her kindergarten class. That went well because I have classes in that building, and I came out of my 8:30 class and E’s teacher saw me and said “Benjamin” and I said “what are you doing here” and she said “We’re all going to the planetarium”, which I didn’t even know was *in* that building. So I decided to skip my next class and go to the planetarium with E, ’cause that’s more fun and more important than going to my next class.  And you know what’s wierd?  In the planetarium, you don’t get the moon illusion.  On the horizon, the moon just looks like this tiny little thing (which it actually is).  But it *looks* awfully wrong, even though it’s empirically correct.  If *I* owned the planetarium, I’d program the moon illusion in somehow =)

2. I went into a mosque in America for the first time ever. I was very culturally savvy and took off my shoes. =). I wanted to ask about Arabic classes.  And there was a gentleman there who told me that they have such classes the first saturday of every month, which as it happens was tomorrow!  So now today (which is of course the tomorrow to which I referred), I can go to the class.  Yippee.  My first ever Arabic class.  Yotta stoked.  That went well because I took a different bus home than usual, and thus had to ride past the mosque on my bike, and rememberd I’d been meaning to check, so I went in and checked.

3. This morning we sat around and Coco opened her fourth birthday presents, and we looked at pictures of her birth 4 years ago.  I felt so … delighted, again, at her birth and her existence.  That went well because we got married, and conceived, and gave birth, and keep plugging away at the parenting thing, and she is relatively and reasonably well protected and loved and we are all together.  Yay!

december 23, Benjamin

1. We went and hung out with my parents and sibling and sibling in law today, and I didn’t say a single rude, shocking, unkind word to anyone the whole time.  That went well because I am maturing.

2.  I got the heater working in our minivan today, which hasn’t worked since we owned it, and burrrrr it’s been cold to drive in, plus in the rain you constantly had to wipe off the inside of the windshield of the fog.  That went well because I finally got over my mental block and just fixed it.  And cause my dad provided brilliant expert advice when it was needed.

3. Today when I was at the auto parts store getting stuff for the minivan, a guy was buying a battery and asked the counter person if anyone could install it.  And he said “no”.  So I said “Would you let me help you?”  And he said “Sure”. So I grabbed a deep well 10 mil. socket and a wratchet and in 3 minutes I had his new battery installed.  And he handed me $20 cash and said thank you.  And I didn’t refuse it.  So that paid for the bits I needed for the minivan heater fix.  That went well because I had the tools, and wanted to help, and I’m good at that sort of thing, and I’ve gotten over the “don’t let people pay you for your help” thing I grew up with.

Rachel & Victor’s 1st Wedding Anniversary

1. My wonderful, delightful family – Bens, Eowyn & Cosette

2. Our Christmas tree, our Christmas tree whose branches green delight me!

3. Laughter – silliness, kooky dancing to Christmas carols with bells on our fingers, and Bens’ hearty guffaw!

December 9, 2007

  1. We got a Christmas tree (we spent over a month’s salary of any of the poorest billion people for it) (wait, I’m not supposed to mention that here).  It’s happily decorated in the corner of our living room.  The girlikins picked it.  It’s a grand fir.  Megans asked me to be engaged and pleasant even thought I find christmas so offputting, and I tried to, and she said just now I had done well.  That went well because I tried.

2. I went and picked up 25 40-pound bags of pellets, and Megsie and I carried them from the van out front to the shed out back.  We carried them one at a time, one each, so together we made 12 trips.  And we talked, and laughed, and felt like we were accomplishing something together. That went well because we rock, and we work on our relationship to keep it growing and well.

3. Coco came over to my easy chair while I was typing just now and she very confidently climbed into my lap as if in all the world that was her very own place.  That went well because Coco rocks, and she still likes me.

November 20 Benjamin

1. I made it in time to pick up C from M this morning before l’il peppers.  That went well because I rode like a crazy man on my bicycle to make it on time.

2. I had a lovely dinner with megsie and the girls tonite.  that went well because I showed up.

3. I had two great conversations on the bus today, which is pretty rare.  That went well because I’m a lot less afraid than I used to be.

Benjamin Ady November 19 (well, actually wee hours of 20)

1. Today I got to hear a brilliant lecture on Acceptance and Commitment therapy.  If I hadn’t decided not to pursue the psychology thing, I would want to be an acceptance and commitment therapist now.  We did a brilliant exercise.  Maybe I’ll post it for you sometime. It almost made me cry.  The lecturer kept saying all the things I think. I love that.  That went well because I went to class today. And because I’m sticking with it re: school.

2. Today I had a really lovely talk with Megan re: our future.  It was fairly stress free, which is unusual re: that subject.  That went well because of number 1 (above) partially, and also because Megan is for some reason being tres kind to me lately (I mean even kinder than usual)

3. Our super brilliant, engaging, listening, kind, understanding amazing friendikin, Lisa, came over today with her three super kewl, obedient kidicans today and hung out for a couple hours.  That rocked.  That went well becuase she’s either a lot kinder than most people (which is probably true) or (or perhaps *and*) because she acutally likes us and wants to hang around with us.  so there.