I admit to taking two baths in one day yesterday. As someone who loves bathing, I would say that two baths in one day is a guilty pleasure, something not to be taken for granted.
The reason for the second bath is that earlier in the day I had to pick up Teddy, who is technically a mini-poodle but he’s really a “royale” which is a size up. And I held him because the carpets in the hallway were getting steam cleaned and I didn’t want the chemicals to enter into his system through his paws. And we waited for the elevator for a little bit and then I put him down.
Later on in the day, while shopping for a cedar tree to put on my balcony, I started to feel a bit sore. But that would be nothing compared to purchasing the tree and realizing that it was really damn heavy. Yet stubbornness got the best of me on this round, and I proceeded to wrestle the tree up to my unit.
I can now empathize with all the people who buy Christmas trees and the agony they go through every year.
It was apparent in that moment of soreness in my back, I would need a second bath on this day. And in this second bath, all the ideas that I want to share with you today came flowing out of me.
So while I do feel guilty about using up more hydro resources than usual, I can say it was well worth it in the end. I recommend if you’re ever having a rough day, try a second bath on for size and see how you do. And if you do take that second bath, let me know how it goes.
Taking the Jacket Off
Last week I was riding my bike home with my jacket on. I was close to home but I was really uncomfortable with the warmer weather. I knew I could power through for the next ten minutes but I decided to pull over and put the jacket away. In that moment I told myself that I want to enjoy the rest of this ride, no matter how short it may be.
And then it dawned on me, that it might be a good idea to say that I would like to enjoy the rest of my life, no matter how long I have left in my visit here.
It doesn’t matter what’s happened up until now. The moment you’re willing to put the jacket that represents all your baggage away, is the moment you will not only wake up but also grow up.
To grow up means that you stop spreading your garbage around. I’m not going to tell you I’m there yet because it’s a lifelong project. But at some point, you have to come to terms with your patterns and your immaturities. They’re not your fault and none of it is personal. However, you have to take that jacket off if you want to enjoy the rest of your life.
What a bike ride home!
The Commentator
There was another disappointing end to the hockey season in Toronto. I wish I could say that with a serious face as someone who cares little for sports, however I did get into these playoffs and I watched every game until the heartbreaking end in overtime on Friday night.
Watching sports always reminds me of The Commentator. That’s the play-by-play voice that never shuts up, always going on inside your head. All god damned day long.
One morning this week I woke up and I asked what my day would be like if I didn’t have a non-stop opinion about it and everyone in my life? And for maybe a few minutes I was able to fire the commentator, but sure enough the television crew came back.
And that’s ok. The commentator is here to keep us safe. They want us to evaluate the situation as best as we can. But we don’t need the running commentary.
If I watched the hockey game in the arena I would not hear the commentary. I might miss some of the information like who has the puck and what they’re good at doing, but I will probably enjoy the game a lot more being there in person.
Try to not live your life through a tv set with a commentator talking at you all day. I know it’s hard, but try.
Music Recommendation: Jonny Nash
Jonny Nash’s music comes up a lot in my playlists. He’s had quite a prolific career so far with a variety of collaborations, most often with another man who goes by the stage name “Suzanne Kraft”.
This album Postcards from Nowhere with Gigi Masin felt right to me this week. Beautiful stuff.
Listen on YouTube.
This Week’s Bagel: Turkey on Poppyseed
I’m a little ashamed of this week’s bagel. It made me feel guilty about my Jewish background eating deli foods. Let’s go over what’s on it and then I’ll explain:
Poppyseed bagel
Turkey Slices (2)
Lettuce
Sprouts
One slice of tomato
Mayo
Spicy Mayo
Salt and Pepper
Cost: $8.25 CAD // $6 USD
I felt guilty about this because the person who constructed the bagel for me made a mess of it. There was mayo everywhere. It became a metaphor for the fast food industry and by extension my life in general. Let’s slap some animals in between bread, and off you go. Eat up quick! You’ve got work to do!
Now realistically the only thing wrong with that bagel is it needed onions on it but I didn’t want to spend my Saturday frantically drinking water to work the onions out. Once in a while there’s nothing wrong with a good deli sandwich, and surely there’s nothing wrong with a bagel with cream cheese every weekend. But I do want to explore some better plant-based options in future editions.
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Ok thanks for reading.
Enjoy the week ahead!
Elliott
Taking off the jacket was such a nice metaphor, and thanks a lot for sharing Gigi Masin, one of my favorite pieces is this one:
https://gigimasincharleshayward.bandcamp.com/track/clouds
Have you tried cold baths? Especially nice after a training (perhaps after bike riding too), they truly are dopamine boosting, I almost love the feeling of the adrenaline rush from the cold that I was hating so much when I tried them for the first time :)
This was a lovely piece of writing. Thank you for sharing my good man. Hope you are keeping well!