Do you follow my Twitter feed? (my latest tweets are always up there ^^^ ). I say all this really witty stuff. Well that and I regurgitate the things I love that come across from those I follow. So usually I leave my blog for talky crap about my life, and my Tweets for … tweety stuff. But today there was an abundance of awesomeness and I need to share. Like:
1. Bill Withers, live, performing “Ain’t No Sunshine”:
This song is simply wonderful, and seeing a live performance (and that band! That drummer!) well… Jeebus. Awesome. I watched it twice and what do you know, the second time it came up awesome again. Apparently we have a documentary currently playing on this amazing songwriter and performer. And I’m going to see this film, absolutement, yes, even if that means having to hear “Lean on Me” for the one millionth time.
2. Growing up, my family loved watching movies together – hailing from back when we’d get a few VHS tapes once a week and rent a massive, heavy VCR in a handled molded plastic case to play them on our dinky television. And we loved playing “that guy”. Like we saw John McGinley in about a dozen movies as a bad guy or weaselly henchman (this is before he made mainstream fame in the television program “Scrubs”) but we didn’t know his name so we called him “Butthole Face” (or okay, my mom and brother did, because of his thin lips I think). Anyway, I was surprised at some of the faces in this linked article, but reading the criteria made so much sense. And I’ve always had an affinity for “that guy” (or gal) – the actor who may not get the awards or gripping character writing but gets the work.
3. Today Kate Harding published a great article addressing our First Lady in response to the latter’s childhood obesity campaign. Most things Kate writes are pretty great, and on-point, and smart, and compassionate, and kick-ass, and relevant. Her writings are kind of like bacon – no wait, gilded bacon! – but instead of eating it you’re reading it and realizing she’s awesome and you wish you were that smart about stuff that matters but you’re glad someone is.
And in the non-internet and kind-of-awesome-but-sob! vein: today I got a card from the veterinarian who saw us through Blackie’s last bit of life on this planet. On the front of the card, pawprints and everything, and: “Your life was a blessing, your memory a gift of joy… you are loved beyond words and missed behond measure. Our Sympathy.” On the inside:
To The Hogaboom Family,
I just wanted to take a minute to say I am very sorry for your loss of Blackie. With a diagnosis of lung cancer we can know that there was not more we could have done, and that her suffering is over. One of the hardest choices we have to make in our pet’s life comes at the end, and it never seems easy to know when it’s okay to say good-bye. I know that you made the right choice for Blackie. Best Regards, E.
Yeah. So… there’s that. One awesome vet, let me tell you. And vets are just about the kindest people on earth, because they send you a card, and they are there with you at the end. Life should be like this.
Oh, and tomorrow’s my birfday. 33. I’m loving this number.
I love Bill Withers. I used to listen to him while I was going to sleep at night.
And happy birthday! Whee! 33 was the year I got sober, so I consider it the best year of any woman’s life.
Happy Birthday!! Thirty three is great.
Thanks for the Kate Harding article link. I read about Michele Obama’s idea yesterday in the NY Times, and it bugged me, but I didn’t actually take the time to think about it much at that point other than it seemed kind of mean and creepy (plus I was thinking in terms of kids, so that meant my kid, and my kid is so “underweight” and always has been that my main thought about our personal experience was more one of relief that it won’t be directed at us, and a sinking kind of horror that my friend A’s daughter and son will probably be flagged and she will feel angry and awful, and both of her kids are healthy and happy and active and it sucks that she’ll have that extra needless stress when so far she’s been told she’s a “good mother” because her kids are so big and healthy. And the whole thing is crazy because one doc (not our regular) made me meet with a nutritionist (really, just called her into the room right then) to discuss what Boots eats or should eat because he is “underweight” nevermind that his dad is tall and thin, they have the same exact body right now, and that I used to be really skinny in an unhealthy way (by my standards – not healthy, not happy, felt like shit all the time). I don’t know why the government can put pressure on us to make our bodies conform to their desires, and it creeps me out. Healthy, whatever that means, is one thing, a good goal, but a certain weight for the sake of being a certain weight is crazy. There is a woman I know who was born with very small arms and a friend mentioned that she was a little jealous of the woman because the woman must weigh less, due to the smaller arms. It’s insanity.)
Happy birthday again! Do you want a hat for your birthday? If so, email me.