MsTiara’s Thoughts

Sleepy Time, the Art of Bonsai, and why do I work again?

Just finished lunch and am now sitting at my desk trying to get excited by budgets. There is something about the End of the Month that can drive one crazy. Right now would be a really good time to grab a cat (dragon) and take a nap. But, instead I will finish writing this blog and then get back into figuring out how people can spend so much money.

I just picked up my bonsai tree from the person who was tree sitting while I was home and I am looking at all of its angles and seeing if it needs any more trimming (I did a groom job before I left.) When I picked up my tree, the plant sitter mentioned that when she is home and gardening that she just takes the shears and clips, clips and the trees would be bald if her husband didn’t stop her. So, at that point the zen portion of my mind started to think, before I started working and grooming a tree (3 years old now) I would do the same thing. Has Bonsai helped me in PMing or am I still as abrupt as I was before?

The final thoughts in my head comes from this weeks white board saying (yep, I have a white board that I put quotes or questions on each week). What job would you say, “You can never pay me enough to do that job?”

Back to work

Alice in Wonderland

Would you believe that I have never read Alice in Wonderland? Okay, I have seen the cartoon and the 50 million different versions of what people think it is all about, but I have never actually read the book. (excuse in coming: I have a problem you see, when something is popular or overdone or over romanticized or just over… Well, I have no interest in it. I detest being one of many. But, that is another blog – written and re-written in every shape and size)

So, I am sitting in the restaurant this evening trying Bourbon for the first time (I have to admit, I am not a fan of it, but it was worth a try) reading Alice or should I say reading the 30 page introduction of what the editor think Alice is all about and I start to think to myself “self, do writers really think about all the psycho babble when they are writing or do they just write for the pure fun of it?” But, that in itself would be another blog entirely (and one I actually haven’t written on to date.)

Other side notes of the absolute absurdity of life, growing up and aging was I was witness to two events this afternoon on the sadness of humanity and loneliness and it started me to thinking that at 38 and no one in my life is that what I shall become. See, one elderly woman was in the BN store this afternoon and just sitting in a chair watching the world go by. She seemed lonely and sad and empty. The next thing I knew she was taking a tumble down the escalator. The only thing she seemed to want was all the attention she was getting from the staff. Free coffee, free books that she was holding in her hand, someone to sit with her for an hour and talk. (no, she was not hurt in her tumble.) The second thing I saw was an elderly couple in their 70’s. The man was reading the paper at the dinner table and the woman was talking to anyone who would listen and if they didn’t she complained about her dinner. Once again, not to get a free dinner but just so she would get the attention. I think I would rather just be the mouse in the corner lost in my book (or should I say down the rabbit hole) than be one of them.

Pleasure is wild and sweet. She likes purple flowers. She loves the sun and the wind and the night sky. She carries a silver bowl full of liquid moonlight. She has a cat named Midnight with stars on his paws

Many people mistrust Pleasure, and even more misunderstand her. For a long time I could hardly stand to be in the same room with her. I went to sleep early to avoid her. I thought she was a gossip and a flirt and she drank too much. In school we learned that she was dangerous, and I was sure that she would distract me from my work. I didn’t realize she could nurture me.

As I have changed. Pleasure has changed. I have learned to value her friendship.

So here I am in Mexico City and if you want to talk about what a strange world I live in, this is the blog that kind of explains it all.

First, there were 3 bombings in Mexico City in the last week. Note, none of these bombings made the world news so I had NO clue what I was walking into. I arrive at the hotel Thursday night and there is a metal detector to get into the hotel. But, they pick up my luggage and computer case and just take it to the other side. I feel ever so much more secure, especially with all of the guys surrounding the hotel with shotguns and other paraphernalia of extinction.

Then the real job got involved… Sigh, why is it that everyone wants something when I am at a race? Phone calls, presentations and dealing with people over the phone for a complex project is just not what I would call fun. The “sorry, I have a session starting and it comes first.” Also has a bit of an issue on the other side of the phone.

Now, racing was okay and somewhat normal if you consider working in Race Control normal.

Then, the day got weird, I get an email from one of my best friend’s ex. They want for us to get to know each other and become friends. Huh? What? Why? Why do we need to understand each other? I am completely lost. But, instead of fulfilling my curiosity I acted with compassion and explained that I am friends with the person and that is where my loyalty lies. This one is strange because you wonder why they want to know you, what was said about you and why in the world would you want to know them. Whatever.

Then it got even stranger on the ride home from the track to the hotel. Wow, now that was a bit bizarre. I have seen the chop shop section of town, gone by the US embassy and Mexico Government building surrounded by riot police shoulder to shoulder, then a large (very large demonstration) against the government where our van with us US contingency drove right through, men with machine guns on one side and people chanting on the other side.

But, I managed to survive the day and here I am back at the track ready to see what this one brings.