Where I would like to be this weekend. Cafe Buza. Dubrovnik. They gave me a free beer. At sunset.

(Probably not.)  I’m going to a reunion this weekend and decided not to take the computer with me.  I usually travel with two laptops – one for work and one for personal.  And I’m just not up to doing that this weekend.  So, I’ll be back on Sunday or Monday.

Because I’m perverse, I was very tempted to go to this reunion and talk about how I’m basically homeless and unemployed these days.  There’s a grain of truth in that, but I don’t think it’s the same when you’ve chosen to be that way.

(This is not to make light of those people who really are struggling to stay housed and employed.  It’s just that I have only so much tolerance for conversations that essentially boil down to “Justify why you’re important or special enough for me to bother talking to.”  To which this reply would imply, “I’m not.  Keep walking.”  I don’t tolerate one upmanship well.  I figure anyone who feels the need to engage in it is a very insecure person.  And anyone who thinks people’s only value is how much they make per year or what their title is is missing a very large part of what makes people worth knowing.)

Anyway.  Now that I’ve gotten THAT out of my system.

Since I’ll be gone for a few days I thought I’d leave a few links for all y’all:

First, bottledworder had a great post the other day: Ten Secrets: Writers, Books, Good and Bad

My favorite of the list (although I liked a lot of them):

“A writer has to be a gossip. Absorb other people’s lives, see them up close and personal, and then imagine the rest. Be as curious as possible about others.”

This is probably because I am a bit of a gossip.  But I don’t do it maliciously.  I just find the things people do fascinating and like to talk about them.  So, anyway.  Check out the post and if you haven’t checked out her blog, do so.  She even has a best blog picks tab.

(I might consider something similar except for the fact that people’s favorite posts of mine seem to be the posts where I say I’m not going to post…)  (Just kidding.  Sort of.)

Another blog for you to check out while I’m gone: hikingphoto.com  Patrick Latter has some AMAZING photos up.  It makes me think I need to go spend some more time in Canada.  (The only time I’ve been was for the Olympics.  That was amazing in its own right.  Hockey semi-finals with Canada playing.  Talk about fans.  And cowbells.)

So, check out his photos.  Gorgeous.  I really like the Spray Lakes ones.  (I have a thing for night skies.)  Also, the fifth one down in the Shambhala album with the light coming through the trees.  Breathtaking.  If I had walls to put photos on, I might consider buying a print.

Random conversation that just occurred in my head:

Sometimes it’s crowded in there…(although usually the id is just off sulking in the corner because the superego and ego never let it have any fun.)

Oh, before I forget.  Random sharing.  Two things I’ve done in my life that you really should not do.  (Kids, listen up.)  1.  Do not lick a metal pole in the middle of winter.  Your tongue will stick.  (And if you do happen to lick said pole, do not run your finger down your tongue to remove it from the pole.  It will leave frozen bits of tongue on said pole and hurt like a motha.) 2.  Don’t spit into the wind.  I don’t think I need to say more on that one do I?

Why did I share this?  I drove past a spot yesterday where I tried to spit into the wind while riding a bike many, many years ago.  Didn’t work.  Not a good scene.

And one final thought for the day:

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” – Guillaume Apollinaire

Enjoy your weekend!