It’s also a great song to listen to after midnight with a stiff drink filled to the brim of a perfect drinking glass. Unusual for a song to work in both circumstances, which makes it even more special. But in terms of running, it’s certainly not a pump you up and go faster when you’re feeling like you just want to fall over to the side and lie on the ground, even though it’s cold, muddy, and hard. The song’s music and lyrics do more to help get your mind to ease up on the thoughts that are making you feel like it really is the worst day since yesterday. It occurs to me that I don’t think through anything on my runs. I certainly don’t figure out any solutions or make any decisions with regard to things that are stressing me out. I just get out there and run, and run, and run, one foot in front of the other. The longer I go, and the faster my pace, the better I feel afterwords. Yes, all the worst day since yesterday thoughts cross my mind. Sometimes these thoughts pound harder than my feet on the cement. I’m thinking about this shit, but not forcing a thought process that pushes my mind to sort out exactly how to handle it all. I think what I am doing is sweating out the stress of the matters at hand. The result is that when the time comes to deal with the various issues that are causing the stress in the first place, my mind is in a place, or at least a better place, to sort it all out. Listening to a song like “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” while I’m trudging through some long and winding uphill path sets just the right tone and helps all of this make perfect sense without having to even think about it.
“The Worst Day Since Yesterday” by Flogging Molly Is A Great Running Song
February 7th, 2010
“The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” Is A Great Running Song
February 7th, 2010I don’t know, maybe it’s because the song just takes me back. But hey, The Goonies, that lovable band of never-give-up underdogs, they didn’t just save the girl… they saved the whole damn town! I say the song by Cyndi Lauper is more than good enough.
Author Resource: Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book
February 7th, 2010The best thing you can do if you are just starting out with a service like Twitter is to sign up and start using it. You’ll be able to figure things out very quickly. It’s so simple, in fact, that you might feel like a how-to guide is unnecessary. That’s how I felt, until I stumbled upon Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book — this is a great compilation of articles that can help you get the most out of Twitter. The articles range from the simple — “What is a #hashtag?”, to more in-depth — “How can I build my personal brand?” Even if you think you get everything there is to know about Twitter, this resource guide is worth a look.
Additions to the Digital Publishing Websites Page (2/6/10)
February 6th, 2010Author Resource: Mashable’s Facebook Guide Book
February 6th, 2010This is a fantastic resource on Facebook — Mashable’s Facebook Guide Book. It’s a great collection of how-to and resource articles that will explain the ins and outs of Facebook. I realize basic use of Facebook is fairly intuitive (hence the hundreds of millions of users), but this online guide provides insight into things like how to run an event on Facebook and the difference between a Fan page and a Group page, information that can be very helpful if you are working to establish and grow your online presence.
Authors on Twitter
February 6th, 2010Here are a few good lists of authors on Twitter:
Literary Tweets: 100+ of the Best Authors on Twitter
Nonfiction Tweets: 70+ Authors to Follow on Twitter
Felicia Day’s Twitter Author List
Some of the authors I follow @52projects:
@kevinsampsell
@larrysmith
@jenniferperkins
@jamiattenberg
@hollylecraw
@sisterdiane
@kwohlrob
@craftychica
@craftivista
Google Reader Tricks and Tips from CraftyPod
February 2nd, 2010Great how-to video on Google Reader tricks and tips by Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod.
Google Reader Tricks for Craft Bloggers from Diane Gilleland on Vimeo.
I Never Say Goodbye to “Goodbye To You” by Scandal
January 31st, 2010I’ve been playing around with my Running playlist, and I never delete this song. I don’t ever get sick of it when it cycles through, even if I’ve gone on an especially long run and it’s the third time I am hearing the song. And this has nothing to do with the fact that the very first concert I ever attended was a Scandal show (at the time, “The Warrior” was the big hit — I think they played that song twice).
“Goodbye To You” by Scandal is just an all around great running song that does exactly what a tried and true running song should do — it makes you want to straighten up your back, kick up your knees, pick up your pace, and most of all, just enjoy the fuck out of a good, long, hard run. Getting to that place is pretty easy at mile 3, but at mile 9, or 12, or 15, it can feel downright impossible.
The lyrics can be taken literally given your quick paced, forward movement — you can see yourself pass by mental images of the things that are dragging you down and bugging the shit out of you. One by one you pick off these annoying elements carrying too much weight in your thoughts, and as you run by them, you can say, or sing, “Goodbye to you.” The combined lack of oxygen, sore muscles and back, and adrenaline rush you are experiencing as you put one step in front of the other leads to some rather ridiculous visualizations.
That cinnamon roll I ate for breakfast yesterday, the one with all that frosting — goodbye to you.
That shithead(s) co-worker at work who doesn’t know jackshit and has no problem wasting all my time — goodbye to you.
Those four slices of pizza I ate for lunch the other day — goodbye to you.
That fucking idiot runner who just spit without looking to see if anyone was coming up behind him and almost hit my leg — goodbye to you.
That minor, insignificant squabble that happened years ago but nonetheless pops into my head every once in a while and sidetracks my whole thought process — goodbye to you.
That project at work that is making me grind my teeth — goodbye to you.
Those five miles I have left to run — goodbye to you (I wish!)
That novel I’m supposedly writing that I haven’t done anything on — goodbye to you.
That rude person that just did that really rude thing and was so rude they thought I was the one being rude — goodbye to you.
That whole facebook thing — goodbye to you.
Those five (or seven?) beers I drank the other night — goodbye to you. (or perhaps, hello to you, after I finish the run).
Project #52
January 30th, 2010Make a list of the projects that you want to do. Write it in your journal, and maybe post the list on your refrigerator as well. Then start doing the projects on your list.
Project #51
January 28th, 2010Ask your Grandparents to tell you some stories. Make sure to document these stories, either in writing, or on a digital audio or video file.
——————-
“I got a call from the school. They said, ‘Come in right away.’ So I left work and headed over there. I was worried that your Dad had gotten hurt.
“But when I got there, your Dad was just sitting on the bench right outside the Principal’s office. He didn’t say a word. He seemed very calm.
“The Principal waved me in and closed the door. He thanked me for coming in on such short notice and then told me that your Dad had threatened him.
“I asked, ‘What happened?’
“The Principal explained that he had caught one of your Dad’s friends misbehaving. ‘I had taken hold of the boy’s arm, to escort him to the office, when your son stepped in front of me and said, “Take your hands off him.”‘
“I just nodded.
“The Principal then said ‘It was quite inappropriate and frightening to be spoken to in that manner.’
“I nodded again, and told him, ‘Okay, I will deal with this.’ I thanked the Principal for his concern, but I didn’t apologize.
“I walked out of the office and your Dad followed me to the car. I didn’t even say anything to him. He wasn’t in trouble with me, see, because I knew your Dad. I knew that was just his way.”
