Tag: dailyprompt

Growth

Daily writing prompt
Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.
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You want one? How about I give you two? Maybe even two and a half? I’m crazy like that. Also, the stuff that I give you today also happen to be things that I’ve written about in daily prompts very recently so… yeah. Repetition is good for growth and shit. I don’t know, whatever.

First, we travel back in time to the 20th century. The early 1990’s saw a certain tall red head dropping out of college. A dumb ass move, for sure, but at the time it was the only move that made sense to me. A job followed, then a year in a tech school, followed by a failure to get a job in that field, followed by a crap job in a warehouse. That’s when we get to the point of the decision that helped me learn and grow. I was making like $8.00/hour working in a retail chain’s warehouse as the guy in charge of customer returns and I just got fed up and decided to give college another try. This time I wouldn’t be a music major, this time I would take classes that might actually lead to a job someday. Going back to school was the big decision, but a secondary decision was to rig my classes so that I started from as close to the lowest level math subject that my new school would allow me to take. My primary hang up the first time through college was my shitty math skills, and the second time around I was going to major in a study that leaned heavily on math. I put myself into the lowest level course I could and basically started from scratch. It totally paid off. By the time I was through the mathematical pipeline I was acing high level courses and it felt great.

The second growth worthy decision happened on May 20, 2008. Jen and I were in the little postage stamp sized back yard at the duplex we were renting, cooking dinner on our gas grill. I reached a point where I just couldn’t stand waiting anymore and I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes. Best. Decision. Ever. That lead to me learning how to be a husband, learning how to be a better human, learning how to be an adult, learning how to be a step father, learning how to be really happy, and basically learning how to be me at my best. Like I said, best decision ever.

The extra bonus decision is the choice to pursue weight loss surgery. I don’t know how much actual learning and growing have come from it. That’s probably a question for future Rob to ponder. It’s been two years (almost) but I will need more time to pass before I can pin down exactly what the differences are, apart from the number on the scale of course. That and the sizes on my clothes.

So there you go, folks. Two plus answers to the question of the day. No surprises here. Hope you all have a good Wednesday, unless you are reading this at some point in the future, in which case here’s hoping you’re having a good whatever weekday it happens to be on your timeline. Good day.

Keep Out

Daily writing prompt
What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?
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Is there a place in the world that I don’t want to visit? I guess so, but even those places I would give a try if the opportunity arose.

For example: I don’t like cold weather. Therefore my desire to visit the Arctic or the Antarctic is exceptionally low. Low enough to effectively be zero. However, if someone said to me, I need you to go to the North Pole and do something interesting… I’d go. Yeah, I would go. Same with the top of Mt Everest. I don’t want to go, but if the opportunity came up I would.

Where are some others… the rural American south? Yeah. No thanks. Big cities in the south.. yeah, let’s go. Outside of the big cities? Naw, I’ll pass.

Most of the mid-western US? I’ll pass. They don’t call ’em fly over states for nothing. I guess my attraction to big cities would bring me to agree to go to any big city on Earth. Name a big city on any continent and I’ll give it a try. Name a jungle with no civilization where there’s a good chance some big animal will eat me? Yeah, let’s give that one a miss.

So that sums it up, I guess. There are places I would choose to avoid, but if someone made an offer to bring me to one of those places? I’d probably go. I guess from a travelin’ perspective (how’s that for a future album title?) I am pretty easy to please. I’ll go pretty much anywhere.

Positive Stuff

Daily writing prompt
Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.
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I have a ton of meetings today so writing time is going to be hard to come by. In that case, this one is going to be short and sweet and probably sillier than it should be.

Want to hear something positive that a family member has done for me recently? As in over the last two days?

I mention gastric bypass surgery on this blog all the time, and how one of the restrictions is never having sugar again. If I eat more than a little sugar I’ll get sick for hours and I would like to avoid that forever if I can. I am therefore a sugar free red head for life.

On Saturday, my beloved bride Jen did something nice for me straight out of the blue. Is it nice or positive? You can be the judge, but for me it was both. Super nice, and super positive. Positivity to the maximum.

She baked me a sugar free cake. A sugar free chocolate cake with sugar free white frosting, to be precise. How sweet is that (pun intended, even if it is artificial)? She baked it Saturday night, frosted it Sunday morning, and then I had a small piece on Sunday evening when I got home from band practice. It was delicious. It was the sweetest thing (again, pun artificially intended). Like I said, positivity to the utmost extent.

Thank you, sweetie. Thank you so much. I love you.

Here is another quick example of positivity. First, when Jen and I started dating in 2007 her two kids, six year old Bellana and four year old Harry, accepted me. That might be the best example of positivity that has ever happened. Furthermore, when Jen and I got married in 2009 they accepted me into their family officially. Again, can you think of anything more positive than that? I love them both so much, and I am eternally grateful for their kindness across all of the days I have been a part of their lives, but especially for those two moments of exceptional positivity. Thank you both. I love you.

One more. In honor of my father’s birthday, here’s one from my parents. They worked together to conceive me, birth me (yes, my mother did all of the work in that regard), and raise me to be someone who isn’t a total asshole… though I guess the jury is still out on that one. Thanks, mom and dad. I love you both.

Okay, that was a little longer than I thought it would be. Back to work, meetings boy!

The Border Cafe

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite restaurant?
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My favorite restaurant doesn’t exist anymore. The franchise does but my favorite location does not. It was The Border Cafe in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. I am not sure if I remember the timeline right or not. They had a fire in the kitchen and had to close down. Then during the pandemic (I think) they gave up the effort and shut down for good. There is still a branch in Burlington, MA which was the one I had been going to almost exclusively for years even though I preferred Cambridge, and I think there is still one in Saugus, MA too. There were a couple in New Jersey somewhere with the same menu and decor but a different name.

We started going back when I was in my early 20’s. Harvard Square is generally THE place to be, and The Border Cafe had the best food and the best vibe. Their buffalo chicken sauce is to die for, really. Unfortunately, Cambridge is kind of a pain to drive to if you don’t live in metro Boston, so when the Burlington branch opened (much, much closer to home and really easy to get to) we sort of planted our flag there. It was never as good, but it was definitely good enough.

When Jen and I started dating we took the kids there. Neither of them liked it, and little four year old Harry actually felt sick afterwards. Jen and I still went pretty often but never with the kids. Also, we haven’t been there since the Pandemic. Four years. Now, having written this, I am kinda jonesing for their boneless buffalo chicken.

10 Years from Now

Daily writing prompt
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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I don’t like playing this sort of thought game. I never know what to say. I don’t do the whole seeing the future thing. My answer is always pretty much the same. Things are good today. If things were the same, more or less, 10 years from now then that would be pretty sweet.

It would be nice if the kids lived closer to us. It would be nice if I were a step or two higher up the company management chain. It would be nice if Jen and I could travel more. It would be nice if Jen and I had more time to spend together. It would be nice if I had more time (and energy) for music. I’ll be approaching retirement age, but I won’t be anywhere near being able to retire. It would be nice if that were starting to change.

Those are real life thoughts. The fun thoughts are the fantasy thoughts. Where do I see myself in 10 years? Living in a huge house with my wife, spending our way through a billion dollars worth of lottery winnings. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan for the future, right?

Make Your Happy, Happy

Daily writing prompt
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
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Five things… I can do that. In fact, I will give you six because one of the things I want to include is no longer what you’d call an everyday thing. So five things and a bonus… and “everyday things” might be a bit of a gigantic understatement in one case, but I am including it anyway.

  1. Jen. When I say that the word, “everyday” might be an understatement, this is what I am referring to. Jen is not an “everyday thing”. Jen is more like a miracle that I get to experience every day. See the difference? I hope so, because it is massive. Jen makes my world go around. Jen is my universe. Jen is the love of my life. Basically Jen is the source of everything that matters. Happiness? You bet your ass she brings me happiness. She brings me all the happiness.
  2. Bellana and Harry. They don’t live with us anymore. I don’t hear from them everyday. Therefore we have to consider this one sort of a bonus entry on the list. They are my step kids and they bring me happiness everyday, I just don’t see them everyday. See the difference? I can’t write a list of things that make me happy without including them though, so while they are number two on the list, they are sort of a bonus. I love them completely and just knowing they are out there in the wilds of Vermont fills me to the bursting point with happiness.
  3. Music. Now we’re getting to actual everyday things. I listen to at least a little bit of music every day. Even if it’s just a song here and there, or maybe something that comes up on my YouTube suggestions and I give a quick listen to. It doesn’t have to be hours at a time listening to album after album or whatever, though I suspect we’ll get some of that today at work. Playing music, listening to music, writing music, recording music, talking about music, thinking about music… all of it.
  4. A good story. It could be a book, or a TV show, or a movie, or a website, or a news article, or a chat with a friend or family member. I just enjoy a good story.
  5. Going for a drive. I don’t do this one every day, and sometimes (like today in the pouring deluge of rain) it’s less enjoyable than others, but I do love going for a nice drive. The enjoyment level is often tied to the destination, but any drive is a good drive.
  6. Cats! Robin, Lily, the late great Miss Patches, the late great Fluffy Puffy P, the late great Floyd, Buddy, all of my friends cats, all of my family’s cats. Cats make me happy. You might be able to tell from all the cat pictures I post around here. I do enjoy a good cat.

And there you have it, folks. Five plus one things that make me happy. Hopefully you will have a few things make you happy today too. It is Friday, after all. Enjoy yourselves.

High School

Daily writing prompt
Describe something you learned in high school.
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I learned a lot in high school… I think. I learned the basics of programming, which was really helpful given my profession as a programmer. That is probably the one thing I should take away from September 1985 through June 1989. It is not what I’m going with though.

I could write a book about what I didn’t learn in high school. Most notably, my math skills were garbage. How did I get good grades in Algebra II and Trigonometry if I didn’t learn anything at all? Who knows. I didn’t learn squat in two years of Spanish. By the end of Spanish II my grades were reflecting that, but I’ve never needed to use what I didn’t get. The math skills… I really could have used some of that in college.

During my high school years, music was the most important thing in the universe to me. When I graduated I went to college as a music major. That’s why when I think of the most important thing I learned in high school, it is music that I think of first. One thing in particular. Mr O’Toole, the band teacher my Sophomore and Junior years, during one jazz band rehearsal, taught us the basic idea behind improvisation. He gave us the guts, the thought process, the bare minimum of a plan toward a technique. For me, that was beyond profound. A door unlocked in my tiny little brain. A door swung open and it has never closed. I still use the things I learned that day literally every time I pick up my guitar. Every single time.

How does that work for you? Is that a good answer?

Positive Changes

Daily writing prompt
Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
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This is easy. The single most positive change I have made in my life was agreeing to meet Jen in person, back in April 2007. That meeting lead to us dating, which lead to us moving in together (the anniversary of which is next week), which lead to me popping the question and her (thankfully) saying yes, which lead to us getting married, which lead to every good thing that’s happened in my life since then. If that isn’t a positive change then I don’t know what is!

In second place behind Jen and all of the family positivity that came with falling madly in love and sharing my life with her… it’s a distant second, but still second, is my weight loss surgery. Here’s an example. Last night I had to carry a bunch of things from the dining room and the living room downstairs into the cellar storage space. I think I made two or three trips in total. Had I done that two years ago I would have been ruined for hours. One trip to the cellar and back would have left me short of breath with huge back and leg pain. Just carrying all of my massive weight around was painful and difficult and awful and I was constantly in a state of wondering whether or not the next step was going to kill me. It was a pretty bad way to live. I was useless. I couldn’t do anything without having to stop after a minute or so and rest to get my wind and my strength back.

Now, two years removed from the gastric bypass? If Jen needs me to do something, I can do it. Back pain and leg pain are still a thing, but I can do 100 times more before they start creeping up on me, and they are never as bad as they were before. As for shortness of breath? I have to really kick my own ass for that to ever happen now. Physically speaking, I am living in a new world. I can’t believe how different I feel. Sure it’s been a difficult process. Hell, I had all sorts of stomach issues over the last week alone. I have to be extra careful about what I eat and how I eat it and when I eat it and all of that. I have to keep track of everything that goes into my stomach (though I am starting to wonder if I still need to track it as closely as I do, though I do find that keeping tabs on everything is good from a mental well being stand point. Also, I am a lifelong stats geek so it works on that level too) and that stresses me out sometimes. It’s a difficult road, but the results can’t be denied. I feel so much better now. Healthcare wise, that’s the biggest positive change. It’s still a distant second behind meeting Jen though. A far distant second.

Exercise is Fun?

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most fun way to exercise?
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Wait a tick here… you put the word “fun” into the same sentence as “exercise”? That does not compute. Exercise is fun in the same way that breaking bones is fun. In the same way that surgery without anesthetic is fun. Am I being over dramatic? Yes, of course I am. Does that make my prior statements false? Absolutely not.

I do 45 minutes of exercise each day at a minimum. I jog (pronounced “yog”*) in place for what my Apple Watch tells me is about 10 kilometers worth of trotting steps and then I stop. As the day goes on I will do a little more jogging (yogging) in place to try to get my daily calorie count higher and higher. Sometimes I’ll walk in place while doing other things. I just picked up one of those stair stepper things too in the hopes that I’ll use that for at least a few minutes each day. I have an exercise bike and I look at it every day, but I haven’t been able to make it part of the daily routine. I want to move it next to my work from home desk in the hopes that I will be inspired to jump onto it for a few minutes a day. We’ll see.

Is any of that fun? No. Not even a little bit.

I guess there are some things that are fun to do that also just happen to be exercise. Walks in the woods. Visits to theme parks. Stuff like that. Want to know one super fun thing that shouldn’t really be thought of as exercise but always gets my heart rate up nice and high and works up a sweat and leaves me worn out like I’d had a major workout? Band practices. Yes, you read that right. I’m not the jumping around rock and roller type, but it does work as an aerobic workout somehow.

I guess what I am trying to say is that exercise in and of itself is never fun for me, but some things that are fun sort of double as exercise? Yeah, that’s the ticket.

*I make the “pronounced yogging” joke on this page all the time. I stole that from a movie. If you aren’t familiar with it, go watch Anchorman with Will Ferrell (and about 100 other A-list comedy celebrities). It’s one tiny throw away line that bares no significance for the rest of the movie, but it’s a funny movie so it’s worth a watch.

Re-Reader

Daily writing prompt
What book could you read over and over again?
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I could give you a list for this prompt. A long list. I’m not one of those folks who reads a book once then never returns to it. I am a regular re-reader. I don’t re-read everything, but there have been a lot of books that I’ve read multiple times.

Stephen King’s Dark Tower series is probably the big one. Every time he added a book to the series I would re-read all of the previous books in preparation. After he finished the seventh and “final” book of the series I went back and tore through the whole thing again. I may have actually done that 2-3 times. The only book I haven’t re-read is the one he wrote after he finished. The eighth book in the seven book series. I’ll get to it some day.

The Harry Potter series has been re-read a bunch of times. The Lord of the Rings has too. All sorts of Clive Barker and Stephen King books have had many reads. When it comes to scary, those two are just the best. Just within the last couple of weeks I’ve re-read a book. I picked up an audiobook copy of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments which is a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Before I started digging into it I went back and re-read The Handmaid’s Tale so that I could be clear on the differences between the book and the Hulu series (even though the second book is sort of more a sequel to the show than the book… sort of).

To sum up, there have been so many books that I have re-read over the years that I can’t even remember them all. There have been some books that I have read through five or six times, or maybe even more. Why not? A good movie is re-watchable, right? Why not a good book? There’s always more to dig in to. Always.