Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Days 18-21


I seem to be getting progressively worse at this, audience. I started this post the other day, and then somehow it just never happened. I'm gonna finish it now, though, because it's getting ridiculous, and there's only ten more days of this crap.

18. Laughing out loud at something in my head when no one else said anything
This happens fairly often to me. There's generally a lot more going on in my head than there is around me, and some of it can be pretty funny. I'll randomly think things, or remember something funny, and then I'll suddenly realized I've just laughed during silence. It makes one feel somewhat silly, but I feel like if you don't laugh at the things in your head sometimes, you can't have very interesting things going on in there. I'd much rather have the party in my brain.

19. Skipping, twirling, jumping, or dancing while walking somewhere
I don't really have any explanation or expanding to offer with this one. No analysis, or deeper implications. Just happy things that are probably more childish than not.

20. Moshing
For those sad individuals who don't know, moshing is one of the primary activities at any metal show. It's almost universally around the font/center area, and it's beautiful in one of the most violent, chaotic ways possible. There's so much enthusiasm and and animal energy, it's impossible not to be full of adrenaline and exhilarated. Plus, you're at a metal show, which means live music played by some of the most talented badasses ever. There is something both primal and sophisticated about it that fascinates me. And I love thrashing against sweaty strangers to really brutal music. The first time I ever entered a mosh pit, I was like thirteen or fourteen, and I fell in love with it.

21. Well mixed drinks
This is yet another of my fleshy pleasures. Most of the things I enjoy are either very intellectual, or very not. This is one of the not so intellectual ones. It applies to both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. I just like flavors to be combined well, and for the tastes to interact well. I get kind of annoyed when one flavor overpowers the others. It feels like a total waste to mix them.

You know that part in Ratatouille where the little vermin voiced by that short chubby guy is eating things and there's these Fantasiaesque sparks and splashes of color and accompanying music for each flavor combination? It should always be like that.

And now I have lots of other things to be doing, so this post shall end here and be short. Hopefully I'll get back on track over spring break this next week.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Days 15-17

I'm not gonna lie, theoretical readers. I'm really starting to lose motivation on this one. I mean, seriously, no one actually gives a damn about these, and I absolutely suck at doing anything that requires dedication and consistency. You know why? Because they're boring. Once something becomes and obligation, I lose most of my desire to do it. And if I'm not even interested in what I'm doing, why on earth would anyone else be?

But whatever, I suppose. There's only like another week and a half to go, right? Besides, it's not like I've been doing this every day anyway.

15. Rereading books I love

In high school, people would always peer at my books and ask, "You're reading that again?," or "Haven't you read that already?" Especially when it was a book the English classes had done at some point in the past. I always wanted to ask them why they wore clothes more than once, or talked to people they'd already met. Instead, I'd usually just give them a withering look and answer in the affirmative.

Rereading books is not a task for me. It's something I derive genuine pleasure out of, because I invest myself in the stories I read. I grow attached to characters and places and events, and every time I read a book again, especially if it's actual literature, I get more out of it. I do more analysis of people and events and underlying themes, and I understand more. Every time I come back to a book, I bring new knowledge and experience with me, and I approach it with a slightly different perspective every time, so I see entirely different aspects in it.

Because, yes, you Philistines, I enjoy analyzing literature. All of you who don't like thinking can go sit in the corner and start another reality tv show.

16. Lightning storms

One of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Have you ever really thought about how cool lightning is? It looks awesome, it has enough power to completely destroy things, it's huge explosions of electrical power...Is there anything not cool about it? I love watching the storms roll in over the summer, tumbling over the mountains and covering the sky. I'll go walk in the rain and watch the lightning explode all over. I enjoy destructive beauty in nature.



17. Driving under trains

There's a few bridges in this city where the overpass is for trains, so all the traffic goes under it, and every so often, I'll be going somewhere, and a train will be crossing when I drive under it, and you really notice the noise and speed of trains when they're right in front, above, or behind you.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Day 14

Is anyone else kind of starting to lose steam with this? Because I'm starting to feel like I never shut up. How do people deal with posting things online all the time? And habits? How can anyone do things daily that aren't a physical need?

In other news, I got another free coffee today because they took like half an hour to get me mine. The guy made it a large too. I'm liking this whole "regular" thing.

And the irony of that is not lost on me.

On with the list!
14. Witty banter

This ties fairly closely with some of what I said in my last post. I really enjoy good communication, and it can be incredibly fun with the right dynamic. This is another reason I really enjoy intelligent, sarcastic, good-humored people. Me and my friend Chase have some of the driest, most ridiculous conversations ever.

Have you ever watched a decent game of volleyball? Ideally, the ball actually volleys, coming back and forth from both sides fluidly and quickly with different players jumping in and returning it. That's how conversation is supposed to be: fluid, participatory, and entertaining. Hopefully without animosity, but I suppose one can't have everything.

The best group interactions I've had (and when I say "group," I mean between four and ten people, because after that, it's hard to have actual, collective interaction) have been when there's comfortable, intelligent banter that everyone is taking part in.

Even if it's not in a group, one on one banter can be incredibly fun. Though, that's one of the reasons I've ended up in awkward, friend-zoning conversations.

People: amicable, enjoyable, humorous conversation is not always flirting. Flirting is also not always humorous or intelligent. If I had the motivation, I would make a huge Venn Diagram, but right now, my laundry, ferrets, videogames, etc. are more pressing, so you'll just have to imagine it.

I'm open to suggestions, though. I'm probably seeing Taryn on friday, so maybe I'll start one with her. And then bring Christy in, because I like making lists with her.

Anyway, I'm getting distracted, and there's less and less time before I go to work.

Also, I'm missing a figure study club, because it happens exactly during my shift tonight. Such obnoxious luck. I want to draw from models again!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Day 13

13. Effectively translating something from thought into a tangible substance

This is one item on my list that I really thought about the phrasing of, because the original thought was about art, and then it expanded. I kept adding "ands" because of the other ways I create. I love to be able to take something in my mind and be able to present it to someone else, who can then understand what was in my head.

It's the joy of communication for me. Two base things that fill me with rapture are understanding and creating, and they're two of the things I seek most to do. There are different forms these take moment to moment, and different ways that I think about them, but when I strip away all the layers, that's what lies at the bottom of most of my frustrations, accomplishments, goals, pleasures, etc. I want to do both of them infinitely.

There is something magic about being able to take a thought or feeling I've had and to turn it into an image that someone else can look at and recognize. I get the same feeling when I look at art, but in reverse; I am communicating with another mind, though, and that amazes me. The same is true when I write something, and it's just perfect. It means what I want it to mean and says what I wanted to say. It happens verbally and visually and musically and in all these other ways that I find completely astonishing.

We can know and communicate with that which makes someone themselves, and we can be known and communicated to in our cores.

Maybe that's not all that "simple" a pleasure when I break it down and really explain it, but if that's too heavy for you, just assume I meant that art makes me happy. Which is true.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Day 12

As tentatively suggested last night, here I am posting before work at five.

I feel like I should probably be linking to previous posts, or at least to my original list (which I did that one time), but that seems a little pointless when there's a whole post list just to the right anyway.

I also feel the need to apologize for this prompt, because tend to hate when people post random crap on blogs and blog-like things, and I feel like if I were following my blog, I'd see half my posts and go, "you know who cares, Rachel? No one. Do something constructive with your life instead of wasting everyone's time with this crap."

Anyway, thing number 12 off my list!

12. Epic quest music while I run a mundane errand

I can only think of two or three times this has happened specifically.

One: going to Chipotle with Rosalinde while listening to Skyrim music.

Two: going to buy butter so I could make crepes while listening to Amon Amarth.

Three: going to the bank for work while listening to "Into Battle" by Ensiferum.

Based on the amount of Pagan Metal there is on my phone and in my car, I've probably experienced this more times, but those are the ones that stand out. It makes you feel kind of awesome and fairly silly.

Try it sometime. Put on some really badass music next time you go to the grocery store or whatever. You'll see.

And since I feel largely craptacular once more, I'm going to stop typing away, and go do something that will possibly trick my body into not feeling horrible. Or maybe nap some more.

Monday, March 11, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Days 10 &11

Well I feel somewhat sheepish, my dear, theoretical audience.

They're all staring and judging. Especially that little one.

This is what happens when I feel accomplished about doing something daily once (nevermind the contradiction there) and then get busy. Or do things anyway. I'll try and remember not to gloat next time, so that the universe doesn't have to put me in my place. Again. Some more...

Anyway! Days ten and eleven!

10. Smelling lilacs before I see them

This is obviously kind of a seasonal thing. Since, you know, lilacs only bloom during the summer and stuff...Anyway, I love that smell, and it always makes me really happy to smell blooming flowers before I can actually see the tree, or bush, or whatever. Lilacs in particular are kind of nostalgic for me, because when I was a wee little'un, my siblings, especially my little brother, and I would play on the side of the house right next to our neighbor's lilacs, so the smell was everywhere. That was also the flowers I learned to suck nectar out of. You pull the stem off the bottom, and if you get it right, the stamens come with it, and all that's left is the petals and the nectar. You can also do this with Indian paintbrush.

It grows everywhere here during the summer, and I spend a lot of time running around like a little barefooted heathen child. Good times...

Anyway, lilac is one of my favorite smells, and it has good connotations for me, so I associate it with summer, and long, relaxed walks in the evening or middle of the night, and sitting outside, and just a general sense of comfort and well-being. There's also some enjoyment for me in finding the lilac I'm smelling.


11. Candles everywhere
This one is a much simpler explanation, I think. I just really like candles; I love the soft glow they give, and the gentle warmth, and the smell of matches and burning wicks and wax. I have a whole box of them.

One of my favorite, most restful memories so far is this one time, when I was like fourteen or so, and I lit a bunch of candles and placed them all over my bedroom. It was dark, so the only light was from this multitude of little flames, and I just sat on my floor watching them waver and glow, melting the wax they stood on, and filling up the whole room with this warm, living, yellow glow and the dry smell of fire and paraffin wax...

Of course, it wasn't long until someone barged into my room and broke the spell, but for that short time, I felt very safe, cradled in warmth and light. It was almost womb-like in it's security and comfort, as weird as that no doubt sounds.

So I guess that catches me up again. I'll try and make some time tomorrow before I go to work.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Day 9

Aaaaaand I'm caught up! I feel accomplished, faceless internet. I hardly ever manage to do things like this properly, and yet here I am, writing on the ninth day about the ninth thing on my list. Woo!

And for those of you with memory like mine, that was:
9. Changing my appearance (hair color/style, piercings, tattoos, etc)

This is a very apt day for this particular item, and I'm kind of pleased with myself, despite planning nothing of the kind.

Change is more or less a necessity for me. I get restless and bored very quickly. This may have something to do with the general lack of stability in most of my life, or it might be the cause of it. Who knows. I embrace change most of the time, though. I view it as an adventure; change is exciting and fun more often than not, so when I come across people who want constant stability and who resist or fear change, I'm kind of at a loss. My man is like that to some degree, and it spawns some very interesting discussions. Yay balance!

Anyway, the reason the timing for this post is so perfect is that I dyed my hair last night. I've just ended what was quite possibly a record for the last three years of having the same hair color and style. I dyed it red in like mid-November, so like three or four months of the same color, and I've been trying to grow it back out, so no new cuts. So I've been kind of excited about that for most of today. It's bleached and black. I would say "blonde," but it transitions from platinum at my roots to a kind of light brown, orangey color at the ends.

But I have this joy from newness. I have two tattoos, five piercings (three if we're counting pairs), and I change my hair around every month or two. I like to alter my appearance to fit my whims, and I like to surprise people with the way I look. Very little consideration goes into these decisions (except tattoos. Those are permanent.), because I tend to be enthusiastic and impulsive, and it makes me happy.

I feel like I probably ought to talk about the ethics of body-modification, and about my own views on it, but Skyrim is waiting for me, and I feel like that deserves it's own post. So I'll post something about that sometime in the indefinite future.

Friday, March 8, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Days 7 and 8


Sadly, my computer has still insubordinate the last couple days, but I think whatever disagreement Kate was having with Chrome is over now, because things are working much better. She might just have been angry at me for leaving her all alone and shut down for most of the week.

So to continue my list.

(The original post, there's also Days 1-6 in another post)

7. Gummy candy of almost all varieties
This is one of the many things that can make some degree of happy regardless of what's going on, or how I am emotionally at that moment. I was really obsessed with gummi bears for a long time, and I had a cup full of the really weird ones. If I had resin, I probably would have made jewelry with them. I'm not sure if it's the colors, flavors, or texture, or some combination of all of them that makes them so much fun to eat, but they're basically awesome. It could also just be that I'm a slight sugar-fiend sometimes.

I got really excited about the Paradise Mango Pepsi Next because it totally tasted like peach rings.


8. New shoes
I have upwards of twenty pairs of shoes, audience, and most of them are boots. Maybe someday I'll share a photo montage of my wonderful shoes, as many of them are quite fabulous, but you'll just have to take my word for it for now. The trouble is that I love getting new shoes. I get excited like a small child every time I wear them until they become mundane and common to me, and even then, I sometimes get joyously happy about wearing them. Like my Iron Man shoes, or my green boots, or my red, witch shoes...

I may have a problem...

Anyway! I think there's a song somewhere about new shoes, and how they basically make the entire world awesome for a day. As soon as I have a chance to show someone, I get excited all over again.

And now my empty belly says it's breakfast time, so I shall end this post and go forage.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A Month of Simple Pleasures, Days 1-6

So, as predicted, I might have missed a few days starting this. My defense, probable audience, is that I was out of town helping my sister move, and we had no internet until monday night, and we were busy hanging out.

So! My random, happy-inducing things:

1. Power Metal
I like many varieties of that genre of music, but power metal pretty much never fails to make me smile. It's partly due to the sheer silliness of it sometimes, but also because it has an insane lot of energy and, gasp, power. The wails that I associate most heavily with it are almost otherworldly, like some awesome, hardcore bird-demon-creature, except for all the hair, and the fact that it's tied inextricably to the same era as glam rock.

2. Little boys (under five years old) in suits, vests, sweater vests, ties, or any other classy apparel
This is partly due to how ridiculous and incongruous little boys always look in formal attire. I find it unavoidably cute. This may also have to do with the fact that I always appreciate a well-dressed man, but, really, who doesn't? My sons will always look classy and adorable. Because I'm going to have sons, and there will be battles and shenanigans, and we'll be Vikings together.

Heck yes.


3. Bubbles

I defy anyone to tell me bubbles aren't awesome. They're one of the simplest things that can turn everyone into a child. They float away in these clouds of little bubbles, shining iridescent and reflective, and then land on the ground and hesitate for a moment before popping. And when they pop, it isn't like a balloon or a water-droplet. They simply disappear as though they never were, except they leave a little ring of moisture, just in case you weren't sure where they landed. Feeling bubbles pop on your skin is also amazing. It's just the lightest sensation against your arms, face, nose, eyelashes, just a slight brush and then the suggestion of moisture.

Few things are as exciting as batting at bubbles, chasing them until they're all gone, or blowing carefully and gently until you have one as big as your face, full and glistening, wobbling with its own weight, and trying to escape your pathetic bubble-wand.

4. Finding surprise money in my pocket
This is the kind of thing that can make any day awesome, even if it's just a dollar, and you don't actually need it. It's just an exciting moment of discovery. It's like you found buried treasure, or the universe was like, "here, Rachel. Have some money." Nevermind that it's your money to begin with. This the same kind of joy I get from remembering I have pie in the fridge, or a delicious coffee waiting for me.

5. Looking fabulous
I have news for you, guys: I am very vain, and I enjoy it immensely. Everyone knows the smug pleasure of thinking you look ridiculously good, but I'm talking about specifically looking fabulious.

Dictionary.com defines "fabulous" as
1.      almost impossible to believe; incredible.

2.
Informal. exceptionally good or unusual; marvelous; superb: a fabulous bargain; a fabulous new house.
3.
told about in fablespurely imaginary: the fabulous exploits of Hercules.
4.
known about only through myths or legends.
I mean something between the first two definitions. I have a slight penchant for somewhat loud, slightly outlandish dress and makeup, so when I wear something that looks awesome to me, it's probably slightly absurd, but definitely fabulous in the way that I'm using it. It makes me incredibly happy to look the way I enjoy looking, especially when I'm required by my job to look so hideously boring.

6. Being cooked for
This is a slightly odd one, even for me, but I like to cook for people, and I like to be cooked for. There's a special companionship about making and sharing food, and it can be an indication of effort and care. It's a nice way to be taken care of without being annoying or excessive, and it's not specific thing to anyone.

And now I have lost steam for further writing, so I shall call this the end. Hopefully my computer is behaving better tomorrow.