5.31.2005

The scenery's changing. . .

At least it is in my part of the world. People are moving on to pursue those things that tug on their heartstrings . . . It seems as if everyone at the college is looking to move on or doing so already: a friend bravely going out into the entrepreneurship world again; another being sucked in by the 'man,' and another happily moving into retirement.

The rest of us are left re-evaluating where we stand. What do we want out of life and are we really going to get it here, at this place? For most of us, the answer is no. "Necessary evil" is exactly how I feel about work right now.

How can a place that is often noted for having great cohesiveness and friendliness from the outside have overwhelming spirit-killing power? It does happen though - the college is proof of that fact.

Even though the weather is beautiful out this time of year, today I feel like it should be a grey, dreary winter day.

Yuck.

5.28.2005

No cheeseburgers here. ..

So last night, just after I finished my first post, I was told that we should see Supersize Me, since we'd never seen it. I'm game, because I'm intrigued about that, too. I think to myself, "Exactly how bad can 30 days of McDonald's be for you?"

Little did I know that it could be horrible, beyond horrible even. It got to the point where I didn't really want to watch Morgan eat more fries, hamburgers, or shakes! And, may I add, you see only one scene where he's eating a McD's salad - but I digress.

Nonetheless, I even got a bottle of water to drink during the movie. After we'd finished the movie, including all the special features (who are those McDonald's collector people anyway?!), I felt the need to do something physical. PM Yoga hit the spot.

I woke up nicely sore this morning, resolving never to eat such stuff again (especially after seeing the 10-week old McDonald's french fries; that put a whole new perspective on things). We did pretty well - a small bowl of Cherrios for breakfast, hiking with friends on the strenuous trail at Pilot Mountain. The hike was a refreshing reminder of the beauty of a place, even when the weather's not perfect. The rhododos and the mountain laurel were blooming. It was amazing.

I'm certain that I'll feel the effects of that hike shortly, but now I feel like I need a nap. Wish I could have slept in, but our friends have company coming tonight and they needed to go early this morning. Maybe after the nap I'll feel like reading several chapters of 'Strategic Management.' Or clean, but that's a whole different subject & perhaps a future post.

5.27.2005

Getting started . . .

Ok, so for the record, I'm new to this. And, I can't say that I'm really familiar with blogs, but I'm very intrigued, so I figured I'd set one up.

Besides, it provides the chance to have some interesting conversations and fulfill my writing muse's recent and desperate pleas.

Why "My Particular Harbour?" Well, since I've been pondering this blog for a week or two, I've been trying to come up with a really great name. I think this one fits the bill. The idea is that the blog won't be about anything in particular, but in most part, about the odd, everyday things that happen. As a friend of mine says, "You can't make this stuff up. It really is stranger than fiction!"

The naming issue has really been bugging me (remember that nagging writing muse of mine?), and although I didn't plan on turning to Jimmy Buffet for inspiration, it just happened. I grabbed a CD of his on the way out of the office, listened (well, sang at the top of my lungs) on the way home, and realized that Buffet addresses the odd stuff in life a lot, too.

I came home, pulled up song lyrics on Margaritaville and found a bunch I liked, including: Growing Older but Not Up; At the Beach House on the Moon; The Coconut Telegraph; Pacing the Cage; Oysters and Pearls; and last, but not least, Semi-True Story. Wanting to put my own spin on One Particular Harbour (however slight it may be), I decided to drop the "One" and add "My," because it is gonna be a blog about stuff that happens that I see, hear, do, encounter, and think about.

So there. My first post is done, and I'm gonna go get a cheeseburger. Maybe.