I am the queen of geography!

In the spirit of use it or lose it, I like to do different things to keep my mind challenged. Challenged, that is, in a way that's different from trying to remember why I came into this room, or just where it was I decided would be the perfect place to store the vacuum cleaner bags. That kind of challenge is exactly the reason why I keep at the other kind of challenge: I need to try and slow down the aging of my brain. That relentless decay. The inescapable slide into mental chaos and oblivion. And, as a result of those, having to go buy more vacuum cleaner bags every single time I need one. That would be good to avoid.

I've read many, many places that to keep the mind "young," you need to keep it creating new neural paths. That means learning new things. A new language is good, and that's on my To Do list. Doing familiar things in a new way is good. Math is very good. But the thing that really gets me going is geography. And by that I really just mean knowing where places are.

I know where places are. Almost all of them.*

I can name, off the top of my head, 185 countries. (It does take a few minutes, but still.) I can do all the Sporcle and Jetpunk geography quizzes that have to do with which countries are where, or what the name of those outlines on the map are. I can fill in the map tests at worldatlas.com. I've taken the time to learn it because it fascinates me.

I am fully aware that this particular body of knowledge doesn't really do much for me in real life, though I sure did know what directions the refugees were streaming when they were leaving Libya for Tunisia. And I knew the general area where the Kenyans were setting up camps to house Somalian refugees without checking a globe. And if my fantasies start coming true and someone suddenly asks me to identify all the countries in eastern Europe, I'm so ready.

In addition to the (I hope) brain benefits, I also have to think of this as kind of a hobby. I say have to because it takes up more time than you would think. The fact is, my brain and I aren't as young as we used to be, and if I don't keep reinforcing this information, it seems to somehow leak out or something. So I periodically go over all the maps, making sure I remember what's where and how to spell Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and whether Oman and Yemen are in alphabetical order or reverse alphabetical order (just so you know, it's reverse).

I spent today "going over" it. Today. As in all day. As in I got up at a reasonable hour, made coffee, then sat my fat ass down at the computer and played geography trivia quizzes and filled in maps all. day. long.

So…I think I'll go take a shower now. Brush my teeth. I'm a little ambivalent about the whole makeup thing, seeing as it's five o'clock. PM. [sigh] Tomorrow will be more productive, I'm sure, now that my brain is all tuned up. Right.


*I kind of stink at Oceania and the Caribbean. I know everywhere else, though.**

**Yes, everywhere.

Good grief!

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted anything. I look at my blog every single day, checking to see if the people I follow (look left) have made new entries, but somehow it doesn't really register just how long it's been since I've posted. I even kind of made a secret semi-resolution to update this blog more often. Huh. Starting today. Really.

We're going to the Dallas Stars game tonight. Nothing unusual about that, except it might possibly cross my mind that I could be at home, snuggled up with my dogs and cats (instead of Lydia cuddling on the couch with them, though they'd probably just as soon that it be her) rather than schlepping through the cold rain to AAC.

At least it might cross my mind except for the fact that tonight is our last Dallas Stars game for four weeks and two days! Between an extended road trip (them) and various holiday commitments (us), it just doesn't work out again until January. This is one of the more difficult aspects of being a sports fan. They don't play hockey in summer. They don't play baseball in winter. (Fortunately, though, if you're a hockey and baseball fan, you're set.) A drought like this in the middle of the season just doesn't seem right. Someone hand me the remote!

So after tonight it's all about getting ready for Christmas, which means knitting and cooking. The knitting goes on and on. I've been considering giving the Noro entrelac scarf I've been knitting to my mother-in-law, because she really admired it when she saw me working on it. I hesitate, though, because she's a little tiny woman (barely five feet tall) and it's kind of a gigantic scarf, 10" wide and 4' long so far, and I've still got most of the third skein left! I'm cooking for Christmas, too, trying a couple of unusual recipes to be gifts for my niece who asked for "crazy interesting foods or ingredients." We'll see how that goes. Between the scarf of enormous proportions and making recipes I've never tried before, I actually have a lot of potential for ending up at Walgreen's at 10pm Christmas Eve, looking for replacement gifts.

Speaking of cooking, and while I've got you, I'm thinking about adding a recipe/cooking section here. It would be handy to have my recipes online where I can get to them when I'm standing in the grocery store wondering if I'm actually remembering all the ingredients or not. What do you think? Would you care? Would you look at it? (It'll make a big difference in how much time I spend on making it look good if I'm the only one who'll see it.)

Well, anyway, there you go. That's an update. I'll try to make it more interesting next time, and see if I can also get in the habit of not waiting weeks in between.

Off to brave the cold and rain now. We've really got to have toilet paper before the freeze hits on Monday!

Randomness, or Holiday Brain

Actually, the Unclutterer blog (look at that reading list to the left) calls it vacation brain, but I think 'Holiday Brain' gives more of a hint as to all the preparation involved.

Yes, it's that time of year again, when the childless couple starts making their rounds. Never having had babies means that we never had an excuse to not travel during the holidays, so none of the kinfolk ever got in the habit of coming to our house instead of us going to theirs. So that's what we do. Every year. Forever and ever, amen. Holidays, for us, mean being somewhere else. (Except the 4th of July, which is firmly centered in Southlake.) I used to decorate the house, putting up wreaths and Christmas trees and candles and tablecloths with centerpieces, the whole shebang. But then I realized at some point that Rich genuinely doesn't give even half a flip, so I'm only doing it for myself. And since I'm the one who has to do all the work to get it done, then undo it afterwards…well, apparently there are limits to how much trouble I'm willing to cause myself.

Anyway…yes, getting ready to leave town for a few days, which means that the fabulous Lydia (and her significant other) are moving in. This is the best arrangement anyone has ever had, petsitting-wise. We don't have to worry about the animals, we don't have to worry about the house. I (absolutely not Rich) just have to make sure the house isn't so gross that they refuse to ever come back.

So I'm cleaning today, as well as getting ready to pack, and making sure I love on all our animals since I won't see them for a week. And making little decisions. Should I take my laptop (a bit of an ordeal, since it's attached to a backup drive, external speakers and a separate monitor), or just rely on my iPad (which doesn't allow me to do absolutely everything I might want to do)? What knitting shall I take (this is an important decision, which non-knitting muggles might not fully appreciate)? What's the weather going to be like (okay, that one I can get an answer to pretty easily)? Shall I spend time today finishing that one job (time I could spend cleaning and whatnot) or leave it 'til we get back (and worry about it the whole week)?

And what about the Stars?

We have a game tonight, which is actually the reason we're leaving tomorrow instead of today. They haven't been playing very well lately (!), but we already paid for the tickets….Okay, that sounded a lot more discouraged than I actually feel. They're in a slump, but they'll bounce back. And they have a new owner, which is a huge step forward. And, besides, I love going to games, the whole fan experience, so much that pretty much any game is going to be fun. (And this year there are bobble heads!)

And "bobble heads" leads us right back to what kind of a day I'm having. I'm pretty much a bobble head today. A Holiday Brain bobble head. It'll get better, but for right now, it's looking like one heck of a random day.

So, before I forget, let me just say, "Happy Thanksgiving." Have a great turkey day, in case we don't talk again before then, spend wisely on Black Friday, and I wish you luck keeping your own Holiday Brain in check.

Coach Glen Gulutzan's team chemistry building methods

As I mentioned on October 16th, the Dallas Stars have a bunch of new players this season. Mike Heika, of the Dallas Morning News, blogged today about head coach Glen Gulutzan's efforts to build chemistry between the players, including the seven new guys.

To bring that group together quickly requires some "chemistry building games." Donkeyball was one…

(Donkeyball, according to Heika, involves kicking a soccer ball over a makeshift net and trying to not let it hit the ground. The game is played in a hallway, so there are rules about ceilings. There are brief clips of one such game in some of the in-arena videos shown on the Jumbotron at Stars games.)

…while Stars coach Glen Gulutzan started practice with an 11-on-11 hockey game that included two pucks and wild youth soccer-like action.

It came up in today's blog because there was a competitive game of Donkeyball between Dowell and Fiddler (see the 10/16 post) before today's practice at the Verizon Center in D.C. (where the Stars will be playing the Caps tomorrow). The whole rest of the team watched and cheered. Dowell, who claimed to be the underdog, won, and celebrated by leaping over the net and ripping his shirt off.

First: I'd love to have seen that 11-on-11 game! All those guys and two pucks. That's got to be some entertaining mayhem. (I was a dancer for many years — years and, yes, many pounds ago — and we were painstakingly choreographed and well practiced on stage. But sometimes, at certain events, some of us would get to take part in The Chicken Dance. And it was total chaos. When you're used to something organized and orderly, that's a real treat.)

Secondly: Smart guy, that Gulutzan. I think I get now why they're winning.

Bad Timing & Two Ways to Help Your Team

Bad timing 1: The very back/bottom of my hair is much too long, and has been for a while. I looked at my calendar two weeks ago and saw that my next haircut wasn't 'til November 1st, so I thought I'd call and schedule a quick touch-up. I didn't do that. I did, however, think to call this morning. Only now, of course, November 1st is only a week away, so making a special appointment seems a little silly. For the next seven days, I guess I'll be sporting a girl mullet.

Bad timing 2: Back ache. Bad back ache. Suddenly, as I got out of the car to walk into Kroger this morning. Actually, we got out. Rich wanted to go with me to run errands (bank, Costco, Kroger), which is fine and all, but which really, really makes me feel like we're his parents. (They go everywhere together. Everywhere.) I admire them greatly, you understand, but they're 85. We're not 85 yet. So I may have been feeling a little more tension than absolutely necessary. In any case, back ache today. Chiropractor's appointment tomorrow. Their office is closed Tuesdays, so I can't even beg them to move it up. Guess I'll really get my money's worth when I finally go. If I'm up and around.

How to Help Your Team 1: Buy season tickets. Go to games. Cheer loudly. Applaud wildly.

How to Help Your Team 2: Do not even think of watching them on TV. I watched the World Series game on Saturday, a train wreck of a game for the Rangers. We made a big deal of it, having (upscale) ballpark food for dinner, both of us sitting down to watch, the whole nine yards. They lost 16-7. After that, I decided I couldn't do that again, and the next game the Rangers won 4-0. Taking the hint, I kept the TV tuned elsewhere last night and they won that game, as well.
     They'll be playing Wednesday in St. Louis. I'll be avoiding watching. If anyone wants to, you can come take away my phone and iPad, and I won't even be able to check the scores.

Whatever it takes. You know, besides timing.

Reasons to like Stars hockey

The first day of NHL free agency this past July, the Dallas Stars signed six new players. Last week, they acquired another through trade (there were salary cap issues).

I love hockey because it's a very fast-paced, high-energy game. And, well, also because of this. These are those seven new players:

Sheldon Souray

Jake Dowell

Eric Nystrom

Vernon Fiddler*

Radek Dvorak

Michael Ryder

Adam Pardy

Seriously. Damn.


*This whole little exercise, my Googling² the new players' photos, started when they showed a picture of Vernon Fiddler on the Jumbotron during the game last night. He was in a suit and tie, clean shaven, hair combed, and he had his teeth in³. He was so handsome, it made me curious about the others.<sup>4

2</sup>The photos all came from Google images, BTW, and I have no rights to them whatsoever. I suppose they'll stay up here until I get caught.

³Vernon doesn't put his teeth in when he plays. Actually, during games he kind of looks like a caricature of a hockey player: all craggy, with stringy hair, dark stubble and missing teeth, very much like someone you really don't want to mess with. But he cleans up real good.

⁴Yes, we can see them during games, but they're wearing their helmets and they're really sweaty (not so much in a steamy, tantalizing way as much as a "Dude! You're dripping on me," kind of way). It's pretty hard to tell what they really look like. The photos are much better.

Really, much better!

Pontification, just to get it off my mind

I realize how pompous I'm about to sound.

Let me just say, first of all, that I'm pretty old. Let me also say that when I think of who I was at 30, and compare that person to who I am now, there's no way I would go back. I'm kinder, more tolerant and, if I do say so myself, wiser. A young friend of mine is bringing up some stuff for me, and I'm absolutely compelled to tell you (or her, and—lucky you—you get to come along for the ride) a few things I've learned.

First: I lived through the fervor and passion of the 70s. You know, when Earth Day first came to be, when the Vietnam War ended, when we (the young people, who were the ones who didn't cause the problems and were going to be the ones to solve the problems) were well aware of the corruption, greed, apathy and general worthlessness of the world, i.e., the generations that came before us. We looked around and were appalled. We were going to fix it.

Then I blinked and it was thirty years later. And—I swear this really happened—I looked at pollution statistics comparing air quality in the 70s and 80s to the 00s and was shocked to see that pollution had gotten worse. What happened? We were going to fix it! We had become the ones in charge, so why hadn't we done it? What happened?

Well, I guess the answer to that isn't anything simple, and you'll have to come up with your own conclusions. My point is that feeling very strongly about a cause, even one that affects people's day-to-day lives, and believing with all your heart that it must be changed, doesn't make it just happen. Apparently it takes some kind of sustained effort, over—maybe—decades and generations. And, believe me, the generations behind you are going to think you've done it all wrong, and they may not think the solutions you suggest are worth pursuing. Don't be surprised at that.

Secondly: It's a bad idea, not to mention naive and insulting, to think that the people who don't agree with you are evil. Ditto for assuming they're simply misinformed, and that if you'll only reveal the truth to them—repeatedly and with ever-increasing stridency—they'll come to realize you're right. It may very well be that they know all the same facts that you know, and they've come to conclusions different than yours. And here's the reason that happens: we're all different. We each have our own perspective.

By all means, try to persuade people to your point of view! Do your best to convince them that your priorities are in the best interest of everyone around. Carefully explain all the reasons they should think like you do. But don't allow yourself to believe that agreeing with you is minimum proof of intelligence. And if they don't agree, it doesn't mean they don't understand.

Life is more complicated than that. Things are more complicated than that. People are more complicated than that.

Third: If you take the position that information sources supporting the opposing point of view contain misleading or deliberately inaccurate information, you must acknowledge that the ones that agree with you could possibly be just as flawed. Yes, you must. It's completely absurd to think that one side has cornered the market on the truth while the other just flops around generating propaganda and trying to mislead people. Do even just the briefest logic check on that.

By the same token, if you believe your sources of facts are correct and well-informed you have to realize that at least some of the other guys' sources are, as well. Yes, I know that sometimes you'll hear, for example, that there were 2,000 protesters at a rally from one source while another source says 20,000. Only one of them is correct. My point is that it's foolhardy and dangerous to assume that the one you believe is always correct. Keep an open mind and some healthy skepticism, even (or especially) about the things that you really, really want to be true.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, there are many ways of being. Many ways of living. Many ways to approach life, and (are you ready for the hard part) your way is not absolutely the one correct way to live. Your choices are not the only good choices. Your focus is not the one true focus that will reveal the light of truth to all. No, it's not.

You're passionate about politics and social justice. Someone else desperately wants to have kids and be a great parent. Their focus isn't misplaced. (Really. Someone has to produce the next generation of revolutionaries.) It's also okay if people want to spend their time partying, or hanging on every move Lady Gaga makes, or watching sports (hey!), or shopping or working on their car or going to school or trying to make Captain in the Air Force. You may think they're silly, or wasting their lives, or that they don't understand what's important.

Really, your way is not the only valid choice, and thinking less of people because their focus takes them in a different direction lessens you. It diminishes you, and I promise you it'll take some time to come back from that.

So. Believe in what you're doing. Be passionate. Sustain the effort. Persevere, and try to convince the rest of the world to help you do it. But keep in mind that you're living in a complex world. Embrace it, above and beyond everything else you do.

Done being pompous now. Think I'll move on to irritatingly cheerful.