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Frank Gumola - Journal | Weblog

Mellow Yellow Breakdown

Brian nails it.

I have so much I want to let out. But I can't. I'm not exactly keeping it bottled up inside, but I'm not at liberty to write about any of it either. So let me entertain you with a tale of two gay men gone grocery shopping while one of them tries not to have a nervous breakdown. Yesterday, at the local grocery store:
    David: "Wow. This looks good. I think I'll get some to munch on during the game tomorrow afternoon."
    Frankie: "OH MY GOD I HOPE YOU CHOKE ON A FUCKING CHICKEN WING!"
Srsly. someone hand me a damn Valium already.

BTW, we never did finish getting the groceries.

Example

I walked into work yesterday and went about my usual routine of clocking in, hanging up my coat, grabbing a cup of cof---hello, what's this horribly painted yet lovely designed box? Oh, an employee survey. OK, I'll bite.
Q: "Name two problems you are currently facing in the workplace."
A: "Lack of communication, lack of teamwork."
Q: "How would you solve these issues?"
A: "Beat fellow employees into submission, be the example."
I found it hilarious. We'll see what HR thinks.

Light As A Feather

So there's this crack in my dining room ceiling. Well, what would be the dining room if I actually dined in it. Or even used it as a lovely storage space for a table and chairs. And "crack" is being polite. The ceiling has actually bowed a bit in one corner of the room and pulled away from the wall an inch or so.

Did I mention the pigeons? There are pigeons, at least two. There's a nest. I can see a twig and a few feathers.

Spring has apparently taken up residence in my dining room.

We live on the top floor, I see birds hopping from rooftop to rooftop whenever I look out the window. You know, with glass, bricks, and mortar between us.

I've told the landlord about this once before, but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle, to be honest. I really don't want someone in my apartment when I'm not here ripping apart the ceiling, and David and I don't plan on living here too much longer now that the lease is up.

But I have to do something.

In the meantime, I'm keeping a very close eye on Miso. If she burps up a feather, I'll feel fine.

Sonnet

Getting drunk with a group of friends and belting out karaoke tunes in a slightly flat and off key fashion is a long overdue personal event right about now. One of my favorites from a small list of select few:


I thought about possibly adding a few slightly more up tempo numbers to that tiny list. And then I saw this video.


No.

In And Out

I don't normally find myself that interested in anything Oprah deems worthy of our attention, but this caught my eye recently:
Be patient. It is not easy at first to be there as the witnessing Presence, especially when the ego is in survival mode, but once you have had a taste of it, you will grow in Presence power, and the ego will lose its grip on you. The ultimate purpose of human existence, which is to say, your purpose, is to bring that power into the world.

Become aware of your breathing. Feel the air flowing in and out of your body. Feel your inner energy field. All that you ever have to deal with, cope with, in real life—as opposed to imaginary mind projections—is this moment. Ask yourself what "problem" you have right now, not next year, tomorrow, or five minutes from now. What is wrong with this moment?

Give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting…snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be, and enjoy being. If you are present, there is never any need for you to wait for anything. So, next time somebody says, "Sorry to have kept you waiting." You can reply: "That's all right, I wasn't waiting. I was just standing here enjoying myself."
Every little bit helps. Amirite?

Green. Now With Extra Envy!

Someone is finally visiting. And said someone also snapped up a fab apartment earlier in the evening. Of course we celebrated.


Shut. Up.


Yes, please.

Foiled

What's this? A gift for me? (OK, him too if I must share.) What ever could it be?



Yum! It's Irish Soda Bread!

Today's edible delight is brought to you by the daughter of my boss. Everyone give a shout out to Ellen. (Thanks, Ellen!)

Hillary Says


Another image from the rally at CSU.

Out Of Touch

Things are improving on the home front a bit, my Stepfather has been eating more and is completely coherent and just as (if not a tad bit more) grouchy as ever.

I've been putting in a few more hours at work and it's been helping my mind wander from the situation.

I know I can't sit around and constantly think about it, but some days the constant reminding myself to not think about it is just as bad. Kind of difficult to let it go completely.

I'm still working on getting my long lost friend from Pittsburgh to Cleveland and I've recently heard from another long lost friend, this one on another continent entirely. (Yeah, him.)

More distractions.

Exactly what I need right now.

Jeepers, I Wore Creepers

David warned my choice of footwear for this evening's outing was anything but practical. I assured him I was happy to sacrifice comfort for not only style, but an extra advantage that would pay off at the rally; height.

Getting there two hours prior to the doors opening to the public assured us a spot near the front of the small stage. I simply had to wait it out in windy winter weather in platform-esque shoes. For two hours. My feet still hurt, but it was worth it.

One of the better photos:


And a small shout out to the little old lady in front of me, sorry if I flattened your hairdo one too many times.