Thinking and Feeling

I've come to this rather obvious conclusion about life: it is a balancing act.

First, there are Feelings/Emotions - those wonderful, baffling things that we crave, and yet love to hate. Life wouldn't be life, and people wouldn't be people, without feelings. But, too often, feelings reveal themselves in some crazy human desire to create drama for ourselves or to exaggerate small problems into impossible dilemmas.

Therefore, life also needs Logic. The ability to analyze emotions impartially, and decide what ACTIONS will be the most effective to relieve anxiety or frustration or whatever other overpowering feeling we might be experiencing.

I need both. More importantly, though, I need to keep them separate. It's easy to get sucked into living with just one or the other, but neither half is very satisfying on its own.

Hug a Stranger Day!

The first random hug-from-a-stranger came from a woman who struck up a conversation with me at a coffee shop. A conversation which began with, "My dog really likes you." (What, by the way, is the appropriate response to this? "Thanks, I've been working on my dog summoning skills?") Then she tells me she thinks her neighbor has been breaking into her third floor condo by climbing across the banister between their balconies and stealing her, er hem, marijuana. So, understandably, she was upset. There were tears. And, somehow, we were hugging.

Random hug-from-a-stranger #2 was much more entertaining. I'd gone home to get work done, as working in coffee shops hadn't worked out so well that morning. After a few hours I decided I needed a 5 minute break. I was walking up the sidewalk, literally 30 seconds out of the house, and a bus stops at a bus stop in front of me. An Indian man gets off the bus, beaming, and walks toward me like he knows me, and positively shouts, "I'm from Bombei! What's your name?" Told him. Learned his. He pulls me into a hug and says, "We will be great great friends! My first friend from Canada..." I still have his email address. Might drop him a line just for fun...

Have you hugged a stranger today? It's provided me with a fun "you'll never guess what I did today/yesterday/two-days ago" story all week! And I'm fairly certain my friends are sick of hearing about it, which is why I choose to share it now with my invisible (non-existent thus far) internet blogg-stalker friends!

I have jaundice! Or do I...?

Best excuse for not answering your phone:
“Sorry, I was trying to pee in a jar.”

Went to doctor a few days ago. This one didn’t laugh at me when I told him I think I’m turning yellow. Instead he sent me back to get pricked by a needle again (to fill like 8000 vials of my blood! OK it was more like 5 but still. Aaa-ha-ha…) – and to pee in a jar. On the plus side, I’ve been telling people I have jaundice. I’m pretty sure that’s an inaccurate self-diagnosis, but we will see…

I think it was one of those I’m-bored-and-it’s-raining-so-lets-come-up-with-some-entertainment days for the lab staff. I sat in the waiting room for a few hours AFTER they’d finished draining my blood, waiting for enough liquid to trickle into my bladder to instigate the urge to pee, so I was there to observe the staff demanding a urine sample from everyone that walked in the door. I must admit it was fairly amusing to watch everyone’s expression at this news – varying degrees of alarm, directly related to the time span since taking their latest leak.

To make a long story short, I successfully peed in that jar, after practically doing lunges around the waiting room. I waved goodbye, walked out that door, looked for my phone, and stopped. And went back in. The staff greeted me like I was an old friend. I suppose they’d gotten used to my company. I had spent the last 2 hours coming up to the counter at intervals with the lovely paper cup they’d provided me with, saying, “Please, suh, can I have s’more?”

I checked the bathroom, the chairs, the floor (because it may have fallen from my pocket during one of those lunges I may or may not have actually done when no one was looking), and then FINALLY I found my phone. In my bag. After borrowing their staff phone to phone my phone. Good job, Courtney. You are amazing at this whole life thing.

For a list of other fun (stupid) things I’ve done, I compiled a list of past true stories for your entertainment. Hey, I had to do SOMETHING while I was waiting to urinate.

DISCLAIMER: Do not attempt any of the following.

1. Tried to swallow a grape whole. Seriously, do not attempt.

2. Decided to tell my boyfriend’s parents about said grape-swallowing experience the first time I met them. (I am awesome at first impressions.) Luckily they are very cool people.

3. Whilst holding a pair of chopsticks, I decided to jump on the bed. And trip. And allow one of the chopsticks to enter my nasal cavity. I’ve been plagued with nosebleeds for about 18 years now…

4. Granted my friends permission to give me a haircut with the kitchen scissors when I was about 5. (“You don’t want bangs anymore, do you?”)

5. Gave myself a haircut about 20 minutes before my grade 12 graduation ceremony. Apparently 12 years didn’t teach me much… But my bangs were too long!

6. Decided to become a writer. Haw haw haw…
The job hunt continues…

Soon To Be Famous In Hindia

Transliteration is now available in Hindi.
So says my blog settings.
Why? No reason, apart from the fact it was a button I couldn't resist clicking - but holy, Hindi letters are beautiful!

On a side note, yes, I realize Hindia is not a real place.

That's all. I'm off to explore this crazy template thing some more...