Context

Today I sent the strangest text message I think I've ever sent. It said simply "maybe my eyes are your teeth." Taken out of context I'm sure you're thinking WTF? Teeth, eyes, what?? How would that even work?

The context of the text was me asking a friend if the cold she had (has still?) made her eyes hurt. As in the actual eyeball, not the socket or the muscles surrounding it. Because I'm totally getting her cold (which is fine, I'm not mad at her. No really, I'm not. I honestly don't care.) and I had these weird eye pains. Her response was no, but her teeth did hurt at one point. So, logically (in my mind at least) I replied that maybe my eyes were her teeth, meaning maybe the weird pains in my eyes were how my body was processing this cold and I was getting pain there instead of in my teeth. Context was very very important in this case. Because really? "Maybe my eyes are your teeth?" That makes no sense what so ever.

Context provides so much clarity in life. So many little things that we do or say or text every day would seem so incredibly odd without the context surrounding them. For instance, today a co-worker asked me if I'd resurrected someone. And I answered yes. No, I don't have the power to raise the dead. I do have the power, however, to change errors in our database and therefore I am able to make the "dead" "alive" again.

Without context in our lives I think we'd have a ridiculously hard time functioning in the world. I can't even imagine what that would be like and I hope I never find out.

Lyrics for this post are easy, even if my mind is rather muddled with the cold that's brewing (maybe I'll take a sick day, probably I won't though). They come from the song Fire Door by Ani DiFranco (<-- video link chosen not because it's a stellar performance of the song but because I used to live in Ithaca and Ani and Ithaca go hand in hand for me) (this is a better performance) (also this is one of my top 10 favorite songs of all time) (Could I use any more parenthesis in this paragraph?) (apparently, yes, yes I can).

I opened the fire door to four lips
None of which were mine kissing
Tightened my belt around my hips
Where your hands were missing

Stepped out into the cold, collar high
Under the slate grey sky, the air was smoking
And the streets were dry and I wasn't joking
When I said good bye

And there were magazine quality men talking on the corner
French, no less much less of them then us
So why do I feel like something's been rearranged?
You know, taken out of context I must seem so strange.

I killed a cockroach so big
It left a puddle of puss on my wall
And you know when you and I are lying in bed
You don't, you don't, you don't seem so tall

I'm singing now because my tear ducts are too tired
And my mind is disconnected by my heart is wired

I'd make such a good statistic
Someone should study me now
Somebody's got to be interested in how I feel
Just 'cause I'm here and I'm real and

Oh, how I miss substituting a conclusion
A confrontation with a kiss
And oh, how I miss walking up to the edge and jumping in
Like I could feel the future on your skin
I opened the fire door to four lips
None of which were mine kissing

I opened the fire door

This post is Rated R and may contain strong language...

When I left work today my blood pressure was rather high (through the freaking roof really) and I was very very frustrated. No, that's not the whole truth. I was pissed. And I had a whole blog composed in my mind, ready to vent those frustrations for all the world to see. Then I took Maggie for a walk and after she got her exercise I went for a run. By the time I got home from my run my frustrations were pretty much gone. That's a good thing. Too bad the source of my frustrations isn't gone. But don't sweat the small stuff as they say, and it's all small stuff. I think that might be a movie quote...

Anywho....also before I went for a run I had a list of things I was going to blog about. And we all know that I'm a fan of the lists. But those things also disappeared into the ether with my work frustrations. So, I guess I'll list a few things that I'm happy about/looking forward to.

1. VACATION. A much needed, long anticipated, LONG vacation is nearly here. Hallelfreakinglujah!

2. The weather has been simply incredible the past few days. Warm and sunny during the day and cool at night, perfect sleeping weather. It could stay like this from May through September and I'd be a happy camper.

3. I'm seeing Rent again in a couple of weeks. Be prepared for the quoting. You have been warned.

4. Seeing Billy Joel/Elton John together in concert. I'm not sure if there will be quoting from this concert. We'll see.

5. Ingrid Michaelson has a new album coming out at the end of August. And she's touring this fall. Woot! She makes me happy.

6. Watching Maggie play with her best friend Milo. After what she went through last fall it's incredible that she can walk let alone run around and play chase games with the boy next door.

7. Not having to use an alarm clock to wake up for two whole weeks. I hate waking up to an alarm clock. Hate it.

8. Beach. Sand. Waves.

9. The end result after my Couch to 5K training is over. And that end result is being at least a little more in shape than I was when I started. I miss the incredibly athletic body I had in high school. And the Couch to 5K training program seems really logical to me and feels good while I'm doing it. But it also makes me want to go out and buy a ton of new sneakers. Because I love sneakers and I haven't had any reason to buy a new pair until recently. Also I love the burn I feel in my legs when I'm running. Sounds crazy I know, but it's not the pain that stops me from working out it's the getting bored with it that stops me.

10. It's no longer June for me at work. Third June is officially over and I can now act like its July just like everyone else in the world. Of course I have no idea what the date really is or what day it is, but I'll catch up eventually. Maybe in August.

11. I'm trying hard to come up with an 11 so I can have a list that's not a nice even number. But I can't come up with anything even though I know I have a ton of things I am happy about and thankful for. So, I guess I'll just say I am so grateful for the abundance I have in my life.

So, why is this post Rated R? Because of the song lyrics that go along with it of course! When I need to vent my anger I like to listen to my angry music. And on today's commute home you can bet that I cranked up my iPod and sung along to my angry music at the top of my lungs. The song I'm going to quote is a nice bitter diatribe from the point of view of the woman scorned. For me today this song was directed at the source of my work frustrations who will remain nameless (and who is in no way any sort of romantic interest for me, that thought makes me shudder!). Here is Untouchable Face by Ani DiFranco (who is coincidentally the cousin of a former co-worker/current Facebook friend of mine).

So fuck you
and your untouchable face
and fuck you
for existing in the first place
and who am I
that I should be vying for your touch
and who am I
I bet you can't even tell me that much