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Supreme Chancellor: “Remember back to your early teachings. ‘All who gain power are afraid to lose it.’ Even the Jedi.”
Anakin Skywalker: “The Jedi use their power for good.”
Supreme Chancellor: “Good is a point of view, Anakin.”
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
OK, the Supreme Chancellor is a bit twisted in his interpretation of things, to be sure, but still here are a few good things I’m thankful for today:
- The weather lately has been so pleasant for walking to work in, for sitting on the patio, for roaming the neighborhood
- The school year is coming to an end again for Padawan Learner. The more he attends, the more I enjoy his breaks from the daily go-go-go of early up, early out, perpetually sleep-deprived teenager
- Padawan Learner’s land-speeder is continuing to hold it together. We just need it to get to June…
- Our tickets to visit Canada are purchased, 2 of our 3 passport renewals have been completed (last one went in today), and the time is sure to come faster than we can even expect
- We have a quickie trip back to Michigan planned in the near future. It will be wonderful to see some old friends and family again.
- We’re all healthy. This really should be first. I’m coming to realize more and more that good health is paramount.
- Dad Windu is still one of my favorite people..
- Padawan Learner is more interesting than exasperating these days. They really do grow up given enough time (and with a lot of tongue biting on everyone’s part)
- Shmi Skywalker, aka my mom, tells me that she’s making two trips out this summer, one with my brother, Plo Koon, and another with my sister, Kit Fisto. Neither have been here before.
- DW’s sister (Padme Amidala) and her son (also known as PW’s nemesis during their early years, Sebulba) are also planning a visit.
- My Fox Barrel Pacific Pear cider is utterly delicious and doesn’t give me a tummy ache.
- Padawan Learner received two awards from a couple of his classes for exceptional progress and going above and beyond in the class.
- DW and I were able to roam about a construction site nearby. That’s always a good time, and I always learn something new. This one showed several layers of historic road that was quite interesting – old tram lines still in place, filled over and covered by a brick road, covered by multiple layers of asphalt.
- Both of the cats finally seem to understand that going out on the patio means staying WITHIN the patio border and not over onto the rubber decking. This makes their excursions outside with us much more relaxing.
- I’ve finished two interesting books this week – always a highlight for me.
- Qui-Gon Jinn sent a Facebook message to say she’s heading out our way for a graduation party, so we might be able to grab a bit of time together that weekend.
- And much, much more. I could probably make an equally long list of complaints, but I choose not to focus on those so I will not.
Han Solo: ”Chewie? Chewie, is that you?”
[Chewie grabs Han and shakes him]
Han Solo: ”Ch-Chewie! I can’t see, pal. What’s going on?”
[Chewie barks]
Han Solo: ”Luke? Luke’s crazy! He can’t even take care of himself, much less rescue anybody.”
[Chewie barks again]
Han Solo: ”A Jedi Knight? Jeez, I’m out of it for a little while, everyone gets delusions of grandeur!”
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Eating well, living well, loving well, staying healthy, getting fit – I’m seeing those themes a lot again lately. Ah, the new year is upon us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking such goals. Frankly, it’s impressive to see so many people looking deeply, evaluating what’s working and what’s not, committing to a better future, whatever way that may be. I’m getting a bit jaded is all. Easy come, easy go seems to be how the merry-go-round of resolutions has gone since they were first begun. When did people start making New Year’s resolutions, I wonder? Maybe I make resolutions and don’t even realize it because I don’t start them on the first of January. Maybe my own goals and aspirations are just a poor man’s substitute for not really pulling out all the stops and committing to something in writing. Then again, maybe not. Forward movement, that’s really what I’m after.
Just to join in, here’s a few things I missed this year that I’d like to get back into my life for 2009.
- First, I miss vegetables growing in my front yard. Perhaps my neighbors didn’t miss them, but I sure did. We joined a local CSA last summer and I was unsure how many veggies we’d be getting at any one point in time, so I filled the veggie bed with flowers instead. But I miss veggies in my front yard I found, so I’ll be placing tiny little seeds in hearty soil come spring and hoping for a bumper crop – even with all the CSA veggies.
- Second, I miss seeing the Lake on a regular basis. I missed listening to crashing waves, seagulls and splashing kids. So we’ll pack up the car, drive to the beach, slather on the sunscreen and know that we missed some essential spot which will burn like mad. We’ll come home sandy, tired and happy. Rinse and repeat.
- Third, I miss sleeping in a tent, walking away from everyone in the middle of the night to see a map of stars laid out across the sky, and cooking over a campfire. We’ll grab Padawan Learner’s buddy, Biggs, and head off to save the galaxy from a campground far, far away.
And just because they make me happy, here’s some things that I’m really glad about from 2008.
- We – meaning the people we paid to do the actual work - insulated the roof and the walls, put in new energy efficient (and, if I might say so, lovely) windows, completely resided the exterior and had all the heating ducts scrubbed clean - without going even a penny into debt. Years of savings were put to their intended use. The house is so much more pleasant to live in that I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
- I got to know my niece, Princess Leia, a lot better. From the obnoxious little girl that she was as a child and through the bewildering teen years, I have always loved her but I have grown to really like her as well this year. Life hasn’t been easy these past 15 months for anyone in the extended family, but it has brought out a strength of character in this beautiful young woman (seriously, she’s gorgeous!) that is remarkable. As an added bonus, things seem to be thawing a bit between her mom and my family, for which I am particularly thankful.
- Padawan Learner, Dad Windu and I finished the year out in good health and DW still has a fair-paying job that he enjoys (most of the time). Food, clothing, shelter. Check, check, check.
A few things in 2008 did surprise me, like the fact that my overall cholesterol count went up from a very braggable, thank.you.very.much 140 to a still respectable 170, but the ratio of good to bad deteriorated a fair bit. So I’ve gone back to walking daily and eating oatmeal for breakfast, despite the fact that I need to put brown sugar in it to make it palatable (which is pretty fast-acting and decidedly not good for keeping my blood sugar levels on an even keel), or I should say I needed to do that. Although I vocally poo-poo’d how my friend M-T’s Mom (here-forth to be known as Yoda, for her endless wisdom) eats her oatmeal plain – double yuck – or with dried cherries in it, I am now a devotee of 1/3 cup of dried cherries in my big bowl of oatmeal every morning. Leave it to Yoda to teach me about eating something as elemental as oatmeal.
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