You might have thought, looking at the title, ahh yes. Another foodie ranking. Well, that's why we included the adjective 'different' in our title. Because it isn't just another list of our faves and pans. Though we shall warn you that another rank and yank of the local cuisine is forthcoming. Restaurants have changed. There have been new additions, things have gone away, and we've re-evaluated our opinion on some regular haunts. But we digress. Now, that Top 10 List. The Different one. Yes, it's time we put a stake in the ground and let the world know the top 10 good and bad things in our view. And remember, even though Shrub is back in office for another four years, last time we checked, the Constitution was still a valid and binding document, and it is still a free country with respect to being able to hold and voice your own opinion. Let's hope that doesn't change.
Top 10 Good
10. Having so many sunny days in a row, that you begin to actually 'miss' clouds and overcast weather.
You begin secretly hoping that the fog rolls in.
9. Having an organizationally flawless day.
You've made your list, you've plowed through it, and you still have time to spare for other activities.
In other words, everything went as planned, and in most cases better than anticipated.
8. Figuring it out yourself.
Repair people? Ok when it's really so over your head and you don't have the tools and means, sure.
But for all the little stuff, c'mon, that's what a geek loves to do!
7. Getting through a day of working for the man with no raging fires.
You have no idea how rare of an occurrence this is. On par with how often diamonds occur in nature.
And how sweet it is when you aren't afraid of the phone ringing off the hook or the cacophony of voices screaming at you from your email inbox.
6. Getting that ray of sunshine in your day from a source unexpected.
It's a horrible day. Fires raging everywhere. Feels like nothing can go right and arguments abound.
Then you get that pat on the shoulder. From a peer and comrade-in-arms. Reminding you that it really is just a job. And how well you are doing at it.
5. Having a great meal, and great alcohol to go with it, all in moderation.
It's that simple meal. The one where everything tastes perfect, start to finish. And you've had the glass (or two or three) to go with it. And the union is just too perfect to describe with words alone (no, you need sound effects here). You're tired, lightly and happily buzzed, and just plain happy.
4. Sitting up on the rooftop with a glass of good wine, surveying the beauty that is the city.
The rooftop is great. Sure it takes a few flights of steps. And then there is that pesky alarm to disable and contend with. But nothing can compare with the spectacular 180 degree view of the San Francisco skyline. The Bay Bridge on one side, Twin peaks on the other, Potrero behind, and millions of little lights embedded in those big, big skyscrapers. Breathless.
3. Hitting your life milestone ahead of schedule.
This one goes on the bad list too. But it deserves mention here. You have a view of where you are, and a foggier sense of where you are going (but you still believe in the map). And then one morning, you realize you've arrived at your destination a little ahead of schedule. Woo hoo. But then you look around and everyone else has already gotten there first (and been there for awhile). Still, it puts a smile on your face. Maybe you didn't end up being the rocket scientist, but you aren't completely out in the bushes either.
2. The tribe.
From the other half, to the 4 small furred ones. How can you resist the love and attention of animals who just want to do nothing but spend quality time with you? Their idea of the perfect day is being able to be near you every minute, play a bit, and take a nap at your side. And no matter how crappy things get, all you have to do is look at them, and you soften up instantly.
1. Realizing 2 very universal truths.
A. Life is meant to be a journey. It will have ups and downs, and it is meant to. Wishing to have only ups means you don't grow, you aren't challenged. Sometimes it feels like there are more lows, but they don't last forever, and you eventually come out.
It all evens out in the end and makes for a very rich experience
B. There are no magic pills or cures.
Apart from the antibiotics that you might need in dire circumstances, todays modern medicine is simply a bunch of hucksters trying to sell the latest snake oil and make a fast buck.
We have inconveniences. There's a pill for everything, but guess what, there are side effects too.
And not only the ones the stick at the bottom in fine print either. Wait 20 years. That thing called the human body? It is after all a 'feedback mechanism' folks, and a very complex one at that.
Funny how people are so quick to forget biology lessons.
Top 10 Bad
10. Being quoted by the Fifth Estate, being published with that quote, and having all sorts of people from your past remind you that, oh, you still 'work for the man'. How nice.
Never mind that you sweat the quote, worried throughout the whole process, and basically had to figure it out pretty much all on your own.
9. Yellow journalists in the technology sector.
It's bad enough that we have them in daily news. Influencing the feeble minds of those sheep in the red states. It's worse when you have them writing for the technology market. More feeble minds falling prey to disinformation. Tar and feather these people. And then string them up as an example to others. They deserve nothing less.
8. Putting your energy into a friendship, and not necessarily getting what you'd like out of it.
You embark on that lovely adventure known as camraderie. After awhile, you being to notice the warts.
Yes, you think to yourself many times over, being mature means accepting those comrades as they are (sans perfection, but with all the good that comes with the package).
Trouble is, it still rankles you somewhere deep in your psyche. You've spent your life exercising a strict policy of slash and burn on the premise that life is too short, yet here you are changing your fundamental rule. It just doesn't feel right. And well, lopsided friendships carried out on someone else's terms just get tiring after awhile.
7. Hitting your life milestone early. Yep, this one's on the good list, but it has a sting which lands it here as well. And it's the old 'now what?' You get on the little hamster wheel, you spin and spin, and the magic pellet pops out. Whee. How exciting, how exhilirating, how ... marvelous. You eat the pellet.
Guess it's back to the wheel for you.
6. Coping with depression.
It is a week to week thing. Sometimes it sinks its fingers deep into your soul until you feel complete despair and begin to ponder the futility of it all. Some days you are crumpling it up and hurling it away like the worthless emotion it is. But it never goes away. CONSTANT VIGILANCE, as Professor Moody would say.
5. Listening and Understanding what is going on in America today.
The election? It was a crusher. We got all excited and did our homework as good citizens do. We were READY to vote. We thought c'mon, he HAS to win. There simply cannot be another four years of Bush.
How wrong we were. And how dejected. And how it gets rubbed in daily via NPR.
Another four years of the idiot and his pathetic neoconservative cabal.
4. Dealing with idiot repair people.
The washer breaks. We've been through this before. Repair guy tries to bullshit us into paying $125 for a part that only costs $35. We get that nonsense out of the way. Then there is the haggling over labor. Finally the day comes to get it fixed. He hits the side of the house with his truck after careful attempts to guide in the gas guzzling piece of shit. This after five calls the same day to ensure HE IS COMING. And the time slot being adjusted 3 times.
Getting the repair done takes some effort as the repair person in question seems to have ADD.
The toolbox is a mess, dumped all over our floor. Another trip or two to the truck to find the right tool (do you happen to have a flashlight?)
Finally there is focus. This comes at a price. The telling of current life story and woes. Which happen to have resulted from completely stupid and preventable circumstances. Feign sympathy.
An attempt is made to get more sympathy by stating that it takes $50 a day to fill gas in that awful vehicle. Bite my shiny metal ass buddy.
The repair is finally done, and our sanity in shreds. We are NOT doing this again.
3. The fucking washer breaking, again. THREE days after the idiot repair man services it.
Whirlpool. What a lovely company. They warranty everything on the stupid washer except for the one thing that is guaranteed to break. Over and over. Oh, and the advertising claim about their front loaders being 'self balancing'? What a load of crap. Self-balancing my ass.
It broke choking on two LIGHT blankets. Idiot repair guy fixes it. Today, 3 sheets, some pillowcases, and a few t-shirts, and the damn thing BREAKS AGAIN. It's a Bosch or a Miele next time guys. Really. The small bonus of course is that we watched the repair guy do his thing verrrrry carefully. On purpose.
All we need now is the part (bring it on folks, we can fix this baby).
2. Working for the soul-less entity known as 'the man', and coping with all that entails.
Ahh the man. He provideth, but yet, he taketh away. So much. On so many levels.
How does one resign oneself to the constant vexation that such an environment provides?
Perhaps it's not so much a resignation, but the fact that a person gets worn down over time.
That grinding wheel is beginning to hurt. And that loud sucking noise you hear? That, my friends, is the sound of the corporate vacuum, sucking away the life force.
1. Stupid people.
Really, this sums it up. The root of all evil and all problems. It is that simple.
Make them stop! Make them shut up. Please?
It's actually kind of scary if you think about how large a category of folks this covers:
The red state people
People who can't think outside of the box
People who are obstacles
'It's not my job' people
People who judge
People who have very narrow standards
People who define beauty as superficial
People who are lazy
Simpletons
Rich heiresses who end up on porn DVDs
Pop stars from Texas with reality shows and books on how to do the perfect wedding (oh shut UP already)
Starlets
Politicians
People who wear fur
People who abuse animals
People who drive and design SUVs
People who don't understand and respect the environment
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