Do you Take a Sleeping Pill When You Fly?
A number of my friends have jobs that make them into road warriors. It is not uncommon for them to fly several times a week.
During a recent conversation one of them told me that when he flies he often takes a sleeping pill just before take off. I must have made a face because he told me that it is quite common for people to do this.
So I am curious to get your feedback. Is this accurate, do many people take a sleeping pill when they fly? Are you among them? Do you like it? Do you do it to prevent boredom or stress?
Inquiring minds want to know.
During a recent conversation one of them told me that when he flies he often takes a sleeping pill just before take off. I must have made a face because he told me that it is quite common for people to do this.
So I am curious to get your feedback. Is this accurate, do many people take a sleeping pill when they fly? Are you among them? Do you like it? Do you do it to prevent boredom or stress?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Go Away Monday
As a child one of my favorite books was called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. When I was having a hard time with something mom would read that to me and remind me that sometimes we all have a bad day. I am not sure why, but I have this mental image of reading it on rainy days.
It is kind of funny to think about. I tower over my mother now, but in these memories I can picture climbing up on the couch and wondering when I would be tall enough for my feet to touch the ground. What happened Mom, you used to be so much taller.
Anyway, today has been a particularly grueling Monday. It is the kind of day where I feel like I have been kicked in the teeth so many times I can identify the kind of shoe leather my gums have been intimate with.
There is a massive knot in my neck and my jaw aches from being clenched. Call me what you will, but right now I feel like Atlas has fooled me into taking over his job. And maybe he did, maybe it happened. I can't say for certain that it didn't.
'Cuz today is one of those days where I look in the mirror and wonder when was the last time I was happy. When was the last time I felt true joy because all I seem to see are storm clouds. I look toward the future and I hear the thunder and lightning. I look to the left and the right and see a pair of twisters heading straight for me.
The siren is blasting and Robbie the Robot is yelling "Danger Will Robinson" and instead of being confident that Jack will handle it all like 007 I am worried that I'll turn into Doctor Smith.
I am trying to maintain some perspective about it all. Last week was D's birthday. He would have been 40. In a couple of weeks we'll watch as the 11th anniversary of his death comes and goes. I am still here. I am still kicking and though it feels like I am being kicked I have the opportunity to get through it all, he didn't.
At least that is the sort of rah rah speech I have given myself. That is part of a "Jack Special." Whenever things have been rough I have always found a way through. I have tripped and stumbled, but I always came through. I don't expect it to be any different this time.
But I'd be lying if I didn't secretly hope that I'll wake up and find myself sleeping on the old couch. I'll stand up and walk into the kitchen and climb up onto the counter to see if my father's blue Dodge Dart is parked in the driveway yet. If it is I'll go racing through the house to find him, time for him to play with me. Or maybe I'll just play with my Legos and Lincoln Logs and try to keep my baby sister from wrecking everything I build.
Go away Monday, I have had enough of you today.
It is kind of funny to think about. I tower over my mother now, but in these memories I can picture climbing up on the couch and wondering when I would be tall enough for my feet to touch the ground. What happened Mom, you used to be so much taller.
Anyway, today has been a particularly grueling Monday. It is the kind of day where I feel like I have been kicked in the teeth so many times I can identify the kind of shoe leather my gums have been intimate with.
There is a massive knot in my neck and my jaw aches from being clenched. Call me what you will, but right now I feel like Atlas has fooled me into taking over his job. And maybe he did, maybe it happened. I can't say for certain that it didn't.
'Cuz today is one of those days where I look in the mirror and wonder when was the last time I was happy. When was the last time I felt true joy because all I seem to see are storm clouds. I look toward the future and I hear the thunder and lightning. I look to the left and the right and see a pair of twisters heading straight for me.
The siren is blasting and Robbie the Robot is yelling "Danger Will Robinson" and instead of being confident that Jack will handle it all like 007 I am worried that I'll turn into Doctor Smith.
I am trying to maintain some perspective about it all. Last week was D's birthday. He would have been 40. In a couple of weeks we'll watch as the 11th anniversary of his death comes and goes. I am still here. I am still kicking and though it feels like I am being kicked I have the opportunity to get through it all, he didn't.
At least that is the sort of rah rah speech I have given myself. That is part of a "Jack Special." Whenever things have been rough I have always found a way through. I have tripped and stumbled, but I always came through. I don't expect it to be any different this time.
But I'd be lying if I didn't secretly hope that I'll wake up and find myself sleeping on the old couch. I'll stand up and walk into the kitchen and climb up onto the counter to see if my father's blue Dodge Dart is parked in the driveway yet. If it is I'll go racing through the house to find him, time for him to play with me. Or maybe I'll just play with my Legos and Lincoln Logs and try to keep my baby sister from wrecking everything I build.
Go away Monday, I have had enough of you today.
My Dream Job
If you ask me, the world renowned philosopher known as Jack, many things in life are backwards. We spend enormous amounts of our childhood in school being instructed about many important topics. It is hard to argue against education and I am certainly not going to do so.
But the hard thing about a school education is that it doesn't always prepare you for the real world. It doesn't give you the sort of life experiences that you can only find outside of the classroom and in some ways that is tragic.
The human life span is very brief. You are born, you hit middle age and then you die. It doesn't provide much time for you to venture out into the world and learn about who you really are and what you like. Far too often you find that circumstances require you to spend your time working in places and situations that are not suited for you.
There are a variety of reasons why this happens, but not the least of which is that sometimes you cannot know until you try. You may think that you were born to be a teacher but until you hit the classroom and get real life experience all you have is your suppositions and expectations.
Most of us do not grow up knowing exactly what we want to do. Most of us have an idea or two, but we are not really sure so we just muddle our way into new things and hope that they work out.
I am no different. When I graduated college I had this dream of becoming a sports writer. It didn't happen. I am not a sports writer and haven't been one in years. Can't even claim to be a writer who moonlights as a sports writer, a la Mitch Albom.
But that is ok. I am not some 25 year old kid who wishes that he could cover the Lakers or Dodger's beat.
These days I have slightly different dreams of what and how I want to spend my time, not to mention, with whom. Life is a funny sort of creature.
I am a native Angeleno. Forty years spent in the great City of Angels and I have never cared at all about being a part of the business. Know all sorts of people who are. Writers, directors, producers, agents, I have friends in every category, some of who are quite successful.
And until recently I never cared one whit about being a part of that world. But a while ago something changed. A while back I realized that I really enjoy writing these Fragments of Fiction pieces.
I really enjoy trying to tell a story. It makes me very happy and I think that it could be fulfilling. So suddenly I find myself thinking that writing is really where I want to be. I find myself thinking about making a movie. I find myself thinking about how cool it would be to translate the things I see inside my head onto paper and then onto film.
So now I find myself wondering if I should pursue the dream. I don't care about being famous, in fact I don't really want to be. I want to be able to live my life without concern about being tabloid fodder. But it would be very cool to write a book and or a screenplay. Now I want the chance and the experience.
I may find that I hate it, or aspects of it. But I know for certain that I won't ever get tired of telling stories. It won't grow old for me. So now all I have to do is figure out a way to do it and fifty percent of my dreams will come true.
But the hard thing about a school education is that it doesn't always prepare you for the real world. It doesn't give you the sort of life experiences that you can only find outside of the classroom and in some ways that is tragic.
The human life span is very brief. You are born, you hit middle age and then you die. It doesn't provide much time for you to venture out into the world and learn about who you really are and what you like. Far too often you find that circumstances require you to spend your time working in places and situations that are not suited for you.
There are a variety of reasons why this happens, but not the least of which is that sometimes you cannot know until you try. You may think that you were born to be a teacher but until you hit the classroom and get real life experience all you have is your suppositions and expectations.
Most of us do not grow up knowing exactly what we want to do. Most of us have an idea or two, but we are not really sure so we just muddle our way into new things and hope that they work out.
I am no different. When I graduated college I had this dream of becoming a sports writer. It didn't happen. I am not a sports writer and haven't been one in years. Can't even claim to be a writer who moonlights as a sports writer, a la Mitch Albom.
But that is ok. I am not some 25 year old kid who wishes that he could cover the Lakers or Dodger's beat.
These days I have slightly different dreams of what and how I want to spend my time, not to mention, with whom. Life is a funny sort of creature.
I am a native Angeleno. Forty years spent in the great City of Angels and I have never cared at all about being a part of the business. Know all sorts of people who are. Writers, directors, producers, agents, I have friends in every category, some of who are quite successful.
And until recently I never cared one whit about being a part of that world. But a while ago something changed. A while back I realized that I really enjoy writing these Fragments of Fiction pieces.
I really enjoy trying to tell a story. It makes me very happy and I think that it could be fulfilling. So suddenly I find myself thinking that writing is really where I want to be. I find myself thinking about making a movie. I find myself thinking about how cool it would be to translate the things I see inside my head onto paper and then onto film.
So now I find myself wondering if I should pursue the dream. I don't care about being famous, in fact I don't really want to be. I want to be able to live my life without concern about being tabloid fodder. But it would be very cool to write a book and or a screenplay. Now I want the chance and the experience.
I may find that I hate it, or aspects of it. But I know for certain that I won't ever get tired of telling stories. It won't grow old for me. So now all I have to do is figure out a way to do it and fifty percent of my dreams will come true.
Apple and Blogger
I don't know what is going on, but every time I use a Mac for blogging I find that weird pieces of code are inserted into my posts. Must be a setting, but I am getting sick of finding 'divs' all over the place.
A Song for June Continued
(Part one can be found here and some notes can be found here.)
Dear June,
This is the third attempt in the last hour to try and create something that is not stupid nor embarrassing. I am not sure that I am succeeding but I won't fail for lack for lack of effort. I have tried to compose blindly as well as by using television themes.
Tell me dear June, would you not find it to be incredibly romantic for me to sing you a love song based upon the theme to Gilligan's Island or Threes Company. Wouldn't it be great to have it set to Sesame Street.
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
a tale of a fateful trip,
that started from this keyboard,aboard this tiny ship.
The blogger was a mighty writer, the girl a...."
See that is just horrible. Or what about:
"Sunny Days, sweeping the clouds away,
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to June's street
Come and play
Everything's A-Ok
Friendly games to play with June on June's street
Can you tell me how to get,how to get to June's street"
See, that is better than the first attempt, but not really what I want. And don't even get me started about the attempt to use The Jeffersons or Land of the Lost.
As long we are playing this game I had thoughts to use themes from television/movies along with pictures. Could have done something with LA Law and Moonlighting. Played around with Dallas, Knots Landing and the Dukes of Hazzard. I even considered using the Drew Carey Show but didn't for obvious reasons.
So I kicked all that junk to the cyberspace curb and mulled and considered my options. I let my iTunes shuffle run in the background. Was it coincidence that The Letter came on followed by Funkytown. I don't know.
For a long while I lived my life the way that Mick sings in Visions of Paradise. He said it well with:
Dear June,
This is the third attempt in the last hour to try and create something that is not stupid nor embarrassing. I am not sure that I am succeeding but I won't fail for lack for lack of effort. I have tried to compose blindly as well as by using television themes.
Tell me dear June, would you not find it to be incredibly romantic for me to sing you a love song based upon the theme to Gilligan's Island or Threes Company. Wouldn't it be great to have it set to Sesame Street.
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
a tale of a fateful trip,
that started from this keyboard,aboard this tiny ship.
The blogger was a mighty writer, the girl a...."
See that is just horrible. Or what about:
"Sunny Days, sweeping the clouds away,
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to June's street
Come and play
Everything's A-Ok
Friendly games to play with June on June's street
Can you tell me how to get,how to get to June's street"
See, that is better than the first attempt, but not really what I want. And don't even get me started about the attempt to use The Jeffersons or Land of the Lost.
As long we are playing this game I had thoughts to use themes from television/movies along with pictures. Could have done something with LA Law and Moonlighting. Played around with Dallas, Knots Landing and the Dukes of Hazzard. I even considered using the Drew Carey Show but didn't for obvious reasons.
So I kicked all that junk to the cyberspace curb and mulled and considered my options. I let my iTunes shuffle run in the background. Was it coincidence that The Letter came on followed by Funkytown. I don't know.
For a long while I lived my life the way that Mick sings in Visions of Paradise. He said it well with:
Just use your heart not your headSo as I release a mighty sigh I think of you and smile and admit that thus far my attempt to write a song for you has been a bit of a bust. But old Johnny is what you can call, determined and tenacious. I don't give in or give up easily. This was just the first round.
While I fall apart in my bed
I find myself aching for you
I feel myself breaking in two
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