How do you express your gratitude?
I verbally say it, make a meal or hugs. Nothing massive or epic. Not every form of gratitude needs to be a grandiose gesture.
Did you guys think I was going to give you a thesis?
Category: Uncategorized
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Adapting to changes by COVID-19?
How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?
Wal-Mart is no longer 24/7. Honestly, the biggest change has been that public transit did not return to pre-Pandemic levels. Efficiency has decreased significantly. Before, my usual buses ran at every 15-20 minutes weekday and weekends every 30-45 minutes. Now at least one bus I need is every 30 mins while another is hourly.
Beyond that, it’s felt like business as usual…but with more homeless folk in Tampa. More homeless means more frustrated and mentally-disturbed people. This situation then leads to a lot of beggars and, sadly, more drug addicts.
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Morning Rituals? 1st hour of the day?
What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
My brothers and sisters in Erdtree, what the fuck is that?! When the clock strikes midnight, I’m usually at work. There is no “1st hour of the day” for me.
Everyone’s 5am is my 2pm. I’m taking a piss, washing my hands, brushing my teeth, making sure my cat is fed and then I walk out the door to meet my daughter at the school bus stop. I ask her how her day was and as usual, she’s so zapped from school that she asks for alone time so she can chill in her mom’s bed in the living room and asks me to mellow out.
Eventually, I chug 6oz of coffee brewed via espresso maker with 1Tbsp of raw cane sugar as my cat decides to sit next to me at the dinner table as I contemplate what I will do next.
I like to believe I usually treat my non-work days as an open world rpg game. I could work out or game. I could play guitar or read a book. I could watch/listen to video essays while I draw. The actual definitive points that exist are showering, waking, feeding cat and child, showering and sleeping. What happens in between are never clearly defined.
Being a creature of the night also has drawbacks. I’m awake while everyone is concluding. I sleep while the world awakens.
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40 is Here! Thoughts and Reflections.
Last weekend was an important one. I celebrated 40 years of my life on this earth. I didn’t fly to the land of my parents in Puerto Rico. I didn’t fly to my birthplace of Brooklyn, New York. Instead, I flew to Washington, D.C. for a change of scenery (and spent time with my girlfriend as well). It was cathartic. It also induced many moments of reflection as I flew back down to Tampa, Florida. I enjoyed soaking in the energy and vibes of the Native American Museum. If not for needing to experience other things and sights, I would’ve been lost inside that museum. Perhaps it was the Taino blood that ripples in my bloodstream but I felt connected. I got to enjoy all the Cherry Blossom trees in the capital. It was fitting. I had recently finished my playthrough series of Persona 3 Reload. The game has a starting and ending setting that involve Spring and said trees. I got to also enjoy the African American and Asian American museums, as well as viewing Capital Hill. It had been my first time since I was 12 years old. That alone gave me some sense of nostalgia. The weather was also very fitting as it was my ideal weather discussed in a previous blog entry. Last stop of notable places were the Botanical Gardens and the Air and Space Museum. I had never been to the former. The latter was greater in scale than I had recalled back in January 2011 when I visited it last.
As I traveled back home, I arrived at full circle to reflect on my life journey. It made me also ponder where my parents were at my age and where I’m at now. More importantly, I thought about their health compared to mine. I’ve succeeded them in some ways, but I also considered how much I have left to go. I’m grateful every day that I have a healthy heart rate, no sugar issues, no mobility issues of concern. At 40 years of age, I feel at least 32. If anything makes me realize that I’m 40, it’s how my life experiences changed my view of love. They also changed how I perceive parenthood, heartbreak, loss, and the struggles of life.
Leaving my parents’ nest changed me. The weight of fatherhood, heartbreaks, marriage, and divorce is significant. Being a pet parent also affects me. All of these things have changed how I view the world. They influence how I view life as it moves behind, inside, outside, and ahead of me. I’ve had women I loved come and go. I’ve seen dear friends, classmates and family members wither and die (either suddenly or through the abyss of time itself). I have watched my daughter be born and begin to grow. I’ve come to understand what loving a pet is like compared to human life.
Even with my current knowledge to alter my past… I regret nothing out of my life — mistakes and all. If a New Game Plus version of my life were to emerge, I hope that I keep all the lessons. I want to apply this learning in the future. Like Moira MacTaggart, I want to use this knowledge to make the next life more successful.
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Favorite Type of Weather?
What is your favorite type of weather?
If it’s early 40s at lowest and highs of 69, we’re good to go. You can say that I enjoy early Spring and late Fall type of climate.
