I am thankful for all the people I have found in 2018.

Also, I loved meeting and spending lots of quality time with my nephew, chopping wood with my father, laughing really really really hard with friends in the city and my hometown, floating in a canoe among the stars, reading more books, writing, visiting Europe and some new countries, enjoying whiskey in an Irish tavern and singing along to traditional ballads, and my four months (thus far) journey listening to all the best rock music from 1965 to 1974 in chronological order, which, thanks to Wikipedia and Spotify, has greatly expanded my knowledge of the genre, if there is such a thing.

I look forward to 2019 and what enthusiasm I will bring

My favorite experience of 2018:

I've got to run for some New Year's festivities, so I'll share more of that day in the New Year...

About a year ago my friend decided to invite a bunch of us over for a poker game, and we had so much fun that we did it again at another friend's house in October.  This is no small feat, as four of the attendees have children, and the fifth bought a house with his girlfriend this year.  I have the most flexible schedule of all of them, although I don't live in the area anymore.

There's a line from that song where they say "I lost my money playing poker..."  Thing is, I haven't.  We had another game Saturday night, and for the third straight time, I finished second and got my money back.  As Seinfeld would say, "Even Steven!"

I wouldn't say that I'm always Even Steven, as I did win the one poker game I played with my friends in the city in November.  That time I got frustrated early and went all in on a mediocre hand because one of my friends kept harassing me and criticizing my every move.  But they let me buy back in after my other friend went out, and I had more patience, rallied and somehow managed to come back to win.

I decide to stay upstate in my hometown with my family another night, and my brother-in-law wants to redeem a gift certificate and get some cognac at Black Dog Wine & Spirits before they close.  So we get there right before closing time, and I pick up a bottle of Old Crow whiskey on a whim, mostly just because my favorite song is still Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show.

Then we head over to our local microbrewery, Argyle Brewing Co., which is in the old train station across from the Cambridge Hotel and down the street from the food co-op my mom ran for a few years.

As we walk in, I hear those unmistakable first chords of my favorite tune...

The previous time I'd come there was a local bluegrass duo on the stage whom I'd happened to meet while dining there in the summer.  It's also a minute's walk from our family friends' home, which I painted in 09 to earn money to travel in India and Asia.

When I emerged from the underground around 5 today, at the beginning of vacation, I heard a large amp across the street blasting "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by James Taylor.  But by the time I reached the corner, it had ended and the next song began, which also put me in good spirits.  People near my apartment are always blaring music that I don't really vibe with, but for the 1st time since I've been living in Harlem I got to return home to the theme song from Shaft!  Masterpiece.

Granted

1st of all, I'm not a huge fan of last week.  My schedule for the next session got switched to nights, but it doesn't go into effect until I get back from my Christmas vacation, so today and tomorrow I have free afternoon's.  On Thursday I got to relish in another session completed, wished numerous students well in their future endeavors, and was happy to be listening for the first time to this great song by John Mayall called "The Bear" when I got to my car and noticed someone had smashed my window... again... and they didn't even steal anything!  All they accomplished was making a mess... and carrying out the grand workings of destiny, I would suppose.

So today, because I had the afternoon free, I was able to meet the glass technician by my car and read Ron Chernow's biography Grant for an hour while he repaired my window.  As fate would have it, I read about Johnson getting impeached, reconstruction and Grant being sworn in as president all while viewing his tomb, the largest mausoleum in America, in the background.

When my window was broken in the spring, it took the company four tries to actually bring the correct window, but today the first time was the charm.

Thank you for the food, extremities, and shelter today

On Tuesday I finally bought a ticket to Dylan.  I always had this rule against it, because I had such a fantastic perception of his heyday that I didn't want to see him as an old man who could barely sing.  The Youtube videos a decade ago hadn't been promising.  But then I realized, well of course he can't sing the same way, he's in his 70's.  He always had a strange voice anyway.  That was one of his rustic strengths.  And after listening to lots of jazz and improvisational rock music over the years, I realized that the best artists are constantly innovating their styles, so who cares if it sounds different than the record.  Thus, I got a ticket.

Then on Wednesday, social media reminded me that I had posted the conclusion to his epic poem "Last Thought on Woody Guthrie" on that same date some years ago.

On Thursday I saw the show, 9 years after I had a bonfire with my family, watched the embers glowing in the shape of a pyramid, talked with my dad about his adventures up in the Arctic Circle around when I was born, and then stayed up all night because I'd secretly taken a very small amount of acid and simply couldn't fall asleep.  I definitely listened to Mr. Tambourine Man (live) as the final song before I left on my journey the next day.

Whereas I was glowing during the show last night, I got pretty down afterward, mostly because I was really hungry and tired.  But there's been drama at work that I wish I didn't have to hear about, and on top of that is the cyclical recurring feeling that although there aren't really many tangible consequences (although sometimes there are), I don't feel very appreciated for my contributions in various areas of life, which is a feeling I don't like having, as I prefer to count my blessings.  That's one of the main battles of life: learning when to sacrifice and when to take your stand.  Relationships, living situations, work.  I've always been in it for the interactions with people, the love of language, and the training/skills I get from teaching what I know.  Yet sometimes one wonders that nobody would really notice or care if you weren't there.  I know that isn't completely true, but it still gets to me from time to time.  Even so, I enjoy this way in which the universe has enabled me to serve somebody thus far.  There is more to come.

The finer details of the drama aren't important.  What is important is that I was able to come home, put on "Last Thought on Woody Guthrie," and remember why I was teetering on the edge of a snowy cliff in Zion eight years ago, and why I should still be infinitely thankful that gravity, the way of the universe and my own will power didn't allow me to slip and let go.

Once I catch up on sleep, I hope to feel enthusiasm for the new printer I'm picking up soon, and the ensuing printing that is to come.

Bob Dylan Songs

U

Legend is living

Magnificent journey dream

I'm glad I got a seat for the Bob Dylan show

He wrote many favorite songs of mine, and sang many this evening

Up in the balcony, witnessing the man who wrote the original Wagon Wheel...

Made quite the moment with the encores "All Along the Watchtower" and "Blowin' in the Wind"

"When I Paint My Masterpiece"

Beacon Theater is already such

Vibrate with music and poetry sensation

A bright night to be in New York

Worth the price of admission

Enthusiasm, magic creative language

And then some

I've been reading former Thanksgiving posts on this weblog, and I still feel the same way.

I will add that I am thankful for five years of truly unique learning experiences at the hands of a vast diversity of nuanced humanity

I love you, William Goldman!

I am happily participating in recreation and relaxation after some reading and Sunday writing, clear blue skies and secret beauty waiting to be discovered and awe adored

YAY

Vote for progressives!

I took the train to the city because my car is getting repaired.  Perfect sun sparkling on the Hudson with mid-autumn leaves as far as the eye could see.  Then I enjoyed sunset on the river, seeing a friend, and walking around Harlem, admiring the architecture beneath the moon and stars.

This morning I was woken an hour early at 6 am by a bus parked beneath my window.  The alarm was on, the door was open, and the driver was off getting food somewhere, and took seven minutes to get back.  Then it took him another minute to figure out how to stop the alarm.

Later I was ready to begin a new session at work.  I was showered, fed and dressed in newly cleaned clothes.  When I stepped out of my apartment I kicked a sneaky cup filled with some sort of yellow liquid, hopefully lemonade, which sprayed on my pants and shoes.  I was 15 minutes early though, so I shook it off.

When I got to the train, hordes of passengers were waiting on the platform.  Some incident, power off, trains crawling at a snail's pace.  The whole car was quiet except for two loud women who talked the whole way, and this the morning I didn't bring headphones.  Of course, I was 10 minutes late instead of 15 minutes early.  Same thing happened a couple weeks ago.

Then the classes were great and life was good.  Nice challenge in the morning with advanced students, and in the afternoon the usual for 2018 since they removed me from advanced  listening and speaking: enjoying smiling faces but straining to once again teach the same freaking level 3 curriculum on an eight week cycle for the fourth time this year.  The smiles though.

Sometime in the afternoon I remembered it's my 5 year anniversary working for my company.  Go figure. I am a richer man for this endeavor

17 years ago I was 17 years old, and writing about a personal experience that had transformed me.  I was going to use this writing for my university essay.  I was writing about being thankful to still be here, that is, in existence, with the living, after the events of that holiday.  The first night I'd put my heart on the line for the first time, and although we'd been flirting for a month, I was disappointed.  The next night I watched tough guy westerns with my friend to feel better, drove him home and avoided a deer on the way, dropped him off, drove toward home and avoided two deer on the way but this time hit a telephone pole, which caused my air bag to deploy, the car to fill with dust, Led Zeppelin music to warp, and the telephone pole to break and fall, thankfully, to the right of the car and not through the windshield.  So I am always very thankful on this day, above all, that I am still here and getting to do all the amazing things I do, while always reminded that others who have done much for the world aren't here anymore, so I have to share something every day in a way that improves how we play

Welcome!  You will enjoy trust, love and pleasure sweet one

I watched a perfect sunset from one of my favorite mountains with the sun on the lake.  Many thanks, summer

Wind with water, fire on rocks

Listening to waves

Sipping on a Paradox

81818

ANY

∞

—

∞

—

∞

WAY

I guess that's why they call it "Curveball"

Talking
and
walking,

typing
and
moving,

eating quite well,
and
slowly improving

I am thankful I get to write while speaking freely with others

and moving in many places

I woke up Monday morning an hour early, and when I heard some rustling, I witnessed another living being whose presence was surprising, but I watched it go its way and leave me to my own new path, just a reminder that it was there, bringing knowledge of uncertain senses as we brave each day.  I woke up and went to work, relaxed at home, walked around our large city, talked with someone, and read some very new history while considering the next steps

I've been thinking of joining a gym lately, because I don't get much regular cardio exercise anymore.  I walk up hills and hike occasionally, but not as much as I need.  I was thinking about it a lot the day before.  Then, at work, the article in the afternoon class was about making big changes.  One particular exercise was all about getting in the right mindset to go to the gym...

I get advice from some kind friends

Today I woke up, will make changes

Many things happened on Thursday

I know that I notice such things with unusual frequency....

Brussels, Belgium (6/8-9)