A Tree Grows in Edmonton, Then Another
:: My head seems to be in the clouds somewhere. I’ve had a quiet day, except for the morning (see below). Earlier this week, my neighbour, while I was at work, planted a bur oak tree in my front yard.
Growing up in Winnipeg in the late 50s/early 60s, we were surrounded by oak trees, and planting this little tree reminds me of that time, and gives me a good feeling. In my backyard, a Manitoba maple is growing, having seeded itself four years ago. I noticed its little trunk poking up through the large wood chips in the area where my Juniper pines are housed. I was amazed that this could happen – how could a seed make its way into the soil through those wood chips? In any event, I’ve let it grow, and it’s now well over six feet tall.
:: I always feel a bit odd this time of year. It’s the literal calm before the storm. Today is May 31st, already one-quarter of the summer months is over. Next week at this time I’ll be in NYC, and the next few days will move at light speed until I leave.
Part of me wishes I could escape and find peace and calm waters. My house is a complete, disastrous mess, and needs to be industrially vacuumed! The left side of my neck is almost 100% locked up, despite having seen the chiropractor on Thursday and Friday. I am never sure why my mood is subdued at this time of the year. I wonder if it is because the next few weeks will fly by, and it will suddenly be July and we will be preparing for the fall. It’s as if the May-Aug time period, when the sun is warm and the days are long, are too compressed. Regardless, I am feeling melancholy and nostalgic, and I know there are other reasons contributing to this.
NYC will be exciting, exhilarating, overwhelming, draining. It is not the usual NYC trip I take – as I’ve mentioned, I’ll be attending a conference for the first five days. I will see many people I like a lot, and meet new ones, and have the pleasure of introducing Geoff to SLA and NYC concurrently.
:: This morning I had my hair cut, and afterwards, having contemplated it for years, had my hair streaked the colour of copper red. Yes, you read that correctly. Call it a momentary lapse of mental coordination, or the least damaging thing I can do to my body in honour of my impending half-century birthday.
(The other options include a body piercing and a tattoo.) Now I will face the public, and gauge others’ reactions. Will my friends and colleagues be truthful? Really, what does it matter? I did it, I like it, that’s all that matters. And I’ll fit right in when I get to NYC.
May 31st, 2003 at 23:20
Have a good and fun trip!!
June 1st, 2003 at 23:57
i am all for a tattoo
what would you get and where?
June 2nd, 2003 at 13:43
Is this an emotional need like Hub’s motorcycle. Is it hard to grow old gracefully? I want to under the psychology behind these kind of needs?
June 2nd, 2003 at 14:11
It’s a momentary lapse of mental co-ordination. I know that because you DIDN’T GET RID OF THE GREY!
June 2nd, 2003 at 16:09
What’s Hub’s motorcycle? It is probably difficult to grow old gracefully. But I still feel like a kid, and always wanted to do something silly like this. I take few chances, so doing this was, well, fun. As Mike knows all too well, “What can I say?”
June 4th, 2003 at 10:29
Mike: I’ll tell people that I decided to streak my copper red hair with a bit of grey. Or:
1) I shampooed with ketchup
2) Someone spilled beet juice on my head
3) My scalp acupuncture session had problems