Frustration Nation

Sunday night’s festivities went from happy to crappy for us fans living in Pittsburgh, the epicenter of the Steelers Nation.  Can’t win them all I suppose.

A lot of people say that HD TV is the only way to watch football – it ups the realness factor.  I wasn’t feelin’ like the living room was floating above Dallas TX, but I did get as close to the HD pixels as possible to test out the feeling of being one with the team…

I guess the picture looked good.  Call me crazy but I can’t really tell a huge difference between broadcasts in HD and regular TV.  Maybe I would do a closer inspection if Armani had sponsored one of those $1 million, 30-second commercial spots featuring a shirtless David Beckham.  I can be shallow that way sometimes.

So HD TV is not my thing, but one piece of modern broadcasting technology that I am totally digging right now is:

The Outdoor Channel’s live Eagle cam.  I’m obsessed with watching this eagle sit in her nest…on an egg…in West Virginia.  When that little redneck baby eagle hatches…it’s gonna be famous I tell ya.  Maybe they should broadcast the hatching in HD :-).

The website to check it out is http://outdoorchannel.com/Conservation/EagleCam.aspx.  If you don’t see an eagle obsessively warming an egg, check back later.  She’s probably out killing a mouse or taking care of other important Eagle business.

When I invest time or money into anything requiring power, I want to turn it on and have it work…immediately.  Reading through instruction manuals, setting up programs, figuring out gadgets…is not my idea of a good time.  It frustrates me to no end.  If it’s too complicated, I use the whatever-it-is the best I can, far below its intended capacity. 

Case in point.  I think my car takes voice commands but I have no desire to figure out how to operate that feature.  The other day I hit a button on my steering wheel and the car asked me which radio station I wanted.  I’ve had this car since 2006 and didn’t even know it could talk.  It would be much more useful if we could converse about meaningful subjects…like which nearby martini bars are having happy hour…or when the redneck eagle baby is going to hatch…or where David Beckham will be stripping down for the next Armani ad.  

Complicated technology is my greatest source of frustration.  What frustrates you?

The eagle cam captivates me for a reason I don’t understand.  If you could set up a live web cam to watch anything in action, 24/7, what would you pick to watch?

The Long View

This is where I grew up ~ near the top of a hill, overlooking a small, industrial city. 

I spent the weekend at my parents’ house and had some free time on Sunday afternoon.  It was one of those picture-perfect days.  Warm sun.  Cool breeze.  Perfect day for a walk.  So, I put on my Nikes and headed out. 

I’m a little goal-oriented obsessive, even when I go on walks.  I usually set a time goal or a destination goal.  Today, it was all about destination viewing platform.  It’s one of my favorite spots in town.  On the platform, you can always find locals as well as new visitors.  And if the ice cream shop is open, a few kids with messy faces and sticky fingers.  This day was no different.

No matter how many times I’ve looked over the edge and down on the city, I’m captivated by the view.  You can see how the buildings relate to each other, the street grid, the river, the railroad tracks, and the surrounding hillsides.  Together, it all makes the city look interesting and amazing.  Some call it a birds-eye-view.  I call it The Long View.

Sadly, many locals don’t spend much time downtown.  They say that the buildings are old and show their age.  Or, that they’re annoyed by parallel parking.  Or, that there isn’t enough excitement.  One small detail or another holds them back from enjoying the city, and also holds the city back from thriving.  When I go downtown, I always remember the view from the top and the small details of the city’s imperfections don’t seem to matter so much anymore.  I also look up at the platform and wave – just because I can. 

With most things in life, stepping back from the details lets you see and appreciate the total package.  It works with home life.  It works with jobs.  It also works with people….especially the ones you live with.  Honey…if you leave your 8-iron in the middle of the living room.  One. More. Time.  I’m gonna  %*(#%&!!!   Small details and annoyances will always be there – it’s how you view them that matters.  Mr. Backbone is an excellent golfer and being competitive is part of his total package, which I love.  So, now I just smile when I see the occasional club sharing our sofa with the pillows and remote control. 

If details and annoyances tend to ruin your day, your work, or your relationships, take a step back.  Remember the whole package.  Take the long view.

Do you tend to focus on details, or do you see the longer view?  Are there any details or annoyances bothering you right now?

Now is Not Forever

Friday has arrived and so has the end of “Change the Way You See, Not the Way you Look” week.  Have you done something nice for yourself this week?  If not, practice a little self-love today! 

 

 

My copy of the book Operation Beautiful arrived by mail today and I can’t wait to read it.  I don’t know why I do this, but before reading any book I always flip to the back and read the credits and acknowledgements.  This time I had a nice surprise.  In the back of Operation Beautiful was a list of “Motivational Mantras.”  There was one that I really liked: 

Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end. 

We all seem to get sooo stressed out about the right now.  We trick ourselves into believing that how things are today will be that way forever.  And, it’s simply not true.   How many times have you heard your friends say things like… 

•  Marc broke up with me today; I’ll never date anyone ever again.
• That dress doesn’t fit me anymore; I’ll always be too big for it.
• I had a fight with my brother; he’ll never talk to me again.
• I got my bank statement; we’ll always be broke!

If you say these sorts of always and never statements, try to stop thinking that way.  Time passes.  Situations change.  Circumstances change.   Take a minute and think about how many things you were once upset about that were resolved or that time healed.  I’ll bet there were many, too many to even count.

 

Yesterday I was Busy (with a capital B!).  I kept saying “tomorrow will NEVER come!”  Well, whatta-ya-know, here I am in tomorrow-land.  Nine months ago I was so depressed that I figured I would NEVER be happy again.  Well, looky-here, life is still not perfect , but I’m much happier!!  What about you?

 

Have you ever thought something would never change, but then it did for the better?