Climbing Mt. Ridiculous w/ "TV on the Radio"

Namaste, Cyber-Self. Namaste, Cyber-Universe.

I've had this blog title for more than a week and, in the spirit of Great Procrastinators everywhere, waiting to write paid off. I had my metaphor and then I had the chance to do the organic-thing again.

When I took the massage therapy position at UPenn, I made a commitment to myself that I would walk to and from work. It's a good distance, I need the exercise, I got a bangin' iPod... what the hell?

I have to cross the river to get there so both ways end uphill; that's been a challenge especially headed home. This past Saturday the windchill was something like 10 and every once in awhile, I got lifted ever so slightly off of my feet by wind gusts that had to be in the 40's... wow. Talk about your all-encompassing-psycho-spiritual-awakening! Just when I'd get the earplugs in, the scarf tucked back in, the hood back on and the glove on one hand... another gust would blow everything off.

And how many times did I repeat this futile process? Probably dozens. Why? Because I really really needed to listen to my newest Favorite Album, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by "TV on the Radio". Never even occurred to me to try the trek without it on. Ridiculous?*

Not nearly as ridiculous as the metaphoric effort that inspired the title... luckily it concerned someone in my professional life. My husband gets so pissed when I even mention the meeting I had with this particularly Difficult Soul... whatever. I did my best. Mt. Ridiculous has, once again, been no match for my willingness to climb it, to embrace the view at the Great Summit of All Things Ridiculous and to turn around knowing that I will have another opportunity to visit the Vista that truly inspires me. Crown me Queen Ridic, 'cuz Sweeties, I must keep a good sense of humor. I must. I must. I must.

And I'm totally blissin' at UPenn. And there's been a fair amount of the Ridiculous there as well. (You can look up the place, The Pottruck Recreation Center... you'll have to "google" it yourself. Sorry.) The massage therapy room is adjacent to the pool and... they've had intercollegiate swimming and diving competitions every day that I have worked so far. The noise! The teams! Yale! Dartmouth! Colgate! But not to worry... my clients were students and they could have cared less about the noise, so why should I? I did have a problem with the foot traffic because you could see my client on the table whenever I opened the door. So I pulled together a few fake trees to make a mini-forest just inside the door. 'Probably shocked the other therapist that's there during the week (was this NOT a problem for him? hmmm.) but they are putting a new wall in soon... probably during a massage session (was that out loud?) It's all good. It's all very very good. The meets will be wrapping up soon and I will (finally) go swimming. Me in a bathing suit in winter... I feel another Ridiculous opportunity coming on. :-)

Have fun out there, Cyber-Sweeties. If you have to "keep your wits about you", then make it a quick wit! XO

Namaste, Queen Ridic
aka Denise aka Fred's Kid aka Frank's Wife aka Cecilia's mom aka the Weird-But-Nice-Red-Haired-Lady-on-the-Fifth-Floor-Who-I-Think-Is-A-Massage-Therapist aka...

*As for the music, I am currently addicted to this album and I am beginning to mind-meld with their latest, Return to Cookie Mountain. (Their single, "Wolf Like Me", in rotating out there in MTV-land.) What's the pull? Maybe it's the Elmo-On-Acid backup singer... the guitar-meets-muscle-car revved up beats... the wacky mix of so much going on at once... lyrics I can understand(!) It's all good. I like music that makes me feel funny inside.

If you are climbing Mt. Ridiculous it's good to have a soundtrack.