Why Adults Need To Take More Breaks

Somewhere around 10, we can probably all agree we graduate from using the word play in the traditional childlike sense. We tell that light-hearted word to stay swaying on the swings and climbing up the tree houses of our youngest age bracket.
We cement the one-dimensional definition in and tend not to use it unless it's a verb for sports, a live production we buy tickets to see for or something we tell kids to do in the backyard.
Since Adult Land is all about commuting and calendars and co-workers, we need a reason for doing things. A means to an end, a next rung, a monetary reward.
Considering play wants to loan firecrackers to our imaginations and unleash our right to goof off, you can see the conflict.
But play what makes us pause in all the adult hullabaloo to get our blood going again.
The other week, one of my best mates and I blew the dust off of Cliff Nobles, hit the gas and ended up at the beach two hours north. We halted on route to go poke around abandoned farmhouses, take photos by old motel signs, climb into an unsupervised ferris wheel and feast on BBQ in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it town. When we got to the deserted beach, we ran for the swing set. If you're anything like me, you asked yourself, "When's the last time I jumped off a swing?"
So I did.

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Khalil Gibran

It wasn't scheduled into a day planner and I definitely didn't make any cash doing it.
Yet, the spontaneous play through the whole day pulled the rug out from under all my regularly scheduled programming and took a defibrillator to my office-weary heart.
I needed it.
I needed it because play has a necessary place in balancing out responsibility and deadlines. Play pulls me back from the cliff of taking everything too seriously and gives my steaming brain permission to take a breather.
When I tally what play gives me - a broader perspective, a well-deserved break, the incredible company of my friends in brand-spankin' new places, a plate full of inspiration to pour back into my work - it's pretty ludicrous that I can be so convinced it's the territory of children.
We all need it.
So the next time you're yawning into a half-cup of coffee in the midst of too many open tabs, you know what to do: go play. (source)
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Dani Kreeft is the one woman force behind paper goods brand Dani Press, currently based in Toronto, Canada. If she isn't scrambling to ship greeting cards and art prints across North America, she's probably wandering around with her camera foraging for a coffee.

Dream

I encourage you to watch it all the way through. It's good. :)

The Ankle Chronicles - post 7 of who the fuck knows

Here is a picture of the tricycle (or "Seated Scooter") I rented for the remainder of this ankle pain in the ass(I've had it for 2 weeks now). You put your bad leg up on one of the cross bars in front of the front wheels and then push off the ground with your good leg. I liked this option better than the knee scooter because I was gonna have to kneel on my right knee and that is a bad knee for me. I have what is called patellofemoral dysfunction and should not be putting pressure on that knee.

The scooter is a little bulky ( I am keeping it at the office now instead of hauling it back and forth between home and work, then I crutch to and from the car, then I have the wheeled walker for at home...3 mobility devices!) and it has a very wide turning radius, but it has really helped out. It arrived quickly (2 days) and the shipping was free. Then they sent me a get well soon card with a fed-ex shipping label to send the scooter back with! Very nice. So, free advertising for Goodbye Crutches (http://www.goodbyecrutches.com/)! Check 'em out for all your gimping needs!

Links

So, I'm gonna stop aiming for Friday links, it just doesn't seem to work for me. Fridays always seem to be the busiest for me at work lately, and then the weekend starts...it's hard for me to pre-load the links posts like I do for most of the Saturday Happy Songs because I need to build the links posts. It takes a lot of time and attention, even more so if I am gonna give a blurb about what the links are or what I like about them...And I just haven't been sure if that is worth it in a little while.

So, here is a bug dump of all the things I have liked or found compelling or worth sharing on the internet since the last time I gave you a links dump a couple weeks ago. Enjoy! :) ♥ 

♥Chinese Factory Workers and the Toys They Make
This was amazing. It is a photo study called 'The Real Toy Story' by German-born photographer Michael Wolf. He did a whole gallery instillation using toys made in China held to the metal walls of the gallery with magnets.

♥Amy Poehler writes a short essay about her job the summer she was 17

This pumpkin:

 

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♥'Classic Rock Stars At Home With Their Parents' LIFE Photo Series

Especially this one of Frank Zappa and his parents and cat:

♥The Starwood: Home of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll
I love the punk community...

♥Best Halloween Events In L.A.

Which, through it's amazing header photo that I LOVE of a young girl entering The Bates Motel introduced me to:

♥Carolyn Hampton Photography
LOVE! What an amazing photographer.

♥Malala Yousafzai on The Daily Show:


♥Brides Throwing Cats Instead Of The Bouquet

♥We've all wished we could put tiny clothes on a hamster

♥“500 DAYS IN DOWNTOWN L.A.” Walking Tour

♥Haunting Photos Of 'Dead Man's Curve' Vehicle Graveyard

♥Joni Bakaradze Mummy: Mother Claims To Have Preserved Son's Body For 18 Years Using Alcohol

♥'Shark Cat' Is The Most Important Song To Hit The Internet

♥Maria Tallcheif died... :(

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Fuck Yeah Junko Mizuno!!

Blogging by phone - I finally got the Blogger app

Well, it required me being a fricking temporary cripple, but I finally searched for and downloaded the Blogger app for my phone! I can blog on the go now people!

Stay tuned for more posts void of content and full of random pictures!

When you ask who the hell I've been texting all night the answer will be no one! I was blogging!

Oh...Facebook has lost a little more of it's charm.

The Ankle Chronicles - post 1 of who the fuck knows - a HUGE rant

It's Sunday.
It's a quarter till 6pm.
It has been a super sucky weekend, ending a super frantic turned sucky week.
I am tired and frustrated. I feel helpless and depressed.

Wednesday night I was with Mia and was leaving her place to go visit a friend that was in the hospital. This friend only had visitor's till 9pm and it was 7:30pm. I was not paying attention as I rushed back out her door and down her porch steps. I missed the last 2 steps. I stumbled. I fell. ON my right ankle. I heard it crunch. I screamed.

I was in SO MUCH pain. I had never felt such pain after a fall before. I got scared. I knew it was really bad from the very moment I heard it crunch.

I went to the E.R. they wrapped it and gave me crutches (They took no address or insurance information from me, I am scared to see this bill...should it ever get to me) and was told to follow up with my doctor the next day. I did. She also did not want to commit to the ankle being broken, she said let's plan for it to be broken and then if it's not it'll be good news! Go to the ortho doctor she says. Went to him the next day (this whole time people that I am relating this tale to are freaking out about how I haven't had it set yet and this is day 2...well, are you able to get a referral and a specialist appointment in 24 hours? Anyway, it's besides the point, but this is going to be a whiny post cause I have had a sucky week and have been surrounded by stupid people). Can I just say sarcastically that the best part of this whole thing is I was completely sober. That I have had nights, all dressed up and wearing way too high shoes, so drunk I couldn't see, and I have survived those totally unscathed. That I had on Doc Martens oxfords, and had not one drink or smoke or drug in my body, and simply due to being anxiousness and being rushed I fucked over the next month of my life...

Ortho doctor says there could very well be a hairline fracture in there, in a weird place. Other than that it is acutely sprained, muscles torn, deeply bruised. Gave me a "Walking Boot" and told me elevation and ice, stay off it as much as possible. I went home and did just that. I have done that Saturday (except to get ready to go out to a much needed girls night out Saturday that was canceled...), and I did that today (other than to go out to breakfast with girls I was supposed to have girls night with last night). I am so tired, and bored and frustrated. I can't walk at all. I love that I have been home, but I am not sure I will get paid for not coming in Friday, and I know I won't get paid for taking the last half of Thursday off. So, this whole ordeal has become uber expensive and I have just sat on my ass with ice on my ankle. It wasn't like I was getting cleaning or projects done.

This is SD's last weekend of summer vacation, and I wanted to be able to help her pack food, and get ready. I wanted to start a whole new page after having an amazing party weekend with friends and instead I am just gonna try and survive the week, again. My partner is exhausted, he has done my laundry, his laundry, helped move the last of his daughter's stuff in, taken me to all doctor's appoints, carried me to and from the car when needed and slept next to my huge booted foot and will be driving everywhere till I can drive again. I can't drive...I also have to take this paragraph to give a shout out to Mia, who stayed calm, went with me to visit our friend in the hospital and then waited 3 hours for me to come out of the E.R. so she could drive back to my place, pick up my partner and then drive back to her place where I left the truck. All on a school night! 

I TOTALLY get that I will heal. Probably fast because I am in very good health and take care of myself. I understand that I will probably be walking in my walking boot next weekend and the weekend after that the ortho doctor will X-Ray it and probably tell me I am close to healed. I understand that this is probably about a month out of my life. But, still, THIS IS A MONTH OUT OF MY LIFE!! GRRR...This will test me...

I actually have to remind myself that this week didn't start out sucky, that last weekend I got to spend 3 days in a row with a very dear friend of mine out from the east coast. That I got to say good-bye to that friend this morning at breakfast and for these things I am blessed.

I will use this to make me stronger, and be inspiring and I know I am resilient and I will rise above. I KNOW this. But, my week still sucked really bad and the upcoming week is gonna suck really bad, and I needed to vent.

Thanks for the ear.
Done now. Moving on.
♥

Moving - Day 2 - The Last Scramble

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We're moving! Not far, not even out of this town (we love this town), just 2 doors down in our building. YAY! More room! Step-Daughter has decided to stay and so she needed a room. It was such a lucky break to find her one right here in the building. We got a good portion of stuff out yesterday. We have to finish today. I am most worried about our bed, cause it's heavy. But, there is actually lots of work to be done still...

I am about to lose the internet while my man moves the computers next door, then we have to have the bill swapped. So I will be gone for the  next week probably sorting all that stuff out. 

Have a wonderful start of July and I'll catch you up on all the fun we had next week. 

~Sydney  

Jack

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The girl

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blood roses

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Quote by Francesca Lia Block

Life has turned on it's head again, this time in a really positive, happy way. New adventures, new opportunities, new possibilities. Things have all happened very quickly, but I think that only adds to the excitement.

I also feel a tidal wave of debt coming on as I need a car and a new apartment pronto, but I can't tell you how excited that makes me. So, I am passing up much of the worry to simply savor this moment as long a possible. ♥