#offbeat

I happen to think that all things happen for a reason. Two weeks before moving to my new home in Maryland, my car — or Dave, as I named it — moved on to a better place. A most untimely, unfortunate event. I have lived in College Park, Md., in and around the D.C. area, for a little over three months now. I love the city and I think part of it is because I’m always on foot.

I’m half embarrassed to admit that I’m still in a bit of a daze when I walk around the streets of DC. I love riding the metro; having to physically climb the electric stairs, which get shut down unexpectedly at every other station; I love coming out of the dark, smelly tunnel to take in the sights of a new neighborhood; I love walking around the streets because while everyone might be avoiding eye contact with others who are passing by, I’m always looking; I love carrying my computer with me so that I can do a little @workshifting in new places; I love walking around squares and parks; I love staring at the monuments; and I could go on for a long time.

Many will roll their eyes and warn me that the things I like about this city are precisely what I will hate about it in a couple of months. Well, that’s all up to me isn’t it? Kind of like that song:

	BLUE LAGOON – Break My Stride .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Also, I’m postmodern. I like the chaos that you hate.

Here’s another one. SNOW.

I had warned people that I would go BANANA SANDWICH on the first day of snow because, although I saw snow for the first time last year in Minneapolis, I had never been anywhere for the first day of snow. Yesterday at around 9am, I got a call from a friend who knew this about me. Snow had apparently come early to DC. I nearly hurt myself as I raced to the nearest window. No snow in College Park yet, just slush. No problem. I hurried to get the day started. Once ready, I put on my coat and opened the door and I am not kidding when I say that I got… well, emotional. Too much? Maybe. But it was a pleasant surprise for me and isn’t that what we should live for?

On my way to the metro station I read tweets from people in DC and picked up on way too much snow sarcasm. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken those too personally. But maybe we shouldn’t take things for granted.

The holidays can get really cheesy. Embrace the cheese and embrace it 365 days a year. When we become embarrassed we run the risk of not putting the things we’re passionate about out there. So as a general rule of thumb, don’t jump on the “taking things for granted” or “it gets really old, really fast” bandwagons…

I’m watching “America’s Funniest Home Videos” as I type. People dressed as Santa falling off tricycles (and yes, hard objects to the crotch) still get laughs out of me and my dear friend @Dave_in_SA. So if those don’t get old, why should anything else?

PS: Hat tip to @unmarketing for the ” #offbeat ” trick he shared with me during #blogchat .