Taking Off and Landing

It’s time for the cheezy end of year stuff: bear with me. I feel almost compelled to do this.

In no particular order, and with very little research or thought put into this at all:

Best Live Band I Saw This Year

5) Guster–always a great live performer.
4) Wilco–I won’t say anything else.
3) The Roots–hip-hop live? You better believe.
2) Ryan Adams–even totally stoned, he was fantastic.
and….
1) Trey Anastasio Band–Phish who?

Best Sunset I Saw

5) Austin City Limits Festival, Day 2–with 70,000 people covering Zilker Park. Hot day, pretty great end to it.
4) Georgetown, TX–was driving with Kevin. A good day.
3) Softball fields, Baylor, Waco, TX–no particular reason, other than I was sitting on the hood of my car watching a good day go down.
2) …..there is no #2, but i had to create distance between #3 and #1, because it wouldn’t do justice to #1 otherwise.

1) the Dam, Waco, TX, following a storm–good company, the sky was phenomenal after a hard rain.

5 Books Everyone Should Read that I Read This Year

5) We Regret to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families–an account of the Rwandan genocide
4) East of Eden–on my perrenial top 5 list.
3) Dogmatics in Outline–Karl Barth’s smallest, yet most profound work.
2) Bonhoeffer and the Practice of Non-Violence–Stanley Hauerwas. Why peacemaking is more than not fighting. Excellent.
1) The Brothers K–David James Duncan. It steals your life and will not give it back.

5 Beers

1) Bud Light–Kevin, VFW, Austin.
2) Harp–Neil, Scruffy Murphy’s, Waco.
3) Newcastle–Andrew, no particular reason, Waco.
4) Shiner–Greg Payne, camping, outside San Antonio.
5) Honey Brown–anytime, no reason really applies.

Best Things to Give Up Because You’re Working

5) Uncomfortable Shoes
4) Haircuts
3) Trite Conversation
2) Anger
1) Television

It’s been a good year. There’s much, much, much, to give thanks for. Thoughts on the year’s passage tomorrow. You’re the best.
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And if you have time, go here. Minus some typesetting oopsies, it doesn’t look bad.

After a year in retail, my anniversary having come and gone, I’ve abandoned the following:

1) The idea that people are naturally pretty good. After the first week of Christmas season shopping, this one dies a horrible death.

2) Uncomfortable shoes. I’ve taken to wearing house slippers at home. Fashion? Screw it.

3) A sense of shock. Nothing really surprises me anymore, only the volume in which it happens. For example, having a kid throw up in the children’s department is no longer surprising. Having three kids throw up is a surprise. All shock is just math, really.

4) The corporate ladder. I have ambition to accomplish certain things, but only to do them, not because I hope that they’ll propell me somewhere. For example, I could leave Waco and be a department manager in Dallas, but I’d have to leave the things that make my job good: Waco, the people, my life.

With that in mind, I present the following quiz:
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
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A customer walks up to your counter where your feet hurt from standing in place for the last hour. He inadveredly cuts in front of three people. You tell him where the line starts. The 60 year old man ruffles his overalls, yells something indiscernible, and THROWS a hardcover book the size of your grandmother’s family bible over the counter. You narrowly dodge the book, and stand in shock for the first time in a year. Something unexpected has happened. What do you do?

Do you:
1) Go to your happy place, recalling the serendiptious lunch with a friend who was passing through town, tell the customer to f*** off, flip off your boss and walk out with your head held high, hair blowing down the breeze?

2) Throw the book back? A tempting offer. Tell them you thought they were playing catch. Shake it off. Fake seizure if necessary.

3) Jump the counter and beat the old man to a pulp? Jack Black would be pleased. Bonus points if Dick and John Cusack show up.

4) Calmly continue your routine? Hmm…job’s on the line here….the boss is watching, yet mildly sympathetic to your plight.

5) Cook him some potato soup. On the spot. Use the book for fuel. Ignore passing stares of misunderstanding co-workers.

What do you do? Me, I’m going to simply wait the season out. Christmas can’t last that much longer.