Friday, March 27, 2015

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Thought for the day: The only journey is the one within.  [Rainer Maria Rilke]

[morguefile]
Back in the sixties, a lot of people expressed an aching need to find themselves. There were plenty of self-proclaimed gurus around, too, who scrambled to serve as tour guides for anyone interested in taking an introspective trip or two. (Psychedelic drugs extra.)




Who am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle. [Lewis Carroll]

I never fooled around with all that navel-gazing stuff, because I was too busy doing what I had to do to wonder why I was doing it. Besides, I wouldn't have known what I was supposed to be looking for in there. Lint? The lost colonists of Roanoke? Some kinda weird voodoo vortex of self-validity? Yeah... lint.


It is necessary... for a man to go away by himself... to sit on a rock... and ask, 'Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?'  [Carl Sandburg]

Maybe ol' Carl had it right. Maybe I should go into isolation and stare at my belly button for a while.

Nah. I can't go away... who'd clean the litter boxes? Besides, I kinda like hanging around with Smarticus, and ya know, sitting on a rock doesn't hold nearly as much appeal as it once did.

Oh, I'm so full of it. The truth is, the only thing I'm going away from for a while is... blogging. Just as I've done the past couple years, while a bunch of  you are participating in the A-Z challenge, I'm gonna be doing my thing... whatever the heck that may be. No sweat. I'll figure it out. Hopefully, I'll get some writing done, but there's no telling. The only thing I know for sure is I won't be paying any attention to my own belly button. (The poor neglected thing.) Maybe I'll just enjoy life, rearrange a dust bunny or two, and take time to admire every rainbow.

Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself.  [Franz Kafka]

                                            Solitude?  Obviously, Kafka didn't have any cats.


Before I go, how about some stuff to tickle your brains and funny bones?
  • A Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog stand and tells the guy, "Make me one with everything."
  • Did you hear about the paranoid dyslexic? He always felt like he was following someone.
  • If it's zero degrees outside today, and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it gonna be tomorrow?
  • If a Jewish man marries a Catholic woman, what song should be played at their wedding? Simple... Oy Vey, Maria.
  • The first testicular guard (AKA cup) was worn by players in a hockey game in 1874, but hockey players didn't start wearing a helmet until 1974. Can you believe that? It took 'em a full century to decide their brains might have some purpose, too.
  • Have you ever wondered why people with closed minds open their mouths so much?
  • It must be very difficult to explain puns to a kleptomaniac. They always take things literally.
  • A Roman walks into a bar and raises two finger. "Five beers, please."
  • Sartre was in a French cafe and asked for a cuppa coffee without cream. The waitress said, "I'm sorry; we don't have any cream. Can I make it without milk?"
  • Know how to tell the difference between a plumber and a chemist? Ask them to pronounce unionized.
  • A Higgs-Boson particle walked into a church, and the priest said, "Sorry, but we don't allow Higgs- Bosons in here." Puzzled, the particle says, "But without me, how can you have mass?"
  • A programmer's wife says, "Run to the store and get a loaf of bread, and if they have eggs. get a dozen." He came back home with twelve loaves of bread.
  • Did you hear about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.

 All of you A-Zers, have lotsa fun with this year's challenge. I'll catch y'all on the other side of the rainbow.

                               Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

79 comments:

  1. I can't answer those questions. They make my head hurt. I don't know who I am, and I don't care. I can't find myself because I am lost and I'm too tired to look for me.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know who you are. You're a very sweet gal with a flair for words, and lotsa people who care about you. (Sounds like you could maybe use nap, too...)

      Delete
    2. Tongue-in-cheek here; can't find yourself? Look in a mirror, there you are. (*~*)

      Delete
    3. That's true, but then again, I don't know about you, but on those rare occasions I venture a peek into the mirror, some fat old lady keeps getting in the way.

      Delete
  2. I like the Roman ordering his beers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So the etymology of ivy is 4 beers? Do your thing, kid, but come back to this gardener. ok?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Absolutely! (By George, he's got it...)

      I'll be back, dude, before ya know it. The hands on the clock in my office are spinning so fast, I don't need a fan, so I know a measly month is gonna fly by.

      Delete
  4. Love your double rainbow. Have fun - you will be missed. Badly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I will! Like I told Fran, I'll only be an email away. :)

      Delete
  5. Thanks Susan - enjoy the break from the mad-house of the A-Z .. but I love the thought it was over a century before the men realised they need head guards! and the Hiiggs Bosun particle .. have fun and bring back some more jokes and quips .. cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll enjoy my break... you enjoy your romp through the alphabet.

      That bit about men's priority in protective gear cracked me up, but it didn't surprise me all that much. :)

      Take care. Cheers!

      Delete
  6. Great Sagittarians like us never waste time contemplating our navels. Maybe someone ELSE'S navel - - but never our own......

    I hope you have a wonderful time during your hiatus from blogging. I'm confident that whatever you choose to do will be executed with passion, humor, optimism, and creativity.

    The word "executed" kinda unnerves me.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Someone else's navel, huh? Depends on who that someone might be...

      Thanks. That's the plan, anyway. "Execution" is a stumbling block for me, too. Ideas, I've got plenty... it's the darned execution...

      Delete
  7. I'll miss you Susan ... I will still be writing, it just won't be with the A-Z's... I can barely keep up now... have fun relaxing rearranging the dust bunnies, can you drop by here and either rearrange mine or at least give me some tips .... lol... xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean. Keeping up with one post a week is difficult for me at times, but 26 in a single month... plus responding to comments, visiting other blogs, etc? Makes my head spin just to think about it!

      A tip? The easiest way to make your house look terrific is to take off your glasses. :)

      Delete
  8. April is a great month to refresh, regroup or just "be". It is my favorite month of the year because it is the awakening of the lovely things in nature. Have some fun and throw away any timetables you may have.

    And yes, I do wonder why people with closed minds open thir mouths so much.

    Read you in May.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think ANY month is a great month to just "be", but you're right; April's the best. (No fooling!)

      Delete
  9. Find yourself in a bowl of soup, those alphabets can talk back you know? lol enjoy your time away from the blogland bay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alphabet soup would take too long to eat, because I'd be trying to read it. Kinda like a Morse code operator listening to a tap dance...

      Delete
  10. I remember being a teen and finding many old paperbacks from the '60s and '70s regarding finding oneself. I thought they were interesting, probably because I was trying to find myself back then. Have a great blog break.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm gonna do my best to find a great time. :)

      Delete
  11. you can just sit and watch flowers burst into bloom. April is excellent month to just be you. Enjoy your break

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like the perfect plan! I believe I'll follow it. :)

      Delete
  12. Enjoy your time off. I will miss you !
    I so enjoy reading your post on everything and anything.
    April is a wonderful month to just enjoy.
    There are so many A to Z blogging they all confuse me. I can barley keep up with the monthly book and movie review.
    Loved all of the "ticklers" made me smile.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoy my weird posts. :)

      Cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  13. Enjoy your blogging break! Whatever you wind up doing, I know you'll enjoy it. You seem to have a gift for appreciating whatever life throws at you. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! That's probably because life has thrown me a bunch of terrific things... :)

      Delete
  14. I always try to take a break in April too -- although for the last 2 years I couldn't because I had a book releasing in April or May. This year, after First Impressions, I plan to take a break.

    See you in May!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have a terrific break! (Great minds really do think alike.)

      Delete
  15. Well, have a great time! Rearranging dust bunnies, huh? Let me tell you about my great shortcut to clean floors: pour a gallon of milk on the floor, go to your front door, open wide, and call out to all the neighborhood cats, "Here, kitty, kitty....heeeeere, kitty..."

    Looking forward to your return!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!

      HA! I think I'll pass on that cleaning method... we already have more than enough neighborhood cats hanging around here!

      Delete
  16. Thanks for the chuckles! I hope you enjoy your time off. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm not doing a-z this year as I'll be away for 2 weeks enjoying the sun and surf. I don't know if I can find a rock to sit on but there will be plenty of sand for me to sit on and contemplate...whatever. Enjoy your month off :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Two weeks enjoying the sun and surf?! Sounds like heaven to me. I hope you have a fantabulous time. (Don't forget the sun screen!)

      Delete
  18. Sending us off with a laugh! Have a lovely April. I am not an A-Z participant either...and hope to get some good writing done.

    ReplyDelete
  19. And here I am just getting back into the blogging. But like you, I will not be doing the A to Z challenge. Count me among the many fans that will miss your words. Enjoy your time off.

    Was Winston Churchill a Roman?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome back! It's been quite a while...

      I think perhaps he was.. I'm sure he went a roamin' every now and then. :)

      Delete
  20. Heehe love those chuckles. I'm not the type who sits and think 'bout my existence too although I 've got questions about other's existence :) I mean of things and stuff but it isn't a n activity which I prepare to think about. If it crosses my mind, I usually entertains it for sometime, then move on. I also like spontaneity in blogging-whatever comes to mind. If what I 'm posting has something to do with any meme, then I link up. I don't schedule myself :) See you when you come back. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I plan to have some fun. Might even do some (ugh) work. Seeya in May.

      Delete
  21. I'm not doing the A to Z Challenge either. Usually I do it every other year, but sometimes one needs to buckle down and break with tradition. I doubt the other 1400 folks who signed up (!) will miss me.

    Wishing you a fun and productive month!

    VR Barkowski

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  22. Fourteen hundred! OY! I'd make myself crazy trying to visit all of those blogs...

    You have a super duper month, too!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Aww, I'm gonna miss your posts. If I weren't taking part in the challenge, I'd abscond from the blogosphere as well.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh, cool! You're gonna do the A-Z? I'll have to stop in a check a couple of your posts... can't wait to see what your theme is gonna be!

      Delete
  24. We are of a like mind. I too am going away for awhile. Spring break, until I feel like coming back. My sisters coming out and my house needs cleaned, and despite the weather I'm going to garden, then I'm hitting the full 10,000 steps each day. Yeah I'm searching -- for lots of things - the first one - I'll decide after I've found it!

    Love your funnies - made me laugh aloud! That I will definitely miss! Just remember have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What can I say? Great minds really do think alike.

      Sounds like you're gonna be plenty busy. Have fun, too!

      Delete
  25. A double rainbow!!! Aren't they meant to be lucky?
    Thanks for all the funnies....needed a laugh this morning and you supplied more than just the one for which many thanks.
    Enjoy your break and look forward to your return. I do try to catch up with all your posts but apologise for missing them occasionally. I always use my age an an excuse for anything I don't do these days!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I dunno.They SHOULD be lucky... I always feel lucky whenever I spot one.(um... two...)

      Thanks. I'm always happy to hear from you, no matter how often or seldom that might be. You take care of yourself.

      Delete
  26. Uhhh! Lint? I want a diamond in my naval!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love the fun fact about hockey players! Have a wonderful well-deserved break, Susan! I'm sure you'll come back with more entertaining stories for us. Hope you have a very happy Easter! You will be missed.

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'll try. Not sure if there will be any entertaining stories to share when I get back or not, but I WILL try to "get back." You know how that goes. Getting kick-started again isn't always easy after the ol' engine's sat idle for a while. :)

      Delete
  28. I hope that programmers wife has a freezer for all those loaves.
    I never understood all that "needing to find yourself" business, all that 'who am I; why am I here?' stuff. I think that a lot of confused people were even more confused after they'd wasted time trying to find themselves.
    Meaning of life?
    There is no meaning, life just is. Live it and be happy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "... life just is. Just live it and be happy." Words to live by.

      Delete
  29. Okay, that Roman one got me. I'm going to have to remember that.

    Enjoy the break! Like you, we just can't do the A-Z. But I didn't know vacation was an option, either! Take us with you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can try out that Roman one the next time you go to a bar.

      Yep, that's one of the cool things about blogging. We can take a vacation whenever we'd like... without losing a single penny of our pay! :)

      Delete
  30. What awesome and fun post and comments...still chuckling from all the comments!

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    1. The folks who take the time to leave such cool comments make blogging worthwhile, don't they?

      Delete
  31. Love the Oy Vey, Maria. I'll be borrowing that one.

    Enjoy your time off not hunting for lint or the lost coloniat of Roanoke.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oy Vey, Maria cracks me up, too.

      Thanks. I will. So far, I haven't looked for a single piece of lint of colonist...

      Delete
  32. É Páscoa! Cristo está vivo, o túmulo está vazio, Ele ressuscitou!!! A mais bela festa dos Cristãos.
    Crentes no Amor de Deus Pai que nos deu seu Filho Jesus Cristo que permanece conosco pela força do
    Espírito Santos, seguimos nossa caminhada na construção de um mundo mais justo, fraterno, humano,
    harmonioso e de doação.
    Todos somos promotores da Paz!
    Feliz, Santa e Abençoada Páscoa.
    Um doce abraço, Marie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And sincere Easter blessings to you and your family, Marie.

      Delete
  33. I'm tired so I'll only get to a few A-Z'ers tonight. I like to read what they come up though. :)

    Happy break time to you, and Happy Easter too. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I've popped onto a few blogs to check the A-Z posts, but I'm mostly gonna be a lazy absentee. :)

      And a very Happy Easter to you and your family, too!

      Delete
  34. Have a fantastic April. I'll be writing. Since I'm writing this on National Beer Day, I have to go with the Roman in the Bar funny as being the best :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I disappeared for a while myself. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's kinda nice to disappear for a while, isn't it? The only thing better would to be able to leave only a Cheshire cat-like grin behind to hold our place.

      Delete
  36. First of all, good luck with whatever you're doing. Secondly, I'm still cracking up! :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Thanks! I'm wearing myself out with all this "free time." but our yard and gardens look pretty darned good!

      Greetings back atcha.

      Delete
  37. I've been scrambling to get a short story ready for the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. Always wanted to submit one to the contest but something usually got in the way. Stumbled upon the website a few weeks back and I immediately began rewriting and proofreading one of my stories. Have no delusions about winning, but honorable mention would be nice.

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    Replies
    1. Cool! Good luck to you. I hope, at the very LEAST, you get that honorable mention. :)

      Delete
  38. Blogging breaks are a must! Hope you enjoy yours and have fun doing whatever strikes your fancy.

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    1. Yeah, they sure are. Mine ends tomorrow, but now I think I need another rest to recover from my "break"...

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