Still Figurin' Out Who I Think I Am

This one's about groundhogs and the 3rd planet.

"Do they know it's Groundhog Day? Does your part of the world have such a weather related tradition? Are there any weather related traditions (actual or completely bogus) you observe? Tell us about the weather conditions in your part of the world."

Good afternoon y'all. You'll have to bear with me today as I'm in one of my moods...it's downright terrible outside today with the snow and the wind. Someone remind me again why I live in the northeast.

Snow in New York itself is a damn tradition. If you know anything about me, it's that I can't stand it. Passionately. And there probably isn't too much I get passionate about. Therefore, I generally try to avoid anything winter-related because if there's one thing people don't like, it's being around someone when they're miserable...and snow pisses me off.

It's not that it's cold; it's just that it tends to ruin good things...like sunshine and green grass. It makes going anywhere more difficult, it's a giant hassle because you have to shovel it (unless you're a shitty neighbor), and people tend to overreact and drive like a-holes. It's a major inconvenience that you can't do anything about. Sorry if you're one of those people who's into skiing and other forms of winter horseplay...we probably can't be friends.

And the sad part is that I've lived through almost 40 of these damn winters. Like, why haven't I learned my lesson and gotten the fuck out yet? I don't have an answer for that. I wish I knew, other than there's probably too many things I'd miss, and eventually I'd end up bored with paradise. But that's unlikely.

I don't think I have any weather-related traditions, to tell the truth...even when it's nice out. Unless you count forgetting an umbrella when it rains or wearing an inappropriate outfit when it's too hot. You know...just the uncomfortable things. I think in my next life I want to come back as a weatherman...I'm pretty good at being wrong half the time, so I may as well get paid for it.

"What does a groundhog think about Groundhog Day? Write a story, poem, or rant. Have fun and be creative."

I have no clue. Here's where I'm no fun today...do we have to pretend to care what an animal of little worth thinks? What does a groundhog even do? What's its purpose? They're, like, the least emotional creatures on the planet. Look at them...are they happy? Sad? Having a bad week? Who knows?

And why do we get so bent out of shape as a society when one sees its shadow? We have all this cool ass technology- hell, my tablet has the weather update as soon as I fire it up- yet we rely on some little rodent of folklore to tell us it's gonna be shitty outside for six more weeks? What kind of backward nonsense is that? I can type words on a screen that are seen worldwide, but the animal kingdom's version of Santa Claus supposedly can predict the future? C'mon man.

And where's PETA in all of this? Why are we exploiting animals instead of employing people who are trained in weather sciences? Aren't we above all that? You wouldn't send a six year old outside to see if the weather's bad, right? That'd be foolish, and would probably earn you a visit from Child Protection Services. Yet we're all cool with the groundhog doing all the work. Unreal.

He's on to you, groundhogs and weatherpeople.

Tell you what, people...live for today. That's all that matters. Planning ahead for trouble will only lead you to more unnecessary worries, and life's too short to waste 'em on wondering how much more it could possibly snow in the next six weeks. And that, my friends, is one to grow on.

"Do you think music has a magical effect on the mind? How?"

Absolutely. Without a doubt. Anything that triggers the senses can be magical if you let it (cue the Willy Wonka imagery here). It's a universal language that can transcend any mood. Everyone's got their "breaking point"...that moment where the right song can change you from being inconsolable into someone more palatable for public consumption. That's what makes us human, and not, say, a groundhog.

It's a not-quite-guilty pleasure. You know you've been there...you've had those moments where you're feeling nothing, and then "Oh snap! This is my jam!!". And suddenly everything feels right in the world. If having your frame of mind changed by a song is magical, I wanna be David Copperfield with dope headphones.

Surely though, it can go the other way as well. Remember earlier in this entry when I said I hate snow passionately? Ditto with country music. Wanna see my life turn to suck? Cue up some twang. I'll probably instantly dislike you for the eternity that you're around me. Just like nothing good happens at a bar past 2am, nothing worthwhile or prosperous happens between me and country music. Don't try to convince me otherwise; my life, my story. End of conversation. Wanna see magic happen? Watch me pull a disappearing act when you start bumpin' that good ol' boy noise.

But yeah, music does have a magical effect on the mind. Without it, we wouldn't have "The Soundtrack of Your Life" . We walk down the aisle on our wedding day to a murmuring crowd. Champions would raise their trophies not to Queen, but just to cheers. And all you'd have stuck in your head are silly thoughts. Music matters, and don't let anyone tell you differently.

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Here's a fact about me unrelated to this song that you may or may not have known: I'm a "third". I share the same name as my father and grandfather. Enjoy that. Let it roll around in your head for a minute or so.

I like lists. I make them a lot, sometimes randomly. They provide a sense of order in a life otherwise lacking it. When this Soundtracker activity rolled around, I made a list of artists I wanted to use, and I wrote down the songs I used last February, because I didn't want to repeat/recycle the same list as last year. I ended up with way more bands than days in February. And I still had no idea what song I wanted to use today.

But then I took a walk to the store to get a few things, and this song popped up on my iPod. It's the first Modest Mouse song I'd ever heard. I used to read a lot of music magazines and they'd always gotten good reviews...I was in a record shop one day perusing the used cd bins and came across this album, and I thought "Why not?", so I bought it not knowing what they sounded like. And it was amazing...you know that feeling of not knowing what you want until you have it? That was Modest Mouse for me. I guy-crushed hard on this.

It's actually a beautiful song, "3rd Planet". It also came around to me when I was first realizing I was having depression issues that would impact me going forward...I know I'm not a perfect person; I've made mistakes in life and I've let people down, but that doesn't have to define me because there can be good in otherwise tragic situations. Everything has a deeper meaning than what you see on the surface, and sometimes the reasons why things happen are greater than just what happens.

"Everything that keeps me together is falling apart.
I've got this thing that I consider my only art of fuckin' people over."
Lyrics.  

So I sorta lied yesterday...I did actually watch the Super Bowl even though I said I wouldnt. Turns out the NBC Sports Extra app I downloaded awhile ago was showing the game sans hassles, which wasn't the case earlier in the season. So I did what I normally do during football games...I abused my Twitter privileges. Why on earth #fathandsweat isn't trending nationally, I'll never know.

So hey, this is awesome, because I got this email today...

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Blow your own mind   with these facts of life. Groundhogs aren't necessary.

Boom...done! And I feel a little better (even though it's still shitty out). Peace, if you go straight long enough you'll end up where you were, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!