This resonates so strongly for me, it makes the fillings in my teeth vibrate:

"Of course, this 'something right' doesn't equate to making no mistakes. (Where would the lessons be?) Rather, it rests in the daring impetus to choose this over that—perhaps for no other apparent reason than because it's what I want. "

Go, Astro Barry.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

Touched by the spirit of Christmas (or a facsimile thereof), last night I enjoyed some hot chestnuts for the first time in my life.

And by "enjoyed" I mean to say "tasted, grimaced and threw away." What a crock of shit this whole roasted-chestnut concept is! Sure, I was hoping for something like hot pralines (which can't be beat), so my expectations were way out of whack. But seriously, aren't there like a dozen better holiday treats worth singing about? Egg nog? Hot buttered rum? Lapdances?

While I was at the laundromat this morning, a college-age girl came in looking somewhat harried. She spoke quietly to the owner of the laundromat, who just shook his head as if to be inviolately unhelpful. She left. A few minutes later, I also left -- no sense in waiting around for my clothes to dry.

She was a few doors down the street with her boyfriend, and she spotted me before I spotted her. She introduced herself and asked somewhat desperately if I'd help them move a washer and a dryer up a flight of stairs. So I did.

She was trying her best to cheerlead, He was clearly beyond tired and frustrated. I was just there to help.

Don't tell them I said so, but I wound up soiling and ripping my brand-new jeans in the process. Oh well. Torn jeans are still in, right?

I'd like your judgment on this one, please:

For the longest time, I loathed the idea of waking up early. Especially on weekends. A lot of the rationalization of my sleep pattern (i.e.: staying up as late as possible) hinged on that idea. Yet even as I still cling to that cranky idea, I find myself waking up before 8am every day, and appreciating the idea of making the most of the daylight while I have it.

Am I a morning person?

An old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all:

"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

"The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

When will I learn that even a dollop of hazelnut flavoring in an otherwise pristine French roast will make the whole coffee almost taste like crotch funk?

I have regrets.

One thing I do not regret is living without a television for two months. When I moved, one of the things that did not move with me was my trusty 31-inch Panasonic TV. I figured I could just grab one from FreeCycle or something. It's good for the environment, and also I'm broke-as-a-joke. So I waited. Impatiently. With a conspicuous pregnant emptiness on one side of my living room.

Ultimately, it was my friend/ex-friend/re-friend Joel who came through for me. Joel works in the hospitality industry, and was able to score me a used but perfectly serviceable television. For free! I just got it yesterday. The best part? The LodgeNet remote control holster affixed to the top of the set. Now that's classy!