Sunset Raven

Because this was on my mind for 5 hours straight! Ah but it was fun to paint again! There's something very satisfying in creating! ^_^

How'd you do that?

People who are really good with computers fascinate me.

It’s like they somehow have insider info to a whole world I am not party too, like the starving kid staring in at the feast and leaving tongue marks on the glass. They know… things! Like how to create programs, create virtual machines, debug a system, crash windows or even find the ‘Home’ button on the keyboard without having to search for it! Such power!!

I suppose in a way we all take two views on people who are better than us in certain areas, especially areas we would like to be ace in ourselves. We tend to either sit in awe and feel akin to drooling hicks “what are watching a doc work on Aunty Susie Ray”, or we get envious and try to down play their accomplishments, like, “Please! I could compose MY own piano concerto if I had started playing at 3 years old, 6 days a week, with impeccable pitch, tone and good hair!”

It’s also interesting to see what happens when folk meet people who excel in areas they couldn’t care less about. I mean if I meet one of those rain-man-shoulda-been’s who can do math in their head and find trigonometry a nice way to relax after a hard days calculus, well, really so what? They’re just like a really expensive calculator you can’t put in your purse without uncomfortable questions being asked.

People who are brilliant in some areas do sometimes tend to have a bit of an ego though. They’re the ones we tend to not admire quite as much and, should they take a fall as so often happens, our sympathies are rather hard to express through the satisfied smirks.

People also sometimes forget they’re not the bees knees in every field just because they excel in one. Stephan Hawkings ,I’m sure, is a riot at any physics party but I still think you shouldn’t go to him for the suspicious rash on your butt.

A programmer is great bloke on his machine, but wait till his car breaks down! Then he runs around it panicking like a headless chicken, squawking about “googling carburetors” and how the flat is probably due to the pressure on the fanbelt because that happened to a Facebook friend! Meanwhile Billy bob and his mechanic lads watch on and think him, “The dang right stupiderest Pard’ this side o’ that side!”

I think, in all this, what I was trying to say, and not really doing so, is that people are all different. *MASSIVE INSIGHT!* We shine in some areas, and hide the bodies due to ‘EPIC FAIL’ experimentation in other areas, so it goes!

It’s just nice to appreciate people for everything they can do! A little gratitude costs nothing and makes everyone feel just that much nicer about themselves. It’s a nice warm, fuzzy moment!

Now, who wants to take a look at my home PC? There’s a ton of gratitude in it for you?

And a muffin!

Thank you

A couple folk have asked me why I bother doing Community Service if, I quote, “you don’t have to?” My company offers you points for your Community service but I don’t qualify until next year, so really, why should I bother until then?

I’ll tell you why.

A year ago I came out of a bad marriage. I was shattered and insecure. Depressed and terrified. I had no job, having been a housewife for the last ten years, no experience or impressive qualifications. I was about to lose the roof over my head and I was sharing food with my pets to make ends meet. One of my top ten moments in life this really wasn’t.

But then a wonderful friend, a knight in shining armour (Or at least a nicely polished car), came to help me out. This was a guy whom I’d chatted to on a social network and only met once or twice. Rob opened his heart and his home and took me in when other people told him what he was doing was naïve, foolish and potentially the stupidest thing he’d ever done. And that was just the good things they said!

I got a little room to myself and helped out financially where I couldn’t pay it back a cent. I had nothing but my company to offer. No money! Can you imagine? Who’d take in someone like that? They probably deserve it!

I was seen as some dark temptress who had lured this innocent person into taking me on. Some spider who would suck his very life juices dry. When you’re already dealing with a heap load of hurt, insecurity and confusion this doesn’t really make you feel top of the pops.

But then, thanks again to another friend’s charity and willingness to let me try my hand at something new, I managed to get a job! An actual real job! And it became permanent! I could finally pay my way! Do you have any idea how much of a head rush that was? Hell still is! I go to work each day thrilled!! I love it!!!

And I can’t ever forget what it was like to have that hand offered to me when I was so low and pathetic.

So why do community work if you ‘Don’t have to?’

Because you never, ever know the influence you might have on a person’s life by giving what you can to those who desperately need it! I’ve been there, I know the terror and hopelessness they feel, when people look down on them and they start wondering why they should bother to draw breath anymore? I was ‘them’ just a few months ago!

It’s a little bit of time and effort. It’s giving back to not only help repay the enormous karmic debt I have but to maybe add enough to other peoples’ lives, people who’ve had it far worse then me! (I never kid myself into thinking I’ve had it the hardest, oh hell no!!)

A little hope, a little compassion, you’d be surprised how far these things go. When people don’t automatically judge you because of your “low” station in life. When they just genuinely want to help you! I needed it back then and now I can do the same for others! How frikkin awesome is that?!?!

In my books there will never ever be a time when I ‘Don’t have to’ help someone else if I can! And the fact that I can… Cor Blimey… just shows how wonderfully life can turn out when someone takes a few moments to care!

So screw points and weak excuses and lily white hands! I’m here and I’m ready to get my hands dirty and my nose sunburnt for my fellow human being!

Let’s do this thing!!

Half baked

Why do they say 'easy as pie'?
How is pie so easy that it got that distinction?

Have you tried baking a pie?

It’s actually one complex little pastry! There's no combining of ingredients, dashing it into a pan and baking it to a delicious death black. It's a small science of getting the base just right, mixing the right fruity mix (or meat if you’re so inclined) and popping the crusty lid on and baking it an even golden brown!

Surely it should be as easy as say, pancakes! Or toast! Or something that is well, easy to make!

 (I'm pretty sure they also don't mean 'as easy as Pi' cause that takes the saying to whole new decimal point of uncertainty!)

Best I can recommend is gathering up a furrowed brow, a calculator and tasty baked good and then sitting back and pondering this interesting piece of Pie-losophy!

Crank them sunbeams up a notch!

Think about your average pessimist.

Their premise for being all sour and glower is that, "If I expect the worse to happen, then if it does I knew it was coming, and if it doesn't, then I'm happy because it was unexpected."

What a load of crock!

The average pessimist looks for the bad in everything!! They’re persistent little buggers that never know when to quit!

 And when they find anything less then wonderfully blissful they're like, "Haha, yay! This world is every bit as crappo as I thought!" and when something good happens they're not suddenly all daffodils and light, they're more, "Please it was a freak occurrence, pot luck, won't happen again!" or they get all disbelieving and end looking up it’s skirt to see where the catch lies!

Now see every pessimist I ever met told me they were a realist.

What reality exactly though they forget to mention!

 So this is my view on why being an optimist thrashes pessimism into the ground!

 (Oh and first off, don't think I mean those madly crazy, suspiciously American looking, optimists who are being held over a flaming pit and still think, "Hey at least I'll feed a bunch of starving cannibals!", there are limits to everything!)

But mr / ms. average optimist simply hopes for the best and enjoys the journey to find out!

And we ARE NOT flaming loons of cheer and psychotic good will, we do know that the worse can happen and that it’s good to be prepared all the same.  But see why, oh why, if you cant see the future, be glum your whole life expecting tragedies that seldom happen? Why not be happy and hope for the best and keep your spirits up? That way if the best happens then it just continues the awesome vibes and if the worst happens then at least you had all that fun and calm before hand! Why get the worst AND still have a lousy time waiting for it?

My point exactly!!

 Optimists are fun to be around! They bounce back from the bad better (and use fantastic alliteration!), they keep your spirits up, they’re willing to continue believing in the awesomeness of the world, they make you smile and feel good about yourself and they’re usually a lot of fun to beat at cards!

Look, we optimists have times when we're pessimistic as well, such is life, no one is 100 000% pessimistic or optimistic, we vary. But when optimistic, it's so much easier to shake off the blues and carry on appreciating the miracle of life regardless of the setbacks! Moping is not something we turn into a marathon sport! The blues; feeling angry; feeling depressed, yes we have those but we shake em faster, we get up faster, we dust off faster and ON WE GO!!!

So how about giving it a try for a month or so? Doing a mental 180 if you’re part of the frown club?

 Try to see the silver lining as much as possible! Don't beat yourself up for mistakes you make, accept others make mistakes too and aren't really out to get you, and that there is a heck of a lot of good that get's overlooked when you’re nose deep in looking for the bad and ugly! Traffic happens, it won’t go away. Stupid people out number you 20 to 1, they won’t go away. Why stress over what you can’t change! There are so many ways you can make your life a little bit extra creamy by just looking out for the good rather then the bad!

WARNING!!!!

It’s a highly addictive way of living and life is going to become a hell of a lot more fun! So maybe don't try it if you want to end up wasting your life as the ultimate sourpuss who yells at little kids and has more wrinkles on his face the a sharpie on its foldy butt! Optimism isn’t for the dead at heart!!!

Otherwise, well duh, what are you waiting for?!?!

Fine day today? Um no thanks

I was just wondering: - why do they call it a traffic fine?
I mean if you think about it, it's hardly 'fine'! It's actually very horrid! It means your handling of traffic was anything but 'fine'!
In fact pretty much where ever the word 'fine' is used as a noun implies that you're about to lose money and that you're not going to feel 'fine' for a while!!!
Just saying...

Of moving onwards

Don't you think a large amount of people's unhappiness comes from the fact that they forget that life is always changing? They have a set of expectations and damn me Willikers if they don't come true and come true now!

We all know that change is the only constant in life, yet when it happens to us, gosh, don't we fight it tooth and nail!!

We like to remind folk that nothing lasts forever, but usually only when they're having a rough time of it. (Which admittedly is when they need to remember it most!).  We pat them on the back, buy them a drink (The cheap stuff, they're depressed and won't notice) and tell 'em to stick with it because it will all be over soon.

However we forget the same is true for the good stuff as well. We seem to deem it our natural right that when we have something awesome, like a loving relationship; a great job or fabulous hair, it should, naturally, last for all eternity!

Guess what? No it doesn't.

Now you're sitting there and thinking, well geez, thank you for reminding me about that, thanks a bloody lot!

But what I'm trying to point out here (And Ta, you're welcome, you sarcastic git), is that we get unhappy simply because we get fixated on this, 'Life must be perfect and go how I expect it to mentality.

Life is not fair. Yes you know that, but do you actually accept it deep down in the meaty valves of your heart?

We also end up so expecting the great stuff that when we have it we don't even give it the attention it deserves, we even take it for granted, and then, POOF, it disappears and suddenly oh no, how hard done by are we, how sad, how pitiful, life sucks eggs!


Nope it doesn't, it's just not something you can control, and you forgot that.

So I'm thinking, I do that a lot, why not try to see life as a series of lessons that come and go? Something you can learn from? Even the best things in life don't last. But that's no reason to go hide in a dark corner and rock! If anything it's a precious realization that helps us fully enjoy the good AS WE HAVE IT RIGHT THIS SECOND!


Imagine living each experience whole-heartedly because you know it won't last forever? Adore your partner more because one day they might not be there! Love your kids because one day they'll be teenagers and it's illegal to strangle them! Heck, just really enjoy your supper because once it's eaten it's eaten and what are the chances anyone will get the cauliflower this tender again?

Expectations are all good and well, but maybe remember that there is a chance things won't go as planned and that's okay too! Enjoy your experiences, they are uniquely yours, for better or worse.
Or better again!