Dave B's Quests

Salutations! So, summer is approaching, and I hate being bored. I already have a list of things lined up to do this summer. But being human, I need something to wake up for everyday. A reason to feel excited for the coming day. The way I am thinking of solving this is to create quests for myself each day. A little something to make the days more fun and enjoyable, to pique curiosity, inspire imagination, and help me to develop more completely as a person.

I have not decided yet on the frequency and cycles of the quests, yet. I'm still hashing out a flexible schedule that could work with almost any time and place.

The quest areas I plan to rotate through are: water. earth, air, fire, void (i.e. aether), human, and others. I have not figured out the nature of the quests, what will constitute a quest, and how I will decide when one is complete. I am thinking of trying to make the quests daily things, and then maybe the quests I enjoy the most could be expanded later on. For now, since water is my favorite element, I will try to start and finish a water quest tomorrow.

I'll post updates later on as the schedule I'm developing by myself for the summer gets finalized. I'm trying to schedule a balance between the following: mental development, exercise, arts&crafts, work, time for planning and thinking, but also some time to just have fun.

See y'll later! I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and decide what the quest is going to be and get it done!

As of now, I have decided that my first quest is complete. My first water quest. The goal of today's quest was to analyze water samples from neighborhood with the spectrometer that i recently built and attached to my phone. You can build one, too, by going to Public Lab and going to the projects tab and going to the Spectral Workbench.

In the pictures below, we have water samples from my neighborhood. I have five items on the table: an empty salsa sauce bottle (aka my cuvette), neighborhood water samples 1, 2, 3, and 4. Sample 1 is from the neighborhood pond closest to where I live. Sample 2 is from a pond roughly 35-50 feet from sample 1's pond. Sample 3 is from the near end of the giant pond in my neighborhood. Sample 4 is from the far end of the giant neighborhood pond.

The curves that come from my spectrometer are mainly labelled "Neighborhood Water Analysis".

Here are links to the analysis that I attempted to do of each sample today:

CFL Light Check: I compared the CFL used in the experiment to my calibration curve and two other people's CFL calibration curves. After equalizing the heights, I noticed the curves all peaked at about the same points. I know that my spectrometer is workign properly now.

Distilled Water Comparison: I compared my distilled-ish water to many other distilled water samples. This is my pure-ish H2O sample by itself.

Sample 1 by itself. Sample 1 compared to fertilizers that someone else posted on public laboratory.

Sample 2 by itself. Sample 2 compared to fertilizers that someone else posted on public laboratory.

Sample 3 by itself. Sample 3 compared to fertilizers that someone else posted on public laboratory.

Sample 4 by itself. Sample 4 compared to fertilizers that someone else posted on public laboratory.

Here are all of the samples that I took compared to each other, the CFL, and the pure-ish water.

I have not yet figured out why my spectrometer has such low absorbance readings. For now, I will say that this experiment is inconclusive.

This kind of quest will probably end up being a weekly or monthly thing. Tomorrow's quest will probably be simpler and quicker to do.

Remember National Lampoon Vacation? Clark W. Griswold said, "This isn't a vacation, it's a quest. A quest for fun.

Good luck on your own quests.

Today's quest was an air quest. I decided this morning that I would try and photograph at least five different birds. That didn't quite work out. The weather was bad to begin with, but it lightened up near the end of the day.

Taking photos of birds is a lot harder than i thought it would be. They don't like having their photos taken.

I did see a lot more birds than I was able to snap a picture of. I also learned that I'm not that much of a ninja. I tried to be sneaky and take a photo of a heron that was camping out near one of the bridges in my neighborhood. It was right beneath the bridge. So, trying to be sneaky, I rode my bike along the neighborhood walking path, rode up to the top of the bridge, peaked my head over to look at the heron and try to take a photo, and *POOF* the heron heard me (or noticed it was being watched) and flew far away. *sigh*

So, the more interesting birds didn't get to appear in photos. We also have grackles in my neighborhood, and they aren't very shy with people. One time I was intrigued by them because they are such big birds, and I got my mom to pull the car over so that I could take pictures of them and find out what they were.

Here are the birds I could get a photo of:

I would consider this quest mostly a success. It accomplished what I had in mind for it to do: pay attention more to surroundings.

Today's quest was an earth quest! The objective today was to learn something new about the Earth that I did not know before. So, today, I skimmed the web and found a neat video that explained to me why the Earth does not have rings around. It is because the Roche Limit.



Tomorrow's quest is going to a void/aether quest. I'm still taste-testing the bits and pieces of the schedule I'm working on creating- trying to find which things work together and what doesn't. It is kinda weird. At the same time, I like to have structure, and at the exact same time, I also don't like structure and form. Trying to figure out how much of each I need and want of each in a day.

Yesterday was a field trip, and I was very exhausted after it. We were outside for about five hours at a water park- very fun!! So, I forgot to post the results of my quest. So here they are.

yesterday was a void/aether quest. Today's mission was to just self-reflect on life and everything. I would say that the actual quest occurred around two o' clock yesterday morning when there was a lot of thunder, lightning, and rain. I couldn't get to sleep then, and so, I decided to read my yearbook and some of the notes that my friends wrote in my yearbook.

It was sad, but also quite enlightening. I learned kinda what should have been obvious, but it reemphasizes the importance of it all. Even when I'm tired, I manage to brighten other people's days. My friends appreciate it, and for them and for myself, I need to be sure to take care of myself and get enough sleep. The notes my friends wrote me made me feel so happy that I cried.

I am loved.

That is one thing I will try my best to never forget. Sometimes it is hard to remember that.

*P.S. Just in case anyone was wondering, I posted this at 4am-ism (CST) because I reached about the maximum amount of sleep my body will let me get. I went to bed about as soon as I returned home which was 6pm. I got about ten hours of sleep! And it feels quite nice. Sleep's a good thing.

Today's quest was a human quest. I think I have the ideas of void and human quests worked out now. Void quests will be about what is within, and human quests are about what is outside of me with regards to other people. Then, other will focus on what is outside of me that is non-human.

Apparently my body was more tired than I expected. After I posted earlier this morning, I went to my room to read a chapter from a new novel that I was starting and I fell asleep and woke up around 9am-ish.

Almost immediately after waking up, for the second time today, mom started texting me that we were going to a bookstore for their monthly sale. All the books were on sale for a dollar! I was happy! I got a variety of fiction and nonfiction novels. My brother, sister, and mom were pretty happy, too. They got a bunch of books that they'd enjoy, too.

Then, later, my dad offered to take me to get my hair cut, and I accepted.

Many times, almost everyday, especially in the morning, I am reminded by my mom to speak softer> I speak very loudly. I don't do this on purpose, at least not anymore. I took theatre classes for four-five years, and now, it is just part of me.

In the post I made earlier today, I forgot to mention what it was that my friends wrote that made me cry; what it was that I contributed to their lives that they appreciated and will miss when I am go onto to college and we all part our own ways.

They enoyed how I greeted them everyday with "good morning," "good afternoon," "good day," and before lunch, with my lunch table buddies, I'd try and teach them a little bit of German andI'd greet them with "Guten Tag!" "Guten Morgen!" and ask them "Wie geht's?"- expecting a response in German, but that never happened. It was kinda funny, at times, because every now and then, my friends would attempt to answer and German and then I'd spend about half the lunch period teaching them German pronunciation. My German's decent; I was awarded a certificate of achievement for it two years in a row from my teachers. I'd still rate my knowledge at about the level of maybe an elementary or middle school student.

So, to the point, the thing my friends and teachers appreciate about me, even when I'm faking it, is how positive, friendly, and polite I am. It makes their day, or at least improves it, because it reminds them that the day is good, the morning is good, and the afternoon is good.

Today's quest wasn't really "official" per se because I didn't write and plan it out as in accordance with the schedule I've been working which says that in the morning, before eating breakfast, I need to decide on a quest for the day. Today was more organic which I liked.

Maybe that is the part I'm trying to fit into my schedule- how to give it an organic feel and still be very productive.

Today's quest was pretty much just about understanding relationships, seeing opportunities with other people, and getting things to work. I would consider it a successful quest and day, even if I did not get everything I planned to do done today. Yesterday, at the water park, was a pretty organic day, too because I kind of let things flow as they may to some extent without getting too caught in making everything go my way which is maybe one of my issues: I love to plan, think, and execute my plan and see everything happen, down to the smallest detail, in accordance to the plans I come up with.

But the waterpark field trip was very much organic, and I kind of liked it. Things didn't go as planned, but I still ended up going on just about every ride- almost as planned. And it was quite fun, too. When I lost my original group of friends in the waterpark, I joined another friend of mine and when with their group. Then, when I lost them, I joined another group.

Be organic, something for me to think about.

Today's quest was an other quest. There was no goal set this time which I liked for the quest today, to just keep an open mind and open eyes. It was quite nice.

I saw a large bird, neither grackle or vulture. it might have been a hawk. It had some crows tailing behind it as if the bigger bird knew something they didn't. I stopped on my bike ride to see why they had perched on the lamp post, and I could not see anything remarkable even with my vertical advantage- though, technically, a disadvantage since I lack wings to fly with. Anyhow, after I snooped around the light pole, they flew away.

I saw a cute little bunny hunched in the grasses on the bike path. He stayed still in one place, like that would hide him or her.

Then, when I came home to have a snack, when I glanced through the windows, I saw a different bunny, or at least I think/hope it was a different bunny, walk across backyard porch and take a nap in between the warm black garden hoses. I think it was a different bunny because I doubt a bunny could get home before I could, but then again, there might be a secret society of bunnies planning to ambush my yard and chow down on all the grass- om nom nom. Also, without any pets, our backyard is a pleasant sanctuary for the cute little bunnies.

I recently noticed that the ginger I had planted some time ago recently sprouted back to life. It was killed aboveground last winter but the roots survived- yeah!!!
In a container where I had planted mint, sage, and oregano together, the mint is now overtaking the container just as it had last year. However, the oregano and sage may come back because I have seen sporadic tiny green growths coming from the two plants every now and then. They don't seem to have completely given up or died off.

Once again, not everything on my to-do list was done, but it was a nice pretty organic day. I still managed to get stuff done. I got the important stuff done which is what matters.

Overall, I'd consider today a success. Some things take time, and some things take more patience than others- like making a good schedule that is human and flexible.

Today's quest was a fire quest, and the goal was simple: to find out what makes me angry, livid, vociferous.
These are some things that make me want to run outside, hop on a horse, if I had one, and go blazing through the streets:

1. Common sense (if only more people had it and acted on it)
There are so many political issues that I could list out under this category. It makes me upset. People talk about saving money and then look at how much our legislators, presidents, justices, etc get paid.That's just the start of it. Other common sense stuff to me includes: equality, simplified government (not necessarily smaller, just more streamlined and efficient), climate change, police brutality, getting rid of excessive subsidies to industries (businesses talk about letting the free market decide and make things efficient, well, woop-dee-doo, let the ****'ing businesses fail and go bottom-ups so the fittest survive), improving the education system... so forth and so on

2. Wars
We don't need to be in so many freaking wars! It's a waste of money and fails to address the issues at the cause. Yes, slaying the bad guys is all good and what not, great for publicity, employs tons of people, makes money, BUT it does not solve the social, economic, political, geographic, and ecological root of the problems that lead to wars.

3. Fossil Fuels and CO2 Emissions
I hate fossil fuels with a passion! I hate using them, seeing them, smelling them, touching them. It really disgusts me. Fossil fuels hurs the environment; they hurt the public; they hurt the Earth. Self-harm, in any manner, just does not make sense to me. That is how I view fossil fuels. It is nonsensical self-harm.

4.Truck Horns and Air Horns
Too loud!

I will stop listing now, in case I have gotten close to crossing any lines. If anyone wishes to discuss these issues on permies, in the nicest way possible, please start a thread in the appropriate section of the Cider Press. We do not do debates on permies.com. Please remember this.
If any moderators find issue with the content of this post, please Purple Moosege me. Thanks!

I'd consider today's quest a success because I felt sufficiently angry thinking and reading about these topics and others that were not listed. I think it is important to reconnect with one's anger every now and then. Anger is a form of compassion and caring. it shows that I care enough about these topics to get upset and want to do something about it.

Today's quest was a water creativity quest. The goal was to create a poem about water as quickly as possible. So here it is:

My Love For Water (It's My Element)
by David Burton (i.e. ME!!!)

Water, water everywhere,
A subtle super resource,
With little fan-fare,
It flows its gentle course,

We see it everyday,
Whether we wish for it,
or not, as they say,
Gaia sees it fit,

Sipping, drinking, seeing,
True blue water be,
Pure unpolluted thing,
Wading through I see,

In the rain, in the see, in the ocean,
I feel at home in it's comforting motion.

**This was meant to be a variation on the Elizabethan sonnet structure. I decided not to do iambic pentameter.**

Today's quest was an earth quest. It was really something I have been meaning to do for a while but never really got around to thinking much about. I hate working out, doing push ups, ro really any mundane task that requires me to stay in one place for a long period of time. Reading, doing thought-provoking work, talking, and playing games in one place are fine for me because in a way, I'm not in the same place because I'm doing something that isn't the same which makes time move faster.

As a result, I find annoying and boring to do upper body workouts (i.e. I never do them except maybe once a year and remember why I don't like them).

Today's quest was to think about and find ways to make full body workouts fun. So far, the only types of exercise I really enjoy are walking, biking, and yoga. Going on the principle that I enjoy moving from place to place, I think I might enjoy doing Parkour or free-running.

The other thing that I find appealing in the idea of doing parkour is that it involves a lot of adventure.

The Earth is strong and balanced which is why I think this qualifies an earth quest.

Now, of course, the real trick is then getting it going and doing parkour. I'll post updates on this later. it will probably take some time to find people nearby interested. I'm hoping some of my friends will be interested.

Today was an air quest, and the goal was to learn something new about the air and our environment. Here's a neat video that I watched today about the atmosphere and pollution:



When I went on my bike ride today, I almost had a near-duck experience. It was terrifying for me. I was very scared, not for me, for the duck. For some reason, I don't know, the duck that was pleasantly and contentedly eating grass in the neighborhood free space suddenly flew in a straight path, headed toward me and my bike. It was a very very close call. I slowed down as much as I could without flipping over, let out what might have been a shriek (I'm not completely sure), and missed the duck. Their wings are so much bigger than I thought they were, and thank goodness they are fast! *sigh of relief* I would have been so traumatized if the duck collided with me. It was no where near my bike's wheels. It flew higher than that. If a collision might have happened, it would have been the duck either hitting me in the chest or face which would have probably led me falling off my bike and both of us getting hurt.

I'm just so happy that both of us were safe, and I got away being mildly shaken and with a good story to tell.

On the note about birds, this time, I was sneaky enough to get a a couple pictures of the more elusive birds in my neighborhood that are more weary of having their pictures taken.

**Oh, and I forgot to mention: I've finally, I think, finished testing the bits and pieces of the schedule I've been working on. Tomorrow, I'm going to try putting all the pieces together and follow the schedule I made completely. It'll also be a good test to see how flexible, human, and organic the schedule is because I'll have relatives coming over to visit, a three-four hour event to work with (i.e. my high school graduation ceremony! eeeh! exciting!). I'll tell you all tomorrow how the schedule I've made works out.***

Today's quest was a void quest which means that it is about all the elements combined within me. My quest today was to figure out why I am partially n the verge of going to crazy. The answer was simple: I worry a lot about everything. Everything matter to me no matter how small or insignificant. I care.

I'm not super worried about college because I made the choice on where I'm going because it offered the most opportunities and money out of everywhere I applied. But don't get me wrong, I am slightly worried about all the different possibilities that can still occur.

What worries me the most is what occurs after college. These are the things that worry me enough to point of almost calling it terror:
1. Where am I going to work?
2. Where am I going to live?
3. How am I going to survive?
4. What will be my mode of transportation?
5. How am I going to plan for the unknown?

As time progresses, this summer and during college, I will be taking time to figure these things out so that hopefully these questions will turn into solutions. And maybe, one day I can smile and say I have a plan and answer to my impending concerns.

It feels nice to write this and know that that millions, even billions, of people are in the same boat. I am not alone, and that brings comfort to me. It makes my worries a little less scary and easier to face and think about which ultimately makes solving these questions a little bit easier.

I'd say today's quest was a success. I figured out what it is that really troubles me right now. The next step is to figure out a plan of action. I'll keep you all posted.

*So, about the schedule I have been working. Today went as expected. I did not follow my schedule very well today because relatives and big events take time. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself. I did! The ceremony for my high school graduation was super fun, although a little tedious (1k+ people graduated).*

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"
-That is exactly what I will be doing with my schedule. Trying it to work tomorrow.

Today's quest was to do something with my siblings as my human quest. We played a card game called "Be Luck" which is a simplified variant of shithead (card game).

I played eight games in a row, and finally won on the last game. It was pretty amusing. My sister won four games in a row. My brother won three games in a row, and I finally won the last game.

We had a barrel of laughs! Each of us thought we were going to lose, then luck would com in save the day. That's why it's called "Be Luck!" The game is part strategy, part luck.

**Oh, and I forgot to mention the schedule. The schedule is working out pretty well. I'm getting to bed earlier so that I can wake up earlier. I still need to work on being excited for another day. I'll get there. I got most of the noon and evening parts of the schedule done*

Today's quest was an other quest, and I recently caught a bunny trying to chop down my avocado tree sapling today. I forgot to take a picture. I'll post a picture of the protections I made for the tree tomorrow.

Luckily, the tree is getting woody so the bunny stopped after nibbling through some of the wood and ran away when I walked outside. My sister joked that the bunny might go "nom..... nom.... nom.... nom.... TIMBER!!!" and then eat all of the leaves off the tree. From the looks of it when I observed the bunny before chasing it off, it looked like the my avocado sapling's pot may have been the bunny's toilet, too. I don't particularly mind that because it brings nutrients, but chopping down my tree, NO!!!

To make the pot less attractive for the bunny, I added a homemade plastic tree guard around it and added a layer of rocks on top of the pot. The tree guard is an empty V8 juice container with holes poked through it. The holes point outward making little spikes that will hopefully deter the rabbit. The rocks are so that heat is absorbed during the day and released during the night. As a result, hopefully, beneficial predators will be attracted to the pot and maybe also the rocks will get too hot during the day for the bunny(ies) to touch.

Today's quest was to learn more about fire. Here's a cool video I saw on YouTube about hydrogen cars and how safe they might be in a crash.



I also recently learned about something called Petit Tube which shows you videos from YouTube that have no views as of yet.

Today's water quest was about art and science, and so I wanted to share a cool lab we did in Ap Chem. I really like how science and art can work hand in hand. Near the end of my Ap Chemistry class, we did an organic chemistry lab in which we tie-dyed t-shirts with organic dyes.

Today's quest is an earth quest, and I didn't really plan it. It just happened. When I was on my bike ride I noticed something I didn't really pay attention to before- the places where people play and the designs of people's homes.

Most people are where they are 'supposed to be' from what I can tell in correlation to the layout of the neighborhood.

Most people are walking on the sidewalks. Most of the children are playing in the little play parks- the super safe play places we, in the USA, build for the children. Most bikers, rollerskaters, and semi-pedestrians are in the places designated for them in the neighborhood's layout. Most community events occur at the community pools or community meeting houses.

I know. It is a master-planned community for a reason, though a few things irk me a little.

The porches on the homes are tiny. Compared to when I lived in Louisiana, this creates a stark contrast between the social interactions in the communities. In Louisiana, with the big porches, it created an inviting atmosphere that made neighbors more likely to walk up to each others' homes and talk to each other which led to people being more friendly to each other which ultimately becomes part of the whole "Southern Hospitality" thing that I liked so much about Louisiana. On the other hand, at least in Katy, TX, the porches are very small and it makes it a little less likely that neighbors will want to talk to each other and go up to each others' homes to talk. This, as a result, makes the community a little less cohesive as it was when I lived in Louisiana.

In my opinion, it seems that the developers are just trying to pack as many people as they can into one area without as much regard as I think would be preferred for community planning. Community can work here, though strangers don't seem as welcome to talking to random people like they used to in Louisiana.

Now, about being where you're not supposed to be.

I get a little bored just riding on the sidewalks, so every now and then I like to take a short-cut and ride through the big sweeping swathes of grass that we have near the neighborhood ponds. Yeah, it is probably uncooth for me to go tearing up through the neighborhood's grass, but I don't really see that many people using except for the occasional children's soccer games.

I digress a little. Seeing so much grass that gets trimmed is a little odd to me.

As much as the neighborhood developers try to say they are green and sustainable, I don't buy it. The HOAs don't support solar panels, for aesthetic reasons, and nor do they approve of growing anything but grass and non-fruiting and non-flowering trees. But at least the developers have a little sense, and the series of ponds throughout the neighborhood help to prevent flooding when we have major water events.

Just something that caught my mind today, and I decided to make that my quest for today.

*Regarding the Parkour idea, I am still searching my neighborhood to find a good park to do parkour in. There are mostly kids playgrounds, and I don't think the grownups would appreciate a bunch of young adults monopolizing their children's playgrounds. Aside from those, there are community pools and wide swathes of grass which are not good places for Parkour.

*i am thinking maybe a frisbee group is something I could try forming...

Today's quest was an air quest. the goal was to be more aware of my surroundings. I forgot to take my phone with me n my bike ride, but I saw some pretty cool cloud formations.

I saw crepuscular rays which were very pretty. Today, the clouds were doing something typical in Texas: they hover in the sky and don't deliver any rain. It's actually kind of nice because the sun is blocked partially, and it helps to moderate the temperature some.

Today's quest was an aether quest, and finishing reading Frisco Pigeon Mambo by C.D. Payne was quite appropriate, too.

The book made me, at many many times, look at myself and ask "Am I like Robin?" and "If so, how can I fix that?". Self-awareness is an important issue in society, and in our fast-paced world, even more so.

One of the things that has happened many times before, around finals, Christmas break is approaching, and stress is going through the roof, I typically have I what I have affectionately called "Core Meltdowns" where I end up just questioning everything; I mean EVERYTHING! And it usually begins and ends the exact same, it starts because all the short-term stuff starts to seem meaningless and scary, and it is resolved when I understand and stop and breathe and keep in my mind how all these small things add up to the big picture of things I want to get done. Then, the journey seems worth it.

That is really, I think the point of the quests: to prevent any future "Core Meltdowns" and discover what is really at my "Core". I know there is a lot of there that is important which is why I call it my "Core".

And aheads up for anyone still reading this thread, because this thread is mostly about self-development, as I get more used to my schedule and the quests becoming routine and more organic, the posts in this thread may become less frequent until they eventually stop. When they stop, I will know this idea of mine has worked its purpose because it will have become sufficiently routine enough.

An "organic routine" may not be so much f a paradox as I think it is. I will find out in time.

Dave Burton wrote:Today's quest was an aether quest, and finishing reading Frisco Pigeon Mambo by C.D. Payne was quite appropriate, too.

The book made me, at many many times, look at myself and ask "Am I like Robin?" and "If so, how can I fix that?". Self-awareness is an important issue in society, and in our fast-paced world, even more so.

One of the things that has happened many times before, around finals, Christmas break is approaching, and stress is going through the roof, I typically have I what I have affectionately called "Core Meltdowns" where I end up just questioning everything; I mean EVERYTHING! And it usually begins and ends the exact same, it starts because all the short-term stuff starts to seem meaningless and scary, and it is resolved when I understand and stop and breathe and keep in my mind how all these small things add up to the big picture of things I want to get done. Then, the journey seems worth it.

That is really, I think the point of the quests: to prevent any future "Core Meltdowns" and discover what is really at my "Core". I know there is a lot of there that is important which is why I call it my "Core".

And aheads up for anyone still reading this thread, because this thread is mostly about self-development, as I get more used to my schedule and the quests becoming routine and more organic, the posts in this thread may become less frequent until they eventually stop. When they stop, I will know this idea of mine has worked its purpose because it will have become sufficiently routine enough.

An "organic routine" may not be so much f a paradox as I think it is. I will find out in time.

Good luck in your journey. I never really saw anyone quantify their journey exactly like you have But it is interesting to read.

I played "Be Luck!" with my siblings again, and it was a blast! I think I might try and make this a weekly thing; we're all enjoying it quite a lot. I might try teaching my siblings "shithead" because that game is has even more wildcards which would make the game even more fun!

Today's quest was about others, and so I decided to learn more about Marsupials today.

Yesterday and today, I learned something new about embodying fire and water.

Yesterday, I learned that "being on fire" does not mean just being excited for the day, it also means having a "controlled burn". I learned to be very patient yesterday during orientation for one of my summer jobs.

And today, I learned that "just going with it" is perfectly acceptable, especially when you're new on the job. Businesses are run by people, and they need as much help as they can get.

Today was and earth quest, and for now earth is our home.

Due to the bad weather from Tropical Storm Bill, I was mostly stuck at home today, and I spent the time mostly reading Winkie by Clifford Chase. I appreciated the read for its good humor, addressing of many important world issues, and its very pleasant human touch. Winkie's part of the narrative is kind of like the role played by the bunny in The Velveteen Rabbit. Being at home is about being yourself, and by being yourself, you become human.

For now, I find my home within, in nature, and stories. I enjoy helping people, well not just that, but I feel the need to care for people and others. And that is part of it all, I think. I need to place a little more emphasis on my home within because you just can't take care of everyone, and you just can't let that bother you all the time. Balance and equilibrium is important.

The schedule I've created is working out better now that I've generalized it more. Now instead of being a list of things to do; it is just a series of guidelines of what to do everyday which makes it more flexible and fun!

I've also decided to change the quest setup to instead of rotating in a list fashion, the quests are little things meant to shift my awareness. Small changes work better than large ones for a reason. That is part of why posting on the quests page is now starting to decrease (alongside the schedule working out better!).

Today I'd like to share 51 Things That Make Me Happy: (in no particular order)

1. My friends
2. Permaculture
3. Bike riding
3. Cloud Atlas
4. Sushi
5. Vicetone
6. Mary Poppins
7. Sashimi
8. Living sculptures
9. Cats
10. Dogs
11. Ducks (alive)
12. Ducks (cooked)
13. Caribou (alive)
14. Caribou (cooked) *ok, gonna stop here b/c there are many animals that I enjoy watching and being around as well as eating
15. Squirrels trying to get into bird feeders
16. Elderly people telling stories
17. People, in general
18. "Be Luck!"
19. "War"
20. "Chess
21. Checkers
22. Settlers of Catan
23. Seven Wonders
24. Kittens In A Blender (it's a very fun and highly emotional card game)
25. Monopoly (all versions)
26. Forests
27. Winter
28. Snow
29. Spring flowers
30. Fall leaves
31. Rainy days are especially fun when you get to go outside with an umbrella and splash in the puddles
32. Rolling down hills
33. Dropping things off of balconies
34. Dropping things down stairwells
35. Dropping things off of roofs
36. pretty much dropping anything from very high up is fun. I don't know why but it just makes me smile every time I do it.
37. Playing with wine glasses by twirling my finger around them
38. Karaoke
39. Building things
40. Designing things
41. Analyzing things
42. Satire
43. Politicians making fools of themselves
44. Politicians with good ideas and implementing them successfully
45. Seeing the public work together and get stuff done
46. Abstract artwork
47. Poetry
48. Science fiction novels
49. Bad science fiction movies
50. Good science fiction movies
51. Turning off the sound on bad movies and creating the lines because we can do a better job than the script writer