It's been pretty hard and sad around here for the past few days.  I truly hope for the best for all involved.  But while we are trudging through the sadness, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to start a thread about something else.

So I'm posing a question for today.  Other than "our obsession" and personal relationships, what is the one thing that you would enjoy doing most right now at this very moment?  Is it a hobby?  Is it an activity?  What? 

Right now for me, it is 1:45 AM, the middle of my work day.  And I'm going to play the cello for a while.  It is soothing to work up a sweat pulling a beautiful tone from my Hungarian instrument.  His name is Eric and his voice is strong.  It takes more strength and control to make him sing.  But the results wake up the forest around me.  Tonights serenade will be Thais Meditation by Massenet.

Cindi

I reallu enjoyed riding my bike last weekend. I am hoping tomorrow is not to wet so I can ride again. It is so nice to get out with friends on a sunny day like last weekend. Tomorrow is looking like it will be to wet. I am also progressing and get stronger when I swim.

Alice

I am playing in a softball tournament today, for the last 8 hours I have been getting my arse chewed off by the Texan Coach, a guy called Bill Larson.

I got stuck in the chat room (doing my agony aunt bit) and turned up late...I can't understand his Texas drawl anyway, but I knew I was benched and had to watch the first game from the bleachers. Elevated to Designated Hitter (2nd game) and back onto the field for the 3rd game. We won them all the so made the semi final stage.

It started 9am and finishes with the guys final 10pm tonight. We have a break until 7pm when we play our semi-final against a team from Kuwait. We should make the final (probably against a team from the US Navy, who have ship in Bahrain).

The celebrations should start soon after with Coronas all round.

Buffy

Thank God for you Cindi!

I'm crying in the Computer Lab at school and people are starting to stare at me!

I most definately would rather be at home, with a giant mug of Chai, watching Fushigi Yugi (an anime series, for the uninitiated!) with my sweet Josi and working on my crochet blanket.

Wow! I'm a huge geek!  Crochet blanket...I'm apparently a huge grandma geek!!! I'm not even old enough to be a grandma, but this semester is turning me into an old lady prematurely...ginormous grandma geek! Tri-G! 

Okay, I'm rambling. I'm overtired and overcaffeinated, folks. Deal. 

I really wish I could be with Nero right now and take him out to a restaurant to eat so that he would feel better.

Melissa

Hmmm... well, I'm stuck at work, but if I COULD...

It's a magnificently gorgeous day here in PA, so... I'd hop in the car, open the sunroof and windows, and thoroughly enjoy the country roads along the Delaware River leading up to a beautiful grass-field airport in the hills a bit north of here... and have a nice picnic watching the sailplanes and biplanes taking off and landing.

Then pop off to the nearby park and hike the trails, taking photos of every beautiful thing I can find.

Maybe stop for Thai food for dinner on way home.

Snuggle on couch, and catch something on Pay-Per-View (if you haven't seen "V is for Vendetta" yet... highly recommended).

This would be a most excellent day

Quote from: Kate on September 08, 2006, 11:55:28 AM
Hmmm... well, I'm stuck at work, but if I COULD...

It's a magnificently gorgeous day here in PA, so... I'd hop in the car, open the sunroof and windows, and thoroughly enjoy the country roads along the Delaware River leading up to a beautiful grass-field airport in the hills a bit north of here... and have a nice picnic watching the sailplanes and biplanes taking off and landing.

Then pop off to the nearby park and hike the trails, taking photos of every beautiful thing I can find.

Maybe stop for Thai food for dinner on way home.

Snuggle on couch, and catch something on Pay-Per-View (if you haven't seen "V is for Vendetta" yet... highly recommended).

This would be a most excellent day

Wow Kate.  Can I visit you for the weekend? 

Cindi

If I wasn't working, I'd get some jeans on, take this tie off, put on my boots and go ride along the ocean, then up into the mountains. I live in absolute paradise and always try not to take it for granted.

This weekend I'm going to a memorial for a friend who died on Tuesday, so I won't be doing much of the outdoors

Dennis

Today, Will have to turn to dusk first, as the sun will set I would like to be walking on the beach. Maybe, Redondo, not Newport. Too many people. All I want to hear are the waves crashing on the shore as the sun disapears on the horizon. That sounds good, maybe I will go.

                                                Marco

That's a good topic Cindi

  I just woke up after a long, sleepless night of bad dreams and neck pain.  The neighbors dogs were barking again, I have a headache and my back hurts.  My roommate is at work and I'm all alone wallowing in my own self pity as I tend to do every morning. 

  I made some coffee and sat down to the computer to find a nice Email from Buffy which made me laugh (a rare occurance this soon after I wake LOL).  I begin my usual routine of reading the news reports and scanning through the new entries into the few forums I subscribe to and find this topic today.

This is what I would rather be doing in story form if ya'll don't mind:

  A long lovely day of shopping comes to end as I walk from the almost morgue like cold of the small strip that sits here on the island.  The rapid temperature change from inside the center to the thick hot air outside causes me to take an extra breath and small drops of perspiration begin to form.  They build until they become like tiny avalanches of moisture traveling down my skin, tickling me as they go.  I approach my car and breath a little sigh of relief in anticipation of getting on the open road.  She's a corvette, a brand new corvette, cherry red with all the options including the removable top which I quickly pop off with a huge smile on my face.

  As I drive along the street I see people riding bikes, rollerblading, jogging and just walking along the palm tree lined path that parallels the road.  The air is hot but it cools each small droplet of moisture on my skin into almost icy perfection as it moves over my body. 

  I approach the gate to my condo but my body is on fire and I can't stop just yet.  I drive past the entrance and continue on until I find myself dry and beginning to get hot again. 

  As I pull into the entrance of my home the security officer greets me by name and smiles as opens the gate.  He's tall, muscular and handsome.  His smile had all the aspects of professional courtesy and maybe just a little bit more, or perhaps, just wishful thinking on my part.

  I park the car, replace the top and set the alarm.  It's loud chirp seems out of place as it echoes through the cave like garage.   I walk inside thinking of how much my life has changed.  The elevator ride gives me just enough time to finish a quick contemplation and leaves me with a feeling of combined happiness and sadness alike.

  The short walk from the car was enough to cause me to begin perspiring again and considering going for another drive as I open the door to my home.  I expect a cool rush of air but I'm disappointed to find that I forgot to turn on the air conditioning before I left in the morning.  "Not a problem", I think to myself as I slide the double glass doors open on the balcony. 

  I turn and survey my home.  It's contemporary modern, if there is such a thing, and suits me perfectly.  Everything blends together in a harmony of pinks, sky blues and sandy tones.  It excudes peaceful comfort with just enough class to seem elegant but not pretentious.

  I retrieve a bottle of white wine from the chiller and pour a glass.  I look over as I see the white sheers in front of the balcony begin to move.  "Perhaps a storm", I think to myself and silently hope that I'm right.  I love storms...I love the way they seem to cleanse the earth and the organic life smell that lingers afterwards.

  I consider taking the entire bottle with me onto the balcony and after a short battle of wills between my rational self and my emotional self I walk towards the glass doors bottle in hand.  The sheers are now beginning to dance slowly in the, almost imperceptible, wind as I cross through them into the light. 

  It's still early enough that there are many people congregating on the beach below.  I'm on the 10th floor and I can people watch easily without being watched myself.  I find the diversity of the beach population below fascinating and I get lost in time as I watch them. 

  I feel the wind begin to pick up.  I feel it's cool fingers running up and down my skin as it teases me and touches me in an almost sensual manner.  I look out onto the horizon and see a single dark cloud jutting out from the sea into a sky of brilliant blue.  I think I see the flash of lightning but I quickly pass it off until I hear the sound of it's thunder almost slip by me as it rolls over the water.

  I pour another glass of wine and go back to people watching.  Some others have noticed the building storm and were packing up.  Most of the rest of the crowd continue on with thier volleyball or sunbathing or swimming until a louder more distinct crack of thunder moves through the air.  The beach is a dangerous area during a storm and it clears quickly.

  "It's just me and you now Storm", I say outloud as the wind once again picks up.  Storm answers back with a long roll of thunder that makes me smile.  The temperature seems to drop incrementally in the same ratio as the wind picks up.  It's a fantastic feeling to be sitting up here all alone looking out over the ocean as it builds this masterpiece of light and sound. 

  I feel the first few drops of rain and they seem like ice as they hit my warm skin.  I want more.  I feel every nerve ending in my body screaming for that stimulation.  Nature seems to know this and rewards me with a two second burst of pelting rain.  It's almost more than I can stand and finish my glass of wine quickly in an attempt to calm myself.

  I stare into the dark sky and watch the lightning as it snakes across through the clouds.  I think I may never get my reprieve but in that instant Storm releases his gift.  I lay on my lounger, on my balcony, in the storm and laugh as the rain comes down so hard I can barely breathe.   I am soaked and I am as happy as I have ever been.....


There...that's what I would rather being doing right now.

What would I like to be doing right now?  Being on the receiving in of some nice, warm, and melted parafin wax.   Very relaxing and the oils will do wonders for the skin.

I love playing the cello, the nice deep mellow tones, they take the stress out of the day.

Sarah L.

I just re-read my post and well....there seems to be some "undertones" that were not meant that way. I just wanted to describe my "happy place" in my mind that I go to often when I get stressed. 

I feel a little wierd about that...I'm not sure why because it was unintentional and maybe I'm just being silly.  I'm wondering if I should remove it now?

Actually Brandi, it sounded like you were really enjoying yourself in your fantasy.

Melissa

Well, after work, I went to see my foster kitties , and afterwards my boyfriend and I went to feed the ducks at the lake I told you about.  I love feeding the ducks, I could spend my entire life in that park near the lake feeding the birds..

Being around animals relaxes me a lot, and they are extremely important in my life, and this is why I try to spend most of my time with them.  When I am not volunteering at the SPCA, I always have one of my kitties on my lap, even when I am online; they love it and I love it...

tinkerbell

I love drawing!  I'm inking some comic pages right now, it's a little boring but it's better than making money by pouring coffee   I LOVE to sleep and take a nap almost every day...  I always dream I'm a guy, and I can fly and climb walls like Spider-Man and they're lucid so I can do what I want, but generally I'm trying to get away from bad cops or totalitarian regimes.  I think I just like doing that for the excitement, they're not scary dreams, just more like a game   Annnd I love my puppy and undressing my boyfriend.  Of course.  I just love everything.  Whee!

I'm not even ON anything

Hmmmm.....

I would be up all night writing.  Let my imagination take me places beyone the edge of the map.  THat's the place where the map says "Here be dragons!"

Of course, my guitars are calling out to me.  I need to get reaquainted with them.  THe one advantage of having my own place now is that I can leave my babies out and not worry about the dog or cat knocking them over! 

Chaunte

Well, I love to become lost in a good book, a novel whose plot and setting takes me along into a foreign and exotic culure and place.  A good science fiction novel, such as Frank Herbert's DUNE or Asimov's "Foundation" series - or a historical novel like James Clavell's SHOGUN (I've read that one at least five times) or James Michener's CHESAPEAKE.  I love stories that just grab me and pull me in.

Maybe that's why I like reading posts so much?

(Tired of trying to levitate but still havin' fun)
helen

Quote from: HelenW on September 09, 2006, 07:36:47 PM
Well, I love to become lost in a good book, a novel whose plot and setting takes me along into a foreign and exotic culure and place.  A good science fiction novel, such as Frank Herbert's DUNE or Asimov's "Foundation" series - or a historical novel like James Clavell's SHOGUN (I've read that one at least five times) or James Michener's CHESAPEAKE.  I love stories that just grab me and pull me in.

Maybe that's why I like reading posts so much?

(Tired of trying to levitate but still havin' fun)
helen

Have you read THe Art of War by Sun Tzu, edited by James Clavell?  Clavell's knowlede and stores of Asia and a wonderful touch to this work!  I highly recommend it!

Chaunte

Quote from: ChaunteThe Art of War by Sun Tzu, edited by James Clavell?

No I haven't.  I'll keep an eye out for a copy.

I love stories about Asia.  If I ever get that far I think I'll choose Thailand for SRS because, on top of everything else, it promises a trip to an exotic Asian location !

helen