Monday, May 31, 2010

Life is good

I have a good life - in fact, I would go so far as to say I have a wonderful, fantastic, amazing, awesome life - and I am finally starting to realize that.

I have a super-awesome beau; I live in a super-awesome condo that I get to share with said beau and a super-awesome kitty; I have a super-awesome gig in the publishing world; I've got super-awesome friends (who I don't make enough time for and that's something I need to change); and I've got a super-awesome family who loves me and supports me and is all around super-awesome.

It's taken me awhile to fully realize all this.  I have perfected the art of always finding something to stress about, even if that something isn't worth thinking about, let alone stressing about.  Now - FINALLY - I'm able to stop doing that and it's a wonderful feeling. 

I can't say for sure why I've had this change of mindset; maybe it has something to do with turning 30.  February was a pretty exciting month for me and marked three major changes: turning 30, moving in with my beau and getting promoted to Production Manager.  In the aftermath of all that, I found myself getting anxious for the next "big thing" in my life, without taking the time to fully enjoy where I was in my life.  So now I find myself able to enjoy this stage of my life and to fully appreciate everyone and everything in it.  It's a strange place to be, I must say, not worrying about next month or next year or stressing about my finances or not feeling fulfilled in my job. 

And, oddly enough, I'm not worrying about the good stuff coming to a grinding halt.  THAT is pretty momentous too. 

So yeah...life is good!

Friday, May 14, 2010

I rock

I've heard it said that you are at your most honest when you're drunk.

Well, all I can say to that is, after drinking a bottle of wine tonight, I feel the need to say, "I like myself."

Anyone who knows me well knows I can be rather hard on myself.  Apparently all it takes to get me to not be hard on myself is delicious red wine. 

But seriously.  I like who I am.  I've done well for myself.  I've learned from the ups and downs.  I'm doing well in life.  I've accomplished some pretty good things.  I've got lots of years ahead of me to accomplish more things and make many more mistakes.  All in all, I'm pretty great.

Now let's see how I feel in the morning.

What makes it so upsetting?

I have been loving the playoffs so far this year.  Sure, all the players I took in my hockey pool have been eliminated, but since I wasn't expecting to win anyways it's not that terrible.

In fact, I would rather have all my picks be wrong if it means awesome hockey, which is what has been happening so far.  (Except from the Vancouver Canucks.  They have taken over from San Jose as the biggest under-achievers in the Western Conference.)

As a former Leafs fan, I really shouldn't ever cheer for the Montreal Canadiens, but really, how can I not?  Some of the best hockey has come from the bleu, blanc et rouge, including two "upsets" in the first two rounds, beating Washington in round one and Pittsburgh in round two.  Honestly, I wasn't that upset at all.

Sure, Washington was the top team during the regular season and Pittsburgh is the defending Stanley Cup champions.  And okay, the two superstars of the league play on these teams: Ovechkin for Washington and Crosby for Pittsburgh.  Fine, Montreal barely squeaked into the playoffs, finishing 8th in the Eastern Conference when most people weren't expecting them to make the post season at all.

Yes, when you list out everything like that, I can see why Montreal's winning ways are considered an upset.  But isn't it more upsetting that the top team wasn't able to beat the Habs?  Isn't it more upsetting that the defending champs (and Sidney Crosby) seemed to forget how to score?

All kinds of pomp and circumstance is made over the regular season and the standings, with trophies for finishing first and scoring the most goals and racking up the most points and all that.  But really, the regular season simply decides who gets to play for Lord Stanley's Cup.  Sixteen teams get to give it a go and the best team wins.  (And don't start in with bad reffing or foot-in-the-crease goals or any of that nonsense.  If you think you can do a better job, go put on the stripes and pick up a whistle.) 

I don't think anything Montreal has done should be considered an upset because they have played better hockey than anyone they have faced and they have earned their playoff victories.  Both series went to seven games, so it's not like they had it easy, sweeping their opponents.

It's more upsetting that New Jersey lost in the first round in five games.  It's more upsetting that Roberto Luongo can't seem to stop a beach ball.  It's more upsetting that people started to care about hockey in Phoenix right when it seems hockey will be leaving Phoenix.  It's more upsetting that Montreal fans seem to feel it's appropriate to support P.K. Subban by wearing black face.

But Montreal causing upsets in the playoffs?  Nah.  It would only be an upset if they were to lose now.