Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.

And you get to join in if you feel like it.

I couldn’t think of what to call this one, so I looked up the chicken from exactly a year ago today.

It was Special Zombie Chicken (which should totally be a band), and didn’t give me any ideas. But it was kind of fun to read.

Maybe that will be our new ritual for the year… the chicken that was.

Anyway. It’s (almost practically) Friday! We’re here! Well done, all of us.

The hard stuff

Endings.

There is so much ambient crap in the air this time of year.

And even for someone like me who doesn’t have a television and avoids news media in most forms.

It’s so pervasive and so… loud.

Both the forced celebratory bits, and then the regrets-and-assessments part of ending the year.

I like pathways, transitions, passages. I like closing what needs to be closed and opening new openings.

But the underlying cultural hum can really get on my nerves.

The usual questions.

So we already know I dislike answering questions about what I do or what I’m doing.

No, as a matter of fact, I do not have plans for the holidays.

Still Jewish. Just like last year. Crazy, I know.

Cue outsider syndrome. And yes, it is completely unfair to both have it and be bored by it at the same time, but that’s kind of how outsider syndrome works.

Anyway, I wasn’t expecting to have a chip on my shoulder about this, and it kind of caught me by surprise.

Carving out time for not-doing: more complicated than it sounds.

My big wish for this week was seclusion, and for the most part we managed to make that happen.

But oh I had no idea how challenging this one would be.

When people are in their stuff.

But they don’t know they’re in their stuff, and they have not developed the ability to take responsibility for their stuff.

There is not much you can do in this situation, other than:

a) give them a hug.
b) meet your frustration with understanding and love.
c) meet their frustration with understanding and love.

This is one of the great challenges of … oh, being alive. I know I’m getting better at it, but man, it’s still a lot of work sometimes.

Working like mad to finish a thing in time!

This was mostly fun, but it was definitely way more work than I like to take on.

The ten day cold that knocked me out after Sacramento meant that I hardly got anything done on all the stuff that needs to get announced for 2011.

So this week involved a lot of cramming. Many rounds of Drunk Pirate Council with the First Mate. And keeping track of all sorts of details while we ran around and made stuff happen.

It was crazy and chaotic and sometimes hilarious, and I’m really glad to be nearly through.

The good stuff

Endings! The good kind.

The group leaders in my Kitchen Table program had our last call of the year together (we meet every month), and it was just so much fun.

If I ran a firm where we all worked in the same building, this is what I’d imagine our New Year’s party would be like.

We giggled and threw things at each other (somehow being on the phone is not as big an impediment to this sort of thing as one might imagine), and generally enjoyed being in each other’s company.

I feel very fortunate to have such a terrific crew of wise, loving people in my life, who have become both friends and helper mice.

Secret play date! Secret play date!

Doing Maryann’s secret play date on Toozday totally saved my week.

I’ve been using the approach of play/art/ten-minute-chunks all week to get stuff done.

And I’m pretty sure it’s the main reason I haven’t gone completely batty from trying to write four HATS and brunch seventeen thousand things all at once.*

* HAT = Havi’s Announcing a Thing. What I call a “sales page”. Brunching = launching. See the Glossary for all the other stuff I say that doesn’t make sense.

Metaphor mouse is my new best friend.

Came up with three brand new metaphors this week.

So fast! Not only is metaphor mouse the most dreamy superhero that ever was, he is also super speedy speedmouse.

I cannot even tell you how much relief this brings me. And my designer, who was waiting on me to tell him what all these things were going to be called.

When people interact with their stuff and find their way through.

Watching people at the Kitchen Table model what it’s like to work through the hard and get to the good.

It’s completely inspiring.

There is nothing I like better than getting to watch people who have really and truly assimilated and internalized something I teach, and are applying it and getting results.

My heart is so full and happy.

Brisk winter walking in crisp winter air.

When it’s not raining.

Love it.

It clears my head.

Plus one day I ran into Elizabeth and Atlas. Hooray!

And yesterday I met the most adorable tiny person all in pink. And her mother, who was also in pink. And that was fun too.

Progress!

I finished the 2011 timetables.

Updated the events page.

Am in the process of announcing the announcements to the shhhhh Havi’s announcing a thing group (if you’re not on the list, you can sign up on the events page).

Movement. Yay. Done! Excitement! Anticipation. Such a wonderful thing to see all these things that I’ve been messing around with for months come into form.

Erev Zombie Yule, y’all.

Tonight! It’s Zombie Yule.

And … playing live at the meme beach house it’s the Fake Band of the Week!

My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”

This week’s band comes to us via Christine:

Sneaky Snack Pirate.

I love this! I want to be a sneaky snack pirate! I also want some sneaky snacks.

Anyway, they’re doing special Zombie Yule shows all weekend. Except of course that it’s really just one guy.

Also, I should add that I almost called this chicken “revenge of the unicorn”, which really should be a band, and that’s from here, by way of Nathan, who is much-adored by me.

And some of the lovely presents that arrived for the Playground this week.

A secret note from Kim.

Mugs and pfeffernüsse from Hope.

Flowers!

That’s it for me …

And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.

Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?

And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious day and a restful weekend-ing.

And a happy week to come. Shabbat shalom.

postscripting to say: There are now four spots left at the 2011 Kitchen Table. Last chance to apply until next December. Here’s the link to the backdoor page (password: speedymouse). xox