Thursday, January 24, 2008

Coffee chat

If you're like me, and I'm sure many of you are, you spend a fair amount of your coffee time perusing blogs. Me, I (I can't help doing that repeating subject thing, it's the Quebecois phrasing rubbing off on me) both write the blog with coffee, and then immediately check updated blogs until I've got to get on with my day. It's become a solid routine that I have become addicted accustomed to. It feels all cozy, this routine, like Lucy and Ethel sharing coffee in the morning. What is there to chat about, scheme about, gossip about?

Let's see. Serge took the day off yesterday which was a lovely thing. I feel far less guilty about blobbing around the house when he's home doing it too. I spent hours and hours working on my itunes, ripping more compact discs and making playlists. I had knitted four more rows on the socks when Em called to chat, fascinating conversation, little of which I'm allowed to reveal. Twas juicy, it was. She did help me identify a terrible trait I've had lately called "negative forecasting". I was telling her that I was pretty sure I'm crazy because I found myself visualizing standing in front of the rental board trying to evict the new tenants for non-payment of rent while they pleaded for more time with their infant. Somehow, my brain had taken me down some "what if" road to the point where I was visualizing that. The tenants don't even move in until March, and here I am disastrificating it. Anyway, now I have a label for it and I'll be on the lookout for it. Em said to treat that voice like a cranky old relative, an aunt with Alzheimer's for example, and shush it with love. I'm going to try that too.

I'd love to chat more but there is an urgent need to evacuate a certain portion of my body. (See how delicate I can be?) Have a lovely day everyone.

23 comments:

Snooze said...

I'm guilty of negative forecasting as well. It's good that you're aware of it now, and can stop the process in it's tracks.

bardelf said...

I, too, enjoy starting my mornings with the computer, checking favorite sites and reading blogs. Rather than coffee, however, my morning energizer is Diet Pepsi. Hey! We get our caffeine in many forms!

My adventures said...

I've always thought that the vibes and thoughts you put out come back and come true. That's the main reason I've had the Scarlett O'Hara approach to life since I was 19. "Fiddle-dee-dee Melanie! I'll worry about that ta-marra!"

Anonymous said...

Evacuate-sounds like a fire drill. Me, I just poop! Em is very smart you would do well to follow her advice.
It is 8 degrees here this morning but the weather person promises warm air is on the way. We seemed to have dodged the snow that was promised for this morning. Me, I hate both the cold and snow. Ed

Anonymous said...

I hope you evacuated with "positive forecasting".

I tend to do a similar thing. When anticipating an event in the future, I tend to visualize every possible disaster. I think it is a defense mechanism that I've developed over my many years to keep me from being disappointed at what does eventually happen with the event.

I was also amused to read of your adapting to speech patterns of the Quebecois. Of course in my area the influence of PA Dutch/German speech patterns is similar. Most of us are so used to it that it takes a newbie to the area to point them out.

Anonymous said...

"disastrificating"

Great word.

Patricia said...

can't wait to see the socks. have you learned how to finish them yet? seems i recall you saying you need to learn that part. maybe they could turn into longjohns. not so bad for that weather you have.

Patrick said...

I've noticed my own penchant for negative forecasting recently, and a variation which is "well, this is never going to get better." I'm particularly suspicious of this latter voice, since it's often the one that has me sitting around not doing anything. What's the point, after all? I'm making myself notice them more too. A cranky aunt is a good idea. Does your voice have a name, like your type A voice and your procrastinator.

Blogs have become a part of my morning routine as well. Now I want more coffee.

Cooper said...

I don't do negative forecasting in any area of my life except for my love (lack of) life. I used to see an attractive man and my brain would take me along the serrendipity route. Now I just imagine train wreck scenes.

I, too, have a daily morning routine of coffee and blogs.

Doug said...

If you google "disastrificating," your site is the only hit on the entire World Wide Interweb of Tubes.

dirk.mancuso said...

My routine is iced tea and blogs. Weird, I know.

And may I just say that a day without a poop reference is a like a day without sunshine! ;)

GayProf said...

Internal voice: "That's odd -- Torn never asks for a second cup of coffee at my blog..."

Anonymous said...

Disastrification is marvelous.

Oh Ed- smart in some areas, slow in others.

Anonymous said...

I do it over a drink before turning in for the night or over lunch. I've kinda given up trying to squeeze it into the morning.

I suppose I'm a negative forecaster also. Though I feel it makes that the actual outcome is quite rosey. Even if it does cause a bit of anxiety.

A Lewis said...

I absolutely love to connect my caffeine with each of my blogger friends....I feel guilty unless you know who is doing it too! And if he's gone, it's even better. I know your pain and exactly where you're at.
EVACUATE EVACUATE EVACUATE (sounds just like my airline training skills!)

dpaste said...

While I don't drink coffee, I do eat my oatmeal while checking the blogs of consistent early-risers such as you. There's usually an evacuation during that process for me as well.

Polt said...

Like an old aunt with alzheimers and shush it with love...

LOVE. IT. Made me laugh. Great visualization.

HUGS...

dantallion said...

Are you Lucy or Ethel?

Anonymous said...

I enjoy the same ritual (I'm not speaking of downloading a turd, but rather, reading blogs in the morning with, in my case, a diet soda).

I love sleeping in, waking up late and fixing a lunch, pouring my diet soda, and ripping through blogs on my laptop at the kitchen counter. The house is quiet. I have ample leisure time to do as I please. The blogstuff is first-rate and I'm in love with the world.

lattégirl said...

"Blobbing around"

"Disastricating"

Tis the rare blogger that can make me smile at such neologisms.

lattégirl said...

I KNEW I wouldn't spell disastrification correctly.

This gives me a chance to tell you what a lovely, funny bunch of commenters you have!

David said...

Ah, poop, that was a short post.

Java said...

disastrificating. Love it! Almost as good as "embiggen."

I know about negative forecasting, though I've not heard it called that. Superman and I call it "vain imaginings." I drove all day today. He undoubtedly had vain imaginings all day the likes of which had me dead in a ditch somewhere near Nowhere, Ga.