Most people have this deep-rooted disdain for Mondays. From coffee mugs to Internet memes to social media updates, people's dislike for the start of a work week can be seen everywhere. But I usually like Mondays.
But not this Monday.
It's only 10 a.m. and it's already been a long day -- and I haven't had nearly enough coffee to trick my brain into thinking it's ready to be creative and write a column. But as I looked at the blank page on my desktop, I remembered something our editor told me on my first day of work. He was trying to give me a few tips on writing news stories and was telling me to look at stories that had already been written for ideas when he quoted the great Pablo Picasso, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."
Perfect.
So here's a column that I stole from my fellow columnist Shannon, who did this a few weeks ago.
------
Listening: to the song "She is Love" by Parachute. It's a great song and on the heals of Mother's Day and an entire weekend spent with my two ladies, this song just seemed to be perfect. Plus it was the first song that played when I shuffled a playlist of just over 100 songs.
Making: this column. I'm not good at multi-tasking ... or making stuff. So yeah, I'm making this column.
Eating: nothing. I did however have a huge bowl of Cap'N Crunch -- my favorite cereal.
Drinking: coffee. This is true at almost every point in my day. I drink an unhealthy amount of coffee and I can't seem to stop. It's almost like there's some sort of addictive substance in the drink.
Reading: a comic strip that hangs at eye-level in my office. It's a picture of Clark Kent talking to Perry White. "I'm quitting before 'The Daily Planet' becomes the 'Three Times A Week Planet.'" When you work in print journalism, this is an ever-growing concern and something I actually think about a lot.
Wanting: to try this new OnePlus One phone. It's supposed to come out in June and it's one of the most impressive phones I've ever scene. OnePlus is a startup company, and the One in their first device, which is a little scary. But it's pretty cheap and I think worth the risk. With the motto "Never Settle" the device could be a flagship killer for most other Android-based companies.
Looking: at this grizzly bear toy that's sitting on my desk. We got it during our trip to the Memphis Zoo last year. I can't wait to go back.
Wasting: time. I'm terrible about just wasting time doing silly, nonsensical things. But I enjoy those things, so is it really a waste of time? They aren't productive, but they are fun and something I look forward to most days.
Enjoying: nothing at the moment. I've got a few things ahead of me today that I just do not want to do, Furthermore, the coffee isn't great this morning. That's my fault because I made it -- and I'm still going to have at least two more cups -- but it isn't very enjoyable.
Waiting: on 11 a.m. On Mondays, Ashley gets an hour lunch and we always go somewhere together. I look forward to it every week.
Planning: to make time to do some writing for a couple of projects I'm working on. I'm terrible about having ideas for stuff, jotting down a few notes in my phone and then eventually abandoning the idea.
Loving: me. I know that sounds very self-centered, but as I look around at how absolutely bonkers my life has been over the past 10 or 12 years, and I look at who I am today ... I love it. As a teenager, and even into my mid-20s, I had a hard time figuring out who I was. But over the last couple of years things have really started to fall into place for me. While I might not be everyone's favorite person, I no longer lay my head down at night thinking, "I wish I hadn't done that," or "I just wasn't myself in that situation." That's very comforting.
Hoping: I can make it out to see "Amazing Spider-Man 2" this week. I love Spider-Man, and I saw the first ASM when it came out in an empty theater, all except for a dad and his young son. The boy was so amazed (get it?) at everything that happened that it made an already great movie more enjoyable for me too.
Smelling: my shirt. It smells weird. I can't figure out what the smell is. It's clean ... I think.
Touching: my computer. I own a MacBook Pro, which I use for almost everything. Work. Movies. Baseball. Gaming. Music. Pictures. A lot of people complain about the price point for Macs, which is understandable. Once you own one though, especially if you're used to owning a Windows machine, you understand why. This thing is a workhorse and handles everything I throw at it. Plus, if I were to decide to sell it I'd get a more-than-fair return on what I paid for it.
Wearing: a black polo, my favorite jeans, grey Converse and my signature black-rimmed glasses. The funny thing about my glasses is that they've become so much a part of me that a lot of people don't notice that I wear glasses until I wear my backup pair, which are kind of a brownish shell pattern. Oh, here's a tip for guys who tend to buy jeans that have the "DO NOT WASH" label. Spray them down with Fabreze and wait about a half an hour. Then put them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer over night. The cold kills the odor-causing germs. You're welcome.
Thinking: about my Burger King cup. It's a big cup with a tiny BK logo on it. That's so weird.
Feeling: really tired ... still. I'm usually a morning person but I have a feeling it's going to be Tuesday before I really get good and awake.
Knowing: that I should not go get a burrito. I just ate and I'm not at all hungry, but a burrito sounds amazing. (don't get one Chris ... don't)
------
As always, you guys can follow me on Twitter at @CN_ChrisP. May the force be with you.
cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com