Day 2: Afternoon Drunk

I love the little things. The surprises which you have to just kind of quietly chuckle to yourself about, letting the world pass your private amusement by. And no activity so perfectly captures that moment as realizing that you're just a little bit drunk at four in the afternoon.

Allow me to back things up a few steps here, and tell you a little bit about the schedule that I've been developing for myself. Above all else, I feel it's important for me to stay active and engaged as I navigate my relationship with employment. To that end, I'm still getting up at pretty much the same time I did when I was working. Some of you will know that means an ungodly hour (around 5:30 am). I like to give myself a bit of time to shake off the night's sleep before I sit down to work on my novel at 6 am. I then make sure I put in either 2 hours of work, or I achieve a specific point which I have set for myself (like today, when I finished editing my first draft). It's my plan to then go out, clear my head, and enjoy the outdoors a bit; at least half an hour (an idea I've stolen from the David Suzuki Foundation.) Then I make sure I have at least one thing I want to do in the day, and schedule research, blogging, and studying at the Khan Academy around that event. So, lots to do, and no one to make me do it. This is probably one of the weaker points of the not-really-a-plan I'm "following".

This afternoon, the David Suzuki Foundation kicked off their annual 30 x 30 event; a promotion to encourage people to spend at least 30 minutes outdoors and in nature each day for the month of May. There's lots to be said about how exposure to nature helps us to process stress and relax, and opens up our mental avenues of problem solving, but I'm just happy to not be chained to a desk for 9 hours a day (at my former employment, a lunch break was not feasible for the pace of the environment). I've never been svelte, but I can really feel the creaky, laggy drain on my body that a true desk job has wrought on my body. Being active and outdoors is, to understate it, much better. To celebrate that freedom and to help cement my commitment to do at least a little better by my body, the kickoff event, a picnic in Grange Park, was my thing to do today.

 The Picnic-ers gather. . . 

Despite the fact that this morning started out completely grey, it turned into a lovely day, and I was very glad to have gotten out and enjoyed myself. I didn't really engage with the organizers too much; I really just wanted to enjoy the vibe and my lunch. Oh, and the show! The Lemon Bucket Orkhestra, a collection of 20 & 30-somethings who play Eastern European and Romani influenced tunes, were performing at the picnic, and man were they ever fun! Dance-able, interesting instrumentation, skillful musicianship, and a really fun presence make the Lemon Bucket Orkestra a must see for me at Lee's Palace on May 25th!

I decided to share my enthusiasm with my good friend Ryan Thomas, who lives in the neighborhood and was working from home this afternoon. Ryan is a digital media consultant, and one of the most interesting people I've ever met. He popped down to the park to tell me all about the band I thought I'd discovered, and to introduce me to Andy, Toronto's senior statesman for street performers. Unfortunately, things were breaking up as Ryan got there, so we had to wander off to find our own adventure.

This gentleman brings his adventure with him.

So Ryan and I wandered off, talking about what I'm doing and how I might brand myself in the digital space. While I've always found the concept fascinating, (we communicate so much so efficiently with brands) I've also been hesitant to see myself as a brand, or to brand myself, or however brand works as a verb. I find that corporate-speak is reductionist and dehumanizing, and "brand" is a very corporate sounding word to me. But I keep as open a mind as I can manage, and try to enjoy challenges to my preconceptions. Is it any wonder that after 20 minutes with my Ryan wanted a drink?

Ryan doesn't just have drinks. He gets himself onto pretty much whatever event guest list he wants to be on, and could easily drink for free nearly every night. He was also bar tending about the time I put down my first paper route, so he's got a wealth of experience and knowledge. So when Ryan wanted a drink, it was a drink he wanted to make. We stopped off at a grocery store and grabbed some fresh fruit, heading back to Ryan's. And below is how Ryan makes a drink:

Seen here: Backyard Swanky

You'll notice the little jar in the front of the frame. That's one of Ryan's 11 different varieties of home-made bitters. Ryan made us a few drinks, and we continued to talk about what I'm trying to do. Ryan conveys confidence. Not just in himself, but confidence in the things and people he knows. So it's a real boost to the ego to hang out and talk strange ideas of participation and economy and society with him, because he'll not only tell you to go for it, but he'll help you figure out how. The topics meandered, as they often will when a conversation is worth having, and the hours rolled by somewhat unexpectedly for both of us. We didn't have a whole lot to drink; just enough to feel a warm glow not born of the sunshine (my big bald head now bears a crimson streak to remind me that a warm glow is not always a good thing). I had expected to be doing research and studying this afternoon, or to use a coupon I have for a free movie that expires today, but somehow, I'm sated. Still, another adventure to be had tomorrow!