At some point in our 20s, time speeds up

Or maybe we just slow down.

In my twenties, I can recall feeling that I had time to do things, that I could wait another day, week, month, or even months before acting on an idea, feeling, or urge. Now, marching towards my mid thirties, time seems to be moving a little more quickly. Perhaps we move so fast in our twenties, that relative to ourselves, time doesn't seem as fast. As we slow down in our thirties, partly due to age, partly due to just being more settled and anchored in life, time seems to glide by at a quicker pace. Although I have more patience, that feeling of fleeting time also urges me to act where I used to waiver. That change has been gradual and those who have known me a long time would probably not even see it, but I know and feel it in my own thoughts and actions.

The interesting corollary to time moving more quickly with age is being less concerned about what others think. That combination of sensing the importance of acting to seize a moment and being less self-conscious is definitely making life interesting. It's nothing revolutionary, but coupled with more personal stability and good health, Life, I must say, is pretty darned good these days.

Baths and manliness

A friend recently found himself with poison ivy symptoms which were likely passed on to him via his future in-law's dog. I suggested to him that he take a bath with baking soda to help relieve the itch. He made a face and commented that he didn't take baths - that somehow they weren't manly and made some additional excuse of not fitting comfortably in the tub in their apt. His girlfriend started laughing at this point. I suggested he take a sports or car magazine with him and his girlfriend suggested joking that he take porn. I laughed at that point and said I don't think it's supposed to be *that* kind of bath.

Personally, although I don't take baths often, I do find they help me relax and ease muscle tension. It's particularly nice In the winter to sit in a warm and relaxing bath, especially after a day of skiing. I don't see anything unmanly about it, but I've also been labeled as metro. Fine. People like labels. However, I think it's more a matter of just being open to try things that feel good and simply caring less about what other people think as I get older and maybe a little bit bolder.

P.S. Further in the conversation, my friend stated that from now on, he'd only shave once a week. I looked at his girlfriend and said , "We'll see how long that lasts. I think she could get you to change your mind pretty quickly."

Manual transmissions for all

While at the gym this morning (yup, made it), the Mix 96 morning banter turned to reports of cell phone use while driving. Once again, they reported how it and other preoccupations distract drivers and have been found to lead to more accidents for lack of attention to driving. I'm sure we've all seen people do thing they should not be doing while driving. I've seen people applying makeup, shaving, reading(!), and of course, blathering away into a cell phone that they're holding.

I have a simple solution to this distraction: design cars in such a way so that people have to pay attention to what they're doing. The manual transmission is a great existing solution. It requires one to use both hands and both feet and pay attention to what you're doing so that you're in the right gear at the right time. You don't have time or a free hand to be shaving or trying to send an SMS to your SO for dinner plans. You need to be focused on what you're doing. It would also prevent those who lack the coordination, sense of timing, and spatial judgement from driving. Driving a 2000 lb. vehicle should not be as easy as driving a bumper car. A car with a mass of 1200 kg (a little less than a Honda Civic), going 50 km/h would have the same energy as one dropped from 9.8 m or 32.3 feet. A mistake in driving could be like dropping a car 30 feet on someone. Doesn't it seem like you'd better be in full control of that car? I think so.

On a lighter note, also from the same broadcast this morning: "The worst time to have a heart attack is when you're playing charades." - Demetri Martin

Seemed like a bad day

5:30 am
Alarm goes off. Hit snooze. Or so I thought.

7:03 am
Train rumbles by. I wake up and realize that there's no going to the gym again this morning. Damn, that's two days in a row I've missed and the first bit of bad luck today.

8:30 am
I realize by the tickets left in my hand that I just paid for the bus ride with two tickets.

9:03 am
Get settled at work and realize that today's the day I replace a vacationing colleague in her role. OK, so projects on hold today.

7:30 pm
After spending the weekend in a hot bathroom doing renovations and having missed out on the morning gym sessions so far this week, I'm looking forward to an evening bike ride.

8:00 pm
Dishes done, laundry going, I'm set to go. Even remember to slip the yellow replacement lenses for my shades into my cycling jersey in case it turns dark on the way home. I think I'm so clever for thinking of it.

8:04 pm
Flat tire. Crap. Run up from the building garage to get car keys to get repair kit. Halfway up the stairs, I realize that I've forgotten the keys to the door. Double Crap. They're locked in the garage passed a security door. Have to go outside and follow a car into the garage to retrieve the keys. Get the flat changed using a patched spare. Hope it holds up.

8:16 pm
Spare goes flat. I give up on exercise for the evening and decide to put up the wall mount for holding the bike in my storage area. Well, if I don't exercise, at least I'll have done something productive.

8:49 pm
The wall mount is in place with plugs in the drywall. Hope it holds.

8:51 pm
Despite being a fairly light bike, the bike rips the mount out of the wall, screws, plugs, mount, and all.

Alright, day , you win, lol. You got me. I suppose things could be worse. No Hezbollah rockets landed in my living room today.