Stories found in everyday life

So I had the opportunity to go see David Sedaris at the Long Center Monday night.  I left feeling inspired and dumb at the same time.  He read selections from his diary, and I was blown away with how attentive he is to things that happen around him.  When I kept a diary, my entries all boiled down to "today I got up, went to work, took care of various problems, complained about them to friends/co-workers, and am now going to bed".  I finally stopped writing all together, as the sheer repetition of my entries was boring and depressing.  As opposed to the excerpts from Mr. Sedaris' diary, which were entertaining, and revealed a man who is very aware of the stories enacted around him in normal life and can verbalize the most mundane scenario brilliantly. 

So I've been inspired to try and pay more attention to things happening around me, as well as improve my skill at conveying those stories to others.  I initially resolved to find and write at least one anecdote a day, but discovered that it's going to take a bit of practice to be able to do my job and tune into more than a flash of an anecdote, as I'm always flitting to different locations in the clinic.  My stories from this week are all bits and pieces - the start, the end, the middle of a story, but not enough of any one thing to form a coherent thread.  I need to either find a way to see stories in a fragment and write that bit, or keep a consecutive train of thought better.

Anyways.  Deb, Arleen and Mom came over this morning for a bit of knitting.  Mom is the knitting Guru, and I love to listen to her explaining the knitting tips and tricks.  I remember her excited disquisitions when discovering a lot of those same tips and tricks during my childhood, and it's cool to see her get to share those skills with a more appreciative audience than myself.  I never was very good with knitting.

In other news, I got a grill last week, and today ventured for a second time into the as yet uncharted territory (for me at least) that is grilling.  So far, have made hamburgers, and today, tried Shish-ka-bob, with veggies, steak, chicken and shrimp.  As per Mom and Arleen, it tasted good, but I need to work on my marinade, I think.

After lunch, we got to watch some 3rd season Dr. Who.  Mom told me no other family members were allowed to visit until she got her fix this week, as I've let Truman, Kathryn and Edward usurp her time with the good Doctor.  So we watched a few episodes.  It's so gratifying to see Mum actually relaxing and enjoying a show and a glass of wine, and not feeling guilty about it.  Though I have concerns about her withdrawals from Dr. Who when she doesn't get to come visit for a few weeks.  It appears I have, in fact, created a monster.

:D