Don't worry. Be happy. Seriously.

My friend recently joined AAA. The cost of a year’s membership is less than one tow and includes a lot more than that. And when you live in Minnesota, it seems reasonable to me.

There are, however, a few things that seem less reasonable to me:

• Insurance on your cell phone that you pay monthly and then pay a deductible when you use it…and you may only use it a certain number of times.
• Protection the cable company offers in case you have to have a technician come out and service your wires or equipment you rent from them.
• Warranties available for additional purchase on electronics (read: Best Buy)
• Credit protection for purchase on credit cards, checking and savings accounts
  
  While I try not to give in, there are times when I wonder: Should I have these things? What if my credit card gets stolen? What if my iPod quits working? What if I drop my cell phone in a toilet?
  
  What-if land is a dangerous place to go. I consider it a necessary place to visit, like Washington D.C., but I definitely wouldn’t want to live there. Constantly processing outcomes that may never happen is a sure recipe for living with fear and worry.
  
  There is a Swedish proverb that says “Worry gives a small thing a big shadow.” If we let go of our fear and worry and live in the moment, most of those outcomes we were processing will never occur.
  
  And really, would it be so bad if on occasion they did occur? I live for the day my cell phone runs out of power and I can’t be reached. Imagine a week!

Reh Dogg asks: "Why must I cry?" I do not ... I love Friday the 13th!

On Friday the 13th I received the following things before 9 am:

• A carnation
• A Twix candy bar
• A bagel with cream cheese
• A loaf of bread
  

And I wore my Bon Jovi shirt. And one of my favorite bands is playing tonight...and I'm getting in for free. I have a three day weekend.

What I really want to know is what could make this day better? Oh I know! Watching Rey Dogg!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIiOd3thu0

I'd like to return the box you've put me in

Normally celebrity gossip makes me a little ill. But I was forced to watch this whole Joaquin Phoenix interview on Letterman at work today. And by forced, I mean literally my supervisor said, "B, come watch this."

There were a few different reactions to Joaquin Phoenix's behavior in our office (there were several people who found this newsworthy--I work in a newsroom). Most of them had something to do with a guess as to what drugs he was on or what mood disorder had suddenly surfaced in him. All I could discern was that he didn't want to talk a lot at that particular time, which was too bad for him considering he was being interviewed on national television.

(On a somewhat related note: The man's name is phoenix. Death and rebirth are part of the bird's very essence!)

When someone makes a change in their life, many people have something to say about it. What's unfortunate is that many times the things that people say are critical and are based in assumption. These judgments are unfair and most times unsolicited.

Change is hard enough without someone saying how you (in their opinion) have fucked up or are going to fuck up. A few of us are blessed to have great support systems to help us maneuver through our journey. But I would say that the majority of us deal with the former more than the latter. It's too bad.

I guess maybe too many people have decided their lives are perfect or too far gone for improvement and so they turn to someone else. Reserving judgment isn't an easy task and no one is perfect, but I think in this case we've all heard what I'm trying to say: If we can't say anything good, don't say anything at all.