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.

Wind chill wars: Minnesota vs. the North Pole

Reasons I love the -30 degrees in Minneapolis:

• I saw a grown man dressed in a green and purple snow suit...on his way to work.
• Bicyclists were riding down the street with ski goggles on.
• My neighbors and I pushed my girlfriend's car back into its parking spot after it was too cold to take a jump!
• My boss actually said the phrase "Now I'm an idiot, but at least I wear a hat."
• Seeing the weather in Washington D.C. at 20 degrees and thinking, "Hey! Springtime! It's a tropical vacation!"
• After "skiing" at Buck Hill, my friend made me feel her cold ass...it was all red and freezing! This was after 45 minutes of driving in a car with heated seats! Insane! (Isn't that where you stay the warmest? In the fatty part of your body? Biology is a myth.)
• The coffee at work suddenly tastes delicious...at least it's warm.
• My coworker had to have her husband bring her pants to work because she forgot to put them on under her ski pants.
• I get to wear all of my scarves at once. It's like a true fashion show. All at once!
• The sun is soooo bright and beautiful. It looks as though I could spend the day at the beach. But it is a yellow f*cking lie!!
• Bragging rights...when I finally move somewhere warmer I'll always be one of those annoying people who says "You think this is cold..."

God bless Minnesota. It gives me a chance to test my optimism when even when it's suffering from frostbite.

Ho! Ho! Hope your mortgage payments are current!

Those who know me know I'm not the biggest fan of the holidays, mostly because I can't stand the commercialization and pressure to spend with no thought to where we're actually going to come up with the money.

So instead of gifts this year, I spent my time feeding homeless and displaced families a holiday meal. This is the sixth year Rock Bottom (my former employer) has put on this event. Families sit down to a nice meal with linen tablecloths, kids get to hang out with Santa, and everyone gets shoes, jackets and toiletries. They also have a professional photo taken together.

Here is a link to some footage from that day:

http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-kare-3323-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=articleplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=playlist&maven_referralObject=976387878

It's a nice time. I did it for Easter this year as well. I encourage everyone to do something like this around the holidays. It's the best kind of gift.

The next day I had to return to work. While our corporate office got the day after Christmas off, we had to come in. We had some of our busiest days on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. What do I do for a living? I process mortgage foreclosures in Hennepin County. I suddenly understand the phrase There is no rest for the wicked.

I've always maintained that corporate responsibility is an oxymoron, but the juxtaposition between these two days was enough to show me that there is a lesser evil in the corporate world. And while I don't doubt that my employer has some charitable organization set up, I'm all about immediate gratification! I mean, c'mon! I'm an American, and it's Christmas after all!