Have I told you lately that I love Sheezer?

Like, a lot.

Seriously. Sally and I spent last night at our band practice singing an excellent rendition of Jolene and fangirling over Sheezer. I really really want that t-shirt.

I'm going out of town this weekend, otherwise I would so be at their show on Friday night, swooning in the front row.

A photo of a beet and thoughts on other people's thoughts on life

I fell in love with this beet while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

In other news -

My favourite piece of advice from Milton Glazer's 10 Things I Have Learned, via Keri Smith:

Some people are toxic. Avoid them.

It is not necessarily true that the same person will be toxic or nourishing in every relationship, but the combination of any two people in a relationship produces toxic or nourishing consequences. And the important thing that I can tell you is that there is a test to determine whether someone is toxic or nourishing in your relationship with them. Here is the test: You have spent some time with this person, either you have a drink or go for dinner or you go to a ball game. It doesn’t matter very much but at the end of that time you observe whether you are more energised or less energised. Whether you are tired or whether you are exhilarated. If you are more tired then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy you have been nourished. The test is almost infallible and I suggest that you use it for the rest of your life.

Another great piece of thought/advice from the Keri Smith post that linked to this (which resonates with me as a blogger and a human being):

as a teacher you are always mining the world for content, things you can use in class, things to share, and it creates a kind of bond with the people you are sharing with because you are always excited to bring something to them that you think is interesting or related to what you are teaching. what is somewhat difficult is that while you are in it there is no real gauge for how you are doing. how do you know if you are reaching someone? if you are a good teacher, some of what you are teaching might not sink in for years. I suppose you just give them all you have and release all attachment to outcome. Isn’t that how it is with all important things in your life? Parenting, art, relationships, etc.

Yep. Good rule for life - give all you have and release all attachment to outcome.

Think of what we've come to. It is one of the great testaments to the intellectual—and moral, and spiritual—poverty of American society that it makes its most intelligent young people feel like they're being self-indulgent if they pursue their curiosity. You are all told that you're supposed to go to college, but you're also told that you're being "self-indulgent" if you actually want to get an education. Or even worse, give yourself one. As opposed to what? Going into consulting isn't self-indulgent? Going into finance isn't self-indulgent? Going into law, like most of the people who do, in order to make yourself rich, isn't self-indulgent? It's not OK to play music, or write essays, because what good does that really do anyone, but it is OK to work for a hedge fund. It's selfish to pursue your passion, unless it's also going to make you a lot of money, in which case it's not selfish at all.

From What Are You Going to Do With That, an essay by William Deresiewicz. The man, I must say, has a point.