Hurts so good

When I put down my arms and grin in a glow of happy sweat and say, "I'm gonna feel this tomorrow,"  please do not presume to tell me to go home and take two Advil.

No. No. No. No. No. No.

What kind of wimp do you think I am, anyway? We are not talking about injury. We are not talking about damage. We talking about good old post-exertional muscle soreness.

It's "I'm alive." It's "I got off my fat ass and DID something." It's proof. I earned this honestly. It will pass.

I remember a time when we were not bombarded with direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ads exhorting us to solve all our problems by taking a pill. (Frankly, I was appalled the other day by a radio spot for a product for drugging one's badly socialized pet into submission because one did not have time to train it properly.)

There is a remedy for what ails me. It doesn't come in a bottle. It involves arms swinging and feet lifting and falling on pavement and increased heart rate, and fresh spring air in my lungs and the sun on my face. Maybe you should try that some time.  'kay? 

Genius ideas and reinventing wheels

This weekend's genius idea of using rows of bamboo skewers to form the bottoms of my lanterns was a spectacular pain in the ass. Instead I'm going to go with solid bottoms cut out of craft plywood. 

The whole concept of a lantern made out of cane reed and paper with fire inside has had me thinking hard on how to keep the design safe enough to use. I acquired a pair of those concave metal plates used as pillar candle holders. They can sit on top of the sturdier plywood bottoms, and I can either put a votive in a glass cup or a taller candle with a glass chimney on top of that. (And I can still resort to an LED if I like.)

Which brings me to the person who posted today on the order of "I know they historically did A, B, and C, but I don't like those. Would I be frowned upon if I do Q?" In other words, the person already  knows Q is a poor choice but wants to be told it's OK.

Sorry, no. You asked for an honest opinion on a forum dedicated to particular subjects, you got an honest opinion.  Said opinions were not offered because folks enjoy peeing in your cornflakes for their own amusement, they were based on what more experienced board members know based on historical examples of Items A through C and based on that evidence, Q was not done and it is suggested you not do Q.

You want Item Q that badly, you can have Item Q. You want to hot glue pink feathers and rhinestones to it, that's your choice. Just don't expect anybody to give you permission or grant you absolution simply because it is your choice and you have your heart set on it.

Nobody can make your choices but you.

No one can take credit for your successes or blame for your mistakes but you.

If you think your feelings are getting hurt now while Q is merely in the idea phase, how are you going to deal with Item Q at events - where people will see it and you?