Day: 1/29/08

More study today for me. This time, I was spending time online to find out about various Norse (viking) hol(y)days. As most information regarding the ancient Norse religion has been obscured or corrupted or forgotten over the years, there is much variation and variety to be found. Some days I found were claiming ancient origin, even to preclude recognized Christian holidays. These earlier days bear some, and often many, explanations as to how current holidays are actually based on the older.

Some of the holidays are more recent or clannish in their observance. These days are not likely to have been recognized in ancient times, but they call back to ancient times to honor the past and the dead.

A few websites that I visited (and still have the links to :) ):

http://www.asatru.org/

http://www.wizardrealm.com/norse/holidays.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_holidays#Celtic.2C_Norse.2C_and_Neopagan_holidays

Not that I actually plan to adopt these particular holidays, but I find them interesting and as I don't particularly celebrate many holidays as it is now, maybe I will find some meaning in new ones that I am not as familiar with.

Christmas is one holiday that I typically celebrate, sort of. I find that each year I lose more interest in the actual day as the commercialism continues to push and push on us. What does Christmas mean to most people now anymore but a day we are supposed to give presents? Do children even understand 'why' they are getting presents?

Halloween is a fun one for me. I enjoy this holiday (even though we don't get the day off work for it). However, this too is becoming a commercial day, more and more push to sell candy. Are children even told about All Hallow's Eve and why it is observed?

The meanings of so many things that are observed, people have forgotten in favor of the commercial aspects of the event. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Boss's Day, and on and on. I don't even know 'why' we celebrate some of these days. A sad state our state is in.

And people wonder why there is so much violence and hatred in the world. I can think of one reason.

Dream: 1/28/08

I was at work. It had just turned lunch time so I headed out of the building to find my father. I thought him to be at an apartment building nearby called "Energy Tower". I felt familiar in this building, but 'edgy', as if I hadn't been in the building for a while. I stepped into the elevator to check the different floors for a 'potty' (restroom, why I used 'potty' I don't know right now). Odd enough, the elevator was decorated like a men's restroom. At the urinals, there were knobs to turn. I knew this was not an actual restroom, and moved to the nearest urinal to turn the knob which would take me up the building.

With the first quarter turn, I was moved up one floor. The doors opened to a small room with 3-4 doors on it leading to, I presume, different apartments.

Another quarter turn took me up two floors to the roof. The doors opened and I was standing on top of the building, kind of like when a cartoon character goes up too far in an elevator and goes through the ceiling.

One more quarter turn, and the elevator dropped to the third floor, I fell after it. I then exited the building followed by two college age women that looked like they were going to the beach.

As I walked back towards the office, I noticed a memorial (I suspect the Fire Museum memorial) standing to my left.

I was then at a coffee shop, discussing the security nightmare at my building. We were talking about the door closures (for security reasons) and how they didn't bother to fix up the one door everyone was forced to use and couldn't now because of the other door closures.

*end of memory*

Day: 1/28/08

Of today, it was a strange day. I followed pretty much my normal routine for a typical work day, but as I went through the minutes of my job, there was something 'odd'. People around me seemed different. Their actions and words and 'feel' were off, different, almost alien.

I had a couple of magickal friends do a check on me, because I was feeling a bit different as well. Turns out that my aura was reported to be a yellow and green flavor and rather spikey. My normal'ish is kind of a laid back purple, so I'm told.

The only real thing I can think of that might have caused the change is that I was studying on Wikipedia about the Norse mythology and the varied deities of that mythos for my chaos magick repretoire.

To that, I have identified ten deities that I 'chose' as potential uses in the near to far future:

Andhrimnir
Bragi
Eir
Forseti
Freyr
Freyja
Frigg
Heimdall
Odin
Thor

I included the links to Wikipedia for each deity, if you the reader are curious, but each of these were chosen based on influences they have. Each represents, or is associated, with an aspect that I find myself needing or wanting at times.

Aside from the oddness of the day, everything else was pretty much normal.

Day: 1/27/08

This day is my one day of the week that I don't have to work. Momma picked up her new glasses (see Day: 1/26/08 for the full story on that) and was amazed that the old prescription was actually worse than she thought. Everything was peachy. Yes, I said 'peachy'.

Later this day, we met with the main core of my mother's side of the family for a belated/early birthday dinner at her place. Belated for those of us born in January, early for those of us born in February. Nagasaki (Japanese steakhouse) is still on the horizon for the traditional meal.

It was a typical slow Sunday, reminiscent of the old days when families met together on Sunday to eat and enjoy each other's company. Remember when people use to do that?

Day: 1/26/08

This day proved to be a rather trying day.
As is our usual routine, we had stayed up late the previous night, and were enjoying sleeping in late this morning. However, this proved to be the catalyst for the remainder of the day. My son, at 2 1/2 years of age, has finally learned how to operate a doorknob. Well, he isn't one for sleeping in. He decided that he would occupy himself while we were sleeping and began his search for such things. Apparently, momma's eyeglasses were one of these things. Needless to say, by the time it was discovered, the glasses looked like a Chinese pretzel and one of the lenses was lost. After much searching, the lost lens could not be located, and so ensued the great rush to help momma see.
Apparently, everyone else in the city needed glasses this day, as we went from place to place trying to find an optometrist with an opening. My thanks and appreciation to the optometrist at the Target Supercenter. He took the time to call a couple of contacts he had and found us someone who could work us in.
We made it to the Eyemasters in record time and then began the routine of the doctor's waiting room wait. An hour and a half later, we were seen. Dr. Pressman was very understanding of our situation, and made momma at ease during this trying time. Prescription in hand, we hustled next door to have the glasses made.
Ok, if you have a sign-in list, it would be nice to tell someone so they don't waste time wandering around. Signed in, another 30 minutes before we are approached pass. The lady took momma around comparing and discussing the different frames until momma had selected two pair that she liked.
Ok, order placed. Wait and hour and we are gravy, right? Wrong. We were there too long and the lab was closing in an hour. Too many orders ahead of us so we have to come back. Rats.
Phone search ensues for someone that can help momma with the rug rat. Gayle, thanks a lot for the help.
Off to work I go. General busy night, and I get the honor? of working in the cooler. 3 hours later, I haven't made much progress, but the cooler is neater.

I had a dream this night, but it has already passed from my memory as to the details.

Day: 1/24/08

This day appeared to begin as any typical day for me. There was a brief bright spot, as a couple of suggestions/ideas proposed to upper management received some notice after a number of days of no word regarding them. Things are moving forward, it would appear. The rest of the first part of the day was relatively uneventful.
The second job held new (old hat) surprises in that one person called in sick for my shift, another was scheduled to leave early, and I was to work with one of the lazier individuals I have to spend the work hours with. Not looking promising as we had additional time consuming work slated for us tonight. Well, apparently no one could read the schedule correctly, and the person who they thought had to leave early actually had to stay the whole shift. A busy night for us, but nothing that couldn't be handled with some skill. At the end of the shift, the next crew came in and lo-and-behold, our time consuming work was only half done because we didn't know we had to do the other half. Almost a typical Thursday night.
Home is quiet, lots of phone calls I am told, but nothing major.

So it begins

Well, I have finally decided to record the record of the life of me. Yes, yes, after much speculation, debate, and ballyhooing, now everyone will know just who is "Flint Luchtaine"!