A Bee in My Hat
man finds bee in hat
I’m easily scared. Scared of birds. Scared of bees. Scared if I’m in a car that is failing to brake multiple yards before the vehicle in front of us has already started to brake. I scare easily. I think it’s genetic. I think the McPhersons are a shook clan.
Today I have the day off from work, but I work at home, and I’m at home. Probably my first time being in that situation since maybe 2021. Anywho, the dogs are restless. We have electricians working in the back of the house to wire up the HOT TUB THAT WE BOUGHT. Yes, in 24 hours I will be a soaking fool baby. Can’t wait. But today, the dogs are all worked up while Jeff and Jake get a-wiring. The dogs are crazy restless. Especially our always-adoptable dog Flex who really wants to be involved in the project but would also pee on all their tools. I took Flex and Warren around the block to calm him down a little. After a little work at the old basement computer I felt a BUZZING IN MY HAT. I took my hat off and shook it and a bee fell out. I haven’t been stung by a bee since the H.W. Bush era. Scared shitless. Made a nice high pitched noise and then stepped on that bee so hard. So scared. I am even at this point somewhat scared to look at sole of my shoe and also think I might get a hernia if I did successfully look at the sole of my shoe in this small ass area I’m typing in. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I know why I’m writing anything at all. . .I put it on my little list today to do some blogging.
Most of what I have to do today is little things. Finish little projects, schedule COVID shots, put away the materials from the lime olympics event I held in the summer time. But I wanted to make sure I write something. My creative energy has been strangely shaped since starting the gig at City Cast Twin Cities. I am throwing my self into the work of that with a lot of focus with a clear self-generated mandate to make leaps and bounds in my skills and offerings in a matter of weeks. It’s exhilarating. I spoke to Felix from Heiruspecs about it today. I haven’t been out of my comfort zone in quite some time and well, I’m out of my comfort zone. I love talking, I love sharing, I love engaging. But making that leap from radio to podcast is not all apples to apples. There is a tremendous amount of similarities but the tone is different, the goal is different. . .there is no safety blanket of knowing that when I’m done yapping you’re gonna get to hear Joshua Redman. We are a daily podcast, we want to make something you want to wake up with, laugh with, worry with, learn with. It’s a tall order and it’s more intimate than radio, especially afternoon radio. The goal there was to “end the workday on a high note.” A noble goal, but one that prefigured the show being a bit of a button on the day. City Cast Twin Cities will need to hit more notes, have more range. It’s exciting.
I call my creative energy strangely shaped because I find myself zapped at the end of the day. I have a level of exhaustion that I don’t think someone should have from podcasting. But, the amount of exhaustion and stress that comes from trying to find your comfort zone in a new area. . .it’s an extra lift. Plus, I have to build up my tolerance for ZOOM meetings, for google sheets, for all the trappings of modern collaboration in a long-distance setting. Somedays I wrap it all up, get the kids to bed and I just know that I got maybe two innings of baseball if I’m by myself and an episode of Shrinking if Rachel wants to watch something before I just crash. I also need to learn how to have my antennas up for stories for the podcast. . .but also turned off enough that I can relax. But I do find myself striking things off my list. I vacuumed the inside of my car for the first time this weekend. I got my acoustic guitar set-up and restrung so I can start working on writing. I’ve finishing the book I’m reading, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver if you’re curious, with a new speed. I’m finding new routines, new rhythms and new ideas which only makes sense with starting a new job. But here I am, telling you about a bee in my hat and the fact that I vacuumed my car. The big ideas aren’t floating around my head right now. Maybe it’s because I’m pushing them into content we are trying for City Cast, maybe they are just diverted based on all the logistical information to navigate at the moment.
The important part is that I told myself I was going to write a little something on mcpherson dot club and guess what. . .I did it. What a treat.