Musing Interruptus

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode; click on continue reading to open a Google Doc with the complete transcription. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Two Pound by Blue Dot.

I can’t hear you! La la la la la la! Sings the girl child as loud as possible to drown out her older sister’s voice. A few years down the road, she is blocking reality through her earphones, blaring her favorite song. This one is predisposed to avoid listening to anything that may cause dissatisfaction or discomfort. A lot in the world might deserve to be tuned out. 

Disconnecting from the world has its appeal, without a doubt. Traveling without the interference of others' input could be just what the doctor ordered—until it isn’t, especially when it comes to blind spots. There is a time for inner dialogues and a time to let the outside in and connect. 

In Spanish, a litany says, I can’t hear anything, I am made out of wood, and I have fish ears. I remember a child who repeated it enough times for me to remember it 25 years later. Although a typical turn of phrase in Spanish, I had never heard it. I liked watching that child march about repeating those words. My school had a student music group called estudiantina, in Spanish. That afternoon they had their first practice of the year. The band leader had a son. I assume he told his son not to talk to strangers; however, he let his young wooden child with fish ears loose around the high school grounds. I was just sitting on a bench reading and waiting for my friend to come out of band practice, silently witnessing the one-person demonstration. I recall my mother took my sister and I to rehearsals, too. So, I understood the meandering child looking for ways to entertain himself. I learned early on that a book is easy to travel with and as entertaining as any toy I had. I wonder if little Mr. Fish ears ever caught on to that. I wonder if he still shuts the world out. 

There are harsh realities that I would prefer not to know about. Then again, knowing is always better on the off chance that something could be done to fix it. Receiving constructive or otherwise criticism can be a pain in the neck or a swift kick in the ego. However, not learning what needs to be corrected can bring about issues in your social circles and even with yourself. Learning how to listen, even when we are hard at hearing, is a task that requires humility. Learning to recognize there is something we need to listen to attentively in the face of our greatest resistance is a task I have taken on with caution. There are a great many voices that fill the airwaves with harmful, hurtful, and even unethical intentions. Yet another reason why it is vital to cultivate an active critical apparatus.

Has this ever happened to you? You are writing an episode for Musing Interruptus and you are interrupted with the news that serves as a perfect example of what you are writing. As luck would have it, I was notified, in no uncertain terms,  that there is a fake friend in the water. Like a shark who smells blood and is finding the moment to attack. It is his nature to be a shark and I love him all the same. My intuition altered me to this, and I paid no attention. My family and close friends alerted me to this, and again, I couldn’t hear them with my giant fish ears. 

I did not think I would experience this again in my forties. I felt old enough to have real friends. I thought I was safe. It turns out that I’m not immune, and there is yet another reason why turning .. Continue reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode; click on continue reading to open a Google Doc with the complete transcription. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Palms Down by Blue Dot. 

Today, Cassandra’s Conundrum 

Let’s not skirt this topic; impatience will get you to the worst places fast. Such is the case of Casandra, who found herself stuck in a box of cereal. It wasn’t even the yummy kind, with chocolate and marshmallows. It was shredded wheat, a cereal that seemed to be made of the same box it came in. In a pinch, you could add milk to the box and get at least another bowl out of the ordeal. You might call it getting the best bang for your buck. I think Casandra must have thrown a fit when she realized she was stuck in a cereal box. But that is what happens when you open a box too fast. You see, that morning, she was extra hungry on account of a very energetic dream. She was in hot pursuit of a lion and not the other way around, which would probably be even more stressful. In her dream, she was a lion keeper at a zoo. The lion escaped when she was feeding him. He was super strong and could jump with great precision. She could only run and not fast enough. She knew if the lion escaped, it would be her fault, and the townspeople would be in danger. The worst part of it, she was running barefoot, and she had only one dart in her tranquilizer gun. An interesting fact about Casandra is that she knew things about shooting a weapon, even though in her waking life, she had never had a weapon in her hands. For instance, you can’t drive and shoot at the same time. This was only done in movies and was unrealistic, as the shooter's accuracy would be severely diminished. She was very observant when it came to these types of things, especially in case she needed that knowledge in some unforeseeable future. Well, the time came, and it was in a dream. Some dreams are lucid, and others are not. If it were a lucid dream, she could take control and imagine the lion is back in its cage or maybe even jump back in time and avoid the whole situation; she could also just make it someone else's problem. But it was not a lucid dream; she would never shirk her responsibilities. She was running barefoot after a very powerful jumping lion, with a tranquilizer gun in her right hand her index finger on the trigger. She knew this was a mistake, one false move, and it would surely go off.  But she couldn’t take her finger off of the trigger. If she pulled the trigger ahead of time, she would miss her opportunity to sedate the jumping lion, and who knows what would happen next? As I mentioned, it was not a lucid dream.  Cassandra ran through a forest, a desert, and then a city in ruins. Where was this cat going? Why wasn’t he tired yet, and why wasn’t she being chased by the lion? Why was she the predator? All questions she would ask herself once awake. When Casandra was finally about to catch up to the lion, she pointed the tranquilizer gun, loaded with a dart, and squeezed the trigger... continue reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode; click on continue reading to open a Google Doc with the complete transcription. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Paramo Ocho by Blue Dot.

Today, What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Tina, Tina, Tina, turn us into a more intelligent breed, please. What’s love but a second-hand emotion? She says. Think about that for a moment. Consider the implications. Love is a second-hand emotion. If this were in Spanish, we would have some serious potential for double-entendre. Put a pin in that one. Let’s think about second-hand things. When someone has no use for clothing or pots and pans, appliances, books, lamps, mattresses, bedding, an easel, iPods, blackberries, fruitcakes, ugly Christmas sweaters, or ugly sweaters, for the most part, old cribs, and, perhaps even, the elusive love, they have a few options, pack them up in a box and forget them in a closet or attic, throw them out, or give them away. Get yourself down to the Goodwill, a store with the mission to mediate between those who -don’t want- and those who -need or want-. On a budget, no less!

Imagine we are at the store, an empty basket in our hands, we need to get some love. That is what is on the to-do list.  But wait, whatever happened to the Beatles Can’t buy me love. This is my store, so hold on, Paul, hang in there with me for a sec. Tina said it was a second-hand emotion, and this is the second-hand store. And I’m not talking about love on a timer either, got it? Timeless love… you can’t get that on the corner. I’m talking about that feeling we want wrapped around our ribcages and souls, biting our shoulders, and mmmmhmm.

The question is, do you pay for used love? Huey Lewis says You don’t need no credit card to ride this train. He is talking about the Powe of Love. Sounds more like the power of sex. So, it’s not money. You pay in sweat and tears! Sounds like sex again. Huey can’t separate sex from love. Are we meant to? I’m not ashamed. Tina couldn’t either, back to Tina. 

Is all love a second-hand emotion? Oh, oh, oh! Maybe.  Continue reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode; click on continue reading to open a Google Doc with the complete transcription. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Dirty Wallpaper by Blue Dot.

Today, Guess: Who is Phil?

I’m sharp, see? Some people might mistakenly think I don’t like being sharpened. Let me tell you, that is actually a very satisfying part of my job. I love the feel of the blade shaving the dullness out of me. When my favorite hands are not in the mood, I get angry. We have a mission here. I need you to focus. That is what I think.

I’m used to adapting, from heavy and determined to light insecure hands.  

I’ve been in the hands of waiters; they are heavy, consultants who take notes, mostly bullshit if you ask me, and standardized test takers. That was very boring, just filling in circles. I could always tell if they would pass or fail, just from the determination in shading in those circles. Don’t get me started on my eraser. I get that that’s what it is there for, but come on, there comes a time when you just have to trust yourself. 

As I mentioned, I like working with one hand in particular. It has been my favorite. If I were human, I would marry it or spend the rest of my life with it. He isn’t perfect. I am. That is how I was designed.  I can go for a g e s contouring, shading, and providing chiaroscuro to his sketches. 

I can tell the difference between inspiration and boredom. When bored, he aimlessly and even listlessly drags me around a sheet of paper. Sometimes, previously used. Can you imagine?! He says a sheet is never wholly used. He philosophizes on creating art. I don’t need to hear it, I feel it when he takes me, thumb, index, and middle finger, and away we go.  Personally, I hate it when he doesn’t use a new sheet of paper. Why doesn't he use a pen, marker, or crayon when he doodles? Why me? We've made such beautiful things together.  Why waste me on doodles? You w@anna make a house, buddy? How about some spirals? Hey, you seem extra prosaic today; how about a few penises and pound symbols? Pfft. You should see the beautiful works of art that have come out of our collaboration. They are breathtaking. Not that I know anything about breathing. I’ve just been around to see people's reactions to what we do. I don’t even care they never ask about me. I see how they basque with awe in the immenseness of what we created. Continue reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode, click on continue reading to open a Google Doc with the full transcription. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Stipple by Blue Dot.

Today, Be Careful What You Wish For

Have you ever heard this saying? Be careful what you wish for. That was said by someone who is obviously spoiled by the universe. Imagine getting everything you wish for, like a pampered prince who merely moves his eyes and indicates things need to be brought to him on a silver platter or diamond platter. I don’t know what is in for princes these days. Perhaps the prince gets things droned in so he doesn’t have to deal with humans. But then, who is reading his looks and glances, eye rolls, stares, raised eyebrows, flushed cheeks, and winks?! That is a prince’s reality? Isn’t it? In my mind, that is true, and they want for nothing and no one. They communicate with their eyes, nod their heads if necessary, and speak if their tongue wishes. There must be a royal eye reader that grows up with the prince. The royal eye reader, we’ll call him RER, the RER, learns to anticipate anything and everything the prince wants. That’s the RER’s job. These wants or whims can change with the wind; the RER knows that. The RER lives to please. — I want a RER. The RER is in tune with the prince, seeing almost everything as the prince sees it. As if through his very eyes.  He is like the prince's second skin. The cold air or unfiltered sun barely graze our prince, and the RER adjusts the room immediately. The prince and RER’s chemistry are so alike that the RER can anticipate a craving for the most obscure textures and tastes, be they food or entertainment. The prince has never been unhappy, hungry, cold, hot, bored, or angry a day in his life. A bland existence. He doesn’t like reading because he was never asked to make an effort to learn. That might imply frustration. He doesn’t watch tv or movies because they require having to care about someone else, a show of empathy. The RER can’t do that for the prince. This leads me to the downside of having such a good RER in his service. He has everything and cares for none. He has no need to care for anyone. Having never been without his RER, he has never felt that absence.

He has never been passionate about something; he hasn’t wanted or enjoyed anything enough to experience that intensity. Absence, or lack, is what brings about desire. The greater the absence, the greater the desire, in connection with vitality and power, passion will arise. 

The RER has ensured our prince gets everything he wants. Poor prince has no idea there are other feelings to experience. 

As we are not princes, we do experience the spectrum of emotions that stem from lack, which takes us to the wish list. A list of things we desire and hope we get. Continue Reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Slimheart by Blue Dot.

Today, That's Hard To Believe

A man walks into a bank and sneezes at the very moment a robber was pulling out a gun with the intention of pulling a heist. There are many things about this case that are hard to believe. For one thing, the sneezing man was known for having the loudest sneeze around, in three counties, no less. He won this contest without even entering it. The year was 1994, he was turning 21 that September. Still a month away from legally having a drink, which made getting his hands on liquor and beer part of the fun and the stories he would one day tell around a table with his closest friends. The stories about testing limits and proving that laws were there for the less intellectually adept would keep their attention in their 30s and 40s. The sneezing contest was held every year at the county fair. The day Steve -the sneeze- went to the fair with his friends, it was dusty and windy. He was buying his tickets when he got a whiff of dust up the old schnoz. They say his sneeze was heard all the way on the stage where they were holding the sneezing competition, a whole 3 km away. It was so loud it boomed off the booths and the Ferris wheel passenger cars. I’m no physicist or acoustics engineer, so I can’t explain what happened. Probably a combination of the Doppler effect and lots of dust for some. His friends were used to his enthusiastic sneezing. However, the rest of the world wasn’t. For seconds, the whole fair fell silent, wondering if it wasn’t something they should be worried about. That’s when a booming voice from the stage killed the silence by announcing the de facto winner of this year’s sneezing contest. Please, could the person who just sneezed approach the stage. You’ve silenced these grounds, it is fair to say, your sneeze is the loudest sneeze. This guy has some luck when it comes to making an entrance. 

Back to the present, 30 years later, walking into the bank at the very moment a robber was pulling his gun. Steve the sneeze had an urge he could not deny himself, and sneezed, loudly and what was soon to become his next epic story. The robber, shuddered, squealed, and released the gun through the air. The gun fell on a ladies’ head, knocking her out, cold, instantly. Lucky for her, when she was rushed to the hospital, the attending ordered an MRI and they detected a brain infection in her occipital lobe. She had struggled with remembering people’s faces, but was too ashamed to tell anyone, thinking it was just a sign of times, her times, a sign of aging. She wouldn’t have told anyone, if it weren’t for that errant gun, she might have gone undiagnosed and fallen into a coma. Prosopagnosia was a word she would become familiar with. She would never take her memory for granted again. 

Back at the bank, Steve’s harrowing sneeze had interrupted a robber and saved a lady’s life. This time, he wouldn’t get a prize for being so noisy. A life supply of money was not out of the question if you ask me. A fortunate chain of events detonated by an obnoxiously loud sneeze. The old lady would never know what or who was behind the konk on her head, and the robber had a heart attack which led to post-traumatic amnesia. That gave him a new lease on life. He went back to school and learned how to set up hedge funds... Continue reading

Take a seat, Dr. Dolittle. Today’s guest works around the world taking care of animals. She is a specialist in wildlife and conservation. Listen. Read along. Share your thoughts [with me].

Hello, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. I created Musing Interruptus as a space for my students and anyone interested in discovering idiomatic expressions in different contexts. Thus far, I’ve always written stories and rants. Today, I do what I love doing most: interviewing interesting people. 

Today, we welcome Karina Flores Pineda, woman, veterinarian specialized in wildlife conservation, musicophile, and dear friend.

She comes to us from Gabon, Africa; she is currently overseeing primate care at Gorilla Project Fernan Vaz. Karina is a dear friend to me and the rest of the animal kingdom.  

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Town Market by Blue Dot.

Today, On Second Thought

More surprises. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on life, something changes. Maybe in a good way, maybe in a bad way. Oh, God, a pandemic! Oh God, another one. Someone changed their mind, they don’t want to get married, they called the whole thing off, leaving the other at the altar, making space for a big change. It could be construed as an untold story, a broken heart. On second thought, it could be a welcome change. Good riddance, I always say. Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you back? 

Our gut or intuition can alert us to things that we should be considering or noticing. For instance, don’t go down that dark ally, don’t run with scissors or talk to the big bad wolf, and under no circumstance drink coffee after 4 pm. Maybe that one is plain common sense. Just when you thought you got life you get a reminder you don’t. Expecting the unexpected is all you can expect. That phrase is not only t-shirt worthy, I got it off a t-shirt when I was 13. It became my mantra for many years, then I watched Dead Poets Society and Carpe Diem became my favorite, until I heard: In Omnia Paratus, meaning, ready for anything.

We can count on change. Perhaps someone had a change of heart and stepped down allowing for the energy to shift. A new candidate brings renewed hope. The candidate might have realized that it is in the best interest of the country to step down. This is a move for the greater good. That couldn’t have been easy. The greater the good the harder the personal sacrifice. 

We know things can and will change, even if we preferred they didn’t. 

We are allowed to change our minds. You might be walking down the street on your way to a movie when you realize you are hungry. You start craving a deli sandwich, maybe roast beef, dijon mustard and pickles on a kaiser roll. You take a necessary detour. Changing your mind, changing your plans is a-okay.

You may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, and you may ask yourself, -How did I get here? The Talking Heads ask that question and answer: letting the days go by, let the water hold me down. The thing is, even if you let inertia get the best of you, you are making a decision. Inertia isn’t a good reason to sacrifice your happiness. That is, if the beautiful house and beautiful wife don’t do it for you. If you give something a second thought you might realize you have changed your mind. You might need to hit the reset button. You might even consider a hard reset. That rarely guarantees a do over. These are two different things. Generally speaking, you get one shot, hopefully you do the best you can with the opportunities you get. If things don’t go your way, take a page from Taylor Swift and shake it off. 

You might be on your way to becoming an engineer! You might walk in the door to your first class and say, on second thought I think I like literature better. And walk out. It is best not to force situations that don’t feel right.

Some people change their wardrobe every season. They apply the Out with the old, in with the new philosophy. I think that it might be a little wasteful, but who am I to criticize that? Start every season off with a clean slate, new shirts, shoes, pants, dresses, pajamas, and underwear. Continue Reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called Kilkerrin by Blue dot

Today, I Mind If You Don’t Care

Gather the people who don’t mind in a room and let's start our own country. Those who don’t mind if you are you, in your most concentrated version. 

They may even prefer your undiluted self. Invite them to your side and repay them with the same coin. If you cannot accept who they are, at least show you don’t mind. 

Live and let live, live and let die. 

I don’t mind if you follow your passions, I love listening to how you describe them and how they make you feel. 

I don’t mind if you enjoy a hot sunny morning or a dreary autumn afternoon, as long as you invite me to sit next to you, every once in a while.

I don’t mind who you decide to love, as long as you are happy. 

Be who you need to be, be who you want to be. 

I don’t mind if you eat fish and chips or taquitos, burgers and fries, dumplings, barros lucos, or asados. I’d love to have your favorite recipe, I might even hope we can cook together and sit at the same table. 

Choose to be with people who don’t mind if you dream high or put your nose to the grindstone. They can’t all be your cheerleader, just make sure you stay away from the naysayers. Nobody needs that kind of negativity in their lives.

I don’t mind if you are so very tall you tower over others like a palm tree or are as short as a gnome, as long as you come out to play. 

I don’t mind if you like pop music or punk. I would, however, enjoy a dance party every now and again. 

Bring your favorite toys and dolls and balls and paintbrushes. I don’t mind if you play in the next room. If your are up to it, let’s enjoy a board game or charades.

I don’t mind if you want to sit quietly contemplating the letters in your book, even if they have no pictures. 

I don’t mind if you speak your mind and your heart, I rather prefer it to guessing what you mean or wish for.

Beware of those who don't care. They will try to break your stride and even your heart. 

Better sidestep those who don’t care, they will step all over your dreams and feelings and rights. 

If you can’t care, at least don’t mind. Continue reading

Hello, Welcome. I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Musing Interruptus is a podcast for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. The background music is called On Top of It by Blue Dot.

Today, Life Surprises You, Surprises Life Gives 

What I wouldn't give to have certainty. 

Science gives you that. I take science for granted. That is not where I want certainty today. I want certainty in dark places when I’m walking next to extra sharp objects, like the razor-sharp edge of my bed or the end table. You know, the place where your left pinky toe gets caught and pops out of its place, leaving your foot deformed, as if hitching a ride in the most awkward way. Imagine your pinky toe sticking out like that, forever. You would need to get new shoes. Or at least modify all the left ones. You don’t want to further hurt your left pinky toe. I wonder how it would affect my balance. I might be able to balance better. Like when I do tree pose in yoga. I might become super sturdy on the left side. I’ll have an extra grip with my pinky toe. Maybe I could even start driving with my left foot.  Do the best with what you’ve got. Lack of certainty gives us that. If “need is the mother of invention”, uncertainty is the father of adaptation. 

When adaptation and invention meet, pretty clever things happen. I’ve decided, just now, there are two types of people, those who cry over spilled milk and those who do something with the milk. For the record, you aren’t supposed to cry over spilled milk because once it happens, there is no turning back the hands of time. So crying is futile, irrelevant, and will get you no where. However, my therapist would say, cry if you want to cry. Honor your feelings. If I actually spill milk, I might throw up. But the idiomatic expression, don’t cry over spilled milk means that you should just focus on what can be done. 

So, again, there are two types of people, those who cry over spilled milk and those--- who make clothing out of milk?! YES, you’ve heard that correctly. Anke Domaske, the German designer did, in 2011, and named the fabric Qmilch/ QMilk and it is made from the casein protein found in milk. She works on biopolymers and other renewable materials (Qmilk, 2024). According to the Yves Rocher Foundation for Nature, she can upcycle 1.2 million liters of milk which can offset 168,000 kilograms of C02. Pretty cool and pretty surprising.

This is an example of things I was not looking for but surprised me. A lot. I don’t like milk very much. But there are several byproducts I enjoy, including cheese and ice cream. I might like wearing milk cotton or milk silk, especially if it is environmentally friendly. So you see, there are those who make money off and do their share to save the planet with spilled and spoiled milk. 

I can see the situation unraveling before my eyes: I’ve spilled milk, no worries; that is my next shirt. 

Life holds some really wonderful surprises sometimes. I was feeling really down this week.

I wasn’t able to travel to see a friend because my dog is ... Continue Reading