Musing Interruptus

Musing Interruptus is a podcast meant for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. This Musing will suffer the interruptus numerous times. If anything rings true to you, or you take great offense, share your thoughts. I’ll start with phrases that I love to use. I have my favorites sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the context to elicit their pertinence. They add color and texture to the conversation. For example, the following question has been…. Waiting For Pertinence today, on Musing Interruptus.

Have you ever had a fun layover? I think most people would say no. That’s life, isn’t it? The endless layover from the Garden of Eden to Heaven. Seemingly endless, until it is over. There is no final destination without traveling. Travel light, especially in the heart and in the heels. Figure out the secret, what it’s all about. And that is an internal affair. You’d better figure it out sooner rather than later. So we have to travel and make the best of this layover we call life. When I think of layovers I can’t help thinking about a good o’ roll in the hey. I think a good layover should include that. 

A word I like and seldom have the opportunity to use is, sidestep. So, I’ve created the opportunity for myself… Sometimes you have to sidestep the first thought you have. This means you avoid it. It also makes me think of dancing. You might dance with your thoughts. The first thought that comes to mind is not destiny and not penitence. Just because you think it doesn’t mean you want it. There can be many reasons you think what you think. So, cultivating thoughts is pertinent. You can identify the right thought, you can train the right thought. You can learn how to think because it is right to think that way. For instance, the scientific method teaches us not to jump to conclusions. There is a method to the madness of truth. You can focus on certain thoughts and not others. Our minds are beautiful muscles capable of so much. Notice the difference between the right way to think and the right thing to think. One is about methodology and the other is plain fascist. 

Methodology is nice. Power is nice too. The power behind the phrase, that is not up for discussion, implies you are the owner of the agenda, you dictate the topics that are spoken, you have set the topics, or even more, you are the owner of facts. Which may, in fact, reflect a very good memory. That could be the case. I like all these scenarios. I’d like to be the owner of a powerful memory and be the owner of a lot of facts. I would put them in the bank, amass interest. Perhaps reinvest my earnings straight to capital. That is how memory should work. Not this whole, oh yeah, you forget why you came to the kitchen in the first place. Dealing with the smirks and giggles from the refrigerator, percolator, and Dutch oven can be disheartening. Forgetting the word you need at the precise moment for a punchline. The word you need that happens to be imbued with meaning. Or any word for that matter. Being forgetful can be challenging. I’d love to make a withdrawal from my memory bank, please! Don’t make me pull a heist! I will rob this memory bank if you refuse to give me what I have come here to withdraw. Don’t ask me to repeat myself, because I have forgotten. 

As you can see, the waiting room and sidelines are crowded. Not all things are worth saying, some phrases don’t need to be put in the game.  You know, the word pertinence has a cognate in Spanish, pertinencia. Some words share a root, in this case, from the French pertenance, it used to mean arrogance and presumption... continue reading

Musing Interruptus is a podcast meant for sharing thoughts and stories and enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Tis the season to be holly, jolly, and otherwise kind to people at large. Santa is watching. Today, Naughty and/or Nice. 

Listen to me closely boys, girls, young and old, there is an old man with grey hair, a long grey beard, and a large belly, presumably from eating cookies just once a year. In his defense, he eats them at night, and that is not the best time to eat sweets. Let Santa’s experience be a tale of caution. It is best to have your sweet treats after a balanced meal. 

A visit from Santa depends on how good or bad we’ve been during the year. The thing is… I don’t think people are quite as worried about being nice as they are in December. Being naughty until you remember it's time to be nice can be alluring. However, the results might be devastating come Christmas morning. 

You have to think about how you are going to feel on Christmas morning every day of your life. That could be the filter to evaluate your actions. You do want Santa to leave presents for you under the tree, right? Were we better behaved when we were children because of that? My sister was told (and in her mind promised) that if she drank massive amounts of milk she would grow tall, therefore fulfilling the height requirement for the rides at Kennywood, the amusement park in Pittsburgh, Pa. Incentives work. In the carrot or stick analogy, carrots are by far the best option. Unless you are into the whole stick thing, in which case, more power to you. 

The trick is to stick to it. January comes along and you are like, should I stop to help that senior trying to cross the street? February rolls in, you don’t want to send your friends with benefits a Valentine’s present, but you know it is the nice thing to do. March comes along, you have Covid for the umpteenth time and you have to decide whether to wear a mask at work and other public places. April showers bring umbrellas and muddy shoes. Be kind and don’t poke eyes out with your heinous umbrella. May’s appliances vs something mother would actually like. June don’t forget good old dad. The choice is not between a nice tie and funny socks, we must go beyond that section at the department store. July, well if you have summertime weather in July then we can just agree that it is a bit harder to be nice. So if we are all naughty at the same time, Santa will grade us on a curve. I’m just putting it out there. Same for August, please. September is back to school, you can all stand to be nicer to the teacher. Santa is watching… October and trick or treat comes around, be mindful of the tricks. Strike the balance between permanent and funny… not so permanent, not painful, and no expensive consequences. If this is hard for you to do, just think what it will feel like when you suffer the consequences at Santa’s white-gloved hands. Picture yourself, in Christmas pajamas, cookies, and hot chocolate wafting through the air, sitting around the tree. The smell of fresh pine mixing with the freshly baked cookies. The sound of heart-warming holiday music, the exchange of glances denoting expectation and excitement to open up the presents, and you, having been excessively naughty in October, putting your level of naughtiness over the median of Santa Claus believers, you are handed a beautifully wrapped ball. You quickly shred the wrapping paper and lo and behold, you have a lump of coal in your hands. 

November and December aren’t hard months to be nice. Continue Reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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.

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Willing are the tired to sleep: today, Thoughts From An Insomniac’s Bed.

Languages reflect culture, values, and mindset. Getting to sleep in Spanish is conciliar el sueño as if it were a negotiation between the person and sleep. That is what it feels like sometimes. And there is an absence, not only of the elusive and desired sleep. There is something else missing. On the other hand, there is an excess of thoughts that become feelings that heavily run through our veins all the while we wish they became air. Outside of our skin. On a good night, the negotiation may bear fruits for all on a bad night, the negotiation is stalled and the same fruit is left to rot on the table, out of reach but in plain sight. 

Time flies when you can’t get to sleep, it races your thoughts. Guess who wins? You would think it is a marathon, however, you are more likely to drop dead from sleep deprivation. It is not healthy at all. That adds its own bit of stress to the mix. To avoid insomnia, I follow a ritual that includes teeth, face, lotion, and pajamas.  So, when this fails, I try to keep in mind the remedies I think have worked. 

Try some relaxing tea, rub lavender oil on your wrists and the bottoms of your feet… that always seems to work. When it doesn’t, you might resort to cannabis, turning on the  TV, opening a book, playing relaxing music, and kundalini breathing. You might even fall into the trap of rounding up the usual suspects. Role call!! Death?! Are you here? I’m always present teacher! Unrequited love? Absent, of course. A conversation you had that day. Chunks, words, responses. On a loop. PRESENT! To-Do List! WE ARE ALL HERE! They chime in together but disorganized, like nails across a chalkboard. 

So I face the thoughts! Joust with them!! Quick! Change my strategy! I submit to them. Let them rush over my body, through my soul. Let go. Imagine them evaporating. Accept there is nothing to be done at this moment. Coexist. My goodness, this sounds like the right way to get it done. Healthy even. That makes me think highly of myself. I could create a sleeping course. Module 1. Stage Sleep. Module 2. Don’t look at the clock. Module 3. Sleep Remedies. Module 4. Fake it till you make it. That is the height of hubris. I recant. 

I may need to take a sleeping course. Perhaps I should be at a sleep clinic. What am I doing? I grab my phone and look up the closest sleep clinic. Closed, of course. Then I most certainly look at the clock. I’m losing the race. I’m detached from sleep and this kind of tired is generic. It isn’t working. I need to send it back. Wouldn’t that be great? This tired is faulty! I’m sending it back and expect a full refund! Good Day SIR! I SAID GOOD DAY! 

Some nights can be more productive than the best mornings. That isn’t how it feels. The bitter taste of defeat cannot be compensated by anything the following morning. It doesn’t feel like a new day. It is just the continuation of the last day. A hell unlike few. Walking around with sludge between my temples.

My favorite type of insomnia is the kind that wakes you up when you think you have won the battle. Wednesday the 6th of December at 3:30 am awakened by a very loud thought. I could have made it through the night. I know the battle is lost, as soon as I open my eyes because some incoherent word or name escaped my mouth, at that very moment. I know that is the end of sleep for me and that I had better enjoy the next couple of hours in bed. To early to get up. Some thoughts are so loud they wake you. There is... . Continue reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Don't be in such a hurry, she whispered. Where do you think you are going? Sit, relax, listen. Today, Death Rattles. 

You seem to be in such a hurry there. Where are you going? Where are you off to in such a rush? You seem so sure it is going to happen. You even seem to know when it is going to happen. We all know it will, to all of us. Why are you so sure it is going to happen now? If recent history has anything to say, you have to admit, you are still here. You were wrong, and for you, I am still there. So what are you so worried about? Why worry about something when there is nothing to be done? There is nothing we can do. 

Pity, you are trying to accelerate things. You can’t run into the sun. Fixate as much as you like. You act as if you could will the life out of yourself. Being scared is natural, and a resistance. Perhaps you are placing too much resistance between you and the other side of life. What is the use of that? Although natural, fear will only suck the air out of the room, not your lungs.

Wouldn’t it be better to stomp around a few more times, as much as your body allows? Stomp, make the earth tremble at your command. Stomp and send waves up into your legs and belly. Quiver with the earth you stomp on. What’s the use of giving this up? Why not make a list of things you most love and do them? Everyday. You are allowed to. You are meant to. Smell that coffee, lather up that soap, enjoy the water on your face. Give yourself a good cry a day a good laugh and play the music you most love. You resist living any longer and you are going to regret it. That is what you should be resisting, regrets. Goddamnit. Death rattles regardless of our plans and has its calendar on a need-to-know basis. Death rattles with maracas, rainmakers, heavy rains, and deafening thunder. 

There is so much we can do while we are alive and there is so much we can do while we are alive. Fear is one of the great time absorbers and puts itself between you and surrender. Face it, don’t let it control and define what is left. Whatever is left. Why not surrender to the love and magnificence of what is there, right in front of you? Why not surrender to life? If only to amass the moments that are in your choosing. What if that were an option? Surrender to the moments you know are full of pleasure, the ones that for an instant allow you forget the current state of things. If the option is available.

If it isn’t. If there really isn’t any enjoyment left. No hidden pleasure in the shower, no surprisingly soft pillow to cradle your head, no voice, no caress, no nothing… just the shadows of a life that for some reason keeps holding on to you. Then call me, and we can go over the list again. We can brainstorm. And yes, I will listen in your darkness, with my eyes closed. In the place we exist when our voices are together. If I cannot bring light, I will sit in the darkness with you and wait and will death beside you. I’m not scared anymore. For you, I am brave. If I cannot convince you to seize the day, then I will sit by your side and provoke and harass death. I own those words and my rage is intact (Fito Paez, Todo Se Olvida). Eyes closed, willing in the darkness. For you.

Thank you for listening.

Where do we go when we die? Is there soul? How do you deal with depression? Don’t forget to talk to a professional. They are listening. For all the other answers,  I’m listening.

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. I want to get this one right. I’m not so sure I will. This is going to be open, touchy-feely, and really unfiltered mushiness. Today, Little Basement Dwellers.

I’ve heard you can never go home again. To them I say, oh yeah, watch me. 

I am reminded some things are made with the heart and not the hands. Some of the most beautiful things my mind has been able to appreciate have been made with the heart. Families and communities are an example. They are some of the souls’ passion projects. 

I wanted to start at the beginning, but that means I have to wonder if I wasn’t dropped on my head, on the imagination button. Perhaps it got stuck. When I was a very young child, probably between the ages of 5  and 6, I felt I didn’t belong. Oh boo hoo. But it is true. I am a Latina-American woman who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa. As a child, my Spanish was atrocious, a true testament to my parent’s inability to teach. I kid! However! The whole not feeling from here nor there makes you nice and strong. Things that make you nice and strong potentially make interesting people. There is a subset of that group who have raging imaginations. Playing games with our imagination is great fun as it is a haven and planning area. 

When we were children our job was to play. That is also how we became who we are. The people that happens with have very specific knowledge about you, how you think, your sense of humor, deepest dreams, first shared aches, nightmares and your honest reaction to sharing your toys, among other very honest reactions. My God! They were there for inception of your sense of humor! I can hear their voices in my memories, saying key words, I can hear how we would say our names, the way the wind would carry our voices when playing outdoors. Our squabbles and pleads for 30 more min, ok ok, fifteen more minutes. My friend’s parents’ voices when they meant business or when it was still ok to play a little while longer. My dad’s voice saying, well, you just have to play fast. 

And play fast we did.

When we moved away I felt I left behind a huge part of myself and my security. The other side of some games. The missing elements to the magic only we could make when we played. Putting on shows for our parents, making up dances, playing cars and Atari and Nintendo, riding bikes, having sleepovers, playing house, playing barbies. Playing in the backyard. Playing. Laughing. Fighting. Getting hurt. Making it better. Getting excited over movies, watching them over and over on a loop. Annie. Batman. The New Kids on the Block. Playing Candy Land. The parents ordering pizza. The parents giving us ideas for games. For fun, but also to get us out of their hair. Going down to the basement to play. Basement dwellers. Our parents made their plans and we got the best part. It all starts with a - you wanna play? The last time for me was almost 31 years ago. The games I played after, were different. Teenager and adult games. Some more serious than others. Most with real consequences. 

I used to feel my friends were taken away from me. And with them, the games and worlds we created. This week I learned I was taken away from them too. I hadn’t realized that. They were always special to me. This week I found out we were special. We. I revisited places I used to know. Places I used to live. When I went back to where some of the best memories happened, with the people who held magic in their hands, it all came back to me. I was 10 years old again. Ten plus thirty years. Continue reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, In Times Of Seduction.

This is a special episode going out to my friends who are in the process of seducing, courting, flirting, or wooing, and who have fallen in love, putting it all on the line for a promised surrender and peace. In search for the antidote to desire, which is in someone else's hands. I hope you take this in the spirit it is written. 

But first, a brief preamble... The concept of seduction has had a bad rep. You just have to trace back to the laws written surrounding seduction to see who was or has been protected. In the US in 1873, a 16-year-old girl could be accused of seducing an adult man, if said man invoked the law, thus letting him off the hook of any paternal responsibilities. Laws tell us a lot about the people of a place, their values, and hierarchies. A lot of laws were created to protect men’s privileges, and to shirk responsibilities incurred naturally with sex, including those imposed by society. A woman’s virtue was as good as what people collectively believed of her. That is still true in many cases. Social rules existed for a reason, and hierarchies were set into place and violently enforced. Feminism has come a long way in this sense. Now we question the who and how violence is defined and the protection of people in power who abuse their positions. 

Additionally, seduction is generally understood as a process in which a false promise is made. And enticement. I’ve spoken against the use of strategies to simulate and stimulate desire. Especially through the abuse of fear of abandonment and the need for validation. I stand by that. This is a different side. For some, this process is the gateway to partnership. A part of the process. For others it is a maneuver to gain leverage and achieve a more shortlived outcome. This is for the former case. 

Seduction is also more commonly defined as tempting or attracting. A process in which we naturally negotiate the meeting of body and mind in the biblical sense. You know what I’m saying. This process needs to be fed by both parties involved, which requires consent and implies the development of a deep understanding of the other’s love language, the balance between space and time to process, and the concrete acts. Processing is as important as the acts of seduction in which admiration and desire are articulated. A sex-drive in its purest form. A process that makes no promises. 

In the words of George Harrison, ‘It is gonna take time, a whole lotta precious time, patience and time, to do it right.” 

About the acts… well that is entirely up to you and your capacity to understand the other person and how you stimulate their intellect and imagination. You could use the strategies of dating coaches… which I don’t recommend. Generic seduction will get you a generic relationship. You could use your capacity to get to know the other. Observation and questions are part of it. You’ll figure out what is best. Just be reflective. You’ll know you are on the right track if you feel awe. And butterflies. 

Dear friend, don’t forget that the space between acts is crucial. Imagine you plant a seed that must be watered and it needs to exist in the wild. You can’t overwater it, you’ll kill it. Enclosure and close proximity will stifle growth. You don’t want that, do you friend? It feels like a risk, but the space between you both becomes a forcefield. Distance and time will be entirely up to you and your gauging the situation. Listening to what the other needs. Act. Time. Space. Growth. Continue Reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Mr. Project!

Let’s disregard the almost two-minute intro that has its own name, ‘Sirius’. It deserves its own name. The song within the song. The whole thing is kind of self-aggrandizing. It is like playing up your kid a little too much in hopes your kid will live up to their potential. My child is the best child. There is no other child! This sucks for the other siblings, as many of us can attest to. Then again, ‘Sirius’ becomes the perfect segue into the song ‘Eye In The Sky’. It really does deserve its own name.

My beef is actually with Mr. Projet and his trying to tell me what to do. I’m talking about Mr. Allan Parsons' Project, of course. If you weren’t aware of his whole name, you now know it. Mr. Project decided to make a song that deserves its own podcast. I will dedicate an episode of Musing Interruptus to it. 

While I listen to this song, I can hear two stories happening at the same time, and the cover story. The cover story is that this song was inspired by the idea of constant surveillance by Big Brother, like George Orwell’s 1984. It is like when artists prefer not to disclose their true inspiration. After listening to the song a couple of times, I can see why. I’ve discovered the true story. Here it goes.

The second story is a conversation between Mr. Project and a partner during a breakup. I’m positive! Hear me out. Mr. Project, or Allan, is telling this person, that the situation is complex, it seems like something unforgivable has happened. When he says, ‘Don’t think sorry’s easily said’ it seems like a recrimination, either to himself or his partner. What is unforgivable is the repetition of the act! I’m guessing your run-of-the-mill infidelity. Progressive rock doesn’t strike me as a genre that would inspire much impetuosity or passion. Then again, the content of this song tells me there is madness and obsession running through Mr. Project. These feelings are passion’s dumb and ugly brothers. Bottom line, he is not going to give any more chances. He tells his partner, look, you can’t be my spouse anymore because you are a drunk. Your stories were fun for a while, but I just can’t go on. I got this from the phrase about the sun in your eyes… that can mean somebody is drunk. So we are dealing with someone who makes promises or says things and does not come through. Plus there is this whole thing about turning tables, which means, reversing the situation. Allan or Mr. Project is telling this person, “I acknowledge you are trying to manipulate me and it is not going to work.”

And then he tries taking control of the situation by telling the other person what to do… issuing a warning as if he were anticipating their poor judgment and guilt! Basically, he is saying, think before you speak, put in your filters because you are just going to make this worse. As if his interlocutor was a child. I don’t think he thinks much of that person. 

But that’s not all! There is a menacing warning that follows, it is intrusive. Mr. Parsons says he knows what you are thinking, he can read your mind, just by looking at you. What is he, Santa Clause? Seriously, red flags all over the place. He says he is the maker of rules and can cheat you blind. This guy is bad news. I don’t know what the other person did or didn’t do, but this seems a little over the top. I think you need to take a step back Mr. Project. We should reconsider our whole relationship.

Then, to top, it seems like he is convincing himself, in an inner dialogue, that he should ... continue reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, The Halloween Special!!!

This is exciting. I’ve been waiting for this all year. And now. I have no idea what a Halloween Special on Musing Interruptus should look like. Like, Boo! Grrrr! Or Look, here comes a zombie?! Turn around! No, run! But ok, you probably really want to look. Also, there should be vampires, sexy nurses,  Ramones, 'I Wanna Be Sedated', and 'Pet Sematary'. The B52s have to play, the White Strips, Soda Stereo has a few songs I need at this Halloween Special! 

Ok, so now what? Who would be the special returning guest? I mean, we could get Raúl back here. But in costume. Raúl Zombie. The friends that speak in songs are very annoying, but they should make an appearance, as Lorena and her grandmother should too. I know who else, how about that lady that was in the field with a strange type of paralysis, she has to come to this special, she was a disturbing character. The monster under the bed has got to be the guest of honor at this Halloween Special. And how about casket woman?? She’s already done two episodes, she definitely deserves an invitation to Musing Interruput’s Halloween Special. Epileptic Dog, Box dogs, and dogs on a walk, dressed as pumpkins, of course. We could have a special interview focused on their perception of smells after the rain and if they can see ghosts. Elvis Priestly, no doubt, Might Mouse (I’m almost positive he has been in at least one episode), and stuck in Traffic Guy, the whole of the Tang Dynasty, and Paula Cole, The Fish and the Bird!! and toilet. I think this Halloween Special is really taking off. Now we just need a story less evident than taking this a step too far, even for my standards. 

So there they all are, on a train, racing down the tracks. The wind howling as the engine sliced through, relentlessly and without any compassion at all. They are all strangers, brought together by a common cause… their destination.  The train just keeps gaining speed, tearing down the tracks. Never coming back… that is how the song goes. So then all of a sudden we hear the narrator change her tone and sing here he comes to save the day, and Mighty Mouse presents himself, assesses the situation, and tells everyone — Hey look, I’ve got an update. And all of a sudden, the zombies and vampires pop up behind Might Mouse. Which tells you the size of these creatures. People on the train laughed for a moment, surprised by their shared reaction, indicative that they were all thinking the same thing at the same time. Which is when, my dear listeners. They turned to each other and started thinking the same thing at the same time, again. Now, we all know how difficult it is to focus on just one idea or none at all when you are supposed to be meditating. Anyway, all the other passengers on the train realized this shared consciousness and started thinking the exact same thing.

And wouldn’t you know it, in less than 30 minutes, pizzas arrived, via super fast drones. 

I think that would be the Halloween Special. I’m not sure if I get it myself. Maybe, just maybe, I should have written down my original idea. Happy Halloween and Thank you for listening. 

If you had a Halloween Special for your life, who would you invite and what costume would they wear? What pizza toppings would you have ordered? How bold am I? Do you dress up?  When was your last train ride?  I’m listening.

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A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, Chicken Soup And Other Remedies.

Hey there, ho there, nice to see you. Come on in, take a load off, and relax. We all need to go somewhere everybody knows our name. You know why? Because life is hard and sometimes we need a break. We need remedies for our heavy souls when things are not going our way. One of the best remedies I know, is a space that feels just for you. Friends create this in a remarkable way. It is amazing what a friend can do. Even if it is just for an afternoon, hell, it has even happened to me over the phone. It is like a force field that makes the bad time a little easier. I don’t know if it is just talking about the problem, inappropriate jokes and laughing, or the consolation of sharing the burden, if only for just that moment. 

I can remember the best conversations as if they were magnificent events. Because they were. Like word parties. Can you imagine a word party? What would the invitations look like? Would all the letters of the alphabet get invited?  If you didn’t invite a letter, which one would it be? In Spanish, I would totally avoid inviting the double “L”. It is not longer in the alphabet, they dropped it. But still, it might expect an invite. That double L gives me the hardest time in Spanish. If you meet it in English, it won’t give you any trouble at all, it is like just one L, you can barely tell there are two. 

Imagine all the music we will listen to at this party. You know what happens when letters get together! Wa chica wow they totally get it on and make words. That is when the party happens. 

Imagination is another really great remedy for the soul. 

If you are like me, you might have a playlist you are not allowed to listen to and a playlist that will do you good. Get you in a good mood or even give you courage. Again, if you are like me, you probably listen to all of it, anyway. Ultimately, a good song and dancing it out is a great way to nurse yourself back to health.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never made homemade chicken soup.  I have made it 40 years and I’ve had the blessing to have received homemade soup. I’m sure that feeling better has had more to do with receiving such a wonderful homemade remedy, made with love than with the actual ingredients. It is true, there is nothing quite like receiving something homemade. This is a great remedy.

I think holding your breath can also be a good way to reset things. It is a special type of remedy. If you get the hiccups, hold your breath! I also think you can die that way. So be careful. Don’t hold your breath too long. This is going to make for some fun dreams. 

Essential oils are also good. I am into them. Lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, mandarine, incense, mint, geranium, oregano, sage, sandalwood… 

You know who knows about lots of remedies? Witches. They will tell you what to do or take for all sorts of maladies and crappy situations. Black magic, white magic. Hogwarts magic! I love that. I will always remember with so much love each time I’ve had magic in my life. That is good healing power. 

Doctors say that the best remedy is preventive. Drink lots of water, don’t eat too much, and when you do, eat healthy. Get enough sleep, and get exercise. Get friends. Get help when you need it.  Take care of all of that and you probably won’t need half of the remedies I shared with you today, except for the magic. We can all use some of that, every once in a while. Thank you for listening. Continue reading

A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. 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. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, Under the Influence.

I’m feeling supersonic, give me a gin and tonic. Let’s have a round on me. That means I am paying for this order of drinks. Barkeep! A round of your finest gin with your wettest tonic. I’m paying for all my friends today. In other words, the drinks are on me… it does not mean I spilled the drinks on me. Although, if you have ever been out with me, you know that is not out of the question. I spill. Sometimes. Others you see my rapid feline-like reflexes. I am not always faster than a speeding bullet. Do you remember who flew faster than a speeding bullet? I’ll give you a hint, he wore his underwear outside of his clothing. And it wasn’t because he was shitfaced, plastered, or drunk. You might think that a guy who thinks he can fly around the world and fight evil must be under the influence of something… alcohol, drugs… hell, maybe even lust or --- love--. No, this is a super man from another planet. Superman, I said it. Ok. I’m always bad at guessing games. I either can’t guess or I give the answer. Whatever. We are talking about drinking. My glass is empty. Let’s have another round, this time the bartender has said, it is on the house. This means that we don’t have to pay for the drinks in this order. Here here! Let’s raise a glass and toast the bartender.

Speaking of bartenders, I had to stop going to therapy because my therapist kept on insisting I had an unhealthy relationship with my bartender. I told her it was a reciprocal relationship. I give he gives. I feel like I get the best part. Really, it is him who should reconsider our relationship. Anyway, it is my therapist who I am leaving. I don’t need that level of negativity in my life. I have to drink just to get through the rest of the week after a session with her. She brings up the worst topics you can imagine. It is not good for my mental health. 

I’m kidding! Oh my God, I’m just kidding. Mom, stop making that face. Speaking of which, I spent my birthday with my best friend. I drank him under the table. This means that I drank more than he did. He had to stop drinking. I don’t really know why. He can’t hold his drink. This doesn’t mean that he can’t keep his beverage in his hands. This means that when he drinks, he appears drunk. If a person can hold their drink, that means that they drink and don’t appear drunk. I not only drank him under the table, I held all the drinks. I’m kidding. I don’t do those things. It isn’t like I am some common barfly. I’m no drunk. I just wet my whistle every now and then. That sounds very sexual, but it isn’t. It means to have a taste of something, to have a drink. In Mexico, you can get your beverages to-go, in a bag with a straw. I don’t know why more people don’t do that with booze. Or maybe they do. When you ask for one for the road it is meant to keep your buzz going for a while. 

After all this drinking, you must be drunk as a skunk. You might want to get some courage up to do something. The thing is, no matter what you do when you are drunk, it doesn’t count. Yeah, no, that isn’t true either. I’ve lied about a lot in this episode. Do you know who never tells lies??? Children and drunks, that's who. Unless the guy calls you at 2:00 am professing undying love. That’s not love. I promise. Continue reading