Thinking out loud

It’s my first time, but I am participating in the Thinking Out Loud linkup today, because I’m itching to write, but haven’t had time to work on a full blog post.

I don’t know how you usually run your blog or if you draft blog posts in advance or how that all works for your posting schedule, but I mainly aim for three posts a week and I constantly have a ‘draft document’ going where I jot down all my blog ideas, write and re-write my thoughts, and keep links that I want to share at a later point.

It so happens that I’ve been unprepared for the last couple of days, none of my drafts are ready to publish, but I want to post something and I do have some random thoughts I might want to share with you. So, Thinking Out Loud Thursday seems to be a good opportunity, yes?

+ I’ve been watching the news during my workouts on the mornings when I go to the gym. It’s a sick little habit, because these days, 99% of the time, the news aggravate me, but then I am on the treadmill blowing off steam at the same time, you see. It’s like the only way I can consume news right now, if I want to stay informed (which I do!).

+ Staying on the topic of news, the way some Republicans argue healthcare (or lack thereof) makes me so mad. I tweeted this HuffPo article yesterday “I don’t know how to explain to you why you should care about other people” and I can relate to it so much. If I hear one more Republican talk about “access to healthcare” (NOT actual coverage, because that would mean that you have to be able to afford the healthcare you theoretically have “access” to) and giving people choices to “tailor their health insurance to their needs” (which means people (women!) who undeniably will have more health care needs than others will ALWAYS be disadvantaged), I am going to scream. Why is it so difficult for people in this country to understand that creating a support system for ALL, a system that is supported by everybody and that supports everybody, is the way to go? What is this ‘me, me, me’- mentality? (Please, if you have any solid argument, enlighten the ignorant European in me, because I can’t for the life of me understand that mindset!)

+ I had this splendid idea back in April to not only get a long-overdue hair cut, but also throw some color in the mix. Switch things up a little bit, you know?  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but you guessed it, now the color has faded and is growing out and while I am not in need of a trim yet (I usually go quite a few months between trims), I do want to cover up these darker roots that are showing up, or better still, get my hair colored back to my original color so that I don’t have to deal with these root issues. So, do I go to the hairdresser to get my color changed back or do I consider a home-coloring attempt to fix this?

+ My sister had a pretty crappy month of June. First she had her bike stolen (on her anniversary, of all days!), then her husband was in a (minor) car accident. My nephew had a minor concussion and was in the hospital for two nights, then my niece got sick with gastrointestinal issues and then last weekend her kitchen flooded and caused a short-circuit (which probably ruined her dishwasher). Ugh, I mean, it’s really enough for one month, don’t you think?  I am really hoping July will be a much better month for her! As always, I feel guilty for not being closer and able to help out. Sigh.

+ Do you also struggle with the fast passage of time? I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2017. I am trying to stay mindful and in the moment, because I know that this is where perception of time slows down, but I also know that I want to do more, see more and make more memories and planning for all that is hard sometimes without getting lost in all the possibilities, but also restrictions (financial, time, commitments). Maybe I just need a proper vacation?

What’s a random thought on your mind today?