Perspective is Everything

One of our doormen works two jobs. He works days in another building and nights with us. He’s in his sixties. So when he doesn’t rush to help me with packages or to open the door or get the elevator for me, I am usually fine with that. He is working hard for his family and I can open my own door. What’s the big deal? But there are days when I forget that he is a person with a life outside of my lobby and dwell in my own pity pit and get pissed that he isn’t opening the door.

I can always tell how my day is going by how I look at him and the other doormen. If they are hard-working, charming and going-out-of-their-way helpful, then I am in a good mood. If they are lazy and conversationally-challenged, then I am having a bad day. Obviously, I strive for the first day.

Today we gave him a Christmas card and his tip. He gave me a giant kiss (the old shake-your-hand-then-use-that-hand-grip-to-pull-the-person-into-a-kiss move) and wished me a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Today he was hard-working, charming and going-out-of-his-way helpful, even though her barely moved when we pulled the car up front and struggled with packages and bags and cases of Dr. Pepper and babies and such.

In other words, it was a good Christmas. Which is not to say that it wasn’t without its own mini dramas, but the big picture was great. When I don’t focus on every single little detail, life is much, much smoother.

But now it’s over, and I want the tree out of my home and all the decorations down! We are stuck with the tree until the designated tree street-collection date. Which is like a week away.

We got a Flip Video camera today by accident. We got it for my brother not knowing he got Mina a new ultra fancy hi-def video recorder. Sort of makes the flip look flippant. But I am excited about the prospect of having a small video camera to tote around! Which is strange, since we already have a small video camera that we can tote around. Clearly I am such a sucker for new electronics, especially ones that plug into USB ports.

Behold, a video! Actually, it’s a slideshow with a title set to music. Spielberg I am not. It’s a long one, almost seven minutes. I made it for Nicole with dreams of burning it to a DVD that we could keep for years and years and watch again and again. Alas, my technical skills are not up to snuff. Turns out it requires a bit more effort than merely pressing the “Burn DVD” button.

Part of me think there might be pictures on there that I don’t want other people to see but whatever. Besides, if I were really brave I would post pictures of me taken this morning in a tie-back tank top with no bra.

The video has a soundtrack of two songs. Bizarrely both songs are country-ish. One is by Carrie Underwood and the other by Martina McBride. I am not a country fan, meaning it is just a genre not in my repertoire, not that I have anything against it. A friend told me about the second song and I loved it, and the other song is off of a CD I bought for Nicole, who likes Country Music Lite. In other words, she likes the Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood and Sheryl Crow. Anyway, the two songs pretty much summed up the year.

Pictured above, the two best presents ever!

Edited to add: The video won't upload. : ( I'll have to try again later.