I'm sorry, I was lost in my eyes

Recently, I was chatting to my housemate Rani about what we think of the journey from our house to college. Rani finds it is so very boring. I'm largely indifferent to it. I've got a theory [... it could be bunnies]: it does not bother me because I am easily entertained. I have proof!

In order of ascending frequency, the things that occupy me as I walk about the place minding my own business:

1. How many paces I can walk in a straight line with my eyes closed.^a
2. I count the change in my wallet without looking.^b
3. While doing number 4, I go through the salsa dance pieces I can remember.^c
4. I recall a few bars^d from a salsa song that I like.^e
5. I think how I would answer someone asking me what I think about while I am walking.^f

Stop! Segue time

Bob and Z were kind enough to bring me back a pair of Buddhist prayer beads (12 beads, ~12mm in diameter. They fit snuggly around my wrists). Within the club we use them as a training aid.^g

It has become a habit to hang one of the bracelets around the knuckles on one of my hands and rotate them with my thumb.

Stop! Segue over

Recently, my strolling habits have become stranger... I have taken to hanging a bracelet on my hand and purposefully not fidgeting with it. It reminded me of: not thinking about pink elephants; not scratching an infuriating itch; and nodding politely as an idiot shares his thoughts with me.^h The first time I lasted about 15 minutes before my mind drifted and I gave the bracelet a twitch. As soon as I did it, I cursed out loud. Luckily there was no one on the road to glance queerly at me. On Saturday morning, I didn't fidget for a whole walk, 30 minutes. :)

Anyway, that is how I pass my time... well other than miscellaneous pondering. For example:

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^aObviously, this depends on a few things: the path is not about to suddenly end and no one else is nearby.* It was much easier to do it when I got to walk across the football pitch to get home.

^bThe first few times I did this, it was rather demanding, like speaking in an unfamiliar language. It's not a problem anymore.

^cThis is still rather draining to do. Even in my mind I am inclined to skip the first half bar doing the middle part of a piece, so I have to be rather particular about my steps on the upside, I remember about 20 7-bar dance pieces and various single moves from other ones- there is a large gap from june-september where I didn't memorise them. :(

^dI just put that in there to make it sound like I know stuff. I only figured out what it was over the Summer.

^eThese days it is Via which I understand is a salsa cover of the MASH theme song. I am uncertain whether or not that is the case.

^fGenerally the voice is the stereotypical American announcer/host, sometimes there is even a microphone being pointed at me.

^gIf one is wearing the beads and does certain strikes- punches, chops, palm strikes- well, the bracelets fly off or jam on the widest part of the hand. A fine example of uninterrupted flow of momentum all the way out to the hand followed by sudden deceleration/concussive/decisive conclusion.

^hI saw a great Ted talk recently. An ex-conductor presents and explains the conducting styles of 6 of the 20th Century's greatest conductors. He had a funny anecdote about once conductor. He uses flowing strokes of his.... um... wand, which are very indisitinct. A flutist once asked him,"When do I know to start playing?" The conductor replied,"When you can't bear it any more!" My favourite part is the video of the last conductor, who uses his eyebrows and shoulders to conduct.

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*Don't want anyone thinking I'm some kind of weirdo.