Summary of Week 48, 2021 (November 29-December 5)

December 7, 2021 Psychedelic Buddha Friends of Truth 0

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a weekly summary of what the “Farrell’s” have been up too. Some of you are new to this format as you joined the “Friends of Truth” group just recently to watch our Las Vegas fiasco. The “Friends of Truth” group was originally created for our old friends in the Tri-Cities to keep in touch with what we’ve been up to since moving to Seattle. Now however, we have friends moving away from Seattle to other parts of the country as well so this blog serves to keep in touch with them as well. Even though people hardly ever commented on my blog posts, whenever I would stop writing them for a while I would get phone calls or emails from friends who missed getting updates. And so, today I’m going to consider resuming those semi-weekly updates of what Rhonda and I have been up too as well as adding a few thoughts of things that are on my mind any given week.

If you find these posts to be spamming your Facebook Feed please do not hesitate leaving the group and/or changing your feed settings to see less (or none) of the posts on your feed. And, as always, I desperately seek feedback and conversation so please feel free to engage in this group or privately to anything that catches your attention.

Work

  • Not much has changed in three years for either of us work wise. We both still work for the same employers we worked for last year. We both make about the same money we made last year while inflation is going up which means we are getting further and further behind. Lastly, I don’t think either of us feels truly energized to go to work. Work for me is the place I must go to, not something I look forward too. Ah how I envy people who get paid to do what they already love doing (and would do so freely) anyway. What an amazing feeling it must be to wake up WANTING to go to work because you LOVE what you do. And to get paid for it too??? Must be heaven!

Home

  • Many of you know this already but a few months ago my wife and I had to put our sweet little dog Jasmine to sleep as she was getting old and had heart/lung issues that was making life continually harder for her. After some time had passed and, after many discussions, Rhonda finally talked me into getting another puppy from a rescue and we now have a new member of the family named Daisy.
  • While I like my newest car quite a bit, I’m beginning to feel it was a big mistake and is starting to steer us in the wrong direction (pun intended). A year or so ago I traded in a car for one that had more than twice the monthly payment. And, while it is the nicest car I’ve ever driven, it feels like too much of a payment to handle. I’m kicking myself for stating to the dealership what I wanted the monthly payment to be MAX and yet letting emotions talk me into adding a couple hundred a month to my MAX. I feel that makes me weak and thus my car becomes a constant reminder that I’m still not self-disciplined enough to say “no” when I should say no and allow myself to be manipulated too easily.
  • Having said that, we have made many poor financial decisions this past year that only compounded the bad car decision. For example, we have spent LOTS of money on entertainment including going to two rock concerts (Foreigner and Coldplay), going to Las Vegas, and having season tickets to the Everett Silvertips WHL hockey club. Again, all of these things are great and I am a firm believer in enjoying life and the fact that you “can’t take it with you when you go” but all this spending has led to a place where we no longer have excess discretionary income and now have to watch what we spend for the first time in years. I don’t like that feeling at all.

In the News

  • Two shooting trials caught my attention this month and I found myself forming opinions I hadn’t really had prior to watching news coverage and live trial footage. I hesitated sharing my opinions because I hate polarizing people on extreme sides. Having said that, I love to discuss the topics and various opinions with rational (non-polarized individuals) so I’m taking a risk
    • Rittenhouse – Though I wouldn’t say I watched a LOT of the trial, I did find myself tuning in at work and listening to the live trial footage from time to time throughout this trial. From what I remember of my initial hearing about the shooting via CNN, I was convinced Rittenhouse should go to prison. After watching the live trial footage for myself, I found myself changing my opinion. I would like to add that non-polarized people can do that (change their opinions) but people who have to take extremes seem unable to see both sides of the argument. Watching trial footage I began to see Rittenhouse as a young kid who made a few poor choices and ended up in a bad situation where he feared for his life and defended himself. While some may rightly argue that the shooting wouldn’t have even happened if he’d stayed home and didn’t come down into dangerous area with a rifle, I again chalk that up to a young kid making some poor decisions. What happened after he got there however was not something I understood until I watched a bit of the trial myself.
    • Ahmaud Arbery shooting trial – I watched even less of this trial than the Rittenhouse trial. In fact, I only watched about 20 minutes of testimony from one of the defendants. Prior to the trial, based on CNN coverage again, I was inclined to believe the men were guilty of murder. After watching 20 minutes of one of the defendants testimony I was further convinced that the shooter was guilty of murder.
    • To my surprise, I correctly guessed both verdicts once I started paying attention to the trial. Rittenhouse “not guilty” and the others in the Arbery shooting “guilty”. These opinions are not polarized pro-gun or anti-gun statements and I refuse to get into polarized debates like all guns are bad or all guns are good. I’m just stating some talking points for those who can dialogue without polarization.

Spiritual or Philosophical

  • I’m constantly working on my spiritual and philosophical side.