One of my favorite things about coming home to Georgia is hanging out with my nieces. They are 13 and 18, which means they are now at ages where I can actually relate and we can have a really good time together. They are both full of personality and crack me up on the regular.
A couple of nights ago, my little sister (22), my two nieces, and I went to the tennis courts up the street for some nighttime tennis. None of us are superstars but we all have a genetic athletic prowess which allows us to be at least somewhat competent in most sports (except bowling; I did not get that gene), so I thought we could at least get some good hits in.
Or. . .not.
Turns out we all super suck at tennis. Thus, to make things a little easier on ourselves, we developed these 4 basic rules for tennis that anyone can follow:
Rule Number 1: It helps if you keep your eyes open.
Rule Number 2: Make contact with the ball.
Rule Number 3: Hit the ball over the net.
Rule Number 4: All rules except these are superfluous.
Happy Tennis-ing!
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Gratitude List
This article about a "gratitude practice" popped up on my Twitter feed today, and although I only skimmed it, I do like the idea. I try to stay aware of the little things, especially when the big things have me down, but I thought writing it down might go a step further toward lightening my mood.
So here's my list of what I'm grateful for today (in no particular order):
- Conversations with friends, old ones and new ones
- That I met him at all (I guess)
- Tulips galore and my neighbors who planted them (tulips are my favorite flower, so simple and beautiful)
- I saw Susan Gibson and Jana Pochop last night, a rare treat of real music in my tiny town. They were awesome. Brought me back to my roots, also made me even more excited to be in Texas (they live in Austin!).
- Guacamole
- The cutest dog in the world lives at my house
- I vacuumed some stuff!!!!! (Now only 4845721721 other chores that need doing that didn't get done that should've been done 3 weeks ago. Pfft. What.ever.)
- RAFA WON HIS 7TH STRAIGHT TITLE IN MONTE CARLO! (Did I mention I had a dream we made out last week? Hands down, best. dream. ever.) I'm grateful for Rafa, always.
So many dirty thoughts, so little time.
This was fun. Am actually smiling and happier (Rafa will do that). Post your gratitude list on your own blog or in the comments (all 2 of you :).
So here's my list of what I'm grateful for today (in no particular order):
- Conversations with friends, old ones and new ones
- That I met him at all (I guess)
- Tulips galore and my neighbors who planted them (tulips are my favorite flower, so simple and beautiful)
- I saw Susan Gibson and Jana Pochop last night, a rare treat of real music in my tiny town. They were awesome. Brought me back to my roots, also made me even more excited to be in Texas (they live in Austin!).
- Guacamole
- The cutest dog in the world lives at my house
- I vacuumed some stuff!!!!! (Now only 4845721721 other chores that need doing that didn't get done that should've been done 3 weeks ago. Pfft. What.ever.)
- RAFA WON HIS 7TH STRAIGHT TITLE IN MONTE CARLO! (Did I mention I had a dream we made out last week? Hands down, best. dream. ever.) I'm grateful for Rafa, always.
So many dirty thoughts, so little time.This was fun. Am actually smiling and happier (Rafa will do that). Post your gratitude list on your own blog or in the comments (all 2 of you :).
Sunday, March 27, 2011
It Must Be Love...
...Because I've divulged my affinity for Britney Spears.
(For the record, the result was an alternative lyric to Til the World Ends, "I'm a dirty dirty dirty whore.")
(For the record, the result was an alternative lyric to Til the World Ends, "I'm a dirty dirty dirty whore.")
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Damn, I'm being so lazy today. I have no idea what time I went to bed, but I woke up sometime around 11am. I made my way home, threw in a load of clothes, ate some cereal, researched Fantasy Football for an hour, took a nap, and here I am.
I need to go put those clothes in the dryer/on the drying rack. (Aside: Can I just say how much I fucking HATE doing this? I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate this task. It takes FOR-EV-ER. Mostly because I am neurotic about my clothes and have this belief that the fabric & color lasts longer if you don't put them in the dryer - even stuff that says go in the dryer - so I end up only tossing mainly underwear and socks in the dryer and trying to find a place to air dry everything else. Such a fucking pain in my ass.)
I need to clean the bathroom.
I need to walk the dog.
I need to sweep.
I need to clean the kitchen.
I need to sort through the giant stack of mail on my table, on the counter, in the mailbox....
But here I am. Writing this blog entry. Yoga Pose of the Week didn't fare as well as I intended, but I'm not giving up. I'm still yoga-ing and my friends gave me a badass Astanga book I can't wait to dig into. Hopefully I'll have the inspiration and time to share some of it on the blog.
Oh, the blog. Pretty sure no one reads it anymore, and that's fine and understandable. I am sporadic about reading everyone else's, too. I don't want to give up on it, though, so that's why I'm writing this post. It's been awhile since I've posted anything beyond yoga, food, hot celebrity stuff. Don't get me wrong, those things are well and good, but there is so much more to my life, too. A lot of it I can't/don't want to write here, for privacy's sake, for embarrassment's sake, for a hundred twenty-seven other reasons. But the other day I thought of something that I normally wouldn't share on the blog, but the takeaway point was pretty important to me, so fuck it. I'm going to write it.
Over the past several weeks, I have been hanging out with a Boy. A few people know about him, but mainly I keep my relationships under wraps until I know how substantial they are going to be. I've dated enough to know myself and the men I date - these things can be fleeting. But this thing with Boy seems different. Well, sort of. We have a lot of fun together, we have excellent chemistry, we seem to think the same about life. . .and on it goes. I will confess. I am developing more than a crush on him.
And because of my past experiences, of course once I realized this possibility beyond a crush, I freaked the fuck out. Number One because I don't want to get hurt. Number Two because Boy has an expiration date; there is almost no way it will last "forever" and I don't want to get hurt (I won't go into detail here; just trust me on this). I spent a couple of days brooding, determined I should just end things now, before I get in too deep, before it leaves a wound that will scar instead of just a paper cut.
Ordinarily I live my life the opposite way - living in the moment, dealing with consequences later. It is better to have loved and lost. . .blah blah blah. . .never say no to an adventure. . .you know me. You get the point. There was just something about this, something that made me balk at the possibility of hurt. It has been a rough few years for me, broken heart-wise, and I just wasn't sure I could face another one.
Then I realized something I've been learning with yogic philosophy and Buddhism: Nothing is forever. No thing. No one. No relationship. Some last longer than others, but everything lives and then dies. We have no way of knowing how long anything will last. Even if Boy had the potential for "forever," anything could take him or me away at any moment.
That's when I took my head out of my ass and decided to embrace it head on. Get back to my roots and live in the moment. Appreciate every. single. second. of happiness. Life is an ebb and flow, an up and down. Every day, even, has its moments of good and bad, a progression of moods. Why deny myself these delicious times with a great person just because he won't always be there? It was silly to even consider it.
So here I am. Lazy on a Saturday because we stayed up too late last night laughing and drinking and watching funny things on TV. And I don't care about the laundry, the dirty kitchen, the mail. These things will get done because they must. For a moment, for a few hours, I will soak in the happiness and just be.
I need to go put those clothes in the dryer/on the drying rack. (Aside: Can I just say how much I fucking HATE doing this? I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate this task. It takes FOR-EV-ER. Mostly because I am neurotic about my clothes and have this belief that the fabric & color lasts longer if you don't put them in the dryer - even stuff that says go in the dryer - so I end up only tossing mainly underwear and socks in the dryer and trying to find a place to air dry everything else. Such a fucking pain in my ass.)
I need to clean the bathroom.
I need to walk the dog.
I need to sweep.
I need to clean the kitchen.
I need to sort through the giant stack of mail on my table, on the counter, in the mailbox....
But here I am. Writing this blog entry. Yoga Pose of the Week didn't fare as well as I intended, but I'm not giving up. I'm still yoga-ing and my friends gave me a badass Astanga book I can't wait to dig into. Hopefully I'll have the inspiration and time to share some of it on the blog.
Oh, the blog. Pretty sure no one reads it anymore, and that's fine and understandable. I am sporadic about reading everyone else's, too. I don't want to give up on it, though, so that's why I'm writing this post. It's been awhile since I've posted anything beyond yoga, food, hot celebrity stuff. Don't get me wrong, those things are well and good, but there is so much more to my life, too. A lot of it I can't/don't want to write here, for privacy's sake, for embarrassment's sake, for a hundred twenty-seven other reasons. But the other day I thought of something that I normally wouldn't share on the blog, but the takeaway point was pretty important to me, so fuck it. I'm going to write it.
Over the past several weeks, I have been hanging out with a Boy. A few people know about him, but mainly I keep my relationships under wraps until I know how substantial they are going to be. I've dated enough to know myself and the men I date - these things can be fleeting. But this thing with Boy seems different. Well, sort of. We have a lot of fun together, we have excellent chemistry, we seem to think the same about life. . .and on it goes. I will confess. I am developing more than a crush on him.
And because of my past experiences, of course once I realized this possibility beyond a crush, I freaked the fuck out. Number One because I don't want to get hurt. Number Two because Boy has an expiration date; there is almost no way it will last "forever" and I don't want to get hurt (I won't go into detail here; just trust me on this). I spent a couple of days brooding, determined I should just end things now, before I get in too deep, before it leaves a wound that will scar instead of just a paper cut.
Ordinarily I live my life the opposite way - living in the moment, dealing with consequences later. It is better to have loved and lost. . .blah blah blah. . .never say no to an adventure. . .you know me. You get the point. There was just something about this, something that made me balk at the possibility of hurt. It has been a rough few years for me, broken heart-wise, and I just wasn't sure I could face another one.
Then I realized something I've been learning with yogic philosophy and Buddhism: Nothing is forever. No thing. No one. No relationship. Some last longer than others, but everything lives and then dies. We have no way of knowing how long anything will last. Even if Boy had the potential for "forever," anything could take him or me away at any moment.
That's when I took my head out of my ass and decided to embrace it head on. Get back to my roots and live in the moment. Appreciate every. single. second. of happiness. Life is an ebb and flow, an up and down. Every day, even, has its moments of good and bad, a progression of moods. Why deny myself these delicious times with a great person just because he won't always be there? It was silly to even consider it.
So here I am. Lazy on a Saturday because we stayed up too late last night laughing and drinking and watching funny things on TV. And I don't care about the laundry, the dirty kitchen, the mail. These things will get done because they must. For a moment, for a few hours, I will soak in the happiness and just be.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Tomato Sandwich. Reinvented.
A southern staple food, at least in my house, is the tomato sandwich. Two pieces of bread, one giant slice of tomato, a little salt and pepper, and mayonnaise, and you've got lunch perfection. Except one thing. I have always, always hated mayonnaise. To this day my father will ask me whether I want mayonnaise, and to this day my reply is, "Have I ever wanted mayonnaise?"
I do acknowledge there needs to be a little bit of lubrication on the tomato sandwich, so for the most part I add mustard, the best condiment in the universe. The only issue some people have with mustard is that it adds an entirely new flavor, a new dimension to the simple flavors of the more traditional tomato sandwich. I agree, even though in my book, mustard can never do wrong.
But let me get to the point. Ladies and gentlemen, over the past two days I have perfected the mayonnaise-less tomato sandwich and enjoyed a perfect at-home lunch. Here you go:
1. I start by toasting some bread, whatever kind you love.
2. Then I spread some hummus on both sides. I like a lot of hummus. Maybe you like a little or just a medium amount. Whatever floats your boat.
3. Put the tomato slice(s) onto the hummus.
4. Drizzle some olive oil on the tomato.
5. Sprinkle some salt and pepper.
Voila! Bon Appetit!
(If this were a real food blog I'd show you a picture of the delicious sandwich. But it's not. So use your imagination.)
I do acknowledge there needs to be a little bit of lubrication on the tomato sandwich, so for the most part I add mustard, the best condiment in the universe. The only issue some people have with mustard is that it adds an entirely new flavor, a new dimension to the simple flavors of the more traditional tomato sandwich. I agree, even though in my book, mustard can never do wrong.
But let me get to the point. Ladies and gentlemen, over the past two days I have perfected the mayonnaise-less tomato sandwich and enjoyed a perfect at-home lunch. Here you go:
1. I start by toasting some bread, whatever kind you love.
2. Then I spread some hummus on both sides. I like a lot of hummus. Maybe you like a little or just a medium amount. Whatever floats your boat.
3. Put the tomato slice(s) onto the hummus.
4. Drizzle some olive oil on the tomato.
5. Sprinkle some salt and pepper.
Voila! Bon Appetit!
(If this were a real food blog I'd show you a picture of the delicious sandwich. But it's not. So use your imagination.)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Black Bean Hummus...MMMM.
Last night my friend had a small get-together to celebrate the return of football season. As the sole non-carnivore, I promised I would bring some delicious vegetarian edibles for others to enjoy. Shortly thereafter I began to think, "What the hell am I going to bring? I don't know what other people are gonna like!"
Luckily, we have the internet, and a tasty recipe is no more than a Google search away. "Vegan football food" led me to quite a few interesting ideas, but a lot of them had "weird" ingredients that people might balk at or stuff that I didn't think I could find around here. (I did, however, find an AWESOME looking "Tempeh Hot Wings" recipe that I'm dying to try. But that post is for another day.)
In the end I settled on making this "Speedy Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna," which I've made before and meat-eaters and vegs alike enjoyed. (NOTE: To make it more speedy, just use salsa instead of trying to put together all those first ingredients. I always add whatever spices I have on hand, but for me it's cheaper and faster to start off with salsa.) Yes, it has dairy, but I figured I'd better start slow with normal people because sometimes even the word "vegetarian" causes panic, and I didn't want to start a riot with the word "vegan."
For my other dish, I found this Black Bean Hummus recipe that looked pretty easy, and for which I already had most of the ingredients. The only one I thought I'd have trouble with was soy yogurt, which, lo and behold, is unavailable in BFE. Shocking. Instead, I substituted 0% fat, plain Fage Greek yogurt.
O.M.G.
Y'all.
This dip was awesome. It was an even bigger hit than the Mexican lasagna (which, to be honest, suffered from having to sit around for over an hour while we waited on other people, other food, etc.). Because the recipe makes a pretty good amount, I had leftovers to bring home. When I woke up this morning, I beelined it for the fridge and to my surprise it is even more delicious after the ingredients have a chance to meld and chill together.
I think next time I'll try it without the yogurt, to see if I can find a suitable "vegan" version, but for you guys not bothered by that constraint, this yogurt version is DE.LI.SHUS. Make it now!
Luckily, we have the internet, and a tasty recipe is no more than a Google search away. "Vegan football food" led me to quite a few interesting ideas, but a lot of them had "weird" ingredients that people might balk at or stuff that I didn't think I could find around here. (I did, however, find an AWESOME looking "Tempeh Hot Wings" recipe that I'm dying to try. But that post is for another day.)
In the end I settled on making this "Speedy Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna," which I've made before and meat-eaters and vegs alike enjoyed. (NOTE: To make it more speedy, just use salsa instead of trying to put together all those first ingredients. I always add whatever spices I have on hand, but for me it's cheaper and faster to start off with salsa.) Yes, it has dairy, but I figured I'd better start slow with normal people because sometimes even the word "vegetarian" causes panic, and I didn't want to start a riot with the word "vegan."
For my other dish, I found this Black Bean Hummus recipe that looked pretty easy, and for which I already had most of the ingredients. The only one I thought I'd have trouble with was soy yogurt, which, lo and behold, is unavailable in BFE. Shocking. Instead, I substituted 0% fat, plain Fage Greek yogurt.
O.M.G.
Y'all.
This dip was awesome. It was an even bigger hit than the Mexican lasagna (which, to be honest, suffered from having to sit around for over an hour while we waited on other people, other food, etc.). Because the recipe makes a pretty good amount, I had leftovers to bring home. When I woke up this morning, I beelined it for the fridge and to my surprise it is even more delicious after the ingredients have a chance to meld and chill together.
I think next time I'll try it without the yogurt, to see if I can find a suitable "vegan" version, but for you guys not bothered by that constraint, this yogurt version is DE.LI.SHUS. Make it now!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Quick, Delicious Brunch
This morning I woke up early (7am = early for me), went to 50 minutes of spinning followed by 75 minutes of yoga. After that I had to run by the store to pick up a few things, then home to shower off the workouts. By the time I was clean and ready to cook, it was about 11:15, and I was starving.
For the past few weeks I've been semi-vegan. Very little dairy (except as may appear in chocolates or other delicious treats), no meat (obviously), and no eggs (just for the hell of it). Because I like to bake, and eat baked goods, and I haven't mastered any vegan recipes, I bought eggs yesterday because I volunteered to make cookies for an SPCA fundraiser. Since I had the eggs, I was seriously craving them for breakfast.
I dug around in my fridge and pantry to find some new and some almost-expired ingredients to create an off-the-cuff but fucking fantastic brunch. It's a lot of food, but I was a hungry girl, and it was delish. To commemorate my momentary culinary genius, I'm posting the very simple recipes in case anyone is ever starving, and wants a relatively nutritious, pretty quick, and absolutely yummy and filling brunch.
Sauteed Potatoes
I had a red potato lying around that needed to be used before it went bad. I chopped it up and made my own version of "home fries."
1. Heat small amount of oil in pan.
2. Throw in chopped potato. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, ground cumin. (Cumin is my current favorite spice. I love it, put it on almost everything.)
3. Sautee/pan fry until delicious. (I cut my potatoes almost bite sized so they cook faster.)
I cooked these until they were almost done, then pushed them aside to make the next part of my brunch. I don't like cleaning up, so I use as few dishes as possible.
Spinach & Mozzarella Eggs
Mix together 1 egg + 2 egg whites (= 3 total eggs used), a little salt & pepper in a bowl. This is my preferred method of eating eggs. To me, it maximizes protein, taste and portion size without as much cholesterol.
1. Throw some baby spinach (I use pre-bagged) on the hot oil. Sautee until almost done.
2. Pour the egg mixture on top of the spinach. Mix it all up. (If you're using the same pan as the potatoes, make sure you tilt the pan a little when you put the egg in or it will all get scrambled together. All scrambled together isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact it's probably delicious, but it wasn't what I was going for this morning.)
3. Scramble eggs & spinach until done.
4. Throw some shredded mozzarella on top of egg & spinach, mix it up if you want. Remove from heat when cheese melts. (*I used mozzarella because it was almost expired, bought before I tried to cut cheese out of my diet. Cheddar or monterey jack or whatever kind of cheese you love is also probably perfect.)
If you've timed it right, everything should be done at once.
Serve with 2 pieces of toast. I am in love with Genesis bread. I topped one of my toast pieces with Marmite, because I like to pretend I'm British. Also, it tastes awesome. :)
Serve with whatever your favorite breakfast beverage. This morning I drank water. Juice, tea, mimosa, and bloody mary also highly recommended.
Bon Appetit!
For the past few weeks I've been semi-vegan. Very little dairy (except as may appear in chocolates or other delicious treats), no meat (obviously), and no eggs (just for the hell of it). Because I like to bake, and eat baked goods, and I haven't mastered any vegan recipes, I bought eggs yesterday because I volunteered to make cookies for an SPCA fundraiser. Since I had the eggs, I was seriously craving them for breakfast.
I dug around in my fridge and pantry to find some new and some almost-expired ingredients to create an off-the-cuff but fucking fantastic brunch. It's a lot of food, but I was a hungry girl, and it was delish. To commemorate my momentary culinary genius, I'm posting the very simple recipes in case anyone is ever starving, and wants a relatively nutritious, pretty quick, and absolutely yummy and filling brunch.
Sauteed Potatoes
I had a red potato lying around that needed to be used before it went bad. I chopped it up and made my own version of "home fries."
1. Heat small amount of oil in pan.
2. Throw in chopped potato. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, ground cumin. (Cumin is my current favorite spice. I love it, put it on almost everything.)
3. Sautee/pan fry until delicious. (I cut my potatoes almost bite sized so they cook faster.)
I cooked these until they were almost done, then pushed them aside to make the next part of my brunch. I don't like cleaning up, so I use as few dishes as possible.
Spinach & Mozzarella Eggs
Mix together 1 egg + 2 egg whites (= 3 total eggs used), a little salt & pepper in a bowl. This is my preferred method of eating eggs. To me, it maximizes protein, taste and portion size without as much cholesterol.
1. Throw some baby spinach (I use pre-bagged) on the hot oil. Sautee until almost done.
2. Pour the egg mixture on top of the spinach. Mix it all up. (If you're using the same pan as the potatoes, make sure you tilt the pan a little when you put the egg in or it will all get scrambled together. All scrambled together isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact it's probably delicious, but it wasn't what I was going for this morning.)
3. Scramble eggs & spinach until done.
4. Throw some shredded mozzarella on top of egg & spinach, mix it up if you want. Remove from heat when cheese melts. (*I used mozzarella because it was almost expired, bought before I tried to cut cheese out of my diet. Cheddar or monterey jack or whatever kind of cheese you love is also probably perfect.)
If you've timed it right, everything should be done at once.
Serve with 2 pieces of toast. I am in love with Genesis bread. I topped one of my toast pieces with Marmite, because I like to pretend I'm British. Also, it tastes awesome. :)
Serve with whatever your favorite breakfast beverage. This morning I drank water. Juice, tea, mimosa, and bloody mary also highly recommended.
Bon Appetit!
Saturday, April 03, 2010
SXSW: Tacos, Beer, & Cupcakes. Oh, is there music here, too?
It's been a couple weeks since I got back from SXSW. Epic - the only word to even come close to describing it. Since I suck and forgot to pack a travel journal, my tweets from the trip will have to do. Instead of trying to write it all out narrative-like, I present to you the timeline of my tweets below. They don't do the trip justice, but it's all I've got to commemorate it. (Additional commentary follows)
No one cares, but I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve today. My insides are jumping up & down. Leave for SXSW tomorrow. I heart my life! 11:13 AM Mar 16th via web
Holy shit. This SXSW stuff is overwhelming. Will never, ever see it all. Must have strategy meeting tonight.
I give up. Scheduling SXSW is impossible. Just going to let it happen. Now I'm going to drink w/friends before leaving. Then pack. Obvs. :) 9:05 PM Mar 16th via web (Typical Niki form: I stayed up til like 1-1:30am, didn't pack until the next morning. I think I have mad-rush packing down to an artform. About 30 mins flat and I'm good to go.)
St. Pat's day, 70s and gorgeous, on my way to Austin and Federer lost last night. I love my life!
Fuck yes. Irish pub in layover airport playing rafa! (Seriously. I was beside myself with glee. Found a seat a table right near the match. Crazy dude playing a keyboard? guitar? something. Was a bustling little Irish pub. Oh, and an $8 Harp. WTF? It wasn't even green. I didn't care. It was a perfect moment. Another perfect moment: most beautiful, vibrant sunset from the airplane. It was almost a perfect color spectrum. Glorious.)
Isner looks like he's wearing Umbros circa 1991.
Goddamn. Sensory mother fuckin overload. Austin is like Athens on steroids right now. (Seriously. It was CRAY-Z. Hipsters everywhere. Bars all over the place. St. Patrick's Day made SXSW blow the fuck up. Was awesome, awesome people watching like I haven't seen since last Halloween at West Palm Beach's Moonfest.)
I heart breakfast tacos! Do not heart saddle creek and merge records doing showcases at same time at diff venues. Austin rocks.
Mini golf while drinking. Austin just keeps getting better. (For real. More places should have mini-golf where you can bring your own beer. So. Much. Fun. I got sunburned, but whatevs. Also, my terrible streak at mini-golf continues. I suck. Hard.)
Sugar Mama's cupcakes in Austin, TX. Highly recommend. My butt will be Texas-sized by the time I leave here.
Heading out sans cell phone bc don't want to lug purse. Slightly scary. Sad. Good times ahead though.
FYI: it is entirely possible to live off tacos, beer, and cupcakes. Life. Is. Good.
Free drinks at free concert. Goodbye sobriety, hello bloody mary!
(Note the time: 1:55PM, barely after the morning. I think I'd already had one at this point. Turns out only my first bloody mary was free, but 16oz Lone Stars were free. We were at the Birmingham show to see Taylor Hollingsworth, one of the Mystic Valley Band that plays with Conor. Taylor is from Birmingham, Alabama. He tried to eat lunch with me outside on the patio, but his brother tried to sit in my friend's seat while my friend was on beer run. Tried to get them a different chair, but they switched tables. :( Later on introduced myself to Taylor and got a picture which is now my phone wallpaper. Such a sweetie. Also played a good set!)
Lol. Drunk at three o'clock. Did i mention i love my life?
I love boys.
(Sometime in between the previous tweet and the next tweet I began drunk dialing almost everyone I know. At least, that's what I found out later on, the next morning, and over the next few days as people started telling me about our conversations. Yeah. NO recollection. ZERO.)
Fuck this vegetarian shit. That dog's bbq looked awesome! Sxsw is so. Much. Fun!
Omg. Bbq is delicious. (Yeah. Ya'll read that right. I ate some fucking BBQ. In my defense, a) Had been drinking since 1:30ish, b) Had not eaten, c) Could not find anything else to eat, d) Was super drunk, e) It's mother-fuckin' Texas. I had to experience the local "culture," right? Will not tell you how many times I made Shawn go buy us a sandwich to split, but uh, yeah, it was more than one. Per Tempe, I apparently called her after this and said it was "life-changing" BBQ.)
Just found out rafa and marc in dubs finals and rada in semis today. Can't watch or otherwise follow. Vamos!
I am the anti- hipster. Pink shirt, girlie t, blonde hair.
40 Watt free party rocks.Athens music is the best. Listen to Futurebirds! (Futurebirds is a really good band. Check them out. Band I saw before them was also really good. No recollection of their names, but the bloody mary I had while watching them also stellar.)
Venice is Sinking. Best band so far. Check them out!
Just saw bathroom graffiti that said 'miri is hotter than smoking.' @nadalnews (Was at The Broken Spoke. They have filmed part of Friday Night Lights the TV show there. Met a cowboy. Borrowed his hat for a photo. Another awesome day. Oh, and Miri is the name used by the creator of Nadal News, so that's why I was tweeting her. On another note, she lives in Austin, ergo, could've been about her :)
Thank goddess i don't live in texas. The mexican food is killing me. Must've gained ten pounds in 3 days.
(Saw She & Him this night. Was fucking cold. Didn't care. M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel were awesome, awesome. God, I love them. Buy their cd. Now. You'll thank me later.)
I'm a little too excited about the o.g. Whole foods.
At something called chicken shit bingo. Um...i love my life?
Apparently it can take this chicken up to 1hr 45mins to poop on a number and declare a winner. I'm gonna need another beer.
(Umm. . .had WAAAY more than just another beer. We did not win despite having #38 and also the line. Still tons of fun.)
Best night ever. Met a guy who could flip me while dancing. We might get married. Heh.
(If you haven't been flipped while swing dancing, you haven't lived. That's all I'll say about that. Oh, and he really did propose to me. :)
Migas tacos are my new fave food. Great ending to a great SXSW. Thanks, Austin. Definitely coming back!
Hartsfield, I got nothin but love for you but would it be too much to ask for some people movers if you have to run from north to south ...
(Dude. I had like 30mins to get from one end of the terminal to the exact opposite end. . .lugging my giant backpack. Was not fun, but I made it. Thanks plane being delayed!)
@nadalnews Just got your tweets from when I was in TX. Have ghetto phone. Was totally going to do Hey Cupcake compare but not enough time!
Brought home wicked sinus infection/cold from SXSW. Just got to work. Suffice it to say I'd rather be in Austin.
@julesdc It's already on my calendar next yr. Mark yours. We'll make it a date!
(Definitely going next year. SXSW is the best. The. Best.)
@nadalnews And yes, it was totally Peter Pan. That place alone is enough to make me want to move to Austin! Good times. Am envious of you!
(Peter Pan = mini golf place w/scary cartoon character statutes and BYOB policy. Oh, and I'm totally moving to Austin. In. Love.)
@julesdc Chose Merge, but long-ass line + needed "official" badge. Went to Saddle Creek, also needed badge. Ended up at random free fun show
@nadalnews So true-grass is always greener. My Peter Pan experience was followed by tacos & cupcake-best beginning to SXSW ever!
No one cares, but I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve today. My insides are jumping up & down. Leave for SXSW tomorrow. I heart my life! 11:13 AM Mar 16th via web
Holy shit. This SXSW stuff is overwhelming. Will never, ever see it all. Must have strategy meeting tonight.
I give up. Scheduling SXSW is impossible. Just going to let it happen. Now I'm going to drink w/friends before leaving. Then pack. Obvs. :) 9:05 PM Mar 16th via web (Typical Niki form: I stayed up til like 1-1:30am, didn't pack until the next morning. I think I have mad-rush packing down to an artform. About 30 mins flat and I'm good to go.)
St. Pat's day, 70s and gorgeous, on my way to Austin and Federer lost last night. I love my life!
Fuck yes. Irish pub in layover airport playing rafa! (Seriously. I was beside myself with glee. Found a seat a table right near the match. Crazy dude playing a keyboard? guitar? something. Was a bustling little Irish pub. Oh, and an $8 Harp. WTF? It wasn't even green. I didn't care. It was a perfect moment. Another perfect moment: most beautiful, vibrant sunset from the airplane. It was almost a perfect color spectrum. Glorious.)
Isner looks like he's wearing Umbros circa 1991.
Goddamn. Sensory mother fuckin overload. Austin is like Athens on steroids right now. (Seriously. It was CRAY-Z. Hipsters everywhere. Bars all over the place. St. Patrick's Day made SXSW blow the fuck up. Was awesome, awesome people watching like I haven't seen since last Halloween at West Palm Beach's Moonfest.)
I heart breakfast tacos! Do not heart saddle creek and merge records doing showcases at same time at diff venues. Austin rocks.
Mini golf while drinking. Austin just keeps getting better. (For real. More places should have mini-golf where you can bring your own beer. So. Much. Fun. I got sunburned, but whatevs. Also, my terrible streak at mini-golf continues. I suck. Hard.)
Sugar Mama's cupcakes in Austin, TX. Highly recommend. My butt will be Texas-sized by the time I leave here.
Heading out sans cell phone bc don't want to lug purse. Slightly scary. Sad. Good times ahead though.
FYI: it is entirely possible to live off tacos, beer, and cupcakes. Life. Is. Good.
Free drinks at free concert. Goodbye sobriety, hello bloody mary!
(Note the time: 1:55PM, barely after the morning. I think I'd already had one at this point. Turns out only my first bloody mary was free, but 16oz Lone Stars were free. We were at the Birmingham show to see Taylor Hollingsworth, one of the Mystic Valley Band that plays with Conor. Taylor is from Birmingham, Alabama. He tried to eat lunch with me outside on the patio, but his brother tried to sit in my friend's seat while my friend was on beer run. Tried to get them a different chair, but they switched tables. :( Later on introduced myself to Taylor and got a picture which is now my phone wallpaper. Such a sweetie. Also played a good set!)
Lol. Drunk at three o'clock. Did i mention i love my life?
I love boys.
(Sometime in between the previous tweet and the next tweet I began drunk dialing almost everyone I know. At least, that's what I found out later on, the next morning, and over the next few days as people started telling me about our conversations. Yeah. NO recollection. ZERO.)
Fuck this vegetarian shit. That dog's bbq looked awesome! Sxsw is so. Much. Fun!
Omg. Bbq is delicious. (Yeah. Ya'll read that right. I ate some fucking BBQ. In my defense, a) Had been drinking since 1:30ish, b) Had not eaten, c) Could not find anything else to eat, d) Was super drunk, e) It's mother-fuckin' Texas. I had to experience the local "culture," right? Will not tell you how many times I made Shawn go buy us a sandwich to split, but uh, yeah, it was more than one. Per Tempe, I apparently called her after this and said it was "life-changing" BBQ.)
Just found out rafa and marc in dubs finals and rada in semis today. Can't watch or otherwise follow. Vamos!
I am the anti- hipster. Pink shirt, girlie t, blonde hair.
40 Watt free party rocks.Athens music is the best. Listen to Futurebirds! (Futurebirds is a really good band. Check them out. Band I saw before them was also really good. No recollection of their names, but the bloody mary I had while watching them also stellar.)
Venice is Sinking. Best band so far. Check them out!
Just saw bathroom graffiti that said 'miri is hotter than smoking.' @nadalnews (Was at The Broken Spoke. They have filmed part of Friday Night Lights the TV show there. Met a cowboy. Borrowed his hat for a photo. Another awesome day. Oh, and Miri is the name used by the creator of Nadal News, so that's why I was tweeting her. On another note, she lives in Austin, ergo, could've been about her :)
Thank goddess i don't live in texas. The mexican food is killing me. Must've gained ten pounds in 3 days.
(Saw She & Him this night. Was fucking cold. Didn't care. M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel were awesome, awesome. God, I love them. Buy their cd. Now. You'll thank me later.)
I'm a little too excited about the o.g. Whole foods.
At something called chicken shit bingo. Um...i love my life?
Apparently it can take this chicken up to 1hr 45mins to poop on a number and declare a winner. I'm gonna need another beer.
(Umm. . .had WAAAY more than just another beer. We did not win despite having #38 and also the line. Still tons of fun.)
Best night ever. Met a guy who could flip me while dancing. We might get married. Heh.
(If you haven't been flipped while swing dancing, you haven't lived. That's all I'll say about that. Oh, and he really did propose to me. :)
Migas tacos are my new fave food. Great ending to a great SXSW. Thanks, Austin. Definitely coming back!
Hartsfield, I got nothin but love for you but would it be too much to ask for some people movers if you have to run from north to south ...
(Dude. I had like 30mins to get from one end of the terminal to the exact opposite end. . .lugging my giant backpack. Was not fun, but I made it. Thanks plane being delayed!)
@nadalnews Just got your tweets from when I was in TX. Have ghetto phone. Was totally going to do Hey Cupcake compare but not enough time!
Brought home wicked sinus infection/cold from SXSW. Just got to work. Suffice it to say I'd rather be in Austin.
@julesdc It's already on my calendar next yr. Mark yours. We'll make it a date!
(Definitely going next year. SXSW is the best. The. Best.)
@nadalnews And yes, it was totally Peter Pan. That place alone is enough to make me want to move to Austin! Good times. Am envious of you!
(Peter Pan = mini golf place w/scary cartoon character statutes and BYOB policy. Oh, and I'm totally moving to Austin. In. Love.)
@julesdc Chose Merge, but long-ass line + needed "official" badge. Went to Saddle Creek, also needed badge. Ended up at random free fun show
@nadalnews So true-grass is always greener. My Peter Pan experience was followed by tacos & cupcake-best beginning to SXSW ever!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
no.words.
Yeah, I totally dropped the ball on the Olympics. Whoops. Let's not dwell on that, shall we? (Hope to do semi-recap post this weekend, so fret not. Like any of you are out there fretting besides spam commenters, but whatevs.)
Let's enjoy Shakira's new video for "Gypsy" starring my boyfriend, Rafa, looking hotter-than-anyone-ever-in-the-entire-universe-oh-my-god-i-need-a-cold-shower.
This blog pretty well sums it up.
Shakira, you are my hero. (PS Glad you got the memo that my favorite outfit of all time on any man is t-shirt in jeans and/or no shirt and jeans. Again...HERO.)
Let's enjoy Shakira's new video for "Gypsy" starring my boyfriend, Rafa, looking hotter-than-anyone-ever-in-the-entire-universe-oh-my-god-i-need-a-cold-shower.
This blog pretty well sums it up.
Shakira, you are my hero. (PS Glad you got the memo that my favorite outfit of all time on any man is t-shirt in jeans and/or no shirt and jeans. Again...HERO.)
Monday, January 18, 2010
My New Happy Video?
My 2009 "Happy Video of the Year" was "I'm On A Boat."
2010 has only just begun, but I am already near tears after watching (and let's be honest, re-watching) this pure awesomeness from American Idol.
But Andy, don't worry. You're still my boo. General Larry got nothin' on you.
2010 has only just begun, but I am already near tears after watching (and let's be honest, re-watching) this pure awesomeness from American Idol.
But Andy, don't worry. You're still my boo. General Larry got nothin' on you.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
The Truth of the Matter
Every break-up or ending has that moment. That moment you know in your heart and bones that s/he's not coming back, that you're not going back, that it will not be fixed, that it truly is over. Sometimes you don't even realize you've been holding on to the tiniest of tiny hopes; sometimes you have outwardly longed and prayed for a reversal of events. Either way, the time always comes - sooner or later, but always - when you know.
I think the pscyhologists call it "acceptance" or similar. I call it "reality-smacks-you-in-the-fucking-face-and-forces-you-to-wake-the-fuck-up."
It seems strange, because it feels like a brick in your stomach, but in actuality, you've been waiting for this moment, the final grieving. When you can let go and honestly live again. When you can stop looking backward or forward and be present in the now.
It doesn't mean you will no longer think of the person/place/thing or even that you will never be sad again. But you are now on the way toward true healing because you are viewing the situation as it is, not as you hope or wish it to be. The truth of the matter.
So today, I am sad but also happy because this part is almost over. . .and I'm this close to being me again.
UPDATE: My Deepak Chopra Quote of the Day from Twitter is very apropos. "Today I will commit myself to detachment. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are." Deepak Chopra
I think the pscyhologists call it "acceptance" or similar. I call it "reality-smacks-you-in-the-fucking-face-and-forces-you-to-wake-the-fuck-up."
It seems strange, because it feels like a brick in your stomach, but in actuality, you've been waiting for this moment, the final grieving. When you can let go and honestly live again. When you can stop looking backward or forward and be present in the now.
It doesn't mean you will no longer think of the person/place/thing or even that you will never be sad again. But you are now on the way toward true healing because you are viewing the situation as it is, not as you hope or wish it to be. The truth of the matter.
So today, I am sad but also happy because this part is almost over. . .and I'm this close to being me again.
UPDATE: My Deepak Chopra Quote of the Day from Twitter is very apropos. "Today I will commit myself to detachment. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are." Deepak Chopra
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Mirror, Mirror
This week's installment of Happy Yoga presented an interesting "inner yoga" exercise:
Think about someone in your life who pushes all your buttons. What are the qualities in this person that you don't like at all? Make a list.
Look over your list. Do you notice any of these qualities in yourself? If not, put the list away and look at it again in a couple of hours. Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons There's Nothing to Worry About, Steve Ross, p53.
A simple, not-rocket-science revelation, but an important one nonetheless. I'm not sure what others get out of this exercise, but for me, I shared a lot of the same qualities. This made me think: Do we not like others when we see our own bad traits reflected back at us from them? A lot of times, I think the answer is yes, and those times the answer is no, more often than not it's because they aren't doing things the "right" way, the way we think is best.
The book has this to say about relating to others:
If you want to be happy, the best thing you can do is thank, forgive, and consciously love [everyone] for being themselves. By not blaming them, but accepting them exactly as they are, you will begin to see that what was bothering you about them was really. . .you. Don't cling to your negativity; let it go. p52
Once again, I am reminded that there is no one to blame for being unhappy except me. Even when external circumstances don't always act as I would like them to, an angry, frustrated, disappointed, or other negative emotion is just a reaction. External forces, I can't control. My reaction, I can.
Think about someone in your life who pushes all your buttons. What are the qualities in this person that you don't like at all? Make a list.
Look over your list. Do you notice any of these qualities in yourself? If not, put the list away and look at it again in a couple of hours. Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons There's Nothing to Worry About, Steve Ross, p53.
A simple, not-rocket-science revelation, but an important one nonetheless. I'm not sure what others get out of this exercise, but for me, I shared a lot of the same qualities. This made me think: Do we not like others when we see our own bad traits reflected back at us from them? A lot of times, I think the answer is yes, and those times the answer is no, more often than not it's because they aren't doing things the "right" way, the way we think is best.
The book has this to say about relating to others:
If you want to be happy, the best thing you can do is thank, forgive, and consciously love [everyone] for being themselves. By not blaming them, but accepting them exactly as they are, you will begin to see that what was bothering you about them was really. . .you. Don't cling to your negativity; let it go. p52
Once again, I am reminded that there is no one to blame for being unhappy except me. Even when external circumstances don't always act as I would like them to, an angry, frustrated, disappointed, or other negative emotion is just a reaction. External forces, I can't control. My reaction, I can.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
So cute.
This week has been pretty hellish by all accounts. Seems like everyone I've talked to or heard about has had one of the worst weeks ever. (Well, except for Tempe, who hopefully is having a kick-ass birthday week.)
Apart from puppies, these 50 seconds have provided me with perhaps my only genuine, purely blissful smile all week. Ya'll probably won't have the same result, but nonetheless, I had to share.
*And no, I didn't miss the obvious "balls" joke, I'm just rising above. That's right, just like Dr. Bailey. Rising. Above.
Apart from puppies, these 50 seconds have provided me with perhaps my only genuine, purely blissful smile all week. Ya'll probably won't have the same result, but nonetheless, I had to share.
*And no, I didn't miss the obvious "balls" joke, I'm just rising above. That's right, just like Dr. Bailey. Rising. Above.
Friday, October 02, 2009
On Love
This Happy Yoga book I've been reading is kind of blowing my mind. It has really helped me realize that if you're unhappy, sometimes you need to actively try to be happy, like actually put forth some effort. At first that seems counterintuitive, but after putting forth effort, eventually it becomes second nature. (And yes, I've had quite a few 99 cent margaritas as I type this.)
Anyway. This week I started the chapter on love. An excerpt that I just fucking love:
There is an analogy that follows about chocolate and how eating eight buckets of chocolate doesn't give us eight times the satisfaction because "satisfaction comes from you." The point of the parts I've read so far is that you cannot get fulfillment from relationships; you can only be fulfilled from yourself. Only by letting go of wanting X from your partner or friend or family member can you truly love them; you must accept them as they are.
One way the book suggests to practice this: pick a random person - on the street, in a car, at the store - and see them, accept them, approve of them. Be love.
So I thought, ok, I'll give this a shot. Guess what? NOT FUCKING EASY. I thought it wouldn't be that hard, but holy hell, it's totally hard. First person I picked on Monday was a lady in the courthouse, a couple hundred pounds overweight, ratty hair, coke-bottle glasses. I focused on her, tried to accept her and appreciate her just has she was.
Then I walked by her and got a couple whiffs of awful cigarette smoke. I was done. Over. Disgusted. Literally said, "Eeeew! Gross!" to myself.
Then I tried the A.D.A. that day in court. He was being an ass. Impossible. Could. Not. Do. It.
Of course, Monday I also wanted to hit someone so bad that I ran myself to death on the treadmill after work so that I wouldn't get in a fight, so perhaps that wasn't the *best* day to try this new, positive, loving me.
So last night I decided I would try again today, except I had a new conceptualization of the project. I realized my definitions of love did not encompass what I was supposed to feel. I didn't love these people like a family member, friend, or significant other, because I didn't know them that way. The point was to love them and appreciate them as members of the Earth, part of the world; we are all in it together.
Like squirrels.
People are squirrels.
I don't know squirrels, and those shits can cause me a lot of grief when Masala tries to jerk me around to chase them. Yet everytime I see them, I smile. They make me happy. I fucking love squirrels and appreciate them as part of the animal kingdom.
So today in court, I tried that shit. Pretended people were different breeds of squirrels. And you know what? Didn't totally worked, but got much farther than last time.
Squirrels, ya'll. Squirrels are the key.
Anyway. This week I started the chapter on love. An excerpt that I just fucking love:
The love you experience at any time with any person is not coming from them; it's coming from inside of you. It's your experience of your true self. In other words, the other person is a stimulus that allows your own love to be uncovered. - Steve Ross, Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons There's Nothing to Worry About
There is an analogy that follows about chocolate and how eating eight buckets of chocolate doesn't give us eight times the satisfaction because "satisfaction comes from you." The point of the parts I've read so far is that you cannot get fulfillment from relationships; you can only be fulfilled from yourself. Only by letting go of wanting X from your partner or friend or family member can you truly love them; you must accept them as they are.
One way the book suggests to practice this: pick a random person - on the street, in a car, at the store - and see them, accept them, approve of them. Be love.
So I thought, ok, I'll give this a shot. Guess what? NOT FUCKING EASY. I thought it wouldn't be that hard, but holy hell, it's totally hard. First person I picked on Monday was a lady in the courthouse, a couple hundred pounds overweight, ratty hair, coke-bottle glasses. I focused on her, tried to accept her and appreciate her just has she was.
Then I walked by her and got a couple whiffs of awful cigarette smoke. I was done. Over. Disgusted. Literally said, "Eeeew! Gross!" to myself.
Then I tried the A.D.A. that day in court. He was being an ass. Impossible. Could. Not. Do. It.
Of course, Monday I also wanted to hit someone so bad that I ran myself to death on the treadmill after work so that I wouldn't get in a fight, so perhaps that wasn't the *best* day to try this new, positive, loving me.
So last night I decided I would try again today, except I had a new conceptualization of the project. I realized my definitions of love did not encompass what I was supposed to feel. I didn't love these people like a family member, friend, or significant other, because I didn't know them that way. The point was to love them and appreciate them as members of the Earth, part of the world; we are all in it together.
Like squirrels.
People are squirrels.
I don't know squirrels, and those shits can cause me a lot of grief when Masala tries to jerk me around to chase them. Yet everytime I see them, I smile. They make me happy. I fucking love squirrels and appreciate them as part of the animal kingdom.
So today in court, I tried that shit. Pretended people were different breeds of squirrels. And you know what? Didn't totally worked, but got much farther than last time.
Squirrels, ya'll. Squirrels are the key.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Daily Zen
"You might want to consider the possibility that the root of your problems doesn't have quite as much to do with the external world as you might imagine. It's more likely that your reaction and interpretation of any given situation will dictate the nature of your experience. Yes, you can try to change the world, you can move to another town, you can divorce your spouse and find a new one, but your experience of the world cannot change until you become mindful of how you react."- Steve Ross, Happy Yoga
This morning I woke up in something of a funk. I slept in until 10am, which hasn't happened in I don't know how long. Because I'd fallen asleep watching football last night, I essentially slept 12 hours. Again, I cannot tell you the last time I slept that much. So I woke up groggy and confused, to say the least.
After walking Masala for 45 minutes or so, I was feeling more alive and awake, so I decided to take my book, Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons Why There's Nothing to Worry About, into my yoga room for inspiration. I figured a lot of people were in church working on their spirituality at just that moment, so I should take a crack at it, too.
The passage above was part of what I read today. It was followed by an "Inner Yoga" exercise which instructed me to set a timer for three minutes. In that three minutes I was supposed to ignore the external world and focus on myself. Observe my thoughts. Notice what I was thinking and feeling, without judgment. Become aware of my relationship with myself.
I rolled my eyes and set my phone alarm. To be honest, I expected this mini-meditation to be torture, but the time actually flew by. And you know what? I learned that I am internally fidgety, that nothing is ever just right. That I am always expecting a little bit more out of myself and am never satisfied.
In retrospect, this self I discovered is completely obvious. I'm Type A. Ambitious. Perfectionistic. But to see it within myself for three minutes really drove the point home that the paragraph was teaching me. If I don't learn to accept myself - and my circumstances and people around me - I will never truly be happy.
So just for today, I tried to stop figeting. I tried to quiet my mind and take everything as it comes. I tried to remain calm and not stress about the thousand other things I could/should be doing other than the one thing I was doing.
And you know what? It actually worked. I did the suggested yoga poses to get me in the right frame of mind, and after that, today was marvelous. Content. I accomplished a fair bit, but did so with a peace of mind that was astonishing and refreshing.
I know tomorrow and the next day continuing this practice of calm acceptance will be more difficult, and to be sure I will not be perfect. But today I learned that that will be okay, that I don't have to be perfect to be happy.
This morning I woke up in something of a funk. I slept in until 10am, which hasn't happened in I don't know how long. Because I'd fallen asleep watching football last night, I essentially slept 12 hours. Again, I cannot tell you the last time I slept that much. So I woke up groggy and confused, to say the least.
After walking Masala for 45 minutes or so, I was feeling more alive and awake, so I decided to take my book, Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons Why There's Nothing to Worry About, into my yoga room for inspiration. I figured a lot of people were in church working on their spirituality at just that moment, so I should take a crack at it, too.
The passage above was part of what I read today. It was followed by an "Inner Yoga" exercise which instructed me to set a timer for three minutes. In that three minutes I was supposed to ignore the external world and focus on myself. Observe my thoughts. Notice what I was thinking and feeling, without judgment. Become aware of my relationship with myself.
I rolled my eyes and set my phone alarm. To be honest, I expected this mini-meditation to be torture, but the time actually flew by. And you know what? I learned that I am internally fidgety, that nothing is ever just right. That I am always expecting a little bit more out of myself and am never satisfied.
In retrospect, this self I discovered is completely obvious. I'm Type A. Ambitious. Perfectionistic. But to see it within myself for three minutes really drove the point home that the paragraph was teaching me. If I don't learn to accept myself - and my circumstances and people around me - I will never truly be happy.
So just for today, I tried to stop figeting. I tried to quiet my mind and take everything as it comes. I tried to remain calm and not stress about the thousand other things I could/should be doing other than the one thing I was doing.
And you know what? It actually worked. I did the suggested yoga poses to get me in the right frame of mind, and after that, today was marvelous. Content. I accomplished a fair bit, but did so with a peace of mind that was astonishing and refreshing.
I know tomorrow and the next day continuing this practice of calm acceptance will be more difficult, and to be sure I will not be perfect. But today I learned that that will be okay, that I don't have to be perfect to be happy.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Cannot. Handle. The Cute.
The email said that it was, "so hot in Australia for a week that koalas were asking people for water." I have no idea whether that is the truth behind one of the attached photos, but holy fucking hell this picture is A-DOR-ABLE.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Heaven.
New York City and the US Open were perfect. I had such a good time there are no words to describe the elation I felt for 4 days straight. So many stories, so many blog posts. But for now, I don't have much time. I'm winding down after cleaning my house for hours, and I need to sleep asap.
Just wanted to share my favorite photo of the Rafa from my first day. And Megs, guess what? I took this one myself. That makes it extra awesome. : )
Just wanted to share my favorite photo of the Rafa from my first day. And Megs, guess what? I took this one myself. That makes it extra awesome. : )
Thursday, September 03, 2009
YES YES YES YES YES!!
Schedule for Friday's matches has been released. Rafa plays the night match, as does Venus Williams. Will see Serena Williams and Andy Murry during the day.
Life.
is.
Fucking.
Good.
Leaving for airport as soon as my friend arrives. Likely no posts until Tuesday, which will undoubtedly be gushing about US Open. Consider yourselves warned.
Life.
is.
Fucking.
Good.
Leaving for airport as soon as my friend arrives. Likely no posts until Tuesday, which will undoubtedly be gushing about US Open. Consider yourselves warned.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I Can't Help Myself.. . .
. . . I love you and nobody else.
Rafa lost last week in the semi-finals at Cincinatti. This photo is from the quarters and I love it. How can one man be that beautiful? Can't wait to see him in person at US Open in about 10 days!!!!
Pic via Forty Deuce.
Rafa lost last week in the semi-finals at Cincinatti. This photo is from the quarters and I love it. How can one man be that beautiful? Can't wait to see him in person at US Open in about 10 days!!!!
Pic via Forty Deuce.
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