chilly cha cha

Santa Barbara

Boston

Please just take a look at that 40 degrees on the y-axis.

dr. seuss

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

confucius

Care not for want of place; care for thy readiness to fill one.

you have the right to remain

I used to love the multiple series of Law & Order: the vanilla classic, SVU, CI.  I will forever be able to hum out each note of that sweet sweet theme song on cue.  & you just have to give it up for Jack McCoy.

Everyone knows there's a good crime drama playing on some channel at any waking moment and unfortunately, the success makes sense.

Law & Order, CSI, all of those shows make people fear the crazies that roam our cities plotting to commit heinous crimes (yes, I did use heinous from the disclaimer at the beginning of the program).  The thrill of watching this type of program is enjoyable and slightly addicting, putting sick-minded neighborhood criminals in their place at the mercy of detectives with some serious swagger.  Part of the addiction is also wrapped into the viewers' validation to remain within their four walls and avoid contact with new people who may or may not have a fellow neighbor locked up in their attic.

So the viewers keep sitting and the programs keep running and the viewers keep viewing.

pumpkin seeds

*& a drizzle of olive oil

Lauren and her kitchen have opened my eyes to the glory that is a meal made of fall bounty.

run with what you have

Not all brains are created equal.

Growing up, I thought I was a smart cookie.  Smarter than the average bear.  Or snake.  Or fox.  You can't just skate through standardized tests like I did.

That is, until college.  And now in the workplace.  I am not necessarily the owl I thought I was.  Events slip my mind.  Words escape me.  My reason stops cold in the heat of a debate.  But most of all, I get stuck in routine, e.g. explaning things at work the way I have a hundred times before.  Treating information and scenarios like fresh occurances, as they rightfully deserve, would be more of a challenge, but it's difficult.

It's difficult to stretch.  & even the quickest, most able minds can suffer from idleness.

As we become older, there is so much more time to strive for betterment, to nuture your brain.  It isn't about natural ability anymore.  It's about picking up a book, remembering what you've learned, and actually practicing it.  Some people impress you that way.

haymarket 1

I moved to Boston a couple months back.

& on Fridays and Saturdays, there is an outrageous farmer's market near Faneuil Hall.  Well I shouldn't say farmer's market... there is an outrageous produce and random food market - boxes and boxes that some farmers or food dealers somewhere couldn't sell.

Okay so maybe this isn't that interesting - but to me, using up things in the fridge with constraints (like my unstocked pantry, limited kitchenwares, and objection to cooking with fatty or expensive ingredients) is nothing short of awesome.

If you stock up on things that keep, like garlic, onions, potatoes and catch big bundles of ripe produce thoughtfully, you can minimize waste of food and money.  For example, on the last visit to Haymarket, I found 6 onions for $1.50 and a mesh tube with 7 large garlic heads for $1 among my purchases.  I mean, seriously.  Garlic for months.  The next trip included a very large bundle of asparagus for $1.  So in total, the following soup probably cost around $2 and provided two satisfying servings made from fresh ingredients.

Dice an onion & 2 cloves of garlic
Throw in a saucepan with olive oil
Chop up the bunch of asparagus, tossing the rough ends, & add to the pot
Cover with some combination of water, milk &/or chicken broth
Heavily season with salt, pepper, etc. - thyme is great
Bring to a boil and let simmer until it's soft enough to mash or blend
Add Greek yogurt to make it creamy &/or Parmesan to make it cheesy &/or lemon to make it zesty... shall I go on?

It stores well too.

philip zimbardo

Life is temptation. It's all about yielding, resisting, yes, no, now, later, impulsive, reflective, present focus and future focus. Promised virtues fall prey to the passions of the moment.

6 Time Perspective Factors
1. Past time perspective - Positive
2. Past time perspective - Negative
3. Present time perspective - Hedonism
4. Present time perspective - Fatalism
5. Future time perspective - Life goal-oriented
6. Future time perspective - Trancendental, life after death of the mortal body

There are two ways to be present oriented. There is two ways to be past oriented, two ways to be future. You can focus on past-positive, or past-negative. You can be present-hedonistic, namely you focus on the joys of life, or present-fatalist. It doesn't matter. Your life is controlled. You can be future oriented, setting goals. Or you can be transcendental future: namely, life begins after death. Developing the mental flexibility to shift time perspectives fluidly depending on the demands of the situation, that's what you've got to learn to do.

...what is the optimal time profile? High on past-positive. Moderately high on future. And moderate on present-hedonism. And always low on past-negative and present-fatalism. So the optimal temporal mix is what you get from the past - past-positive give you roots. You connect your family, identity and your self. What you get from the future is wings to soar to new destinations, new challenges. What you get from the present hedonism is the energy, the energy to explore yourself, places, people, sensuality.

daniel quinn

Not knowing the truth, he might say to himself, "Whatever I can justify doing is good and whatever I cannot justify doing is evil."

Ishmael p.162

omar khayyám

XIV

The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon
Turns Ashes - or it propsers; and anon,
Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face
Lighting a little Hour or two - is gone.

XV

And thsoe who husbanded the Golden Grain,
And those who flung it to the Winds like Rain,
Alike to no such aureate Earth are turn'd
As, buried once, Men want dug up again.

incense, in a sense

Decisions, decisions.  Pack this.  Donate that.  Ship these.  Store those.  - I'm moving to Boston.

Little bag of incense, where do you belong?  It sat on the table in the middle of the "maybe" things and "yes" things, but one suitcase is packed and the others are waiting.

So I lit a stick.  & discovered, really discovered, the beauty of smoke.  It curls, folds, ripples, and rises, all right in front of your eyes in this little thing called reality.  & all you have to do is sit back and watch.  What a pleasant by-product!  Did everyone know this?

So some little dinky item that I wasn't sure served a purpose in my life had me kneeling, elbows on the dresser, actually sighing "wowww" alone in my room.  Thus, I'm packing my incense and will have one more thing to do in my TV-less east coast apartment.

You have to realize beauty on your own.  No one can explain or the importance of February sunsets or heat rising off a car on a summer day.  They can try to show you, but you must find it on your own - let it bring you to your knees on your own.

I need to do more of that.  The nature within reach is enough entertainment.

If that makes me a hippie, then sobeit.

amen

proverbs

Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling consent.

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

Soft words win hard hearts.

Every man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given away.

No answer is also an answer.

terrence malick

This great evil - where's it come from?
How'd it steal into the world?
What seed, what root did it grow from?
Who's doing this?
Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we mighta known?
Does our ruin benefit the earth?
Does it help the grass to grow and the sun to shine?
Is this darkness in you, too?
Have you passed through this night?

from The Thin Red Line

stefan sagmeister

Everybody who is honest is interesting.

astute peer refutes root beer repute

Long intro short, my French friend and I are hanging out for the first time on American soil 7 months after we last saw each other, this time speaking in English instead of German.

There is a minimal language barrier, more in the subtleties than anything else.  During her stay in San Francisco, she improved her knowledge and daily use of English.  More importantly, she was allowed to experience a new way of life and has expanded her breadth of the world merely by being, seeing, and allowing the newness in.

Of course, I think this is great.

She reminds me of how hard it is to find people with an open mind.  People who are empowered by knowing that they don't know much.

So we finish our meal, our conversation, walk down the block and move onto dessert because I can't wait for her to try her first root beer, let alone her first root beer float!  With her blessed open mind, Anaïs takes a few spoonfuls of this newness and says it tastes familiar, pulls out a pack of gum from her purse and tells me that she's not sure, but it reminds her of chewing gum.  She shrugs and the gum is put away.  "Hmm maybe," I wonder, "but I believe it's flavored with sassafras or some other... well... roots."

Later at home, my nightly routine brings me to Google where I find:

In 1960 the FDA outlawed sassafras because it contains safrole, which was proven to cause cancer in lab rats. The primary element in the root beer flavor we know today is wintergreen.

And sure enough, the next time I share this information over brunch, one of the newly-enlightened conjures up a box of wintergreen mints, as if by magic.  We three shut our eyes, so as not to be disturbed by the color stigma that so rudely kept us from the truth and... voilà!

Brown meets green, particles dissolve on our tongues, and the power of an open mind brings forth an unmistakable sensory connection.

sybyl partridge

Just for today I will be unafraid, especially, I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

scrumptious smoothie

I have always looked forward to breakfast, probably because I develop a favorite, easy-to-prepare food with which to start my days off right.  For a few months now, I've found smoothies to be pretty cool.  It's a smoothie and raw almonds (and coffee, as always) every day.  So the fridge, freezer and fruit bowl are kept with plenty of variety and I never pour the same slurpy goodness from the blender twice.  By far, the creation below has been my favorite.  I'm not sure if it was the fresh orange what, but you will not regret trying this bad boy!  Bonus for raw almonds on the side.

(click image if it's too small)

I also like to add untoasted wheat germ to my smoothies for a little more texture and tasteless fiber. Yum!

[cat]

Q: Look, though.  It's in its natural habitat; we can barely see it.  It has found its home because it was meant to be there.  What's our natural habitat?  Where do we blend in?
[cat's] A:  With one another.

love breeds love

...breeds love breeds love...

& more on this later.

shhh

If you haven't (recently) browsed PostSecret, check it out!

icing on the cupcake

Eureka! I've found it! This frosting is not only delectable, but perfectly glossy and opaque.

                         1 c.                   ½                                              3 oz.

Although I love lime or lemon juice in a cream cheese frosting, I think it will also be delicious with other comibnations of flavor extracts and milk.  I am just tickled that my family's favorite flavor of icing can be so beautiful!

classic

ebb and flow

We're served with stressful waves and troughs of routine in between.  (Or at least I'm sure that is true in a balanced life... but I'm pretty darn sure it's unanimous.)  In the times where we're challenged and thrown into situations unprepared, we grow.  We have to.

I think the key to success is to use the times in your life where you feel comfortable to reflect, I mean really reflect, on the more difficult periods.  For one, we have all sorts of incomplete emotions that were swallowed by necessity, but unlike food, cannot be digested.  To think about “why” or “how” or “what did I learn” is hardly ever a waste of time, especially when these questions are perplexing.  To really sink your teeth into your past makes your experiences more significant.  And when all we really have is the human experience, why not?

I imagine our growth as structure on a building, the foundation skyrocketing in spurts of forced adaptation.  But on the downtime, there's so much more to be done - the softer details, if you will.

Perhaps that's why I love traveling.  By walking the streets of a foreign place, you're learning of the world and how to navigate it.  But also, by removing yourself from your little habitat, it is much easier to think about the "why"s of your life and how they relate to the bigger scheme of things.  Although you can't really work towards conventional success while on the road, there are ways to fit travel into your life to make it functional (a.k.a. my ultimate goal for the next 5 years, after loan repayment).  Albeit indulgent, I think it's the perfect activity for growth.

charlie kaufman

John Laroche: Point is, what's so wonderful is that every one of these flowers has a specific relationship with the insect that pollinates it. There's a certain orchid look exactly like a certain insect so the insect is drawn to this flower, its double, its soul mate, and wants nothing more than to make love to it. And after the insect flies off, spots another soul-mate flower and makes love to it, thus pollinating it. And neither the flower nor the insect will ever understand the significance of their lovemaking. I mean, how could they know that because of their little dance the world lives? But it does. By simply doing what they're designed to do, something large and magnificent happens. In this sense they show us how to live - how the only barometer you have is your heart. How, when you spot your flower, you can't let anything get in your way.

from Adaptation

things he has learned in his life so far

1. Helping other people helps me.
2. Having guts always works out for me.
3. Thinking that life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
4. Organising a charity group is surprisingly easy.
5. Being not truthful always works against me.
6. Everything I do always comes back to me.
7. Assuming is stifling.
8. Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
9. Over time I get used to everything and start taking for granted.
10. Money does not make me happy.
11. My dreams have no meaning.
12. Keeping a diary supports personal development.
13. Trying to look good limits my life.
14. Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
15. Worrying solves nothing.
16. Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
17. Everybody thinks they are right.
18. If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first.
19. Low expectations are a good strategy.
20. Everybody who is honest is interesting.

Stefan Sagmeister

I admire his message and style.

I feel so much more about this, but it could be awhile before the words come to fruition.  For now, I'll just say that to someday work for Mr. Sagmeister would be a dream come true.

interests align

I knew I loved these podcasts!

Somehow, my public library kick took away from watching my two favorite podcasts: Best of YouTube and TEDTalks.  With all this free time, I thought I could catch up on so many life changing books and movies (complements of the local government) without sacrificing my updates on the best selection of web clips and intellectual/designer forces in the world.  Free time, free rentals, free podcasts - I love this country.

I am filled with love right now, can you tell?

Anyway, I was very impressed by this YouTube in my podcasts and decided to keep it in my iTunes along with the elite handful that have survived.  So I scroll down, watch a few TEDs and come across him again!  Both selection processes appeal to my soul after all.

Everything is connected; just sometimes it takes a new perspective in order to see it yourself.

speak from the heart

So I heard multiple people reference the book, The Five Love Languages, in relation to their romances and then I noticed it prominently displayed at Borders.  Actually I think the first time I heard the title was on Real Housewives of Orange County - shoot me now.  Needless to say, Gary Chapman's ideas have swept up masses, or at least brought them to purchase and skim the book.

I guess the book is a way for lovers to find out what "language they speak" and what their partner wants to "hear".  The five:

Words of Affirmation  Kind, affirming words of praise build confidence, trust and respect.
Quality Time  Conversations, walks and shared meals are things couples can do together if one of them needs to feel loved this way.
Physical Touch  A preference for receiving love through physical touch involves hugging, holding hands, kissing, caressing and patting that doesn't necessarily lead to sexual intercourse.
Gifts to Express Love  People who feel loved when they receive a present indicate their primary love language is through the receiving of gifts. It is the number of gifts, not the size or cost, that count.
Acts of Service  Preparing a meal, running errands, doing the laundry, cleaning a car, mowing the grass, fixing a leaky faucet, painting a room, vacuuming the floor and cleaning the bathroom or kitchen all are acts of service for the benefit of a loved one.

Chapman's five languages of love can all be simplified down to one message - generosity.  I take it he agrees that the best way to love is to share yourself with another.

& I think it's safe to say we all speak that language.

liggie fudim

How sweet it is when the strong are also gentle.

best pancakes

This is the yummiest way to eat pancakes.  Don't knock it 'til you try it.

in accord with reality

No, I've never talked about a loved one behind their back.  Cigarettes?  Ew, none.  Always wash my hands before cooking... and I don't sample food with my fingers.
^& that's the easy stuff to admit.

When we lie about ourselves, the purpose is to hide what we're ashamed of, right?  So if people stopped lying, it'd be an upward spiral of decency.  First come the first layers of honesty, obviously.  Then we'd have to face the disgrace.  & then we'd change.

People are flawed in their inability to predict situations they'll face(, especially far) in the future.  Looking back, it's easy to see what we should've said or done from the get-go, but manipulation is far too easy and justifiable when it seems as though problems will float away with a little white lie.

Just yesterday, I came down in my pajamas and my mom offered me coffee, which she served in a dainty mug I've probably never drank out of.  I commented on the size of it and my mom pointed out her equally sized cup and suggested we were in a French bistro, which of course prompted a playtime French bistro conversation, until I went for the real deal and emptied the carafe into my favorite hefty mug.  Turns out, my mom wanted to have the last of the coffee.  No big deal, right?  But if she had initially revealed her true intentions behind giving me a puny cup, I wouldn't have taken the coffee she tried to save.  You lie, you lose.  Eventually.

So I've dabbled in pretty much all of the Cardinal Sins and even defiled a Commandment or two, but I'm still doin' alright.  The morality I care about from here on out is encompassed by a life of truth.  & that alone could've kept me away from the most dishonorable things I've ever done... but hey.

ken robinson

If you're not prepared to be wrong you'll never come up with anything original.

marc pachter

Everybody in their lives is really waiting for people to ask them questions so they can be truthful about who they are and how they became what they are and I commend that to you.

smart art

Vladamir Kush was the only man who swept me off my feet in Vegas.  Didn't see that one coming.  After standing awe-struck with my face nearly glued to paintings in his Caesar's Palace gallery (and actually seeing his coolly wearied slavic face, ha) I've officially stamped him as my favorite artist...

All labels aside, though, he has some really beautiful and clever work.

think before you speak, or type

11:59pm Margaret
what do you want for your birthday?
11:59pm Emi
idk lol
g2g
ttyl
12:00am Margaret
omg so many acronyms!

another resolution

& wouldn't it be nice if the only thing uptight about people was their posture?

I'll work on that.

chicken

I can picture some wide-eyed actress on screen asking up to her hero "Oh, but weren't you afraid?!"  And I'm thinking - uh yeah, sure, it ain't no thang jumping into a burning house to bare-handed take down an axe murderer and rescue her child. No big deal.

But people aren't as fearful as I and maybe something that seems so obviously terrifying doesn't rile a more confident, able-bodied person.

Point being, my New Year's resolution is to stop being so afraid, especially in events I know to be safe.

For example, I'm watching Fracture last night alongside a sleeping Mom and during a confrontation between A. Hopkins and R. Gosling, I find myself pulling the blanket up over my nose, anticipating sudden gunfire.  Honestly, though - why?  How much of my life am I willing to hide under the comfort of a cozy blanket?

I am sure I will not be the 0.001% that faints or falls out of a roller coaster or the one who is mauled by a bear in the dead of night walking to the outhouse on a summer camping trip.  I mean, those are the easiest things to get over, but who knows, I might just skydive* by December.

2009 I set out to try a bunch of new things and it was probably the best year of my life.  So if I am no longer bound by silly fears come 2011, I will claim the world as my oyster.

*Whoopty-do! I know I'm ultimate chicken.

[cat]

You've created so much in college! Your insights and your friendship and the hours we've spent figuring the world and our lives out are forever recorded in my memory. Your portfolio, if you will, rests in each of your friends' hearts and minds, and that porftolio is fat and impressive. You've, thus far, invested your creative energy into the very best outlet-- people. And we will never forget it. But blogs are cool too; keep writing haha. xoxo

the strain of opposites

Admiration

or Jealousy

lead me to begin another blog - this blog. Welcome! haha

Last night, two of my best girl friends and I attended an intimate hippie performing arts night at a college house around the corner. Between spoken word poetry, a beat-boxing flutist and songs of the Rolling Stones, we each felt breaths of inspiration and a little bit of "he sang that song to me."

Bean Night

There was a lot of talent in that room, swirling and changing with the heat of bodies. I'm pretty sure that air came home with us and was breathed out in readings of hilarious short stories.

See, Lizzie, forever friend and art student, began a creative writing class this quarter to complement her curriculum in, well, producing really cool things. Back at her house, Lizzie opened a folder of some new really cool things, including her classmates' recent assignments sharing sexual experiences that didn't go as expected.

They were so funny.

& need to be published.

But what hooked me with these stories was the changeless honesty - the same honesty I see in Cat's words. See, Cat, forever friend and recent literature graduate, is the missing lady in this trio of last night's positivity. Sitting up, back against the armrest, I looked at these two splendid ladies sharing the couch with me. However simple I feel the truth of our bond, the complexity in waves of time is what makes it beautiful.

I believe I feel the same about art. Identifying the truth in an emotion is as simple as it gets, but conveying it in words through song or in groupings of color on canvas delves deeper into the complexity with which our human brains can identify.

So what I'm trying to get at, I guess, is how much I admire creation of really cool things. Both Lizzie and Cat will leave college with invaluable portfolios capturing spurts of their creative beings.  I feel like all I did was pass tests.  But I believe that like art and literature majors, we all have things to share.

The straw that broke the camel's back came in a Facebook message. My stylish sister Allison, another talented woman in my life, sent the link to her new blog tracking her unique interests and impeccable taste.

Allison's Wonderland

Admiration

not Jealousy

lead me to begin this blog. I'm very proud of these ladies.

Anyway, here I am with my first entry. I realize that I am not a very good writer, but every once in a while (ref: personal diary of the past year) I chime a chord of truth that is worth recording. I just hope it's worth reading! <3