SNOW DAY

I was originally gonna post about my spin class yesterday. It had been the first time I'd been to the gym in months. I used to go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week in SF.

My girl B hooked me up with a free pass to her gym for a few days. While I think it's a smidge pricey for this pauper ($173/mo!), it is definitely what I needed. I can't say how energizing it was to work my way threw a whole class without having to take breaks.

I figure at this point, whatever is going on with my knee is going to get handled eventually. Might at well fuck all, deal with the pain, and go back to my regular routine until I can see a real doctor about it. No sense staying in this fat bod any longer than necessary.

So I woke up this morning thinking what a nightmare it's going to be to get to work during the mess of a snow storm we are having in NYC.

Lo and behold, I checked my phone and the office manager had sent us a text: Stay home. Snow Day!

What a marvelous treat! I haven't had a snow day since 8th grade...AND I went to college in Syracuse.

Today I will get to my errands, hit the gym, and check out the Knicks at MSG!

We have an extra ticket so if anyone wants to go, lemme know!

Hassan/Closer to the Earth

When I was a kid, my brother had a friend who lived across the street. His name was Hassan and he would come over to play video games.

Every time he'd come through the door, he'd take off his shoes which I thought was kinda funny because we never required him to do that. He'd always insisted he take off his shoes as soon as he came in.

The basis for feet symbolism goes back to the Vedic conception of the universe as the body of God. Just like a body has high and low parts so this universe has high and low, pure and impure places. Up is high, down is low. Feet touch the ground, which is low, and so when you enter a temple you leave your low part at the door. We take off our impure part, our feet, symbolized by leaving our shoes at the door as we enter sacred space. You might say we leave our materialistic side at the door when we enter spiritual space.
http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/feetsymbolism.html

Saturday, I went to meet up with my friend N who had just come back from a 7 week stint in his native India. He told me about all his adventures and I couldn't help but kick myself. He'd been planning this trip since before I left San Francisco. He was going back for the occasion of his cousin's wedding and I offered myself up as a cheap date.

I can't believe I didn't book my ticket right then and there. Where is my sense of adventure these days? Lost in the midst of watching other people's failed risk? Who knows!

He told me about taking a 6 hour hike at the base of the river that feeds into the Himalayas. (I could be entirely making up that last sentence as he was telling me these stories over vodka tonics.) Point is, he's walking on this hike with this little boy who is describing defense mechanisms in the event that they run into a tiger. A TIGER. Can you imagine?

I'd prolly piss myself and get eaten up on the spot.

Back to tigers and other animals. Then N narrated another time he met up with his artist pal who is there working on, what else, art. Again, details evade me. I'm not sure what part of India they were during this adventure. All I remember is they are making their way through miles of wildlife when they get to a clearing. Artist Pal who is ahead gasps with what N described as fear. N catches up and sees a fresh hyena corpse!

Do you know anything about hyenas? From The African Wildlife Federation website:

The spotted hyena is a skillful hunter but also an opportunistic scavenger. It consumes animals of various types and sizes, carrion, bones, vegetable matter and other animals' droppings. The powerful jaws and digestive tract of the hyena allow it to process and obtain nutrients from skin and bones. The only parts of prey not fully digested are hair, horns and hooves; these are regurgitated in the form of pellets.

They eat everything but hair and horns! SICK, DUDE!

So the moral of all this is: drop your plans. Live life! Take adventures when you can! Don't get eaten by hyenas! Be thankful for the spirituality of your being!

Also, our president is Barack Obama. Officially.

Passport Photo

Someone's confused my passport photo order.

Someone gave me the wrong pictures back! Who's that fat fuck with the unruly hair and jowels?

Oh, wait. What? That IS...me?

Ay Chihuahuas.

Remember that time I said I could stand to lose like 5 lbs or so? Make that 30.

Mama mia, this baby beluga bit is not becoming of me. Everyone warned me about living with a boy and following their habits. I've fallen prey! I've fallen prey!

No, but really, I have to give up my bad habits. This morning my boss caught me with a hot chocolate and a half a cupcake. He asked what my mother would say if she saw me eating such an unbalanced meal.

I'm not sure, really. I don't think she knows that I eat utter crap if left to my own devices.

So I'm back on my 'no solids' diet. Let's see how long this one lasts.

Peas 2008, Smell Ya Never

So apart from the a few traumatic experiences this year (sarah palin, economic breakdown, losing my job, leaving SF), there were things to note.

Honorable mention to Craigslist and eBay for always coming through with concert tickets, clothes, and shoes at all-American low prices that have nothing to do with Wal-Mart!

Despite being a crap year for new music, I would like to thank the veterans for touring: Stevie, Tom, Tina, George. Thanks for saving what could have been a truly lackluster year.

And of course, who can leave this year without thanking the American public for making good on the last 8 years by electing Barack Obama!

As for personals, it was the year I realized I'm old as hell and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.

I went to Honduras, the birth place of my parents, for the first time. Graciously, all the family I'd never met thought I was 18. I learned a third world country is a third world country, and wonder if they will ever catch up. At the same time, I can't help but resent spoiled Americans. Our infrastructure and general level of safety is something not to be taken for granted--ever.

I moved in with a boy. The first batch of my dear good friends were married and now have husbands.

These things have made for a very pivotal, landmark year.

So for next year I wish pragmatic things everyone around the world should have: a steady job with insurance, a home, and health.


Cheers '08! Be nice '09!

I leave you with some sexy animals who wish you all the best in the next year...

Hell is Cold

You'd thinking having gone to university in Syracuse would accustom me to the bitter cold and snow.

Maybe it has something to do with the human preservation tactic of forgetting the things that bring you down in life.

How could I forget how long it takes to add all those layers on in the morning? Or that I can't walk out with wet hair when the wind makes the air outside feel like 16 degrees. Today, I went to tug the ear flaps on my hat only to be poked with a piece of my own frozen hair. Gross.

So here's a slap of the wrist to Ol' Man Winter. Bugger Off! Go find some other American region to harass.

It's Potty Time

The holiday season is here! It's my favorite time of year though it's always packed with 'to do' lists.

Speaking of to-do, what the fudge with the range of holiday card options this year? Really. I have my list all set and waiting to go and no cards.

I went into Hallmark today figuring this was a definite place to find what I needed: a non-denominational holiday card featuring two cuddly animals making out or hugging or holding hands.

Doesn't seem too hard.

Instead I am presented with a card with a dog in a Santa hat holding a cup next to a toilet. Inside read: It's Potty Time!

Really? For whom? I ain't potty training no ruggles or animals.

Anyway, everyone reading will be receiving the final result of my search.

Stay tuned.

(dog featured in photo not dog from card)

A Bamalama Repost

An Open Letter to Barack Obama By Alice Walker

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker