To quote one my favorite songs by the now defunct Judybats...

I'm gonna la-la-la-la-la-la

My way through life
I'm gonna la-la-la-la-la-la

My way through life

I'm gonna la-la-la-la-la-la

My way through this life

And here are some pics from the CHAM! I attended on Saturday...apparently I picked up karmic merit just by attending - this will help me in my next life - and I'm supposed to pass it on to those I encounter... Cham is a demon subjugation ritual performed by Bhutanese Buddhist monks - they act as deities calling the negative spirits into the center in the first part and then the second part, they display joy as they are finally free from the demons. Lets monitor over the next few days how well it worked on me :-) I say "demons be gone"!! And so it is.

Tropical Storm Alert for NYC??!!

Yes, Hurricane Hanna is on her way, folks, and that means BATTEN DOWN THOSE HATCHES!!! To those of you who have hatches anyhow... meanwhile, this week - shortened as it was - had me looking like Durer's Melancholia - see, she looks like me, right down to the nose!!

Work was CRAZY (and will continue to be until November so I might as well get used to it) as you can tell (because I did not a lick of blogging this week until now) but I earned big kudos from those up on high and promises of "good things" to come, so I hope this generates some more nice buzz my way - and I learned that I'm getting a birthday visit from two of My Favorite Persons this Monday as I cleaned and rearranged and spruced up my living quarters with my IKEA purchases - see I must have known guests were on the way! So something to look forward to yet again. Things seem to work out that way, don't they? It's always something on its way...other items on the gratitude list?

*Mets are playing well and still in 1st place (and the Yankees are NOT).

*I found song files - at long last - from my secret treasure band from the 80's, The Sound. Everything that I wanted was out of print and they aren't releasing them anytime soon but I got Shock of Daylight and Hearts and Heads.

*Still on the yoga bandwagon

*Ate healthily, slept 8 hours or more, and didn't drink any alcohol - yet (!)

*In a generally decent mood for the most part - this will change depending on the outcome of Mets games this weekend though!

* Am having a love affair with Leonard Cohen. I "liked" him before but then I watched the documentary/tribute concert "I'm Your Man" and fell completely in love. I would just like him to live nearby and be available to stop by and chat about things over tea or have him tell me stories or read to me. That's all. Favorite Song? At the moment, Tower of Song or Sisters of Mercy but I did love Rufus Wainwright doing Hallelujah - just lovely.

Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song.
Oh I hope you run into them, you who've been travelling so long.
Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control.
It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul.
Well I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned:
When you're not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned.
Well they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem.
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon.
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon.
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night:
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right,
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right.

But most importantly, I'm soon to be having good visitors and I can't wait to laugh my ass off!! LITERALLY. And eat pizza. While looking at the Engrish website.

Sore! Stiff! Feeling GOOD!

So...I decided to get back into the yoga game ... I was pretty good about going once a week (sometimes 2x if I was into being really really good girl) and then at some point in April, I fell off the Yoga Bandwagon - errr, Yoga Mat. And each week I would play the game of "this weekend, I shall go". But I did not. Until last night, I went after work to a 7:45pm class and to a Hatha I/II class no less! I was a little worried because having done very little activitywise other than walking, could I manage a little bit tougher class? Turns out I could - and I loved it. The teacher was fantastic and it was a peaceful way to end the day, I felt so good and smiley during and afterwards. I'm a little stiff in the legs and lower back today but that's all - it's a good soreness because it was well earned. So it shall be pencilled into the weekly schedule from now on.

A New York Snapshot for you: every so often, there is a little snippet of life that I witness and it makes me go "this is why people love NYC so much" and this is why there are so many films and novels featuring the characters and oddballs who live here (although they are everywhere not just here but for some reason, people seem to think they are native to NYC).

So sitting on the bench in the West Village park last Saturday, a gigantic-bellied older man sits down on a bench with a box of cupcakes from Magnolia, a cup of coffee and the NY Times crossword puzzle. A few minutes later, another man all in black who looks very much leftover from the 1960's Timothy Leary Acid Tests sits next to him on the bench and nudges Cupcake Man: "So, do you ever think about dying?" Cupcake Man is silent, cocks his head, and then replies, "Well you know...". As I left to meet my friends, they were still deep in conversation.

And thus, a great friendship was probably born.

The End.

I saw this on plaque in a store in Cambria, California and it stuck with me so I thought I'd share it:

"Pray to God, but keep rowing to the shore" - Russian proverb

Whirlwind-Weary

I'm all abuzz and all is a blur - a week ago I was on the other coast and in the blink of an eye, summer was over, I was back to work with a vengeance - everything seems to be coming at me at once, although I think I'm handling that well, for once - and I went from looking forward to having nothing to do but watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy YET again all weekend to being booked solid and feeling .... abuzz and ablur. Whew. Need to find my center, methinks. Had MUCH fun on Saturday, early Italian dinner - chicken parm, yummmmmm - and walking around the West Village and then to Virgin to play with toys and laugh yet again at the "Stuff on My Cat" books http://www.stuffonmycat.com/ before heading into Tropic Thunder.. RUN do not walk to see this movie if you are in dire need of The Laughter Remedy. I think I annoyed people around me because I laughed pretty much non-stop and if Robert Downey Jr. doesn't at least get nominated for an Oscar for his role as Kirk Lazarus, well then I'm boycotting the movies for one full year. But they never nominate comedy roles so looks like I'm not seeing any movies in 2009. OH WELL.

Sunday was brunch in Astoria and much giggling despite bad waitering and then I was off to run some errands, walk around (too much, my feet hurt even now) before finishing my book under a tree in Central Park.

Now its the workweek and I'm back where I started. Lets see how it all goes and how unharried I can prevent myself from getting. I'm hopeful, that's something, isn't it?

Captain Chuckie's Binocular Shots

These pics are brought to you by my dad's binoculars - he was spying on me as I strolled down the beach towards Morro Rock one morning...

She's back - and she's CRAZY!!

But to quote The Cheshire Cat:

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "otherwise you wouldn't have come here."

Indeed. So I've come back to the crazy NYC world after 10 glorious beachy days. But it's okay, crazy is fine as long as you can still smile and laugh and not get stressed out. But still..California rocked. From sauteed calamari steaks and great wine while watching the sunset at The Sea Chest to my daily morning hour long walks on the beach to the fun treasures I bought to watching the Olympics and cheering on the athletes while enjoying a Nicole Summer Special (that would be a tequila gimlet to you) and going on a hike with my dad on the bluffs to the farmers markets and fresh berries and veggies and tuberoses...these are a few of my favorite things...when the dog bites, when the bee stings..when I'm feeling sad...oh you know the song!

But you have to come back to reality at some point, so here I am - and as you may have guessed since I didn't post a thing all week, I returned to the crazy workplace and I've been constantly on the go all week - plus The Boss is out, so I've been filling those big shoes of his and doing both his and my job. Today's schedule a typical example:

10am - turn on workstation; check test region for data errors before running 3 test OE schedules
11am - meeting to discuss payroll consolidation file errors
12pm - bento box lunch date!
1pm - PS upgrade meeting
2:30 - back to my desk to begin running test OE's. 1st one fails and I spend an hour fixing the configuration errors.
3:45 - step out for a 15 minute walk to clear my head, eat a banana, and relax. I feel slumped. Blood pressure low.
5pm - database is taken down for the night, so I decide to just a little more work and post here, finally.

So that's all I have to report, I'm busy, but feeling good, head is cleared and I'm feeling ready. Summer is over for me, let's get on with autumn. Ready for what, I have no idea, but whatever's on it's way, I'm feeling up for the challenge now. New things are coming around the bend and you just never know, do you?

And now, some photos!

Charlie making a contribution to Bubble Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo

A mermaid on the beach..oh wait, that's just me!!

Sunset at the Cayucos pier

Mom and Dad enjoying a glass of wine while waiting to get into The Sea Chest

FATHER ON THE BEACH ALERT!!!!!!!

This is funny - so my family is in Cayucos California, just waiting for me to arrive later on this week..and I decided to check out a web site that I knew had a web cam set up so that you can see the beach and the pier and passersby...so I click on the site and who do I see on the webcam? MY DAD, just strolling along!! Somehow, I KNEW he'd be walking the strand, looking for shells for me and Allie...


http://www.cayucosshorelineinn.com/cam.html

The Cracked Pot

It's storytime! Gather 'round boys and girls - my fellow cracked pots too - and listen up now:

A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?

That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Now, I'm off to see THE DARK KNIGHT with my fantasy husband Christian Bale... sigh...I'll give you a review on Monday!

Maca Maca Maca!!

If you guessed by naming my post this, I just wanted an excuse to Google images of Fozzy, you'd be correct!!

But seriously folks, I'm here to tell you all about maca! Maca powder is actually a ground up root vegetable from Peru - it's related to the radish family - and it's jam-packed with vitamins and minerals and protein as well as being an adaptogen - which means its a trigger to your body to kick into high gear and start raising its defenses and start functioning at a really high level...basically, it makes you feel really good and is also terrific for you..it smells not so nice and tastes just so-so - I've either been adding a teaspoon of the stuff to some miso soup or to some herbal tea - and then I'm off like a rocket! It really does elevate your energy... so anyway, I'm just letting you in on the MACA MAGIC!!!!! One word of caution, DO NOT take it anywhere near your beddybyetime - I made the mistake of thinking it was like the supergreen drink I make and I had it with my dinner two nights in a row around 8pm and then couldn't fall asleep until 3am and couldn't figure out why until I did some research. Now I'll drink it no later than 5pm or so and even that I think is pushing it...

Click here for more info should you find yourself intrigued...
http://www.macaroot.com/benefits/index.html