Snow is Gone

Dogs are fantastic role models

They play with their whole hearts.
They protect what they love. 
They ask for what they want. 
They nap when they need to. 
They love without reservation.
They eat without worrying.
They run in their dreams. 

Gandahar

I'll only link to the first episode. For extra credit, identify the voice actors without looking at the credits.

Magic

I'm not talking about sleight of hand or illusion. I'm talking about those moments in life where you are overwhelmed by feeling or emotion unexpectedly.

And not just typical day to day joys like the sound of a child's laughter or a gift from a co-worker of chocolate or Diet Coke on a hard day.

I'm talking about that song that touches your soul or a movie that transports you to someplace other. That book that engulfs you so fully into it that your heart breaks a little when it's over.

I love these moments.

And I love storms.

I had one of the most magical moments in my life during a freak thunder and lightning storm on the same day that I chose to go see "The Red Violin" at a movie theater a few towns over.

The storm was so bad that you could hear it raging from inside and it knocked the power off for a few seconds during the movie. It didn't matter to me. I loved The Red Violin so much that it transported me. I was still in it's thrall when I drove away.

I have never seen anything in my life as powerful and glorious as I saw that night.

My route home took me along foothills with an unobstructed view of The San Francisco Bay as lightning danced across its waters. It was nature's fireworks show with blinding sheets and forks of lightning illuminating the night sky in staccato bursts of light and sound. Rain pelted my car so hard that I couldn't hear anything, but that didn't matter because Joshua Bell's violin was still playing in my head.

I didn't stop to watch the storm because I felt like I was part of it, racing down the highway, chasing some unknown quarry for the joy and exhilaration of it.

I revel in these unexpected adventures.

Darkness

Shadows rule in the world of darkness,
cozy pools of darkling light.

Imagination flies unfettered,
in the secret world of night.

All around the world lay sleeping,
dozing in the land of dreams.

Fairies flit through the moonlit landscape,
sipping nectar from moonbeams.

As the light of day is dawning,
nighttime shadows light to gold.

Deepest darkness gives a shudder,
Daytime's light can be so cold.

Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody

Nest Building

Now that winter's here, I'm cold. Okay, so I'm perpetually cold. I'm the girl who is always wearing a jacket, possibly even in summer. Winter is just worse. Much worse. Gloves and scarves worse. 

I know. I live in California. Don't judge me.

So, I was told by another lizard-like friend about the feather-bed. And the joys of pillow-nest-building. Not just for warmth, but for comfort as well.

Seems humans, like dogs, are pack creatures and are most comfortable when crowded. If you don't have enough people in your bed to effectively comfort and warm you, you can substitute the pillow-nest and feather bed.

I can report than the feather-bed-pillow-nest is a hit with cold-blooded Ticias and pack dog Olivias alike. 

How a Newly Turned Foodie is Like a Vampire

Today my stomach told me, in no uncertain terms, that it wanted food and it wanted it NOW. I don't know if vampires are driven by their hunger with this much urgency and insistence, but I believe they are.

I blame the stomach-stretching exercise that is French Laundry for this. I am insatiable. All food tastes better to me now. It's like my taste buds have been reborn. They're open to any texture, any sensation, any combination. And they're directing my brain to experiment.

I've been seduced.

Lunch at Bouchon prepped me for the gastronomic delight that was to follow, but it was French Laundry that tipped me over the edge. I had trouble not expressing my delight vocally at dinner.

Good food, like good vampires, seduce you in unexpected and even taboo ways. A little nibble here, a taste explosion there, and you're butter in their hands.

And, once you're seduced, there's no going back to your old, unawakened life again.

Mistakes

Do you use the mistakes and bad choices from your past to beat yourself up, or do you use the information to better your life and the lives of those around you?

Everyone makes mistakes.

The real question is "Would you make those same mistakes today?" If the answer is no, then take off the hair shirt and forgive yourself. If you need to make restitution to someone, do it. Then move on.

I'm not asking if you're capable of the same bad deeds. Of course, you are. You've proven that. But you're also capable of NOT doing it, as your life now proves. Remember that.

Beating ourselves up with these horrors doesn't remind us what we're capable of as much as lock us up with an abuser who knows where our soft spots are.

The pleasure of my company...

I've been doing lots of things that are very uncomfortable for me lately.

Today I got to spend time with myself.

Worrying about free time, up until recently, has been a moot point. My days have been filled to bursting with work and activities for both myself and my family.

Now that my daughter is driving herself around and my husband is working swing-shift, I find myself with more free time than I'm comfortable with.

For here's the truth, while most people relish the idea of a free day, at home, by themselves, I dread it. I feel exposed and vulnerable. And guilty. Like it's somehow wrong to have time to myself.

Today I met my "free time" nemesis head-on. With a 14 hour window of self-improvement opportunity stretching before me, free time and I were going to become buddies. Because, let's face it, I need to learn to appreciate my own company.

So far, I have managed to waste an incredible amount of clock hours in a relatively short span of time. I'm getting things done, but I'm also relaxing. And I'm having fun.

Who knew?

Oh yeah, all of you that tell me how much you look forward to time on your own.

You were right... Happy now?

Crepes

The promise of a Nutella Crepe on a chilly evening drew me in.

Ordering that Nutella Crepe with Bananas (for potassium) satisfied my guilty conscience.

If I was a good blogger, I'd attach the picture I took, but I'm not that advanced yet. Soon, I promise. Then you'll get sick of all the odd stuff I find fascinating.

Olivia

I'm not convinced my dog loves me.

Surely if she loved me, she'd understand how tired I am. She'd understand that the furious barking at the Cat Party going on in our backyard in the middle of the night is going to wake me up from the sleep I so desperately need. She'd understand that no matter how heinous the infractions by the neighborhood cats, I. Want. To. Sleep.

I don't need protection from the 20 pound behemoth Persian fluff ball that is taunting her from the top of the fence. I. Need. Sleep.

Cuddling and keeping me warm, bouncing around like a wind-up toy every time she sees me, smiling so big that her tongue won't stay in her mouth just because I'm spending time with her, following my every move with her eyes, these are things that show me she loves me.

Blood-curdling barking that jolts me from a sound sleep....

Not so much.

Life at the speed of light...

The next two months are going to be very challenging and exciting for me. I'll keep you posted as events occur.

As usual, I should be sleeping right now.

But the world comes alive for me in the darkness.

I feel energized and like I can conquer any obstacle.

Will I still feel this way in the morning?

not so much...

DMV

I'm convinced that the DMV makes all experiences as bad as possible so that we will only contact them when it is absolutely necessary.

This morning, I called them at 9:00am, the second they opened.

After navigating the tortuous choices menu, I settled into my chair to wait in hold limbo for an actual person.

Over the course of the next 20 minutes, I was informed at 3 different times that my wait would be less than 5 minutes.

Until...

The last message told me that me estimated wait time was over 1o minutes. It suggested that I give up and try another time. It even suggested that I call another day.

I resolved to wait it out.

2 minutes later, I got a real live person.

Welcome

"Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living."

Anais Nin