1. Taking a break from work. Even though I don't technically have a "job", I still took "black Friday" as a day off from blogging, job hunting, promoting, editing ads, designing new flyers, and all that stuff.
2. Amma. Instead of working, I slept a bit late to recover from the best Thanksgiving ever, and then went to San Ramon to see Amma. I've never seen someone so full of love. She is so giving, and her teachings make me smile.
3. Forage SF is a great new project I am getting involved with. I sat down with Iso, who forages wild mushrooms and sells them to SF restaurants, this week to discuss his new fantastic venture and how I might fit in. I was delighted to find that we were easily able to brainstorm about a million and one different things, which I will surely post about here as they come to fruition. I am really excited about his project and the vast potential it holds.
4. Hiking in the dark and meditating by trees on the lit up trails at the ashram. What beautiful moments I shared with others.
5. New connections. A few people with lots of potential to be important forces in my life appeared this week. We shall see how the unfolding events play out with each of them. I am really excited and thankful for all that is happening in my life right now.
6. Cloud Cult is an old band, but I am thoroughly addicted to them now. Check out 'Take Your Medicine' and 'When Water Comes to Life' on their music page.
7. Raw Indian Feasts. Tanya and I made a feast of raw Indian dishes. They were all pretty amazing, and I was high on my food for hours after.
8. Raw Chocolate Mousse is so addicting and good for you too! I love guiltless desserts. I just got all my temporary roommates addicted to it to. Gotta spread the love...
9. Half Moon Bay was beautiful, warm and sunny today. We stared at the ocean for a long time, and talked a lot. I was out of it today, so this was exactly the kind of Saturday I needed.
10. Wonderfalls is a really, really, really good show. I am not much for TV, so when I find a show I like, I get really into it. It's bizarre, hilarious, and the bartender is really cute. Definitely an added plus.
11. Betty. Even though I walk all over town, and am an avid bike person, my car gets mad love. Betty has driven across the country and over an abundance of mountain passes from NY to SF, been to Burning Man and 95% of the National Parks in California, as well as a million drives up and down the coast. I heart her.
12. Chipotle Olives from Rainbow. Yum yum yum.
13. Justin's 14 cup Food Processor rocked my world this weekend. I made some tasty raw Thanksgiving treats for Will's potluck. I need one so I can make everything at once instead of in smaller batches like at my house. Time to check freecycle.
14. Freecycle just deserves its own post. In a world full of waste, it's so inspiring seeing so many people implement all these little changes that add up to a big huge change on a planetary level. Yay, freecycle.
15. Blessed water that I am adding to my larger container of water to make it last longer. Something about taking home blessed water in cheap plastic containers just cracks me up, yet does not dilute the significance of the water itself. Life makes me smile so often.
16. Getting to know dysfunction is great. I love having chats with people about their families and the craziness that ensues and being able to understand that special kind of chaos that helps make you who you are and bonds you to one another.
17. Weird dreams of which I have had plenty this week. I emailed one to Kirsten for this dream collaboration art project we have been talking about for a long time now. It seems the time is finally right. Her illustrations are simply amazing.
18. Packing jobs via Jon. Thanks, Jon. That will help with my rent.
19. Travel daydreams are causing me to want to get another office job, at least for a little while to pay off the rest of my debts and save for a ticket somewhere.
20. Lessons learned from human relationships and having 2 people really understand each other enough to communicate well. I am eternally grateful for these kind of friendships I have in my life now.
21. Anticipation of getting my place back.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
2wenty. giving thanks
21 words to describe the most perfect Thanksgiving in SF:
...Human chickens dancing to the beat of tribal drums and the sound of Puerto Rican bomba vocals calling for wild generosity...
I couldn't have made that sort of thing up. It truly was a beautiful day. Thank you, everyone.
...Human chickens dancing to the beat of tribal drums and the sound of Puerto Rican bomba vocals calling for wild generosity...
I couldn't have made that sort of thing up. It truly was a beautiful day. Thank you, everyone.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
9teen
1. Having a home base for the next 2 weeks has taken so much stress out of my life. It's only been a day and I've already gotten so much more done and feel so much more steady and focused. The past few weeks were a bit intense. Thanks to Liah for letting me stay at her place while she is in Wisconsin.
2. Sleeping in a real bed for the first time in 2 weeks. I've thought about sleeping on a platform with a thin cushion because I know I feel great when I sleep on the earth during camping trips, but the past 2 weeks has been various kinds of floors with my sleeping bag and it's just not the same as the soft giving earth. Last night I slept so amazingly well.
3. The Haight on a daily basis. It's always been one of my favorite parts of town, so it's cool seeing it from the new perspective of living here for a few weeks.
4. Cliff from Adventure Out. Tanya and I had a conference call with him today to get advice on the sustainable adventure travel company she and I are starting. It was unbelievably helpful and saved us hours of work and investigation. It's always best to just ask someone who is already doing something similar to what you're doing. They can also help you avoid mistakes. Thanks, Cliff!
5. Haight Organic Market is super duper cheap! I bought a whole bag full of delicious produce for only $19.
6. Winter in SF isn't really about death like winter back east was. Here it's a sort of rebirth - everything goes from brown and dry to lush and green. I am hopelessly in love with this city. Cala lillies start blooming everywhere. It only gets 10 degrees colder than in the summer. I can go hiking all the time and be super active.
7. Guacamole is one of my favorite foods. I can make it a million different ways and never tire of it. Lately, I've been really into putting some mango in it.
8. The view from Tanya's office is pretty killer. If I were her, I'd stare out the window all day.
9. Raw chocolate at the mall it was not the most amazing chocolate, but it was decent and the fact that I found it in the mall when I was going crazy for chocolate was great!
10. Traveling with a blender. It makes me laugh how I have been carrying it with me from house to house as I stay in all these different places while I sublet my apartment.
11. Stacey's Books is someplace I have to go in every time I pass by it. It's such a great indie book store, of which there are tons in SF, but not many near Market Street. I love curling up in a corner and checking out some things. I have always loved libraries and bookstores, since I was a child. My mother is to thank for that.
12. Re-reading books. I actually sat and read a book I had read their before, a year or 2 ago. I loved it but didn't want to buy it, and it was funny how I went in and thought of it right away. Maybe it's telling me what I need to do. :)
13. Jalapeno fingers. I've got a slight heated tingle in my fingers from chopping. It's nice added warmth for the 55 degree weather.
14. The sneaker art piece on Liah's wall. She and/or her boyfriend sliced a sneaker in half to see how it was constructed and framed it. It makes me smile.
15. Shiterature in other people's homes. This is what I call the literature tucked in the bathroom for people to read when they poo. The bathroom of the current house I am staying in has an odd assortment of a book called "Gay Science", an issue of playboy, a few copies of Nat Geo, a Kama Sutra book, and some political mags.
16. Big old Victorians with a million rooms are so special. Definitely one of my favorite features of this city. It's all about attention to details and beauty. As a visual artist, this makes sense to me. Form and function, not one compromised for the other. It's smart.
17. Writing for friends makes me feel good. Zach asked me to write one of his recommendations for this 10 Year Gongfu program he wants to do somewhere in NorCal and I really enjoyed writing about his character and positive energy and traits. When you create room in your life for amazing people like that and refuse to accept less, you attract more of them. I am very grateful for the loving, positive, productive group of friends I have in this city.
18. Carol Alt at 47 is great publicity for the raw food lifestyle. I can't believe how amazing she looks for her age!
19. Making up is a good feeling.
20. Minimalist rooms are great for focus. I have gotten so much more work done staying in Liah's space. Definitely will be using this inspiration to reconfigure my work area when I am back in my own apartment.
21. Space for myself to just sit and be alone and meditate and focus on all the beauty in my life. Space to work on the things I need to do now. Space to step back from the chaos of the time and be really present.
2. Sleeping in a real bed for the first time in 2 weeks. I've thought about sleeping on a platform with a thin cushion because I know I feel great when I sleep on the earth during camping trips, but the past 2 weeks has been various kinds of floors with my sleeping bag and it's just not the same as the soft giving earth. Last night I slept so amazingly well.
3. The Haight on a daily basis. It's always been one of my favorite parts of town, so it's cool seeing it from the new perspective of living here for a few weeks.
4. Cliff from Adventure Out. Tanya and I had a conference call with him today to get advice on the sustainable adventure travel company she and I are starting. It was unbelievably helpful and saved us hours of work and investigation. It's always best to just ask someone who is already doing something similar to what you're doing. They can also help you avoid mistakes. Thanks, Cliff!
5. Haight Organic Market is super duper cheap! I bought a whole bag full of delicious produce for only $19.
6. Winter in SF isn't really about death like winter back east was. Here it's a sort of rebirth - everything goes from brown and dry to lush and green. I am hopelessly in love with this city. Cala lillies start blooming everywhere. It only gets 10 degrees colder than in the summer. I can go hiking all the time and be super active.
7. Guacamole is one of my favorite foods. I can make it a million different ways and never tire of it. Lately, I've been really into putting some mango in it.
8. The view from Tanya's office is pretty killer. If I were her, I'd stare out the window all day.
9. Raw chocolate at the mall it was not the most amazing chocolate, but it was decent and the fact that I found it in the mall when I was going crazy for chocolate was great!
10. Traveling with a blender. It makes me laugh how I have been carrying it with me from house to house as I stay in all these different places while I sublet my apartment.
11. Stacey's Books is someplace I have to go in every time I pass by it. It's such a great indie book store, of which there are tons in SF, but not many near Market Street. I love curling up in a corner and checking out some things. I have always loved libraries and bookstores, since I was a child. My mother is to thank for that.
12. Re-reading books. I actually sat and read a book I had read their before, a year or 2 ago. I loved it but didn't want to buy it, and it was funny how I went in and thought of it right away. Maybe it's telling me what I need to do. :)
13. Jalapeno fingers. I've got a slight heated tingle in my fingers from chopping. It's nice added warmth for the 55 degree weather.
14. The sneaker art piece on Liah's wall. She and/or her boyfriend sliced a sneaker in half to see how it was constructed and framed it. It makes me smile.
15. Shiterature in other people's homes. This is what I call the literature tucked in the bathroom for people to read when they poo. The bathroom of the current house I am staying in has an odd assortment of a book called "Gay Science", an issue of playboy, a few copies of Nat Geo, a Kama Sutra book, and some political mags.
16. Big old Victorians with a million rooms are so special. Definitely one of my favorite features of this city. It's all about attention to details and beauty. As a visual artist, this makes sense to me. Form and function, not one compromised for the other. It's smart.
17. Writing for friends makes me feel good. Zach asked me to write one of his recommendations for this 10 Year Gongfu program he wants to do somewhere in NorCal and I really enjoyed writing about his character and positive energy and traits. When you create room in your life for amazing people like that and refuse to accept less, you attract more of them. I am very grateful for the loving, positive, productive group of friends I have in this city.
18. Carol Alt at 47 is great publicity for the raw food lifestyle. I can't believe how amazing she looks for her age!
19. Making up is a good feeling.
20. Minimalist rooms are great for focus. I have gotten so much more work done staying in Liah's space. Definitely will be using this inspiration to reconfigure my work area when I am back in my own apartment.
21. Space for myself to just sit and be alone and meditate and focus on all the beauty in my life. Space to work on the things I need to do now. Space to step back from the chaos of the time and be really present.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
eighteen - the Green edition
1. SF Green Fest occupied all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's the largest sustainability event in the world and brought together a ton of amazing speakers, vendors, and people into one place. There were so many amazing things I encountered, I am not sure I will be able to mention them all here.
2. Adelaide is an amazing person and I am extremely grateful to have her in my life. I could not have imagined going there all weekend with anyone else. She appreciates food, the environment, and politics all as much as I do, so we had the greatest time discussing ideas and getting psyched listening to some of the speakers.
3. Free acupuncture from the lovely folks at the ACTCM, which is where I used to go weekly, before I went raw. It was nice to get some free needling in my ears and sit and relax for 20 minutes. When work becomes more steady and I can afford to go back to their clinic, I definitely will. It's super affordable for people with low funds, the way all health care should be.
4. Body Bliss was the name of one of the booths, and among the people giving massages, I noticed one Thai-looking like guy who was kneeing his client in the back and pulling her arms behind her and twisting deeply. I said to my friend,"That right there is exactly what I need!!!" So I got a nice 15-20 minute massage for fairly cheap. It helped relieve a lot of the tension I have been feeling from being 'houseless' and running around like crazy.
5. CSAs are just fantastic. Supporting your local farmers is very important. Voting with your dollars daily is the best way to voice yourself in this capitalist society. I signed up for a Wednesday box from Farm Fresh to You to tide me over each week. It seems by Tuesday night, I am pretty much done with everything I bought at the farmer's market on Saturday, so this worked out perfectly.
6. Free schwag. I got tons of free samples of stuff I will actually use, and loads of really great free magazines and tons of free food samples all 3 days. I was concerned about the commercial aspect of the festival, but they had compost, recycling and trash bins and said 98% of their waste gets recycled or composted, so that was nice. In the dining area, all the plates, utensils, and packaging were all compostable and made of corn and veggie substances. Yay!
7. Raw chocolate is heaven. There were several different vendors giving out samples of their various makes and flavors and I was definitely riding a cacao high through all 3 days. My favorite was the raw lavender-blueberry truffles from Lulu's Chocolate Alchemy up in Oregon.
8. Chuck D dropped so much knowledge, it was amazing. I loved hearing him talk about taking over the radio and using hip-hop as a tool for social change. It seems to have gotten off course in the commercial world.
9. Reverend Yearwood of the hip-hop caucus also dropped crazy knowledge. Brother was intense and inspiring!
10. Winona LaDuke was another amazing speaker. I blogged about her a bit here.
11. Van Jones who made the crowd laugh so hard they almost cried when he put the truth in such simple works as he spoke about the green collar economy. It is so logical and sustainable.
12. Dr. Cornel West who dropped so much knowledge, it blew my mind. I will be posting his talk on here when the video is available.
13. Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange. He wants to do some really amazing things in San Fracisco and world-wide.
14. Rickie Byars Beckwith whose "In The Land of I Am" is still stuck in my head. This woman is all love. It was beautiful.
15. Food politics and the people who fight for what's right. I saw a great talk about Agroecology and Food Sovereignty by Miguel Altieri, Eric Holt-Giménez, and Raj Patel that was really inspiring.
16. Cabbage salad which is so simple and easy to make and fed me all weekend for super cheap.
17. Volunteering always makes me feel good. I love doing bike valet and meeting amazing people.
18. Free chai. Volunteering comes with lots of perks.
19. Promoting something you feel good about is nice. It's been a really wonderful shift doing raw food consulting and I definitely put a lot of time in this weekend to promoting, so a new client or two should come into my life very soon.
20. Maggie O who I ran into at the festival. She is just always such a bright, positive person to spend time with.
21. The World that we live in. This weekend touched on a lot of the problems we are having in these modern times and it was so great to see people address the issues and talk about positive solutions and taking matters into our own hands. Action is the only way we can change things. It's going to be lovely these next few years.
2. Adelaide is an amazing person and I am extremely grateful to have her in my life. I could not have imagined going there all weekend with anyone else. She appreciates food, the environment, and politics all as much as I do, so we had the greatest time discussing ideas and getting psyched listening to some of the speakers.
3. Free acupuncture from the lovely folks at the ACTCM, which is where I used to go weekly, before I went raw. It was nice to get some free needling in my ears and sit and relax for 20 minutes. When work becomes more steady and I can afford to go back to their clinic, I definitely will. It's super affordable for people with low funds, the way all health care should be.
4. Body Bliss was the name of one of the booths, and among the people giving massages, I noticed one Thai-looking like guy who was kneeing his client in the back and pulling her arms behind her and twisting deeply. I said to my friend,"That right there is exactly what I need!!!" So I got a nice 15-20 minute massage for fairly cheap. It helped relieve a lot of the tension I have been feeling from being 'houseless' and running around like crazy.
5. CSAs are just fantastic. Supporting your local farmers is very important. Voting with your dollars daily is the best way to voice yourself in this capitalist society. I signed up for a Wednesday box from Farm Fresh to You to tide me over each week. It seems by Tuesday night, I am pretty much done with everything I bought at the farmer's market on Saturday, so this worked out perfectly.
6. Free schwag. I got tons of free samples of stuff I will actually use, and loads of really great free magazines and tons of free food samples all 3 days. I was concerned about the commercial aspect of the festival, but they had compost, recycling and trash bins and said 98% of their waste gets recycled or composted, so that was nice. In the dining area, all the plates, utensils, and packaging were all compostable and made of corn and veggie substances. Yay!
7. Raw chocolate is heaven. There were several different vendors giving out samples of their various makes and flavors and I was definitely riding a cacao high through all 3 days. My favorite was the raw lavender-blueberry truffles from Lulu's Chocolate Alchemy up in Oregon.
8. Chuck D dropped so much knowledge, it was amazing. I loved hearing him talk about taking over the radio and using hip-hop as a tool for social change. It seems to have gotten off course in the commercial world.
9. Reverend Yearwood of the hip-hop caucus also dropped crazy knowledge. Brother was intense and inspiring!
10. Winona LaDuke was another amazing speaker. I blogged about her a bit here.
11. Van Jones who made the crowd laugh so hard they almost cried when he put the truth in such simple works as he spoke about the green collar economy. It is so logical and sustainable.
12. Dr. Cornel West who dropped so much knowledge, it blew my mind. I will be posting his talk on here when the video is available.
13. Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange. He wants to do some really amazing things in San Fracisco and world-wide.
14. Rickie Byars Beckwith whose "In The Land of I Am" is still stuck in my head. This woman is all love. It was beautiful.
15. Food politics and the people who fight for what's right. I saw a great talk about Agroecology and Food Sovereignty by Miguel Altieri, Eric Holt-Giménez, and Raj Patel that was really inspiring.
16. Cabbage salad which is so simple and easy to make and fed me all weekend for super cheap.
17. Volunteering always makes me feel good. I love doing bike valet and meeting amazing people.
18. Free chai. Volunteering comes with lots of perks.
19. Promoting something you feel good about is nice. It's been a really wonderful shift doing raw food consulting and I definitely put a lot of time in this weekend to promoting, so a new client or two should come into my life very soon.
20. Maggie O who I ran into at the festival. She is just always such a bright, positive person to spend time with.
21. The World that we live in. This weekend touched on a lot of the problems we are having in these modern times and it was so great to see people address the issues and talk about positive solutions and taking matters into our own hands. Action is the only way we can change things. It's going to be lovely these next few years.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
dix-sept.
1. Potential jobs that appear when you really need them. Though it turned out that they needed a full-time nanny instead, it was really great to get paid to cook dinner for someone in their home and make enough to buy groceries for a few days.
2. Helping friends in need. I hope Caitanya heals her broken ribs and collarbone soon, but for now, I'm glad I can be of some assistance and lend her a hand, quite literally. Poor thing. She's in so much pain. Everyone direct any excess energy you have towards her for a moment, please.
3. Peter Greenaway is one of my favorite directors. No matter how many times I watch The Pillow Book, it's still always fascinating.
4. Dragon Fruit fresh from the farmers market. Dragon fruit (pitaya plant) pollination occurs only at night, when its huge white flowers bloom, so the fruit is only harvested a few times a year. I had one for breakfast this morning to celebrate a gig. I love the strange texture and taste, but what I love most about it is how beautiful it is to look at, especially when sliced open.
5. Jon's Ginormous idiot box allowed me to catch up on my netflix this weekend in big, flat screen grandeur.
6. Moving to the right place. For the past few days, I have been staying with great friends across the street from the first apartment I lived in when I first moved to San Francisco. It's made me ever so grateful for having moved out of there and into Hayes Valley. While the Mission District has a great energy to it on certain accounts, and I love the murals and many other little things about it, I would much rather live somewhere cleaner where people don't throw their trash on the street all the time, and pee all over everything or leer at me when I walk by, which is why being there made me appreciate what I have so much more.
7. Korean food. Caitanya's mom loaded her up with some goodies which she was kind enough to share. Yum.
8. Early darkness. Most days I am weirded out by it, but today I feel good about it getting dark so early, and the changes it signifies. It's also had me reminiscing about some of my winters during my decade in NYC, which were fun in a lot of ways.
9. Fingerless gloves make it easier to do things while keeping warm. Especially for photographing while hiking!
10. Chaos. I am just trying to love chaos these days because it happens for a reason, to make you see the things you need to see.
11. Talks with my mom who has been super supportive of all that I am doing and has really been an anchor during this career transitional period.
12. Tea Houses. I love staying in a house where everyone in it is constantly making or drinking tea. Yay, herbs!
13. Twitter just makes me happy when I read all my friends updates.
14. The smell of soup has been wafting into this room all day.
15. The color red has a womb-like effect on me today. Comfortable and warm.
16. Self-massage to get rid of that stiff neck I woke up with.
17. Blue kitchens. I love the way some of these old Victorian homes are painted.
18. Being The Smoothie Fairy. I have been making smoothies for everyone in the house whenever they are around. I love spreading the goodness!
19. Not knowing what is going on is sometimes the greatest of blessings.
20. Speaking the truth even though it can be painful. Sometimes people just need to hear it to remember who they really are, which is a truly amazing creature.
21. Purple has been reminding me of a lot of tastes and smells today.
2. Helping friends in need. I hope Caitanya heals her broken ribs and collarbone soon, but for now, I'm glad I can be of some assistance and lend her a hand, quite literally. Poor thing. She's in so much pain. Everyone direct any excess energy you have towards her for a moment, please.
3. Peter Greenaway is one of my favorite directors. No matter how many times I watch The Pillow Book, it's still always fascinating.
4. Dragon Fruit fresh from the farmers market. Dragon fruit (pitaya plant) pollination occurs only at night, when its huge white flowers bloom, so the fruit is only harvested a few times a year. I had one for breakfast this morning to celebrate a gig. I love the strange texture and taste, but what I love most about it is how beautiful it is to look at, especially when sliced open.
5. Jon's Ginormous idiot box allowed me to catch up on my netflix this weekend in big, flat screen grandeur.
6. Moving to the right place. For the past few days, I have been staying with great friends across the street from the first apartment I lived in when I first moved to San Francisco. It's made me ever so grateful for having moved out of there and into Hayes Valley. While the Mission District has a great energy to it on certain accounts, and I love the murals and many other little things about it, I would much rather live somewhere cleaner where people don't throw their trash on the street all the time, and pee all over everything or leer at me when I walk by, which is why being there made me appreciate what I have so much more.
7. Korean food. Caitanya's mom loaded her up with some goodies which she was kind enough to share. Yum.
8. Early darkness. Most days I am weirded out by it, but today I feel good about it getting dark so early, and the changes it signifies. It's also had me reminiscing about some of my winters during my decade in NYC, which were fun in a lot of ways.
9. Fingerless gloves make it easier to do things while keeping warm. Especially for photographing while hiking!
10. Chaos. I am just trying to love chaos these days because it happens for a reason, to make you see the things you need to see.
11. Talks with my mom who has been super supportive of all that I am doing and has really been an anchor during this career transitional period.
12. Tea Houses. I love staying in a house where everyone in it is constantly making or drinking tea. Yay, herbs!
13. Twitter just makes me happy when I read all my friends updates.
14. The smell of soup has been wafting into this room all day.
15. The color red has a womb-like effect on me today. Comfortable and warm.
16. Self-massage to get rid of that stiff neck I woke up with.
17. Blue kitchens. I love the way some of these old Victorian homes are painted.
18. Being The Smoothie Fairy. I have been making smoothies for everyone in the house whenever they are around. I love spreading the goodness!
19. Not knowing what is going on is sometimes the greatest of blessings.
20. Speaking the truth even though it can be painful. Sometimes people just need to hear it to remember who they really are, which is a truly amazing creature.
21. Purple has been reminding me of a lot of tastes and smells today.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
sweet sixteen...
It's been a really interesting few weeks. I had to sublet my apartment for the time being, and am staying with various friends through the month of November. Interesting times in my life as I work hard to try and transform my career helping others. So with that, let me express my gratitude for...
1. Amazingly generous friends. A big set of thank yous to Tanya & Zach, Rachel, Caitanya & Jon & Jenn, Victoria and anyone else who puts me up for a few days this month to help while I'm going through a stressful, but oh-so important phase of my life. I appreciate all your help.
2. Obama winning and changing the course of history. A huge weight has been lifted knowing that 8 years of having one of the most incompetent political leaders in all of history is drawing to a close and being replaced with someone who has sought to do good in their life and will help get America back on track. I am honored to be a part of this history in the making.
3. Learning better discipline is vital to me getting through the next few weeks and I am thankful for this opportunity to approach that area of my life. I've always been extremely disciplined with jobs when working for others, but I am realizing that I am not that great at staying focused when it's just for me. Without a home, I'm a bit scattered, so it's a great challenge to figure out how to retain mental clarity under financial stress and uncertainty, and I'm learning to go even deeper into my trust in the universe that it will all work out however it is supposed to.
4. Challenging my views of money has been a long time coming. I know that my views of money have long been responsible for my lack of it, but trying to change that has been really difficult. Negotiating with my last job because of the mere pittance their initial offer was for was the first big step in sticking up for myself and acknowledging that I too deserve wealth. Better that it is put in the hands of someone ethical who will do good things with it than the giant corporations who only serve to harm the people and make big profits while doing it. Reading Mike Adams' "7 Principles of Mindful Wealth" was extremely helpful in helping me acknowledge the things I had been trying to put into words the last few years on this topic.
5. The gigs section on craiglist has been my primary source for odds and ends these days. It definitely beats going back to another office job for right now.
6. Ethiopian spices have been rocking my world even more than normal.
7. Borrowing Caitanya's laptop has allowed me to fit in some blogging and get a ton of other things done. Thanks for making the sacrifice, Cai. I really appreciate it.
8. Raw eggplant pizzas. Made some in the dehydrator this week by slicing up a big fat eggplant into mini-pie crusts, coating with olive oil, and topping with fresh basil, tomato, garlic, mushrooms and nutritional yeast. Delicious.
9. Breath. My energy has been very scattered the past week with the lack of stability in my life right now, so I've been trying to hold onto the things that keep me grounded - breath, yoga, meditation, presence. I noticed that as soon as I didn't have my own space, I lost sight of those principles for a few days and my energy started to slowly scatter. I think it's absolutely possible and necessary to do all those things without a home base - if anything, it's even more necessary now than ever before.
10. Girls night at Kendra's was nice and mellow. Her house is amazing, and there was some amazing spontaneous live music that completely made my night. Kendra herself is an amazing person and I'm glad I got to talk to her more about life and the AIDS risk work she does. It's pretty amazing. We spoke a lot about how great it is to be helping people who want help. I have a lot of people in my life who don't even help themselves, and it can be really frustrating at times, so I'm extremely grateful to be working with people who actually want to change their lives instead of conceptualizing about it.
11.Sanity. I am extremely thankful for possessing all my faculties, when clearly there are so many people out there who do not. When I was in college, my biggest fear was ending up in an insane asylum or ending up just like some of the crazy, rambling homeless people I would pass on the straight. Every time I see someone like that, I pause and give thanks for having found raw foods and finally healing my mental anguish. I no longer have that fear of ending up like that, because for the first time I am certain I will never end up that way.
12. My pillow. I slept the past few nights without it, but last night finally remembered to bring it with me and slept so much better. Flannel=comfort.
13. The Edge of Heaven was amazing. It's a Turkish-German film written and directed by Fatih Akın. Here's the trailer. It doesn't really give you the gist of the movie, but it touches on a fair amount of it.I highly recommend renting the whole thing.
14. Rap sessions with a few friends trying to work out the best way to handle a situation that's been affecting us all.
15. Frank totally hyped me up about all the things I'm doing and helped waver off the stress I had been holding onto simply by reminding me who I am. Thanks, Frank!
16. Communal dinners at Tanya and Zach's apartment are a recurring event and always full of love and laughter.
17. Medjool dates from the Alemany Farmer's market. There's one guy there with the freshest, juiciest, most delicious dates. I buy like 2 pounds a week. Medjools are the 'king of dates' because they were once reserved for Moroccan royalty and their guests. They definitely make me feel like royalty. Yum.
18. Learning about cancer from my friends' experiences with it has really been usefully in guiding me towards understand new ways to help people. Thanks Jim & Frank for sharing your memories of those you lost. May you find comfort in the fact that their stories will help others.
19. Breaks. Jenn was playing some amazing beats while she was unpacking. I think I need to give her a spindle of blank CDs.
20. CIIS Public Programs. For anyone who is in San Francisco, CIIS had some really amazing programs worth checking out. When I had steady income, I frequented them.
21. CIIS deserves it's own listing. The California Institute of Integral Studies is a huge blessing. It's so amazing to be able to stud the things they offer. If I could go to one school continuously for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. Any place that agrees with me about the merits of bass therapy is a winner!
1. Amazingly generous friends. A big set of thank yous to Tanya & Zach, Rachel, Caitanya & Jon & Jenn, Victoria and anyone else who puts me up for a few days this month to help while I'm going through a stressful, but oh-so important phase of my life. I appreciate all your help.
2. Obama winning and changing the course of history. A huge weight has been lifted knowing that 8 years of having one of the most incompetent political leaders in all of history is drawing to a close and being replaced with someone who has sought to do good in their life and will help get America back on track. I am honored to be a part of this history in the making.
3. Learning better discipline is vital to me getting through the next few weeks and I am thankful for this opportunity to approach that area of my life. I've always been extremely disciplined with jobs when working for others, but I am realizing that I am not that great at staying focused when it's just for me. Without a home, I'm a bit scattered, so it's a great challenge to figure out how to retain mental clarity under financial stress and uncertainty, and I'm learning to go even deeper into my trust in the universe that it will all work out however it is supposed to.
4. Challenging my views of money has been a long time coming. I know that my views of money have long been responsible for my lack of it, but trying to change that has been really difficult. Negotiating with my last job because of the mere pittance their initial offer was for was the first big step in sticking up for myself and acknowledging that I too deserve wealth. Better that it is put in the hands of someone ethical who will do good things with it than the giant corporations who only serve to harm the people and make big profits while doing it. Reading Mike Adams' "7 Principles of Mindful Wealth" was extremely helpful in helping me acknowledge the things I had been trying to put into words the last few years on this topic.
5. The gigs section on craiglist has been my primary source for odds and ends these days. It definitely beats going back to another office job for right now.
6. Ethiopian spices have been rocking my world even more than normal.
7. Borrowing Caitanya's laptop has allowed me to fit in some blogging and get a ton of other things done. Thanks for making the sacrifice, Cai. I really appreciate it.
8. Raw eggplant pizzas. Made some in the dehydrator this week by slicing up a big fat eggplant into mini-pie crusts, coating with olive oil, and topping with fresh basil, tomato, garlic, mushrooms and nutritional yeast. Delicious.
9. Breath. My energy has been very scattered the past week with the lack of stability in my life right now, so I've been trying to hold onto the things that keep me grounded - breath, yoga, meditation, presence. I noticed that as soon as I didn't have my own space, I lost sight of those principles for a few days and my energy started to slowly scatter. I think it's absolutely possible and necessary to do all those things without a home base - if anything, it's even more necessary now than ever before.
10. Girls night at Kendra's was nice and mellow. Her house is amazing, and there was some amazing spontaneous live music that completely made my night. Kendra herself is an amazing person and I'm glad I got to talk to her more about life and the AIDS risk work she does. It's pretty amazing. We spoke a lot about how great it is to be helping people who want help. I have a lot of people in my life who don't even help themselves, and it can be really frustrating at times, so I'm extremely grateful to be working with people who actually want to change their lives instead of conceptualizing about it.
11.Sanity. I am extremely thankful for possessing all my faculties, when clearly there are so many people out there who do not. When I was in college, my biggest fear was ending up in an insane asylum or ending up just like some of the crazy, rambling homeless people I would pass on the straight. Every time I see someone like that, I pause and give thanks for having found raw foods and finally healing my mental anguish. I no longer have that fear of ending up like that, because for the first time I am certain I will never end up that way.
12. My pillow. I slept the past few nights without it, but last night finally remembered to bring it with me and slept so much better. Flannel=comfort.
13. The Edge of Heaven was amazing. It's a Turkish-German film written and directed by Fatih Akın. Here's the trailer. It doesn't really give you the gist of the movie, but it touches on a fair amount of it.I highly recommend renting the whole thing.
14. Rap sessions with a few friends trying to work out the best way to handle a situation that's been affecting us all.
15. Frank totally hyped me up about all the things I'm doing and helped waver off the stress I had been holding onto simply by reminding me who I am. Thanks, Frank!
16. Communal dinners at Tanya and Zach's apartment are a recurring event and always full of love and laughter.
17. Medjool dates from the Alemany Farmer's market. There's one guy there with the freshest, juiciest, most delicious dates. I buy like 2 pounds a week. Medjools are the 'king of dates' because they were once reserved for Moroccan royalty and their guests. They definitely make me feel like royalty. Yum.
18. Learning about cancer from my friends' experiences with it has really been usefully in guiding me towards understand new ways to help people. Thanks Jim & Frank for sharing your memories of those you lost. May you find comfort in the fact that their stories will help others.
19. Breaks. Jenn was playing some amazing beats while she was unpacking. I think I need to give her a spindle of blank CDs.
20. CIIS Public Programs. For anyone who is in San Francisco, CIIS had some really amazing programs worth checking out. When I had steady income, I frequented them.
21. CIIS deserves it's own listing. The California Institute of Integral Studies is a huge blessing. It's so amazing to be able to stud the things they offer. If I could go to one school continuously for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. Any place that agrees with me about the merits of bass therapy is a winner!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
(15) The New York shortlist...
Spent a lovely autumn week in New York...here it is comprised in one post that can't possibly encompass all its grandeur...
1. Autumn in New York in general, is my favorite time to be there. The crisp, cool smell in the air, the colours setting the landscape on fire, the backdrop of skyscrapers peeking out over the tops of the trees, cider, pumpkins...it's all just wonderful.
2. Amanda is one of the most unique and beautiful people I've ever known. It's funny how time goes by, and so much changes but the core of who you are remains the same and you're able to come back together at different places in your life.
3. The Museum of Natural History was lovely. I hadn't been there in years, so it was really great to look at all the natural wonders on display again. When I was in college, it was one of my favorite places in the city (I think it still is) so I used to go there a lot and spend hours just looking at creatures.
4. Seeing a wild turkey in Central Park and walking The Ramble. It's funny that I lived there for almost a decade and never imagined there was a turkey there.
5. Ponds covered in duckweed look so lovely. I sat watching the water blanketed in green as turtles (I really love them. They're such special animals.) poppped out to sun themselves on drifting logs. I had never taken the time to sit here before and it was great to explore a new part of the park and meditate.
6. Elyssa & Paul's wedding was one of the most beautifully orchestrated events I have ever been to. It was up in The Catskills and the mountains were mesmerizing in vibrant burning reds, glowing oranges and blinding yellows. The ceremony was outside, in front of this amazing natural occurance and was truly amazing. There were also so many unique touches to the day that made it really special - a poloroid guestbook where you photographed yourself for them, tree saplings and seeds as take home gifts, and a photobooth set up outside where my friends and I took all these great pictures of us jumping in the air together. Fun times! And let's not forget about the food..
7. Eating raw at the wedding was pretty easy, since Elyssa is environmentally conscious and all the food was local, organic, and sustainable. There was tons of strawberries, olives and various cut veggies to pick at during cocktail hour. For dinner the maid of honor gave me an extra salad so I had two, and then I asked one of the lovely women in the kitchen for anything raw that was left in the kitchen, so she whipped me up a giant plate of sliced up buttery pears, apples, red and orange peppers, nuts, and more olives. Yum! I ignored the big stack of crackers she shoved on the end. I'm amazed at how often people think that eating unprocessed, natural foods is simply not enough and they always try to add something cooked or processed.
8. Elliott is one of the best people a girl could ask to be friends with. He's such a kind, generous friend, and we've known each other for so ages now. We've traveled together in Europe, driven across the country together, and I have to say, he's just always such a consistent and solid person to be around. Good hearted and tons of fun. Yay, Elliott - and thanks for putting me up while I was in NY!
9. The help of friends during my post-jobless visit to NY was immeasurable. Thank you Elliott, Luke, Ayelet and Alysia for making sure I was taken care of and feeding me well!
10. Westerly Natural Market was where I used to do most of my shopping when I worked in Hell's Kitchen. It's one of the best health food stores in all of NYC, and it used to be really cheap. I'm not sure how the prices compare with everything else in NY these days though...I wasn't there long enough to make a comparison. I was really pleased to notice their raw foods section had expanded. When I was leaving NY to move to SF, they only had a few raw desserts and some snacks, but now there is an entire aisle in the back with raw goodies of all kinds.
11. Raw improv with Wes. I went to Brooklyn to hang out with Wes and brought just a few ingredients from the market. We improvised and made a yummy curry carrot salad and a beat and kale salad. Delicious! It was really great watching him get involved in preparing food and enjoy it, as I know he's been talking about his desire to eat healthy and enjoying it is what keeps you going.
12. We Like It Raw Podcasts are perfect for plane rides! It was so much better than watching the movie I had already seen on my flight there a second time. I subscribe via iTunes, but you can also listen to them on the site. I listened to a few where Dhrumil interviewed Nature Love, and it was really wonderful. I loved hearing them talk about dreams and spirituality in addition to raw foods. We're deffinitely on the same page with that. They're both such positive, soulful people. I also listened to the Steve Pavlina podcast again because its just that good. Thanks, guys!
13. Having a window seat while flying over the west is one of my favorite things about flying from coast to coast.
14. A lovely weekend in upstate NY with friends was just what I needed to maintain the balance of my trip. Driving along the Hudson River was especially beautiful.
15. Talking to Ben & Jenny about holistic health was great. Jenny is a nutritionist and Ben is studying to be a doctor and they're one of the sweetest married couples I know. I've known Ben for over a decade now and seen his transformations from art school to medical school, from single to married, from crazy long hair and piercings to clean cut and it's been a wonderful journey. Jenny is super sweet, gentle and intelligent and they balance each other well. We had a lot of really great conversations about holistic health and healing the whole body, and talked about healing centers. It was really great.
16. Loving NY again. My first trip back to NYC since I divorced it was only this past July, over 2 years after I left. And I had a good time seeing my friends, I just didn't really enjoy being in the city or have any desire or excitement to be there. So it was quite a relief to have this visit be beautiful and amazing, and to fall back in love with NY again. I wouldn't move back, but it was nice to have closure. It was difficult to have negative feelings for a place I had loved and lived in for such a long time, so I'm glad to have moved into a balanced place where I love it for what it is, and be ok with not belonging there anymore.
17. Lunch with Ayelet and Hannah was short, but sweet. I'm so thankful they were both so willing to work around their work schedules to spend some time with me. I adore them both. I stayed with Hannah when I visited in July, but had not seen Ayelet since I moved to SF, so that was extra super special.
18. The longest dinner ever with Alysia was great. We went to Hell's Kitchen and I had an amazing salad and we sat and talked for several hours catching up on life. It's so amazing seeing her belly housing a tiny life inside it. I'm so excited for her and Jeff. We got to catch up on a ton of life stuff. She's truly amazing - warm, but tough as nails, no nonsense, no BS at the same time, and always full of laughter.
19. Jim et Jules drove from Mahopac to Cold Spring to meet me for a cup of tea. I hadn't seen them since I left NY either, so there was lots of catching up to do, even though we've kept in contact and we know what's been happening in each others lives. It's just not the same as good old face to face conversation. I love these guys and they are one of couples that give me the most hope of the kind of loving, supportive relationship I hope to someday have.
20. A few days in Cold Spring visiting my cousin Biljana, her husband and their beautiful 15 year old twin girls. When I lived in the city, going to see them was a frequent weekend getaway/mini vacation. Biljana is so full of love in everything she does, and Matthew balances her so well - they are amazing together and have raised such amazing girls.
21. The Rawkathon started while I was in Cold Spring so I watched the first few days there, and the rest upon returning home to San Francisco. There were a lot of really amazing speakers, but I think Gabriel Cousens was the best. He's been a great inspiration, and each time I see him speaking or read something knew that he's written, I learn so much more and it pushes me to reach new depths with my health.
1. Autumn in New York in general, is my favorite time to be there. The crisp, cool smell in the air, the colours setting the landscape on fire, the backdrop of skyscrapers peeking out over the tops of the trees, cider, pumpkins...it's all just wonderful.
2. Amanda is one of the most unique and beautiful people I've ever known. It's funny how time goes by, and so much changes but the core of who you are remains the same and you're able to come back together at different places in your life.
3. The Museum of Natural History was lovely. I hadn't been there in years, so it was really great to look at all the natural wonders on display again. When I was in college, it was one of my favorite places in the city (I think it still is) so I used to go there a lot and spend hours just looking at creatures.
4. Seeing a wild turkey in Central Park and walking The Ramble. It's funny that I lived there for almost a decade and never imagined there was a turkey there.
5. Ponds covered in duckweed look so lovely. I sat watching the water blanketed in green as turtles (I really love them. They're such special animals.) poppped out to sun themselves on drifting logs. I had never taken the time to sit here before and it was great to explore a new part of the park and meditate.
6. Elyssa & Paul's wedding was one of the most beautifully orchestrated events I have ever been to. It was up in The Catskills and the mountains were mesmerizing in vibrant burning reds, glowing oranges and blinding yellows. The ceremony was outside, in front of this amazing natural occurance and was truly amazing. There were also so many unique touches to the day that made it really special - a poloroid guestbook where you photographed yourself for them, tree saplings and seeds as take home gifts, and a photobooth set up outside where my friends and I took all these great pictures of us jumping in the air together. Fun times! And let's not forget about the food..
7. Eating raw at the wedding was pretty easy, since Elyssa is environmentally conscious and all the food was local, organic, and sustainable. There was tons of strawberries, olives and various cut veggies to pick at during cocktail hour. For dinner the maid of honor gave me an extra salad so I had two, and then I asked one of the lovely women in the kitchen for anything raw that was left in the kitchen, so she whipped me up a giant plate of sliced up buttery pears, apples, red and orange peppers, nuts, and more olives. Yum! I ignored the big stack of crackers she shoved on the end. I'm amazed at how often people think that eating unprocessed, natural foods is simply not enough and they always try to add something cooked or processed.
8. Elliott is one of the best people a girl could ask to be friends with. He's such a kind, generous friend, and we've known each other for so ages now. We've traveled together in Europe, driven across the country together, and I have to say, he's just always such a consistent and solid person to be around. Good hearted and tons of fun. Yay, Elliott - and thanks for putting me up while I was in NY!
9. The help of friends during my post-jobless visit to NY was immeasurable. Thank you Elliott, Luke, Ayelet and Alysia for making sure I was taken care of and feeding me well!
10. Westerly Natural Market was where I used to do most of my shopping when I worked in Hell's Kitchen. It's one of the best health food stores in all of NYC, and it used to be really cheap. I'm not sure how the prices compare with everything else in NY these days though...I wasn't there long enough to make a comparison. I was really pleased to notice their raw foods section had expanded. When I was leaving NY to move to SF, they only had a few raw desserts and some snacks, but now there is an entire aisle in the back with raw goodies of all kinds.
11. Raw improv with Wes. I went to Brooklyn to hang out with Wes and brought just a few ingredients from the market. We improvised and made a yummy curry carrot salad and a beat and kale salad. Delicious! It was really great watching him get involved in preparing food and enjoy it, as I know he's been talking about his desire to eat healthy and enjoying it is what keeps you going.
12. We Like It Raw Podcasts are perfect for plane rides! It was so much better than watching the movie I had already seen on my flight there a second time. I subscribe via iTunes, but you can also listen to them on the site. I listened to a few where Dhrumil interviewed Nature Love, and it was really wonderful. I loved hearing them talk about dreams and spirituality in addition to raw foods. We're deffinitely on the same page with that. They're both such positive, soulful people. I also listened to the Steve Pavlina podcast again because its just that good. Thanks, guys!
13. Having a window seat while flying over the west is one of my favorite things about flying from coast to coast.
14. A lovely weekend in upstate NY with friends was just what I needed to maintain the balance of my trip. Driving along the Hudson River was especially beautiful.
15. Talking to Ben & Jenny about holistic health was great. Jenny is a nutritionist and Ben is studying to be a doctor and they're one of the sweetest married couples I know. I've known Ben for over a decade now and seen his transformations from art school to medical school, from single to married, from crazy long hair and piercings to clean cut and it's been a wonderful journey. Jenny is super sweet, gentle and intelligent and they balance each other well. We had a lot of really great conversations about holistic health and healing the whole body, and talked about healing centers. It was really great.
16. Loving NY again. My first trip back to NYC since I divorced it was only this past July, over 2 years after I left. And I had a good time seeing my friends, I just didn't really enjoy being in the city or have any desire or excitement to be there. So it was quite a relief to have this visit be beautiful and amazing, and to fall back in love with NY again. I wouldn't move back, but it was nice to have closure. It was difficult to have negative feelings for a place I had loved and lived in for such a long time, so I'm glad to have moved into a balanced place where I love it for what it is, and be ok with not belonging there anymore.
17. Lunch with Ayelet and Hannah was short, but sweet. I'm so thankful they were both so willing to work around their work schedules to spend some time with me. I adore them both. I stayed with Hannah when I visited in July, but had not seen Ayelet since I moved to SF, so that was extra super special.
18. The longest dinner ever with Alysia was great. We went to Hell's Kitchen and I had an amazing salad and we sat and talked for several hours catching up on life. It's so amazing seeing her belly housing a tiny life inside it. I'm so excited for her and Jeff. We got to catch up on a ton of life stuff. She's truly amazing - warm, but tough as nails, no nonsense, no BS at the same time, and always full of laughter.
19. Jim et Jules drove from Mahopac to Cold Spring to meet me for a cup of tea. I hadn't seen them since I left NY either, so there was lots of catching up to do, even though we've kept in contact and we know what's been happening in each others lives. It's just not the same as good old face to face conversation. I love these guys and they are one of couples that give me the most hope of the kind of loving, supportive relationship I hope to someday have.
20. A few days in Cold Spring visiting my cousin Biljana, her husband and their beautiful 15 year old twin girls. When I lived in the city, going to see them was a frequent weekend getaway/mini vacation. Biljana is so full of love in everything she does, and Matthew balances her so well - they are amazing together and have raised such amazing girls.
21. The Rawkathon started while I was in Cold Spring so I watched the first few days there, and the rest upon returning home to San Francisco. There were a lot of really amazing speakers, but I think Gabriel Cousens was the best. He's been a great inspiration, and each time I see him speaking or read something knew that he's written, I learn so much more and it pushes me to reach new depths with my health.
updates...
Things have been really great, but really hectic lately and I've had to use most of my time and energy on building my business, working on my website, visiting one of my dearest friends who landed in the hospital after a nasty bike accident, finding someone to sublet my apartment for the month, dealing with my old job fighting my unemployment insurance claim and figuring out how to approach the verbal abuse I encountered there with the federal labor commission, so I haven't found much time to write on here, but I will soon. I've had so many wonderful things to be grateful for these past few weeks, and feel they are worthy of a summary list.
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