the 12th day...

1. Waking up on a Monday and not having to dread going to work! I'm really loving this whole getting fired thing. I used to wake up every morning filled with dread and anxiety, and stress about how bad it would be at work, especially on Mondays. Now that is all over with, and I wake up smiling and feeling free. If this had happened to me a year ago, I would have had extreme anxiety, stress and probably would have fallen into a depression, but those days are gone.

2. Having time to focus on what really matters is wonderful. Being given the opportunity to devote yourself to following your soul purpose is such an amazing feeling. My last job taught me a lot about time management & scheduling, which is helping me schedule myself and hold strongly to disciplined work habits so that I can stay on track. This is something I struggled with in previous undertakings, and this time I feel able to practically apply it.

3. Synchronicity multiplying. I swear, it totally multiplies when you go raw, and when you focus more on staying on the right path. I think eating raw provides you with the clarity and awareness to be able to pay closer attention. Upon getting fired, everything else started to synch up so effortlessly, and all the pieces started falling into place immediately, and it's growing more and more each day. It's truly amazing.

4. My Saladacco is one of the greatest raw kitchen tools I own. A Saladacco is simply a spiral slicer for fruits and veggies. I use it to make pasta noodles out of zucchini, pad Thai noodles out of carrots or squash, and ravioli casings out of beets. Last night I made zucchini with a pasta sauce of fresh garlic, basil & tomatoes, and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast as a Parmesan cheese substitute. The flavors are even richer than "real" pasta and sauce that's been simmered for hours, and the whole meal only took 10 minutes to make. Awesome.

5. Hiking in the dark is fun, especially with good conversation, and a full day of watching elk.

6. Work-trades. My yoga studio has been kind enough to let me trade them work for yoga classes. Every Tuesday afternoon, I'll be straightening up the yoga props and sweeping the floor in exchange for lovely anasura classes, so I can hold steady to my practice without spending money. Thank you, Yoga Tree.

7. iCal is keeping me on top of my game and helping me allot time for everything.

8. Free Museum days. Went to the SF MoMa and Yerba Buena Galleries for free first Tuesdays and saw a few intriguing projects that stimulated my mind and soul. A lot of art at Yerba Buena that invited the audience to participate and remove art from the "do no touch" modalities of most museums. Active participation is always a good thing.

9. Living where you can see the stars is a constant reminder of how small we are, and the infinite nature in the universe. I love the lack of light pollution and smog here that allow me to stay connected to one of my favorite things.

10. Extra Action Marching Band. Walking home last night, we heard the sounds of Extra Action from a block or 2 away, and I recognized the sounds and thought it must be them, and surely it was. I love them! They essentially marched in and took over my local watering hole, Place Pigalle and got a swarm of people to follow them in and dance on the furniture. It was fantastic - band girls in sparkly costumes dancing on the pool table, sweaty half-naked trumpet players, and a giant mob dancing along with them.

11. Watching the fog roll in from afar is one of my favorite magical things about this city, and after all this time, I still never get tired of it. It dances over the city, hovering over homes and blanketing them with purplish mystery.

12. Sushi Zone is home of a true master chef. It's a wonderful tiny hole in the wall, long wait for a table but totally worth every second sort of places full of character and kindness. From the twig hands on the clock, to the drawn on fish tale above a print hanging on the wall, to the subtle bit of dill gently tucked underneath the salmon sashimi, the true marks of human beings' attention to detail make this place one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the city. And my god, does it taste amazing!

13. Madrone is another amazing local watering hole. The art on the walls is always amazing, there is always a great DJ and tons of fun events, and they play the weirdest videos in the background. But most importantly, the atmosphere is just so chill, laid back and full of character, so I always feel at home.

14. San Francisco Hills because there's always a view and it feels great climbing them!

15. Good listeners are wonderful. Never underestimate the value of lending someone your ear. Often times people need to be heard more than they need actual advice. It's catharsis, and by listening, you can allow them to sort out their own problems and find their own strengths.

16. October Peaches. I love living somewhere where I can still get locally grown, organic, juicy peaches from the farmer's market when it's almost the middle of October. Fantastic.

17. Pumpkins are everywhere! The rows outside the market reminded me how much I love driving through the farmlands outside the city and seeing these huge pumpkin patches, so hopefully this weekend on my way up to Ft. Bragg I will see plenty. They make me smile and reminisce about Charlie Brown.

18. Smiles from strangers are a daily occurrence in San Francisco and you don't have to be the one to initiate. It's nice.

19. Loud crazy people walking down my block entertain me while I work on my computer.

20. Pomegranates for only $1 from the farmer's market. I'm going to experiment with some new raw desserts.

21. Walking everywhere. Now that I don't have to be at work, I can walk all around town instead of being stuck on the bus. I love being outside all day, and enjoying the rest of our Indian summer.