Solstice

This winter solstice has found me crabby and tired. Is it because I am burnt out by the holiday season? Is it because the days are so short and cold? Is it just because I have found a new bad attitude that I really don't care to change? Probably all of the above depending on which minute of the day it is. Whatever the case may be, I have not found the inner peace and outward tranquility necessary to enjoy the solstice this year.

Although, it was kind of pretty walking home from work today. The snow can be beautiful when it isn't icy or blowing in your ears and eyes. The way new fluffy snow looks like icing on evergreens is enjoyable. It was a bit peaceful when I could tune out the sound of snowblowers.

So maybe I did find one minute today when I enjoyed the solstice. I give in. Thank goodness it is over - too much pressure.

I Woke Up With a Smile Today

Because I dreamed of this last night:

God Help the Human Race

In a shop I hear a couple arguing about lightsabers.
"It's light saver."
"No, it's light saber."
On and on this went unil I had to interject, "It's lightsaber. Like a saber; a sword."

I am still in shock from this experience.

I'm a Geek, Now Confirmed

Venomous Villains by MAC

Ooooooo, I am a Sucker (with a capital S) for anything Disney Villains. I would choose the Evil Queen or Maleficent over Snow White or Sleeping Beauty any day.

MAC has me so excited, I cannot wait until September 30, the day I can start shopping for the Venomous Villains makeup. I Want It Now! (Ooops, threw in a little Willy Wonka there.)

So far, I know I want at least the Cruella Penultimate Rabidblack eyeliner, the Maleficent lipglass and nail polish - not sure on color yet, and an Evil Queen lipglass and eyeshadow.

Yes, instead of eating in October, I will have Venomous Villain makeup. My thighs will thank me later. Can't wait for an entire month of popcorn, ramen and oatmeal.

I only wish that these villains weren't all so damn pale. I would like a face powder, but these evil goddesses are all too light. All of their powders are light, too.

But, that Evil Queen purple eyeshadow will be one of my favorites - I can just FEEL it.

MAC had better not run out of this stuff - I am warning you, MAC. I need my Villain makeup!

Just Breathe

Good lord, I love this man's voice.

blurb blurb blurb droooool

I guess I can tear up that application for Mensa.

Thank you DListed for making me aware of new and wonderful things each and every day.

Like this:

I Really Need to Get Cable

My New Favorite Song

I Have Just Met You And I Love You

"Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, "I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."
"My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you."

@DalaiLama

When they escaped Tibet in March of 1959, I believe not one person travelling with the Dalai Lama knew he would have a twitter account. I am not so sure how I feel about it until I start reading it.

Reading the comments on this account is almost like a meditation for me. I don't know who really writes the tweets. They may have a PR person in Dharamsala or even the US who takes care of such things. These tweets may be insights he has already shared in the past. The spirit of the Dalai Lama is evident and that is truly all that matters in the end.

There is something so spiritual about certain people. Now, don't laugh out loud, but Jimmy Cliff is a man full of spirit. I was right smack dab in front of the man at one of his concerts and he is a glowing human spirit torch. It is a pure, honest spirit. God has touched him and he glows. I guess you had to be there, and , no, I don't smoke anything, so bring your mind back to the meaning.

The Dalai Lama is a spiritual man that I have never met, seen, or even been in the same place with at the same time. Yet, there is something so fundamentally spiritual about him that it transcends space and maybe even time.

This is one of his recent tweets:

"I sometimes say that religion is something we can perhaps do without. What we cannot do without are the basic spiritual qualities."

Wow. That is so close to how I feel about the world and life in general. It is like he is looking down on me, a religious leper of sorts, and is telling me it is OK to be confused about secularized religion. The important thing is spirituality. Goodness. Love. Patience. I love this man - I truly do.

I own a copy of his book How to Expand Love. It is hard for me to read it in one sitting because it makes me very emotional. It is so simple yet powerful. It makes me want to be a better person. And then something happens and I lose focus and get sidetracked... So at least I know I can always look at @DalaiLama for a quick dose of calming.

Look at that face! How could you not love that face?

my footprint: carrying the weight of the world

Jeff Garlin is funny. I mean very very funny. He's one of those guys you look at and expect to laugh. Prior to reading his book, my footprint: carrying the weight of the world, I had only really been exposed to him on Letterman.

His book is out and out honest and hilarious. He tries to lose weight and become more eco-friendly or "green" at the same time. This all occurs during the filming of a season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I have never seen this show, but I will now need to track down the dvd's and give it a try. If it is half as funny as this book, I will enjoy it.

Here are some standout excerpts from the book:

"My meditation today is about being satisfied with enough. What is enough....when it comes to, say, cookies? One, a few, a half dozen? When it comes to cookies, once you get sick, you've had enough."

"I am certainly not handy. If it wouldn't take so long, I would tell you the story of when I tried to caulk and ended up with caulk in my mouth, and I called the poison control center, and they thought I said I had cock in my mouth. Well, I guess I just told you."

"Guilt makes me overeat. That's today's meditation. I have to say that, yes, I overeat because of guilt. I've overeaten because I'm sad. I've overeaten because of happiness. I've overeaten because the wind blew in a different direction."

"My daily meditation is about how we are willing to go to any lengths to stop eating compulsively. It assumes we are willing, when it should actually say that if we are serious, then we should be willing. Truth be told, it's rare for a fat, compulsive overeater to hit bottom like an alcoholic or a drug addict. No one is ever about to lose their job because they ate too much at lunch. Nobody looks in his friend's eyes and can tell he's had too many cookies."

"Every now and then I try to set an example for other people. And I mean that in the sense that other people should look at me as an example of what they don't want to become."

He is funny and after reading this I just wanted to give him a big hug. Read this book.

The Choice Is Mine

I picked up an excellent book recently - my footprint by Jeff Garlin. I will expand on my love of this book in a later post. After finishing a few chapters this afternoon, I took a break to check my email. In my yahoo mail, I had this nice ad:
None of those meals looks under 1000 calories. And, I almost always choose the deep fried cheese covered choice. Yet, as the ad says, the choice is mine, and I can choose to avoid it altogether. I just hope I make the right choice. Garlin's book is inspiring me to do this, believe it or not.

I Think I Like This New PM

"Women are not breeding machines, you know. Women are unique people in their own right. If they want to marry and have children, that's lovely. If the want to remain single and build a professional life, that's wonderful."
-Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia

Good on ya!

The Princess Bride AKA How I Fell in Love with Inigo Montoya

One of my favorite movies is definitely The Princess Bride. I came late to this movie. I didn't find it until a couple of years ago when I rented the DVD on a whim. Several people had raved about this film, but I am not a big fan of Robin Wright, so I was never that interested in it.

Within the first ten minutes I met farm boy, Westley, and found a reason to watch intently. Cary Elwes has never looked better than he does in this film. He is a joy, a pure joy, to watch. He had me at first glance. He does naughty little boy very well. Did Buttercup ever say, "Take me now!" That would have been perfect followed by, "As you wish."

I was not prepared, however, for what came next. I am introduced to Inigo Montoya, swift swordsman, eloquent revenge seeker, and Captain Hook look alike. I do not know what exactly it is about this character, although the leather pants play a role, but wow, I like like like this character. I think I even choose him over Westley.

I admit, I have always had a thing for the pirate. I enjoy the romantic notion of being whisked from seaport to seaport alongside a hot pirate with long hair and a long sword. Yes, I know this is not reality. (shhhh, that is why it is a fantasy...)

Anyway, Inigo Montoya not only fulfills the pirate checklist, but he also has a funny cute Spanish accent, a good heart, leather pants (did I mention that already?), and intelligence. Mandy Patankin - great actor. Inigo Montoya - hot revenge filled package of sex.

I know, I am bonkers, crazy - fill in the blank.

Oh, and then, added to all the scenery mentioned above, The Princess Bride has an outstanding cast of characters, action, love, an identifiable bad guy who gets punished, and thousands of quotable moments. Inconceivable! No, not at all, but I had to throw that in there.

This is a great movie and I regret that I put it off for so long. I just rewatched it and my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.


And now "I must...." "Get used to disappointment."

She was a V A M P Vamp.

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

Dreams

Have you ever seen the movie Langoliers? It is scary and strange and when I first saw it, I wondered what type of deranged mind had the imagination to think of this. Stephen King, of course, is the mind behind the story. I am befuddled by how an imagination such as King's works. How in the world do you create such a story?

Did he dream it then write it? Was it a nightmare put to words on paper?

Lately my dreams have been strange bordering on King. Last night was particularly bizarre. I dreamt of a character and concept that I have never heard of before. I do not follow horror, video games, role playing, or anything that deviates from normal spiritualism. Yet, when I Googled items that I dreamt about last night, I got so many responses and images that matched or came too close for comfort. I am a little scared. I do not know how in the world I could dream of these things. I don't know if I want to continue dreaming like this. I don't know how much control I have over it.

Is someone playing with my mind? Does my mind contain memories that I am not aware of?

I have many recurring dreams. Most are dreams I can recall like favorite memories. Sometimes I will forget about a certain dream and then *poof* it just flits across my mind while I am doing dishes or watching tv. They come back like old friends for a visit in my waking hours.

I don't believe my dreams are "lucid". When I dream, it feels real and I cannot step aside to tell myself I am dreaming and change the scenario. If my dreams get too scary, I usually just wake up. I try to lull myself back to sleep thinking about laying on the beach. Half in the water, half on the sand. This works for me.

Should I research these odd dreams and remembrances? It would be like me to read everything I could find on the subject. There are many books on dreaming, however, they all feel so vague. I don't care about flying symbolism and that rubbish, I just want to know why I recall all these dreams like old friends and why I have started dreaming about bizarro ideas and things that I have never had interest in or knowledge of before.

I feel like Rosemary except I am not pregnant - for sure. I wonder if Mia Farrow had bad nightmares when she filmed that movie. That shit scares the hell out of me.

I have no idea what will happen tonight, but I am sure I will dream. Think of beaches.