Thought for the day

Pray for Charlie Sheen.

Foooooooooooooooood

Remember when I said that S and are going to spend less money on eating out? Yeah, because it was two posts ago. But, I should say, that this wholesome pledge has no place during our birthdays.

S took me out to the best place for my birthday dinner this year - Oleana in Cambridge. It's a Turkish/Arabic restaurant and among being dimly lit and wafting around the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club, it has veggies!

I got the vegatable tasting menu, and literally had a race of a five course dinner to get through.

I could not stand how delicious it all was, or how sweet it was for my meat and potatoes guy to take me to this lovely little spot.

I love you, S!

Setting Sun

I wrote this poem at Starbucks. Where all the artistes of suburbia spend there workdays or playdays or whatever days they are. For me, it was President's Day, the day of our nation's founding humans, and I felt pretty sheepish 1) sitting in a Starbucks and 2) writing poetry there. I have been writing about the sun a lot. Maybe this is because I don't get to see the sun as much as I would like in winter. Maybe it is because it is a lifeforce, and what better subject of poetry than that? I am not in a rush to figure it out.

Setting sun
don't set on me.

There's so much to do, let your shadow shine through all the old in me to renew.

Spiritually dance, setting sun, setting sun
over the wrinkles and pores,
healing the rash and the sores,

calming the jumps of the nerves.

To set us aglow.

Little do we know of your plans -
we only see you moving.

So would that illumination do more in us than pass us by.

Rejoin our world...

...with the sky.

One step forward...

S and I are trying to save money. There are lots of reasons for this, but I would like to boil them down to principle, practice, and purpose.

In principle, I believe that we are responsible for one another, and that nothing we have materially is our own, but that it is gifted to us temporarily in life for us to be good stewards of. So in principle, saving money allows me to be a responsible steward of material wealth, enabling me to interact as a good citizen (i.e. - pay my bills, even in an emergency or unexpected situation) and to have available should it be needed by others, who I am grateful to provide for. S probably agrees with this more or less, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on how extreme I get, ha ha.

In practice, saving money allows me to understand finance and be planful for the future. It helps me to learn the difference between my needs and my wants and to focus on what is truly important in life (neither material needs nor wants). In practice, this allows me to live with less and contribute to a more just society.

In purpose, saved money will utlimately go to a place other than immediate spending. These places are vehicles when needed, a home, savings for others, and for retirement. The more that is saved, and the less that is lived on, the more I can fund others needs at the expense of my wants, but not of my own needs, which I will also be better able to take care of.

In any case, this all boils down to making lifestyle changes, such as not spending money on clothes this year, and oh my, spending less on eating out. It all really, my friends, boils down to Chipotle.

Other than "needs" - rent, gas, electricity and groceries, S and I may have spent more on Chipotle than anything else last year. Based on some consumer research (of our own habits), we could have been spending $100 a month or more on burrittos. Wow.

So, in an effort to realign our priorities (there's another p!), we bought all the necessary ingredients for Chipotle-esque burritto bols at the supermarket the last time around, and made them ourselves. I know.

Here are the results:

It is a little early for too much market research into our new Chipotle-at-home habit, and there may be a bit of a relapse, who knows. Suffice it to say though, that every time we make burritto bols at home, we save 65% of the cost of a "Chipotle experience." Take that brand loyality marketing! Actually, no, I am not even going to pretend that we don't adore Chipotle, their free-range ethnics, and their fresh guacolmole. We do. But we'll enjoy all the p's even more from time to time.

Library run

One of the most gratifying habits to have is getting to the library. Free movies, free music, and most importantly, pretty awesome books, all for free.

Thousands, even millions, of new thoughts awaiting a visit to a local community hub that helps children learn to read, think and imagine, older people find jobs and use the internet, and me keep up with my not-so-formal education as an adult human being who should read more than CNN.com or PerezHilton.com for that matter.

Currently reading: Death by Church and The Third Jesus.

Currently watching: The Soloist, Changeling, Rosemary's Baby.

S is reading: Metamorphosis

Enjoy the weekend!

26 years!

Tomorrow is my 26th birthday. I am so grateful to be alive, to have the education, opportunity, health, and grace with me to do what I love, love who I love, and get to experience every bit of life in front of me.

Thanks to all of those who helped me any or every step of the way!!!

Exhale

Is there a moment in there?

Here now, really.

Where’s the time in which we’re defined?


With every look I want to pierce eternity.


Call it nostalgic, but I call it losing life.


Every firm, firm grip reminds me I’ll be loosed one day;


Every wind brings promise of stillness.


I try to fill my lungs past the point of bursting,


But then they break, the deep exhale, but then they break.


There’s something so comfortable about a coffee mug steaming,


The warmth slowly fading away.


Is there a moment in there?


In here, really.


Or is it all about the slow fade?

dmv 2.17.11