yes, thank you daniel . . .

Bright lights Dirty City - not exactly my idea of the path to enlightenment, but . . .

As long as there are winter temperatures above 70, swimming pools with real sand beaches, stores like Sephora, H&M, and Urban Outfitters, breakfast buffets in Paris with eggs benedict and crepes to DIE for, and restaurants like Hash House a-go-go - I say Viva Las Vegas!

Oh Hash House - with your ginormous portions and goat cheese and rosemary Jimmy's, you are my density!!! Lori and I discovered this delicioso joint by happy accident on our way to California once. I've been dreaming of it ever since. I ordered griddled chili crusted Indiana maple duck breasts with prosciutto mashed yams, maple bar b' que glaze, with goat cheese and spicy cashews. I almost got the house special: chicken and waffles with maple reduction. Next time. Can I say: El yum.

Eh, close enough to the real thing . . .

Well done/extra crispy fries! Who ever heard of such a thing? Not In-n-Out surely . . . their fries are limp and lifeless, tasting of raw potato and grease. If one must eat at this place, at least they are cool about made-to-order fry requests to make them edible (bring it on CaliPeeps - I have almost achieved enlightenment and your nasty how-dare-you-not-go-on-and-on-and-on-about-how-amazing-and-glorious-in-n-out-is comments cannot touch me!)

My Path to Enlightenment

This is an historic day for a lot of reasons. We have a new president - of whom I have very mixed feelings. But, as the leader of the nation I love, I will be supportive of his role and have hope that he is less a politician, and more a leader with integrity. Regardless, I do not envy his position to take the reins in such uncertain times. It would be nice if he really is the "change" everyone claims him to be be.
On that note, the note of hope for the future and change, I have had one of those life-changing weekends where I feel that I have overcome one of the many roadblocks presented during the different stages of life. I needed clarity and I needed to center and recharge, so I took a last-minute trip to Las Vegas. Now, Las Vegas is no bodhi tree, but I guess you never know where and when understanding will occur. I learned so much about myself and about the world around me this weekend that the term, "stepping stone" won't cut it. It was more mountain than stone, and more leap of faith than step. The best part about the trip, 70+ degree weather notwithstanding, was that it was so unexpected. I went to get away from life and life found me and brought me home. Is it cliche to say that you find yourself when you travel? When you experience new places, talk to new people, and seek to view life differently? Maybe more of our lives should be lived as if we were travelers through unknown country - observe more, say less, wait patiently, give others the benefit of the doubt, gain perspective, open ourselves up to new ideas, and feel the sun on our faces. My path to enlightenment began a long time ago, and I have struggled down that path getting closer to the end. But perhaps I realize there is no end, nor should there be. The path to enlightenment is eternal, enlightenment is not static, it is dynamic. You don't achieve it, you align yourself to it.

This quote from the talk by Thomas S. Monson during the October 2008 LDS general conference sums up my understanding,

"Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." [Sarah Ban Breathnach, in John Cook, comp., The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nd ed. (2007), 342.]

"Nothing is worth more than this day." - - Goethe

Goethe also said, "As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." So, instead of New Year's Resolutions, I made a list (I love lists). A list of five items that will revolutionize my life (notice I didn't say, "five goals to accomplish" . . . like my BFF Lori says, if you never make goals, you can never fail to achieve them). This list has no due date, but I will begin each one (or continue on if it's something I have already begun) this year.

In 2009, I pledge to . . .

1. Save money. In an actual savings account. With interest. Because I'm going to need money (see #5).

2. Find my mission/purpose in life. Easier said than done, but I have a feeling it involves getting a degree in middle-eastern studies, traveling to the Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Morocco, and Malta are at the top of my list. And maybe Tunisia.), and discovering my great passion in life. This might also include marrying the love of my life and having lots and lots of babies. But then again, maybe not (see #3).

3. Write a great American novel. I'll probably write about dating and all its ensuing, and subsequently inevitable, uncontrollably frustrating mishaps (fortunately, I have many real-life experiences to draw from).

4. Get healthy. I love to exercise. I don't know why I don't do it everyday. There are some perfectly good 5Ks and mini-triathalons going to waste due to my utter lack of registration-ing. I also love vegetables, so why I don't eat more of them is also a mystery. And why some vegetarians claim animal cruelty as a good reason not to eat them (animals, I mean) have never considered the feelings of broccoli. Note to vegetarians: everything we eat has to be killed before we eat it, whether it's a veal or an eggplant - and just because eggplants aren't furry and cute with big brown eyes doesn't make them less vulnerable in this cruel, cruel world.

5. Move. To Malta. What if I was always meant to live there and just don't know it yet?


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Links of Randomness: And also, I totally think "The Palms" is way better than "The Hills." {Brought to you by the Meth Minute 39}
http://www.channelfrederator.com/methminute39/episode/TMM_20080313