Floating to 2011

One of my Hanukkah presents was a 3 hour spa gift certificate. I scheduled this for Dec. 30th thinking it would be a lovely way to wrap up the year. The certificate was for a session in a salt water flotation tank and a hot stone massage. Ha cha cha, I was excited.

I had heard of flotation tanks and had always been intrigued, but never had the opportunity to try it out. What is it you ask? A chance to float in complete darkness. Best savasana ever.

Think of a space pod about 8 feet long, 3 or 4 feet wide and about 4 feet high. The bottom is filled with 10 inches of salt water heated to skin temperature (93.5 degrees if you must know). This water has 800 lbs. of epsom salt dissolved in it, so you float buoyantly. You step into the tank, sit down in the water and then close the door behind you. You stretch out like laying down in a bed and the salt water pushes you right to the surface, like a cork.

My tank was set up with under water speakers, so I had music for the first 10 minutes and then 50 minutes of silence with music returning to let me know when my hour was up. When I first stretched out, I was a little kid. I tried lifting my arms out of the water like a synchronized swimmer to see if the water would still support me... yup. I swished about the tank like a very happy fish and finally chose to have my hands behind my head as I tried to fully relax. At one point I sneezed and having forgotten I was in water, was a bit of a surprise as it lapped and swashed about. When the music came back on, all I could think was "too soon." I started to move very slowly, rotating my fingers and feeling the ripple move across the tank. It was glorious to feel weightless. To be completely stretched out, but have zero pressure on my body anywhere. I wonder what I would be like if I could float for an hour every day. It seems that the world at large would be happier if we all had the ability to withdraw, re-charge and totally relax on a regular basis.

I emerged, showered off the salt (which quickly dried into a dusty white film) and headed for my hot stone massage. Did I mention that life is good and all is well with the world? I had never had this type of massage before. It combines traditional massage with stones heated in water that is 120 degrees. The stones are used as part of the massage and then left at certain points like natural heating pads. A-ma-zing.

Having relaxed to the point of puddling, I got up and got dressed and Kristi, the woman who owns Zen Blend, offered me tea. I went and sat (i.e. zoned) while she prepared the water and then suddenly she presented me with a bowl of individually wrapped dark chocolates and my choice of either herbal tea or yerba mate.

I have no idea what could have made this experience any better. I hope your new year has some wonderful firsts and some amazing moments of joy and relaxation.

Curious about floating? Here are some FAQs.
In the Austin area and want more info about Zen Blend?

Canadian Yoga

Hooray for my Canadian boss who whisked me away at the end of a day full of lecture to attend an advanced Iyengar class with her. The class was mostly standing poses, which we knew in advance. The focus of the class, which we did not know ahead, was on broadening the sit bones and rotating the groin. Keep in mind I've only met my boss face-to-face in the last 48 hours. I'm sure groin comes up in most people's professional relationships...Luckily, she is an extraordinarily cool woman, so there was no weirdness. We did have a good laugh though.

At the begining of the class we were focusing on standing forward bends. The teacher kept telling us to pull the hip bones in. I had no idea where or how to pull my hips closer together, but I knew I wasn't succeeding because the teacher kept repeating the instruction (slightly louder each time). She was clearly exasperated with many of the students, and I know I was very frustrated because no matter how loud or how often she asked me to do this one action...no matter how simple the words were...I had no idea how to do it. My muscles gave me the equivalent of a blank stare...you want us to do what? There was a part of me that wanted to throw up my arms and say, "That's it. I'm leaving. I have no idea what you want and I don't want to deal with one more thing in my life that I don't understand..." But when I heard the pettulance of my own inner tyrant I thought in a new direction.

What if my life is presenting me with problems that appear unsolvable in the short term so that I can accept and find ease in each moment. I realized I didn't have to "succeed" at this class by getting every pose "Perfectly Right." In fact, I could give myself permission to "suck" in the eyes of the Persnickety Perfectionist within (and maybe even the eyes of this teacher) and just see where the class took me. My breathing evened out and I felt 100x calmer.

Evidently, permission to suck is a powerful tool.

PS-There were snow flurries today!

The Great Canadian....

Herein lies a few tales from Toronto:

My flight from Houston to Toronto was on a puddle jumper of a plane, with a 2.5 hour puddle to navigate. It was one of the bumpiest rides I've been on, but I managed to not spill my gingerale...Points to Mindy.

Upon arriving we got to take stairs down from the plane to the tarmac. I consider this the height of fun since I associate it with Cary Grant movies. I needed big sunglasses and a gossamer scarf for the occassion. On the long walk to customs I passed one restaurant. Only one. And no stores... What the what?! Have I left consumerism central? However, the one eatery I did see made up for the otherwise lacking culinary landscape.

The

Great

Canadian

Bagel

?!

Nothing against Canada and definitely nothing against bagels...but together? I never would have seen them paired off? Did eHarmony come up with this?

In case you were wondering, rush hour traffic on the night of a hockey game is indeed quite impressive. Regardless, I made it and had some wondering time last night.

My hotel is located in the Fashion District and my co-workers had raved about a couple of shoe stores, so I was a woman on a mission. I found a pair of shoes by a company called Groundhog which I heart very much. I have been looking for this pair of shoes (i.e. flats that can dress up or down) for over a year, so thank you Canada!! I was a bit too late for most of the boutiques to still be open, but there were lots of fabric stores, button stores, hat stores, ribbon stores... I have a picture to share, but that will have to wait.

This morning I went for a city walk in the chilly rain. Toronto reminds me of Chicago...maybe it is just the cold, downtown with lots of smokers...

I'm off to work, but hopefully there will be more episodes coming soon!

Town Called Panic and/or Toronto

Hello, hello...

I just had to give an e-shout out to the Belgian movie A Town Called Panic. One of my new favorites. A bunch of plastic toys hopping about a claymation world figuring out how to best deal with the conundrum of having over-ordered bricks online. 74 minutes of bliss if you ask me.

Headed to Toronto this week and I'm hoping to be a bit better about blogging. I've never been and I'm looking forward to what I've heard described as a cleaner more polite NYC. What's not to love, eh?

Any suggestions for my northern travels?

Mantras

Today's mantra started off as:


It turned into:

Stay classy, San Diego.

Confessions of a Complete Texter

I have never fully embraced the texter's dictionary of abbreviations. I believe texting is best suited to short, simple queries.
Text 1: "Are you here?"
Response: "Yes, in the back."
Simple and helpful. If you find yourself texting "AISB" (As I Said Before)...consider that a phone call might be a better way to communicate.

In my stone-agedness I also have never been big on IM. Generally if I'm on the computer, then I want to complete something and if I want to *talk* to someone I prefer not to have a conversational lag of each person answering several lines back.

However, the times they are a-changin'. Now that I work remotely IM is one of the best ways to get questions answered and check in with friends (and bosses) no matter what time zone and country. This means I have a world of acronyms to catch up on. Usually I can figure them out, but one day, when I was a little brain fried, I got a "BRB" from my boss. My first thought was, "Really? Burpicons?"

Oh...Be Right Back. Super useful compared to the e-burping option that sprang to my oddly wired brain... However, if you google "burpicons" there are a wide variety of burp icons available...Maybe I'm not so odd afterall.

My Life in Celsius

y oh my. Time flies. Since you last heard from me, I have successfully moved to Austin, started my new job, and set up my very own snazzy home office.


A few highlights:

• Marc taught me an easy way to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit so I don't embarrass myself with, "Oh my, 25 degrees, that is chilly!" So my new skill...drum roll please... (25 x 2) + 30 = 80 degrees Fahrenheit... not exactly sweater worthy.
• I'm also learning to convert workload from Celsius...Canada says 5 pages...they really mean 40 pages [(5x2) + 30]. As long as I know the conversion table, I'm all good.
• My desk now faces a floor to ceiling window overlooking green space. Lovely if I may say so myself. The only problem is around noon when the sun is in my eyes, but luckily the whole orbit thing works in my favor.
• My first week in Austin happened to coincide with Restaurant Week. Ate very well and tried out some locales that were new to me --Botticelli's and The Belmont to name two.
• Occassionally when I am driving around town, I have to look down at my stereo to see if I'm listening to the radio or my iPod. A radio station that plays music that I gusta?! What is that all about?!
  

So, I haven't deserted you and I am wishing you, dear readers, a lovely weekend...I know it isn't quite here yet, but maybe in Celsius...

Moving

oving is such a joy. My sincerity level waivers on that statement at times, but overall moving is a great chance to clean and clear out. In the interest of efficiency, I have been doing my best to not get sucked down memory lane by going through photo albums or old letters.

However, yesterday I came across a sheet of stickers with a bunch of writing on the back and I flashed back to my time teaching in Mississippi and couldn't help but laugh and marvel at how much my life has transformed since then.

Let me give you the back drop. As a teacher, I always wore an old waitressing apron so that I could have extra pockets at all times...I know super sexy, right? Anyway, I would carry stickers, pens and hand sanitizer for good measure. When I was with my class out of the classroom and needed to remember who was actin' a fool, I would jot names on the back of a sticker sheet. The sticker sheet I came across while packing had lots of names haphazardly scrawled in all directions. But here is the part that really had me laughing. The Delta had a wonderful vernacular and I loved some of the local phrases, which I would jot down to remember. This Delta flavor was particularly strong when it came to the insults the kids would throw at each other. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't encouraging insults, but I had to write this one down. I remember on this hallway adventure there was an escalation...it all started with a "Shut your face," which quickly was topped with "No, you shut your mama's face."

Just as a point of reference, the only insult worse is to say "your grandma" or "your grandpa," depending on which is deceased. Family pride is not something to mess with in the Delta. I have never seen little people as mad as when their families were brought into the mix.

I just had a moment when I thought, "I wonder what would happen if I used 'shut your mama's face' in the corporate world...Hmm..." Don't worry, today may be my last day on the job, but I'm not going there!

For the Love of Font

ust in case you love fonts as much as I do, I thought you needed to know about the Daily Drop Cap. [Thanks Goliblogski for always finding the cool stuff!] Every work day, typographer Jessica Hische posts a single, decorative cap letter. These are free to use under creative commons as long as you just post them in blogs. I do believe you will be seeing more of these because they are fun, fun, fun. If you are font crazy, you should also take a gander at dafont.com. This site has full fonts for free; some fonts have the option to donate to the artist. Font creation is an incredible art form at which I hope to never excel. I love appreciating fonts, but I'm pretty sure if I had to create one I would start to loathe seeing serifs and such. I would probably rebel and use Comic Sans just to annoy everyone.

In his book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink explores how Design shapes our world and our work force. He notes that our awareness of fonts has changed drastically in the last few decades. To prove his point, he inserted a quick matching quiz:

1. What font is this?
   
2. What font is this?
   
3. What font is this?

a. Times New Roman
b. Arial
c. Courier

The answers are at the bottom, but I'm guessing you were all able to get most of these matched correctly. Think back, would you have been able to do the same 10 or 20 years ago? [Mom, don't answer that, you will skew the results!]

I am currently reading Pink's chapter on Story and how most of our minds are built to remember stories more easily than plain data. He explores what ramifications that has for how we should approach business. More on that soon.

How did you do on the quiz?

Answer Key: 1. B, 2. A, 3. C

Rediscovery

I am always a fan of dinners that come together very quickly. I tend to be fine and keep going, keep going, keep going and then suddenly I'm famished. Some of you, dear readers, know this all too well. This evening I was in the grocery store pondering the peaches and blueberries in my cart when suddenly I remembered a salad that was on last summer's regular rotation list.

• Lettuce or baby spinach
• Peach cut into small pieces
• Blueberries
• Pecans
• Hard cheese, cut into small cubes
• Brianna's Blush Wine Vinagrette

Strawberries also work nicely, but it is high season for peaches here in the Texas hill country, so the perfect time to enjoy the peachy version. Anyone have a favorite summer meal? Something fresh, refreshing, and super easy...

Zen on Town Lake

Today I went for a walk around Austin's Town Lake. There is a hike and bike trail there that I love, though on weekends it can feel a bit like human frogger--dodging strollers, runners, and bikers.

I stopped to sit on a rock by the water. My back was to the trail which was just a few feet behind me. I suddenly realized that there were lots of baby turtles under water. Eventually a couple of adults came along too. I noticed the fish and then the cottonwood fluff drifting ever so lazily to the water. Every once in a while I would again hear the exercise strivings on the trail right behind me and then I would focus in again on the slow drift of leaves on top of the water. The easy sway of algae swirling around the paddling turtles. It was so nice to step away from the go-go-go and remember the slow luxury of summer. I have the visual for what I need to do everyday. Let my mind keep racing, but just take 2 steps away and find a calm vantage point.

The spot where I was sitting is a popular dog swimming hole because it is fairly shallow by the bank. One dog stepped in very regally and stood with water just over his paws. He took one step further and there was a drop off, so he jolted clumsily to chest depth. He looked over at me with the very clear expression of, "She didn't see that did she? Damn, she did."

Made my day.

Word Choice... Really?!

I was totally going to let this one go un-blogged. One more piece of horrific world news. But then there was such a special word choice I *HAD* to share. NPR (color me surprised) reported yesterday on the Ugandan Pastor Martin Ssempa. He is leading a movement to criminalize homosexuality.

That's right, criminalize it. Life in prison for consenting gay sex. Death penalty for gay sex with a minor or for having sex with your partner if you are HIV positive. In an effort towards equal opportunity, there is also jail time for straight individuals who don't turn in a suspected gay. I thought "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was out-dated.

There is a church in Nevada headed by Pastor Kevin Odor who is supporting Pastor Ssempa out of their desire to help the AIDS problem and to support Ssempa's work teaching abstinence to college students in Uganda. Ummm, let me give you a snipet from the NPR piece:

"His heart is not to kill people," Odor says. "He is a pastor of the Gospel that believes in redemption and his heart is to redeem people."

Odor says he does not "personally" endorse the death penalty or life sentences for gay men and lesbians. Asked why he would support someone who does, he sighs.

"We want to help the AIDS problem in Africa, and we found somebody who is making a difference," he says. "So we support him."

By the way, we still aren't to the special word choice. Here it comes. Pastor Odor is up in arms that he and his church are being "crucified" for their compassionate support of the people of Uganda. Of all the groups in the world, you would think a fundamental christian organization would understand the term "crucifixion." I love hyperbole as much as the next little lady, but if I remember correctly Jesus died because he was wrongly accused. Even if Odor's church adamantly opposes homosexuality, it seems like a stretch to suggest the death penalty is a compassionate attempt to redeem. I do not see how Odor misses the lack of compassion.

A lot to ponder.

Micmacs

Do you like cool stuff? Then Micmacs is for you. Oh, you think a movie review should have a bit more meat to it? Aren't you picky. Fine.

This movie is Fraaaanch. If you cannot stand sub-titles you are excused from this review. If, however, you are not put off by subtitles and are, therefore, still reading this post, let me wax poetic. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the writer and director of Micmacs. He also wrote and directed Amelie and Delicatessen. Much like his earlier films, Micmacs captures that quirky state of whimsy where you just feel good about life, the universe, and everything as you leave the movie theater.* A man, Basil, becomes homeless after surviving a gun shot wound to the head. He goes into cahoots with a family of misfits who help him destroy two weapons manufacturers.

Micmacs is filled with delightful twists and turns. It is like brain candy for the creative mind. There are lots of inventions that mix sculpture, recycling, and functionality throughout the film. I thoroughly enjoyed this moviea and hope you do too!

*Disclaimer as Footnote: I did have 2 hot, chocolate chip cookies during this movie which may have contributed to my state of euphoria. I highly recommend it.

Now? Can You Hear Me Now?

I just finished listening to an Eckhart Tolle lecture. He spent a lot of time discussing the Now; not surprising since one of his best sellers is The Power of Now. There were a couple of ideas that I wanted to share. We get so wrapped up in what we want in the future yet when we get there we are often disappointed. Why? Tolle's point is that we are disappointed because we are still focused on the future and we can never get there, because we perpetually find ourselves in the Now instead.

Even as I was listening to the lecture I caught myself jotting down a reminder for my grocery list and thinking about what I wanted to eat for dinner. I am clearly a future addict. I went for a walk and kept repeating, "Am I still in the Now?"--usually I would find I had rabbited off down a side, thought path. Hrrumph. Tolle is very forgiving of this habit and just suggests practicing remembering that the future doesn't exist yet, so why not enjoy that which does exist.
Tolle also presented the idea that we can have thoughts or thoughts can have us. When we no longer separate our identity from our thoughts, they have us. Made me start thinking about my time with Lyme disease. My brain wasn't able to sustain long, convoluted thought patterns. I was pretty foggy and out of it. I was forced into the Now quite abruptly and my ego took a major blow during that adjustment. I realized how much of my identity I had built on my mind functioning quickly and adeptly...when that wasn't in the cards, my ego said, well then, um, who am I?

I am so happy to be healthy, but I have once again become a thought and future addict (to be honest a slight caffeine addict as well). C'est la vie. I will find my way back to the Now in bursts. Like Now. How about Now. And Now.

Where are you?

Ooo...Purty

I have been thinking a lot about Design this week. I am reading Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind which asserts that left-brain directed thinking--i.e. your analytical, test-taking thought process--is no longer sufficient. Many of those jobs and tasks can now be automated or off-shored. Now there is a need for whole thinking that incorporates the logic of the left along with the emotional and aesthetic intelligence of the right.

Pink states that there are "six senses" that make up right-brain directed thinking:

1. Design
2. Story
3. Symphony
4. Empathy
5. Play
6. Meaning

I just finished the Design chapter, so I am trying to notice the details around me. I thought I would share a few of my favorite Design eye-openers of the week.

Catching up on Reading Category:
Before & After, whose slogan is "Graphic Design for Everyone," is a great publication that puts side-by-sides of printed materials before and after they get a Design overhaul. As a kid I loved looking at the glossy pages of 17 magazine with the before and after makeover pictures; this publication appeals to the same kid in me. However now it isn't makeup experimentation, but layout, fonts, and images for brochures and business cards.

Tom Kuhlman's Rapid eLearning blog is my absolute favorite blog when it comes to practical, innovative training ideas. This will really only be worth clicking on if you use Articulate software, but it is a really cool way to incorporate tables into eLearning.

Whenever I start pondering Design I have to pull out my copy of Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine. If you have never picked it up, I urge you to check your library. It is a beautifully illustrated love story that unfolds through post cards and letters. As the reader you actually get to reach inside envelopes to pull out letters to read.

How I Think Category
I started thinking today that there can be a high level of Design in some writing. Writing that gets me to visualize a situation or look from a completely different angle. Today I had this experience twice. My sister wrote a beautiful post about birds, yoga, and effort. I think anyone who reads it will feel instantly a little calmer. So, read it. I'm just sayin'. On the other end of the spectrum, may I recommend the blog In the Pink. Texas Monthly blogger Eileen Smith takes the days news and attacks it with a dry sense of humor and of the ridiculous.

I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be other posts about the remaining 5 of the 6 senses. In the meantime try to slow down and notice.

Inefficiency Defined

I performed my civic duty yesterday by sitting in the basement of the Justice Center all day--that's right I had Jury Duty. Fun. Fun. I was never called to a panel, I just sat and sat. Now, I am not complaining. I am glad I wasn't picked because that would have put a definite hamper on my productivity at work; however, it doesn't feel like I accomplished much for my country yesterday.

Jury trials have been around in the US since it became itself (read constitutional right). Beyond our borders jury trials date back to ancient Greece. There has been plenty of time to perfect the jury selection process. This is a modern world and it seems like there must be a more streamlined approach.

So, I did a quick google search to see if there were some brilliant ideas on how to make jury duty worthwhile and (gasp) efficient. I found nothing. However, there are plenty of articles detailing how to get out of jury duty. Hmmm.

Nature vs. Videocamera

Well, Game 7 did not go as I hoped. As part of the "dig myself out of the deep, dark, sporty depression" campaign I came across the video above entitled "octopus steals my video camera and swims off with it (while it is still recording). A little bit of octopus action-packed chase scene for your Friday.

Speaking of which you should definitely see the A-TEAM. It is one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time.

Thanks YouTube... I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Hope it makes you smile and, of course, ponder what would you do if an octopus stole your new video camera?

Game 7...Really?

Okay, Boston. Why are you doing this to me? I was the kid in high school that gave myself faux deadlines just so that I could avoid crunch time. I don't like last minute/final chance to win/go big or go home scenarios. Why are you taking your win to the last possible moment? This is my first time to actually watch the NBA playoffs and I feel like I should be eased into this experience with a little bit of molly coddling. You say the NBA Cares! Instead you are inflicting this stress on me? I am totally justified in taking this personally.

The Sacrificial Tree

This morning I awoke blissfully to the sound of chainsaws. There is one word in the previous statement that is patently untrue. I'll leave you to guess while I give some back story.

I have been sick with the flu for the past few days. On Wednesday night there was a big storm and within 5 minutes of the wind picking up the large tree in front of my house decided to sacrifice a piece of itself to the storm gods. This is not a first; rather it seems to be becoming a habit. Not that long ago...the last big storm actually... this same tree decided to sacrifice a huge branch onto the roof of my house. Luckily, no injuries other than the roof, eaves, and attic. This time another large branch did a storm swan dive. It fell away from the house (thank you) and took down power lines and took up half of the rather busy street on which I live.

This storm took out power for over 60,000 homes in SA, TX, so I was grateful my power stayed on. However, since there were live power lines and a huge tree blockade the police and fire engine parked with lights on right outside my window all night. "Trying to sleep in a disco," as my neighbor Sara so aptly put it. They also put up Crime Scene tape in my front yard...Double Awesome. Right after the tree event I tried (repeatedly) to call the electricity company but it was busy. Finally with my fever spiking and exhaustion setting in I told my neighbors to keep trying and then figured the police and firemen probably had a more direct line to the company...

All day Thursday, my day was interspersed with knocks on the door from guys with lawn agencies ready to chop up a tree that was still mingled with live wires and with sirens from police and fire trucks. I have a sneaky suspicion that no one in these agencies talks to each other. These officials would show up, look at crime scene tape, call back up (more sirens), wander around, set flares, and finally realize they couldn't do anything because of the live wires. That night I finally tried City Public Services (unfortunate acronym, I know) to check on the status of getting these wires cleared.

I explained the situation and that I knew someone else had already reported it, but that I wanted to know if there was any time line for when it would be cleared up... "Um, honey. No one else has reported anything on that street." What? All those sirens and nuthin'? Later that night, CPS did send out a truck and removed the wires. Which brings us to this morning's wake up call. I mean, I'm glad that the traffic will finally quit honking at each other trying to maneuver the tree, but c'mon!

Unfortunately the image at the top of the article is not entirely accurate. This tree still has two huge branches just waiting for the next storm. Will my landlord do something or just wait and see how the cookie (i.e. massive tree) crumbles? Only time will tell.

Create and Complete

A few weeks ago I took a sewing class with my co-worker Sarah. There is this wonderful little place called Sew Deluxe. Their tagline is "San Antonio's only alternative sewing lounge." How fantastic is that? They have the machines; you bring your own fabric and thread for a specific class (i.e. project). Sarah and I arrived with our knit fabric and matching thread only knowing we were making a boatneck tunic. In three hours we had a very cute (if I may say so myself) empire waist, cap-sleeve summer dress. The instructor did a great job of going step-by-step and offering variations by skill level. I had never had great success sewing on knit, but this class made it seem easy. [Of course having a professional mess with the tightness of thread to bobbin ratio is always helpful.]

I left the class at about 9:30PM elated and energized. It was so great to create and complete something in one evening. This made me realize just how much I thrive on feeling like I am creating something AND completing it. I love the feeling of job well done, let's move on to something new and different.

I will definitely take another class. What shall be my next project? Only time (and their website) will tell. Sew Deluxe also has some charity events (sewing for a cause) as well as girls' nights out. A hip little spot worth checking out if you are in the area. Let me know, maybe we can sew together!

Two Lovely Ladies

I am incredibly lucky to have such wonderful family. However, when they go I am left bittersweet and sleepless. In the last week and a half two amazing matriarchs in my family died. I just want to share a little snippet about each and then perhaps I will find a deep, dreamless sleep.

Bonnie was 80 and incredibly involved in her West Texas community. As one woman told me after her memorial service, "She ran out of bulletins. It's always good to have more friends than bulletins." In March, Marc and I made the trip to see all my West Texas cousins (and especially her as her time was counted in months, or weeks as it turned out). When I was making our travel plans Bonnie said, "You know it is a really long drive." My reply, "Yup, 5.5 hours, but you're totally worth it."

"Well, I *know* I'm worth it, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into."

When we arrived we found out she had just had her first day of radiation. She was moving a little slower and definitely sipping her champagne a lot slower, but otherwise still the same wisecracker. Lots of questions and sly comments. A week ago Saturday Bonnie died. She was surrounded by her husband, kids, and grandkids.

My Nena passed this past Saturday. Nena was my grandma in everything but blood. I've been thinking about Nena stories and the one that keeps coming to the front of my mind is that she never learned to drive. Now, that is a feat in any city. However, Nena lived in Houston, TX without car or license. Houston is the capital of sprawl and 10 lane freeways. Even more amazing she didn't take buses and she most definitely did not stay home. She had an impressive network of friends who were constantly checking to see if she needed a ride to the grocery store, picking her up for lunch, taking her out for errands. Decades of living solo and having friends as her main means of transport. I think that is pretty telling of loyalty, stubbornness, and lovability.

I will miss both of them, but the love and joy they added to my life far outweighs the missing.

Confessions of the Newly Sporty

Many of you dear readers may have been shocked when I admitted to creating a [busted] bracket for this year's March Madness. (Well, surprised by the creating part, perhaps not the busted part.) The fever continues.

I am hooked into the Spurs playoffs. I've even found myself talking with the players (i.e. the TV). Luckily this newly acquired habit is socially acceptable. I have not yet graduated to yelling at the TV, but stranger things have happened. Such as the fact that I am still mad at the Mavs' Najera for his flagrant foul (neck grab) of Ginobili. Did anyone guess one year ago that that sentence would appear on Mermindia? Like I said, stranger things have happened.

The Plunge

My old computer died. Completamente.

I debated the great debate and decided to get a Mac. Yesterday at lunch I took the plunge and purchased my pretty, pequena Macbook.

Why do you care? Obviously, you need to know that I am typing on a pristine white keyboard. Also, I felt introductions are in order. A big Welcome to Mr. Mac ______________.

I am now faced with the important task of naming. Any suggestions are welcome and the winner will enjoy the fame and glory of Mermindia citation.

Note: There is no picture because I cannot right click to snag something. Hrrumph. I shall overcome and pictures will return to Mermindia.

Who knew?!

Well, this year was my introduction to March Madness. Who knew watching sports could be so much fun? Evidently a lot of people knew this, but it was news to me.
Still a little shocking (even to me) that I created a bracket (totally busted), that I am checking tip off times, and having so much fun doing it.

Just thinking about my first post of 2010 when I said I wanted to push myself to try new things. I think this counts in a big way.

Snow (Fallen) Angels

One very *good* reason for my non-blogging of late is that I was on vacation in New Mexico--sans cell phone and computer avec mi amor. Bliss. I would love to tell you that a photo montage is on its way, but alas, we had too much fun and forgot to snap pics. However, I do want to tell you a few highlights:

• Down hill skied for the first time...gravity is awesome
• Shopped at Trader Joe's...oh how I miss thee
• Soaked in a hot tub surrounded by snow...ahhhhhh

I am excited to have been introduced to a new, expensive hobby. I was completely spoiled on my first day--high 40's, sunny, powdery snow. My second day was windy with some whirling snow and rocking chair lifts. I will say I totally caught some air on one of my more spectacular tumbles. I ended up face up, skis uphill with one ski dug in straight down. Yet, I had so much fun.

Above is a non-Mindy photo of Sierra Blanca where we skied. On my first day back to work (yesterday), I promptly changed my screen background to be this picture. I have dual monitors, thus double the mountain beauty. I am trying to hold on to my mountain high now that I'm back down in the low lands. Wish me luck.

30 : 40 Ratio

Recently ran into a work friend in the elevator, he said, "Wow, that hallway conversation just lasted 40 minutes." He quickly added in his own defense, "Thirty of the forty minutes was relevant." In all sincerity I replied, "That's not a bad ratio. I wish all my meetings were that relevant." As soon as the words left my mouth I realized that they sounded (were) a little snarky. I did not originally aim for snark-dom, I just landed there.

Headed for vacation and snark recovery. Hope all is well for my dear readers and that you too have a 75% rate of relevancy in your interactions!

Postscript: In regards to the subject line, yes, I realize the ratio 30:40 can be reduced. Back off math geeks!

Funny, how you ask a question (or three) and "poof" the answers appear. The last posting included these queries:

1. How the heck do you pronounce Csikszentmihalyi?
2. Can the fields of science and psychology provide data to support the recuperative powers of creative engagement?
   
3. Can healing be quantified?

Since then, I've learned that the correct pronunciation is Check-sent-me-high and, speak of the devil, Csikszentmihalyi did a study in the 70's to determine the place of flow in everyday life. Previously I shared Csikszentmihalyi's definition of flow, which is,"the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter." At its core, flow is the moment of enjoying a task. This can be a deeply artistic and creative moment or as simple as enjoying doing the dishes. In the study, Csikszentmihalyi asked participants to record all of the "non-instrumental" tasks they did every day; small activities they enjoyed but were not under obligation to complete. Then, the big whammy:
Beginning {morning of target date},when you wake up and until 9 PM,we would like you to act in a normal way, doing all the things you have to do, but not doing anything that is "play"or "non-instrumental."
After only 48 hours, the study was halted because, "the general deterioration in mood was so advanced that prolonging the experiment would have been inadvisable." The study found that in only 48 hours participants began showing signs of clinical depression and anxiety disorders. We are hard-wired to require doses of enjoyment...of flow throughout our daily lives.

Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy quotes 1.99 billion spent in the US alone in 2005 for anti-depressants. Why are art classes not prescribed? I'm by no means saying forget the pharmaceuticals; there is definitely a place and a time. However, this study suggests that we have more options for transforming our own experience. I take two things from this study:

1. Play fosters engagement and enjoyment and keeps us sane!
2. I cannot allow myself to prioritize the fun out of my work day. I am cheating myself and I become a less productive (much less cheerful) version of me.
   

In the corporate realm, many projects live or die based on ROI--proving a Return On Investment. I'm in training, for which it is very hard to pin down ROI. How do you prove that a class on customer service improved overall service provided? Or that the increase in productivity is a result of a seminar? Healing is another tricksy ROI. Did I get better from Lyme because of pharmaceuticals? Art? Juicing? All of the above? I can't prove a percentage of healing to attribute to flow, but the study above shows that flow is not a luxury. There are serious repurcussions if we ignore our need to play andI hope science and medicine continue ferreting out proof.

*Footnote: I found this study in reading Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. This book is amazing, inspiring, and daunting. You'll hear more soon!

Flow...The Book, People. Honestly!

I want to share some thoughts from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience; boy am I glad this is a blog not a podcast because no clue on pronunciation. MC (I really can't type his name repeatedly either) defines flow as "the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter" (4). I was introduced to this concept by a fabulous Texas potter, Billy Ray Mangum; he puts the fun in funky (see below).


At the time I was extremely ill with Lyme disease and the amazing parental units had encouraged me to try an art class. So, there I sat listening to Billy Ray give me hope. If working with clay could get me in the flow, perhaps I'd find a window where I could forget the debilitating pain and fatigue. Clay became more important to me than Vicodin. It was the only time I felt a glimmer of *me* still alive and well. During my Lyme time I lost a lot of my abilities that I had previously taken for granted -- reading, following conversations and movie plots, walking to the mail box--and many times it felt like I had also lost myself. Clay brought me back to me.

MC suggests that to really achieve flow you need to have mastered a creative pursuit, i.e. at least 10 years of practice. I was brand new to clay when I started but it transported me in many of the ways that MC describes as flow. Why? This is not a self-proclaimed prodigy confessional; far from it. Last weekend I stumbled across a TED.com podcast featuring MC which had me re-pondering this query. MC mentions in this talk that the nervous system processes a maximum of about 110 bits per second. When you are listening to a speaker, that takes about 60 bits. This explains why we can't hear more than 2 people talking at once -- our brains just can't process that much, that fast. However, MC has a theory that when in flow, the brain is using most of the 110 bits to focus on the creative task at hand. Hence, the person loses track of time, sometimes reports feeling disconnected from his or her body, doesn't notice hunger or pain, etc.

Hearing this a light bulb went off. When I was sick I am pretty sure my brain wasn't able to process anywhere close to that norm of 110 bits. So here's my theory: when I had Lyme I could only process let's say 50 bits per second. Therefore, the threshold for reaching flow was actually lower. I didn't have to be a master potter to be transported by flow!

My encounter with Lyme created a deep respect for art as therapy. I met wonderful people via ceramics and became intrigued by how many of them originally came to art because of an emotional or physical loss. They came seeking to re-build themselves and stayed for the joy of creating -- for the flow. It scares me how the arts are cut from schools because they are seen as optional. Can the fields of science and psychology provide data to support the recuperative powers of creative engagement? Can healing be quantified?

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.

The Dangers of Cleaning

This evening I was in a cleaning mood. I have vacuumed, done laundry, put together a bag for good will, and ditched some papers that were never going to be looked at again. In all this cleaning I came across my notes from when I was teaching in rural Mississippi. Reading just a few excerpts reminded me of the level of crazy that was my life for that window of time. Case in point--I had completely forgotten that one day when our principal was mad at the faculty she made all of us stand for the first hour of our faculty meeting. That is what I call classy leadership. Needless to say, this trip down memory lane sparked two thoughts:

1. I really need to write some short stories about my MS experiences.
   
2. I am so glad to be where I am at in my life right now.
   

I also ran across a notebook that I had started to fill with quotes and favorite words. There were two entries that felt particularly apropos. One was a quote by Isak Dineson,"All sorrows can be borne if they are put in a story." Mississippi was a very rich experience and by no means only sorrowful. However, I do think the act of crafting stories based on the experiences will help me to catalog what was many times too overwhelming to process in the moment.

The other entry was just a notation about the Sanskrit word santosha which means contentment. In the yogic tradition of niyama or self-discipline, santosha is one of the ways to practice self-discipline. I need to re-explore this idea. One of my favorite practices, which I have been slacking on, is to start each morning by listing off reasons why I (should) feel gratitude. It is good for me to remember that contentment is not a lazy feeling.

No more cleaning for me tonight. I have enough to think about without unearthing any other trips down memory lane!

Why? What Does it Mean?

This post does not answer either of the title questions. In fact you will get 30 minutes of interesting listening and zero answers from reading this. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I have been feeling overwhelmed at times as I listen to coverage of the devastation of Haiti. It stirs so many emotions and questions. I realize the self-centered arrogance of my saying I have a "bad day" because of frustrating vendors and phone conferences. How lucky am I that that is the extent of my bad day?!

When I cannot digest anymore NPR coverage, I have been catching up on my Radiolab (favorite podcast of all time) listening and discovered I had missed one of the shorts from April 2009. "In Silence" is a sermon/speech which co-host Robert Krulwich shared with his synagogue and with Radiolab listeners.

In this speech, Krulwich takes a look at the stories of both Abraham and Noah. He sets the stage, gives the biblical context, and then looks at the horrible conundrums faced by both of these men--one asked by God to sacrifice his own son, the other faced with watching the entire planet drown. For much of both of these bible stories, both men are silent, but what do these silences mean? Please click here when you have 26 minutes to listen to a masterful storyteller take on two stories which most of us take for granted.

It felt eerie how timely this podcast felt right now. How do we absorb the level of human suffering in Haiti? What can you choose to believe when presented with such devastation? There are no easy answers, but I felt that Krulwich looked at a very stark reality and came to a conclusion that I felt is both realistic and tentatively hopeful. I hope it brings you some peace and calm as well.

Breakfast Zen Once Again

Usually eggs are one of my favorite foods. Put a scrambled, hard-boiled, or over-medium egg in front of me and I say, "More please." Lately, I've grown tired of my usual work-day breakfasts. Fascinating dialogue:

Self, would you like eggs? hrrumph.
How about a smoothie? eh.
Frozen waffle? okay.

So, off to the freezer aisle. I purchased some Kashi waffles, branching out from my usual Van's. This proved to be a huge mistake. Soggy, bland, blah. Back to the freezer aisle with every intention of going back to my trusty Van's option. Then, I spot "A+ Cinnamon," "Sweet Potato," and "Pancake" all on one box. Clearly, that box executed a flawless swan dive into my cart. I had some trepidation as I lifted the box up to the cashier since my last foray into other brands had been such a disgrace.

This morning was day one of the pancake trial. Super tasty. I added butter and a little honey, but the flavor was quite nice sans any accouterments. These happen to be spelt, so not gluten free, but gluten-light. They also have 4 grams each of protein and fiber so they didn't leave me starved and grumpy by 9AM. De Wafelbakkers (yes that is the unfortunate brand name) has multiple different flavors and grains in both pancakes and waffles. Work mornings once again have a bit more pizazz. Thanks freezer aisle!

Eating my way into 2010

So far so good. You may (or may not, let's be honest) remember that I set three new year's guidelines in my last post. Don't worry, I won't make you actually go back and look; here they are:

1. Go six new places (breweries, countries, state parks, whatever)
   
2. Try 6 new things (DIY, software, cocktail)
   
3. Try 12 new recipes/ dishes (fairly self explanatory)

I am happy to report, that 2010 is starting off strong. By "strong" I of course mean that I am eating and drinking very well. Last week I finally had the joy of eating at Uchi. My Man Marc (hereinafter referred to as M3) and I sat at the sushi bar; watching the sushi chefs was fascinating. The care and detail that goes into each slice of the knife is pretty incredible. I am glad for the slow, precise work because those knives must be crazy sharp; they slice fish like it is butter. Everything we ate was delicious and I doubt I can pick a favorite. Oh wait, I'll try. Perhaps the biendo roll-- tempura tiger shrimp spring roll with spicy viet vin and frozen grape salsa. That's right, readers, frozen grape salsa!

Over the weekend I had the chance to go to Moonshine for brunch with M3 and his familia. Moonshine has been on my brunching wishlist for a while and I was in no way disappointed. There were two rooms dedicated to four tables containing a bounty of southern comfort brunch deliciousness. My perfect bite consisted of a little bit of basil pesto egg scramble, rosemary new potato, and green chile cheese grits. What is not to love? Well, perhaps the wait, but good company and coffee, so no complaints here.

Also over the weekend, I was in the mood to cook and I pulled out my Deborah Madison cookbook (thanks, sis). I was tempted to make saffron rice and coconut black beans because I love those recipes; however, my blog haunted me and I decided to try something new. I tackled Porcini and Tomato Ragout with Parmesan Polenta and was happy with the results (and the leftovers).

So I've made a start on numbers 1 and 3. Maybe my DIY project for #2 will be Mindy's Moonshine Inc. In retrospect, perhaps I should have set a few guidelines centered around exercise and activity...but the eating is so much fun.

Passport to Fun

Welcome to 2010 (two thousand ten or twenty ten depending on your ilk) and to a new decade! It feels like there is so much room for quality, resolution making. I usually avoid making official resolutions because they seem to be grandiose gestures with 1 month of follow through. However, yesterday I went for a lovely walk around Town Lake (Lady Bird -- again with the naming issue) and I decided to set down a few basic parameters. These are not as much resolutions as guidelines to push me out the door. It is a tad daunting to share these guidelines with you people since I know you are a bunch of nagging sticklers, but here goes:

1. Go six new places (breweries, countries, state parks, whatever)
   
2. Try 6 new things (DIY, software, cocktail)
   
3. Try 12 new recipes/ dishes (fairly self explanatory)
   

These don't have to be grand adventures, but that definitely counts as well. I can be a bit of a creature of habit. When I know there is something I like, I will return...restaurants, vacations, favorite recipes. But I love the feeling of *new,* so I am hoping to push against my habit-creature within. Examples from 2009 that could have made this list include: my trip to San Miguel de Allende, the inception of Mermindia, and my recipe find for delicious maple-syrup sweetened pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe.

For 2010, I would like to use my passport at least once. The numero dos section is pretty wide open and opportunities could arise in the arenas of crafting, professional development, musica, and beyond. Finally, I'm pretty tired of my dinner/lunch options; hence my desire to expand my cooking repertoire. Recommendations for easy and amazing dinners are always welcome.

Happy You Year! What grand plans do you have in store for You?