retreat

you know what i want to be doing today? waking up to do yoga on a warm beach, having hot coffee as the sun comes up, kayaking through clear blue water with the ever-wandering whales, going for a late afternoon swim, then doing as many sun salutations as it takes with the sand between my toes to put the sun to bed for the night.

i know, i know, i'm very spoiled in the travel department, and my upcoming travels should put my wishful travel bug to rest, but with me, it's the opposite. for every country i visit, three more are added to the list. for every upcoming trip i have, i dream up four more.

and today i'm dreaming about a some-day yoga retreat with my mom. check this one out. eight days and seven nights in baja mexico, filled with everything i just described- plus good food (how did i leave that out earlier?). mmm. yes please.

(have you tired of me using my blog as a place to dream and scheme? if so, my apologies... but i hope it allows you a place to let your mind wander and encourages you to add to your list of "some day i will do this...")

ugh.

work is consuming my life. and it's a drain on my brain in such a way that it leaves no synapsys free for creative, non-work endeavors. sad. i suffer, you suffer, the creative world suffers. a lose-lose-lose situation if i ever saw one.

but, there are certain things that help me make it through the day:

lemon yogurt. at 3pm, it doesn't get much more refreshing or energy-boosting.

the thought of gathering with friends i've had for more than half my life to eat this food and drink this beer tonight.

knowing that in fourteen short days i'll be basking in these temperatures.

the fact that even monkeys share my sentiment.

inaugurate

introducing Mad Libs for political geeks. click here to generate your very own speech for tomorrow's big event...

Barack Obama's Inauguration Speech

My fellow Americans, today is a beautiful day. You have shown the world that "hope" is not just another word for "man", and that "change" is not only something we can believe in again, but something we can actually kick.

Today we celebrate, but let there be no mistake – America faces silly and foreign challenges like never before. Our economy is gutsy. Americans can barely afford their mortgages, let alone have enough money left over for ferrets. Our healthcare system is disgusting. If your spleen is sick and you don't have insurance, you might as well call a astronaut. And America's image overseas is tarnished like a dryer lint ear wax. But screaming together we can right this ship, and set a course for Lebanon.

Finally, I must thank my surly family, my furious campaign volunteers, but most of all, I want to thank knuckleheads for making this historic occasion possible. Of course, I must also thank you, President Bush, for years of spelunking the American people. Without your saucy efforts, none of this would have been possible.

(Post your brilliant speech in our community message forum and it might get featured on Atom.com. )

at last

friday. the most delicious word in the world of work. sixty-three hours of freedom ahead. and oh, what shall i fill those precious hours with?

- practice candlelight flow yoga
- get lost in planet earth
- attend a saturday-night monster truck jam
- play futbol
- sleep
- read
- eat

thief

i try to avoid recycling other bloggers' posts, but this one was too good. it's been nagging at me for days, and i think my friend will understand. i stole it.

letters to crushes! what a fantastic (and self-explanatory) site. giddy, silly, warm, tough, pure. good stuff my friends. i'm warning you though- don't venture here unless you have at least twenty minutes to spare...


silly boy,

If I wasn’t so shy I would have kissed you last night. I would have grabbed your hand and kissed you a hundred times, one for every time you made me laugh.

— still smiling



bookstore boy,

I want so badly to tell you my name. I want you to know everything about me. I feel that maybe you would understand.Your name tag says ‘Talk to me about Fiction’. I want to hold your hand.

— that girl



B.,

Sometimes, I wish you didn’t have such an awesome beard. It takes up most of my thoughts during the daytime. Y’know, when I should be working and junk?

— M.



boy on the subway,

I hope you don’t give everyone that smile. Even if you do, I will continue to believe it was just for me.

— anonymous



you,

you put the maze in amazing. and i am lost in you.

— me



you,

I only allow you to mess up my hair because I like you. I only allow you to steal my french fries because I like you. I only allow you to make fun of me because I like you.
I like you. Too, too much.
Let’s cut paper snowflakes and play Jenga all night forever.

— me



j,

It may sound pathetic, but going just one night without hearing your voice before I go to sleep makes my heart ache.

— c

wendy's studio

my hometown of austin isn't the prettiest place you'll ever stumble upon. the city's main street (it's not big enough to have a downtown) has sadly lost a lot of its character over the years as its beautiful old brick buildings have been covered up with cheap, modern storefronts. however, a little "character restoration" is in the works, and the spine-tingling possibility of austin reemerging as the shining gem it once was looms.

aside from needing a facelift, austin isn't really known for its fine arts scene (i'm making a great case for the town, aren't i?) but a small one does exist. and, i'm lucky enough that my mom is included in that scene (she's a part-time artist). being an artist, she has some artist friends, and artists need studios. well, lucky for them, behind ugly siding often lies opportunity... which is exactly what my mom's friend wendy found.

above an empty storefront (one of the first to undergo restoration) is an incredible old loft with wood floors and high ceilings. it would need a lot of work to be fit for living, but it's perfect for an art studio (that doubles as a venue for ladies' gatherings and tuesday-night get-aways).

aside from having a great place to paint, wendy's art is beautiful and unique- take note of the texture and depth of her work in the photographs. we swung by for a quick tour over the holidays, and i was in love. i thought her studio was so terrific i found myself saying, "it'd almost be worth moving back to austin to be able to live in a place like this." now that's a bold statement.

sneaky

my apologies

i realize that i promised to come back from the holiday hiatus with endless posts filled with magical ideas, and i have failed. my apologies. my only defenses are a) my work life has been quite busy, and b) planning a trip to a foreign country that i (previously) knew next to nothing about takes much more time and research than i imagined it would. so, in the simple words of david gray, please forgive me. i vow to improve my posting habits, starting now.

a few things that i'm loving at the moment:

sundance catalog's biggest sale of the year- they have some fantastic jewelry and boots for incredibly reasonable prices. i may or may not have purchased some items from the aforementioned categories.

sarah pinto's 2009 weekly planners. if you haven't already purchased something to help keep your life organized for the next 52 (now 51) weeks, may i suggest one of these fabulous little items.

a little flair for your place of habitation from the poster list. funky, unique and fantastic, these posters are a great way to spice up a blank wall.

booked

in just 29 short days, my favorite travel companion and i will be headed to costa rica for ten full days of beaches, rainforests, sunsets, adventures and relaxation.

i'm only telling you this because i can't contain my excitement over the photographic and culinary fodder that will be attained...

holiday warmth

shared snippets of holiday warmth for a bitter january night.

obsessed

oh neko, where have you been for the past 23 years?

into 2009

happy new year and hello again. funny how my fingers started to itch, being away from my rambling spot... and now that i'm back, they're a little type-shy. i think an easing-in is in order, in the form of things i aspire to do, to be, to feel, to see, in the year of 2009.

do
- paint my bedroom walls
- teach english
- take a class in photography
- listen
- write more hand-written notes
- paint with oils
- worry less
- cook more
- use kinder words
- eat my vitamins
- follow my heart, every day
- write

be
- more understanding
- happy with what i have
- slow to judge
- thankful
- more thoughtful
- less controlling
- patient
- at peace

feel
- love
- forgiveness
- unrestricted
- sand between my toes
- contentment
- rain on my running legs
- unfiltered joy
- empathy

see
- a foreign city i've yet to explore
- a sunrise
- my brother, before november
- what i can do when i set my mind to it
- old friends
- the good in every person