Breathe Deep, Seek Peace

1:00am: Business of Being Born
As some of you know, in this past year I have become a doula and midwife assistant.  The midwife I work with is showing the documentary "The Business of Being Born" this coming Saturday, July 12th at 7pm.

If you are interested in coming or know of someone who would be interested in seeing this movie, let me know!  For those that are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you get to meet the midwives and see the birth center as well :)

Here is a link to the movies site:  http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/
Synopsis:

Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.

Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.

The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.

Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

8:09pm: Final Fantasy
I want to see him
at the Troubadour
This Sun night.
Anyone else in?

9:46pm: Here's a Vicodin tip...
Here's the trick to getting vicodin, if you find yourself in pain, at the ER.... don't drive yourself.

7:43am: Congratulations!
Today, one of my best friends is graduating from graduate school.  I am so proud of her. Congratuations RS!!!

**

One of my other best friends in graduate school is offering a free workshop (for women) on "Bring Your Sexy Back!"
 on June 9th in San Francisco.  From the flyer:

Have you been stuck in a rut and feel like its time to rediscover yourself? 
Are you newly single and desire to re-invent yourself?
Want to enliven and spice up your existing relationship? 
Have your kids recently left home or started school and it’s now time to focus on you? 
·    Discover the 4 provocative dimensions of SEXY and how to fully inhabit each
·    Invite sexiness back into your life and relationships
·    Awaken all of your senses and embrace your passion
·    Come away with ideas and a plan of action to make this your sexiest year ever!
This FREE workshop is designed to inspire women to reframe SEXY into an internally driven feeling that serves as a tool for personal growth and fulfillment.

If you are interested in going, let me know and I will forward you her contact info!

Have a great day today!

8:50pm: Random
The Hostile New Age TakeOver!

***
Hank Hill: Bobby, Are those oven mitts?
Peggy Hill: Hank, this is not what it looks like.
Bobbie Hill: Dad, I’m just gonna come right out and say it… I’ve baked a cake.
Hank Hill: What??? No…
Bobbie Hill: I think cooking is something I can be good at. It’s like Shop, but when you’re done, you get to lick your tools.
Hank Hill: Shop is nothing like baking. You can’t live inside a cake you’ve built. You can’t cut your finger off with a pasty bag.

12:53pm: Here's to you...
Why Geeks Make Better Lovers...

Agree or Disagree?

7:58am: Some Days
Today was a particularly rough day for DJ as his basketball team lost, 70 to 19.  Basketball is not DJ’s favorite sport, and being in a very small school and the tallest kid, he knew his schoolmates needed him, so he decided to play.  Plus he likes the physicality, competitiveness and teamwork required.  

As a parent, the game was painful to watch (cringe!)  Afterwards DJ went over to the other teams coach and congratulated him on a good game.  This, more than his sport performance, surprises me and makes me proud of him.  It is something I noticed he started doing since the season started.  No one told him to do this.  No one has done it before in the past and he is not even the team captain.  It was simply in his nature.  Wow.

As we were leaving, I could see DJ was pissed.  His breathing was fast, his lips pursed, jaw clenched.  He was pissed because he felt the referees were biased and did not call a lot of the fouls the other team made.  Now, I can imagine if you are playing the game it might seem that way, but I have to agree with DJ in this.  Even I could see the fouls not being called. Basketball is not meant to be a contact sport with holding.

On the way home, I decided to make him happy.  We stopped at In-N-Out.  Some days it is OK to ease your feelings with food. 

9:41am: No Junk Offers in 2007
Get rid of junk mail offers for credit cards and insurance.
 Opt Out Now!

9:28pm: Truth and Beauty!
I do a New Year Card about once every 3-4 years. Since the last one, it just seems wasteful and old fashioned to make and mail a card.
When one's lifestyle is living with less stuff, especially paper, it is kind of insincere to force a paper card onto others.
Thus, here is the digital version!

( Happy New Year! )

9:32am: Amaryllis Bulbs for Sale
DJ’s class is selling these Amaryllis Bulbs in glass vases, pictured below for $30. Proceeds go towards their class trip to Costa Rica in June of next year.

Besides those vases shown there is a cylindrical one. If you would like to get one for yourself or as a gift for someone else, let me know asap. Local to LA please… not shipping these.

All you do is keep water in it to the bulb root line.






Becomes this:

8:48am: Celebrity Look Alikes
Highjacked from johntchoe... warning, you will have to 'Sign Up'
( Oh... and I don't particulary care for these photos of myself, but that is neither here nor there )

8:23am: June 6th is Gubernatorial Primary Election:
There are 2 state measures, 81 and 82.
Vote 'NO' on both.

10:20pm: Convertible randomness
Convertible
** I’m pretty certain that I like the new Dodge Charger more than the new Ford Mustang. While a [as of yet, non-existent] Dodge Charger convertible is tempting… I would really like a hardtop hybrid convertible. Currently, none exist, so I wait.

Randomness
** Japanese archade game… it’s just a different culture there folks.

** In a country where few people have clothes dryers, yes…the Japanese again… They have a preoccupation with laundry and getting wrinkles out of clothing and folding it too. You have probably seen this. If you have ever worked at Gap, please tell me, did they ever make you watch and learn?

** These pictures were taken on the day they were testing the new firefighting foam system in a jet hanger.

** Cute animated short about taking a trip on an airplane. It is very well done

That's all for now!

6:13pm: I'm pregnant.

8:18pm: Geeky Finance Stuff
Which one is cooler?
Interest Rate Calculator
or
Mutual Expense Analyzer

And two finance blogs:
My Open Wallet A mid 30's single female New Yorker. Witty, funny, Check out her 'rules'
PFBlog A blogger trying to reach $1million by 2016.

9:51pm: Update: Part One
So I have been fairly absent from posting. Mainly because I get caught up with real life.
This is a long one and from last year when I started growing my hair back in and went to Greece/Italy with BRKVW.
Part Two to come soon. [she says]...
Enjoy!

7:50pm: Big Love
http://www.hbo.com/events/biglove/
Watch the preview clip.
They are doing the 'Utah' version.
Maybe next season they will do the urban/modern version.

7:41pm: Knitting anyone?
Anyone interested in getting together this Friday afternoon/evening to knit?

12:40am: Birthday Party
This is from back in August.
Lots of pictures. Thank you to everyone who came and especially to RadiantSun for the planning. I had a smile on my face for days afterwards.
Surprise!

10:57pm: Summer Review
Yeah, yeah, yeah... It's been a while.
Ahh.... I'm busy... Ahhh... I'm old
My goal is to post something every night this week, to get caught up.
This post is a DJ centric summer review.
A Simple Summer
With Some Simple Milestones
September 1, 2005
"Summer ended with a lot of non-self-generated-drama. Whether self-generated or not, life is drama isn’t it? Life is messy, sticky, bloody, saying good-bye. Life is saying hello, another breath, and another day to live and love."

11:08pm: What to name my Signature Drink...
So… I have been busy. Will be filling in the past. Here is a quick post from July about Signature Drinks.
July 31, 2005

10:53am: Things I Wish I Knew at 13!
Thank you for all the heartfelt comments regarding Thor. When I think about him now, I smile and feel warmth in my chest.

I’ve returned from Greece and Italy, [which I will post about later, with pictures!] and due to some things going on have had to allocate time to putting DJ’s Book together back a week or two.

So, this means you still have time to send me something! :)
Quite a few people have emailed me their submissions leaving the paper, font, layout, etc choices to me. It could be an option for you too!

Here are the specs again, in case you are printing your submission. Contact me so we can arrange a pick up.

SPECS
· Layout will be ‘Portrait’
· Use 8½ x 11 inch paper
· Leave a 1½ inch border on left side of page or any side that will be in the center of the book
· Leave the back of your last page blank
· Do not number your pages
· Add by-line at the end
· No card stock
· Use glue sticks for any gluing

I would like everything by October 18th, 2005.

If you have already submitted… a super big Thank you!

9:05pm: September 6, 2005
Thor

8:20pm: Big Book of Advice!
Just a reminder to get started, if you haven’t already, on your submission for DJ’s custom book: Life: How To Be… Things I Wish I Knew At 13! New Deadline [as I will be out of town] is October 1, 2005.

You can write about your own life, make a list of things to do or not to do, write a poem, an essay, a comic strip, a letter, Q&A style, collage, photos, hand drawings, use quotes, etc. It’s up to you. If you find you have more things to say to an ‘18 year old’ than a 13 year old, or that you have general advice about life, not necessarily for a 13-year old… that’s totally acceptable too. In general, I encourage you to be creative.

I am available to help you in any way, to round out your ideas, discuss layout, to edit or proof. Please feel free to call upon me for help.

When putting your submission together, think about the type of paper, color and texture you wish to convey.

Here are the guidelines again. If you don’t have time to print it out, no worries, just email your submission to me and I will print it out.
SPECS
· Layout will be ‘Portrait’
· Use 8½ x 11 inch paper
· Leave a 1½ inch border on left side of page or any side that will be in the center of the book
· Leave the back of your last page blank
· Do not number your pages
· Add by-line at the end
· No card stock
· Use glue sticks for any gluing
· Include a picture or send me an image of yourself [to be returned] As much as possible I would like a picture of you with DJ.
· Submit by October 1, 2005.

Please keep this a secret from DJ whether you submit or not.
If you know of someone to invite to this project, just let them or me know.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you!

5:51pm: Loving it!
I’ve been one month bald…Some thoughts