Today, I am grateful for….
1. Jessica giving me a ride to work even though I didn’t expect one
2. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
3. The Porter interception not getting old yet
4. Discovering that I have more money than expected
5. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
6. Balvenie Doublewood
7. Discovering the Greg Fitzsimmons podcast
8. All these podcasts that pick up the slack when I get tired of Sirius
9. Nissan not charging me for fixing a slight alignment issue
10. The great positive feedback we got from Corporate
11. Free steak at work today
12. The fantastic chicken from Texas Roadhouse of all places
13. Moore’s Family pork
14. Not worrying about running out of firewood
15. A warm fire going on a cold night
16. Paul Kahane
17. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
18. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
19. Bob McGinn’s Super Bowl book
20. How cute Jessica looks in her purple winter jacket
21. Relearning that sometimes things go wrong and there’s no one to blame even myself
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Seeing Saints DC Gregg Williams evolve even at his age
24. Drinking on a weeknight
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Watching The Fugitive for the first time since moving to the Midwest
27. How rewatchable The Fugitive is
28. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
29. Things chugging along
30. Consensus building at work
31. DVR
32. The cookie that Jessica left me
33. Sky Cake!
34. Jessica finally being home
35. Long Slavic names
36. Hoisin sauce
37. The sheer number of good beer available here
38. Job security
39. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
40. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
41. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
42. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
43. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
44. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
45. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
46. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
47. Adam Carolla podcast
48. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
49. Reconnecting with old friends
50. Breathing
51. Any form of nuanced thinking
52. Clean sweats to lounge around in
53. Keeping my cynicism in check
54. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
55. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
56. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
57. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
58. Foreign languages
59. Life forcing me to multitask
60. Anthony Bourdain
61. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
62. Tiki
63. My smart and talented friends old and new
64. My increasingly reliable intuition
65. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
66. The music playing in my head – Mahler Third Symphony
67. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
68. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
69. This computer stand from Ikea
70. Jessica's cute faces
71. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
72. How good of a listener Jessica can be
73. Google Wave
74. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
75. Bill Simmons
76. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
77. My new Ted Baker glasses
78. The moktak that my mom sent me
79. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
80. How good cracking various joints feel
81. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
82. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
83. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
84. Everything I have yet to learn
85. My passion for music slowly returning
86. Our Simmons Beautyrest
87. My cautious optimism
88. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
89. Jessica's hourglass figure
90. Memories, good and bad
91. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
92. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
93. Sensodyne
94. Free floss from the dentist
95. My orthotics
96. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
97. Having hope
98. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
99. A new day
100. Completing my eighth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – Nothing today
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
February 9, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Jessica giving me a ride to work in the snow
2. The unexpected Simmons post mortem podcast
3. How consistently great interviews with old pro wrestlers are
4. A post Super Bowl Disney commercial giving me the chills for the first time in a while
5. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
6. The law of averages catching up with rookie head coach Jim Caldwell
7. Discovering the Greg Fitzsimmons podcast
8. Sirius Satellite Radio helping me get through the work day faster
9. All these podcasts that pick up the slack when I get tired of Sirius
10. How silly and amusing Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was
11. Louis CK
12. How good the leftover pork sauce was over linguine
13. The snow not ruining my work day
14. 12 grain bread
15. Not worrying about running out of firewood
16. How fun it is keeping a fire going
17. His to do list at work being half as long at the end of the day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. Bob McGinn’s Super Bowl book
21. How cute Jessica looks in her purple winter jacket
22. Bill Murray’s transformation
23. His stereo amplifier finally being fixed
24. Seeing Saints DC Gregg Williams evolve even at his age
25. Hampton Inn commercials
26. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
27. How photogenic Chicago is at night
28. Hollywood week
29. Noscript.net
30. The ability to read the New York Times on my phone
31. Clever reinterpretations of pop songs
32. DVR
33. How overrated anger is
34. My renewed love for chips and salsa
35. The guitarist on Idol using scordatura tuning
36. The sheer number of good beer available here
37. Job security
38. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
39. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
40. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
41. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
42. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
43. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
44. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
45. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
46. Adam Carolla podcast
47. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
48. Reconnecting with old friends
49. Breathing
50. Any form of nuanced thinking
51. Clean sweats to lounge around in
52. Keeping my cynicism in check
53. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
54. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
55. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
56. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
57. Foreign languages
58. Life forcing me to multitask
59. Anthony Bourdain
60. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
61. Tiki
62. My smart and talented friends old and new
63. My increasingly reliable intuition
64. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
65. The music playing in my head – still the Who Dat chant
66. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
67. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
68. This computer stand from Ikea
69. Old Time Meat and Deli
70. Jessica's cute faces
71. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
72. How good of a listener Jessica can be
73. Google Wave
74. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
75. Bill Simmons
76. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
77. My new Ted Baker glasses
78. The moktak that my mom sent me
79. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
80. How good cracking various joints feel
81. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
82. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
83. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
84. Everything I have yet to learn
85. My passion for music slowly returning
86. Our Simmons Beautyrest
87. My cautious optimism
88. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
89. Jessica's hourglass figure
90. Memories, good and bad
91. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
92. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
93. Sensodyne
94. Free floss from the dentist
95. My orthotics
96. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
97. Having hope
98. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
99. A new day
100. Completing my seventh post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – I have moved the recurring items to the bottom in order to make it easier to read. I now realize that the metta affirmations are not created equally. Eariler, I had placed the same expectation on each of them. If some of these wishes aren’t granted immediately, I should be patient. Not quite ready to move to a new object of my metta meditation.
1. Jessica giving me a ride to work in the snow
2. The unexpected Simmons post mortem podcast
3. How consistently great interviews with old pro wrestlers are
4. A post Super Bowl Disney commercial giving me the chills for the first time in a while
5. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
6. The law of averages catching up with rookie head coach Jim Caldwell
7. Discovering the Greg Fitzsimmons podcast
8. Sirius Satellite Radio helping me get through the work day faster
9. All these podcasts that pick up the slack when I get tired of Sirius
10. How silly and amusing Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was
11. Louis CK
12. How good the leftover pork sauce was over linguine
13. The snow not ruining my work day
14. 12 grain bread
15. Not worrying about running out of firewood
16. How fun it is keeping a fire going
17. His to do list at work being half as long at the end of the day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. Bob McGinn’s Super Bowl book
21. How cute Jessica looks in her purple winter jacket
22. Bill Murray’s transformation
23. His stereo amplifier finally being fixed
24. Seeing Saints DC Gregg Williams evolve even at his age
25. Hampton Inn commercials
26. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
27. How photogenic Chicago is at night
28. Hollywood week
29. Noscript.net
30. The ability to read the New York Times on my phone
31. Clever reinterpretations of pop songs
32. DVR
33. How overrated anger is
34. My renewed love for chips and salsa
35. The guitarist on Idol using scordatura tuning
36. The sheer number of good beer available here
37. Job security
38. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
39. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
40. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
41. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
42. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
43. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
44. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
45. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
46. Adam Carolla podcast
47. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
48. Reconnecting with old friends
49. Breathing
50. Any form of nuanced thinking
51. Clean sweats to lounge around in
52. Keeping my cynicism in check
53. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
54. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
55. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
56. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
57. Foreign languages
58. Life forcing me to multitask
59. Anthony Bourdain
60. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
61. Tiki
62. My smart and talented friends old and new
63. My increasingly reliable intuition
64. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
65. The music playing in my head – still the Who Dat chant
66. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
67. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
68. This computer stand from Ikea
69. Old Time Meat and Deli
70. Jessica's cute faces
71. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
72. How good of a listener Jessica can be
73. Google Wave
74. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
75. Bill Simmons
76. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
77. My new Ted Baker glasses
78. The moktak that my mom sent me
79. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
80. How good cracking various joints feel
81. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
82. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
83. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
84. Everything I have yet to learn
85. My passion for music slowly returning
86. Our Simmons Beautyrest
87. My cautious optimism
88. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
89. Jessica's hourglass figure
90. Memories, good and bad
91. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
92. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
93. Sensodyne
94. Free floss from the dentist
95. My orthotics
96. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
97. Having hope
98. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
99. A new day
100. Completing my seventh post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – I have moved the recurring items to the bottom in order to make it easier to read. I now realize that the metta affirmations are not created equally. Eariler, I had placed the same expectation on each of them. If some of these wishes aren’t granted immediately, I should be patient. Not quite ready to move to a new object of my metta meditation.
Monday, February 8, 2010
February 8, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. The sudden resurrection of the Peyton Manning Face!
11. Ralph Garman’s Arnold impersonation
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. How delicious the palette de porc a la biere from the Les Halles cookbook came out
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. My health
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Not being a betting man
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. A wonderfully productive meeting with Paul
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Adam Schein’s opening monologue
29. An even more hilarious than usual No Reservations
30. Belichick not drafting Rey Maualuga
31. Finding yet another podcast I can follow at work
32. Dana Gould
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. How awesome the Super Bowl was
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – The Who Dat? Chant
40. Our roaring fireplace
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. The pork sauce poured over cous cous
43. Finally getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. How fast my new computer is
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Corkscrew Wine Emporium
50. Brunshing the rust off of my fire tending skills
51. My Isotoner slippers
52. My new favorite fast food burger – jalapeno thickburger
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. Comedy Central’s power hour
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. Some important upcoming meetings
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. The snow not being as nearly as bad as everyone thought
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. Not having to listen to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman last night
72. Fart jokes told by smart people
73. Finally settling on a new browser
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Allowing myself to not care so much when needed
78. My rejuvenated reading mojo
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. How easy it is to find good beer
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The several unintended benefits of using my earbuds at work
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A great ride to work
100. Completing my sixth post
Object of my metta practice – myself
Reflection of the Day – Took the weekend off. Nothing new other than what’s listed above.
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. The sudden resurrection of the Peyton Manning Face!
11. Ralph Garman’s Arnold impersonation
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. How delicious the palette de porc a la biere from the Les Halles cookbook came out
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. My health
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Not being a betting man
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. A wonderfully productive meeting with Paul
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Adam Schein’s opening monologue
29. An even more hilarious than usual No Reservations
30. Belichick not drafting Rey Maualuga
31. Finding yet another podcast I can follow at work
32. Dana Gould
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. How awesome the Super Bowl was
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – The Who Dat? Chant
40. Our roaring fireplace
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. The pork sauce poured over cous cous
43. Finally getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. How fast my new computer is
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Corkscrew Wine Emporium
50. Brunshing the rust off of my fire tending skills
51. My Isotoner slippers
52. My new favorite fast food burger – jalapeno thickburger
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. Comedy Central’s power hour
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. Some important upcoming meetings
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. The snow not being as nearly as bad as everyone thought
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. Not having to listen to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman last night
72. Fart jokes told by smart people
73. Finally settling on a new browser
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Allowing myself to not care so much when needed
78. My rejuvenated reading mojo
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. How easy it is to find good beer
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The several unintended benefits of using my earbuds at work
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A great ride to work
100. Completing my sixth post
Object of my metta practice – myself
Reflection of the Day – Took the weekend off. Nothing new other than what’s listed above.
February 5, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. Friday!
11. Mike Lombardi
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. Day old braised pork chops
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. My health
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Not being a betting man
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. A wonderfully productive meeting with Paul
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Jeff Ross’ unique brand of humor
29. Anthony Bourdain
30. A more festive than usual Spider and Hench Podcast
31. The touching Bald Bryan fund raiser
32. Dana Gould
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. Larry Miller’s surprisingly good stand up act
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – Miles Davis “Solar”
40. Comedy Central Roasts
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. Old Time Meat and Deli’s pulled pork
43. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. Our cable and internet being back on
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Corkscrew Wine Emporium
50. Today being a better day than 11 years ago
51. My Isotoner slippers
52. Meetings where drinking is allowed
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. Not feeling compelled to search a thesaurus for a replacement for surprising
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. Some important upcoming meetings
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. The snow not being as nearly as bad as everyone thought
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. How much more enjoyable The Bodyguard is when you convince yourself that it’s a thriller not a romance
72. Fart jokes told by smart people
73. Any browser better than Safari
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Allowing myself to not care so much when needed
78. My rejuvenated reading mojo
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. The Blind Pig Brewery
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The several unintended benefits of using my earbuds at work
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my fifth post
Object of my metta practice – n/a
Reflection of the Day – I didn’t get around to meditating today. I had an important meeting today where I was self conscious about how I would act in it. I still feel like I have a long way to go in terms of this attitude adjustment. It went surprisingly (there’s that word again) well. Sometimes, I feel silly listing some of this stuff. The list at times comes across as overly materialistic. I just have to be honest and follow through in this process I guess.
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. Friday!
11. Mike Lombardi
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. Day old braised pork chops
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. My health
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Not being a betting man
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. A wonderfully productive meeting with Paul
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Jeff Ross’ unique brand of humor
29. Anthony Bourdain
30. A more festive than usual Spider and Hench Podcast
31. The touching Bald Bryan fund raiser
32. Dana Gould
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. Larry Miller’s surprisingly good stand up act
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – Miles Davis “Solar”
40. Comedy Central Roasts
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. Old Time Meat and Deli’s pulled pork
43. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. Our cable and internet being back on
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Corkscrew Wine Emporium
50. Today being a better day than 11 years ago
51. My Isotoner slippers
52. Meetings where drinking is allowed
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. Not feeling compelled to search a thesaurus for a replacement for surprising
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. Some important upcoming meetings
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. The snow not being as nearly as bad as everyone thought
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. How much more enjoyable The Bodyguard is when you convince yourself that it’s a thriller not a romance
72. Fart jokes told by smart people
73. Any browser better than Safari
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Allowing myself to not care so much when needed
78. My rejuvenated reading mojo
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. The Blind Pig Brewery
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The several unintended benefits of using my earbuds at work
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my fifth post
Object of my metta practice – n/a
Reflection of the Day – I didn’t get around to meditating today. I had an important meeting today where I was self conscious about how I would act in it. I still feel like I have a long way to go in terms of this attitude adjustment. It went surprisingly (there’s that word again) well. Sometimes, I feel silly listing some of this stuff. The list at times comes across as overly materialistic. I just have to be honest and follow through in this process I guess.
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 4, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. The work week almost being over
11. Spicy Korean soups
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. Day old braised pork chops
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. Clean sweats to lounge around in
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Someone teaching me that vermouth is a great substitute for wine in cooking
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. Still being able to smell the detergent on my sweaty activewear
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Jeff Ross’ unique brand of humor
29. Anthony Bourdain
30. Keynesian economics
31. The surprisingly effective cheap ass Jockey base layer
32. Under Armour
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. Living Colour
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – Dvorak Seventh Symphony
40. Comedy Central Roasts
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
43. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. Our cable and internet being back on
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Men of a Certain Age even though it scares the shit out of me at times
50. Today being a better day than 11 years ago
51. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
52. Bourdain for having creative clip shows
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. How surprisingly amazing of an actor Ray Romano actually is
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. The lingering memories of two great Krannert shows from last week
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. Not seeing any snow yet
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. Wildcats – I am always in the mood to watch this movie
72. Fart jokes told by geniuses like Mozart
73. Any other expert balance between high and low humor
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Having the courage to stand up for myself today
78. Taking advantage of a leadership opportunity thanks to #78
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. Generous return policies
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The enlightening Public Enemy documentary I watched on Youtube
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my fourth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – There are two major branches of Buddhism – Theravada and Mahayana. I follow the Korean Zen tradition which is part of the Mahayana tradition. Theravada is the direct descendent from the first form of the religion that was ever practiced. Its focus is on personal enlightenment. Mahayana focuses on the salvation of all sentient beings.
It took me twenty years to come across metta practice since it only exists in the Theravada tradition. The affirmations that are essential to this form of meditation are built into the Mahayana prayers which make this practice obsolete and redundant. I first learned about the practice from Jack Kornfield’s book, The Path with Heart. Here, the first meditation that he teaches is metta practice. I found this odd. When I was formally taught this meditation as part of the vipassana meditation course, this was the last meditation taught to us. It made much more sense to me that way. I’ll explain this later.
I was never into prayer much so these affirmations were absent from my practice. After much thought, I decided to give metta practice some serious consideration. Here’s how it’s been going so far. “May I be peaceful and at ease” seems to be the most powerful for me. “Well” and “Happy” are the least effective. Not effective at all would be more accurate. I truly do want to be filled with loving-kindness and I say the first affirmation with serious intent but it’s not quite working. Coming up with the 100 objects have become harder when my tougher days. I’m going try doing the meditation first and then coming up with the list. Let’s see how that turns out. I’ll still continue to post in the same format.
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
10. The work week almost being over
11. Spicy Korean soups
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. Day old braised pork chops
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. Clean sweats to lounge around in
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. Someone teaching me that vermouth is a great substitute for wine in cooking
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. Still being able to smell the detergent on my sweaty activewear
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Jeff Ross’ unique brand of humor
29. Anthony Bourdain
30. Keynesian economics
31. The surprisingly effective cheap ass Jockey base layer
32. Under Armour
33. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
34. Tiki
35. Living Colour
36. My smart and talented friends old and new
37. My increasingly reliable intuition
38. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
39. The music playing in my head – Dvorak Seventh Symphony
40. Comedy Central Roasts
41. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
42. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
43. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
44. This computer stand from Ikea
45. Our cable and internet being back on
46. Old Time Meat and Deli
47. The kitchen still smelling like the dinner I made last night
48. Jessica's cute faces
49. Men of a Certain Age even though it scares the shit out of me at times
50. Today being a better day than 11 years ago
51. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
52. Bourdain for having creative clip shows
53. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
54. How surprisingly amazing of an actor Ray Romano actually is
55. How good of a listener Jessica can be
56. Google Wave
57. The lingering memories of two great Krannert shows from last week
58. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
59. Bill Simmons
60. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
61. My new Ted Baker glasses
62. The moktak that my mom sent me
63. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
64. Not seeing any snow yet
65. How good cracking various joints feel
66. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
67. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
68. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
69. Everything I have yet to learn
70. My passion for music slowly returning
71. Wildcats – I am always in the mood to watch this movie
72. Fart jokes told by geniuses like Mozart
73. Any other expert balance between high and low humor
74. Our Simmons Beautyrest
75. My cautious optimism
76. How my fingers smell after cooking
77. Having the courage to stand up for myself today
78. Taking advantage of a leadership opportunity thanks to #78
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. Generous return policies
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
88. The enlightening Public Enemy documentary I watched on Youtube
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my fourth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – There are two major branches of Buddhism – Theravada and Mahayana. I follow the Korean Zen tradition which is part of the Mahayana tradition. Theravada is the direct descendent from the first form of the religion that was ever practiced. Its focus is on personal enlightenment. Mahayana focuses on the salvation of all sentient beings.
It took me twenty years to come across metta practice since it only exists in the Theravada tradition. The affirmations that are essential to this form of meditation are built into the Mahayana prayers which make this practice obsolete and redundant. I first learned about the practice from Jack Kornfield’s book, The Path with Heart. Here, the first meditation that he teaches is metta practice. I found this odd. When I was formally taught this meditation as part of the vipassana meditation course, this was the last meditation taught to us. It made much more sense to me that way. I’ll explain this later.
I was never into prayer much so these affirmations were absent from my practice. After much thought, I decided to give metta practice some serious consideration. Here’s how it’s been going so far. “May I be peaceful and at ease” seems to be the most powerful for me. “Well” and “Happy” are the least effective. Not effective at all would be more accurate. I truly do want to be filled with loving-kindness and I say the first affirmation with serious intent but it’s not quite working. Coming up with the 100 objects have become harder when my tougher days. I’m going try doing the meditation first and then coming up with the list. Let’s see how that turns out. I’ll still continue to post in the same format.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
February 3, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. Simon Cowell’s smile when he’s pleasantly surprised by an audition
10. Bob Mirakian’s wit and intelligence
11. Drinking on a weeknight
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. The wonders of braising
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. Soon dubu jigae
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. The pectin in carnaroli rice
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. Anonymous surveys
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. The juices from reconstituted dried mushrooms
29. Anthony Bourdain!
30. Dal
31. Keynesian economics
32. The surprisingly effective cheap ass Jockey base layer
33. Under Armour
34. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
35. Tiki
36. Living Colour
37. My smart and talented friends old and new
38. My increasingly reliable intuition
39. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
40. The music playing in my head – Brahms Violin Concerto
41. Comedy Central Roasts
42. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
43. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
44. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
45. This computer stand from Ikea
46. The fact that our DVR still works even though our cable doesn’t
47. Old Time Meat and Deli
48. The smell of laundry straight out of the dryer
49. Jessica's cute faces
50. Men of a Certain Age even though it scares the shit out of me at times
51. Hump day
52. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
53. Vanessa Williams redeeming herself after her traumatizing duet with Pavarotti on SNL years ago
54. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
55. How surprisingly amazing of an actor Ray Romano actually is
56. How good of a listener Jessica can be
57. Google Wave
58. Robert Schumann
59. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
60. Bill Simmons
61. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
62. My new Ted Baker glasses
63. The moktak that my mom sent me
64. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
65. Nail clippers
66. How good cracking various joints feel
67. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
68. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
69. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
70. Everything I have yet to learn
71. My passion for music slowly returning
72. Alliteration
73. Fart jokes
74. This week’s Ugly Betty
75. Our Simmons Beautyrest
76. My cautious optimism
77. How my fingers smell after cooking
78. Making it through work without the aid of caffeine
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. Sales
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pesto tortellini Jessica got me for a snack
88. Patton Oswalt's Sky Cake sketch
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my third post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – I had a really really tough day at work yesterday. When I first learned about metta practice, I was warned that at times, reciting these affirmations can seem mechanical. That’s exactly what it felt like. Only the “peaceful and at ease” part seemed to have helped. My body instantly relaxed after the first time I said it. The 100 was especially tough. I almost thought of just putting “Jessica x 100” because besides her support and empathy, I didn’t have much to go on. I ended up combining the past two days into one. Whoops….
1. Job security
2. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. Simon Cowell’s smile when he’s pleasantly surprised by an audition
10. Bob Mirakian’s wit and intelligence
11. Drinking on a weeknight
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. The wonders of braising
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. Soon dubu jigae
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. The pectin in carnaroli rice
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Foreign languages
26. Anonymous surveys
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. The juices from reconstituted dried mushrooms
29. Anthony Bourdain!
30. Dal
31. Keynesian economics
32. The surprisingly effective cheap ass Jockey base layer
33. Under Armour
34. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
35. Tiki
36. Living Colour
37. My smart and talented friends old and new
38. My increasingly reliable intuition
39. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
40. The music playing in my head – Brahms Violin Concerto
41. Comedy Central Roasts
42. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
43. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
44. Not getting caught up by Super Bowl hype
45. This computer stand from Ikea
46. The fact that our DVR still works even though our cable doesn’t
47. Old Time Meat and Deli
48. The smell of laundry straight out of the dryer
49. Jessica's cute faces
50. Men of a Certain Age even though it scares the shit out of me at times
51. Hump day
52. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
53. Vanessa Williams redeeming herself after her traumatizing duet with Pavarotti on SNL years ago
54. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
55. How surprisingly amazing of an actor Ray Romano actually is
56. How good of a listener Jessica can be
57. Google Wave
58. Robert Schumann
59. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
60. Bill Simmons
61. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
62. My new Ted Baker glasses
63. The moktak that my mom sent me
64. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
65. Nail clippers
66. How good cracking various joints feel
67. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
68. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
69. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
70. Everything I have yet to learn
71. My passion for music slowly returning
72. Alliteration
73. Fart jokes
74. This week’s Ugly Betty
75. Our Simmons Beautyrest
76. My cautious optimism
77. How my fingers smell after cooking
78. Making it through work without the aid of caffeine
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work
81. Sales
82. The new cafeteria service at work
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Memories, good and bad
87. The pesto tortellini Jessica got me for a snack
88. Patton Oswalt's Sky Cake sketch
89. My desire to seek out the positve in my life
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
95. Having hope
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. A new day
100. Completing my third post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – I had a really really tough day at work yesterday. When I first learned about metta practice, I was warned that at times, reciting these affirmations can seem mechanical. That’s exactly what it felt like. Only the “peaceful and at ease” part seemed to have helped. My body instantly relaxed after the first time I said it. The 100 was especially tough. I almost thought of just putting “Jessica x 100” because besides her support and empathy, I didn’t have much to go on. I ended up combining the past two days into one. Whoops….
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 1, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Job security
2. Great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
3. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
4. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
5. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
6. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
7. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
8. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
9. Worst Cooks in America – my one reality tv indulgence in schadenfreude
10. My down to earth chiropractor
11. How fast and easy installing MS Office was on my new computer
12. Adam Carolla podcast
13. Ralph Garman’s impersonation of Arnold Schwartzanegger
14. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
15. Reconnecting with old friends
16. Breathing
17. Any form of nuanced thinking
18. Finding all the books I needed at the library
19. Keeping my cynicism in check
20. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
21. KFC value meals
22. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams
23. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
24. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
25. Chris Rock’s jokes from the presidential campaign
26. A slower than usual day at work
27. Life forcing me to multitask
28. Just how effective my first day of metta meditation was
29. Anthony Bourdain!
30. For bagels from Stewart’s Artisanal Breads
31. Keynesian economics
32. The Muppets Disney commercial
33. Under Armour
34. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
35. Tiki
36. Schnuck’s having surprisingly fresh seafood for once
37. My smart and talented friends old and new
38. My increasingly reliable intuition
39. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
40. The music playing in my head – Sibelius Fifth Symphony
41. Dave Chappelle
42. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
43. An unseasonably warm day today
44. A team in the Super Bowl he can actually root for
45. This computer stand from Ikea
46. DVR – what would we have done without it?
47. Cathedral ceilings
48. The Wire
49. Jessica's cute faces
50. U of I Webstore
51. Space heaters
52. Owning a month’s worth of underwear thanks to Jessica
53. GQ making fun of annoying Facebook profiles
54. Random Boston jokes on 30 Rock
55. The insightful and heartfelt speeches given by the Rothsteins at their son's bris
56. Lady Gaga - only when performing live
57. Google Wave
58. Robert Schumann
59. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
60. Bill Simmons
61. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
62. My new Ted Baker glasses
63. The moktak that my mom sent me
64. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
65. Nail clippers
66. How good cracking various joints feel
67. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
68. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
69. The fact that my seasonal excema is finally subsiding
70. Everything I have yet to learn
71. The Three R’s of Zinfandel: Rosenblum
72. Ravenswood
73. Ridge
74. Celtics rebounding from a tough loss
75. Our Simmons Beautyrest
76. My cautious optimism
77. Not having seen more than five minutes of Jersey Shore
78. Making it through work without the aid of caffeine
79. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
80. The Tanzanian Peaberry waiting for me at work tomorrow
81. Sales
82. Quarters
83. The cute names Jessica used for the alarms on my Palm Treo
84. Our various French Presses
85. Jessica's hourglass figure
86. Nuts
87. Clementines
88. Patton Oswalt's Sky Cake sketch
89. How ridiculously comfortable Johnston and Murphy shoes are
90. Sensodyne
91. Free floss from the dentist
92. Orthotics
93. Finally having a clean office
94. Having several great libraries in the area
95. My brother's success in life and career
96. The pajamas that Jessica bought me
97. My Brandeis BPA free Nalgene bottle
98. Spooning
99. Getting enough sleep for a work day
100. Completing my second post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – Here’s some background on the Jewish practice of meah brachot. Depending on who you ask, this tradition comes from Moses or King David. Blessings in Judaism follow a very strict formula - specific prayers for specific moments or experiences one encounters. There are blessings for just about every ritual, every major milestone in life and then there’s a final group. One of my old professors, Rabbi Reuven Kimmelman explained this group as follows - There is a brachah for every sensual experience permitted by Jewish Law.
As you can see that I have repeated several from yesterday. Many of the blessings in Judaism are said daily or several times a day even. As long as I reflected on a particular object of my gratitude, I’ll reinclude it. I was struck at how effective my first day was. Jessica was having a particularly rough day and I found myself showing a lot more patience than I’ve normally been exhibiting in these situations.
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