Today, I am grateful for….
1. Remembering to bring at least one computer on his business trip.
2. Finding a small amount of kona extra fancy beans in the freezer.
3. How far beyond the call of duty our corrugate sales rep goes for us.
4. This crazy and eventful week.
5. My orthotics finally fitting in my favorite shoes.
6. The long battery life on my macbook.
7. The clarity I got from an impromptu fast.
8. Sleeping in.
9. The Miles and Coltrane box set.
10. This red wine from Minervois.
11. Getting a lot done this weekend.
12. An eventful and promising business trip.
13. Bone marrow and parsley.
14. Moving forward with the new website.
15. The Adam Carolla Project.
16. Discovering a new pizza place in town.
17. Being in the mood for a summery beer.
18. Not worrying about running out of firewood
19. Bertoli.
20. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
21. What’s looking like an exciting work week.
22. This month’s Esquire.
23. One less trip he’ll have to go on this year.
24. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed.
25. Warmer weather.
26. The ice slowly melting away.
27. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
28. Water and everything it does.
29. My earbuds at work.
30. A relaxing night with Jessica.
31. Not being tempted to go back to Bacaro so soon.
32. Things chugging along
33. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
34. The possibility of the unknown affecting my life in the near future.
35. DVR
36. The filing that will get done tomorrow night - hopefully.
37. Planning ahead - somewhat.
38. Seeing old friends.
39. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
40. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
41. Being productive.
42. Job security
43. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
44. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
45. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
46. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
47. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
48. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
49. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
50. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
51. Adam Carolla podcast
52. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
53. Old friends.
54. Breathing
55. Any form of nuanced thinking
56. Active wear
57. Keeping my cynicism in check
58. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
59. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Suddenly waking up in Infomercial Hell.
60. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
61. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
62. Foreign languages
63. Life forcing me to multitask
64. Anthony Bourdain
65. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
66. Tiki
67. My smart and talented friends old and new
68. My increasingly reliable intuition
69. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
70. The music playing in my head – Blue Trane
71. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
72. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
73. This computer stand from Ikea
74. Jessica's cute faces
75. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
76. How good of a listener Jessica can be
77. Google Wave
78. Suits that hide my potbelly.
79. Bill Simmons
80. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
81. My new Ted Baker glasses
82. The moktak that my mom sent me
83. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
84. How good cracking various joints feel
85. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
86. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
87. Everything I have yet to learn
88. My passion for music slowly returning
89. Our Simmons Beautyrest
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my fifteenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – I’m still trying to figure out a way for this new devotional routine to be such an integral part of my life that I maintain it even on busy days. There have been some new possibilities in my life that seem to be just over the horizon. Some days this excites me, some days it freaks me out. Just gotta push forward.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 22, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. My chiropractor.
2. A usable office.
3. How far beyond the call of duty our corrugate sales rep goes for us.
4. This crazy and eventful week.
5. The great slow cooker I got at Kohl’s.
6. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
7. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
8. Sleeping in.
9. Dave Navarro’s insightful interview on Greg Fitzsimmons Podcast.
10. Leftovers from Bacaro’s new bar menu.
11. A great tasting and effective protein shake.
12. Finalizing meal plans for my trip.
13. Leaving the TV off yet another day.
14. Deciding on a name for a new website.
15. The youtube clips of comedians dealing with hecklers.
16. Catching up on my finances.
17. A very productive day at work.
18. Not worrying about running out of firewood
19. Jessica bringing home Panera.
20. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
21. All the food related twitter users that I found.
22. This month’s Esquire
23. The tilt function on my computer chair.
24. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
25. Ikea office furniture
26. The ice slowly melting away.
27. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
28. Space heaters.
29. My earbuds at work.
30. Candles and how much they warm up our place.
31. Not being tempted to go out for drinks again
32. Things chugging along
33. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
34. Reliving the USA-Canada game through tweets and status updates.
35. DVR
36. The filing that will someday get done.
37. Planning ahead - somewhat.
38. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
39. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
40. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
41. Being productive.
42. Job security
43. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
44. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
45. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
46. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
47. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
48. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
49. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
50. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
51. Adam Carolla podcast
52. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
53. Old friends.
54. Breathing
55. Any form of nuanced thinking
56. Active wear
57. Keeping my cynicism in check
58. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
59. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
60. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
61. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
62. Foreign languages
63. Life forcing me to multitask
64. Anthony Bourdain
65. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
66. Tiki
67. My smart and talented friends old and new
68. My increasingly reliable intuition
69. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
70. The music playing in my head – Phil Collins
71. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
72. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
73. This computer stand from Ikea
74. Jessica's cute faces
75. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
76. How good of a listener Jessica can be
77. Google Wave
78. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
79. Bill Simmons
80. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
81. My new Ted Baker glasses
82. The moktak that my mom sent me
83. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
84. How good cracking various joints feel
85. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
86. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
87. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
88. Everything I have yet to learn
89. My passion for music slowly returning
90. Our Simmons Beautyrest
91. My cautious optimism
92. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
93. Jessica's hourglass figure
94. Memories, good and bad
95. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
96. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
97. Sensodyne
98. Free floss from the dentist
99. My orthotics
100. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
101. Having hope
102. Completing my fourteenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
1. My chiropractor.
2. A usable office.
3. How far beyond the call of duty our corrugate sales rep goes for us.
4. This crazy and eventful week.
5. The great slow cooker I got at Kohl’s.
6. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
7. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
8. Sleeping in.
9. Dave Navarro’s insightful interview on Greg Fitzsimmons Podcast.
10. Leftovers from Bacaro’s new bar menu.
11. A great tasting and effective protein shake.
12. Finalizing meal plans for my trip.
13. Leaving the TV off yet another day.
14. Deciding on a name for a new website.
15. The youtube clips of comedians dealing with hecklers.
16. Catching up on my finances.
17. A very productive day at work.
18. Not worrying about running out of firewood
19. Jessica bringing home Panera.
20. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
21. All the food related twitter users that I found.
22. This month’s Esquire
23. The tilt function on my computer chair.
24. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
25. Ikea office furniture
26. The ice slowly melting away.
27. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
28. Space heaters.
29. My earbuds at work.
30. Candles and how much they warm up our place.
31. Not being tempted to go out for drinks again
32. Things chugging along
33. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
34. Reliving the USA-Canada game through tweets and status updates.
35. DVR
36. The filing that will someday get done.
37. Planning ahead - somewhat.
38. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
39. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
40. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
41. Being productive.
42. Job security
43. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
44. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
45. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
46. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
47. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
48. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
49. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
50. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
51. Adam Carolla podcast
52. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
53. Old friends.
54. Breathing
55. Any form of nuanced thinking
56. Active wear
57. Keeping my cynicism in check
58. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
59. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
60. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
61. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
62. Foreign languages
63. Life forcing me to multitask
64. Anthony Bourdain
65. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
66. Tiki
67. My smart and talented friends old and new
68. My increasingly reliable intuition
69. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
70. The music playing in my head – Phil Collins
71. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
72. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
73. This computer stand from Ikea
74. Jessica's cute faces
75. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
76. How good of a listener Jessica can be
77. Google Wave
78. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
79. Bill Simmons
80. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
81. My new Ted Baker glasses
82. The moktak that my mom sent me
83. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
84. How good cracking various joints feel
85. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
86. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
87. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
88. Everything I have yet to learn
89. My passion for music slowly returning
90. Our Simmons Beautyrest
91. My cautious optimism
92. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
93. Jessica's hourglass figure
94. Memories, good and bad
95. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
96. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
97. Sensodyne
98. Free floss from the dentist
99. My orthotics
100. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
101. Having hope
102. Completing my fourteenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
February 21, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Having a clean apartment.
2. A usable office.
3. Our cashier at Kohl’s who honored our 30% coupon three days after it expired.
4. Slowly pulling my life together.
5. The great slow cooker I got at Kohl’s.
6. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
7. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
8. Sleeping in.
9. Organic mac and cheese.
10. Bacaro’s new bar menu – awesome
11. Bacaro’s house cured reuben with Wagyu beef
12. A $50 Barbaresco to wash down the reuben.
13. Leaving the TV off yet another day.
14. Truffle fries.
15. Bacaro’s kitchen bringing us some wonderful aioli for the truffle fries.
16. Catching up on my finances.
17. My relatively newfound appreciation of pork.
18. Not worrying about running out of firewood
19. The kind and funny gentleman at Goodwill.
20. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
21. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
22. This month’s Esquire
23. Direct Deposit
24. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
25. Ikea office furniture
26. Patton Oswalt’s sketch on Stella Dora breakfast treats.
27. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
28. Not doing any work today.
29. The surprisingly delicious and perfect Stromboli from Sbarro.
30. Amazon where I just found the obscure cooking tools that I’ve been searching for for many years now..
31. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
32. Things chugging along
33. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
34. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
35. DVR
36. Balvenie Double Wood.
37. Planning ahead - somewhat.
38. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
39. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
40. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
41. Being productive.
42. Job security
43. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
44. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
45. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
46. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
47. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
48. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
49. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
50. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
51. Adam Carolla podcast
52. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
53. Old friends.
54. Breathing
55. Any form of nuanced thinking
56. Active wear
57. Keeping my cynicism in check
58. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
59. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
60. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
61. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
62. Foreign languages
63. Life forcing me to multitask
64. Anthony Bourdain
65. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
66. Tiki
67. My smart and talented friends old and new
68. My increasingly reliable intuition
69. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
70. The music playing in my head – NWA
71. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
72. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
73. This computer stand from Ikea
74. Jessica's cute faces
75. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
76. How good of a listener Jessica can be
77. Google Wave
78. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
79. Bill Simmons
80. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
81. My new Ted Baker glasses
82. The moktak that my mom sent me
83. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
84. How good cracking various joints feel
85. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
86. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
87. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
88. Everything I have yet to learn
89. My passion for music slowly returning
90. Our Simmons Beautyrest
91. My cautious optimism
92. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
93. Jessica's hourglass figure
94. Memories, good and bad
95. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
96. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
97. Sensodyne
98. Free floss from the dentist
99. My orthotics
100. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
101. Having hope
102. Completing my thirteenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
1. Having a clean apartment.
2. A usable office.
3. Our cashier at Kohl’s who honored our 30% coupon three days after it expired.
4. Slowly pulling my life together.
5. The great slow cooker I got at Kohl’s.
6. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
7. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
8. Sleeping in.
9. Organic mac and cheese.
10. Bacaro’s new bar menu – awesome
11. Bacaro’s house cured reuben with Wagyu beef
12. A $50 Barbaresco to wash down the reuben.
13. Leaving the TV off yet another day.
14. Truffle fries.
15. Bacaro’s kitchen bringing us some wonderful aioli for the truffle fries.
16. Catching up on my finances.
17. My relatively newfound appreciation of pork.
18. Not worrying about running out of firewood
19. The kind and funny gentleman at Goodwill.
20. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
21. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
22. This month’s Esquire
23. Direct Deposit
24. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
25. Ikea office furniture
26. Patton Oswalt’s sketch on Stella Dora breakfast treats.
27. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
28. Not doing any work today.
29. The surprisingly delicious and perfect Stromboli from Sbarro.
30. Amazon where I just found the obscure cooking tools that I’ve been searching for for many years now..
31. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
32. Things chugging along
33. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
34. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
35. DVR
36. Balvenie Double Wood.
37. Planning ahead - somewhat.
38. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
39. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
40. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
41. Being productive.
42. Job security
43. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
44. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
45. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
46. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
47. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
48. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
49. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
50. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
51. Adam Carolla podcast
52. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
53. Old friends.
54. Breathing
55. Any form of nuanced thinking
56. Active wear
57. Keeping my cynicism in check
58. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
59. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
60. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
61. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
62. Foreign languages
63. Life forcing me to multitask
64. Anthony Bourdain
65. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
66. Tiki
67. My smart and talented friends old and new
68. My increasingly reliable intuition
69. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
70. The music playing in my head – NWA
71. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
72. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
73. This computer stand from Ikea
74. Jessica's cute faces
75. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
76. How good of a listener Jessica can be
77. Google Wave
78. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
79. Bill Simmons
80. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
81. My new Ted Baker glasses
82. The moktak that my mom sent me
83. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
84. How good cracking various joints feel
85. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
86. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
87. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
88. Everything I have yet to learn
89. My passion for music slowly returning
90. Our Simmons Beautyrest
91. My cautious optimism
92. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
93. Jessica's hourglass figure
94. Memories, good and bad
95. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
96. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
97. Sensodyne
98. Free floss from the dentist
99. My orthotics
100. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
101. Having hope
102. Completing my thirteenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
February 20, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Having a clean apartment.
2. How much bigger the apartment looks now that it’s clean.
3. A usable office.
4. Three laptops.
5. Slowly pulling my life together.
6. Finding my SD card reader.
7. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
8. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
9. Sleeping in.
10. Having leftovers.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. A roaring fire.
13. The Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
14. Catching up on my finances.
15. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. Finding about a new intriguing bar in KC a month before we head over there.
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. This month’s Esquire
21. Direct Deposit
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Ikea office furniture
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Not hearing the phone calls from work earlier today.
28. The ability to renew books online.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Balvenie Double Wood.
35. Adam Carolla Carcast videos on motorator.com.
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
38. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
39. Staying in all day and being productive.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Good natured schadenfreud induced laughter at the expense of an old friend.
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – 2 foot yard
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my twelfth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – Didn’t nearly get as much done as I had planned. I still got a lot done and am preparing myself for a crazy week. I'm starting to wonder whether I should move on to a new object of my metta meditation. I don't quite know yet. I'm going to focus my attention on where I stand with how happy I am these days, etc. This is a sign I guess that I need to start being more mindful. My meditation practice may need to be expanded somewhat.
1. Having a clean apartment.
2. How much bigger the apartment looks now that it’s clean.
3. A usable office.
4. Three laptops.
5. Slowly pulling my life together.
6. Finding my SD card reader.
7. The pajamas Jessica’s mom got me for Christmas.
8. A web browser that doesn’t crash.
9. Sleeping in.
10. Having leftovers.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. A roaring fire.
13. The Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
14. Catching up on my finances.
15. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. Finding about a new intriguing bar in KC a month before we head over there.
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. This month’s Esquire
21. Direct Deposit
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Ikea office furniture
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Not hearing the phone calls from work earlier today.
28. The ability to renew books online.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Balvenie Double Wood.
35. Adam Carolla Carcast videos on motorator.com.
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
38. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
39. Staying in all day and being productive.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Good natured schadenfreud induced laughter at the expense of an old friend.
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Two words - Time Travel.
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – 2 foot yard
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my twelfth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – Didn’t nearly get as much done as I had planned. I still got a lot done and am preparing myself for a crazy week. I'm starting to wonder whether I should move on to a new object of my metta meditation. I don't quite know yet. I'm going to focus my attention on where I stand with how happy I am these days, etc. This is a sign I guess that I need to start being more mindful. My meditation practice may need to be expanded somewhat.
February 19, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Finding the source of an issue that has been plaguing me at work the whole week.
2. The joy in finding fresh fish in Champaign – all too rare.
3. The amazingly fresh red snapper I stumbled upon.
4. The mango cilantro snapper recipe I found on Epicurious.
5. The Calphalon skillet we used to cook the fish.
6. Greg Fitzsimmons.
7. Water. I must have drank 3 gallons today!
8. The protein shake not giving me any, um, problems today.
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. How good I feel after stretching.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Tedious prep work in the kitchen allowing me to unwind yet be productive at the same time.
13. The Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
14. Eric Ripert’s black bass entrée featured on the above show giving me the inspiration to change the recipe mentioned in #4.
15. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. All three of my magazines arriving on the same day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. The Roger Ebert feature in Esquire
21. Direct Deposit
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Turn and Burn!
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Earning the respect of my peers.
28. Seeing a long overdue change being made at my part time job.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Balvenie Double Wood.
35. Peter King
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
38. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
39. A major stumbling block being cleared at work.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Good natured schadenfreud induced laughter at the expense of an old friend.
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – A St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Baltimore that looked more like Mardi Gras.
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – 2 foot yard
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my eleventh post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
1. Finding the source of an issue that has been plaguing me at work the whole week.
2. The joy in finding fresh fish in Champaign – all too rare.
3. The amazingly fresh red snapper I stumbled upon.
4. The mango cilantro snapper recipe I found on Epicurious.
5. The Calphalon skillet we used to cook the fish.
6. Greg Fitzsimmons.
7. Water. I must have drank 3 gallons today!
8. The protein shake not giving me any, um, problems today.
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. How good I feel after stretching.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Tedious prep work in the kitchen allowing me to unwind yet be productive at the same time.
13. The Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
14. Eric Ripert’s black bass entrée featured on the above show giving me the inspiration to change the recipe mentioned in #4.
15. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. All three of my magazines arriving on the same day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. The Roger Ebert feature in Esquire
21. Direct Deposit
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Turn and Burn!
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Earning the respect of my peers.
28. Seeing a long overdue change being made at my part time job.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Slowly figuring out what to give a shit about.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Balvenie Double Wood.
35. Peter King
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. My PC still working well enough to use it for MS Money.
38. How quickly we forgot about our tough week at work.
39. A major stumbling block being cleared at work.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Good natured schadenfreud induced laughter at the expense of an old friend.
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – A St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Baltimore that looked more like Mardi Gras.
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – 2 foot yard
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my eleventh post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – none.
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 18, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Everyone who took the time to post kind thoughts about the blog on Facebook. Here’s a shoutout to each of you.
2. Seth Isenberg – I love the fact that we share an appreciation of both Akira Kurosawa and Adam Carolla.
3. Ilan Cohen – Actually, I’m grateful for the entire Cohen clan. All amazing people.
4. The greater perspective I have on life since graduating college.
5. Dana Gould’s Batman impersonation.
6. Greg Fitzsimmons.
7. Marvin Gaye’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at a 1979 Holmes match.
8. Marvin Gaye’s completely different rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the 1983 NBA All Star game,
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. How good I feel after stretching.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Ralph Garman
13. Jessica giving me a ride to work
14. Good, no great coffee.
15. Randy Cross’s awkward metaphors
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. All three of my magazines arriving on the same day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. The Roger Ebert feature in Esquire
21. How cute Jessica looks in her purple winter jacket
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Turn and Burn!
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Earning the respect of my peers.
28. Seeing a long overdue change being made at my part time job.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Standing up for myself at work.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Our trip to Kansas City shaping up to be a rather laid back one.
35. Peter King
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. Krusovice
38. Half priced scotch night.
39. The few things that came through for me at work today.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Michael Sheppard’s sensitive performances he coaxed out of what must be the worst Bosendorfer in the world
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – My next high school reunion as a game show
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – Stand Up
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my tenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – With work being crazy and the traveling that I had to do this week, I just now got to reflecting on my 100 items. What a tough week, especially for something like this site! Let’s see how the weekend goes.
1. Everyone who took the time to post kind thoughts about the blog on Facebook. Here’s a shoutout to each of you.
2. Seth Isenberg – I love the fact that we share an appreciation of both Akira Kurosawa and Adam Carolla.
3. Ilan Cohen – Actually, I’m grateful for the entire Cohen clan. All amazing people.
4. The greater perspective I have on life since graduating college.
5. Dana Gould’s Batman impersonation.
6. Greg Fitzsimmons.
7. Marvin Gaye’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at a 1979 Holmes match.
8. Marvin Gaye’s completely different rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the 1983 NBA All Star game,
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. How good I feel after stretching.
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Ralph Garman
13. Jessica giving me a ride to work
14. Good, no great coffee.
15. Randy Cross’s awkward metaphors
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. All three of my magazines arriving on the same day
18. Not having to file FSA claims anymore
19. Roger Ebert for his Martin Scorsese book
20. The Roger Ebert feature in Esquire
21. How cute Jessica looks in her purple winter jacket
22. My stereo amplifier finally being fixed
23. Turn and Burn!
24. Eric Ripert’s diss of Rocco Dispirito
25. MS Office 2008 not pissing me off yet
26. Taking charge at work.
27. Earning the respect of my peers.
28. Seeing a long overdue change being made at my part time job.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Standing up for myself at work.
32. Finalizing plans for my trip up to Chicago next week.
33. DVR
34. Our trip to Kansas City shaping up to be a rather laid back one.
35. Peter King
36. A rather free weekend that I can use to get shit done.
37. Krusovice
38. Half priced scotch night.
39. The few things that came through for me at work today.
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Michael Sheppard’s sensitive performances he coaxed out of what must be the worst Bosendorfer in the world
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – My next high school reunion as a game show
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – Stand Up
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my tenth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – With work being crazy and the traveling that I had to do this week, I just now got to reflecting on my 100 items. What a tough week, especially for something like this site! Let’s see how the weekend goes.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
February 13, 2010
Today, I am grateful for….
1. Everyone who took the time to post kind thoughts about the blog on Facebook. Here’s a shoutout to each of you.
2. Reconnecting with Tina, an old high school/junior high acquaintance. I’m not surprised at all that she grew up to be the wonderful woman, mother and wife that she always had the potential of being.
3. Molly always making me feel like I’m the most important person in the room every time I talk to her.
4. Paul, a relatively new friend and fellow advocate of the practice and celebration of gastronomic excellence in Central Illinois. His Old World sensibilities are a welcome breath of fresh air here in C-U.
5. Marina and her wonderful husband. I know that we’re going to have a great time the next time we see each other.
6. Jen – To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with her distinct combination of intelligence and complete lack of pretense.
7. Resi absolutely understanding the meaning behind this blog and being able to articulate it much better than I would have.
8. Amanda and her family. We miss you guys tremendously.
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. The Porter interception not getting old yet
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Balvenie Doublewood
13. The great walk I went on with Jessica
14. The surprising fact that a loved one tackling you into a snow bank is even more fun than romantic comedies make them out to be.
15. The perfectly marinated pork chops we got from Old Time Meat and Deli. They just melted in your mouth.
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. A warm fire going all 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. 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. Making it through today without turning on the TV.
27. Not making a big fuss about our V Day plans and focusing on just having a good time with each other.
28. How appreciative Jessica’s employees were when I brought them brownies baked by her.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Regrouping after a major setback at work
32. Having the full support of his department after the cause of #31 occurred.
33. DVR
34. Our trip to Kansas City shaping up to be a rather laid back one.
35. The Opening Ceremonies not being completely lame
36. The sheer amounts of unintentional comedy that the dancer/greeters during the Parade of Nations provide
37. Fat Tire
38. All the wonderful meals made by Oliver Philpott and I wish him well on his next endeavor.
39. The opportunity to satiate my sushi craving – not always an easy feat in the Midwest!
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Reconnecting with old friends
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Raptors, Mel Gibson, Kansas City
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – Poker Face
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my ninth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – An incident at work on Friday alluded to above pretty much threw a wrench in my entire day. It took every ounce of energy to maintain my composure and continue on with the rest of my day. I could only do this after addressing everything that I could that had to do with this incident. I was so angry and demoralized after this incident that I was shaking. After addressing what we could, I raced to finish the rest of what I had to do that day. It sure didn’t help that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. When I came home, I had some leftovers and fell right asleep due to my emotional exhaustion. When I woke up, Jessica and I agreed that I needed a night out.
Knowing that this is early in the rejuvenating of my spiritual practice, I’m not going to beat myself up for small transgressions here or there. Unlike other spiritual traditions, guilt is not an integral or even an integrated aspect of my tradition. Yet it’s been a big part of my life. Both my Korean and my New England upbringing have made it so. It can be debilitating. Other attempts at restarting a regular meditation practice have been severely hindered by guilt. I refuse to let it be a part of my spiritual practice as much as possible. When I miss a day on a rough day like this, I’m not going to beat myself up. Although mindfulness is a primary goal for an active meditator, I’m ok with finding a way to disengage with my current emotional state.
A famous turn of the century Jewish philosopher named Franz Rosenzweig started to become more religious as his life went on. He strongly believed in redemption both for himself and for his people. On his journey in becoming a more spiritually committed Jew, people would ask him about particular traditions and whether he followed them or not. If the answer was no, he would always answer by saying, “Not yet.” This is the exact attitude I want to take in my spiritual growth. One day, I hope to be strong enough to able to find 100 things to be grateful for even on a shitty day. I want to have the strength to remain emotionally present throughout such hardship.
1. Everyone who took the time to post kind thoughts about the blog on Facebook. Here’s a shoutout to each of you.
2. Reconnecting with Tina, an old high school/junior high acquaintance. I’m not surprised at all that she grew up to be the wonderful woman, mother and wife that she always had the potential of being.
3. Molly always making me feel like I’m the most important person in the room every time I talk to her.
4. Paul, a relatively new friend and fellow advocate of the practice and celebration of gastronomic excellence in Central Illinois. His Old World sensibilities are a welcome breath of fresh air here in C-U.
5. Marina and her wonderful husband. I know that we’re going to have a great time the next time we see each other.
6. Jen – To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with her distinct combination of intelligence and complete lack of pretense.
7. Resi absolutely understanding the meaning behind this blog and being able to articulate it much better than I would have.
8. Amanda and her family. We miss you guys tremendously.
9. Having lost ten pounds since Christmas
10. The Porter interception not getting old yet
11. Bacaro’s new bar menu – can’t wait
12. Balvenie Doublewood
13. The great walk I went on with Jessica
14. The surprising fact that a loved one tackling you into a snow bank is even more fun than romantic comedies make them out to be.
15. The perfectly marinated pork chops we got from Old Time Meat and Deli. They just melted in your mouth.
16. Not worrying about running out of firewood
17. A warm fire going all 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. 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. Making it through today without turning on the TV.
27. Not making a big fuss about our V Day plans and focusing on just having a good time with each other.
28. How appreciative Jessica’s employees were when I brought them brownies baked by her.
29. Finally getting the new FB to work the way I want it to
30. Things chugging along
31. Regrouping after a major setback at work
32. Having the full support of his department after the cause of #31 occurred.
33. DVR
34. Our trip to Kansas City shaping up to be a rather laid back one.
35. The Opening Ceremonies not being completely lame
36. The sheer amounts of unintentional comedy that the dancer/greeters during the Parade of Nations provide
37. Fat Tire
38. All the wonderful meals made by Oliver Philpott and I wish him well on his next endeavor.
39. The opportunity to satiate my sushi craving – not always an easy feat in the Midwest!
40. Job security
41. A great part time job that gives me constant contact with creativity of the highest order
42. My new Macbook - I now believe the hype
43. Some semblance of financial security after some scary and lean years
44. Jessica - everyday I am surprised at how much we love each other
45. Not worrying about where my next meal is coming from
46. Facebook being an easy means to keep in touch with friends all over the world
47. How exciting this year is shaping out to being
48. How Jessica and I can’t seem to stay mad at each other for very long
49. Adam Carolla podcast
50. How much Jessica and I make each other laugh
51. Reconnecting with old friends
52. Breathing
53. Any form of nuanced thinking
54. Active wear
55. Keeping my cynicism in check
56. Still not completely believing in the concept of being comfortable
57. The ability to have some fucked up and entertaining dreams – Raptors, Mel Gibson, Kansas City
58. Having a washer and dryer in our apartment
59. Mike Ross, the director of Krannert Center
60. Foreign languages
61. Life forcing me to multitask
62. Anthony Bourdain
63. The rush of positive thoughts and feelings I have every time I see Jessica
64. Tiki
65. My smart and talented friends old and new
66. My increasingly reliable intuition
67. My Brita filter especially on those days when Illinois Water decides to put WAY too much chlorine in it
68. The music playing in my head – Poker Face
69. Competent and dedicated coworkers at both of my jobs
70. How great I feel after riding my bike to work
71. This computer stand from Ikea
72. Jessica's cute faces
73. How Jessica can pick me up when all seems lost
74. How good of a listener Jessica can be
75. Google Wave
76. Clothes that fit me even though I’ve gained too much weight
77. Bill Simmons
78. No longer worrying if today will be the day our car will completely fall apart
79. My new Ted Baker glasses
80. The moktak that my mom sent me
81. The copy of the Korean Zen Buddhist prayer CD that my mom made me
82. How good cracking various joints feel
83. My new earmuffs that don’t mess up my hair
84. Jackson 5 version of "Who's Loving You"
85. The fact that my seasonal eczema is finally subsiding
86. Everything I have yet to learn
87. My passion for music slowly returning
88. Our Simmons Beautyrest
89. My cautious optimism
90. The bizarre yet surprisingly effective baby talk that Jessica and I have developed for communicating
91. Jessica's hourglass figure
92. Memories, good and bad
93. The pavlovian response Jessica induces in me when I hear her keys just before she opens the door when coming home from work
94. My desire to seek out the positive in my life
95. Sensodyne
96. Free floss from the dentist
97. My orthotics
98. Not having to worry too much about what to wear for work
99. Having hope
100. Completing my ninth post
Object of my metta practice - myself
Reflection of the Day – An incident at work on Friday alluded to above pretty much threw a wrench in my entire day. It took every ounce of energy to maintain my composure and continue on with the rest of my day. I could only do this after addressing everything that I could that had to do with this incident. I was so angry and demoralized after this incident that I was shaking. After addressing what we could, I raced to finish the rest of what I had to do that day. It sure didn’t help that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. When I came home, I had some leftovers and fell right asleep due to my emotional exhaustion. When I woke up, Jessica and I agreed that I needed a night out.
Knowing that this is early in the rejuvenating of my spiritual practice, I’m not going to beat myself up for small transgressions here or there. Unlike other spiritual traditions, guilt is not an integral or even an integrated aspect of my tradition. Yet it’s been a big part of my life. Both my Korean and my New England upbringing have made it so. It can be debilitating. Other attempts at restarting a regular meditation practice have been severely hindered by guilt. I refuse to let it be a part of my spiritual practice as much as possible. When I miss a day on a rough day like this, I’m not going to beat myself up. Although mindfulness is a primary goal for an active meditator, I’m ok with finding a way to disengage with my current emotional state.
A famous turn of the century Jewish philosopher named Franz Rosenzweig started to become more religious as his life went on. He strongly believed in redemption both for himself and for his people. On his journey in becoming a more spiritually committed Jew, people would ask him about particular traditions and whether he followed them or not. If the answer was no, he would always answer by saying, “Not yet.” This is the exact attitude I want to take in my spiritual growth. One day, I hope to be strong enough to able to find 100 things to be grateful for even on a shitty day. I want to have the strength to remain emotionally present throughout such hardship.
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