Weekend "in Asia" with the BFF's

Each year, my high school friends and I get together for 24 hours. In the beginning, we used to always spend Friday nights just hanging out, looking at photos and catching up for the year. But with the advent of Facebook, we get to stay in closer contact so the event has evolved to an adventure in the city of the person who is hosting.  This year was my year to host.

Since I live in an ethnically-diverse area, I thought it would be fun to explore that.  So, I invited my friends to spend a "weekend in Asia."

I made travel itineraries to outline our day, since we were doing a lot of "new" and unusual things.

Friday night, Craig Clear lead an amazing yoga practice just for us at Rescue Yoga complete with hot towels on our feet at the end. He began with a sun salutation and moon salutation as an introduction to yoga, then led us through a series of restorative poses. I loved it that he took the time to explain the benefits of each one.  "The girls" talked about how amazing it felt as we went to dinner. (Thank you, Craig!) And it was fun sharing something I really enjoy with "the besties." (Why yes, that was a BBT reference.)

Dinner was at my very favorite, Best Thai, then I introduced my friends to bubble tea at Fat Straws.  Lynette highlighted that part of the fun of bubble tea is the lottery aspect of it.  You never know exactly what you are going to get when you take a sip. We shared a hotel room in Addison where we stayed up late into the night giggling just like we were sixteen again at a slumber party.

The next morning, we made a definite 'non-Asian' trip for breakfast at Bic's because my friends wanted to check it out since it is in my status updates all the time.  They told me they were surprised that it was "just a diner" since they were expecting a vegetarian coffee house with funky art which they thought was more my style.

After that, it was off to Minoya--a great Japanese store in Plano--that sells bento supplies. Each of us picked out lunch boxes complete with cutlery, bands and bags. 

We then came back to my house for "bento lessons."   One of the cool things about the art of creating bento lunches is that it is creative.  Simple foods are combined in attractive arrangements so that there is a bit of "wow" factor over the aesthetics as you open the box.

It was really fun hanging out across my kitchen table and talking as I "cooked" with my friends. Sort of like arts and crafts...but with food. We each created two. A sandwich-bento which each person took home and a more traditional bento which we shared with a bottle of Texas Blanc duBois from the Tara Winery across my table in my "outdoor" cafe.

Full of bento-goodness, we went to With Photo at HMart to explore Purikura.  Purikura is Japanese for "Print Club" and is mostly geared for teenagers. (Appropriate, since we spent all weekend  like we were 17).

Basically, it's an ultra-bright photobooth. You get into the booth, put $10 into the machine, decide how many shots you want (which dictates how much time you have between them), select backdrops, then pose. 

Once the photos are done, you leave the booth to decorate them on a computer screen with a wide variety of effects.  We were a little awkward at this part as we tried to figure it all out.  Luckily, all the machines were in English and once we got the hang of it, we realized the directions were pretty simple.

The photos pop up on the screen.  You choose the best four shots, then take the pen--which you use on the touch screen--to add embellishments, phrases, frames and other decorations.

Of course it helped that the man at With Photo was very patient and helpful in explaining what to do.  The photos print small onto sticker paper--and we ordered an extra set so each of us could take some home.  (I also had a keychain made because the photos made me smile.)

We wrapped the weekend at the Mozart bakery--an asian bakery in the same shopping center as HMart with incredibly beautiful desserts, delicious coffee and intimate seating areas.

The only bummer about the weekend was that Kristi-G-from-Tennessee had to miss this one.

Next year is at Lynette-the-Cowgirl's.  I already can't wait.

Feeding Giraffes

Wednesday I took a random PTO day to hang out with my friend Anna, who I used to share life with in Panama. We've stayed connected in all the years since. Anna--whose home base is now Denver--said she was tired of driving and wanted to walk while in Dallas, so we went to the zoo.  Her kids, Jennifer and Hector, were also on board.

We enjoyed penguins, elephants, gorillas and a freakish cheetah who looked like he was seriously contemplating getting free and eating us.
One of the things about the "Giants of the Savannah" section in the Dallas Zoo is that the platform to see the giraffes is at the giraffe's head height--so you get to see their faces and look them in their beautiful eyes.  Not only that, but for $5 they sell greens you can feed to them. It was an amazing experience.

My friend, Elsa-the-Poet, once asked me what my favorite animal was and I answered "giraffe."  Then she asked me why I love them.  I answered that they are beautiful, gentle and incredibly unique, but that the thing I liked most is that they reveal the incredible imagination of God.

Then Elsa told me that the reason she asked in the first place was because my answer and the qualities I associated with it were a reflection of myself.

So, in my heart, I'm a giraffe.  Who knew?

Don Gato

If you grew up in the Texas public school systems in the 1970's, chances are you sang this song in music class.  I remember one night in college sitting around with friends trying to remember all the words.  But now, there is Wikipedia...so I found them all--which is handy since the first two lines have been stuck in my head for days...

Señor Don Gato was a cat,

On a high red roof Don Gato sat.
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
T'was a love note for Don Gato.


"Te adoro," wrote the lady cat.
Who was fluffy, white, and nice and fat.
There was not a sweeter kitty
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she'd wed Don Gato.

Oh, Don Gato jumped so merrily,
He fell off the roof and broke his knee.
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
"Ay carramba!" cried Don Gato.


Well the doctors all came on the run,
Just to see if something could be done.
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Señor Don Gato.

But in spite of everything they tried,
Poor Señor Don Gato up and died.
Oh it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato.


As the funeral passed the market square,
Such a smell of fish was in the air.
Though the funeral was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became re-animated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life Don Gato.

Meeeeeyowwwwwwwwwww! (Unsure that last part was official.)

Happy Birthday, Chase! (who turns 23 today)

I love you!

Unfriending

I had the interesting experience of being unfriended on Facebook this week.

It's not like I've never been unfriended before.  I have.  But usually by peripheral relationships--where reasons can vary from politics, to 'over posting' to a simple culling to make Facebook more managable.

This is the first time I was ever unfriended by...well, a friend. And here's the thing.  It hurt me.  Just like I was a kid again back on the playground in elementary school.

And that was a surprise.

So, I let it bug me for awhile.  Thought of all of the possible scenarios for why someone would logically do that and came up empty. When I called, I got an answer that wasn't very satisfying, so I e-mailed to say "i didn't get it."

I got a very nice e-mail in return assuring me we were still actually friends with an explanation that made me feel a little better, but the experience remains.

It is interesting to me that the two major friend issues I've had in the past few years have been over Facebook. And while some would shake their head and say "tsk, tsk, that's social media for you," I have a different view.

One of the things that made the playground so powerful is that we were there every day.  In our grown up lives we are busy.  We don't touch our entire social circle daily like we did in elementary school.  At least, we didn't until Facebook.  Facebook creates a virtual playground where you encounter people by simply running into them. Remember calling out things to each other as you ran through the school doors out into the yard?  Asking someone to race you to the swings? Those things weren't planned.  We saw a friend and wanted to be with them.

Oh sure, some people can decide not to engage.  (Like the kids who sat by the wall and read a book.)  But many of the other social interactions wind up the same.

In this virtual playground, telling someone you aren't their friend or won't join their group actually feels like rejection. And in some ways it is.

Addition to the whiteboard

I often use my bathroom mirror as a whiteboard--especially when I am trying to learn something new or change a routine.  Earlier this week, I wrote down the "niyamas" from yoga and their meanings.

But I must not have studied them very much because it took me almost a week to see John's addition at the bottom...

Waiting to inhale...

I started my reading this weekend for my yoga adventure with The Heart of Yoga by Desikachar.

One of the things that is overwhelming to me is how everything in yoga is tied to the breath--something that has been a struggle for me since I was a kid.  With asthma and inhalers in the picture, it is actually a little intimidating--more so than being a size 14 and attempting sirsasana. (Headstand)

I can't help but think that there is something significant in being drawn to a practice that is mostly about breathing--especially since so much of my life has been a quest to get free from the pharmaceuticals.  (In case you are wondering, Advair...while a miracle drug...is close to a car payment each month.)

So in addition to reading, it looks like I should invest my next six months before beginning the advanced studies program in practicing pranayama (breathing exercises).  Luckily, there's an app for that. (Actually not kidding.)

On mentors...

The best mentors start with wherever you are, and help you get where you want to go. (Often when you didn't realize you actually wanted to go there.) And so I started thinking about people who have helped me in my direction...

• Like my parents...who made me think I could grow up to be anything.
• Rene Killmer--who taught me how to sing.
• The Gillhams...who taught me to know grace.
• The US Army...who taught me that things can be okay--even when totally out of your control.
• John Hutchison...who taught me I was loved.
• My kids....who inspired me to have fun.
• Debbie Handler...who modeled servant leadership.
• My current boss...who taught me about purpose-driven decisions.
• Robin-the-Artist...who introduced me to paper, ink and watercolor crayons.
• Mike with ArtLoveMagic....who taught me how to scribe.
• Heather-the-Hippie-Chick...who taught me to relax.
• Jenny-the-Yoga-Lifeguard who taught me to breathe.

Who helped you get to where you are?

Chase's Birthday

We celebrated Chase's 23rd birthday early this year since he is off to Sky Ranch this week for another summer as a camp counselor.

Like with every birthday, we celebrated at Uncle Julios since John, Chase and Bethany adore the fajitas. (On my birthday we go someplace vegetarian where I can select from ANYTHING on the menu.)

These "us for and no more" moments are pretty rare, so I enjoy them greatly.

After dinner, we came back to the house and played with all of the dogs.  A houseful with John and I, kids and dogs. 


Yep, best Chase's birthday ever.

101 Things

I was inspired by Shannah at the Hayley Daily who is tackling 101 things in 1001 days.

Shannah and I serve on a committee together through a professional organization we both belong to, but I had no idea that she had such a fantastic blog until Julie-Who-Really-Should-Blog, outted her.

Shannah has a list of 101 life goals with a deadline. (Which means there is a really good chance they will actually happen.)  Skip on over to the Hayley Daily and check it out.

So that sitting won't kill me...

Sitting is killing us

My day job involves sitting in a chair...a lot. Add to that my favorite pasttime--writing--and you will understand why the infographic below freaked me out a bit.


Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Smart people in a room discussing big ideas

I'm in Omaha this week with my day job The gig is pretty cool, though.  We are leading a session of 100 shareholders in a brainstorming exercise on leveraging the power of data.

I love the iron-sharpening-iron component to these types of sessions.  Each time we are exposed to someone with a slightly different perspective than our own, something in us shifts.  We grow.  Put a hundred smart people in a room all with different perspectives discussing big ideas and something happens.

For organizations intent on navigating the creative destruction of existing industries, this type of exercise matters.  If too much of our day-to-day is spent surrounded by those who share our opinions and ideals, then we can be blind to things that aren't directly in our field of vision.

Both our eyes and hearing function by perceiving things from slightly different angles. Sometimes we I need that reminder.  (And packing your stuff in a suitcase and changing venues almost always manages to provide it.)

Of big stone tablets and overlooked ratios...

I'm sort of curious about the 10 commandments. I mean, if you are God, and you are going to tell people to do 10 things...why those 10?

It's been highlighted before that the first four govern our relationship with God and the last six our dealings with people, so this week I read the listing of the first four in Exodus....and I ran across something I'd never noticed before...
I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

In my religious education, so much emphasis was put on the "third and fourth generation" that the mention of "love to the thousandth generation" was missed.  I think the discrepancy in the ratios matters.  I think it reveals the character of God.  3-4 for punishment vs. 1,000 for love.  There's a reason there is a wide gap.

Thinking about that this morning...

Beauty

I looked up the definition of beauty today:

beau·ty [byoo-tee] - n. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

I think it is sort of amazing that not only do we live in a world where there is beauty, but that we are designed to respond to it. 

And beyond that, that we have the power to create it.

Cliffy is staying with us...

 
Clifton and John became friends back in the 1980's, which means Cliffy has been part of our lives for forever.

His wife is from Russia--they met when Clifton was working as a programmer over there--and being a rather international couple, they are now in Dublin where Katya works as a software architect. (I probably don't have to mention that both of them are scary smart.)

Cliffy is in the US staying with us for at least the next month.  Though he's been cancer-free for nearly 10 years, doctors go into overdrive for anything that looks even a little suspicious, so he is here this week for scans.

And in the meantime, we are catching up because it is fun to have our friend back for awhile.