Tough

Last evening was one of the most trying yet, mentally, emotionally and physically. I had just finished my Golden Feet acupressure, got picked up by Eddy so we could deliver a present to Ben for helping me with the bike. I had ordered some pizza from Gigi's, and we proceeded to pig out before heading out to the west end. By the time we got to his house, he wasn't home, so I took the jack out of the trunk, and brought it to his garage anyways. Meanwhile, hydraulic oil had been dripping on to my leg, as my forgetfulness as to how to dismantle the handle of this jack caused the entire oil nipple to pop out. I'm trying to fix this damn thing for 1/2 hour and Ben and Christina show up. I felt embarrassed and uncomfortable, being in their backyard, giving them a present that didn't work, and having my 82 year old friend with me. Just social anxiety stuff, but it discouraged me so much; talking to good friends I trust and love, and feeling so distant, so unloved and unwanted. I knew I was creating all this hardship in my own head, but it was hard to shake it. It took a long conversation with Bonnie to sort it out. Woke up this morning with a whole new attitude, but if I hadn't taken the time, or had been given the time, to settle down, who knows. What I learned from it was the ability to 'settle in' to the pains, not to panic, and to calm the thoughts down. Give it some emotional salve. When the body, mind and spirit are in disarray, it can be excruciately difficult sometimes to pull oneself together - but it is the only option. The precipice leads to a deep and scary well of negativity and sorrow.

Competition

Forget the Old Spice Man. The Dos Equis Man. All the Way.

Oh What a Night

Not much more to say. Amazing experience to contribute to my friends Alex and Noriko, who gave me complete creative control over the Master of Ceremonies job. Alex's uncle thought I was hired!

My Big Fat Greek/Japanese Wedding

Word from the wise: When you're at a friend's engagement party, and the opportunity to say a few words comes up, make sure you keep your trap shut! My experience now shows that, depending on your performance, could lead to a request to be the MC at the wedding. Now, if you've ever been a Master of Ceremonies before, you know it can be a challenging duty. What if the wedding is between a Greek, and a Japanese?
4 siblings, and 12 nieces and nephews on one side with the bride's mother, sister, and friend visiting all the way from Japan...... can you see a cause for concern? Remembering 3 Japanese names pale in comparison to learning all the names in a Greek family. As I prepare for my job at the reception this Saturday, I can only hope the crashing of plates happen as a Greek tradition, not as a reaction to what came out of the MC's mouth.

Questions

Do you ever have a question in your mind every night before you go to sleep ? If you do, what is it?

Stay away from 5

Rice, bread, potatoes, pasta - and one other :-0. My friend Jenn told me tonight that as long as she stays away from these 5 foods, she feels lighter. As a Bikram Yoga Instructor, she learned a few things from the master himself - "I eat only air and water". Oh, and some omega fatty acids, and electrolytes! Imagine that if you eliminated one food from your diet, and that left you feeling 10x better than usual - 10x lighter, 10x happier, 10x more energy. Could it be that simple? yes. Don't overcomplicate it. Then I met another wonderful person who told me about Monavie's Acai Berry drinks, and how they can eliminate pain in the body. Nothing will work unless you stick to it - check after 3 weeks, as you should see a difference by then.

Inception

Without a spoiler here folks, I will comment on the most indelible impression I witnessed within my own mind, and a trend I become more and more aware of. What is most intriguing to me, is that this impression has probably been going on since I was a child, and I ignored it. As I didn't normally hang out with the 'popular' kids, I most certainly missed most of the goings-on at the top. Jumping to the point: business men and women who would do ANYTHING to succeed - manipulate, lie, cheat, charm, influence. This, my friends, will never change. It is built-in to our mechanics. Would I be any different if it was me at the top of that company?

Meatatarian

We had a most plentiful meal of ribs and chicken that would make a Vegan faint. My great friends Tommy and Lee, as well as their children, had Bonnie and I over for dinner. Check out this feast:

A Family Reunion Between Two Families

I never worried much about this day happening, so I never had much stress, or attachment to it happening. The wonderful world of invitation - inviting my parents and my birth mother to meet each other, ended in an amazing bonus opportunity for Bonnie, as well as my birth cousin Dennis and his wife Jane. We fished, we ate, we talked. Most of all, we liked each other. This was the greatest gift of all; in my mind and heart, my two worlds became one, and I was at peace on that river in Valleyview that day.

War

Definitely a moment of feeling very small, very insignificant, and also marvelling at how easily grown men will fight. Dennis tells me that he had heard a South American leader died, and either Venezuela and Argentina were involved somehow. It was pro and anti American parties. Whether the truth was stranger than fiction, it only momentarily stopped me.

Friends

I am the luckiest man in the world to have a group of friends that can laugh together as if we were teenagers again. It was a wonderful experience to see my boys together for the first time in years.

Putting it out there

Why is there always a tinge of fear when I put myself out there? Today I created an event page, and invited all the people I knew from Central and South America. Surprising results - I had one person ask for my address so he could send me money!