Fly On Little Wing

Cheese for Breakfast

2012-03-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

photo credit: bellechevre.com

Kickstart your morning with a creamy goat cheese mixed with Arabica coffee.

It might just make your cup of joe obsolete.

Perhaps not, but it will certainly make your wake up routine all the more enjoyable.

Add a tea bisquit, or fancy up a breakfast cheese plate for some instant morning joy.

photo credit: The Globe and Mail

Learn that dairy and coffee are perfect bedfellows.

Happy Breakfast

Fancy a smile?

2012-03-15T07:26:00.002-07:00

Then go roll around in some magic unicorn pixie dust, and race a pegasus across a cotton-candied, cloudy sky.

Find a few dragon gems, some lucky charms, a satchel of mermaid magic, a handful of fairy crystals, a quiver of arrows, wizard spells, and any other mystical items you may happen to find along the way.

Enjoy the fantasy of a fairytale and a bit of treasured folklore.

When the day is done, drink from a chalice of truth, followed by some much needed rest on a bed of good fortune.

Nonsense?

I dare say you haven't tried hard enough to dig into your imaginationthoughts.

Now try again until the corners of your mouth begin to turn ever so slightly upwards.

That's much, much better.

It's important to remember that we all have magic within us.

Find yours

Tilt Shift Photo Trickery

2012-03-14T07:23:00.002-07:00

By misusing the tilt motion to selectively defocus the image, and shooting from an angle above the subject, a bit of tricky camera work can serve to create the illusion of a minature scale model.

This effect can also be fake-manipulated with software enhancement technology.

The result?

Faked miniaturization.

Please enjoy the following littles:

by House Photography

Lei Yagami

Path and Pixel

bunch of pants flickr

ArnarBi

B Tal

Feeling mighty now?

Good...

Go forth and enjoy your beautiful day.

For more mini shots take a peek here:

Never a failure, always a lesson

2012-03-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

The only way to fail at something is to fail to learn from the experience.

- Mary Jane Nirenberg

Dear Monday, get lost

2012-03-12T07:34:00.002-07:00

How to beat the Monday blahs.

If you can, sleep in an extra hour on Monday mornings. Going to bed early on Sunday night doesn't always help because most people will remain awake until their usual bedtime.

If you can't sleep in by a full hour (and most of us can't), take action Sunday night to shorten your morning preparation time so that you can set the alarm for 15 minutes later than usual. Wash your hair, pack lunches, lay out your outfit or pack your Monday must haves on Sunday night.

Hop out of bed the moment you wake up on Monday morning. Lingering in that downy comforter will only draw out the agony.

End your shower with a jolt of cold water to tear yourself out of your grogginess. Or exercise in the morning to get your blood pumping and to release those feel-good endorphins.

Get out in the sunlight. Bright light tells your body that it is indeed the morning and helps reset your internal clock.

Anticipate your Monday morning on Friday afternoon. Fight the temptation to race away from a messy desk. Clean up your workplace and leave yourself a to-do list to make Monday morning a little more tolerable.

When all else fails, drink coffee.

Drink a hell of a lot of coffee, and know that it's only four days until Friday again.

Friendship is a sheltering tree. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

2012-03-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Thank you friendlings for being made up of some of the dearest stuff on the planet.

A Cheese and Prosecco Kind of Day

2012-03-09T07:31:00.002-08:00

A day for hooky, fancy cheesebits, and a spot of Italian Prosecco with the gal pals.

A day for the earthy, nuttiness of a mountain Gruyère (grew-YAIR),

Switzerland's lovely raw cow's milk

A day for Brebirousse d' Argental (breh-bee-ROOZ),

a sheepy from Burgundy, France

A day for roasty and salty Spanish Marcona Almonds,

and the toasted sesame honey ones too!

It's a slice up a baguette, sliver up some apricots, quarter the figs, sprinkle some dried cranberries, and enjoy the segway into the fine weekend kind of day.

The houseguests shall not be disappointed.

A year from now you will wish you would have started today - Karen Lamb

2012-03-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Go on,
make things happen.

Freshen up the Thoughts in Your Head

2012-03-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

Go on, give the overused boardroom expression a go

and think outside the box,

collapse the box,

and then take a really sharp knife to it.

Cut it into snowflakey smithereens,

or handholding cardboard dolls.

Then hang your limitations out to dry.

Only then will you find,

that it's quite lovely and bright out here.

While you're free, read this:

10 common ways we suppress our natural creative abilities

The Cheese Gentlemen

2012-03-06T07:42:00.038-08:00

Anyone who attempts to climb a spectacular Swiss hillside with photographic equipment in tow to capture the majestic views of the rolling Alps has well earned my deep respect, even far before stepping foot onto the base of its mountainous range.

Now artists taking to these same measures for the purpose of cheesemaking documentation?

Well... be still my beaty, fluttering heart.

Enter the Swiss Cheese Makers, an editorial project with Swiss artists Fabian Scheffold and István Vizner, the bold photographers who took to the Alps to capture the cheese chalets of the Swiss mountainsides, and the very men who occupy them.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the strapping lads, the white knights upon fiery steeds, the very heroes of Swiss mountain farmstead cheesemaking.

Please enjoy the following compelling images.

....and if I may suggest, this would be a perfect time to envision the Bonnie Taylor "I Need a Hero" theme song to accompany your viewing pleasure.

All images by Scheffold and Istvan Vizner

Where have all the good men gone?

and where are all the gods?

Where’s the street-wise Hercules?

to fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Why yes, there is.

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above,

out where the lightning splits the sea.

How we love our high altitude mountain cheeses, and those that make them.

For what isn't there to love when a loved one arrives to the homefront from a labor intensive day at the office, wiping the sweat off the brow, with a smile about the face, while bearing gifts of unadulterated milk, including the Swiss Emmentalers, Le Gruyères, the Tommes, and the Raclette suisse.

Hail the heroes of centuries-old handmade cheese traditions.

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Blessed are the cheesemakers

Find your happiest place on earth

2012-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Whether it be a quiet secretspot,
or taking the long way home.

Be it in the arms of a cherished loved one,

or in the sanctuary of solitude.

Whether it's near the tip of a quiet mountaintop,

or down by where the screaming waters meet the calm shore.

Find a place of sanctuary, safety, shelter,

and bask in the company of you when the long day is done.

Wherever your someplace is,

find it.

Then ask yourself,

will you live, or simply exist there?

Birthday Happies to Dr. Seuss

2012-03-02T14:44:00.002-08:00

If you'd never been born, well what would you be?

You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!

You might be a door knob! Or three baked potatoes!

You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes!

Or worse than all that... why, you might be a WASN'T!

A Wasn't has no fun at all. No, she doesn't.

A Wasn't just isn't. She just isn't present.

But you... you ARE YOU! And now, isn't that pleasant!

-Dr. Seuss

The madness of March makes for a day so befitting,

to celebrate a nice gentleman sort, the weather permitting.

A ridiculous rhyme and a riddle, a cat in a hat.

A Who-hearing Horton poised for idle chit chat.

A man who taught us that Wednesdays were made to be wacky.

A day of becoming, one most wacky-tacky.

A reminder for keeping our butter sides up,

the world set to enjoy, a heaping loving cup.

We thank you, we thank you for the gifts straight from your brain,

the headthoughts streaming from it were never mundane.

The sillyness of sorts, zany and askew,

We can't tell you enough how we love what you do.

Why fit in when you were born to stand out?

For this we celebrate with a holler and shout!

We thank you for being so fierced witted and silly,

For having the boldness to be you, willy-nilly.

For there is no one alive who's ever been more you-er than you!

We can't thank you enough for all that you continue to do.

...and monkey heaps of thank yous for allowing us make sense out of nonsense.

For more bits on this fantastical rhymin' Simon of a lad visit the following:

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss: 7 Facts You Didn't Know About The Author

You will like it here, there, and everywhere.

I swear

Why Hello There March

2012-03-01T11:57:00.001-08:00

Comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb

We've been waiting for you, and now we warmly welcome your arrival

The madness, the mayhem, the month long celebrations

The much anticipated onset of spring shall bring forth the harbingers if the March wind doth blow

A fond farewell to February now

A warm hello to March

Enjoy the season's new awakening

Don't forget to open up all the windows and doors to let that fresh spring air in

Rules for a perfect day

2012-02-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

1). Get up

2). Be amazing

3). Go back to bed

Find your way

2012-02-28T07:29:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: pandor4

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.

- Edward Abbey

Monday, Monday

2012-02-27T07:23:00.002-08:00

It's time for a good day.

Love. Luck. Kisses and Cake.

It's not your birthday?

Have a heaping slice of the Monday cake anyways

Take two slices even.

It will be our littlest secret.

Enjoy the Monday'isms.

Happy Hoopaversary to Me!

2012-02-26T20:48:00.009-08:00

The weekend marked the one year anniversary since I picked up the plastic circle that would forever change the way I see the world.

Photo credit: HoopCity.ca

Many would refer to this object as a hula hoop. A hip, shimmying, plastic-fantastic, twirly-toy that whips about the waist and neck.

Only the plastic circles of today are made from far greater synthetic materials such as, high-density, polyethylene and polypropylene high water pressure pipes. Additionally, they offer an infinite amount of possibility in terms of what you can do with "a circle for kids" now.

Didn't catch the reference?

Well then, I invite you to enjoy this scene about inventing the hula hoop straight out of the Coen Brothers screwball comedy, The Hudsucker Proxy.

Today's hoops are certainly not the hula hoops you played with as a child, and I have to agree with the naysayers who believe that hooping is ridiculous.

They're right.

It's ridiculous good fun, and it's kept me sane and well focused in all areas of my topsy-turvy life for a year now.

Plus it's a brilliant workout!

Far more fun than running in place to Nowhereville on a treadmill. Blecch.

The doctors used to write me endless prescriptions for Oxcarbazepine, Citalopram, Zolpidem Tartrates, and other unpronouncables to tend to that which ailed me. For I was a sad girl, heartbroken, well on my way to joblessness, and popping pills was to be my saving grace.

All I ever really needed was a hoopstart to find my confidence and passions again. In doing so, I've come to realize that my passions are endless. I'm drawn to drawing, I long to plink away at my 88 piano keys, I'm fascinated with the learning process of artisanal cheesemaking, I fell in love with playing with fire, took to yoga and bellydancing, winemaking, getting my motorcycle license, and I rediscovered my love for the written word.

I also really, really, really love to get my hoop on.

There doesn't seem to be enough time to do all that there is to do these days.

I'm off of every last one of those multicolored tablets now. Completely drug free, and I plan to stay this way.

I'd like to publicly thank my Hoopmaster teacher Miss Valentina Unity, Queen of the Hoop, at this time for introducing me to a practice that would forever change me as a human being. One that allowed me to dance with a freedom I had never known, to retreat from former boundaries, and to break through approaching barriers.

Photo credit: Matt Hohlfeld

Thank you Unity, for showing me a skill which has injected a relentless confidence within me, a practice which has allowed me abandon my inhibitions. One which has fiercely stirred up the courage within me to pursue buried passions, find new ones, and to revisit the path leading straight to my dreams.

I'd also like to graciously thank the beautiful humans I've met along the way, for allowing me to become a part of your very beautiful and diversified community.

I've never been more fit, more healthy, more free, more happy, nor more sane.

...and for any naysayers who think that hooping is silly and not a real workout, I encourage you to watch this video of the fierce, Miss Brecken Rivara here to the very end.

This is hooping as we know it today, and trust me when I say it's the most fun you'll ever have burning fat, strengthening muscles, and toning your center core.

It's also the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Photo credit: Heather Van Buren

Photo credit: HoopCity.ca

Photo credit: Sarah Mayer

Whatever moves you,
find it.

Find your bliss, realize your life's full potential, banish your fears, give yourself permission to follow your dreams, abandon self-doubt, find the thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning, find what it is that makes you feel alive, and love yourself along the way.

Have yet to find your passions?

Give this a go

The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.

- Arnold Toynbee

Gooooooooooooooooooo Car Schwag-away!

2012-02-24T14:32:00.002-08:00

It's that special time of year again
ladies and gentlemen-o-p's!
Time to saddle up for yet another Ringo Schwag-away!
Yes that's a freebie giveaway, and it's yours for the taking.

This go-around, a gracious thank you to Team GoCar of San Diego!

THE CURE FOR THE COMMON TOUR ™

Your prize?

A two and a half hour rental in the greatest storytelling car East of the Mississippi (and quite possibly the West!). Yes, boys and girls thats 2.5 hours of good, GPS guided, storytelling thrills!

These hot, little, yellow, spitfire carts are more fun than a pillowfight inside a barrel of monkeys.
I have proof!

Me and the spawnling in the getaway car.

Go Chargers!

...and if you don't believe my son and I, ask the wonder duo, Jenna and Justine. They happen to believe San Diego is the best city in the world. I happen to agree with them.

Fun for the whole family!!!
That is of course, if your family happens to be a size of two anyways.

Tickets and gift certificates for the fantastical GoCar adventure are available for purchase here

-OR-

you can win a ticket here on this babblesite for absolute nothingness.

Yes, genties and ladlemen, that means zero, zip, nada, zilch, nil, diddly-squat!

To Enter:

1). Follow this blog by clicking on the "Join this site" icon in the lower left sidebar of this blog.

Alternatively, you can click on the 'Follow' link on the far left side of the (nearly black, charcoal?) navigation bar located at the very top of this blogsite.

If you're already following, a hundred-thousand thank yous! Just follow the next step to enter.

2). Leave a comment describing what color the GoCar is. That's it!!! Feel free to mention where you'll go on your day of fun in the sun adventure.

That's all folks!

A few muy importante details:

Prize is limited to San Diego residents or anyone traveling to the San Diego region for the remainder of the 2012 year, as it is indeed a hard ticket ready for hand delivery.

Winner will be automatically generated via Randomizer.org

Contest begins now and ends on Friday, March 2, 2012 at 5:00pm

Winner will be notified here on the eve of Friday, March 2, 2012.

That gives you one week to enter, whaddaya waiting for?

Thanks for reading, readers!
Good luck, lucky!

Valid at the downtown San Diego location only

Wine School

2012-02-23T17:50:00.006-08:00

The joblessness has given me much time to follow additional pursuits of interest these days, fetching things such as, coaxing my firey passion to learn by studying cheese, and pursuing a higher education in the Business of Wine.

No joke, there's a really-real wine school around these parts. I am more than pleased to be one of the first students enrolled in the revamped program offered at San Diego State University at the moment, one specializing in helping students to uncork new careers.

The best part?
Wine tasting during class.

After all those years of Forensic Chemistry, Biology, Criminal Evidence, and Report Writing lectures, I finally found a classroom perfectly suited to my needs. I honestly can't seem to figure out why I just didn't study wine the first go around.

Had someone told me several years ago that I'd be enrolled in a new program again as a student, I would have choked on my laughter. Yet, here I am choking on my own words, while devouring all that there is to learn from the fascinating world of fine wines.

• the chatty aromas of the fruit driven Rieslings
• the bright, golden apple colors of the Sancerre varietals

• the distinct pebbly, minerality from a classic Bordeaux

• the complex flavor changes in Gerwurtztraminers

• the earthy, cedarbox taste of a Red Cotes Du Rhone

• the oaky, sweet notes of sarsaparilla from an aged Grenache

• the zesty smell of apricots, white peaches, tangerine and white flowers in an Albarino

• the effervescent bubbly of tarty lemon from a vinho verde

• the tear stains on the glass of a black fruited Malbec

I've never used so many descriptors and adjectives, and I for one am full of them!

Of course the educational program wouldn't be complete without a trip to Temecula for hands on time with the winemaking process.

These grapes were removed from this batch and were ours for the taking. I've never had a sweeter, more delicious tasting grape. Never.

This is quite likely due to the fact that I've never had a wine infused grape in all my days.

You couldn't write this story if you tried, it's so far fetched. The headlines would read something to the effect of... "Forensic Scientist Gone Wackadoodle, Leaves Glamorous Career to Study Wine and Cheese!".

...and I couldn't be happier.

Even with the whole, heaping amount of studying there is to do before my exam next Tuesday.

Because at the end of the day, I quite like the burgundy stains on my notebooks.

Off to study now, and by study I mean "hit up a wine bar".

Teatime for the dear friends

2012-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

uncork your mind and set sail

to the pathless land of imagination

begin with a grin and a spin

let out those tucked away wings

soar high above your burdensome woes

greet crowned kings

dance with the pixies

swarm with the shapeshifters

rest with the gillygalloos

run honey wild in the wake of a golden daffodil path

greet the lappy shores of unclouded waters

swim with the seahorses

make melodies with the mermaids

befriend a western dragon

ride the wings of change

feast with the new friends

you mustn't forget to bring a delicious tea

a dreamy day, a starry night

to slumberland with an ear to ear grin

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.

~George Scialabba

The mask you wear

2012-02-21T08:42:00.002-08:00

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing our own skin.

-Andre Berthiaume

Happy Fat Tuesday, my friendlings.

Don't forget to take off your mask when the day is done

Dissolution of Monday

2012-02-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Monday,

I'm sorry I'm not doing this face to face, but I guess that's one of the problems.

I just can't face you anymore.

It's not you, it's me.

We want different things.

The whole time I'm with you I'm thinking about Friday.

It's just not fair to you, so I'm breaking up with you.

I don't really know what else to say.

I just can't do this anymore.

Sorry

See you around

Maybe

My kind of Saturday

2012-02-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Dreaming up a perfect little dreamy world today, surrounded by fresh air, sunshine, beautiful music, and even more beautiful friends, all ensnared in a wondrous backdrop.

Think I'll paint myself away to a fluffy bit of a cloud-nine spot here on earth.

Hope the give and take is going smoothly for you.

A blissful, can't complain, sort of sparkling Saturday to you.

x

More rules

2012-02-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

Have a happy Friday, the happiest ever.

Cuban Special: The $10 Sandwich, or why I no longer contribute to my retirement fund

2012-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

I blame Annel and Drew, the delightful, the charming, the talented, the delicious foodmaking dream duo for my recent decrease in 401k contributions.

These two have wondertwin power-activated their foodie know-hows to create Annel and Drew's Kitchen which has dreamed up some of the best eats this city has to offer. Using only locally grown, hand-picked, organic produce from Suzie's Farm, Annel & Drew are a welcome mainstay to Wednesday eve good eats.

...and the retirement?

You see, I'm investing in my general well-being and happiness these days. This imparts bestowing my stomach generous doses of absolute deliciousness, which in turn has led the way to the Ocean Beach Certified Farmer's Market, and more specifically, this kiosk each Wednesday night for tasty bites and toothsome fodder.

Come midweek, many a fine folk find themselves around these parts to partake in the very same deliciousness that I seek. Be it with the specialty food vendors including crepes, lobster street tacos, torpastas, local honeys, vegan delights, hummus, ginger beverages, sweet caramel apples, fresh produce and enough free samples that you may just have to skip dinner.

You may even find yourself take to streets dancing while accompanied by the local musicians who will treat your ears to music goodness.

You mustn't forget to scoop up a handful of flowers and a massive bag of Kettle Korn on your way out for sharing with the loved ones.

Ah yes, living a life that's rich with such happy sanctions now, such as good company and delicious food is a commitment I've made to myself. I am after all, doing more of what I want and less of what responsibility has suggested for me these days. I've never been happier.

Back to the big ticket sandwich.

Without fail, I consistently make my way down to Newport Avenue (just four blocks away from my lilypad), to this post that needs little distinction other that a folded chalkboard menu and a nose to lead the way.

The dream team loyally makes a lovely camp here to feed the hungry masses of the many market-goers, myself included.

Here, you'll find yourself religiously shelling out ten bucks for their Spiedie sandwich offering. Served with your choice of hormone-free meat (my favorite being lamb), then bathed in a heavenly marinade, toasted spices, lemon zesty goodness, garlic, is skewered then grilled to perfection and topped with a housemade cucumber dill yogurt sauce.

It doesn't end there, the goods are served on a fresh-baked, crusty, Sicilian style bread and adorned with local, organic baby greens, heirlooms, onions and avocado.

*I hope you can forgive the gloating*

Who needs a side of french fries with these tasty offerings of grilled balsamic artichokes?

Bright, fresh and dee-vinetastic.

This must be the food of the gods and goddesses. I'll be back next Wednesday, and the next, minus a $10 deduction from my life savings with each passing visit, thereby reducing my retirement funds altogether.

So, maybe I'll be destitute in my late years. Will it be worth it?

Absolutely.

I bet they could raise their price by $15 dollars, tell me to go to hell (they wouldn't!), and I'd probably still show up wide-eyed, with a smug grin about my face asking for another hit of the spidie sandwich please.

Oh, how I do love a good seaside market in this little slice of paradise.

Whaddya mean it's not Wednesday yet?

What other people think of you is none of your business. - Paulo Coelho

2012-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

Be more comfortable with being more authentically you.

You can't please everyone all the time.

Le Serpent Rouge

2012-02-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

A color to connote power, strength, passion, excitement and imagination.

The most emotionally intense, assertive, confident, aggressive, dangerous.

A color to make your heart race, or literally stop you in your tracks

the color is red

truth, beauty, freedom, love

Find it within you first.

Happy love day, everyday.

x

Cheese is for lovers

2012-02-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Has love left you lovestruck and fresh out of gifty options this schmooptastic holiday?

Long stem roses are overrated and overpriced.

A sparkly rock for a best friend makes for a lousy listener.

Cards, the mundane.

Boxed chocolates, the typical,

and just how many oh so ordinary, teddy bears can any given person tolerate?

Allow me then to suggest that you forgo tradition for nonconformity this Valentine's Day.

Win them over with decadence. Stir up some indulgence and trust that it will go straight to the blood pumping organ to ignite enough firey embers they'll eat their own hearts out.

A new strategy this year? Win them over with Valentine cheese.

Cheese?!?

Yes, cheese!

Because cheesemakers are the dreamiest of romantics, the gift of cheese is a surefire, golden pathway to any beating heart.

a heart-shaped coeur de Neufchatel.

Win over your smoochy little cabbage with a caprese mozzarella heart drizzled with basil and olive oil

Coeur d’Arras washed rind cheese

Create a lover's cheese board with a silky fromages accompanied by bits of berries, trickles of honey, roasted dates, candied pecans, and sinful dark chocolate.

Do not under any given circumstances forget the champagne.

I can't think of a more severely seductive meal than lovers hovering over a steamy pot of hot, melty traditional alpine mountain cheese set aflame *bites palm*. Pair with cubed bits of fresh sourdough fit for sharing, and get the hearts to stirring in no time.

A heart-shaped french goat cheese atop a miniature bamboo cheese board will do well for babycakes.

volume discounted at Accent The Party for just $2.65!

For your loving casanova, Murray's of New York debuts a chocolate-infused Cavemaster Reserve cheese for the occasion. A triple cream with shavings of bittersweet chocolate cave ripened to perfection will give a whole new meaning to Let's Grow "Mold" Together. The $25.00 bundled gift comes with a bar of chocolate and a special Valentine.

Set hearts afire with a Coeur de Bray for $16.00. Shaped like a heart, and better than butter. Enjoy with a bottle of bubbly or Bordeaux.

Sweets for the sweet? Try a Chevre with lusciously sweet cranberries and a few chopped walnuts, in a beautiful heart-shaped cheese, perfect for your angelface for $15.00.

Available from Harley Farms Goat Dairy located in Pescadero, California.

On a budget? A heart shaped pizza is a hot love offering and easy on the wallet. Better yet grab your sugarlips and make your own steamy pie (recipe over at allrecipes.com).

Feeling the Valentineless-ness?

Curse your dateless day no more and choose instead to celebrate by treating yourself.

Be the very best date you've ever had.

Go for the triple cream.

Go for the rustic french baquette

Go for the bubbly.

or just stock up on candy hearts to throw at the twitterpated.

However you spend it, make certain you love yourself at the end of the day.

Because nothing says I love you like the gift of cheese.

Bom chicka wah wah

Yes, weekend

2012-02-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Saddle up, let out a sigh of relief, put on your dancing shoes, let down your hair, rally the troops.

Bask in the Fridayness of it all.

Congratulations end of week seeker, you made it!

Holy shitskamutzski, someone is reading my blog!

2012-02-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Egads! I've surpassed my 20,000 views mark!
That means somebody's actually reading my babblescript here, and it's not just my mother! Please forgive me as I gush a little from this slight milestone after setting my sights on this web log nine months past.

Many moons ago as a firecracker of a young lass, I was a writer, a journalist for the local college. I took to writing not solely as a means of a paltry income, but as a way to report the truth and to serve as my own creative outlet for self expression.

Back then, I traveled about with a clipboard fastened securely beneath my arm's grip in a very Lois Lane type of fashion, ready to take pen to paper at a moment's notice should a writing opportunity strike. The process from jotting, to editing, to publishing, was untimely at best.

I find it remarkable that blogging today allows for an instant expression of spontaneous thought. In a moment, one can commit thoughts to pixels and publish instantly for the worldly masses to view in this modern day form of unrehearsed writing.

Why blog?

Because I find it messy and collective, grueling and self-satisfying, challenging and rewarding, because it is a sanctuary in which to practice positive thinking. Blogging has actually transformed the way I see the world. More importantly however, I blog because I 'm a colossal fan of the written word.

Oh, how I miss the old handwritten letters and snail mail of days past. Remember those tiny folded notes adorned with scribbled bits and traces of artwork from your school days of yesteryear ?

I find this to be the closest I can get to to writing aloud.

Blogging has provided a safe place to heal, a refuge for self-reflection, a retreat for growth, a means for change, and a habitat free from harm in which to seek and find confidence.

I find myself feeling rather comfortable with what I know (and what I don't know) these days. Unusually confident, having well walked away from the sensation of stage fright from clicking on "Publish Post" as I did in the early days of blogging. More importantly, this hard-earned confidence has swelled over into my actual life.

I think committing to this blog has been one of the best decisions I've made for myself.

These days I've closed the door to a former chapter in my life and have slammed open a new one with my head held up high. Only now, this new door is made from pure, gleaming, looking-glass, allowing for a clear picture of what lies afoot.

To date, I've survived my layoff, and have walked away from a rewarding career in forensic science. The lyrics from the classic Beatles song 'She Came in Through the Bathroom Window' come to mind,

"and so I quit the police department".

I've well come to terms that the corporate rat race is not for me.

Today, I'm stepping through and beyond that luminous glass door to move forward onto this new path in life. My very own red brick road, not the yellow one that everyone told me to take remember?

refresh your memory here

I'd like to take this moment to send a proper thank you to anyone who may have stopped by these parts to have a look around my posts which have consisted almost entirely of short, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am snippets of fervor and schmoop, to my lengthy rants and/or odes to cheese, food, restaurant reviews, whimsy, poetry, musings, explorations and the like.

Stay tuned for all that lies ahead, my new lifepath is paved with cheese and there's lots of brewskis and wine along the way.

I suggest you buckle up, it's about to get real topsy-turvy as I slip in through a new bathroom window of sorts.

Thanks for making sense of nonsense with me, and heaps of thank yous for reading, readers.

Such is life, enjoy the ride.

It's a stormtrooper picnic kind of day

2012-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

A day of rain, followed by some scattered clouds, then back to our regularly scheduled 72 degrees tomorrow. Oh, us San Diegans. We are spoiled, so spoiled.

What a day for a loving spoonful of daydreams.

and you can be sure that if you're feelin’ right,
your daydreams will last long into the night.

Hope your day's been tip-top, filled with pleasantries from kind droids, and none of the keystone cop style, "I can kill you 28 different ways with my pinky finger" stormtroopers.

The giggle belly

2012-02-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, the belly giggle- the one that just bubbles up, and then is so difficult to stop. Euphoniousand quite distinctive...

That one where friends can find you in a roomful of hundreds by following it like Hansel andGretel on a breadcrumb hunt.

I think it's fair to say that a giggle belly is far better than a beer belly, no?

How I love a good hearty laugh, even more so when someone's laugh is funnier than the joke.

Have a silly, tickle-fun, giggle and a half kind of day.

x

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf - Jon Kabat-Zinn

2012-02-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Choo Choo, I am Two

2012-02-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

The weekend brought with it a grand celebration and a fitting rite of passage with the nephling's 2nd birthday affair. Much fussing and preparation went into ensuring the day was filled with mirth, merry, and a mahoosive meal. It's the way my family has been made to operate. We throw big time parties filled with family, friends, love and laughter, coupled with the given certainty that our cooking and party planning know no boundaries.

This year, a train party...

choo choo cupcakes

airy balloons in the walkways

Two days of iron chef preparations took place beginning with mother traveling to the vicinity armed with a suitcase ripping from the seams from being stuffed with frozen meats (apparently, the local grocer's meats around these parts are not up to mother's standards). A roast of oversized baggage fee proportions, colossal chicken, ceviche, fresh salsa, rice, beans, fruit kabobs, and cheese plate fixings ensued.

feast for the folks

a rainbow of fruit kabobbies

cheese fixins for the masses

Desserts flowed aplenty with bright, sugary train cookies, swirlypop cupcakes, while sno-cones led the way to chilly, frozen brains.

choo choo cookies

sno-cone machine had heaps of visitors

it's my party and i'll have four sno-cones if i want to...

A bounce house, hula hoops, and a piñata.

All that is fitting for two year old royalty

Much of Sunday was spent hanging out with Grammy

Oh, and there was much huff and puff over a game with an egg-shaped ball that people throw with their hands.

A fantastical weekend indeed.

Birthday happies to you Jackarooski. I'm so glad you've been with us for another year. Here's to all the goodness and perks of being two.

Cheese Club is hot off the press

2012-02-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

San Diego's premier cheese club, Queso Diego has been buzzing and garnering a bit of attention. Recently, I had the fine opportunity to present a cheese and champagne pairing to the passionate fromagophiles. Cheese and bubbly is just one of the perks of becoming a Queso Diegan.

Photo credit: Brandon Hernandez

I warmly invite you to take a peek at the lovely article written by Brandon Hernández, in this edition of The San Diego Reader here:

Cheese Heads, Unite!

Thursday happies to you my friends

Tea and Cheese If You Please

2012-02-01T08:03:00.001-08:00

Tea is the most widely consumed aromatic beverage the world over, just beneath water.

Cheese is about as hot in the culinary world as is the very temperature of said freshly-served tea.

Dare I suggest a slight kindle to the belly and soul by pairing the two for a surprise of a cold-weathered treat?

I believe I just did.

Perhaps you already know that tea leaves are rich with tannins, the astringent compounds that lend their flavors and colors to the steamy refreshment.

You may not however, be aware that these compounds are the very same tannins found in wines creating a wide-ranging complexity when pairing both fine teas and cheese.

Marry them, I say.

That’s right boys and girls.

Pair them together for a lovely course following dinner, just before dessert, or present the hottest party platter at your next fête.

The seductive pairing of a decadent cheese with a warm, steamy tea will be enough to send anyone running from the foothills.

even the Cheshire Cat

Still uncomfortable with this unlikely duo?

Know that the milk will serve to neutralize the structure of tannins and reduce its acidity.

Know that the contrast between the astringency in tea (its drying sensation), will go marvelously with the fats present in cheese.

Still foreign sounding?
Consider this...

We add milk to our tea already.

To unfold the latent power of your naughty cheese bits, pass the kettle please.

Pairing suggestions:

Consider complementary or contrasting flavors.
For example, a salty cheese (chevre) + sweet tea (green or white).

Or, for some nut on nut action, match a Dragonwell, the meaty green tea with a walnut finish, to a young and nutty Gruyere.

You can easily smooth out the acidity of a mildly grassy tea (Sencha) with a creamy goat cheese.
Add several cucumbers and a slice of Melba Toast for a perfectly-perfect morning breakfast.

Pair soft, mild, creamy cheeses (Brie) with bright and crisp black teas (Keemun, Ceylon OP)

Pair salty (Stiltons, blue varieties) with slightly sweet and floral teas (Earl Grey)

Adventure beyond the cheddars, jacks, and the teas of black and green.

Instead, indulge and give the exotic a go:

China white with a Comté reserve hard cheese

Wok-fired green tea with a Montgomery cheddar

An enchanting red nectar tea with a mild Brie

Pair a cinnamon plum with a salty blue

(for a real treat add niblets of chocolate shavings)

Mix the caramel notes of a fine black tea with the sweet, nutty flavors of Midnight Moon from the Cypress Grove Creamery

Oh, this list could run the span of an entire blogsite!

I trust that you'll soon find that the great range in flavors from tea only serve to compliment and contrast with the varying flavor range of cheeses.

Remember to vary your cheeses and tea flavors from mild to wild (strongest).

Experiment with tea temperatures and your range of cheese (soft to hard, salty to sweet)

Don't forget the green tea bubble cheesecake for dessert

Garnish with a wee scoop of lychee sherbet, mango sorbet, or red bean ice cream, and follow with a fancy game of croquet.

Yes.

Believe me when I say, you will feel all the more clever for doing so.

Let yourself get creative with the tea and cheeses, for in the end goodness is for your mouth to decide, and you may very well find that your mouth will glimmer with teatime glee, adding a whole new layer to the very question of...

teatime anyone?

Oh darling, let's be adventurers

2012-01-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

For in twenty years we will be more disappointed by what we didn't do, rather than what we did.

Hello Monday

2012-01-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

Oh, why is Monday so far from Friday, and Friday so near to Monday?

I suppose Monday has its very own job to stop by and give us that much needed fresh, clean start again.

Here's to getting it right this week.

Fire Fridays

2012-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

images by Erik Christiansen

Fire up the weekend my friendfolks

Happy Friday

Such a floaty little Thursday

2012-01-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hello little happy Thursday

How I love the way you float to the far edge of the week

your gentle tease into the much needed weekend

the way you whisk away headthoughts to a dreamy someplace

that's far less Cubicle, and far more Cuban

a place where the wind rustles through forgotten leaves like invisible horsemen

and it blows slowly over splashy waters to lull and soothe like a sweet, hazy lullaby

a place where one can breathe their fair share of oxygen from a crisp countryside waterfront

and bask in the warm glow of the day's sunlight

let yourself go and marvel in the moment

enjoy the many bits of goodness that a short break can give you.

take luxury from this moment in your head, and especially in your heart

and while you're there, couldja please find me an English/Portuguese dictionary so that I can make out these screaming hot samba lyrics that have the say-so clout to render one all hot and bothery?

don't we all have hidden stories buried within the depths of our burning hearts?

*bites palm*

kind thank yous

x

Dare to dream

2012-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Daring to dream means daring to live.

Embrace the sunlight and make a brand new ending.

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy

2012-01-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

they are the charming gardeners

that make our souls blossom.

- Marcel Proust

Enter the Dragon

2012-01-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

Happy year of the black water dragon.

May the year bring a seamless transition to the next fire cycle.

May you live in interesting times

I wonder if the Chinese will remember to write "Year of the Dragon" now on their checks instead of "Year of the Rabbit"?

Oh, how I loathe when that happens.

What demons we face

2012-01-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

We have no way of knowing what demons people face, or how they fare against them,

so love them.

A lovely bit of weekend

2012-01-22T17:55:00.001-08:00

A weekend of feasty foolery.

firey friday food and fun

A Saturday eve induction into an exclusive local lobster fraternity.

The inauguration takes place via a tequila shot served from a cooked lobster head, that tastes like college, yet is well worth the trouble when rewarded with a subsequent sea of seafood celebration (crustaceans included).

A Sunday harborside brunch by the boatships with the visitors from afar.

An afternoon strollabout beside a historic, haunty hotel.

tot-sized pitchers of wheat brew al fresco.

are you spoiling yourself rotten?

You could be swingin' on a star

2012-01-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Would you like to swing on a star?

carry moonbeams home in a jar?

and be better off than you are?

and all the monkeys aren't in a zoo.

every day you meet quite a few.

so you see, it's all up to you.

you can be better than you are.

you could be swingin' on a star.

Happy National Cheese Lover's Day! How will you pay homage to the fromage?

2012-01-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

All hail to the cheese!

The royal decadent, indulgent, can't get enough of the dairy goodness treat.

A day of celebration for those who hanker fer a hunk o' cheese.

Since we can't have the day off, we'll have to find other means to celebrate.

A small handful of suggestions...

A beer and gruyere skillet fondue gathering?

a grown up grilled cheese?

a melty cheese deep dish pizza?

a drippy-good cheeseburger?

an Italian cheese plate?

a wine, chocolate and cheese party?

a cheesy good picnic?

a rustic baguette and a sliver or two?

I hope it's a happy, good cheese whatever you do.

Enjoy

x

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. - Frank A. Clark

2012-01-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

█████ ██ █ ████ everything ███ █████ is ████ ██ ████ fine ████ ███ █ █████ love. █████ █████ ███ your ████ ████ government

2012-01-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's hideous, isn't it?

This image could very well be on its way to littering our screens.

I'm sorry Congress, but the only litter I want on my screen is a little dust,
and mayhaps a post it note or two.

A plea to Congress:
Please don't censor the web.

A plea to you:
Don't let the internet take a SOPA to the knee.

Tell them that SOPA and PIPA are not the legislation we need here

before we start seeing these hideous eyesores dance all over our screens.

Thanks!

x

A sea of champagne for a cheese celebration

2012-01-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

Giddy for the tonight'isms.

A cheese and champagne experience to celebrate the new year and the one year anniversary of San Diego's Premier Cheese Club,

Tonight we will be showcasing a fine range of sparklers from a Rosé

to a fine Blanc de Blanc

and everything in between.

Oh, the bubblyjoys of life.

Cheers to you and the good life,
whatever than means to you my friends and accomplices

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. - MLK

2012-01-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

“We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.”

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."

"Faith is taking the first step evne when you don't see the whole staircase"

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

"Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness."

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

Thank you for having a beautiful dream, Dr. King.

A glass of ruby red

2012-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

If you want to be happy

You've got to love and laugh

all the time.

Be well my friends

I'm not saying it's going to be easy, I'm saying it's going to be worth it

2012-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.

2012-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Open Girl Scout Season

2012-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yes boys and girls, it's that special time of year again.

The time of year where little girls will suit up in matching green armor to unleash their fierce wit, unassuming smiles, and charm capable of reducing any living, breathing being into a pile of nothingness, rendering one helpless to hand over their wallets and quietly acquiesce to their demands.

Atlanta Magazine now reports that the “new” Girl Scouts run like a Fortune 500 corporation. With $700 million in cookie sales, it is now the nation’s largest female-directed enterprise. These young female entrepreneurs have become a legion of sorts.

...and they're off to the races.

This season, don't be fooled by the warm, cheerful smiles and direct eye contact from these baked cookie-wielding mollies.

You see, these darling little ladies have an eee-vil plan, a vendetta if you will, and that is to take you for everything you're worth.

From afar, the common Girl Scout species may seen young, innocent and harmless, but be advised, these young women clad in head to toe green are heavily armed with the required skills necessary to sell cookies to anyone, yes anyone.

even this guy

Those plagued by high blood sugar levels and impaired glucose tolerance should be on high alert throughout the season.

Again, I must warn you that these young tarts are highly specialized professionals outfitted with real life skills such as, how to crotchet, budget money, how to be leaders, and how to otherwise "be prepared".

Of greatest concern, is that they are exceedingly adept with hunting for the weak, vulnerable and sugar-deprived, pushing their overpriced sweet treats onto poor unsuspecting victims throughout the country.

Psst! Hey you!

Little girl with the freebased-laced baked goods.

Yes, you little girl.

You in the green sash riddled with shiny buttons and sew-on honor patches.

Stop selling me those delicious, mouthwatering cookies and go home!!!

Is it not enough that you have forever changed our sweet cravings, as well as the face of fashion?

Stop with the unsolicited vending of mouthwatering cookies that I buy in mahoosive amounts, justifying my impulsive purchases with grandiose visions of storing them in my freezer for the remainder of the year, only for them to never live to see the inside walls of any icebox.

Go now, in peace, before I finish my 17th box and there will be hell to pay.

Good riddance to you and your equally encroaching troop, so that I may walk the streets free from the fear of your undertaking.

Allow me the freedom to live in a world where I no longer have to succumb to the downright assault from my supervisor's daughters knocking on my office door, bearing order forms and leaving me with little option other than emptying my pockets for the sake of your heinous cause.

And as for you girls harrassing me every time I step foot outside my grocery store, I've news for you, I already have a dealer in my neighborhood, a young female aggressor who has taken me (and my wallet) hostage.

I'm doing whatever it takes to avoid the rest of your unwarranted advancements, even if it means I have to use suction cups on all fours to get up and around you, and shimmy my way out from the market via an airduct.

This mean you, just you little girl.

Those boy scouts never hassle me with such aggresive bewitchery when it comes to popcorn sales. Do you realize you've diminished the capacity for these poor young lads to raise their own funds because they must compete with your crack-cocaine in the form of a street cookie?

Do you even know that the Boy Scouts sell popcorn?!?

...and what on the face of the planet are you doing with the millions you've allocated in funds?

What's that you say? Tough cookies?!?

Oooh, I'll get you my pretties, and your little dogs too, and their unborn puppies.

Good riddance little lassies, get on with your honorable lives of crafting, roller skating, teamwork, using your cpr skills to rescue frail dying baby kittens, and bandaging infant birds that have fallen from trees.

In the meantime, please excuse me as I indulge in the delicious goodness of crisps that seethe with the perfect chocoloatey crunch and the slight note of mint.

I hate you Thin Mints!

Please pardon my absence as I devour a handful of peanut butter and chocolate heavenly bits.

I don't know how you sleep at night you wretched, ~~assholey~~ Tagalogs

How I loathe and detest the insatiable yearning I have for you Samoas, and the bastard some more ah's, and some more ah hankerings that follow.

Damn you to the deepest place in hell you nasty, buttery Trefoils, the tasty shortbread fit for dipping into my Bailey's and milk AND perfectly suitable for artery obstruction.

Oh, bloody hell have mercy on our poor souls for we are weak with insatiable cravings for refined carbohydrates and sugared fuel sources. We can not help being additionally crippled with sweetoothy afflictions.

THIS IS AMERICA YOUNG LADIES!

We reserve to have the right to choose what foods we place in our bodies,
if only we had the inner strength to do so.

I surrender!

Uncle!

Mercy!

I'll do anything, anything, just please give me a hit of that chocolatey thin mint goodness. You can have it, you can have it all! The pin code to my atm card, unlimited access to my retirement funds, and every last cent in my pocketbook.

Oh can't you see that "C" is for cookie, and one is just not good enough for me!

It's about to get ugly, folks.
Real ugly.

Next time, just buy the damn cookies.

Go go juice in the morning

2012-01-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

Two cups, please...

because a cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent.

Enjoy your morning brew my friends.

A tiny big toast to you

2012-01-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

A teeny celebratory toast.

to you, to this week

to you maneuvering right through this week.

to enjoying subtle offerings of tiny pleasures you might not otherwise note.

be it the sight of a warm, friendly smile.

the sound of children's mischievous laughter.

the aroma of a bakery as you slow down to pass by.

Or the first morning sip of the coffee,

the last sigh of relief when the long workday is done.

and certainly those few moments of wiggling into the coziest of sleeping spots just after the lights go out.

Give an itty bitty thank you

to let those them folks know they're appreciated.

Do something to make your life easier,

(even if it's just unsubscribing from that one annoying email you've been receiving for untold weeks).

take itsy-bitsy baby steps

just a teensy-weensy bit at a time

and you'll shine in a very big way.

Monday happies to you.

Eating with the fishes

2012-01-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Friday night garlicky mussels followed by fireplay with the beautiful friends kept secret beneath a busy water bridge.

A Saturday night ceviche and cocktail dinner party, with tidings of fresh salsas, Kiwi white wine, Cuban specials and fetching company.

A late Sunday morning burner brunch, complete with pink mimosas, hoopla-la and la-la love.

Fish tacos and a crisp wheat beer for a Sunday night wrap up of the seafood weekend bliss.

To the waters, the frogmen, the fishwishers, the sea and land creatures, my wish...

do find trout

Wish for wishes

2012-01-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dear eyelashes, dandelions, wishbones, pennies, shooting stars, 11:11 and birthday candles...

Please do your job.

Thank you

Color me happy

2012-01-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Universe is closed.

Please exit using the nearest rainbow.

Thank you

Stormtrooper cereal

2012-01-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

Because the last thing they feel like dealing with today is a Jedi.

Keep your chin up soldiers.
Stay on the light side.

We are the musicmakers & dreamers of the dream

2012-01-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

Without music to decorate it,

time is just a bunch of boring production

deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.

~Frank Zappa

For cheddar or for worse

2012-01-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

For those adventurous souls in search of a non-stereotypical wedding dessert solution, or those just looking to introduce a cheese course (of course!) to the party fare,

and especially for those who dread the pastiness of fondant sugar dough, (you know the one that's overpriced and generally peeled off before human consumption?), I invite you to peruse the following.

Yes, we adore the sweetcakes, but they're so run of the mill ordinary, so overly typical, and so routinely expected. I'm casting my vote for the not so over the top, and a far less flamboyant alternative,
cheese cake.

No, not cheesecake

it's a tiered cheese cake, you see.

These cheese cakes first made their rounds in Europe, and their presence is trending wildly in the U.S. now.

Check out the hottest item to seize the center stage on the caketable today.

serve with a bar stuffed with fruit, crostinis, flatbreads

chutneys, honeys, and candied nuts

Sit back, relax, and take delight as your guests marvel in your creative genius.

i do

of course, there's always the cheese sweetcake too.

for more delicious cheesy cake goodness take a peek at:

http://acheesyalternative.wordpress.com/about/

Winner of the Holiday Schwag-away

2012-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

A giant, monsterhuge thank you to all that entered this Ringo schwag-away, and to the kind humans over at The Melting Pot Gaslamp, San Diego.

...and now the news you've been waiting for!

Without further adieu, the winner is:

Katy Morris
Timestamp: 2012-01-01 17:34:35 UTC Random.org

Check out her blog over at
http://katyscontests.blogspot.com/

Warmest Congratulations!

Gift certificate is available for hand delivery by yours truly.

Stay close to your message box for details!

...

Again, a great big thank you to all who entered. Your support is immeasurably appreciated!

Be on the lookout for future Ringo schwag-aways!

You're all gold medalwinners in my book!

Heaps of New Year Happies

2012-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

A brand new year...

to live

to believe

to give

to receive

to share a smile

to fall in love

to walk an inch

to run a mile

to dive into sunsets

to forgive

to forget
to love more
to hate less

to love where you’re going

to embrace where you’ve been

to take a deep breath

Close your eyes and begin.

May this new year be filled with joy, love, light, health, change, hope, adventure and tangled dreams coming true (especially the ones they laughed at).

We will open the book.

Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called "Opportunity"

and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Auld Lang Syne and all the good stuff to you

2011-12-31T00:07:00.000-08:00

It's December 31, 2011

The clock strikes twelve.

When suddenly it's 2011 once again,

and you are given the chance to redo everything.

Would you?

The ever grand, glamorous and romantic New Year's Eve is nigh.
The last day of the calendar year.

the dazzling lights,
the sparkling bubbly,

and the emotional undertaking.

a clean slate, a time for change and fresh starts.
a time for reflection and age old tradition,

as the stroke of midnight ushers in 2012.

When I give thoughts to the ghosts of new year's past, I have to throw a smile to Father Time, knowing well that he is having his way with me.

an incandescent New York Times Square

kissing beneath a shower of dropping balloons

camping beneath a starlit sky
a beach bonfire soiree

fireworks peppered above an ice blue Tahoe City lake

Las Vegas glitterati
the bush dive of Union Square, San Francisco

watching the ball drop from a cozy couch

a roaring fire inside a snow cabin
swimming in warm, tropical Hawaiian waters
a whimsical, speakeasy style 1920's themed party

...and other fond memories of yesteryore.

This year I'll be tying one on at a quiet piano bar.

with a flute (or two) of effervescent bubbly stars,

taking awe in another year's passing,

and marveling in the magic of time.

In a vintage dress in lieu of the over the top ordinary sequins. For I am clothed in great strength and dignity these days.

It's been a year of deep self reflection, great healing, and immense growth. I am very much looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer.

ill met by moonlight

Wherever you are my friends, I wish you love, light, forgiveness, healing, joy, contentment and all the good stuff to allofyous.

I wish you...

new beginnings

new hopes

new dreams

happy new year

happy new days

happy new desires

happy new chances

happy new you

A heaping cup of love and kindness to each of you.

Cheers to this new year,

but most of all, to you my friends.

Have a beautiful evening, whether you ring in the new year with a bang, or let it sneak in quietly. Above all, make certain to make it to January 1, 2012 unscathed.

A wintery cheese platter

2011-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

As the season of gluttony draws to a near close, and with only precious moments before the last of the 2011 cheese plates, a winter's eve selection of moo moos, goaties and sheep milks.

Add some sweet raisin rosemary crisp goodness,

the pepper and the poppy water crackers,

instant party.

I do hope all your plotting and planning for sparkly New Year whatnots are going rather well.

Don't forget the holiday schwagaway for 2012 cheesy-good fondue fun

here

Off to dance with the gypsies

2011-12-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

A magical evening of divine beats and a wild explosion of live puppet dancers.

Hope to catch someofyous at the show tonight.

The Melting Pot - The Post Holiday Schwag-away

2011-12-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

It's that special time of year again boys and girls.

Another Schwag-away!

Thanks to the folks at The Melting Pot of downtown San Diego, you now have the opportunity to seize a piece of plastic with your grubby litttle hands.

but it's not just any polyurethane!

This scrapbit of common plastic yields a $25 gift certificate with a bonus $25 gift certificate.

For those of us well versed in addition, that's 50 bones towards a dinner at The Melting Pot of San Diego Gaslamp.

Stir things up in the new year?

You've ho ho ho'ed your way through the giftyness,

now it's time to reward yourself.

Fondue onto others as thou would due unto themselves.

Gift certificates are available for purchase here

-OR-

you can win one here on this babblesite for absolute nothingness.

Yes genties and ladlemen, that means zero, zip, nada, zilch, nil, diddly-squat!

Rules:

1). Follow this blog by clicking on the "Join this site" icon in the lower left sidebar of this blog.

Alternatively, you can click on the 'Follow' link on the far left side of the (nearly black, charcoal?) navigation bar located at the very top of this blogsite.

If you're already following, a hundred-thousand thank yous! Just follow the next step to enter.

2). Leave a comment describing a New Year's resolution (it doesn't even have to be yours!).

That's all folks!

A few muy importante details:

Prize is limited to those in the San Diego region as it is indeed a hard gift certificate ready for hand delivery.

Winner will be automatically generated via Randomizer.org

Contest begins now and ends on January 1, 2012 at 5:00pm

Winner will be notified here on the eve of January 1, 2012.

good luck, lucky!

Valid at the downtown Gaslamp San Diego location only

x

Green Guide

2011-12-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

You may think the grass is greener on the other side,

but if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green.

Twas the day after Christmas

2011-12-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house,

living rooms had subsided and now hushed as a mouse.

the children were beaming with their sparkly knick-knacks,

the adults were hungover and now could relax.

The queues formed from Walmart's glass, swinging front doors,
for huge clearance sales and take-backs in scores.
The detox and diets now stepped forth to commence,
the credit card tabs soon to soar from expense.

The planning and plotting had come to fruition,
while holiday lights slipped back into remission.

The house was a bit to somewhat back in order,

with trash bags that heaved from a bit less disorder.

Tasty leftovers were tucked away for the taking,
while ovens took much needed rest from mass baking.
Airports burst from the seams due to much holiday travel.
trees dried out and wept, no more gifts to unravel

Now Visa! Now Mastercard! American Express!
that paid for the gifting and holiday dress

'Tis the season for plastic, which we shan't soon forget,

as we welcome the new year, and celebrate debt.

And me in my new obi sash belt and hat,
sighed a breathy relief, the end of gift tit for tat.

Still uncomfortably full from the kitchen now shunned,

I'll take a rest now, as my work here is done.

Well, maybe just one,

last quick trick for the play...

a little lord stormtrooper asleep in the hay.

Ah, yes...
That will do nicely.

Hope everybody was as spoiled as a two year old, only child, with eight sets of grandparents.