Urban Homesteading

"'Alcohol is often the gateway to urban homesteading.'" I don't know about brewing cider (I prefer red wine) or making your own linen underwear. I am grateful for a community garden plot. But I'm just dying for a backyard of my own to grow food and chickens.
NYT: That Big Farm Called San Francisco

sleep improves athletic performance too

NYT: To Improve Fitness, Try Sleep

one of my favorite quotes

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, either way you are right."
-Henry Ford

what's in your head

I no longer blog about anger management bc I'm no longer in a relationship with a person with anger management issues. But, that doesn't mean the ideas aren't still in my heart. K keeps me posted on interesting things that happen on her social workout blog. This week, it's Brad Robert's inspirational words about getting in shape with yoga, and, more interesting to me, how some other forms of exercise made him feel: "I kickboxed for a while, because it was fun to hit things. But, first of all, I smashed my foot. And then I noticed that, rather than being cathartic, kick boxing just made me more angry. I'd be walking down the street, and I'd see some guy, and I'd start thinking what would I do do to take him down. I'd be imagining: "MY ELBOW. YOUR NECK. I COULD KILL YOU!" I don't need that going on in my head."

One thing I think a lot about is what I want in my head. You get these things from the people you spend time with, the things you do, and your physical environment. For example, I don't think it's dis-loyal or bad in any way to avoid investing in people who are overly critical, negative or superficial. After all, it's my head, and I get to choose what to put in it. So, Roberts observations transcend anger management -- they're also about consciousness. You are what you do. (And, conversely, do what you are... do be do be do.)

I've been reading The Secret, which is just the same message again. Last night, I read the chapter on Health. It told stories of people curing cancer with funny movies. I've been under the weather lately; so, watching more TV than usual. I stream, and I ran out of shows to watch. This eventually resulted in the same outcome as if I had TV reception: crime television. I started watching CSI. Ugh. Those people are unhappy. They're solving crimes (where people are horrible to each other by definition). And the cinematography is dark. Yeah, here on my blog, I now state my commitment to fixing this problem.

The MAPP

A couple weekends ago, I had the magnificent joy to attend the MAPP, the Mission Arts & Performance Project, a bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural community arts event that takes place in the South-East neighborhood of the Mission District. It's my second favorite thing that happens in San Francisco all year round (first is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass). I'm not going to review our entire evening (fulled with Secret Gardens, soulful music, dancing, poetry about politics...), I'm just going to show you this photo I took of some of Carl Pisaturo incredibly cool robotic sculptures. Always a hit!

Silicon Valley Commuter

I snapped this guy waiting with me for the VTA Light Rail because he wore typical work clothes on his 10-speed. His helmet and backpack are funky, but he's more dressed up than your average commuter nerd in the Valley. Maybe he's in management?

Either way, he's got the best possible commute. No matter what happens at work, you can always count on your bike to make you smile at the end of the day.

[Brian Smith] Berkeley Celtic music Comice

My pal Brian, the editor of another blog I sometimes contribute to, sent me this photo he snapped in Berkeley. Presumably, they're on their way to a Celtic Music Festival.

The title is Brian's. I looked up Comice:
Co·mice /kəˈmis/ (noun) a large, juicy variety of pear.
Yeah, the girl's cute, and so are you, Brian.

Break-up Reasons Provided

Wanna break up but can't explain why? Here are a list of possible reasons from which you can choose... compiled from life experience, friends' experiences and bad television.

Check all that apply:
• It’s not you, it’s me. I’m all messed up right now.
• It’s not me, it’s you. I just don’t like you that much.
• I’m just not feeling it.
• I’m still in love with my ex(es).
• I want to be with someone who (doesn't) smoke(s) pot.
• I want to be with someone with whom I have more in common culturally (i.e. shoots guns, smokes, is into material possessions, loves to shop, has experience in the sex industry (circle as appropriate or add item(s) here ___________________________________________).
• It was moving too fast. I got scared.
• I never want to get married and have a family (with you).
• I’m just not that into you.
• You did X (i.e. took your ex-boyfriends call when he rang….describe in detail here _______________________________________), and it really pissed me off.
• I can’t stand the way you X (i.e., I can’t stand the smell of your hand lotion…describe in detail here _________________________________________________)
• You’re too good for me. You’ll leave me when you realize that, and I can’t handle the stress of waiting for that to happen.
• I don’t want to be in a relationship with anyone right now.
• I want to be with someone who has a less interesting life (i.e., worse job, fewer or no friends or hobbies) so that they are available to hang out with me all the time.
• I met someone else.

Dear Readers: Did I miss something? Please add it in the comments below.

how to be happy (vs. money)

NYT: "If the relationship between money and well-being is complicated, the correspondence between personal relationships and happiness is not. The daily activities most associated with happiness are sex, socializing after work and having dinner with others. The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting. According to one study, joining a group that meets even just once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your income. According to another, being married produces a psychic gain equivalent to more than $100,000 a year."

Thanks, Cheryl.