fun: not as easy as it sounds.

identifying and obtaining fun is not as easy as it seems. here is a list of all the fun i had today. and today did not start out with much fun. in fact, in keeping with my unfortunate wiring as a person who sees the glass half empty before seeing that it is also half full, let us enumerate the ways in which today was: not fun

1. it was necessary to wake up early on a day off
2. there was insufficient time to properly enjoy my coffee
3. rain was impending
4. i did not have an outer garment of an appropriate weight or material to be suitable for today's temperature and precipitation
5. on a day off, i had to ride standing up on a rush hour crowded manhattan-bound d train
6. there was negative energy near me
7. when i attempted to alleviate some interpassenger stress i found myself in the unfortunate but familiar position to do: counseling with strangers who are sleep deprived and in the midst of family crisis

the fun part

1. breakfast at whole foods that consisted of (a) center cut bacon, (b) zucchini latke thing, (c) oat scone, (d) yummy coffee
2. shambhala sun magazine with story about sylvia boorstein, our favorite jubu
3. movie, the diving bell and the butterfly, a difficult movie to watch but going to a movie on a weekday is excellent
4. lunch at a cute cafe that specializes in crepes. it may be portuguese. we had pressed pannini, green salad, and a dessert crepe.
5. ball of fresh, unsalted mozzarella cheese from joe's, and i'm not going to tell you where it is
6. jacques torres, where we got a can of traditional style hot chocolate as a gift for someone, ate samples and watched big rotating vats of chocolate being made

regret/in a fit of self-righteous and inspired apartment cleansing, i threw out
1. very old wooden and metal test tube holders
2. important menstrual artifact literally yanked off wall of bathroom of building i was working by applying full body weight while hanging, every day for a week

i am partying

school is out, i'm getting ready to go away to my groovy 9-day silent meditation retreat and the happy weather outside is not convincing me to go out and play. instead, i am inside "taking care of business" on the computer all day long. i am partying. here is what is going on.
1. drinking bottle of china cola
2. eating unsalted bearitos brand tortilla chips
3. feeling too overwhelmed by leisure time to be able to choose music
4. knowing i must brush my teeth and go out to buy fish for the evening meal which is being presented at 8.
5. wanting to bake a cake, but knowing there is no equipment.
6. i just pulled a tortilla chip anomoly out of the dish: it is thick and lumpy and looks like a lot of crumbs baked together yet it is impossible to eat.

later
1. bought glorious, soft eli's sourdough loaf and am carving diligently
2. hunk o pepper jack cheese
3. fresh salmon
4. zucchini
5. whatever - i'm focusing on the bread, cheese and fish parts of this meal.
6. mixed baby green salad with my genius dressing of lemon, salt, and olive oil
later

i am a smartass

on a certain email list, the following query was offered. it is followed by my as yet unsubmitted suggestions.

query: A strange thought has occurred to me. When we buy commercially made gefilte fish, it is packed in jars with a jelly to keep it moist. When the pieces of fish are removed from the jar (and eaten), the jelly remains, roughly half-filling the jar. It seems passing wasteful to me simply to discard the jelly, but I have no idea what use to make of it. It's edible, of course, but what is there with which it could be combined into something palatable? Any thoughts, anyone? (name withheld)

my suggestions:
1. fill colored balloons with the jelly and drop them off your roof but don't hit old people.
2. collect all the jelly and place it inside a pinata. hang said pinata from a tree and invite your friends over for a pinata busting good time.
3. collect all the jelly and ship it to random people in the phone book.
4. collect all the jelly and ship it to our friends at peta.


there are many other possibilities, but this list seems unbecoming and should be stopped immediately.

more

since posting this about two hours ago, several members have offered their suggestions. i am not making this up.

1. "Thank you for this light and serious challenge!! i am smiling broadly.Every once in awhile when i open the jar of gefilte fish i am saddened to see that i got the wrong one!The “wrong one” for me is the one without the jelly.i pour the jelly out with each gefilte fish piece and mix it up with horseradish and enjoy every bite of withthis mixture. i generally am out of the jelly and i have no “half full” in the jar!Another way to enjoy it is to make scrambled eggs – add some jelly, scallions, salt and pepper.Hope this helps the gefilte fish jelly dilemma!"

2. "I put it in a mug, heat it in the microwave, and drink it as a high protein hot drink for lunch. "

pesach foods include
1. yehuda matzos
2. lamb
3. guac
4. haroset
5. pear salad with something else crunchy in it
6. chopped liver
7. chicken
8. chocolate walnut cake
9. fruit soup
10. spinach salad
11. regular green salad
12. gefilte fish
13. matzoh ball soup
14. coffee
15. chamomille tea

today
1. quinoa + tahini + coffee
2. regretful turkey and cheese sandwich + melon + 2-pak cookies
3. three ("3") slices high quality organic turkey + same high quality organic coffee
4. enjoyment watching young girls and boys learn "boot" and "step" dancing
5. satisfaction, in retrospect, at my expanding ability to let pain, sadness, and disappointment pierce my heart instead of constructing elaborate revenge fantasies or endlessly rehearsing self-righteous indignation
6. fear that i will catch cold and not be able to finish all my papers
7. happiness and anticipation of glorious shabbat which will include (1) solo relaxation, (2) kabbalat shabbat service in renewal style in brooklyn, and a (3) day long meditation retreat with much respected teachers from the insight meditation society.
8. unbridled joy in the knowledge that only thirteen ("13") units of field placement remain.

today's menu
1. spleen-chi supportive herbs
2. water
3. one ("1") boiled egg with sea salt
4. one ("1") piece of sprouted grains bread with organic, smooth, salty peanut butter
5. coffee
6. hummus
7. cherry tomatoes
8. lemon larabar
9. pear

things left to do this evening

1. eat dinner (see "lame")
2. meet with kit kaplan to design business cards - maybe.
3. work co op shift with great presence. aim for express lane, but accept with gratitude any job that is offered.
4. come home late.
5. drink tea, complain, pet lovely partner.
6. shower.
7. apply ayurvedic facial products with care.
8. obsess about cat.
9. go to sleep.

i have a new rotation of restaurants in my new and improved life. here they are.

1. al di la (please note random schedule of closing)
2. presto! (thanksgiving day sandwich only)
3. bonnie's bar & grill (wings and burgers only)
4. the chip shop (cod & chips only)
5. stone park (brunch only)
6. perch (cobb salad, desserts, coffee)
7. la villa
8. mekong