Reasons To Live

Dog beach weekend

rtladmin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:39:00 +0000

This is my friend’s dog who I’m dog sitting. Hi name is Kali and he is a 10-year-old cancer survivor. If that isn’t sweet enough, I texted my friend one of these photos and she told me “that is his favorite place in the whole world.” So we went both days this weekend. I think I want a dog now.

It’s Stress Monkey Wednesday

rtladmin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:39:58 +0000

Here, have a sock monkey in the shape of an octopus.

The entire San Diego freeway is red right now–and not just red–black! What does black mean? Geez. I am never leaving work.

Make an island of yourself,
make yourself your refuge;
there is no other refuge.
Make truth your island,
make truth your refuge;
there is no other refuge.
~Digha Nikaya, 16

photo via John Durant photographer

Random Valentine Generator

rtladmin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:54:59 +0000

Really there should be a Random Valentine Generator where you push a button and get a cute, random Valentine message from the (secret) love of your life, the Internet. Kind of like the Turtle Name Generator. Oh wait, let’s google that and see what happens… Nope, not our there. It’s mine! Next year I’m going viral with it.

And for the random candy generator, today I got to work and my coworkers handed me candies! It’s awesome working in corporate sometimes. Kind of like V-day in elementary school (except ALL the boys in my department are gay). I’m picking out a random heart-shaped candy and it says:

Jump 4 Me!

By the Way

Please don’t be sad it’s V-day. I consoled myself by doing the following:

-Buying a dozen roses I wanted for myself (no worries about wrong color/kind!)

-Buying a slice of cake I wanted at the coffee shop on Sunday

-Buying all the treats I wanted from Trader Joes, which included cheese, wine, and salami (yes, no chocolate—not a fan here)

-Going to yoga class over the weekend all proud of how “well I’m handing V-day” and then crying for no reason after doing the camel pose. And then crying for the rest of class; luckily it was a candlelight class so no one could see me. And then crying last night because my roommate needed to watch The Bachelor and no matter how low she turned the volume, I could still hear those goddamn whiny girls from my bedroom where I was trying to fall asleep (side note: the best way to watch that show is to pretend you are commentating for Mystery Science Theatre 3000). The cute part was my roommate consoled me in the hallway, having no idea why I was sobbing and said, “it’s okay – this is a hard holiday for lots of single people” and I had no idea what she was talking about for a split second because I was so freaking tired.

-Every year my favorite aunt sends me new underwear, candy, and lipgloss for V-day, so I’ve kind of grown to get excited about this holiday and wearing a new pair of undies!

-Decided I’m going out tonight to meet a girlfriend for a drink. And then going to bed insanely early, since I’m on “normal people” time now.

-Realizing I would much rather be single than be with someone who is not right for me. It’s such a relief.

Bad Mood Monday

rtladmin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:49:34 +0000

It’s bad mood Monday. And this made me laugh:

This dog breed is called a japanese chin. How cute is that?

4 hours later:

What on earth is this and how can I get one?!?

According to this website, it’s called a capybara, and it is a real live muther f-ing BIG hamster.

Yep, they’re real. Monday just got a little better.

Never look back

rtladmin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:08:30 +0000

“Never look back unless you plan to go that way.”

~Henry David Thoreau

P.S. Sorry I’ve been absent! This whole j.o.b. thing is keeping me busy. That and my yoga obsession.

Note to self: do not google the phrase “plaque on teeth.” Ahh!

Look at all these wishes waiting to be made

rtladmin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:32:37 +0000

When you wish upon a dandelion and blow all the spores away, close your eyes, make a wish, and may they all come true some day.

-via threadless.tees.

Here is a test to find out
whether your mission in life is complete.
If you’re alive, it isn’t.
~Richard Bach

Deep thoughts not by jack handy

rtladmin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:13 +0000

For small creatures such as we
the vastness is bearable only through love.
~Carl Sagan

Ever since I found this quote last night I can’t stop thinking about it.

By the vastness, Carl Sagan is referring to our universe and it’s enormity. We live in this big world, in this even bigger galaxy that seems to have no end.

We’re on this planet, we don’t know why we’re here, how we got here, or what is really going on. But if you stop and think about it, he’s right. The vastness in our world that is comforted through love.

I had to actually stop and realize this tonight while I was running errands. I was tired, hungry, and going from store to store, just trying to get through this. All I wanted was to go home and lay in bed. But in that moment I wasn’t really seeing what was in front of me.

Everyone else is doing the same thing. And it’s not like I can avoid my stupid errands. So it occurred to me in the aisle at Rite Aid. Why not do them with more love?

So, I was really nice to the guy at the check out counter — and deliberately nice. I mean, wouldn’t he — and wouldn’t all of us most of the time — rather be doing something else, or better yet, receiving more love for what we are already doing? Even when I was writing and working from home (my dream) it was not one big party. It was just life. I think that realizing everyone wants to be doing something else (or heck, can never be truly satisfied for long) makes you love everyone more.

I chatted the checker up at Whole ~~Foods~~ Paycheck next. I realized these exchanges can be loving too. I may not have someone I can write lovey dovey texts to or say “I love you” to late at night, but I do have people I love in my life.

Then, at home, I went on Facebook (wait, was that what I’d rather be doing?!?!) and liked a friends status cause it was funny and I knew it would make him feel good — and LOVED. Then, one friend called me and the friend I “Liked” called five minutes later.

I feel like when you put loving feelings like that out there — other people can feel them too. I have to remind myself, sometimes, what I believe: that we are all connected by one mind. I picture it as a giant brain made of jello. I know people don’t think about it in their every day lives, but there is proof of this (except for the jello part).

I mean, Carl Sagan is not a dumbass!

This YouTube video is really funny to watch after watching the latest Modern Family video on Hulu (where Phil gets autotuned).

This is a nice response from one viewer on YouTube:

When I am feeling sad, I listen to the symphony of science, then I stop being sad and have a great feeling.

The atoms of my body was breed in stars billions of years ago.

The molecules and genes of my body are a story of success over tha last 3 billion years.

That is awesome.

photo via by racheocity

One fine day a few Sunday’s ago

rtladmin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:12:36 +0000

“We need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet… I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things… all of it, all of the time, every day. You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness.’”

~from the movie Shall We Dance

photo taken at the SRF gardens in Encinitas

The old man in me likes my worn-out clothes

rtladmin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:54:44 +0000

There is something so comforting about warm pajamas taken out of the dryer and putting them on to go to bed. I’ve been looking at my clothes lately and appreciating them– and everything– more. Or at least I’m trying.

I have worn hand-me-down clothes for the last few years. It’s so strange now that I have gainful employment that I could actually redo my wardrobe.

Maybe this is the old man in me, but I kind of like my tattered pjs from 2001. They’re like an old sofa. My old t-shirts too. You never know when you need an old t-shirt, right?

I can’t really believe how much I have right now. You’d think I’d struck it rich. I was VERY close to losing it all and having to move back to my parent’s house.

When I’m at my apartment I’m mostly in my bedroom with my roommate’s bed, her comforter, her dressers and lamps. I don’t have much of my old stuff here. But my stuff used to occupy a two bedroom house.

I loved my old place, but I’ve never been too attached to stuff. I remember when I was there talking to this guy in the coffee shop who had like five cars and a boat and a house he couldn’t sell and how stuck he felt. More stuff is NOT the answer.

But I DO miss decorating. And I did bring my 16 houseplants with me to San Diego (they live on a table in the kitchen.). It’s so much fun to make things pretty. I’ll have a pretty place again.

Well-behaved houseplants. Each one has a story (I’m serious).

chair photo by Hallenser

Driving in a winter wonderland

rtladmin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:52:15 +0000

If there is one thing I know, it’s weather.

I also know a lot about Utah. I grew up in a little mountain town that was very beautiful, but infiltrated with Mormons.

This absolutely priceless video shows you Utah at its best. Not only are people driving like total shitheads, the guys filming seem to be excited about all the accidents on their street. This, my friends, is what happens when people need entertainment because they are not allowed to drink or have sex before marriage:

(and when freezing rain hits the road, followed immediately by snow — Watch the whole thing. The video starts out slow but picks up with 3 curb hits, 1 360, about 5 accidents, 3 cars in yards, and a partridge in a pear tree).

(note to Southern Californians, this is a steep mountain road. Snow is fun!)