This Is Why Smart People Drink.

It is painful when you see, so clearly, the potential of how things could be, how really amazing things could be, but they are not and the average person does not understand what you are yapping about.

Witty Poem

I came across this poem today, and I though it so witty, I just had to share:


Tripping Over Joy 

What is the difference 
Between your experience of Existence 
And that of a saint? 

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has made such a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, "I surrender!"

Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.

-Hafiz


For more of this, please click here.

Poem of a Girl

I can see the sadness in her eyes

and in the way she walks

I know her more than what you see

Her soul, I have touched. 

When she goes out

and laughs and mingles

People see what they want to see

They can't see past their own wants

Her soul, I have touched. 

That day, last August

when she looked out to the water

Told me her fears. dreams. hopes.

Told me her story.

Her soul, I did touch

and she touched mine. 

Calistoga

I just got back from a mini-vacation. The vacation took place in a little slice of heaven called Calistoga. I basically spent every day going to wineries, soaking in the sites, window shopping in cute little shops, eating delicious food, taking mud baths, getting massages, and swimming in pools of mineral water.

Things that I love about Calistoga:

- It is a small town, with charm and character. I could see myself living here. Living a calm life. Drinking great wine. Getting to know my neighbors. Being happy.
- There is no shortage of entertaining things to do: from mud baths to Italian castles, wine tasting to petrified forests and old faithful geysers. Ok, so the place is a little touristy. But, the amount of tourists is minimal given Calistoga's up-most northern position in Napa Valley. Most tourists never make it up that far. Calistoga is like a hidden gem that only the die hard wine-aficionados make it to.
- There is a great grocery store in the middle of town. I love grocery stores. I don't know why, I just do. Especially grocery stores with organic meats and produce, and rows filled with delectable cheeses.
- There are no annoying restaurant chains (aka, fast food chains) or things like Embassy Suites. All of the restaurants and hotels in town are unique and one of a kind.
- The food is amazing. All the restaurants and bakeries are just delectable. For a town of 5000, this is quite an accomplishment.
- The scenery is a picture of bliss. Rows after rows of grape vines, making vineyards, surrounded by roses, which in turn are surrounded by lush green mountains.

Here are a couple of the pictures I took while on vacation:

Need I say more?

Weddings

I have to admit, I love attending weddings. I love, love, LOVE brining my bulky little camera along and taking pictures of the quiet moments of grace that fill the gaps between the rituals that surround a marriage. Photographing a ceremony is not as exciting for me as photographing the moments before and after the ceremony, when people are filled to the brim with emotions and hope, and actions are unscripted.

Here are some pictures from a recent wedding where I had the honor of being a bridesmaid.

Which is Worse?

Bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms, or schizophrenia paranoia?

New York!

I had the good fortune of taking a little vacation this month. I went to New York with Alan! It was a pretty nice get-away from my regular day activities. Here are some pictures form my adventures in Manhattan.

What do we see on our first day: A photo shoot in front of the cafe where we ate brunch. It is a pity that those shoes look so god-awful ugly.

Then, we found Elmo. He was just chillin' in the Meatpacking District.

The view from our hotel: Amazing!

We stayed at The Standard.

This experience of visiting New York was completely different from my previous experience last December. The weather was different, the mood on the street was different. But, one of the things that struck me the most was the quantity of tourists everywhere. They were just overwhelming in quantity, wherever you went. I think I prefer New York in the winter. 

Annoying Things about Following a Gluten Free Diet

#562: Eating at a restaurant.

Eating out at new restaurants used to be pure excitement and joy, except for the bill part. Now eating out at a new place is an actively stressful endeavor, and I still get a bill at the end of it. [Insert self-flagellation pun here.] The things that create anxiety about new restaurants are as follows (in order of increasing magnitude):

a) Bread baskets full of warm delicious bread.
b) Waiters who do not know what gluten is.
c) Going out with people who order all the delicious food you cannot eat, and having it placed in front of you, when you are hungry. (Note: If I am not hungry, then I do not care.)
d) Waiters who still do not understand what gluten is even after you have explained it to them.
e) Not knowing what is safe to eat (remember gluten hides everywhere).
f) Waiters who tell you that they have checked, and that item you wanted is definitely gluten free, only to discover that your item (i.e. salad) was delivered drenched in croutons.

A, B and C simply cannot be helped, and are an exercise in patience and restraint. As for D, well, lets just say that I have developed strong opinions about how waiters should be trained to understand what constitutes the 8 most common food allergens.  E may be avoidable if you prepare in advance, and call the restaurant to make sure they have gluten free items to offer, and generally make a big fuss out of things. F really sets me off.

There is a gluten-free restaurant that I recently discovered. This restaurant helps me avoid B through F, which is pretty good. This restaurant is, however, a soulless mediocre chain full of yuppies and tacky decorations. It is. Gulp. P.F. Chang's! They have a relatively large gluten-free menu available. And, the food does not completely suck. Such are now my standards to determine if a restaurant is acceptable to the extent that I would want to visit again. Tacky decorations and soullessness be damned.

In my search for friendly restaurants, I discovered that McDonalds also has a small gluten-free menu. I will not be visiting the golden arches any time soon though. My standards will accept soullessness, but not evil incarnate. You have to draw the line somewhere.

More about Tiny Homes

I have discovered the beauty of cob! Here are some pictures of tiny cob-made homes. There is something terribly romantic about building your house from the earth, and something astoundingly practical about living mortgage free. These are images I found by going a quick image search on Google:

These homes are gorgeous, unique and ecologically sustainable. 

Why don't more people live in cob homes?

Test Results have Arrived

I have been hanging on an edge waiting for my test results. They took forever to arrive. Almost three weeks of waiting were envolved. The wait gave me plenty of time to ponder about the potential results. Half of me wanted the test results to be positive. Positive results would constitute evidence to back up my theories about what is going on with my body. In addition, and although nobody said this outright, I am sure that my friends and family thought I was a little crazy, what with my claiming that I was allergic to gluten and trying all these fad diets and all. Heck, even I thought my claims were a little weird. Positive test results would prove that I am, in fact, not crazy. The other half of me wanted the test results to be negative, because then I wouldn't have to live the rest of my life on a restricted diet. Who wants to be allergic to wheat? Everything has wheat in it. My favorite foods are made with wheat. Who would want to live the rest of their lives without cheese-its? Certainly not I! In order to be able to eat gluten, I would swallow bit of my pride. Maybe.

Anyway, now the test results are in and although my pride is intact the outlook is grim. The results are conclusive and ominous: I have an active gluten sensitivity and it is recommended that I do not consume any wheat, barley or rye for the rest of my life. The results gave me mixed emotions, which started with my lamentations over never being able to eat pizza again. Lucky for me, before I received the test results, I had already found a source or two of gluten-free chocolate. The gluten-free chocolate was just as comforting as the regular kinds of chocolate, and so I think I will live.

Chocolate, Please

Question: Can I have a bit of chocolate. Just a little bit of chocolate, please.
Answer: [Evil laugh] NO, BECAUSE ALL CHOCOLATE IS MADE WITH GLUTEN OR ON MACHINES THAT ALSO MANUFACTURE WHEAT PRODUCTS!!!

Gluten Intolerance?

It is very possible that I have developed an allergy to gluten. I'm getting tested for it, and I should get the lab results in about 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I am doing something very similar to the Atkins Diet; a gluten-free diet. How did I come to believe that I might be allergic? Well, that is a long story but I can sum it up by saying that (1) there are a few indicators and (2) my 23 and Me DNA results indicate that I am about 200% more likely than the average person to develop celiac disease. Yay.

A gluten-free diet is not as crazy as it sounds. It is actually quite healthy for you. Even Oprah has tried it. However, what it lacks in craziness it makes up for in difficulty. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has wheat in it. Even the Atkins bars have wheat in them, so I can't eat those anymore.

Since I don't eat out at restaurants that much, I exercise a lot of control over what I ingest. This part is key in being able to maintain a gluten-free diet. This, and obsessively reading food labels. Pretty much the only thing I can eat without having to worry about gluten is fresh fruit.

I can't wait to get my test results so that I can know for sure if I really have a wheat intolerance. I am not one to be prone to unnecessary food privations. Or patience.

The Book Club!

I've started a book club. This is The Book Club's Constitution!