The Comfort of Siblings

Had a great weekend with my family, even though we gathered for a sad occasion. Was more than happy (thrilled? delighted? comforted.) to spend Saturday night with my brother, sister in law, sister of sister in law, and dearest cousin talking into the wee small hours of the morning.

There is such an amazing comfort in the company of siblings and those you love like siblings. When you look at someone else and see your eyes, or your smile, or your Reckenroll nose and know that someone else sees the world through your same DNA. It's a feeling of belonging like no other and one that I don't think could be replicated in anyway. The months I spent fighting with my brother last year were the longest of my life. We're better friends than ever because of it but I would take it all back if I could. I was reminded on the weekend of how glad I am we moved past it...stubborn as we are.

I never really like the book On Beauty by Zadie Smith but I've always loved the following passage:

"People talk about the happy quiet that can exist between two loves, but this, too, was great; sitting between his sister and his brother, saying nothing, eating. Before the world existed, before it was populated, and before there were wars and jobs and colleges and movies and clothes and opinions and foreign travel -- before all of these things there had been only one person, Zora, and only one place: a tent in the living room made from chairs and bed-sheets. After a few years, Levi arrived; space was made for him; it was as if he had always been. Looking at them both now, Jerome found himself in their finger joints and neat conch ears, in their long legs and wild curls. He heard himself in their partial lisps caused by puffy tongues vibrating against slightly noticeable buckteeth. He did not consider if or how or why he loved them. They were just love: they were the first evidence he ever had of love, and they would be the last confirmation of love when everything else fell away."


— Zadie Smith (On Beauty)

Saw this today

"Embed the truth. Stop Propoganda"

Wanted to ask the driver, "Who decides which is which?"

Stupid bumper sticker.

Pearls of Wisdom

Some of the best advice I've ever gotten:

• You can't think your way out of everything
• Success comes from failure. Failure builds character and teaches. There's no one out there with a perfect record. That's how you learn to be successful next time.
• Not everything needs to be solved right now.
• Always know your way home. You don't have to go there, you just need to know how to get there.
• A crisis on your part is not a crisis on my part.
• Be sincere in your relationships. You can't control anything (or anyone) in this world except how you interacted in the situation. If you can walk away holding your head high and knowing you acted in a way you feel good about, well, that's all you can expect of yourself.
• Believe someone the first time they show you who they really are. People can change...but usually don't.

What I Learned this Weekend

• This is my last 1/2 marathon. Six miles is a good distance to train to. I like it. I don't really feel the need to run further.
• I should always put on pants first thing in the morning. You never know who is going to come knocking on your door or at what time around here.
• You can't expect that there will always be a wine opener.
• I need to play a lot more poker...and watch others play it too. Too many strategies happening at once to keep track of with an untrained mind.
• Even at 33 years old, I sometimes still have no idea what's going on.
• Cooking for my friends makes me exceedingly happy. Anyone want to come over for dinner?

Simple Pleasures

I've noticed lately that there are some little things that happen in my day to day life that bring me ridiculous amounts of pleasure.

• Cream in my coffee. Life is short. A dash of cream in my morning coffee won't kill me or make me fatter and quite frankly, I'm nicer afterward. If you're into cream, go for it and don't feel a lick of guilt
• Race Car morning commute. There is a point in my commute, every morning, where 520 opens up to 4 lanes and you temporarily have the opportunity to drive like a race car driver. VROOM! I do this everyday. It makes me exceedingly happy for exactly 45 seconds.
• Speaking of driving, I feel pretty awesome when I can change lanes on the freeway and not hit any of those bumpy things.
• Big words in daily conversation. Nebulous. Fiduciary. Pedestrian (not the noun, the adjective).
• People who know the difference between the noun and the adjective of the same word.
• A snuggle for the cat in the morning and a belly rub for the dog at night. I don't make these rules, I just play along with their demands.
• Quoting a random movie and having someone else get it right away. It's like a joke told well.
• A perfectly made Belvedere martini
• Bad ass sunglasses. *Almost* makes you feel cooler than your favorite heels...almost.

And finally, being told "I read your blog. You should blog more."

In a word, "AWESOME." In more than one word, "a shameless plug for comments"