Daily Daze - October 21, 2015

Thought of the Day

Heart, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades ... If it's in the cards then it is meant to be.  So you play the hand that your dealt.  If you just calculate the odds away, you never get in the game.   You miss opportunity because you get caught up in a future that was never founded in a present. So everything passes.  You don't play the game, you may not lose but you definitely will never win.  

Life and love is a gamble.  The odds bode well if you at least know what cards your willing to go all in with or which ones you need to fold.  Would you really double down with a person who hasn't already got you in aces?  

So hearts before diamonds... Clubs before spades...

Why the heck did this come up?  It amazes me how many people believe you have control of this life.  The dollars don't make sense in matters of the heart.  The means don't make the ends when you don't have passion and purpose.  

There is no doubt that compatibility is a critical component for a long lasting relationship. Love can't conquer all, but love is the foundation upon which you can build a relationship that can conquer all.  There is no doubt that we feel compelled to feel secure in our decisions.  

So in lies the conversation...a crazy fun conversation that throws everyone for a loop but really it's just a roller coaster ride of what ifs!

Bottom line:  to thine own self be true... Stop perpetuating a portrait of falsehood to hide a real human being... 

Do you wanna get married?

Do you want to have kids?

The irony to these questions is ... Do you fear commitment?  Do you fear failure?  Do you fear success?

Heck those marriage and babies questions irrleevant when there is no who!  it is a moot point to answer.

So here are a set of real questions... Do you trust in your own self to be open to love someone?  Do you know who you want to be with?  Do you know what you want in a partnership?  Do you know what you want of your friends?  Do you know what family is?  Do you know what kind of family you want to have?  

When you have those answers then you are set on a path... But even when you find the matches... There may not be a fire... It takes a spark... It takes that moment when your head tilts and you say "roh oh"... And when you find that person... You'll imagine what sacrifice is and would still be willing to endure...  When you find the one you see hardship and feel empowered to work through it.  When you find the one, you feel invincible... Not debilitated... 

Who would you go out on the limb for?  Who has made you want to go out of your way for? Who makes you go that extra mile for?  Who makes you smile because ya get to see them?  Who makes you sing when you can't hold a note?  Who makes ya feel a power beyond what money can ever buy?  

Doesn't happen often ... And the timing might be off... But people inspire ... And if you're lucky enough for that mutual

Inspiration and admiration... That's priceless!

Kid Again!

Visiting Murrieta means playtime!  Yay for kids.  This time around Moe came along and Lani hung out with us.  Played football, soccer.  We played with some neighborhood kids... made friends at the park... Great day to be a kid!

Kickin' the Dust Up with Luke Bryan

Thanks for an awesomely fun concert!
Another great evening with very cool people and very cool country music!  Thanks to Courtney for the invite and the ride, thanks to Amanda for hooking up the parking and the lawn entertainment (see below), thanks to Kayla for buying and holding the tickets and for luring the one dude over who was trying to hook up with you... that was hilarious... thanks to Lindsey for insisting on bringing the blanket.






Play It Again!
Yes, I like country on occasion.  I have to say I didn't really know Luke Bryan's songs about a month ago.  So one Courtney invite later, Luke has a new fan.  I picked up what his concert playlist and "Play(ed) it again" and again and again.  I have to say the music is fun and I love the words of all the songs.  There's definitely a lot of drinking involved, in the songs that is.  So who would've thought I was going country for a night... Not me... I'm hip hop, R&B.  However, I have to say when I saw Luke do the Smule duet with Jason Derulo, I figured he would be cool...

Head's up! game in the parking lot.  To pass the time and in between people watching, mostly watching to pee up the hill... We played "head's up"... Apparently we're only good at "Acting Out"...


Culture Shock
I think the most hilarious part of the night for me... CULTURE SHOCK!  So my friends were talking about what they would be wearing for the concert earlier that week... And I kept hearing BOOTS and FLANNELS.  I understood the boots completely... but the flannel thing...  From where I grew up, people who wore flannel were in gangs hahahah.  Seriously... and they would button only the 1st button with a wife beater underneath.  So the flannel thing was a bit perplexing... Boots, cut-off jeans, and sleeveless flannels heck any flannels... Yeah... so when we were driving into the parking lot... My head did a bit of a tilt... and I realized what country is... I mean I've gone line dancing before and I've seen cowboy hats... and I've seen people on occasion dress country... but... I was a bit wow'ed by it all... I think the only thing that I was trippin' out on were the cut-off jeans and boots on this one dude...  I mean he can wear whatever he wants... but I think that look looks way cuter on girls... hahaha

The Lawn and GUARDIN' show
So the "not sure what the name of it is anymore" Amphitheater is a cool little venue and Amanda hooked up the right parking lot for quick in-n-out privileges.  However, this lawn concept is pretty entertaining.  I've been to many a show, but I've always had a seat.  So this whole lawn thing was interesting.  Good thing Lindsey brought the blanket and good thing the blanket was a light color.  We used it to stake out space... For the opening acts (Dustin and Randy, they were great by the way), it was manageable.. We would stand, the blanket would be there behind us... The closer and closer to Luke time... all of a sudden the blanket was curling and people were nudging us away from it.  By the time Randy Hauser was finished, it was pretty much rolled up but we managed to get some sitting time before Luke.  The most entertaining part was watching Amanda protect her space with her legs outstretched... And the under-the-breath, Yoda like subliminal conversations she was having with people encroaching on our space.  She became a compass for all the people looking for their friends.  They would all stop at her boots and use their phone.  She would proceed to use her barely audible (in a concert setting) voice to shoo them away... And it worked.  However, a group of girls streamed into space, hurdling Amanda's legs while Court took a picture.  And all I could think... they're gonna trip on Amanda... So for a good 15 minutes laying on the lawn, Amanda was guardin'.

The COUNTRY
Awesome awesome entertainer... 1st off Luke was battling a cold and he was strugglin' at times, but still pulled off a great show.  You gotta give him props because in the state he was in.. he still sounded excellent.  And that white boy can move... His music makes you wanna move... and he does move well.. Mad props!  His setlist was fun.. and I totally appreciated his hip hop/r&b references... Gotta love how music connects people.  I loved all the songs, because I studied his set list.  At least I could sing along... Dustin and Randy came out and sang Sugar with Luke.  That was fun!


In-N-Out
Post concert, we bolted out of the venue and the parking lot.  Headed out to in-n-out and was a bit tripped up that I just had in-n-out just the day before.  The time warp of anticipation and a concert definitely throws off all semblance of what a day is... Seriously it felt like a Saturday concert...

Drunk on You!
So yes... I'm a new fan.. So I had to learn at least one of his songs on the guitar..

Daily Daze - October 15, 2015

Thought of the Day
Coincidence or Fate... Does it really matter what brings us to this moment?  The truth lies not in the event, but what drives us through the moment at hand.  A choice based in love vs. that based in fear.  A choice to commit to a thought... A choice to laze away the day.  Are we fated?  Are we destined?  Are we doomed?  Or does free will, in accordance with the gift or curse, need or want?  Free will.. one would assume is a blessing.  The idea that we are in control, to choose and somehow believe that the outcome was based on a singular gesture.   Or was it a interwoven, composition, of spider created webs and labyrinth like puzzles upon which we move about, but only realize the fate and destiny has been defined.  We are moved to a simple moment... engage and exchange... then move on with a lasting impression or a fleeting thought.    Are we pulled, are we prodded, or does circumstance form from chaotic randomness?  A part of the equation is gravity...

GRAVITY... The nature of gravity is fascinating.  A mass imposing on another mass a force too powerful for either to overcome.  The imposition of gravity,  a law of attraction... the draw of souls, minds, hearts...  We are all drawn together to make sense of this world.

I love Sara Bareilles' Gravity... "Set me free, leave me be... I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity... "

Daily Dose
I had a day of simply cool moments.  I can only hope everyone can stop and appreciate the conversations that have meaning in your world.  The day started with wanting to eat eggs... brought me to Egg McMuffin, Ms. Pac Man and the opportunity to observe a newbie work the joystick.  At super speed.. Ms Pac is tough, so watching that anxiety rise was pure entertainment for me.  A quick jaunt to a caffeine haven and some SERIAL conversation started the afternoon, matched with some zen, relaxation conversation methods... led its way to a helping hand moment, trying to ease the burden of chaos with a dose of reality and necessity.  Football trades and a quick quiz later.. CUB SOCS DC...  Heading to workout - ville.. In workout - ville, legs, arms and abs take a beating, but negotiations and lost weight ensue...  Hitting a 6 pound loss over working out and eating more consciously were totally key...  Before you know it though, the HANGRY kicked in and found my way to in-n-out... where fun conversations with the least likely of "run into" folks ensued...

The details of the conversations are MOOT...  The beauty of the conversations was the GIFT.

Living life...  Laughing life... Learning life... Loving Life... Fighting for Life

To all those who conversed with me today... THANK YOU...  Through terse or in-depth, through heated or benign, through passionate and indifferent...  The exchange, not only of words, but of gestures and emotion...  The roller coaster of life is based on the relationships bestowed upon us.

Daily Daze - October 14, 2015

Thought of the Day
You live your life in the present, hope for a brighter tomorrow, but sometimes you just have to admire the footprints you've left behind. There's already something wonderful about JUST BEING YOU!  When you're real, that truth does set you free.  You are your optimal self when you let your soul shine.  However, sometimes you misplace that shine.  Today, so many folks reminded me of my shine!  So thanks... it was full of joy, laughter and gratitude!

There were some cool conversations which made me realize that I'm actually living this life, and setting the tone for who I want to be...

1.  A Gift or two!

This week I was blessed with kid art!  In both cases, totally unwarranted and from a distance.  It's kinda surreal to think that just by being cool to a kid and treating them like a real person and respecting them and their space, you get to be remembered.  I'm a big kid, so all I want to do is play.  And I'm so blessed to be around some of the coolest kids on the planet!  So when they show gratitude in their beautiful little ways, you gotta be like ... "damn I must be doing something right."  All I ever do is treat kids like how I would treat my friends.  You gotta give people time to acclimate to you, so you're approachable and interesting.  You gotta give people space, so they don't feel suffocated by your affection.  You gotta give people that room to be and grow.  And you gotta help them to learn and open up to learning from them. I know for a fact I learn more from kids than I will ever learn from adults.  Kids see the world in simple, fascinating ways.  I love analysis... All analysis really boils down to is being a little kid looking at the world as if you never knew the world!  Kids have the best and most honest view of the world... We grow into seeing through dirty spectacles, but KID EYES are CLEAR... So of course I'm gonna cherish their little brains and eyes... I wish I could just be a kid for life!

2.  Where did that SPICE come from?

Had a totally fun time hanging with friends, eating Indian buffet!  There's something hugely entertaining about partitioning your plate with the variety of sauced up meat and veggies, only to eat one thing, have your mouth be so SPICED up that you can recall which thing you thought you ate that made it spicy... AND YOU STILL EAT UP THE WHOLE THING!  Thank goodness for the cream of mushroom...   So the gift of SPICING UP YOUR LIFE, doesn't come up in just what you eat.  It's in the INNUENDO of speech!  hahaha "Riding Sticks", "Mischief Management" and "Pacific Beach in East Los".  I'm telling you now... WORDS MEAN SOMETHING... but sometimes WORDS MEAN MORE!!! So our spice world was filled with fun conversations.  And on the ride home... See some WORDS on a TATOOED MAN!

3.  Virtually Real Conversations
I had a great conversation with a friend about Virtual Reality and how we can be so consumed in the escapism of a virtual happiness, that we would forego living this existence.  I know escape and entertainment and I would love to play the day away.  However, I've come to understand something about this life, you have to CHOOSE TO LIVE IT.  Otherwise, it lives you and you don't see the gifts.  My friend posed the question if you could live a happier virtual existence, wouldn't you want to live it instead of live your life.  I thought about it.  Just like any ADDICTION that keeps you in a never ending EUPHORIA, it will lead to an untimely demise.  You have to wonder.  If you believe in the SOUL and that this body, mind and heart is the vessel we are constrained to use to fulfill this life, then you really couldn't be sated by the virtual reality.  However, if you don't have a soul, and you are biding time with this body, mind and heart... Then you may as well succumb to that false reality, but at that point why continue to be alive?  A good conversation which served up few answers and delivered ever more questions, which may never be answered.  However, the BEST PART of the conversation... WAS THE CONVERSATION.  We weren't engaged with our mobile devices... We were engaged in a conversation... The GIFT of GAB...

4.  Bucket Lists
It's not about having a bucket or a list... It's about approaching the world and saying "HEY WORLD, THIS IS WHAT I WANT!"  and maybe, just maybe speaking aloud what you truly want of this world will be returned ten-fold.

5.  Talking to Yourself
Do it, but don't be rude.  We all have our inner mind... We all have our multi-level thinking methods.  We manage conversations outwardly and inwardly.  So be "WARD-LY"... and WORLDLY.  Don't auto-google the answer... Think and talk it out with yourself.  Break down a problem, see it's points of truth, create and find the patterns.  The last thing you ever want to do is depend on a friggin' "WE ARE ONE, BORG BRAIN" - COLLECTIVE... ahem the world wide web... and BELIEVE THAT IS THINKING!  We aren't BEES!  We aren't the BORG!  We aren't PACKS of WOLVES.  There is no WE in I... hahaha At the same time, I CAN'T DO IT ALONE...

So talk to yourself...then talk to others.  Engage yourself... Engage with others...

Note to self... VIRTUAL means "NOT QUITE" ...

So I choose QUITE a LIFE, not a VIRTUAL one... With all this living, there comes JOY and PAIN (pump it up pump it up)... QUIZ if you got this far who sang that song?  But hey... I believe in a soul, I believe I'm a newbie soul... and I believe I have this vessel to navigate the murky waters of life looking for the natural spring.  For when you get closer to that source, the debris will subside and the waters will clear... You'll know why you WERE HERE.

Movie: San Andreas

It's just fun!  I love apocalyptic events.  This one takes you on a ride and it's a fun roller coaster.  Anyone trippin' on the "could that really happen" notion of movies, move along!  If you wanna just enjoy some man vs. nature adventure is in for some fun.  I love The Rock and although this is an action film, he hits a chord with being a dad.

Go for the ride... Let it take you!

Daily Daze - October 13, 2015

Thought of the Day
A quiz for 5 cents OR 5 for a quarter.  I realized that the fruit of life is knowledge and only when we consume it wholeheartedly can we truly replenish the mind.  Alright that's a bit grandiose and wax poetic... Here's the deal... If you can't challenge your friends or you can't challenge yourself, imagine how ill-prepared you will be when challenged by someone who couldn't care less about you.  To know is cool, but to act on the knowledge is divine.

There's something beautiful about how the mind works.  It's beautiful to look into someone's eyes while they think... Do their eyes glaze over or do they search in their head?  Do they furrow their brow or prefer the stone face?  Do they make sounds to make sense?  Do they use their hands to recollect?  It's a beautiful thing when someone realizes the trick or the treat of knowing.

The beauty of the puzzle is that the solution lies within.  The beauty of a problem is that there is a way to win.  The beauty of the human mind is the discipline it seeks.  The beauty of the thoughts are hiding in valleys and peaks.  The beauty of engaging in a task so specific... is the beauty of the dance that plays on the surface.  In the moments we think, in the moments we do, can we find the beautiful pattern of what we do... To break down a problem, look at all angles, in motion a thought slowly unfolding.  Do I like the quiz?  Or do I like the inquisition?  Do I like the answer or is it really the journey, the satisfying mission?

We may never know why we are here?  But in everything we do, there lies a quiz... A quiz of the moment, a quiz of a lifetime...



Quiz
1.  True or False - E pluribus unum
2.  Is it a deal?  a quiz for 5 cents or 5 for a quarter
3.  cub socs dc is an acronym to remember what?
4.  Does Mikey eat anything?
5.  Can you stare at the moon without seeing the man?