Meeting Grace: The Blog

On Saturday night, a large group (25+) of us got together to celebrate Barbara’s birthday at a nice restaurant in Ocean Beach. It was a fun gathering and I was looking forward to a yummy dinner. Han had a late session so wasn’t there for dinner but he joined us later. I had a glass of red wine, some bread and chatted with friends sitting around me.

I ordered the Seafood Pasta which was described as “Angelhair tossed with a blend of fresh seafood in garlic oil, feta cheese and basil.” Yum, right? When it arrived, it was soupier than I imagined. The garlic oil was more like a broth rather than a drizzle. But still, fine. The seafood involved was salmon, ahi, mahi, and I think scallops though I’m not sure about the 4th kind of fish. I ate most of it (not all the broth) and had 3 glasses of wine total over the course of about 2 1/2 hours.

The party then moved to another fine OB establishment, Tony’s. OB is a great little beach town known for its relaxed vibe and citizens. Most everything is along the main drag so we walked from the restaurant to the bar. I was a little buzzed from the wine but not too loopy. However, when we walked into Tony’s, I suddenly wasn’t feeling too good. I went to the restroom and re-joined the party but things weren’t right. My lower lip started to swell and my face got flushed. I returned to the bathroom. Thankfully it wasn’t too crowded that night. Sure enough, there was some sort of bump on the inside of my lip and it was ballooning. It was hard to talk and felt like someone had punched me in the face. And my stomach was none too happy. I just felt wrong. I couldn’t enjoy myself but I was not quite ready to drive home. I managed a little bit more time with the group, putting ice on my lip and making another trip to the bathroom. Finally, I knew I just had to leave. I told Han to stay and hang out since he’d missed the dinner and besides, I don’t know what he could have done for me. I gave Barbara my love and walked with Marcia & Becky to our cars (they were leaving, too).

I cried all the way home. I wasn’t in pain, but I knew that something was not right with me. I got home and promptly fell asleep on the couch while watching SNL. When Han got home, he told me to go to the bedroom. I felt groggy and realized that I had failed to tell him that I thought I was sick because of something I ate. I remember saying that to Barbara when I left and I guess, thought he just knew. I figured I had some kind of allergic reaction to the pasta dish I had, and maybe combined with the wine, which I sometimes have allergies to, though I didn’t have the typical symptoms from that I usually experience. So he was a bit confused because he thought it was just my lip and didn’t get that I was sick to my stomach.

I slept ’til 1:30 pm the following afternoon. My lip no longer swollen, my tummy okay, but overall still kind of icky. More friends (Cathryn, Matt, Jonny) were over to watch football (so long, Chargers) and then have a recording session. Cathryn made lasagna for the group. We ate around 4pm and I swear that lasagna healed me. Around 7 pm, I finally felt like myself again. I started doing a few chores (laundry, emails) that I’d neglected. I stayed in my pajamas the whole day. It was definitely not what I’d had in mind for the weekend, but what are you going to do? I had to listen to my body and respect its need for me to rest so it could fight with whatever it was I had ingested that didn’t like me.

In other news, we are redecorating DK’s room. It was what she wanted for Christmas. We have everything now and tonight we start painting! I’ll be sure to take before & after pictures.

I’ve made a couple updates to two of my other pages.  I changed “Reading…” to “Books” and changed “Listening to…” to “Flicks.”   Check ‘em out if you’re so inclined.

I’ve also taken some time to put together a few lists.  Like my sister, I’m a big list-maker.   So I have a 2009 Goals list, a Mondo Beyondo list of sorts and a Mondo Beyondo travel list.

I didn’t make an MB list last year, though I thought about it.  And the one I created this year may be somewhat tame but I can always revise, add, delete etc.  I give myself permission to let it evolve over time : )  I did feel that I had to split it into two lists, one for overall dreams and one for travel.  The travel one incorporates places that Han has expressed interest in visiting too so it’s a combined list. Now that I think about it, I’ll probably make the MB lists have their very own page.

But first for 2009.  These range from the tangible to the ephemeral. Some may overlap here and there. Stay with me.  I’ll try to elaborate somewhat on the ways in which I would consider the less concrete ones to be successful.

1. Be active and healthy.
It’s no secret that getting up and moving your body makes you feel better.  I’m sad to say that my latest bout of inactivity (all of 2008 pretty much) causes the activity I do engage in to be more painful than pleasant and I’m tired of it.  I can make myself more aware of my body and do the things (big & small) to make it feel better:  walk, drink more water, eat more fruits & veggies, minimize portions, reduce sodas & sweets, stretch.  I’m allowing this goal to be far-reaching in its scope without pigeon-holing it into one specific success point (like a weight loss goal or to join a gym).  If those things come about due to this goal, great.  If not, I am counting on myself to find other ways to support it.

2. Focus on self-care.
Here’s the first instance of overlap.  Self-care goes hand in hand with being healthy.  But for me, this is more than just a health point. In the past, I’ve felt guilty if I took time to read some pages from a book.  I would beat myself up because I thought I should be doing something more productive.  My goal is to move beyond that self-criticism and acknowledge that hey, I love to read.  It soothes me, inspires me and can help change my mood. That’s some important shit!  And ultimately, not only helps me but everyone in my world.  If I’m happier overall, I’m much more likely to be pleasant to be around.  So that’s the point of self-care.  And as I referred to in an earlier post, I want to try to make it less about blocking time for “me” time, but simply incorporating the things that make me smile into the course of my day so it feels more natural and not forced.

3. Read 25 books.
Again with the overlap.  But you see how it fits in.  I would also like that list of 25 to include the entire Harry Potter series since I’ve not read any of them and I’m ready to take them on.

4. Travel.
Han will be going to Texas this spring with his Acoustic Duo and I would love to go along.  I’ve also talked with my sister about possibly meeting up somewhere in the US to take in a ballgame.  And who knows what else?  But this goal is always going to be on my list.

5. Get published outside of San Diego.
Here’s one with some specificity but still broad.  This goal will require some research and some discipline.  I’ve been published outside of SD before but I’m interested in organizing myself to a point where I can easily see that publication list and what poems are off the possibility list.  I’m interested in seeing what’s out there right now.  And I will also say that I will submit for both online & print but for me, print still seems more legitimate, as far as poetry standards.  Maybe that’s just me.

6. Find magic in each day.
Right.  What? This is my attempt to re-connect with my power of observation.  Something that once seemed so keen but has dulled.  This one is very subjective obviously.  It’s a reminder to myself to not get all hung up on the routine of daily living and to notice what’s going on around me.

7. Write.
Simple enough, right? Blog.  Journal.  Poems.  Letters.  Songs.  Emails. I’ve got plenty of words at my disposal.  I want to get familiar with them again.

8. Music business management & growth.
The Acoustic Duo, Rock Band and Studio will all need continued attention this year.  The AC and RB are both releasing albums this year so that will entail a lot of PR work.  The Studio will be launching its revamped website soon, too, and we’ll do some PR around that as well.  Should make for an exciting year!

9. New direction for Meeting Grace.
Since I’m no longer hosting house concerts, my website for the series has languished with inactivity since April.  I don’t want to give up the domain name (it’s up for renewal this month), but I’m not sure what to do with the site.  This goal is probably the one that needs the most immediate attention and the one I have the least idea about.  Any suggestions?

10. See 52 movies I’ve never seen before.
Thus the new “Flicks” page.  I love movies.  Especially good ones.  Since I don’t get much opportunity to actually go out to movies, I’ll rely on cable and the DVR for a majority of this one.  I should stipulate that this means that I watch the whole movie, preferably unedited, from start to finish.  That’s one movie a week.  I think I can do it

That’s it for 2009.  I’m excited about it!

And since this post has gotten long, I’ll just link to the new Mondo Beyondo page for you to check out my big dreams!

Once upon a time on New Year’s Eve, 2008, my friends Matt & Joey (a girl) had a party to celebrate their new home together and of course, the new year. Han & I and many of our closest friends gathered to drink, graze, rock, roll, talk, laugh and overall be together to cross the threshold into 2009. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han & I had a room that was a 3 minute walk away so we wouldn’t have to worry about the amateurs out that night. I had made sugar-and-spice candied walnuts and pecans to bring over. I wore my hair in pigtails and drank Karl Strauss Red Trolley ale from a keg all night. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han didn’t drink much, some champagne and a little bit of Jameson. He rocked the drums in the sound-proof garage while I mingled from room to room, always finding someone fun to talk to or cheers with. Did I mention there was also a photo booth?

Han & I took some photos together rather early in the overall timeframe of the evening. They are good photos of us, rather tame in their composition. Cathryn had created the photo booth outside on the patio. A beautiful red curtain as a backdrop and a room divider on the side for some privacy from the party. The camera was digital and had a timer or you could just find someone to snap the button. It also had a flip screen so you could see the photo that would result and thus pose as you saw fit. It seems nearly everyone made their way over to the booth during the night. Some of us more than others as the night wore on and the drinks kept going down. The results are crazy funny and only speak to the complete abandon we all seemed to be feeling as we ushered out what was such a sorrowful year for so many of us. These photos that are emerging on Facebook and myspace are awesome, if not slightly embarrassing and unflattering (for me). But they capture a shared evening that was beyond any doubt a most awesome beginning to the year.

But the photo booth was not even my favorite part of the evening. It happened probably around 11:58 pm. Han & I were standing outside with another friend of ours. Across the patio, I saw some of our other friends. People we’ve come to know and love on new levels in 2008. I turned to say something to Han when the most amazing thing happened. Those friends all made their way over to us, saying, “Now we’re in the right place.” When I thought back on that moment yesterday (and again even now), tears fill my eyes. The fact that they all happen to be women (aside from Han of course) is another marvel to me and fills me with complete bliss. As we counted down, I felt such relief, and great anticipation for a better year. And with this group around me, with these shared feelings, the energy was palpable and amazing. And then it was midnight in San Diego. I kissed Han, and Cathryn, and Marcia, and Barbara, and the Becky. And in that moment all seemed right with the world.

Things only got better as we went around to Matt & Joey and other friends to offer our well wishes with warm hugs and kisses.  So thank you my dear friends for being there for me and for each other to get us through that bitch of a year. I am so excited to see what 2009 has in store for all of us.

And with that, I give you a photo that will surely go down in history, our Charlie’s Angels pose…happy new year!