180

and with that, the FCM is switched on. it's the start of a week, so 2009 is here. last year, i had a series of false starts and it was the second week in february before the focus was clicked in. not so, this year. the field is deeper and my goals are evolving. i think about it on a daily basis and have had to push back the guilt of not being "dialed in" up to this point. maybe it's just unfinished business as my mind and body know better. wait. slowly squeeze the trigger. it's not time just yet.

time spent tonight in the company of veterans and my pacer stoked the fire. why wait? i've already been dreaming about it.

sure was nice to close the shop up on christmas and enjoy the outdoors. snowshoes with the bombshell and friends were of the highest quality. beautiful day outside. clean mountain air and sunshine at 5,000 feet. i found myself with my tongue out trying to taste the day. lots of smiles and quality time spent in good conversation. slept well that evening. the rains are here now and it might be a few weeks before we see snow like that in our mountains. rain makes those fluffy clouds of powder feel like muddy mortar real quick. i'll wait it out.

happy holidays

haunts and gifts

sitting here sipping on the goat. (yep, i'm off the wagon) replaying the evening in my head. last words last night before i fell asleep were pronounced aloud. "today was a good day". i love it here in eugene. no place is perfect and my younger years i was always had a serious case of wanderlust. i tried to protect the beautiful places from outside "invaders" and was jealous of sharing them. this happened to me in brevard and it was emotional for me to "lose" my home as i had known it. truth is, i was always looking to leave. i did. several times.

here in eugene. i was on the other side of the fence. i had the funny accent i didn't know i had and strange license plates. i came here a stranger and was accepted and embraced despite my own personal shit. this town has almost 90,000 more folks in it than we had in brevard, yet this feels like more of a close knit community. reminds me of living in europe when i was younger. the nooks and cranny places. the awesome veggie restaurants. the breakfast joints. the coffee houses. the markets. bike paths. homes. trails. it was all opened up and i was invited to join and be a part of it. makes me feel ashamed at the animosity i held towards every out of state license plate and i cussed at in brevard.

discover the community around you. walk into a place you have never walked into before and say hello to a fresh face. take a path less travelled and see what opens up to you. eat at a restaurant you have never tried before. maybe start small and just order something different on the menu of your usual place. make a new friend outside of your circle. take a different way into work. maybe ride or take the bus instead of driving. community is a gift. share yourself.

earth

enjoying a moment with tee tee. i felt her paws. very smooth and soft, not at all hard or tough. she runs around inside and goes outside without shoes all the time. i wonder how come she has never had plantar fasciitis or achilles tendonitis?