I like to meditate now and zen.

If yesterday was any indication of what's to come, I am going to love the second grade.

Went to Maryland yesterday/this morning to pick up my newly repaired Satobot--only to get rear ended in my rental car on the way up.  Hahahaha I can't even... OH I AM SO ZEN.

Anyway, everything worked out just fine and I still got to spend time with some of my favorite people, and one of my favorite puppies:

Seriously... I love this dog more than I love most people.

Someone asked me today about my future.  Nothing makes me dizzier.  How about this:  If you're talking to someone in their twenties, don't ask them what they're GOING to do next year, ask them what they WANT to do RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT.  That's as far as I can go, really.  Life's too big and beautiful for pigeon holes.

...besides, if you're friends with twenty-somethings who have their lives planned, get new friends.  Spoiler alert: those are boring people.

Other notable things I learned today:

1. The Underworld is a stupid movie, but running from vampires in the cardio cinema is a hell of a workout.

2. Stuff You Should Know: Shark Diaries  Seriously.  You can have Shark Week any week.
(Also, I listened to an an incredible [and incredibly old] radiolab podcast about memory & forgetting, can't believe I almost forgot to post about it--HA.  Seriously though, listen to radiolab.  It will change your life. )

3.  I'm really glad that I'm not living in Berlin, Maryland right now.

A thought:

Meeting my mentor teacher today.  I'm nervous.  It's like a first date, except the state of Virginia is mandating that we be together for at least twelve weeks.

Take me the way I am.

All Ingrid, all the time.

Also, it's like one of those clue novels 

where you get to pick your ending. 

Some day I'm going to start off each morning 

singing this to my students.

Changed my desktop to a spice girls wallpaper.  #bestdecisionivemadeallday

MAN, it's going to be hard not waking up to the beach tomorrow.  #endofvacationproblems

Coffee and chocolate with an old friend today. #somethingschange #somethingsneverdo



Amazing phone conversation with my true north tonight: #book-cationpending #youcalibrateme

Missing my girl, missing that face. #nowords #hashtagsfallshort

Oh, let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France...

My parents have been married for twenty-seven years today.

How many fights have they lovingly resolved,

how many times have they thought it was just too hard,

only to conjure up the strength to keep moving, keep loving?

I am inspired by them, inspired by their love.

Went on a walk tonight, 

Megan was a crab's hero,

saving it from the thrusts of a dog's jaw

and clueless human onlookers.

Because evil exists when good men stand by and do nothing, right JFK?

I stepped on this. 

23 things I should be able to do at 23 (but can't)

GPOY.

Friends

Woke up to the beach again this morning, despite the absence of her at my side.  Stealing covers is less fun when there's no one from whom to steal.

Nevertheless, today promises donuts, beachshine (that's sunshine on the beach, duh!), & QT with Nelly (my uke) on the porch.  Life is so good.  I wish it could be summer forever.

One of our favorite games is "Would you rather?"  A few days ago, during a particularly rousing round of mini-golf, I asked:

Would you rather live a normal life or live a mostly normal life that also contains the best and worst days mankind hath ever experienced?
(This question works best if you can use your moviefone voice in the asking).

It was interesting to hear each response.  My mom, who has already lived quite a remarkable life, was wise enough to pick the normal life.  My sister in law rationalized that it would take a lot more than one good day to offset the worst day of mankind, and thus also picked the normal life.

I couldn't help but consider the Keats poem that became my life's mantra in a Keezell located Gen Ed English classroom five years ago.  It boils down to this:  Every human emotion has an equal and opposite emotion.  Every sadness increases our ability to feel happiness and vice versa.

Obviously, I picked the latter option.

Enjoy all your bests & worsts today!

"Make sure you write that I'm annoying..."

Dangit... not my most successful resolution.  Oh well, I promise to try to be better from here on out!

Current status:  One foot on the coffee table, both eyes out the window looking at the ocean.  Ah, sweet summer time.

Oops... I even started THIS post yesterday and forgot to finish it.  Beach houses mean it's time to run away.

"Do you like wet towels?  Do you?  Do you?"

I'd like to keep this one, I tell you what.

Alright, she is clearly becoming bored.  I solemnly swear to try my hardest to keep updating regularly.


Sincerely,
Lauren