Mon Dieu

Where did the weekend go? Was I not on Sarah Palin/election alert? I think not actually. Seems that I let it go for the most part, other than tentatively making plans to go to Pennsylvania the weekend of October 25ish to register voters and twist their arms until they agree to vote for Obama.

I was acupunctured on Saturday morning and had the best night's sleep I've had in a long time. I was told I need to detoxify, which is always a good idea. But how? Stop eating bad food and watching too much news coverage?

I went to see "Five Flights" a play by Adam Bock (really nice guy) at a small theater company run by Jake Lippman, one of my fellow monologue performers. She (yes, Jake is a she) both produced and starred in the show and was really fantastic. She has a full-time job in finance and her own company and we'll be producing our show soon so I'm glad she's in our group. Before the show I went out to dinner with my friend Karen (who's also performing her monologue with us) at a restaurant called Market or maybe it's Markt..anyway, we split a salad and then ordered a slice of their chocolate cake, which is more like a giant slab suitable for at least four people. We ate most of it and enjoyed every mouthful.

Yesterday, Steve and I did an open house at a lovely apartment in Park Slope, in a gorgeous townhouse on one of the most beautiful blocks in Brooklyn, a block and a half from Prospect Park. We sat on the stoop since it was such a gorgeous day and as people arrived, we took turns showing them the apartment, a two bedroom with an enormous outdoor deck. The asking price is $920,000. Over 25 people attended and it seemed that everyone loved it and everyone is terrified to do anything right now, given the state of our economy. I can't blame them...although as a buyer, this is probably a good time to buy, especially if you're planning on staying somewhere for at least five years.

This morning I finally finished "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron. I loved the final chapter "The Path is the Goal."

"If there's any possibility for enlightenment, it's right now, not at some future time. Now is the time."

It reminds me that wherever I am, or Zoe or any of us are - whether it's a difficult time or an easy time, it's a time to learn and to grow. "It's an insecure way to live. We often find ourselves in the middle of a dilemma - what should I do about the fact that someone is angry at me? What should I do about the fact that I am angry with somebody?" (Who is possibly voting for McCain?) "Basically the instruction is not to try to solve the problem but instead to use it as a question about how to let this very situation wake us up further rather than lull us into ignorance." (Which is so easy to do.) "We can use a difficult situation to encourage ourselves to take a leap, to step out into the ambiguity."

"That is why it can be said that whatever occurs can be regarded as the path and that all things, not just some things, are workable. This teaching is a fearless proclamation of what's possible for ordinary people like you and me."

So here we are today, on our path. The economy is a mess, the election is insane (loved Maureen Dowd's column with the fictional conversation between Jed Bartlett and Obama), Bush is still President and if McCain wins I'm moving to Mexico. So far this morning I've walked the dogs, had a half a cup of coffee, read the headlines of the Times, browsed the Huffington Post, watched the opening of last weekend's Saturday Night Live, meditated, finished the book, written this post, and it's only 9:23 am. I'm going to do a little yoga and then I'm off to work and my Womens' Group meeting.

Have a good one!