remember that life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out

I ran into some really interesting people to follow on Twitter and it helped me remember that there is a little flame in my soul that hasn’t gone out. I’ve managed my career by doing things that I love and the nontradition of that has led me in spirals. Not the same spiral but spirals that intertwine with other spirals of my talents, education, passion and where my vocation is. I’ve had such an interesting week of reconnections and rebirth. I can’t wait until the next moment and each new day because things are connecting. I wonder whats going to happen next?

Went to Gordon Biersch with the work crew today and watched as more and more people with Mardi Gras beads and eventually odd clothes and finally fishnets and feathered bikini’s filled the place. I think its so odd to be so conservative with my appearance that I couldn’t even dress in spring colors today for fear of rushing the season. For godsake, everyone here wears aloha shirts and mumu’s every day. But we couldn’t get any beads because they were SELLING them and it made me really miss my friend that loves Mardi Gras more than just about anything. He used to always give me beads or we’d go out and party someplace and get them. So I missed that.

Had just about one too many brews and rode the bus home. Sat next to a nice man that kept me from endangering myself in my less inhibited state. Talked about our grandkids and he has been married 43 years. I would have been married 31 years if I’d stayed married to the first husband. Its amazing to think about that.

Saw some great makeup on men and women. Nobody flashed anybody that I saw though one woman was wearing a tube top and the tops of her tatoos made me think that maybe she brings that thing out on the holiday just to show the rest of the tatoos because they appeared to be pretty strategically placed.

Tomorrow, even though it is the start of lent, I’m bringing out the bold bright colors and I’ll search my stuff to see if I managed to save a strand of beads.

Life is so short. Way too short to worry about how you’ll look in blue eyeshadow.

I’m so thrilled by M.I.A.s performance at the Grammys last night. Nobody told her not to work, dance, sing, swaggar or celbrate on her due date. Loved the Minnie mouse gone bad body suit that really expressed how it feels to be 9 months pregant with a fully grow baby person living inside you. All the oversized parts were highlighted in pokka dots. Big beautiful baby growing body in semi-transparant fabric! Loved the unglamorous shoes. Loved the fact that she just danced with abandon on the day of her labor, maybe.

I watched her last night and thought about what my mom or grama would have said, apart from the whole rap thing. I’m from the last of the generations of weakened pregant women, I suspect. We weren’t suppose to carry weight or exert ourselved or do a host of other activities in the name of a healthy childbirth. We live in a new time when women are healthy and medical care( if required) is sufficient for women to survive childbirth as long as they live in certain parts of the world. Thats a whole other issue.

I know that there are people that would disagree, but what is important to me is how M.I.A. felt about it. I think she showed her power. I’m so glad that she had a choice. Women around the world can be empowered. I felt happy for her.

We have a policy in our family to eat the candy. Its OK to waste it. So if you try a bite and don’t like it, you can toss it. I’m eating all the candy with nuts because of allergies. I’m eating lots of candy because 3 children in our house went collecting and they were really cute.
My ex used to take away half the candy because that was his families policy. Well, he tried it the first year. I was so angry that someone would take the treasured candy that I won the argument. He still would try to hide it but we’d catch him.
So I’m gaining a bit of weight back. Its all chocolate related. I believe I get extra life enjoyment points for that.

Went dancing until the wee hours last night with a group of friends at a local night club. I haven’t done that in years. It was so fun and I wore out my feet(ysy). Loved looking at all the dress up clothes. Loved copying other peoples dance moves unbeknownst to them. Loved it when I remembered a couple of Thriller dance moves when they played it. Really have to learn the choreography. I bet it’s on youtube. Loved watching the random people dancing in the “cages” set up on the dance floor. Naughty. A great time was had by my friends, even the ones that claim not to like dancing who actually do dance wonderfully. Loved falling right to sleep when I hit the bed.

For anyone that doesn’t know it, Hawaii has an independence movement. This week there was a big issue because Obama was visiting and an american newscaster accused him of taking a vacation in an exotic foreign land. So our legislators pointed out that, yes we are indeed a state. At the same time, there are many groups here that don’t want to be a state, they want to be independent again. So last night, as I was walking downtown, I noticed a large group of law enforcement near the capital. Yes, the King and Queen of Hawaii had taken back the palace again. http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/16/news/story01.html So interesting to live here. So interesting to know that there are people that take action based on their beliefs.

These guys in the snack shop where I have my second job have M&M parties. Actually, its the guy that runs the snack shop and a regular customer. They eat the kind with peanuts. I just like plain. Its really great to have an excuse to buy a bag of candy and offer some to people. Many people like the peanut kind.

I’m still going to start doing Pilates though.

This goes along with the fabulous at 50 goal. I’m bringing them all back. I want to LIVE.