The Party Island

Have you ever found yourself at a party where you just didn't know anyone? The other night my husband and I were at a party where we only knew the guest of honor and of course each other. The obvious first move was to secure a drink; and so we did. With drink in hand and lights turned up unusually high, we found ourselves scanning the room for any familiar faces...To no avail. We both just looked at each other and knew we had to come up with something or it was going to be a LONG night.

We began to busy ourselves in idol chit chat trying to look like we fit in. It was at this time the two of us glanced up at the clock and saw only 15 minutes had passed. How were we going to mange this Party Island for several hours?

The food was finally served. Great! I'm thinking, this will eat some time up. No pun intended here. No such luck. I guess we are fast eaters because it was barely 9pm and we were done. Now what? "I've got it," I said to my husband. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine are faking a conversation, using hand gestures and facial expression to act as if they are in deep dialogue but in actuality they are talking about nothing? The two us just starting cracking up. And so there we went. The Italian hands were in motion - up, down, to the sides..I'm talking ever which way. The facial expressions were beyond belief that I think for a brief moment the other guest were actually jealous of how much fun were were having. And fun it was. The next thing I knew we had actually attracted a few people our way and started a conversation that ended up lasting over 2 hours. We left the party that night actually having a really good time.

So what's the karmic lesson here? You can always turn things around for the better if you stop and take two steps back and reevaluate the situation. The choice is always in our hands and the outcome is too.

Let's hear about some of your Party Island experiences! Om Shant...

Someone Get Me A Map of Louisiana!

In the movie "The Firm," the actor Ed Harris portrays FBI agent Wayne Terrance. After making an underhanded deal with Tom Cruise who plays Mitch McDeer, to release his brother Ray from prison, he finds himself outsmarted by the prisoner when he moves under the FBI radar and gets away. It is at that moment when Wayne Terrance screams; "Someone get me a map of Louisiana!" Okay, all you ladies out there we know this is unusual male behavior. Men, by and large, never ask for a map. Let me fill you in for a moment of a perfect case and point. The other night my husband and I were on our way out to meet friends at a restaurant about 40 minutes from where we live. Neither of us had ever been to this restaurant and so directions were unfamiliar. Even though we have a navigation system, my husband felt no need to plug it in. There we were driving away to what I thought our final destination point, when all of a sudden he takes the wrong turn. Okay, no big deal, we'll just plug in that trusty navigation system and right the wrong and be there in no time. WRONG! My husband had a better idea - just keep driving.

After 15 minutes of driving in circles he screams out, "Will someone get me a map of Louisiana!" The two of us started laughing so hard that he had to pull off the roadway. For a moment I thought to myself..."Could it be possible that he will plug in the navigation system now?" Turns out I was able to persuade him to rely on the navigation system and within minutes we arrived at our destination point.

It is the little frustrations in life that can send us reeling out of control. BUT...If we remember to stop, take a breath, and look at the situation from the IN-side OUT, it usually is pretty funny. Hence, my husband screaming; "Will someone get me a map of Louisiana!" This one-liner from a great movie brought laughter to a situation that very easily could have turned into a yelling match. So keep breathing and keep laughing! Om Shanti...

The Mystery Hot Chocolate

It's a tradition now that every Sunday in the fall my husband and I get together with a few friends to walk the boards. We have a great time chatting, getting exercise, and watching the waves roll in. Since the weather is a bit colder now, it does get a bit challenging to stay warm. Hmm. What about some hot chocolate once we finish the walk? This was a grand idea. It was time to kick it up a notch in our stride, and we did just that.

It seemed like eternity before we reached the area on the boardwalk where you can sit for some sustenance. Finally, it was upon us - restaurants! The only problem; however, none of them served hot chocolate. We pressed on even though the cold wind was cutting into our faces, but it was worth it. I could just taste the creamy, chocolatety drink sliding down my throat and warming my belly.

Things were beginning to look grim, as there was only one place left on the boardwalk - an ice cream parlor. My 3rd eye - intuit self, was drawn to this place. I dragged the gang in and hit the proverbial jackpot...HOT CHOCOLATE! We couldn't get to the counter fast enough to order. And boy did we order. I'm talking LARGE and of course with whipped cream.

We sauntered towards the bar stools with hot chocolate in hand. The weird thing was my hand didn't feel warm holding onto the hot chocolate. Okay, just figured it was a well insulated cup and that's why I didn't feel the heat. I sit down on my stool, prop myself up nicely, and pucker my lips around the cup slowly sipping as not to burn my mouth. Hmm, no burning of the mouth and no warming of the belly. This hot chocolate wasn't HOT. At best it was lukewarm. There was something else strange about this hot chocolate - it didn't taste like chocolate. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was a cross between sugar and sugar.

Before saying anything, I decided to take a look at my friends' facial expressions while they were drinking this mystery cup of hot liquid. I couldn't help notice my friend Maria constantly licking her lips like she was trying to wash them off. Okay, it was time to make a comment, but before I could my friend said, "Are your lips really sticky?" It was time to let it roll now. I went on to give a dissertation about all the qualities, or rather lack of qualities, this hot drink had. For the next 15 minutes on our stroll back to the car we tried to decipher exactly what was in this mystery drink. To no avail. The enigma drink is what we were left with. I should have taken my husband's advice and stuck with the pasta fagioli.

What's the karmic lesson? Always listen to my husband when it comes to food.

The Reincarnated Refrigerator

The arrival of the new refrigerator - or is it the reincarnation of the old? You let me know what you think.

Yesterday the call came in - the drop off would be between 10 AM & 2 PM. Just my luck, I had a feng shui consultation at exactly that time frame. I left my husband in charge for the new arrival. Thoughts danced in my head of the shiny new refrigerator sitting back in its' proper home - THE KITCHEN! I couldn't wait to get back home and walk into my living room, that would be so much bigger, then take the walk into my kitchen where I would find my new bundle of joy. I couldn't get the key in the front door fast enough. As I swung the door open I was shocked to find the loner still there. Okay, I took a breath and relaxed. I proceeded to make my way towards the kitchen and there it was, just as I imagined - gorgeous. Ah, a quiet stated elegance. Then it happened...the compressor kick on and the ringing sound began. This couldn't be, I thought to myself. I take breath number two, only this breath I initiate from deep in the belly. The compressor turns off and silence pours over my body like a warm soothing bath. Ah.

I run to find my husband to get the details on the deliver of our new addition and why the loner is still resting comfortable in my living room. Evidently there was a mix up about taking out the loner with the deliver of the new refrigerator. Of course my husband has no problem with this arrangement. If it were up to him he would just have them pick up the loner some time in 2011 after football season. Now the big question comes - I asked my husband if he notices the ringing sound from our new bundle of joy when the compressor kicks on. Are you ready for this one? Sure, but it doesn't bother me. Okay, here came breath number three, but this one was only coming from my chest, as I knew we were going to be the proud parents of yet another singing refrigerator.

The first thought that came to mind - this was the same refrigerator with a good polish job. The second thought goes a bit deeper. It is a reincarnate. Hmm. What are my choices here? Go through the entire process all over again - NOT! Thoughts race through my mind of how I can make this situation more pleasant. Then it hit me. We are in need of a new dishwasher. I'm going to find one with a baritone sound and between the two appliances we will have an appliance orchestra. Front row seats and music to our ears whenever we choose. The reality is not even my yoga today helped this situation. Instead, I went out to the field and knocked the day lights out of a few golf balls. I feel so much better now!

Stay tuned for my next blog - The Mystery Hot Chocolate. Until then, breathe, relax, and LET GO!

The Refrigerator Graveyard

The call finally came in...It's time to take the singing refrigerator to its' final resting place. After day 12 of staring at the voiceless food box standing in my kitchen, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. My husband on the other hand is having a panic attack because he knows it is only a matter of hours before he loses the loner refrigerator that sits so nicely near the couch in the living room. No more is food and beverage a mere few feet away from his watching pleasure. The time has come where he will have to wait for a break in the action before he can feed his face.

Do I feel sorry for him? Perhaps, but I'm sure he will get use to the stroll back to the kitchen for his favorite nosh. Or will he? Last email I saw from one of my followers suggested a smaller refrigerator in a new location. Let's just say after the remote and football watching what's the next favorite place men like to be. I'll leave that one to your imagination.

I do not want to get too excited yet about my new refrigerator and the removal of the old. I still have 2 more days to wait for the "Big Switcheroo." There is no telling what can happen between now and then, not to mention the actual installation process. Hmm, I think it's time to do a little meditation and visualization.

AARP - Are You Kidding Me?

You are probably wondering right now what this blog is all about and I don't blame you. I mean last you heard from me I was still singing the sour note of my refrigerator dilemma, which by the way is still unresolved, but more about that saga in my next blog.

Hmm, where to begin? The other day I decided to take my daily stroll to the mailbox and retrieve what the US Postal Service delivered for yours truly. I take the mail, stick it under my arm, and proceed back to the house to begin the sorting process. Yes, there is no waiting to go through mail in this house. Organization is the first rule of thumb when it comes to the SHUI. So here I am sorting away and all of a sudden I see this envelope with big red lettering "AARP" with my name on it. My husband, who happened to be right along side me, raises his eyebrows while nonchalantly trying to hold back the laughter. I'm thinking...okay, which one of my siblings is playing a joke on me. No such luck. As I open the envelope it is for real! Apparently by age 50 you are considered a candidate for AARP - Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons. Hey Mr. President...I'm only 49!

I'm sure any of my siblings reading this blog right now are on the floor rolling around from laughter. You see, the nickname for my husband and myself in the family is "The Retirees." Why? Well, let's just say we like to travel from time-to-time and act as though we are retired. I suppose it didn't help matters when my father invited us to a golf outing this past summer and we were the youngest ones by 40 years. I guess the word is out, or perhaps just the energy, that I attracted that AARP document right to myself. I'm just waiting for my husband to get his, but I guess that is a few years away for him.

After thoroughly cutting up the cards - yes there were 2 cards in case I lose one, I run to look in the mirror and check out if any new wrinkles have suddenly appeared on my face. Whew! I take a breath and decide it must be all that yoga that is keeping me looking younger than my 49 years.

From a feng shui perspective I think it's time to activate my southwest portent. That is the area for relationships in life. Time to add more earthy elements and few photos of younger people. Maybe that will work.

What's some of your daily frustrations? Feel free to comment them in and let me have a feng shui and yoga crack at it. www.fengshuiyoganj.com