Day 59 - Ate at Sonic

Sonic is a fast-food restaurant designed after 1950s drive-ins. Where girls on roller skates roll right up to your car to take your order, then roll back again with trays of burgers, fries and milkshakes that would hang precariously on the side of your car. The roller skates have been replaced by sneakers at Sonic, and the ordering process by a drive-through board, but the food is as described.



Mr. Sound got the extra-long cheese coney - that's a hot dog, with chili and cheese. I got some ridiculous chicken sandwich with cheese and bacon on Texas toast. And one of their specialty limeades that I would purchase by the gallons if allowed. But the best part of Sonic is the tater tots. Yum.

Day 58 - Avoided the computer

Writing in my job and also a hobby I really enjoy. So I find myself in front of the computer almost all the time. Even on Saturdays, I write here and there, for work or myself. Not today. Had a nice lunch with my friend Diana, sitting and chatting for a while. Then we had some beers outside in a blizzard. (That actually is not the first time we've done that.) What a great day. It was freeing and something I don't do often enough.

Day 57 - Braised meat

As a special meal for Mr. Sound, I found a recipe for lamb shoulder braised in red wine. Braising sounds intimidating but it was so, so easy. It just takes time, as in 3.5 hours in the oven on low heat. I followed a recipe from Alton Brown on FoodNetwork.com and it came out wonderfully. I paired with with orange-ginger brown rice and sauteed wild mushrooms. I still cannot get brown rice to the proper consistency, but the aroma and flavor were enticing. Braise away, meat lovers.

Day 56 - Chose the treadmill

Unless the weather is hurricane-like, I love running outdoors. A treadmill does not allow you to feel the sun, hear the birds, run a little faster, or feel like you got anywhere. It does, however, keep a very steady pace, which is good for someone recovering from an injury that impeded their normal walking. So on a beautiful sunny day, I stayed inside the cave of the gym and walked to nowhere. Great physical boost, but not so much a mental one.

Day 55 - Took my first piano lesson online

Way back in January, I learned my first keyboard song, then promptly forgot it. Dust bunnies called my new keyboard home for about a month, like so many exercise machines across the nation. But this is much more fun than an exercise machine, so it's time to dust it off.

I would like to take lessons with a teacher at some point, but for now, I want to learn the very basics. I found Andrew Furmanczyk's video lessons through a You Tube search. Lesson 1 and I like his sense of humor, honesty, and crazy hair. He got me excited to keep going so that's what I plan on doing.

Day 54 - Made Sloppy Joes

Manwich was popular in my house when I was growing up. I loved it, and but haven't had it in a long time. It didn't sound that difficult so figured I should give it a try. Came out good. The recipe was courtesy of Ellie Krieger on Food Network. My one change was leaving out the beans.

And I can't mention Sloppy Joes without thinking of Adam Sandler. Enjoy his Lunchlady Land video, with dramatic recreation by Chris Farley.

Day 53 - Went to physical therapy

Not knowing the details of your health is more stressful than knowing. I had so many questions about my calf and what I should be doing about it. Turns out I was being a bit too cautious but that's not a bad thing. Now, I do stretches to loosen up the calf muscles and return the range of motion. Maybe another three-four weeks until I'm back to regular motion. I feel so relieved.

Day 52 - Returned to basics

My other blog has changed a lot since the first post in April 2009.

April-June = essays on career, posted here and there
July-August = essays on any topic + playlists, posted once a week
September = nothing at all
October = essays, playlists and website suggestions, all in one post, three times a week
October-today = daily posts with each day dedicated to a new thing: website suggestions, creative writing, essays, local cafe reviews and music suggestions

But this hobby has been getting in the way of real work. I take time during the day to write about the great coffee at a place, when no one cares, especially me. When the writer doesn't care, the work is less than inspiring so the overall blog output was not satisfactory. I had this idea that people out there were waiting every day for my posts, when in reality, my four followers just want me to be happy. My passion is about music so I'm returning back to just that. Essays and music suggestions, with some silly creative writing thrown in for fun. I feel relived and uncluttered.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool ~ Richard Feynman, physicisct

Day 51 - Reached creative euphoria

Today was a uniquely successful day for me in creativity. First, I practiced singing for about an hour and a half, which is unprecedented. Warm-ups led to songs, and really, it was the best I've ever sounded. I recorded it to remind myself on a bad day that I actually do have talent and can sound great. It brought renewed hope and excitement to my singing path.

Later in the day. I sat down to write with only a half-hour to spare. Miraculously, the words flowed and I was pleased with the outcome. There was a moment there where I felt giddy, clear and fulfilled, like this was what I was meant to do. It sounds corny, I know. I've never felt that before - a physical reaction to writing. This, too, invigorated me.

Creativity comes and goes, strikes at inopportune times and sometimes hides when you need it. It is a ridiculous gift to get one good piece out of a day, nevermind two. It's worth the struggle and some pain for moments like this. I'm thankful.

Day 50 - Put myself out there

I have been hesitant to put my photo on many of my social media accounts. I just needed some time to get the feel of it, I guess, like moving into a new place. But now I'm settled in, nestled on the couch with my feet up. Comfortable. Facebook, this blog (and my other blog), and Twitter all have my smiling face on it, and a full name. It's good to share, to be a real person behind the words. The inspiration came from today's quote on the sister blog: The only gift is a portion of thyself ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 49 - Created my personal mission statement

Back on February 1, I learned about personal mission statements through a class for entrepreneurs. I completed the exercises in class but needed a bit more time to write the actual mission statement. Well, I finally did it. It was tough to encompass work life and personal life under one umbrella, but now, it seems so right.

To be generous with my blessings, strong with my integrity, honest through my words, and kind through my actions, all to spark positive energy in people and my community.

A personal mission statement is your North Star to guide you through every day. I highly recommend crafting one to focus yourself on what's important to you and your place in this world. As the class instructor said, there's a difference between making a living or designing a life.

Day 48 - Made an apple pie

My friend Diana was challenged by her husband and his coworkers to make one. She asked if I wanted in on tasty baked goodness - who would say no? It was the first apple pie for both of us.

Growing up, my neighbor used to bring us apples hand-picked from the local orchard and my dad would make apple pie. He was really good at baking so today, we used his recipe. He got it right off the frozen pie crust package. No secret family recipe on how to get delicious apple pie, so get to it! We're proof that it works...


One is crumb top, one is regular pie crust. We cut into the regular one - the crumb is scheduled for delivery to John's office.


8-10 apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
dash of salt
2 9-inch frozen pie crusts(one for top of pie, the other for bottom)

Crumble top alternative (courtesy of Paula Deen)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, room-temperature
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pie crusts need about 15 minutes to defrost.

Core, peel and slice apples. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and salt with your hands, until crumbly. Toss lightly with the apples. Scoop apples into pie crust. Cover with the second pie crust, folding the edges together, or top with crumble mixture. Slice a few air vents in the top crust, place in oven, and sit and chat for 45 minutes. TIP: If crusts are starting to burn, wrap the edge with tin foil (toothpicks help to keep the tin foil in place)

Day 47 - Learned about Algeria

My cab driver this afternoon was so nice and quite chatty. Turns out he is from Algeria and is really excited for the World Cup this summer. Big soccer fan. In the World Cup, Algeria is in the same group as the United States, along with England and Slovenia. The US and Algeria play each other in South Africa on June 23.

Here are some facts about Algeria:

~ it is about 3.5 times the size of Texas, making it the second largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
~ its borders include the Mediterranean Sea to the north; Mauritania, Mali, and Niger to the south; Morocco and Western Sahara to the west: and Tunisia and Libya to the east.
~ the Sahara region accounts for 85% of the country, and is mostly uninhabited.
~ population of 34.2 million, with 3.9 million in the capital city of Algiers
~ the official language is Arabic, and the state religion is Sunni Muslim (99%)
~ won independence from France on July 5, 1962
~ government is a republic, run by the country's main political party, National Liberation Front
~ main economic product = hydrocarbons (natural gas and petroleum)

Check out the rest of the info on Algeria at CIA Factbook and Infoplease.com.

Day 46 - Cooked salmon

Mr. Sound is the resident salmon pro here. But why not give it a try. I used Bobby Flay's recipe from FoodNetwork.com for the salmon, and created my own black beans and rice for the side. Pretty tasty.

PS - I substituted tin foil for banana leaves because I'm not that fancy.

Day 45 - Discovered music television + a recap

No, not MTV. Besides, they are not calling themselves Music Television anymore, haven't you heard?

I happened to discover the VH1 Classic station, buried way down at channel 473 here in the Bay Area. You knew I loved music, why didn't you tell me about this sooner? It greeted me in the middle of Stage Five of the Seven Stages of Rock. Could watch shows like this all day, just not on Valentine's Day.

And returning to the tradition of weekly recaps, here are some entertaining things from the last two weeks:

~ Was shushed by two old biddies at Peet's. Yes, I do laugh loudly, but c'mom, shushing a laugh?

~ Enjoyed a song by a fellow bus stop waiter, who pulled a small wooden flute out of his jacket when inspiration struck, then returned it there as soon as he was done.

~ Graffiti that read "F*ck Rich Folks"

~ An up-close view of the SF Chinese New Year dragon


~ a beautiful day at Baker Beach

Day 44 - Watched Mavericks

The big wave contest held at Half Moon Bay here in California. Some waves can reach 50 feet and only 24 surfers are allowed to enter each year. I watched in live online, from the comfort of my couch, but the big screen at AT&T Park was also showing it.

If you're like me and know nothing about surfing, it is still worth it to check out some footage or photos and marvel at the feat. Those guys are seriously talented and seriously insane.

Mavericks Website

Day 43 - Used crutches

As I've said before, I've either been lucky or too inactive to have ever gotten a sports injury before. I have never used crutches before.

Yesterday's walk, although nice, seemed to have not helped my situation. So longer periods of walking will be done with the help of crutches. Luckily, we had a pair left over from Mr. Sound's torn achilles a few years back. (clean tear, done while snowboarding, he still rode down the mountain to the infirmary, had surgery, has been fine since.) He had done a good job of making them less sterile by adding cool stickers - I just embellished the padded parts.


I went to the grocery store with Mr. Sound and our crutches, thinking it would be a fun adventure and a test of my stamina. It was not fun. It ended up being me trailing behind him, asking him to stop and pick up stuff as we walked by it. Not sure how I thought it was going to be any different. The grocery store is now off my to-do list for the next few weeks.

Day 42 - Went for a sloooooooow walk

I walk fast. Maybe I learned it from my parents, maybe I learned it from New York. But I just want to get where I'm going. So having an injury that requires a reduction in walking speed is quite frustrating. Certainly not the end of the world, certainly a lesson in patience.

Moping about the apartment, I picked up the recent US News and World report that in this issue was focusing on health and age. There was a story about seven people over 90 years old that possessed such energy and positivity. That made me feel a bit guilty and very inspired. I then remembered the old women in my neighborhood who goes for a walk every day, even though she moves so slowly. Time for me to get out there.

I walked around the block. Literally, around my one block. I brought music to calm me. It might be my own insecurity but I got weird stares from three different people. Maybe people expected that slow walker to be a homeless person. Or maybe they really were startled to see me laughing to myself, at the comedy of it all. No matter, I hobbled on.

It was nice to get outside. It was nice to take it slow and take an extra beat to look at things. It was just nice.

Day 41 - Got a sports injury

I may have been lucky my whole life, but it may mean I never really exerted myself before. So I am proud to claim a sports injury. Torn calf muscle from a combo of running and snowboarding. It hurts. It's frustrating to walk so slowly. But compared to other, worse things that can happen in life, this isn't so bad. Just have to give it 2-4 weeks for rest and elevation and I'll be back to sports. The Olympics will just have to start without me...

Day 40 - Hired an accountant

Imagine how you will spend some of your free time this weekend - a nice cup of coffee with the newspaper, a quick jog, dinner with the spouse. Sorry, did you say something about the IRS? No, of course not, because that's madness.

Tax laws were not meant for laypeople. Even after taking a few tax classes as part of my accounting major - heck, I even studied tax for the CPA exam - I still cannot make sense of it. Please, if you file more than a 1040EZ, and especially if you are starting a business, get an accountant. It's worth the money in the long run.

Start looking for one now. Yes, call up two or three and talk to them. Go with one you trust and get along with. Wait until April and the good ones will be busy. Hear me now and believe me later - your finances are this important. OK, I'm done.

Day 39 - Sick Day II

A migraine sucks all brain power from you. I can't form any kind of thought, nevermind a new one. Hopefully this goes away soon.

Day 38 - Sick Day

Day 37 - Tried the 15 minute rule

It's a time management trick when you give yourself only 15 minutes on a task, like cleaning out your closet, so you don't get sidetracked for hours. It's also a productivity tip when a project seems overwhelming - just give it 15 minutes to start it, get some thoughts down, whatever, and it won't seem as daunting. My 15 minutes was more the second kind. With my other blog and a soon-to-be-released professional blog, there is a lot of writing to be done. I am sometimes scared of it, which causes me to put it off longer, and the cycle continues. I needed to take some kind of action.

SO I sat down with my computer and started pumping out anything that came to mind. A few ideas had been brewing up there but they didn't seem to have much direction. Taking a few minutes to get it out of my head helped a lot. My day was pretty open so I let myself continue to roam with a topic if it was working. If not, I moved on to another one. Soon I had the start of six solid ideas, all of which will need a lot more work but none of which felt so good only the day before. I doubt every attempt at this will be so successful, but it's a tip that always produces results.

Day 36 - Visited the snow on a weekday

If you're a weekend warrior like us, you understand the balance of enjoying your favorite sport while fighting the huge crowds. Mr. Sound and I got the rare opportunity to start our weekend a day early and hit Tahoe on Friday. We concluded that we need to find a way to make this part of everyday life because it was fantastic. We didn't see people at all on two runs. And the snow was pretty nice. It was worth the hard work to make a free day.

Day 35 - Worked with earplugs

My thoughts have been so scattered this week, and I really needed to concentrate on some work. Earplugs of course block out noise but also allows you to hear your breathing, which is quite relaxing. It was worth a shot when nothing else seemed to focus me. Yes, this was not my most exciting day.

Day 34 - Got on the wrong bus

Idiot. I just wasn't thinking. It turned out fine - I ended up in the general area of where I needed to go but added about 12 blocks of walking. Won't happen again.

Day 33 - Had dinner with my cousin

This is nothing out of the ordinary for most people, but my family all lives on the east coast. So it was a great surprise when my cousin told me she was here in San Francisco for a conference! It was kind of surreal to be here with her and not back home with the rest of our family. It made my month.

Day 32 - Learned about a personal mission statement

I have definitely worked on the mission statement for my business, but never formulated a personal one. It was interesting to think about. A sentence or two that directs you through everything you do in life, like your North Star. Here are a few examples of mission statements by famous people:

Gandhi
Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
* I shall not fear anyone on earth
* I shall fear only God
* I shall not bear ill will towards anyone
* I shall not submit to injustice from anyone
* I shall conquer untruth by truth
* And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering

Andrew Carnegie
To spend the first half of my life making as much money as I can and the second half giving it away.


So as you can see, it can be very specific or more general. In this workshop, we started with a few questions that defined ourselves, such as * what do I believe in? * what is my consistent message? * who are my heroes and why? Answers to these questions and formulating a mission statement will lead you through decisions about your career, your family, your health, everything. I have yet to finish mine but worth a shot...

Check out this article for more help.