#reverb10 december 2010 memories

UPDATE (feb 2011): what was a december 2010 daily reflecting and manifesting is evolving into a monthly reflecting and manifesting. announced in february, gwen bell and cali harris of reverb10 sent out a note saying -

"Hello Reverb Community -

Happy February! We're excited to be reconnecting with the Reverb community. At the beginning of each month, Reverb HQ will send one prompt, several reflect/manifest tools, and any other creative, useful things we come across. We're also back on Twitter, so you can follow us @reverb10."

UPDATE (jan 2011): the december 2010 month long reverb10 wrapped up on december 31. a quick list of my posts is in the december nutshell or just see further below on this page. it was a blast and has certainly (re)energized me to write and to idea generate. also, it has been great to virtually meet a few motivating/inspiring folks - notably yvette, julie, and shannon - as well as to use twitter more and get to learn about the different reverb10 prompt authors. 

what is reverb10? as described from the website of reverb10:

"Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both."

#reverb10 ... checkin' it out and supporting all the fabulous people reflecting on 2010 and manifesting 2011 as part of the daily prompts! (my reverb10 moments over here.)
 

interactive crew ... i signed up and am on a crew where i'm hanging out with ...

• @Ordinaryshan who also is at extraordinarily ordinary 
• @emmajames who also is at pleasure notes 
• @kimsamsin who also is at the deep old desk 
• @riayn who also is at counting time 
• @esteffi who also is at heart piercing life 
• @DCPrincessQ who also is at dc princess 
• @TiaSparkles who also is at your life your way 
• @SquarePegKaren who also is at square-peg reflections 
• @divamover who also is at the feldenkrais center of houston 
• @dancingwaves who also is at strong and tender like the ocean 
• @sarah_nicolas who also is at sara nicolas

... and i'm very excited. (and note to self - #reverb10 will definitely result in my getting a mobile phone where i do not find myself regularly removing/resetting the battery so that i can reboot the phone. good times.)

update: 12/04/10 - i have upgraded to a mobile phone that will allow me to enjoy catching up on #reverb10 moments with the many other wonder people participating. now i can refrain from pulling out the battery to reboot my R.I.P. blackberry.

update: 12/018/10 - getting better with my droid, now that i am getting better using the touch screen,  remembering to use the "share" button for tweets, and adding in the URL pieces of my blog into the autoword dictionary. little timing problem ... cubeopolis day job. i'll incorporate reverb10 breaks best i can.

update: from december nutshell - the 31 topics as follows, in order of each day's author's prompt, and in its only little nutshell/highlight:

1. one word - reconnect for 2010, enthusiasm for 2011
2. writing - shiny penny moments
3. moment - adolfo at los altos art show
4. wonder - reconnecting and asking why not?
5. letting go - bye to a gentleman's agreement, hello to creating more space
6. make - my somewhat perennial cow costume
7. community - my rave about kit's clean your closet, change your life (or CYCCYL) and looking for 2011 community interested in apprentern, ignorance and knowledge, and environmental professional development
8. beautifully different - odd bird in
9. party - breakfast buds
10. wisdom - write from the heart. my story about a cover transmittal i wrote from stream of consciousness for a position for which i applied
11. 11 (eleven) things - my list of 11 things to eliminate and how it may change my life
12. body integration - my experience at my dad's gravesite
13. action - thoughts about launching environmental professional development
14. appreciate - my friendship with shiny penny andy
15. 5 minutes - capturing those 2010 moments to remember
16. friendship - silver lining friendships preferred. my take on the friendship spectrum (zip-it, bring it on, zip & bring & zip & bring (rinse, repeat) and on my click-it, pause button, check-in approach
17. lesson learned - saying step aside to mischief-speak and hello to forthright-speak
18. try - my declaration to have a healthier lifestyle where i stop paying pharmaceuticals for my bad eating and inactivity habits
19. healing - becoming more involved in things i really enjoy
20. beyond avoidance - getting my personal and business finances together
21. future self - a note from me to the me of 5 years from now and to the me of 10 years ago
22. travel - how and where i have and want to travel
23. new name - silvia (with a "y") ramirez story
24. everything's o.k. - story about connectedness via an email exchange with a woman in whose words from a film brought me to tears
25. photo - story behind the pic of piragua and me jumping as part of our flat emma jaunt around the SF bay with joel (the photog)
26. soul food - baked egg en cazeuela
27. ordinary joy - my friend sci-fi guy on the phone call and lunch
28. achieve - be speechless. this post includes a list of 10 things for 2011 to bring on a "speechless" moment ... tv appearances (funny host talk show, dr. who, reality tv show judge), philanthropist ponies up pennies for me to promote my passion, engagement, president obama moment with my epiphany, old friend random run-in, hear an angel(s) speak to me, billboard moment, vermont leaf-peeping adventure.
29. defining moment - talk-to-the-hand february 2011 moment that has shaped me
30. gift - glee gum
31. core story - i value family & friends . i make lists and mindmap . i reflect, am introspective, and expressive in writing. also a few lessons learned - think twice, be thankful everyday, don't make assumptions - be kind, reach out - there's a hug fest out there)

thank you reverb10!

f|break: about love from lamb's gorecki

music ... after sunday's morning post about how music and paintings touch my soul, where i mentioned lamb, here is their song (video and lyrics), gorecki.*

enjoy a music fiber break with lamb (over here)
for ~ 3:40 minutes and sing along with gorecki

Lamb - Gorecki
Uploaded by Angkor. - Explore more music videos.

if i should die this very moment
i wouldn't fear
for i've never known completeness
like being here
wrapped in the warmth of you
loving every breath of you
still my heart this moment
oh it might burst

could we stay right here
till the end of time until the earth stops
turning
wanna love you until the seas run dry
i've found the one i've waited for

all this time i've loved you
and never known your face
all this time i've missed you
and searched this human race
here is true peace
here my heart knows calm
safe in your soul
bathed in your sighs
wanna stay right here
till the end of time
till the earth stops turning
gonna love you until the seas run dry
i've found the one i've waited for

the one i've waited for

all i've known
all i've done
all i've felt was leading to this
all i've known
all i've done
all i've felt was leading to this

wanna stay right here
till the end of time till the earth stops turning
gonna love you till the seas run dry
i've found the one i've waited for

the one i've waited for
the one i've waited for

wanna stay right here
till the end of time 'till the earth stops
turning
gonna love you till the seas run dry
i've found the one i've waited for

the one i've waited for
the one i've waited for

*for those that know (or don't know) lamb, they are back together and have a website over here, with limited editions of a CD and vinyl album. for those in the u.s., the cd with international shipping came out to £18.54 gbp (or less than $30 usd).

#reverb10: core story

(what day 30 (gift) was all about)

day 31 prompt ... What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

(Author: Molly O'Neill)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

one-third of the way there ... on day 29 (defining moment), i found myself revisiting reverb10 posts for cubeopolis themes. 10 posts on cubeopolis - actually, more like 10.5 posts including yesterday's day 30 gift. so i will take the bonus nudge and look at the remaining 20.5 posts for other threads.

BUT FIRST ...

from a light-hearted-ish and/or lessons-learned perspective ... stories, although not necessarily core stories for which i yip-yap, include - merpes, thank you gifts, telephone phone tag, and reaching out. and what are these stories? they are more like lessons learned that have shaped my life's decisions ...

• merpes ... circa late 80s.
  mouth herpes. no, i don't have mouth herpes, but here is the deal. confession: when i was younger, random suck-face moments at dance clubs, bars, and parties were not uncommon - although they certainly also were not commonplace occurrences. they were simply random suck-face moments. not lots of them - but enough. (one side note: i do know the names of ALL those i have kissed. somewhere along the way, someone i knew (or someone who knew someone or maybe something i made up in my dreams) got mouth herpes. i know. total bummer.
  
  • lesson learned ... think twice (and bring a swab for a cheek-check? j/k) before those random suck-face moments.
    
• thank you gifts ... circa 1994.
  

  "i absolutely love that colorful dress. you look fabulous in that dress!" she said.
  i said, "oh, this? i just found this over the weekend, i ...".
  she interrupted, "uhm ... please don't take away the gift i gave you - you have brightened my day. i think this is the time where you can say thank you."
  i hugged her, and said, "thank you."

  since then, i welcome those opportunities for being grateful - simple compliments, high-five moments, unexpected shoulder to cry on, ... goddess asphalta with an awesome parking space in the middle of SF's mission district, ...
  
  • lesson learned ... there is much to be thankful, and we are presented with those opportunities EVERY DAY - even when we can acknowledge our own awesomeness. oh! and don't forget to say "you're welcome."
    
• telephone phone tag ... circa early '90s.
  how to tell this in short-version?
  i was playing phone tag with a guy named andy for more than 2 weeks. when i didn't receive a return call after another week, i called every other day because of the urgency (perceived or real) of the matter. then i spoke with another person with whom i vented about andy not returning my call. after my rant and rave, i was told he had died over the weekend. (i know. thump went my heart and then i self-flogged for days.)
  
  • lesson learned ... don't make assumptions; be kind.
    
• reaching out ... circa 2010.
  i wrote about it a this year's moment on day 24 everything's o.k..
  more than a decade ago, i often (nearly always) presented at conferences on my own dime (from california to wisconsin, maryland, d.c., toronto, etc.) because of my passion of what i was sharing with others. a gentleman followed-up via email after a conference presentation i gave, thanking me for the time i took after the presentation session to answer more of his questions personally and later banter over dinner. months later, he sent an email saying he would be able to apply what he had learned to evolve his thought process and business ideas. seems trivial. it wasn't for me - and it wasn't for him.
  
  a little extra sparkle to a thank you moment ... i can tell you that i reach out likely (and hopefully) EVERYTIME i get that feeling - that feeling of an inexplicable connection (via flash-seconds or after hours of conversation), a deja vu moment, a little something-in-my-belly, or goosebumps marching on my skin. in fact, my guess is, it has become so much part of my fiber. i was recently pleasantly reminded via my new virtual (and now not-so-virtual) friend, yvette, who wrote about it for her reverb10 day 27 ordinary joy. i left a simple blog post comment for her, and of course, i thank her for reaching out.
  
  • lesson learned ... reach out. it's a hug fest that everyone deserves!
    

(a gift from a friend - painted metal placard in home
also tells a little bit about my central story)

- bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today. after looking at the remaining 20.5 posts - here are a few more threads to contribute to the fabric of my core stories for the remaining two-thirds ...

• i value friends and family ... i have mentioned friends as part of reverb10 posts or as part of 'tweener blog posts. and although i have not posted much about my family on my blog, i do spend time with them - immediate and extended. and i valued sharing on day 12 body integration about visiting my dad's gravesite.
  
• i make lists and mindmap ... several reverb10 posts were followed by lists and mind mapping - some in journals, others on napkins, the back of envelopes, on my phone. it's what i do - brainstorming, lists, mindmaps, doodles, ... and i'm excited about pulling a vision board together as shared in day 21 future self, keying off of some of the ideas in gwen bell's how to create your personal manifesto, and seeing where tyler's guerilla influence formula will take me for some ideas i have at cubeopolis. lists posted on the blog during december ...
  
  • day 11 - eleven things
  • my just saying thanks to friends
    
  • my whirlwind list of the out & about during the week ending saturday, dec 11
  • day 19 - healing where i mentioned my whirlwind week and a few other tidbits
    
  • and of course, day 28 - achieve with some out-there(!) long shots
  • bonus list: 25 blah-blah things about me
    
• i reflect, am introspective, and am expressive in my writing ... after reading many of my posts, i had not realized how internal i delve and how much i express my thoughts in my writing.

all this AND i loves me my fiber breaks!

thanks reverb10 community!
BIG PUFFY HEART!

(thank you for letting me share.)

#reverb10: gift

(what day 29 (defining moment) was all about)

day 30 prompt ... This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

(Author: Holly Root)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

glee gum ... yup - over here. all natural chewing gum. originally, i had no idea who had left a little pack of this gum at my cube. there was no note - nothing telling. days later, piragua asked me if i saw and tried the glee gum. (smile)

- the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? this likely has been made memorable because of the little mystery-gift-giver circumstance. however, it is also the thought and cutesie-ness of it all.

i LOVE the t.v. show glee. and i am pretty sure piragua could do without it. she gave this to me because of the word "GLEE". the gum - secondary.

how sweet is that? well, in this case, it is naturally sweet. (snortle.)

(thank you for letting me share.)

#reverb10: defining moment

(what day 28 (achieve) was all about)

day 29 prompt ... Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

(Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

original concept for response ... "see day 3: moment" because i am behind and because this reminded me of that prompt about my friend adolfo. HOWEVER - i THEN remembered ...

early frebruary ... maybe the 8th or somewhere around there. i know it is on my cubeopolis calendar, so i will update with the actual date.

before a cubeopolis meeting started ... that down time when people are preparing for meetings? informal introductions, inventory of references, teleconference number dialing, paper rustling, asking people for input prior to beginning a meeting ...

talk to the hand ... THAT is my defining moment for this year. as i was responding to the "input" part, i received a talk-to-the-hand that was about 8-inches from the tip of my little nose. i looked around the room for ANY sign of the same shock on my face or even any acknowledgment and sympathy - a few people made brief eye contact, a few others averted eye contact, one looked me dead straight, and others did not witness the motion.

text message to my friend ... "i'm so outta here" - after the hour+ meeting was over, i was not happy.

- that has affected your life this year ... the february moment evolved into a re-evaluation of my cubeopolis lifestyle and a series of events ultimately shaping (and continuing to shape) my cubeopolis existence. in fact, about two months later, a colleague (who also was in that meeting) later acknowledged to others that the-said talk-to-the-hand person does that often enough and with no apology. when she said that, i realized i was no longer upset. AND i realized that i had something brewing in me - good brewing. (oh! and i realized it was not my imagination that i could have licked the-said-person's hand.)

reverb10 therapy ... i have come to see that many of the reverb10 posts may be an outcome of this defining moment - one that i thought of as a pissy-immature-act (and i guess it still could be thought of in that manner) yet one that has certainly allowed me to see the physicality of some of the accepted behavior in cubeopolis AND share my thoughts through reverb10. (i'll get off the soap box - stepping down.)

retro-reverb10 posts ... i decided to look at the posts to date to see those related to cubeopolis in some way, and there are indeed quite a collection 10 (including today's post) - day 1: one word, day 4: wonder, day 5: letting go, day 6: make (i have worn the costume to cubeopolis, and it's how i insert some fun in the day), day 10: wisdom, day 13: action (and actually am helping a friend with an internship program idea), day 16: friendship (who is in cubeopolis, also), day 21: future self (the 10 years ago note), and day 24: everything's ok (because the film was through a cubeopolis event).

defining moment continued ...
reverb10 therapy for talk-to-the-hand moment
(puffy heart)

(thank you for letting me share.)

confession ... i actually wrote this response on thursday morn, 11/30.
because i am behind after yesterday's car fun and cubeopolis-itis.
(thank you for accepting my re-dating of this post.)

#reverb10: achieve

(what day 27 (ordinary moment) was all about)

day 28 prompt ... What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

(Author: Tara Mohr)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

recasting the prompt a bit ... when i read this - all i could think of is a feeling i wanted and then go backwards from there about what could lead me to that feeling, rather than what i want to achieve and figure out the feeling. so i am going to stick with that concept.

speechless ... and the feelings with it. for several very, VERY palpable seconds, i would like to feel speechless (and for those that know me, yes ... i said speechless) ... absolutely, 100 percent, unimaginably, take-my-break-away speechless.

i have had jaw-dropping moments, been stunned by witnessing unbelievable feats, been shocked by human tragedy, and laughed until my tummy hurt and happy eye water rained liberally while spittle spewed in the faces of others. those truly speechless moment and feelings that come along with such moments seem to be this odd, quirky space in time - silence with so many mixed emotions clamoring in my head ... i want that speechless feeling.

- then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. here goes 10 off-the-cuff things that i imagine would likely result in a speechless moment - and many are very out there beyond a "today" thing and for the fun and imagination of things in life (in no special order) ...

1. talk show/fake news guest ... be asked to serve as a guest of shows like craig ferguson, conan o'brien, david letterman, chelsea handler, graham norton, ellen degeneres, or stephen colbert, jon stewart, ... (because they are fun! guess i gotta figure out a gig/shtick to get me on a show ...)
   
2. promote my passions... be sponsored (by a philanthropist) to promote (for a living) those things near and dear to me - environment, tolerance, authenticity - through writing and talking (because it would be an awesome, seamless work-life thing. guess i gotta figure out where them philanthropists are ...)
   
3. engagement ... have an engagement proposal for which i'd say yes (because i'd have fallen in love with a wonderful man. guess i better start meeting men again ...)
   
4. white house ... have my little epiphany (see no. 14 on this list) read by president obama at some white house dinner invite that i attend (because i've never been invited to the white house. guess i better figure out how to get my epiphany past the gatekeepers and keymasters of the white house ...)
   
5. old friend ... run into a long-lost-forgotten friend at some random place where we both actually remember each other immediately after hearing each other's voice (because that random stuff is what speechless moments are definitely made of. guess i better keep being out and about in life ...)
   
6. angel(s) ... hear an angel(s) speak to me (because i'm not quite that woo-woo. guess i better figure out how to keep that open mind ...?)
7. billboard at toll plaza of that college thing ... (writing this made me speechless) driving in to work and seeing "that" pic from college (because i was a nutty college chick. guess i better figure out what i'm willing to pay to get that polaroid(s) back ...)
   
8. dr. who ... get a phone call (yes, phone call) that a couple of friends and me can have a little role in a dr. who episode where we get to hang out in the tardis for a little while (because THAT would rock! guess i better make it known to the right people that can make it happen that my friends and me want to be on the show ...)
   
9. reality tv show judge ... be asked to serve as a guest judge (or part of a pool of judges) on any of my fave reality tv shows like top chef, project runway, etc. (because i want to know what REALLY goes in to judging cheftestants and designtestants. see #7 - gotta find the right peeps ...)
10. vermont leaf-peeping adventure ... re-experience the amazing turning of the leaves and their fiery colors (because i was absolutely speechless in 2007, my first experience, and wanna see my soul sistah, jen, and her family again. guess i better carve out my trip out to vermont ...)

bring on that speechless feeling!

(thank you for letting me share.)

confession ... i actually wrote this response on wednesday, 11/29.
playing wait-for-car-at-dealer because yesterday's hydroplaning,
blinky-lights, and bonky-noises is not flattering for my car (or safe for me).
(thank you for accepting my re-dating of this post.)

#reverb10: ordinary joy

(what day 26 (soul food) was all about)

day 27 prompt ... Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of the your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

(Author: Brené Brown)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

that telephone call from an old friend ... hands down, my friend, sci-fi guy*, from college tracked me down and called to reconnect. just that phone call and chit-chat alone was absolute joy!

bonus post-call ordinary moment ... the conventional reunion/catch-up lunch that followed shortly from the telephone chit-chat was a bonus to the telephone call. aside from the what's been up and remember when these past 20 plus years, we talked about the here & now ... current events, books read, rants & raves, etc., talking because we truly were sharing in dialogue.

mega bonus ... after lunch, we toured the facility where he works. (i am a geek at heart and LOVE looking at processes for product development to product marketing!) and finally, mixed in with the ordinary joyful moment, the news of my friend's health circumstances - and for that, the movember challenge shall go beyond the little fun moustache picture and have a different and much deeper meaning for me.

joyful ordinary and life's reality ... i am glad to acknowledge how joyful a telephone call can be, how a quick lunch can open the door to old memories and memories to come, how appreciative i am for the goodies after the facility tour (heehee), and how thankful i am to be part of sci-fi guy's life. and i believe joyful ordinary moments that co-exist side-by-side with life's reality are those for which love is made.

be well, my sci-fi guy buddy,
and thanks for introducing me
to the nutty and zany IFC food party

*(i know my friend whom i've nick-named sci-fi guy
would prefer to be anonymous. thank you for sharing.)

#reverb10: soul food

(what day 25 (photo) was all about)

day 26 prompt ... What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?

(Author: Elise Marie Collins)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

baked egg en cazuela ... period.
(keeping it short & sweet)

- what went into your mouth & touched your soul? ... (hold on. i have to wipe the drool off my keyboard.)

back story ... my first time touching myself in a restaurant experiencing this dish was at nibblers - unbelievably flavorful. velvety texture. i literally would have licked the little clay dish clean, although two things prevented me from doing so - 1) moaning loudly in ecstasy and 2) etiquette.

it was nibblers's mushroom and truffles theme month. when i told one of the nibblers's owners about how much i loved the dish, each of them were very excited to talk about the ingredients, preparation, and best way to experience the dish. my guess (partial recollection) is the mushroom ingredient was candy cap mushrooms (note to self: ask next time i visit.) and as always - LOTS of LOVING from the chefs.

i am certain that when all sorts of lovin' goes into a tasty dish, a soulful moment is one of the hidden ingredients.

nibblers feed me yes
oh baked egg en cazuela
get in my tummy

(thanks for letting me share.)

#reverb10: photo - a present to yourself

(what day 24 (everything's o.k.) was all about)

day 25 prompt ... Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

(Author: Tracey Clark)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

photos from 2010 ... go figure - this motivates me to consolidate my pics from my camera, my camera phone, and emails with pics from others' cameras.

thousand words picture ... i'm the one with the exposed belly (and i did land on my feet).

back story ... emma, my friend jen's daughter, asked if i would hang out with her flat traveler (via flat stanley fame), and therefore aka flat emma. "of course!" i told jen, my soul sistah.

trilogy of flat emma in the SF bay area ... what resulted was a 3 part jaunt around the bay area with flat emma - part 1 of where i live and some dim sum with a friend, part 2 of driving (and stopping here and there) around a portion of the 49-mile SF scenic drive, and part 3 of attempting to complete the remaining portion of the scenic drive with two other friends. for part 3, we started at golden gate park (which is where i left off at part 2 of my flat emma adventure), and we ended part 3 of the flat emma journey at an oakland brew pub (where there is a pic of flat emma "eating a french fry with a pint of pale ale in front of her") just after stopping for a quick jaunt to the berkeley hills.

- share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. ...the picture i have shared was taken in the berkeley hills, above the uc berkeley campus, near the lawrence hall of science. i'm jumping with my friend nicknamed piragua, while my friend joel is playing photographer (and a great one at that!) - the three of us are the core of breakfast buds who party. and so the pic reveals with a little help from more back story ...

• fun, being alive, and enjoyment ... i can't imagine not having fun. and jumping is fun. it's hard not to enjoy jumping (presuming the knees don't fail you). absent jumping, i love the "weeee" moments in life - indoors and outdoors. i can feel it in the picture!
  
• belly ... yup, i carry extra weight. not in the optimal healthiest of ranges yet much better off compared to more than 5 years ago. i have been leading a much healthier lifestyle and am determined because my future self said so.
  
• friends near and far ... i like hanging out with friends near and far, virtually and in-person. smaller groups are my preferred, yet i'll venture into the masses, as well.
  (this little adder pic? breakfast buds (L to R) moi, joel, piragua - new year's day 2010)
  
• better late than never ... (back story) i was a bit on the tardy side getting flat emma back to vermont. admittedly, i can be a bit tardy, here and there. with that said, my emergency should not be someone else's problem. (i'm working on this and doing much better.)
• driving ... (back story) maybe it's the 15 years i spent in southern california or simply the many places i enjoy are not in my backyard (not within 5-miles), so i drive, and i don't mind it so much. diffuse as the points of interests and as the homes of friends around the greater bay area, i'm there.
  

there is much more i can say as far as back story, but i'll stop there and simply (re)thank jen for her (and emma's) patience and for the "weeee!" moments i so much enjoy.

WEEEE!

(thanks for letting me share.)

#reverb10: everything's o.k.

(what day 23 (new name) was all about)

day 24 prompt ... What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

(Author: Kate Inglis)

AND a bonus with the prompt - Future tool: Gwen Bell – How to Create Your Personal Manifesto. For the next 8 days as you round out your year, we’ll share one tool each day to help you plan your year ahead.

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

several big and small moments came to mind ... which to choose? what came to mind were many life-events that have shaped me and others around me - directly or indirectly - moments prior to 2010, friends overcoming personal issues, current events (political, social) unfolding, and little memorable quotables - quips from friends and strangers whether intended to be words of wisdom or snarky commentaries.

emailing a stranger whom i saw in a video reminds me of connectedness ... i don't know if i would call this "... the best moment ...", but it is certainly a moment that has reminded me that when i say i should, need, or want do something, it is strides apart from whether i DO that something. and the outcome? always welcomed.

back story ... in february this year during black history month, i emailed a woman who was featured in a documentary. i was telling (and maybe more like emoting and raving to) my friends how moved i was and how i wanted to contact her. i obsessed; meanwhile, a friend said to me - "why bother?" and another said "whatever!" not deterred (although slightly saddened by some friends' remarks), here is the outcome of an email exchange between me and the woman.

- and how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? ... two-fold - first - i look forward to continuing to be clear about what i will be DOING and DO IT. there is nothing wrong with shoulding, needing and wanting - for me, it's about being clear (to myself) about committing to those things in life that move me. and second - i am reminded of connectedness. as shared by the woman-who-moved-girlnutkin-to-tears ...

"Thanks again for having the courage to seek me out and email me. you are, actually, the first. I feel honored and privileged to know that my experience has created a universal connection between two "strangers" in theory, but not in heart.

Mahalo for taking the time to connect, ... "

p.s. needless to say, perhaps, i also am exploring how i can contribute to the issues of ignorance, etc.

(thanks for letting me share.)

#reverb10: new name

(what day 22 (travel) was all about)

day 23 prompt ... Let's meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

(Author: Becca Wilcott)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

sylvia ramirez ... glad to meet you, becca. this is a name i have been called (in full, even) twice in my life - on two very separate and unrelated occasions. my first name is shirley (2 syllables) and my last name also has 3 syllables.

back story ... in the late 80s, after i stood in front of a conference registration booth stating my name, that person actually started to print my name tag with the not-my-name name as sylvia ramirez. no one on the conference attendance list with that name. not my name. not what i said. not what registration gal checked off the list just seconds after i registered. she had no idea why she started to do write my not-my-name name tag. no big deal.

in the late 90s, i was at a social mixer (at a conference, actually). someone i had just met introduced me to his colleagues - even with my real-name name tag on, he introduced me as sylvia ramirez. whadahell?!

- let's meet ... introduce yourself ... by another name and why? ... i would introduce myself as sylvia ramirez because maybe you can tell me that you think you know me, that my name sounds familiar, or that you also know someone named sylvia ramirez, but she spells her name with an "i" - as in silvia ramirez.

will the real sylvia (or silvia) ramirez please stand up? ... get this - i met a REAL silvia ramirez - spelled with an "i" instead of a "y" in 2007. short story version - she was my randomly-selected-by-the-instructors roommate (among ~20 other roomie options) for a weekend retreat about reiki.

silvia - my soul sister for the weekend ... we were introduced only by first names. and then while we were unpacking and getting situated, we exchanged mini-snippets about our lives including our full names - and that is when i told her that i have been called sylvia ramirez - but with a "y" (recall the 80s conference name tag). one thing VERY interesting is that she was an entrepreneur - a highly regarded woman business owner (nationally recognized in 1999). and at the time of that retreat, i had just stepped out of business ownership (to opt for cubeopolis), so we had quite a bit to talk about that weekend.

go figure.
what were the chances?
sylvia, it is!

(thanks for letting me share.)

#reverb10: travel

(what day 21 (future self) was all about)

day 22 prompt ... How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

(Author: Tara Hunt)

(my commitment to myself for stream-of-conscious writing ... excited to see what pops up as i type!)

local and not so much luggage ... 2010 has been a not-so-much-luggage travel year. and when i did travel, it was long (or short) hauls in my little car, with very few (relatively speaking compared to past years) moments when i had an airport experience, and with zero moments of a passport stamp.

for me, travel has simply been (this year and throughout my life) about visiting and reconnecting with friends in person, vacationing with friends, or turning a work-related trip into a mini-vacation by adding on 3-4 days to sample local cuisine, activities, history, and architecture. regardless, i loves me to travel for that reason - whether there are airports, customs officers, or gas stations involved - last-minute with quick planning is my approach rather than the more lengthy planning effort.

nevertheless, i consider what local/luggage-less travel that i did this 2010 to be fine and dandy. (note to self: visit chicago again.) however, 2011 ...

- how and/or where would you like to travel next year? ... yes, and yes - i'll travel however and wherever in 2011, and there will be airports and a passport involved! AND of course there will be local/regional foodie moments.

although i am not a wanderlust traveler-jetsetter, i very much enjoy other places and cultures. and for good (or bad) reasons, friends are aging or ailing, and visiting them is a must for me. (not a plug but southwest airlines and kayak are convenient for last-minute plans ... thank you for my last-minute travel fixes.)

2011 will continue to be another mix of gas stations and/or airports, and my passport will get some action ...

• public transit ... the SF bay area - and the greater northern california and central coast - has much to offer. 2011 will be using more public transit to explore (and lower carbon footprint) and taking the train to visit the state capitol - will give that a whirl.
  
• gas stations ... the west coast is rich with many urban and outdoor activities. i have NEVER been to yosemite or to the redwoods - WTF?! i know! gonna fix that.
  
• air travel, at a minimum ... for family-friends stateside - back to chicago (so my soul sistah also can head over to meet up -thanks to billn6) to play tourist, up to the northwest to visit a friend who is a miracle of life as a cancer survivor (many times over), over to the southwest because of an artist friend's show in the first part of 2011, east coast to visit several friends and family (the traditional places - nyc, boston, vermont, d.c.) and the my friend the oracle, and over to hawai'i with my mom because it is long past due that i (and my mom) visit family and friends.
  
• travel plans for passport fun ... spain because it has been too long since i've visited (and there's a college friend to visit) and vancouver (b.c.) to get my fluevog fix up-close-and-personal.
  

travel - family, friends, food, and shoes

(thanks for letting me share.)