Serendipitous

Even though I believe everything happens for a reason, it's a rare occurrence when I learn that reason in a timely manner. Usually it's months or years before I look back and think, "Oh yeah, I'm glad it went that way." Not so a few weeks ago: I experienced instant serendipity, a moment when I knew at least one reason why my day went the way it did.

It was supposed to be a simple Friday at work: my last day with M before his summer camp, finishing up laundry before the weekend, stocking up on groceries, and overseeing a fix to the new cable/internet/phone line installed a day earlier. Enter flash summer storm. In the middle of a 100 degree day, the rain started and didn't let up. It came down, sideways, and in sheets. Hail joined the rain for several seconds. The wind announced its presence by tipping the solid metal patio table over, umbrella and all. Oh, and the power went out.

The AT&T service guy came not long after that, and I had to let him know there wasn't much he could do since we had no power. He answered some questions and left M and me in the humid darkness. Laundry sat sudsy in the washer and damp in the dryer. I begged M to stop opening and closing the fridge and freezer, even though the cold air felt great. Without A/C, we laid on the floor sweating without moving.

I still needed to get groceries, so I left M to his own devices and escaped for a bit to Jewel, but not before having to fix the garage door, which went a little crazy during the storm. I made sure to get ice cream--M and I both needed it and besides, the kid was headed to northern Minnesota in a few days, where he'd miss home comforts.

Back home, I learned the power was back. I also learned the phone line was completely out. On my cell, I volleyed calls between AT&T and H, troubleshooting and explaining the situation. Thanks to faulty installation the day before, plus the power outage, the backup generator had zero charge and wasn't supplying power. M chose all the times I was on the phone to ask me questions, beg me to watch YouTube videos on his iPod, and dribble around a soccer ball.

People: I was frazzled. I left work that day with a shirt damp with sweat and hair plastered to my head. I rode home through a light sprinkle, something I was grateful for as it helped cool me down. Still, I was drenched when I got back to The Naw. I needed a freeze pop and a gentle friend. I called Becca as I unwound from the day, the week. My three day weekend had finally begun and I didn't want to think about work until Tuesday.

We caught up for a bit; I mentioned going to Milwaukee on Monday to see a Brewer game for Quinn's birthday. "I'm going to a Brewers game on Monday too," Becca said. "I think. Let me check." Sure enough, we were going to be at the same game. For two people who used to live together, but currently live in two different states, meeting up in a third state is wonderful. Knowing I'd see Becca the next Monday made my Friday night.

All at once I realized why my day at work was so trying. If not for that, I wouldn't have felt the need to talk to Becca afterwards. I would have came home feeling great about my weekend, ate dinner, had drinks, etc...and very likely wouldn't even know Becca would be in Milwaukee with me on Monday. If not for having a tough day, Becca and I might have attended the Brewer game unaware of each other's presence. And if that would have happened? Unacceptable. Thank you, Universe!

Things that Make Me Want to Clean: Meditation

This week at acupuncture, Kirk jazzed it up. He did the usual needle and meditation music bit, then added a little electricity to the needles in my neck. It felt like a small tapping at the base of my skull. He also asked if I had been using the meditation CD he gave me. I fibbed a little by saying I had meditated a few times over the week. I really did try several times, but I don't think I succeeded in any of those tries.

Kirk's big thing was consistency over length. He said he'd rather me try ten minutes a day than thirty minutes three times a week. He must have guessed my meditations weren't quite as fruitful as one would hope. Mostly they look like this:

Turn music on. Take a deep breath. Sit on bed. Close eyes. Think positive thoughts. Breathe. Wonder what I'm supposed to be thinking about. Try to remember/invent a mantra to repeat. I am the divinity who resides in me? Not ready for that kind of intensity. Think of quippy titles for the blog post about failed meditation. Compose rough draft of blog post about failed meditation. Deep breath. Try to listen to the music/white noise. Check iPod. Only three minutes in.

This goes on for maybe ten minutes, then I'll usually start reading or cleaning my room, headphones still in. If I'm listening to the music I'm still sort of meditating, right? Plus I have things that need to get done and roommates demanding attention. I'll keep you posted if I ever reach Nirvana.

Lights & Shoes & Concept

With Wednesday came the return of our electricity in the apartment. How crazy to be able to see while showering at night! We used the extra money from not grocery shopping the previous week to buy fixings for a bunch of sandwiches, which we handed out in the Loop to the hungry/homeless gathered near train stations and in other high traffic areas.

Our new simple living challenge? Pick one pair of shoes. Wear only those for the week. We're lucky to even have a choice here, since for many people around the world their only option is to go shoeless or fashion shoes out of whatever can be found. My choice is my Toms, short for Tomorrows. When you buy a pair of shoes from this company, they send another pair to a child in a developing nation. They're super comfy and look super classy, so those are other pluses.

Yesterday and today we had Conceptual Framework training, which basically means sitting in a board room for 7 hours each day learning a lot of theory as far as therapy in residential goes. Besides sitting for so long, I really enjoyed it. I'm a theory person for sure, so concepts are pretty awesome to me. I won't discuss them all here, because I know not many people go for that stuff...besides, dinner is ready since we are celebrating Megan's birthday!!!

Earth Week: Power Down

Happy Earth Day!

New challenge of the day: Reduce energy use. Simply put, turn off lights when you leave the room, unplug appliances you aren't using, keep the AC and heat off, etc. If you want a challenge, you can also give up TV, computers, cooking...basically shut off your electricity.

Since the power cord for my laptop is broken, I have no choice but to limit my computer usage to when I am at work. Also, I'm not feeling so hot, meaning I'd much rather turn the lights out and go to bed than stay up and use electricity. Hmmm...sounds like the universe is conspiring to make me save energy.