Excellent dinner, excellent company from the Niecelet, belistiwa and UJ. I even got Niecelet to eat all the various vegetables, although not without drama. The menu:

Turkey and gravy
winter vegetable ragout (turnips, rutebagas, carrots and parsnips with caramelized onions and bay)
brussels sprouts with cider, apples and leeks
mashed potato with celeriac
applesauce, with and without cranberries
cranberry sauce
Gluten-Free bread
pickled vegetables
apple cider
pumpkin pot de creme with maple/vanilla whipped cream

All of it (except for the ingredients for the bread and the turkey) was made by me, and all of it sourced within an hour of us - which I'm rather giddy about - and it was all super-super yummy.

I also made Meyer lemon and cranberry GF scones for breakfast, and Oh My Goodness.

Now, to deal with the lessons my tummy has to teach me about eating so much yummy food in one sitting :-( Time for some herbal tea, methinks.

As much as I love Boston, and this is my home now, I miss my hometown today. I think it's partially because my NaNoWriMo project involves digging into places and situations from my past (I find it's the easiest reference material I can use, since I know the places so well), I've been flooded with memories of my life as a single, adorable and slightly crazy upstart in my 20's. There are days when I really miss that chica - or, maybe, I miss the freedom she used to have. She hadn't really *decided* on her life yet.

And me, well, of course there's still a world of possibilities to explore, but that tendency that Young Me had to up and leave whenever things got too much to deal with doesn't quite work in this new iteration. My path has been decided on, and I'm seeing it through - and yes, I'm actually happy about that, but it doesn't mean that it's not scary sometimes.

Let's recap today's lesson again, shall we?

• Apparently, all manner of stresses and sicknesses can be helped dramatically by doing yoga.
• With my newfound Teacher Fu, I can now create my own practice that incorporates all the random messages my body is telling me (today, it was telling me "DO YOGA NOW, DAMNIT - and maybe could you add some hip and heart openers prettyplsokthxbai") and gives me that lovely buzzy half-drunk feeling that I used to only get from someone else teaching me.
• Speaking of Teacher Fu, I really need to get in some teaching practice.
• Again, all manner of stresses and sicknesses can be helped dramatically by doing yoga.

And yes, sweets00, if you're keeping track - you may be on to something. After yoga, my chest pain and stomach issues are drastically less. I'm actually surprised with how much stress I seem to be holding on to.

On to the showers, then.

Had about the experience you'd expect at my CT scan this morning - got there at 8:30, started drinking the White Gloop of Disgustingness, and hung out in the waiting room watching Rachel Ray until about 10:45 when they finally did the actual scan. As annoying as it was, having to actually witness the debacle that is the Rachel Ray Show was probably the worst part of it. That and the moment they inject the dye before the scan - that's not an experience I want to repeat.

Either way, I knew I'd be useless today - so I scheduled coffee with sweets00, who provided much counsel and assistance with my dark mood, and gave me a great idea - to braindump all of my projects so I'll be able to figure out what I need to do next on any particular day. This is what I'm working on now. Since I finally settled down on a service to use for project management (Basecamp HO!), I can finally start loading in information and getting things off the mind. Hooray for organization!

Plus, new phone! sweets00 was kind enough to gift me with her old Android (having switched to the iPhone), which is suitably shiny and new-to-me. I think I have to get the data plan, but the phone seems to work just fine. EEE!

It is one of the great sadnesses of my life that Janeane Garofalo is straight.

So yeah, was so not wanting to be involved in watching Dr. Who for any reason, but have to say - Highly Amusing. They've actually found a way to make it just as insane as the old Tom Baker version, and David Tennant is adorable. Plus, everyone's scared and running away from deadly plastic mannequins in angel costumes with gold-painted face masks. How much better can you really get?

Happened this morning on a great paragraph from Lincoln's Melancholy: how depression challenged a president and fueled his greatness:

Can we say that Lincoln was "mentally ill?" Without question, he meets the US Surgeon general's definition of mental illness, since he experienced "alterations in thinking, mood or behavior" that were associated with "distress and/or impaired functioning." Yet Lincoln also meets the surgeon general's criteria for mental health: "the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity." By this standard, few historical figures led such a healthy life.

In all my years of putting myself down and thinking that I'm crazy, non-functional, etc. because of depression, I've never allowed myself that perspective. I feel damn good about myself right now. Turns out also that Lincoln's dark moods were often influenced by bad weather - another parallel.

By the way, I ended up finding this book randomly in the Watertown Public Library and was immediately intrigued by it. Did I mention that the Watertown Public Library is, as the kids say, Made of Win?

at the number of resources that are available close to home. To wit:

The Watertown Free Library just opened a cafe with sandwiches, soup, and fair trade coffee (REALLY GOOD fair trade coffee, roasted in Needham). Also, free wifi, good books, and plenty of space to sit and work for the day. I has a new Monday ritual, methinks.

AND, the Wainwright Bank in Watertown Square (of which I am a customer) has a Community Room which allows free access to nonprofit and business members. So this idea I've been kicking around about a small business/design collective Board of Directors might actually be able to materialize, for much less cost than I originally suspected.

I Win.

In other news, while I was at the bank today dealing with the issue of my stolen card number, I happened upon an older woman named Theresa who said: "I love all weather - I'd rather have some weather than no weather. There's no need for a heart attack about it - you're going to get what you're going to get, so you have to love it all." Man, I need some more of that perspective in my life.

So, I'm thinking of actually doing this NaNoWriMo thing, partially because I have an idea I want to explore, but also because, apparently, the idea of Free Time is deadly frightening to me. Any tips from the kind folks on my flist who have done it? Anyone interested in reading the inevitable dross I create?

... first let me say that game night with woodwardiocom, buxom_bey and others was Muchly Needed and highly enjoyable.

...let me also say that apparently, my mulligitawny soup is even better when you add some grated zucchini and Japanese turnip to it, and blend most of it into creamy goodness. NOMNOMNOM.

...NEXT let me say that I have a Lot to Think About right now in terms of what 2010 will look like for my business, where I need to shift my energies, and what exactly the issues are that need to be solved. I already kinda know a couple, and have discussed them with a few key confidants, but it's still been difficult to give myself time to fully articulate them/list them out so I can actually *fix* them. This week is definitely going to involve doing both of those things.

Meanwhile, I have a Boy to pay attention to.

1. I learned how to sequence Trance Dance;
2. I learned how to teach Elemental Namaskars (hello, Fire Salutations! Hello, prostration pushups!)
3. I realized that Fire Namaskar + Water Namaskar + Trance Dance is a perfectly viable practice - that makes me smile A LOT.

So, any of my lovely friendses in the area interested in convening at my place some time soon for some communal Trance Dance?

Stomach of doom has returned. Of course, it's a direct result of eating cake, pasta, pizza strips, bread and ice cream within the last 24 hours. Argh. Oh, and soup dumplings on Friday. Argh.

Ah well. Lunch with buxom_bey was delightful, and I've had many lovely conversations today. Now to actually finish this crazy proposal I'm writing and get the other two proposals ready. Tonight, I stay in with soup. And tea. And something cozy.

thanks to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me:

The Life of Brian was conceived after people kept asking the Monty Python folks what their next project was, and one of the writers started saying "it's about Jesus' lust for glory." Apparently, it eventually sparked an idea.

Dubya, apparently, was a former cheerleader.

And there is also a thing called Jerry Springer: The Opera, which some Christian goup complained about as being "blasphemous." My thoughts have vascillated between "wait, they did an OPERA of that crap?" and "ya THINK?"

that there's almost nothing on the Internets that can adequately distract me.

But still, I feel a bit disconnected from the world at the moment. Anything new and interesting happening?

Day 4 now of being sick. Fortunately, it's one of those low-grade things; I have a headache, bit of snuffles, bit of cough with mucusy stuff. General malaise. My voice sounds like I've been smoking since birth. Finding it hard to concentrate on any one thing - which is probably good, since I'm using today mostly to deal with e-mail and various around-the-office organizational stuff that I didn't get a chance to do this weekend with family around.

Best part of being sick is that I also have cramps. Ah, the joys of life - I work myself to the point of burnout right before going on a yoga retreat, then get put into an up-till-11/up-at-6 routine for a week and work myself with YOGA until I get sick, then come home with a cold. Christ.

Oddly, with all the complaints, I'm still in a reasonably good mood. Feel like it's really time to get things organized. Again.

I definitely seem to have come down with a cold of some sort since I got back. Feeling draggy, congested, bit of a cough coming on. Today is definitely a stay at home, take a nap, organize various things sort of day. Plus, cramps. Ick.

Saturday, Nick and I went to visit pagan_kissed and the family; we played Sequence (which is a quite interesting cards/checkers game), I made crazy Mexican-ish casserole stuff from the randomness that is her pantry, and I got to check out my godson's impressive progress - hard to believe it's already been 16 months! That boy is cute as a button.

Sunday, belistiwa, young miss P and I helped Nick celebrate his birthday. There was a dinner (made by me), a cake (chosen by miss P), the most scrumptious monkey bread EVER (co-created by myself and miss P, and eaten lustily by me, despite the gluten-induced Stomach of Doom that followed it today. So worth it.).

We also canned 6 pints of tomatillo salsa thanks to the HUGE bag of tomatillos brought down by belistiwa. Miss P cut the tomatillos, while I focused my energies on the onions, peppers, and garlic. We still have another quart or more of tomatillos left - attention onesnap!

At some point when Mom and P leave, I'll probably sort out my finances and try to wade through the huge amount of e-mail I got over my vacation. Some of it I've already read, but this is definitely seeming like an Inbox Zero sort of mission.

Yesterday, I had an Ayurveda consult to discuss the Stomach of Doom, general anxiety stuff, and see if there wasn't something I could do about it holistically.

Turns out, I'm not Pitta-Vata like I thought I was, I'm Pitta-Kapha - and most of the problems I'm experiencing, including Stomach of Doom, come from a major overdose of Pitta energy. Ya think?

So, it's on to a very relaxing routine from this point forward, avoiding overly hot, sour and salty foods *stares longingly at the 2 dozen pints of homemade pickles in her pantry), and using my practice to relax instead of constantly trying to prove to myself I can do complex asana with all the Tufts twinks. (my apologies to any actual Tufts twinks who might be reading this.)

Also, the consultant confirmed that I shouldn't be eating wheat or dairy - and coffee should be a once a week thing but no more. So hey - score one for my intuition!

Oddly, I'm pretty peaceful about it. I realized the other day that I've been very much All Transformation, All the Time, and frankly, I'm tired of turning my life into constant upheaval just because I can't seem to see myself as Enough. I'm ready to move into something that's a bit more relaxing and rejuvanating.

Yoga love...

I am just... HAPPY. Complete bliss, love, light, all that hippy shit. And guess what? MY STOMACH IS GETTING BETTER! I even had just a little bit of cheese and breadcrumbs in my dinner last night (unbeknownst to me - it was in the lentil loaf) with no consequence. I am noticing that I'm a lot less firey this time than I was in July. I think the last couple of months have left me really depleted - I want to go into Shavasana and sacred rolling (ask me about that sometime - YUM!) a lot more often than usual, even when I'm feeling fired up. I'm deciding to be okay with that - which is a victory for me.

This training is about Chakra Vinyasa - using the vinyasa flow to move energy through the Sushumna (central channels) through the Chakras. We actually started last night with tennis balls under various parts of our bodies to loosen the areas surrounding the chakras - I had no idea that my lower body was so tight! There's a whole lot of chakra-realization stuff I could go into here, but frankly, I don't know how many of my friends would actually be interested. And that's perfectly okay.

Now to see the client's response to the boundary I sent last night, (hopefully) launch the site for good, and rejoice in something that turns out to be so completely what I needed I'm almost shocked I didn't notice it sooner.

1. It appears that beer is totally fine. Minor stomach complications, but nothing close to as nasty as other things. As long as I keep it in strict moderation (i.e. 2, maybe 3 drinks no more than twice a week), it appears that I won't have complications from alcohol. Suhweet.

2. I have so much *energy.* Like good, happy, bouncy energy, which is completely alien to me this time of year. I'm downright optimistic, damnit.

3. Coffee also seems okay in small amounts (1 regular-size cup a week), which is what I was doing at my healthiest anyway, so it looks like I can still have it as a treat, just not a daily cuppa.

NIck generously agreed to pick up this week's share since my today is Holy Hell the Busy. So, without further ado (so I can get back to it), we got:

1 bunch of daikon radish (anyone have a recipe for pickled daikon?
1-1/2 pounds or so of small carrots
1 bunch of radishes
1 pound small sweet potatoes (almost like fingerlings)
2 winter squash (delicata and I think carnival)
1 bunch kale
1 bunch chard
1 bunch broccoli raab
2 heads bok choy
2 heads lettuce
1 bunch small turnips
2 heads broccoli
1 small eggplant
1 purple cauliflower
2 small green peppers
4 habaneros
1 very large leek
1 bunch tatsoi
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch basil

add that to a basket of pears that I got at Russo's (and are finally ripe) and the stock I made the other day, and we're set for a LONG time. I'm thinking chili, freezing most of the greens and the broccoli, and making another big batch of mixed pickle with carrots, cauliflower, turnips and radish.