Right now I'm putting myself through the school of running my own business(es). Definitely wishing I had taken notes during those long talks with my sorely missed cousin, who, in my mind anyway, is the Mayor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship (incorporation pending). One of the things he always used to say to me was, "The market chooses what it will pay you to do." So, I guess at this point, I am in the unmerciful hands of the market, trying to decide what to put the bulk of my energy into. The question was always thus: Massage Therapy or Web "Stuff"? I think in the end, as I get things sorted out, it will be a unique combination of the two, quite complementary in nature. What does that look like? I'm working on it. Okay? Gimme a minute.

Of course, it's never that simple is it? A fun and unexpected thing I got paid to do this past weekend was a photo shoot for a friend's daughter's 16th birthday. A limo dropped off her and her three besties at Pittock Mansion and they took the better part of an hour roaming around the grounds, getting their pictures took. It was utterly delightful. (Stay tuned for a few samples, after I'm finished tweaking.) By and large, the photos turned out wonderfully, even without editing, and even a few gems. I really adore photography and I wonder how and if and when I could ever do business where that is concerned. Hmm.

Well, I am reminded why I never make time to write. It's after midnight, the "Wrinkle Rid" mode of the dryer has kicked in, and it's time to fold sheets before they wrinkle so clients can be tucked in, safe and cozy for tomorrow's half-marathon of massages.

Goodnight.

Gem of the day (for you Portal fans...even if you're not, it is still awesome):

Link

Here are some pics from the day...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's Thursday. I was awakened by my early-risin' eight-to-five'n upstairs neighbor who sometimes decides to run her dishwasher at 6:45 in the morning. I eventually went back to sleep (after it was finished) and woke up, stumbling across the living room like a zombie, only to remember that I only have decaffeinated coffee grounds in my apartment. No, pretending that they are "real" doesn't work. I tried that. Apparently there is no placebo effect when it comes to coffee. And me.

Yesterday's post reminded me of how I like to read in the morning. So this morning I took 20 minutes or so to continue reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Creation and Fall. It was so refreshing to read ideas on creation that were completely untarnished by current debates on evolution, causality, physics, and all manner of philosophical arguments on "beginning" and so forth. It's really like nothing I've ever read. I am thoroughly enjoying it. Instead of trying to remember arguments on transversing infinites and what not, I can just meditate that God gave his Word and it was done: Form wrested from the Formless, Light Shined in the Darkness. And it was good. Because his eyes were on it. And they remain so. (Which is why we are all still here, including this Earth.)

At present, I am sipping coffee in the Bistro where I work. Although the rainy days of the previous two days brought a deluge of same-day appointments, today, with milder weather, the effect has not continued and I am in the midst of a very very long break between appointments.

I have just read a tutorial on how to use Drupal's pathauto module and am taking a small break to consider how I want to implement it in application I am developing. Writing helps thoughts percolate. Like coffee makers and coffee.

There are two small children in the swimming pool outside. Only last weekend, the pool was overrun by children and families. Now, school is back in session, the weather has decided to forget that it is still summer, and there are only two.

Well, thoughts have percolated a-plenty. If I continue, I shall find myself guilty of blatant procrastination.

Have a happy Thursday. It's the right thing to do.

Today, I am...

Feeling... an oscillating mixture of overwhelm, relief, anticipation, disappointment, frustration, joy, and contentedness. (Glad to end the day content.)

Thankful for... an understanding hairdresser, co-workers in good moods, a conversation of clarification, tasty morsels of encouragement sprinkled throughout my day.

Concerned about... finishing a big project by the end of the month, starting up a new project to be launched next month.

Hoping... this new project will be profitable.

Reading... nothing today. Overslept. A poor excuse.

Noticing... vanilla bark and cloves are really relaxing in a bath.

Cooking... pumpkin pancakes with blueberries.

Watching... old episodes of Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

Laughing at... Bobo-the-Muppet's impression of the Smoke Monster in LOST, "Ticka Ticka Ticka Tock..."

Discovering... Google's new Instant Search that displays search results as you type. Just go to google.com to try it.

Web Developing... a Drupal-based reservation system for a rafting company.

Healing... trigger points in Gluteus Medius, tight hamstrings and adductors, and general all-over stiffness.

Crocheting... nothing today. But I have so many projects and gifts in my mind, it's time to make a little time each day for this craft.

Photographing... experimenting with shutter speed and candlelight.

Well, there's a little sprinkle of thoughts to end the drought of writing. Hope your Wednesday was a happy one. And if it wasn't, no worries, it is gone, it is past. Here's to Thursday: a new day, full of possibility and promise.

:: Click here for fullscreen slideshow! ::

Happy Tuesday!

Lessons complete, the players were ready for action. But first, let's meet the team.

The Playas:

Princess Smackdown!

The Amazing and Dangerous Birdie Girlie!

Mister Fresh Off The Fast!

Misses "I Think I'll Play Hockey Instead"!

King Grandpa!

And now, with the preliminaries out of the way, let the games begin!

The silliness knew no bounds on the court that day.

Just another day of Badminton Smackdown in the Backyard.

Happy Wednesday!

My sister-in-law's birthday was yesterday. In the evening, after work (and after picking up some beautiful new plants for my patio!) I went over to The Homeplace to show mom and dad my new flowers and tree. They were just wrapping up a spray-down clean-up of the deck and Gazebo Thing. The sun was setting but still warmly shining down on the deck. We started to discuss the arrival of The Fun Squad (Seth and April's family) the next day and what our plans would be to celebrate April's birthday. Mom and I were sitting on a bench chatting away and, somewhat curiously, The Dadoo was sitting off by himself writing on a notepad with a strange little smirky smile on his face. Finally, I asked him, "What are you writing? You look like you're up to something!" He said that him and mom had decided that they were hopeless at a faithful musical rendering of the traditional Happy Birthday To You song and he had recently taken up, starting with the January birthday of their other daughter-in-law, Jackie, writing lyrics to the more easily rendered Happy Happy Birthday. So, finally he shared his work with us, and after a few rewrites and the addition of a second verse, we called her up and sang this song:

Happy Happy Birthday
Happy Day To You
You're an amazing woman
That's why we're calling you!
(Hey!)

Happy Happy Birthday
Happy Day To You
Thirty-Eight Days Til Hawaii
And the beach'll be ready for you!

Yeah, we're dorky. But we like it that way. :) Happy Birthday April!

Is the heart a chameleon
Bleeding into background
Hiding discreetly in stillness
From would-be lookers-on?

Or is it a fiery mass of energy
Shining brightly, brazenly, like the sun
Simultaneously warming and blinding
Until it burns out, sucking all life into a vacuous hole?

Sometimes I think it a precious vase
Knocked down quite purposefully
Intentionally, blatantly, and quite rudely
From its pedestal to the ground below.

And then what is the heart
After such a fall
And another and another
And again another after that?

Is it mostly glue now
Mostly cracks
Primarily broken
And only really tentatively put together again?

It seems more resilient than that
Don't you think
Even at times when darkness falls
And things never fail to get themselves broken?

Perhaps it's as the anatomist declares
A functional network of cells
Designed to bring oxygen and life
To a living being.

Prone to injury and disease
But designed to beat faithfully
And happily bring health and vitality
Til every cell in the body is well.

Perhaps it is all of these things
At different times
In moments good and bad
Full of sorrow and bursting with joy.

I only know that the heart
Whatever it is made of
Is full of memory
And overflowing with thought, will, and desire.

So perhaps metaphors are pointless
Maybe analogies useless
Whatever the material of the heart
It is to be cherished, protected, and most of all...

Well, used.

So use it well.

Amber is giving a massage to a Nervous Client who won't stop talking.

Nervous Client: "Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah."

Voice In Amber's Head #1: "Why is it so loud in here?!!"

Voice In Amber's Head #2: "I'm sorry, Captain. He just won't shut up."

V.i.A.H. #1: "You know what you need to do."

V.i.A.H. #2: The infraspinatus muscle strip?! But it's so early in the massage!

V.i.A.H. #1: Do it! Do it now!

V.i.A.H. #2: Yes, Captain! Applying stripping to the left infraspinatus now.

Unconscious Client: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

V.i.A.H. #1: Nice work. As you were.

Here are a couple of pictures I took this morning. (I couldn't resist the beauty of that mid-morning light.)

Happy Sunday. I know I am thoroughly enjoying putting off doing my taxes and writing this blog instead! :D

Enjoy the slideshow. (Or click here for a full-screen slideshow.)

Happy Sunday!

Oh, those precious goofy faces.

:D