Floating Into Space

A good sign

2010-08-31T12:47:00.007-05:00

The great thing about Austin is there are so many cool people in this town. People that invite you to hang with them at a showing of a house which will afford you to take a beautiful picture such as this:

Or the cool people at Torchy's Tacos who give you mouth-watering taco options (with a new taco of the month every month). My personal fave:

Cool servers at local restaurants who will amuse you with their creative, yet informational signs:

And yes, even cool rebels who use their rebelliousness for funny things such as this beauty:

Food, glorious FOOD!

2010-06-25T10:52:00.007-05:00

Angry Bell Pepper!

Al pastor plate from El Meson

Chicago Dog from Chris' Chicago Dog

First time for eggplants in my garden!

Beautiful salad with black beans

Happy, happy, joy, joy

2010-06-02T14:59:00.009-05:00

Knit cozies on Cesar Chavez

Rainbow Guitar

Blue Guitar

City Hall

Downtown Library

Downtown Library

Birthday Fun!

2010-04-22T08:36:00.005-05:00

Delicious birthday goodies

Cool frog pouch

Fun birthday card

New Outdoor Furniture!

Discovered Stretch Dawrson Trio - Scottish band specializing in Texas Swing.

Visuals...

2010-04-15T09:17:00.009-05:00

Cool Threadgills painting

Sweet brews at Red's Front Porch

My little ponies in the sunshine

Biggest moth of my life!

My garden

Class Act

2010-04-06T10:16:00.005-05:00

I have always enjoyed Gregory Peck as an actor. His characters always seemed courageous and ready to fight injustice. I believe the real Gregory Peck had those same qualities. And if I am to be completely honest to say that he was handsome back in the day is a complete understatement, IMHO.

Behold:

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes that have been attributed to him.

"They say the bad guys are more interesting to play but there is more to it than that - playing the good guys is more challenging because it's harder to make them interesting."

"It just seems silly to me that something so right and simple has to be fought for at all." - regarding gay rights

"I'm not a do-gooder. It embarrassed me to be classified as a humanitarian. I simply take part in activities that I believe in."

Spring!

2010-03-29T10:23:00.011-05:00

It's Spring! Time to turn this frown upside down. I have a lot on my plate right now and it's easy to fall into a pit of despair, but I will not. I don't want to. And to help me along.....here's some pics that make me happy!

Strawberry Shortcake! :)

Pretty flowers!

Gardening tools - a sign of what's to come!

My cat in sunning in the garden even though she's not supposed to!

New leaves on my fig trees!

Oh mylanta!

2010-02-23T08:37:00.006-06:00

Ricky Gervais....

I find him attractive because I think he is hilarious. And, I happen to find humor very attractive. Not that I have ever found him physically unattractive, but I caught his interview on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" last night and holy hell!!! That man is looking good! I know his looks aren't for everyone, but DAMN! I think he looks great! Behold:

ME-OW!

It overtakes me

2010-02-22T10:28:00.003-06:00

Oh, man.

I got some very sad news this weekend. I received an email from my favorite cousins breaking the news of their imminent divorce. These are my cousins by marriage. Nevertheless, I am shocked to my core. I don't know the last time I have cried this much. I am not even sure why I am crying so much.

This couple seemed ideal. They have been married for 13 years and even though my husband and I have almost 2 years on them, I have always admired them and their relationship. It was kind, loving, fun and maybe most importantly, respectful. They had quite the fairytale wedding - complete with big church, limo and lavish reception. They have lived in big cities, traveled, and enjoyed their honeymoon phase. They eventually settled in to marriage and had two beautiful kids who are now 7 and 4 and dealing with Mom and Dad getting a divorce.

I just never thought it would happen to them. Seriously. And it has really thrown me for a loop - a very emotional loop. But, for all the sadness, there is still kindness in their separation. They are collectively working together to help each other and their kids through this. They are even offering emotional support to the family! Even after more than a year of therapy, this decision did not come easily, but they have had time to accept it and I guess I will too.... eventually.

For now, this will serve as a reminder for me to love those I have with all I have.

Mmm....What's for lunch??

2010-02-18T09:11:00.006-06:00

There is an Italian restaurant just a short distance from my office. Sometimes, in a pinch, I will order a salad for lunch from there. I had no idea the restaurant was merely a cover for a more "adult" business. Behold, the sign as I passed by this morning:

I will definitely think twice the next time I order a salad! ;)

Teach your children well

2010-02-10T08:20:00.002-06:00

It's no surprise to any parent that you learn more from your children than they will ever learn from you. Sometimes you need your kids to help you understand not to take things so seriously - not to stress out about the small stuff. Well, I sure got a lesson from my little one this morning.

I have obsessive compulsive tendencies. I am neurotic. I am anxious. One thing that brings out the anxious behavior in me is being late. I cannot stand to be late. It causes me all sorts of anxiety. Not sure why I cannot control it, but I just can't.

This morning we leave the house about 10 minutes later than usual. Cue anxiety! I am driving like crazy to make sure my daughter is not tardy to school (obeying speed limits and all other traffic laws, of course). We pull up with mere seconds to spare and I am frantically trying to get out of the car and of course, my daughter is not moving at the pace I would like her to because that speed does not exist in this universe. We are crossing the street and there it is - the tardy bell! AAAAAHHHH!!!! I am all out of sorts by now. And then it comes.....my lesson of the day...

My little one looks at me and says, "Mom, it's no big deal. So what, I get the number 1 instead of the number 0 in the box that says Tardy on my report card? Big whoop." I stop. I look at her and smile. I send her up the stairs with a hug and a kiss and walk back to the car wondering why I was so upset in the first place. Big whoop, indeed.

The Master Plan!

2009-07-30T12:03:00.001-05:00

It all comes down to this....

For my sweet Marta! And myself, of course!

Inner workings of my mind...

2009-07-30T10:22:00.007-05:00

Just some random things I am thinking about today:

I love Dick Van Dyke!

Curious name for ziploc bags, no??

This movie poster freaks me out!

And, of course - WAYNE COYNE!

If I could go back in time....

2009-07-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

I would choose to go back exactly three weeks ago. On that day, we left for a short, but oh so sweet vacation. I want so much to write all about it and the super fun we had, but three weeks later, I would not do it justice at all. To sum it up, I took a 5-day vacation with my husband, my kids, my best friend and another really good friend. And I don't know if I have ever missed anything or mourned the loss of anything quite like I miss that vacation.

It was fun, carefree, aerobic and whimsical. I miss it oh so much!

A wake, a garden and an erect loaf of bread

2009-05-04T12:41:00.002-05:00

What the hell kind of weekend was that, you might ask? Well, I am here to tell you...

Saturday, we had a wake/memorial service for my father-in-law. My kids and I did not know him, really. He was gone from my husband's life about 30 years ago and got back in touch with my husband in March while battling colon cancer. They both took advantage of what time they had left together. We hosted a little get-together at our house on Saturday. We all had a really nice time listening to old stories and visiting with alot of our friends. This party was certainly one to remember. Nothing quite like 60-somethings talking about boozing, drug-induced fun they had back in college. We had some snacks, wine, beer and other refreshments. The last of the party-goers left somewhere around midnight or so.

On Sunday, we started our vegetable garden! I am so excited about this. We have tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, several different kind of peppers, lots and lots of herbs and of course, my little one's pumpkin plant. That pumpkin plant was what sort of started it all. It was a lot of hard work and my knees are aching today, but it was and will continue to be totally worth it! I cannot wait to watch my little garden grow!

After the gardening and while sitting on the back porch with my hubby, my BFF and another friend, I looked into the house and saw a loaf of bread on the table standing straight up with the top all open! I mean, is that normal??? I think not! Everyone had a good laugh at my obsessive compulsive behavior, but I think the joke's on them. My BFF ended going inside to twist and tuck the loaf of bread like it should be. God! I mean am I crazy or does this whole scenario seem off to you?

Happy (Belated) Birthday to me!

2009-04-21T10:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday, but it sure feels like my birthday has been going on since this past weekend! Nothing like the birthday party that keeps on going! Am I right??

Friday after work, I left my hubby and kids behind and headed to my mom's house in a very small town. Friday night, I stayed up with my mom talking a lot, drinking coffee and catching up. We went to bed pretty late and I was interrupted from my slumber several times either because of a weather radio going off or my mother (still recovering from her allergies) coughing all night. [side note: Why, oh why, doesn't she turn the dang weather radio off at night?!?] My dad then woke up at 4:30 A.M. for work. I managed to go back to sleep for about 1.5 hours, but finally I gave up and got out of bed around 7:00.

Saturday, I drove to another small town with my mom and two of my four sisters. This town was small, but hey! It had a mall!! So, we did a full day of shopping with a nice lunch with margaritas in the middle of it all. It was a nice time except for driving in a monsoon! The weather was awful! It rained so hard the entire day!! My sister sitting next to me has a horrible fear of lightning and she would scream every. single. time. lightning would strike! Talk about stressful! Saturday night was fun! Another sister of mine, who is in a bad patch with her marriage right now and probably will be divorced very soon, was in DIRE need of a night out. The small town she lives in has a bowling alley complete with a full bar and HEY.....karaoke! What's up!? Sounds like the party is creating itself, right?? She and I and several other members of my family went out and bowled, drank and sang ourselves silly! A super fun time was had by all. We all got about 2 hours of sleep and I had to drive back home on Sunday. But, it was totally worth it! My sister had a good time and forgot about her troubles even if only for one night.

Sunday was super lazy. I was so tired... I drove home and hung out with my hubby and kids. We played, ate and played some more. I hardly ever go anywhere without my kids. I missed them so much. Being without them makes me realize it even more! And I always miss my hubby when he's not around. :(

Let's get on to my actual birthday - MONDAY, APRIL 20TH! Whoo-HOO!! Monday morning I woke up to a very sweet letter from my oldest. Along with the letter was a birthday mix CD she created. She told me they were all songs that made her think of me when she heard them. And every single song was awesome! I cried while listening to it. The very last song (the song she said made her think of me the most) was Queen's "You're My Best Friend". That made me cry most of all. I also had a really nice birthday lunch with friends and co-workers. I finished off the day with a BBQ dinner with my hubby, my kids and my BFF! We ended the evening with a SingStar marathon! What a great weekend and an even better birthday.

I am a lucky, lucky girl!

What's a Mom to do?

2009-04-15T10:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a mother's worst nightmare! I had spent Monday evening coughing up a storm, so I did what any normal person would do - I dosed myself with NyQuil! I have no tolerance for any type of medication. ZERO! So, all day Tuesday, I was in a complete and utter stupor. I was indecisive and lethargic.

Here's where the nightmare kicks in. I discovered that both of my kids had school functions yesterday. One right after the other! My little one had Fine Arts Night at her school which involved various art projects, a couple of live bands and (the part I was having the hardest time with) interaction with other people. I was super loopy and just out of it. I struggled through it and we ended up with a decoupaged vase with a few cute little flowers in it, a clay bowl and a homemade pom-pom.

Fine Arts Night behind us, we rushed to my oldest daughter's school for her Choir concert. My little one brings the cute vase with flowers in it to give to her big sister. So sweet! We sit in the front row and I struggled with more interaction with other parents and a bunch of teenagers. My daughter did great! She has a beautiful voice!

We finished up and made it home and my sweet hubby and his friend had bought some beer on their way back from the school! THANK YOU!! So, I got the kids all settled and proceeded to sit on my back porch and shoot the shit and drink some much needed beers.

All in all, it was a very busy day, but still very enjoyable. I felt like I had quality time with every member of my family. The only thing missing was my best friend. :( But, she was catching up on some much needed rest.

100 Reasons

2009-04-13T10:09:00.004-05:00

100 Reasons I Love My Best Friend (In No Particular Order, Of Course)

100. She cusses like a sailor
99. She has an amazing laugh
98. She loves me like no other
97. She invented the word “loyal”
96. We have tons of inside jokes
95. She doesn’t mind that I am jealous
94. She likes to drink as much as I do
93. She lets me boss her around
92. She never gets tired of me
91. She will listen to my jokes over and over again
90. She will laugh at above jokes like she has never heard them before
89. Her music knowledge can’t be beat
88. She is a super-cool chick
87. She is always up for something fun
86. She is content to sit on my back porch
85. I can trust her to give my kids good advice
84. She likes to stay up late
83. She is willing to take my teenager to concerts
82. She spoils my little one
81. She likes to pretend she is a cat bathing itself
80. She doesn’t know a stranger
79. All of her other friends are rad people
78. She drives a Subaru
77. She is obsessed with bikes
76. She is moody
75. She is fickle
74. She works right next door to me
73. She got me the job I have now
72. When we were at different work places, she would come a long way just to have a smoke with me
71. She has a beautiful soul
70. She likes to talk
69. She makes me laugh a lot
68. We like to gang up on people
67. She’s always on my side
66. We like to argue
65. We like to agree
64. She makes my day brighter
63. She won’t let me wallow in a funk for too long
62. She lets me help her
61. Even after major eye surgery, she has the most beautiful eyes
60. She and I have matching tattoos
59. She took me to get my first tattoo
58. She gives great advice
57. She asks for my advice and then does what she wants to anyway
56. She is feisty
55. She is a fun drunk
54. She is has an amazing dance move she likes to do a lot
53. She will defend the underdog
52. She lets me talk shit about people and doesn’t judge me for it
51. She loves to love people
50. She likes to smoke
49. Yes, even that on occasion
48. We both like brown dogs
47. She likes Jerry Maguire
46. She got me to watch Jerry Maguire
45. She digs Bruce Lee
44. She likes to sing
43. She doesn’t care what other people think
42. She is strong
41. She is confident
40. She is sexy
39. She doesn’t make fun of my Twilight obsession
38. She discovers something new about herself every day
37. She likes to take breaks with me
36. She has an amazing son
35. She is still friends with all but one ex
34. Everyone loves her
33. She likes to drive me around
32. She likes to stay active
31. She loves the summer
30. She wears Capri pants
29. She has an amazing memory
28. She doesn’t hate the fact that I have no memory
27. She will hold my hair when I am throwing up
26. She will buy even when she has no money
25. She likes my husband
24. She is still friends with me after meeting my family
23. She likes my family
22. She loves road trips
21. She will let me talk her in to drinking even if she doesn’t want to
20. She will talk me in to drinking even if I don’t want to
19. She likes to sleep over at my house
18. She actually likes hanging out with my kids
17. She doesn’t mind helping me clean
16. She always wants to help
15. She gets her feelings hurt if you don’t let her help
14. She is sensitive
13. She enjoys being around people
12. We are constantly trying to think of ways to spend more time together
11. We occasionally both call in sick and sit around watching bad tv
10. We can pretty much talk each other in to anything
9. She has crazy mad skills with the gentlemen
8. She believes in the goodness of people
7. She has the cutest shoe collection ever
6. We both start to panic if a phone call or text message goes unanswered
5. She is just as co-dependent as I am
4. She lets me make jokes about her being short
3. She makes a great Chai latte
2. She has never let me down
1. We understand each other even when no one else can

When the Easter Bunny is ill

2009-04-13T08:19:00.004-05:00

Wow! What an incredible weekend (sort of)! It had such a nice start and fizzled out in the end. Isn't that just a metaphor for life in general? Oh, not to worry. I won't get all philosophical on you. That's for another time.

Friday was most excellent - I took off work on Friday and hung out with my kiddos. We ran errands and spent a majority of the day on the trampoline cause I am all business with tons of fun all rolled in to one! On Friday night, we had a special V.I.P. invitation to a friend's house. It was a bit of a drive, but the party was totally worth. My friend had his small screen debut! He was a wedding singer in a pretty popular TV series. So, we all sat around in his living room and laughed and had a good time. Oh, who am I kidding? I sat around watching his two-year old playing most of the night. I have toddler envy, ya'll. I know, I am dumb! I can't help it!! My babies aren't babies anymore! :( Anywhoo, a couple of friends came back to my house after the shindig and we had a couple of beers and called it a night.

Saturday tragedy struck. I woke up with very little voice left in me. I had some crazy hoarseness going on. My hubby might possibly have been the happiest man alive, but I was not. Well, technically I am not a man, so that really doesn't even make sense, but you get what I mean! So, Saturday was shot to hell. I lounged on the couch all day, read a book and took a three-hour nap! Sah-weet! I did manage to get all my Easter Bunny stuff done. I created a basket for my youngest. My kids and I boiled and dyed eggs for the Bunny to hide and made Easter cookies. Not bad for a sick Bunny, right??

I am creating a whole new paragraph for Sunday, but I don't know why. Sunday was just like Saturday except for a bit of laundry and actually hiding the eggs. Blah! I ended the evening geeking out on Cake Mania for my DSi! And now..it's Monday...

Oh, Modelo - The Hold You Have Over Me

2009-04-09T13:34:00.007-05:00

Let's cut to the chase. You know all that stuff I wrote about drying out, laying off the sauce, etc? Yeah, I didn't do so well with that.

After my final break with my girlfriends, but before leaving for the day, somehow my girlfriends and I scheduled a happy hour(s!) at my place after work. I can't say no to hanging out, drinking beer and having a good time now, can I?

So, yeah...My best friend and another friend showed up at around 6:30 yesterday evening both with a 12-pack in hand. Needless to say, we drank, smoked, cussed, laughed and sang a lot! It was fun and I think we all needed it.

Lest you think I am a complete loser, I did manage to straighten up my house and cook dinner for my family before losing myself in a beer stupor. I can't help it that I enjoy good company and cold beer! It was a good time that ended around midnight with all of us having to get up for work this morning. And guess what? We all made it!

Yay for us!

Haha! I crack myself up!

2009-04-08T11:17:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I said I would write more often, but guess what? I lie sometimes. I'm sorry, etc., etc. Whatever...

As of late I have been enjoying myself a little too much. You are shocked, I know. I had a very interesting weekend last weekend. My best friend's son's band was playing last Saturday night at a place I had never been before. That seemed like two really good reasons to go out, right?

Well, I screwed myself by attending a barbeque on Saturday afternoon and drinking quite a few beers and not eating much barbeque. Priorities, right? So let's just fast forward....12 hours of beer drinking with very little food does not a smart choice make - especially when someone else is buying the beer. Needless to say, I got sick a couple of times at the last bar we stopped at and had to make my best friend drive all the way across town to take me home. Oh, and stopping on our way back to my place to get sick again. Ugh!

Did I mention my best friend has mad, crazy pick-up skills? Yeah, somehow she managed to get digits from a beautiful man. All the while, having to leave to go hold my hair, walk me around, etc. Basically, she had this guy wrapped around her little finger while baby-sitting her WAY beyond drunk best friend. Yeah. I am cool like that. Wingman extraordinaire, right here!

I am going to attempt to dry out for the next week or so. I need to gear up for a big double birthday party with another friend of mine. I will update you on how I do with the drying out. I know you are on the edge of your seat....

What Happened???!?

2009-03-27T10:17:00.004-05:00

Ok, so well, I am a shitty blogger. I intend to do so much and then I fail to do anything. So, here we go...

Starting off new, fresh, etc. I am not sure where I want to go with this blog. It seemed redundant to keep posting random tidbits I find interesting on the internet, but I cannot promise I will not do exactly that from time to time. I am going to work on just writing about what is going on with me - exciting, no? So, hold on to your hats, folks! We are about to delve in to the mind of me....

My latest obsession (several years too late, thankyouverymuch) is the Twilight series. I know, I know, you are all laughing at me right now. I get it. I am old, too old, for the Twilight series. I can't explain it. I know it's not the best writing ever and I know it's basically a teenage lust story, but I cannot stop reading! I want to know everything!!

The fascination started a week ago. I was at Borders with my daughter and her BFF and we were awaiting the release of Twilight on DVD. I did not see the movie in the theatres and didn't pay much attention when the kids were all into the books. Hell, I was just happy to see kids reading for pleasure! So, while waiting at Borders for 3 FREAKIN' hours, I took a good look around and wondered what the deal was? Why were all these people here for a movie they could turn around and buy tomorrow? When later on, my daughter suggested we watch the movie, I agreed that yes, we should do just that. I needed the mystery solved.

I did indeed watch the movie and I won't say I didn't like it, but I felt like there was so much more to the story than what I saw in the movie. I had so many questions and there is were the trouble started. I then decided to read the first book. Well, needless to say, it's a week since the DVD release and I am now on book three, Eclipse, and I cannot put the shit down! Ridiculous as it may be, I am hooked!

A moment of silence please...

2007-12-19T10:51:00.000-06:00

For the most beautiful man to ever walk the earth.

Example One:

Example Two:

Example Three:

Example Four:

Question: Can you love a coyote? Answer: Yes!

2007-12-04T12:21:00.002-06:00

This link will lead you to a truly heartwarming story of friendship, love and trust. This blog follows the adventures of a 30 year old woman, living in a one room log cabin in Wyoming with a coyote and a cat. I discovered this blog and have fallen in love with a coyote named Charlie and a cat named Eli. Click it if you want to fall in love.

http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

Deep Thoughts by Anonymous - echoed by Jamie

2007-11-27T10:07:00.004-06:00

Even though I try to be upbeat and have a positive attitude most of the time, this submission on http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ describes how I feel about a couple of people in my office. Of course I'd never say it, but it sure would be nice.

Words to live (long) by

2007-11-27T09:52:00.000-06:00

I recently discovered this in a magazine. These are life lessons from five centenarians.

- You can't control other people. You can only control your reaction.
- Don't hold on to anger - you'll just make yourself miserable.
- When playing Scrabble, don't use up your S's right away.
Submitted by: Frances Johnson, 100

- Avoid a fast talker when looking for a husband. Go for someone who's steady.
- Volunteering gets you away from your own worries.
- More is not necessarily better. Going for first or biggest leads to unhappiness.
Submitted by: Edna Anderson, 100

- A person never gets too old to love.
- If you expect perfection from everyone, you'll be all alone.
- You're better off alone than with bad company.
Submitted by: Mary Cavaliere, 106

- Anything you love is important.
- Children love praise. They'll do something again and again just to get you to praise them.
- You'll always need your girlfriends.
Submitted by: Melva Radcliffe, 105

- Never feel sorry for yourself.
- If you worry about being old, you will be old.
- A mother should respect her children, just as they should respect her.
Submitted by: Evelyn "Tootie" Yeager, 102

One of the most beautiful things you will ever read

2007-11-26T11:38:00.000-06:00

Wayne Coyne is singer and guitarist for the Grammy Award-winning rock band The Flaming Lips. He wrote and directed Christmas on Mars, a science-fiction film featuring the group. Coyne and his wife, Michelle, a photographer, live in Oklahoma City.

Photo by: Michelle Martin-Coyne

“Happiness is not a situation to be longed for, or a convergence of lucky happenstance. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves.”

February 26, 2007 · I believe we have the power to create our own happiness. I believe the real magic in the world is done by humans. I believe normal life is extraordinary.

I was sitting in my car at a stoplight intersection listening to the radio. I was, I guess, lost in the moment, thinking how happy I was to be inside my nice warm car. It was cold and windy outside, and I thought, "Life is good."

Now, this was a long light. As I waited, I noticed two people huddled together at the bus stop. To my eyes, they looked uncomfortable; they looked cold and they looked poor. Their coats looked like they came from a thrift store. They weren't wearing stuff from The Gap. I knew it because I'd been there.

The couple seemed to be doing their best to keep warm. They were huddled together, and I thought to myself, "Oh, those poor people in that punishing wind."

But then I saw their faces. Yes, they were huddling, but they were also laughing. They looked to be sharing a good joke, and suddenly, instead of pitying them, I envied them. I thought, "Huh, what's so funny?" They didn't notice the wind. They weren't worried about their clothes. They weren't looking at my car thinking, "I wish I had that."

You know when a single moment feels like an hour? Well, in that moment, I realized I had assumed this couple needed my pity, but they didn't. I assumed things were all bad for them, but they weren't. And I understood we all have the power to make moments of happiness happen.

Now, maybe that's easy for me to say. I feel lucky to have fans around the world, a house with a roof and a wife who puts up with me. But I felt this way even when I was working at Long John Silver's. I worked there for 11 years as a fry cook. When you work at a place that long, you see teenagers coming in on their first dates; then they're married; then they're bringing in their kids. You witness whole sections of people's lives.

In the beginning, it seemed like a dead end job. But at least I had a job. And frankly, it was easy. After two weeks, I knew all I needed to know, and it freed my mind. The job allowed me to dream about what my life could become.

The first year I worked there, we got robbed. I lay on the floor. I thought I was going to die. I didn't think I stood a chance. But everything turned out all right. A lot of people look at life as a series of miserable tasks, but after that, I didn't.

I believe this is something all of us can do: Try to be happy within the context of the life we are actually living. Happiness is not a situation to be longed for or a convergence of lucky happenstance. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves. This I believe.