Karma in Action

In 2001, Mitzi Nichols of Virginia Beach anonymously donated one of her kidneys to a stranger. She got paid nothing for this rare act of generosity, and after recovering from surgery went back to her job as a cashier at a gift shop. It took the universe three years to figure outa way to compensate her properly. In June 2004, she won $500,000 in the Virginia state lottery.

Gear

Well, it is the infamous E-week at my lovely EMS. Yes, that means big sale on everything in the store. If I could swing it, I would buy muy amounts of gearage, but alas, I am on a budget.

The sale started Sunday and I was good. Only spent about 80 bucks...got a nice Marmot (love Marmot) Precip Plus jacket (originally $180) for $40, a snowboard carrier/hydration pack for $20. Got something else but I can't recall off the top of my head.

Went again last night and stocked up on a pair of Merrell snowboots that I wanted last winter. I procrastinated and they ran out of my size and I need them bad. My old pair of Sorels are shot and my Montrail hiking boots are too low-cut to keep the snow out. I also got tele knee-pads for snowboarding. I still need the elbow and hip/butt pads. I also got a nice pair of Acorn slippers for my cold cottage floors. I picked up some nice Bergelene mid-weight mock-zip tops for my dad and bro.

I also went to Pig Iron in Glastonbury. It's where I got my boots and binding for my Ride Solace board. I found the purple and grey Ride snowboarding jacket I wanted last spring for 70% off. So a $180 purchase was only $54. It also has an ultra cool zip out liner that is a faux-fur vest with hoodie. Ultra cool. Only thing is the Medium fit real well last spring but they only had one size Large left. It will fit all the other stuff I will have under it (like pads). It should be pretty loose-fitted so you can move around in it. It matches the purple and grey of my snowboard. The Ride VXN bindings and the Ride boots also match my board. Everything matches. It's so hokey I love it. Now I have to buy a pair of Northface Grey Hyvent pants.

I had an old pair of XL boy's Columbia bib-alls I got for $30 at Marshalls back in the day. They're still good but they are too tight for me now. Last winter I found myself with very little winter outdoor gear for snowshoeing, snowboarding and X-country skiing. I stocked up on Marmot: down jacket, Gortex Pac-lite shell and Jackson pants. I also got the Marmot Pre-cip shell (see above). I love how Marmot fits.

0.

I was typing up a sign to make faculty aware that Hands On Help Hours were curtailed today by a last-minute division meeting called by the President of our college. I had just printed it out and somehow my hands slipped on the keyboard and this was what was on the page:

0.

It looks so elegant and zen. Zero. With a period. Almost like the title of the movie Pi. Enigmatic. Is it a karmic sign? Are forces greater than ourselves throwing a huge sign in front of my face? It just really struck me. What does it mean...a zero...with a period? Nothingness. A black hole. An equal and opposite reaction to every action? I'm going to print this puppy out and post it on my office wall. Just wierd, but a good "makes you go hmmm" wierd.

0.

Is it a score? Does it mean I'm down to zero? What is down to zero? Maybe it means that I have nothing to lose and taking a risk right not is not a bad idea?

0.

We've got rugs!

For the past two weeks, I have been hunting local stores for area rugs and runners for the cold floors of my cottage. I hit up Home Goods and found beautiful rugs. Bought them, brought them home and tried them out...too small. Went to Job Lots. Found a nice berber area rug. Bought it, brought it home, too blah.

Then I got this flyer in the mail for Bed, Bath & Beyond. 5'x7' area rug with bonus runner and 2'x3' mat for $60?! WOW! I got the flyer Tuesday, went to the store yesterday (Thursday). Low and behold, they only had 3 left. I grabbed the black with gold/red/green argyles and flowers, hoping that it would match my bedroom decor. I took it home, unrolled it, vacuumed it and the runner and voila. I have found my nice new plushy area rug and runner. For $60! My bedroom looks so rich and finished! I woke up this morning and my feet sunk into warm plushy goodness. I had to call my mom to gush over my homemaking windfall. Now she plans on rushing over to the Bed Bath & Beyond later today to get a set for her house.

My life is wierd like that. I put out the vibe and energy that I am looking for something, and blam! Somehow an very good solution drops into my lap. It's so wierd. Now if only I could get it to work for finding a cute and decent guy!

I would rather do without, saving up my energy, resources and/or money, and be poised to receive the best possible solution to the quandary at hand. I'm thankful that my rug problem has been solved. Thanks karma/chi/guardian angels/God.

Mount Snow, VT 05-06

Ah oui, mes chers amis. I cannot wait for the official Mt. Snow ski 05-06 season to start!

At the end of August, I got the inspiration that if I bought an expensive Ride snowboard last winter, it behooved me to put myself in a position where I would get some use out of it. My cousin Suzy has a ski condo up at Mt. Snow and I was invited up there several times. I really liked it up there, and the nightlife was good rollicking fun.

So I started snooping around on the internet doing some research. Craigslist.com was a god-send because I found alot of people putting up posts for shares in Vermont ski houses.

I didn't know a lot about sharing a ski house. Checked out a few web sites, emailed a few people. When I saw this house: http://www.mount-snow-house.com/ , I fell in LUV (see picture above). What totally hooked me was the 7 person outdoor hot tub and the KEGORATOR! Three floors, six bedrooms and three bathrooms of pure Mount Snow bliss. If you're going to do it, do it in style!

So, I played it safe got myself a quarter share. Translated that means a bed for one weekend a month for the entire ski season (Nov. 05 - Apr. 06). I even got New Year's Eve weekend. I already got my guests lined up: my fly girlfriends Regina, Lisa and Heidi. These ladies could make Alcatraz fun. I can't wait to see what weekends in Mount Snow will hold! Check back for the VT Hot Tub Chronicles. Haha!

Clumsy Lovers

My friend Ken was over the other night. He called that he didn't want to be alone because his grandmother was dying. Walking into my little cottage whose living room is full of Rubbermaid Roughneck boxes, he said it was like I was living in storage.

His statement struck me so profoundly that it made me stop. It is how I've been feeling mentally and spiritually lately. Like I'm living in storage. And it definately goes in hand with my belief in feng shui. That your surroundings totally affect the energy (good and bad) that flows in and out of your life. And I was determined to clean up my house.

I've been on a carpet buying kick. My house lies on slab, which translates into COLD floors. I hate it because heating the place is a nightmare. I pay more in oil a year to heat my 800 square foot cottage than my parents do to heat their 2500 square foot home. Figure that one out. It's called no insulation!

I got to see one of my fave bands last night at the Half Door in Hartford: The Clumsy Lovers. I've seen them three times now and they always have such energy. My friends Owen, Dan, Maggie, Maria and Heidi joined me for the evening but none of them were dancing much. Actually, few people were dancing. The first two times I saw them were on weekend nights and I think people are more likely to get rowdy, drink and dance when they don't have to get up early the next day for work. I did get Dan, Owen and Maria out on the dance floor for a bit. I bought their new CD, Smart Kid, and had the band sign it and my red Clumsy Lovers tshirt. If they ever get famous, I'm so hooked up.

Leaving the pub, Owen and a couple up from New Haven found that their cars got towed. I almost had a heart attack and ran to see if my car got towed, too. Thankfully, it wasn't and I drove Owen and the Yalie couple to the impound yard. We had to wait 15-20 minutes for the tow-truck driver to arrive and they had to pay $104 each to get their cars back! What a ripoff!!! Thank you friggin Hartford police! sheesh...it's a Wednesday night...give us a break! Needless to say, was not too happy to get home at 1:30 am. But can't leave your friends in a lurch, can you? Dan and Amy stayed with me in a parking lot in Middletown until 4:30am this past summer because I locked myself out of the car. It's pure karma, baby. You get back what you put out. I've got great friends so I must be doing something right!