Seismic upgrading…

Find a way to alter your physical experience of the world while on your travels…

Examples are:

squinting your eyes to blur your vision,

wearing colour-tinted glasses,

closing one eye,

hanging upside down for a time,

walking as slowly as possible,

and plugging your nose while eating…

— in HOW TO BE AN EXPLORER OF THE WORLD by Keri Smith

This evening a sushi chef told me,

from the other side of the bar,

how cuttlefish is highly misunderstood…

I’d ordered the grilled quid,

but what showed up in front of me was something so much more tender,

and delicious…

Don’t get me started on the miso eggplant,

it was better than any dessert I’ve ever had outside of my house…

Some things are so worth waiting for,

and I was willing to wait for one whole hour to sit at that sushibar,

and eat something,

other people will simply never get…

For as long as I can remember,

I’ve needed to snack before I go to sleep,

because of all of the activity in my dream-time…

But because I’m aware of the importance of sleep hygiene,

I’m careful to only take in what is good for me,

in the form of almonds,

spinach,

or smoked sockeye salmon…

While I was waiting for a seat at Toshi’s,

I noticed that everyone,

and their dog,

was texting,

and surfing,

while sitting with table companions…

This sort of social media isn’t very social…

In fact it’s downright rude…

The first person I met,

in the first class,

on the first day of the PhD. program I withdrew from,

told me how long she’d been waiting to make a close friend…

I wasn’t in the market for a new friend but I’m the kind of person who is generally curious,

and open to other people…

And it doesn’t matter what I do,

I make it my business to show up,

and put forward my best effort,

even when the other party is chasing the dragon…

Things were going along well until the day she invited me to meet her for lunch,

and while we were sitting there,

sharing a ceasar salad and some calamari,

she took a call,

on her cell phone…

I’m flexible about this kind of action if the person in question is a parent,

and is receiving a call from their children,

about whereabouts,

and rendezvous…

Or if someone happens to be injured and bleeding…

But in this particular situation it was Straw #1…

A month or so later I got an e-mail from this person,

who so wanted a close friend,

asking if we could meet for lunch in the 75 minute window she had,

in-between other appointments…

In my book that constituted a Straw #2 and 3,

all rolled into one…

It doesn’t matter what kind of a relationship one is looking for,

if you don’t have the focus to show regard for the time and energy of another person,

then it’s best to stay home…

There’s a song that sings one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,

but I beg to differ…

From my armchair research,

thinking that you’re part of a two,

when you’re really not,

because the one you’re supposedly with is more connected to their IPhone,

than your heart,

is more hopelessly alone,

and certainly not worth dying for…

I once met a woman in a pilates class who was full of advice about dating,

but she qualified everything she told me by saying,

I’ve never had any success with a long term relationship,

so I’m probably not the best person to be listening to…

I didn’t listen to her,

and I did everything and anything I wanted to do,

including packing a lunch,

because I knew that guys get cranky when they don’t eat,

and you can’t have much fun if you’re cranky…

Yesterday I was checking out my biceps and abs in the mirror by the front door…

I told Little Gem that I found them to be droopy,

and not as ripped as they once were with all of that pilates I used to do…

She told me not to worry…

She said,

You haven’t been working out for a while now,

but you’ll get it back…

And then she paused for a moment,

and added,

For some strange reason,

all of a sudden,

I’ve got the taste of your key lime pie,

in my mouth…