Every Brilliant Thing

There is something amazing about live theatre. Watching somebody put their mind and their body and their soul through the ringer literally right in front of you.

Artificial joy

I don't know what it is about the mall that makes it so comforting. It's like, anything could happen there. You could see the boy you like...find some bitchin' jelly shoes...grab a new cassingle...even get yourself an orange julius. Magical place.

I'm baaaaaaaack....

So, bit of a hiatus, eh?

I'll be honest. Life took a really shitty turn. More shitty than can be fixed by non-pharmaceutical means. But I am back to, if not normal, then at least my normal. Hooray.

Today I had another appointment with New Zealand’s greatest dietician and I was feeling so positive I decided to get a to-go lunch on my way back to work.

Standing there... waiting for my food, thinking about this number, thinking about this blog, thinking about this number, and waiting for my food... something clicked.

I am number one. Not in a "me against the world" way but in a "being my own first priority" way.

So take that, life.  The only way you'll wear me out is stitch my name on your pants.

Deep thoughts?

I got a lot of meaning and meditation out of this found installation in a poor residential neighborhood in New Orleans... until I realised it probably just refers to semi engines.

An assault on the senses

New Orleans is the kind of place where there is something amazing and interesting to see in pretty much every corner, particularly when you peek in someone's backyard.

Mama said there'd be days like this

Days like this, when something unspeakable happens in the world, can be the hardest to find something happy. They are also the most important days to find that one happy thing.

This photo is from a trip to Paris a couple of years ago. It was taken inside Notre Dame. Kia kaha, Paris.

It takes a village

Even in the less than safe areas of New Orleans, there is a community effort to encourage poop scooping.

A little normality

We've been on the road for several days now and it's easy to let the weariness of travel bring your mood down. This morning, I decided to take a proactive step and go for my usual long mornjng walk. It was unfamiliar territory and humidity as thick as cream gravy, but it did the trick! Sweat is organic Zooloft, I always say.

Down by the sea

Today, we took a walk on Kema's famous boardwalk and it was like walking back in time.

In service of the bucket list

I was raised in Texas and still visit every two years or so, and yet it took me 40 years to see San Antonio's Riverwalk. It was worth it.

Everything's bigger in Texas

Including the sky

'Murica

This is all you need to know about how to Christmas in Texas.

Slow down, you move too fast

The best thing about holiday is that there is lots of time for contemplative, dewy meanderings.

King of the castle

Really missing Bunk while we're overseas, but luckily there's a ready substitute who's also willing to stare at me while I eat or pee so I don't get separation anxiety.

Naughty and nice

I need this sweater in my life.

I'll take it

Bunk is kind of a jerk which prevents us from having a cat at home. So I enjoy the opportunity to hang out with my mom's cat. The cat's not super sure about it though. This is the closest we've come to a detente.

Be it ever so humble

The only thing better than seeing this nice, homey bed at the end of four long days at Disney is the fact that it's in my Momma's house.

Breakfast of champions

This is a new series I like to call Putting Stuff On Waffles

I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes

After a day where we put over 30km on our sneakers (40,013 sreps!) over about 16 hours, I can tell you there is no greater or clearer or more powerful sign you can see. Preach.

The Forever Friday

We started in Wellington at around 6 am on Friday. Then we spent about 20 hours travelling back in time to arrive at LAX around 6 am on Friday morning. Then we told sleep to get bent and spent the day in the Happiest Place On Earth. So, a  37 hour Friday, spent pretty perfectly.