From Arita: The Right Time

When I was all caught up in the happy move into our present house, I was unpacking, placing and arranging things from the previous rental, things from our home in Nashville and things from my dad's place that he had just given me. I love moving, and I was getting to play with all my favorite things in a new favorite space. I was in my bliss.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, I unpacked a wall clock that had the batteries taped to the back. I pulled off the batteries and popped them in. I looked at my cell phone for the time and turned the clock around to adjust it. The clock was already precisely accurate to the minute.

I suppose it was the right time for me to rendezvous with that clock.
Shivers.

From Arita: Flat tire

Mark and I went out on our bikes when he got home last night. As the sun gets low enough to cast a shadow across the road, and the temperature feels like it might be a little to cool for my sleeveless top, we set out. We appreciate that we can ride to the end of the block, cross into the Park & Ride, and then get on the bike path that takes us all the way around Balboa Park and back home. We pass the most amazing people - rolling, strolling, riding, gliding, playing - all different ages. These are my park peeps. No one is in a hurry and we meander around each other on the path, each in our own world and overlapping here and there. I notice that the temperature is perfect, so my body temp must have risen.

We were surprised to notice that the inclines here and there along the path didn't seem challenging at all. We must have become stronger without noticing. We are conscious of how sweet it all is. We talk along the way about our separate days and what we are seeing. We pass playgrounds and wildlife sanctuaries and lake and river and golf course and other paths, and pets and athletes and kites and remote-control airplanes and strollers and picnics being packed up. The mountains stand quiet and blue in the distance. It's calming. It's easy.

Then, just as we're rounding the last bend of the park across from the Japanese Gardens, Mark heard his front tire - flap, flap, flap. "Whoops, I think I've got a flat." I slowed and looked at it - about half inflated. I said, "I don't think it will hurt the rim to keep riding a while as it is. And if we need to walk our bikes home, that's okay too." He agreed. We picked up our speed just a little bit to cover some more ground while there was still some air in the tire, and then let our attention stray to the delights around us. Maybe five minutes later we were approaching the Park & Ride when Mark said, "Look at my tire!" He had forgotten about it and then realized that he wasn't having to pump any harder than usual. It was full again.

I just came in from the garage, checking his tire so I could report accurately this morning. It's still fully inflated. You can take the story from here.

From Arita: Rich in Time

Last night Mark got home late and was super tired. He started telling me that earlier in the day he felt like quitting because he was over-booked with clients (all the moms and their kids want Mark to be their SLP). He was upset. Eleven hour days had stopped being unusual. I was delighted to note that when he said that he wanted to quit, the first thing to cross my mind was "ahh - the adventure continues!" I wasn't at all concerned. We talked.

We talked about all the ways that this job works for Mark - the people, the heart of the company, the affection that they always show for him, the location, the kids. By this morning, Mark could see that he could have more time, less work. It was all possible. He was going to talk to his boss, Karen, about a more efficient scheduling.

When he got to work, before he could talk to Karen, Karen talked to him. "You are working too hard. You have too many clients. We're going to have to fix this." Mark was finished work by 4:pm today. He is getting off on Friday at 1:pm.

Universal Manager rocks!

From Merlyn: My Little Lost Cell Phone

July 18 2010

In that split second, when I first realized that my new red cell phone must have fallen out of the beach bag, into the sand, my vision of the long expanse of Virginia Beach—filled with tourists on a summer Sunday, and which had recently seemed so delightful— seemed like an image of hell.

My tight schedule of imminent deadlines flashed before my eyes, and I hollered to my friend, Darlene, “Sh*t, I’m just gonna have to kill myself!”

She rolled her eyes. It was enough to remind me. Get centered, breathe. Go up the scale. Relax so I can feel my guidance system. I know this stuff, I can do this. What happens is a result of my attitude, not my outer circumstances. I’m in control of the outcome.

Suddenly I felt better, hopeful, and then I moved into knowing, that somehow I’d find my phone. I’m happy to say that this little journey, which might have taken many minutes, or even hours, years ago, could now be measured in seconds.

And Darlene, who was clearly less stressed than I was, did the obvious, practical, action journey: she called my phone.

No answer.

Right. I'd turned off the ringer because the battery was low.

My guidance was to go directly to the beach, immediately, back to where we had been sitting.

So we started walking, and on the way we bumped into just one person, a local fellow that Darlene recognized, carrying his huge bodyboard. He said that the waves were perfect, so he’d gone back home to get his board. He looked at us, gals in streetwear, walking with determination, no beach gear in sight, and asked what we were up to. We told him we were on a search and rescue mission to recover my phone.

He smiled and asked, “Is it a red one?”

(What are the chances?)

“Oh my God!” we both exclaimed simultaneously! “Do you have it?”

“No,” he said, “but I know who does. When I was walking back to get my board, I passed a woman on the beach who was talking on a cell. I overheard her say she was leaving a message to the last person dialed that she had found a red phone in the sand.”

(What are the chances?)

By this time we were on the wooden walkway that leads into the beach, and I asked if he could point her out – “over there, those two gals sitting with the green tent,” he gestured, as he headed for the waves.

And they were quite surprised when I marched up to say, “I understand you may have found my lost cell phone …”

We all laughed, as I told them the story of the synchronicities, and said I wished I had something to offer them in appreciation … and they responded ..”Oh no, we don’t need anything – someday you’ll find someone’s phone and return the favor to them”, smiling, “that’s how it works, you know!”

And even though they had found my phone where I had dropped it, halfway up the beach, these gals were sitting in the exact same spot that Darlene and I had been in, an hour earlier. So even if we hadn’t bumped into the bodyboard guy, that spot is the only place that I would have gone to look.

What are the chances?

Inside the Vortex, they are 1 out of 1.

(Aside, to Arita- I am having such a good time!)

From Arita: All good news

I went shopping for a black skirt and found two.
I not only discovered how to put a weather forecast widget on the A+A website, but also created a countdown widget.
Midpoint Distributors are contracting with us to represent the Santa book.
We have enough peppers from the garden for Mark to make his favorite Italian saute for dinner tonight.
My skinny jeans fit.
I have a new library book to start reading.
I did this funny dance at the bank door with a guy who was trying to hold the door for me, but I ended up holding it for him and we laughed at each other.
The mortgage rate for the refinance went down to 4%
What a ride.
This is the happiest moment of my life, and you are all smack in the middle of it with me.
and then the most expensive flight we scheduled for this year became free with airmiles!!!

From Arita: Police Car

Yesterday in the carpool lane 405 just north of Santa Monica Bl, traffic stops completely and I run into the back of a cop. Yes. You read that right. So, I follow her over to the shoulder and I'm feeling oddly fine, even a little silly. Even my heart is nice and steady. Soon my little Prius is surrounded by three police cars with all their flashing lights. All the drama. All the celebration. Fireworks and balloons would have been nice too.

There was NO damage to either vehicle! And I have photos to prove it. I'm invincible. I knew it!