Back to work

It certainly seems like more than 9 days from when I walked away from Commencement activities on June 10 and began my vacation. I had a great time off and will take good energy back with me to keep work in its proper prospective. This might be a bit ambitious since the dining hall is not open until Monday...but I will try to make it all work without free food.

I did wrap up a couple of things yesterday - I took my request for consideration over to the Town Hall to see if I can get appointed to one of our town boards or committees. I started my day with a great massage. And proceeded to drink 7 bottles of water to "do the post massage flush". Massages should be encouraged more than annual physicals for all people. I felt drawn to church after my massage, so I went into Hartford to the Cathedral for noon mass. I know now why I was drawn...the message was - I paraphrase - it is a piece of cake to love your friends, but I need to love my enemies as they too are children of God. This will be put to test as soon as 8:30 a.m. comes around this morning. We will see if I "got" the message. I am in a "fake it until I make it" mode on the work front right now. I think my spiritual and cosmic guidance seem to be on the same wavelength. Keep your fingers crossed.

Staying in the preparation mode, I stopped by my parents' to wash my car. Car washing is a big project when you live in a 4th floor apartment. Then I took my beach chair and headed to the town pool park area. Pool is not open full time until this weekend, but I sat and read my book - Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - under a great tree. When I got home I became one with my couch to read and the next thing I know it was 4:18 p.m. - I had fallen asleep for a quick nap. Next move was to take a walk, watch Brian Williams on the NBC news and back to reading. It was a strange day as I really was in denial that I was ever going back to work again...maybe next year this time...

Might be having dinner with a couple of cousins tonight, but it always last minute planning which is fine with me.

The NY Times was a day late and a dollar short for me in its NYC ice cream stops article. I will keep the info for my next trip. But my cosmic guidance was spot on for today - perfect timing.

June 20, 2007 -- The Sun's transit of the midheaven angle of your chart over the next two or three days urges you to think big and believe that you have what it takes to be the best at what you do. An ambition that up until now has been no more than a dream has the potential to be tomorrow's reality, so make it happen.

We're almost halfway through 2007. Let's take inventory of how well you're capitalizing on this year's unique opportunities. I hope you've realized by now that although you've always been a pretty good communicator, there's room for you to become even better. For instance, you can learn to be much better at saying what you really mean instead of what you think people want to hear, yet without sacrificing your natural tact. You can also become more adept at staying true to yourself while still being sensitive to other people; you can increasingly find that you don't have to lose touch with what you really feel as you empathetically tune in to what everyone else feels.

VISITOR INFORMATION
E.A.T., 1064 Madison Avenue (between 80th and 81st Streets), (212) 772-0022; www.elizabar.com.
La Maison du Chocolat, 1018 Madison Avenue (between 78th and 79th Streets), (212) 744-7117; www.lamaisonduchocolat.com. Also at 30 Rockefeller Center (49th Street entrance), (212) 265-9404.
Sant Ambroeus, 1000 Madison Avenue (between 77th and 78th Streets), (212) 570-2211; www.santambroeus.com.
Zaytuna, 17 Battery Place, (212) 871-6300.
Ciao Bella, World Financial Center, (212) 786-4707, and other locations, including Grand Central Terminal; www.ciaobellagelato.com.
Soda Shop, 125 Chambers Street near West Broadway, (212) 571-1100.
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Fulton Ferry landing plaza, (718) 246-3963.
Dylan's Candy Bar, 1011 Third Avenue at 60th Street, (646) 735-0078; www.dylanscandybar.com.
'wichcraft, at Bryant Park (Avenue of the Americas at 42nd Street) and other locations; www.wichcraftnyc.com.
Pinkberry, 7 West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, (212) 695-9631; www.pinkberry.com.
Crazy Bananas, 6 East 32nd Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues), (212) 532-1040; www.crazybananasnyc.com.

Tiger had a baby, Yankees lost, big golf tournament in my area this week - but no Lefty in attendance. I am just in a holding pattern right now until NFL starts up and we get closer to the World Series. I also have to keep my eye on NBA draft and college schedules getting set in order to make my winter travel plans.

Have a good week - today is my Monday so it should be a good - short - week.