Coke machines and the direction of the World

My first post of 2011!

Today I went to El Pollo Loco to get some food, only to find they had one of those new Coke fountain machines. The kind that has tons of different combinations of flavors. It's simply more proof that the best things in life are the simple, unexpected things that just happen.

I've been thinking a lot about the world recently. The whole money-based system we live in and work for. This ridiculous indentured servitude. It's going to collapse eventually, since machines will make unemployment keep rising and inflation will destroy the value of money. I only hope we can come up with a better plan when everything falls apart. We know what we are. We know we can be better than this. We just need to let go.

I'll end with a quote and song from the film "The Last Samurai":

"No one knows what became of the captain, some say he died from his wounds. Others that he returned to his own country. I like to think that he may have found that small measure of peace. Something that we all look for, but very few ever find."

I hope that one day I find my small measure of peace.

A Cool, Rainy Evening

It's rainy and chilly today in Los Angeles. It's actually a bit refreshing. The rain always tends to create a calm mood, even in the hectic days leading up to Christmas.

There are a lot of pretty Christmas lights here. Most people in LA seems to prefer color lights to white ones, which I enjoy. I'm sure all of the kids like them, too.

Work is relaxed these days. Everyone is preparing to take long vacations for the holidays, so most people are in good spirits. It's a nice time of year.

I leave you with an excellent recording by Frank Sinatra. Perfect for these cool, rainy days.

Free Breakfast

I was running behind this morning, already late to work, so there was no time for breakfast. I got to work as quickly as I could and to my surprise there was a huge breakfast spread! Eggs, bacon, bagels, etc. being provided by a vendor. It's pretty nice to assume you're going to skip breakfast only to have it show up for free when you get to work.

It's unseasonably warm in Los Angeles. I sat outside in short sleeves and enjoyed an iced coffee on my lunch break. I've been reading "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman a chapter at a time in various coffee shops, and it's a good book.

Despite the warm temperatures, it definitely feels like November. I miss the changing leaves I've been used to my whole life, but the sun is still fading earlier and earlier each day, and the breeze has that autumn feel to it.

Every time November rolls around, I think of this classic song by Azure Ray:



Until next time...

And so it begins

Welcome to my new blog!

I wanted a place to share my thoughts on certain daily experiences, and Facebook status updates just don't cut it.

Those who know me know I'm a fan of stopping to smell the roses. Blasting full-steam ahead in life has its advantages, but it's not my style. I like to savor the moments as they come. This blog will be about those moments, most of them simple, that make life the wonderful thing that it is.

Stay tuned!