Tired of Saying Goodbye

Yes, I just deleted that blog in about a split second and that's how I'm feeling about so many relationships I have made in these cities that I keep living in for brief periods. San Francisco was difficult because I lived there for 15 years and friends were like family. Then Houston for 10 months and in that short period of time I made some excellent friendships that were as strong as San Francisco ones.

Now London and I'm saying goodbye again and again. This time around I'm feeling it even deeper. It is actually breaking my heart. In fact, I think I resisted making deep friendships here because I knew it was a temporary stay. Despite that in the past couple of months I've gotten closer to some amazing people and now it is goodbye again. Enough goodbyes. I want to settle down.

I had a fantastic send-off from work today. Our retreat went extremely well. Then we went bowling and had diner food. My team got me all kinds of beautiful little things to take back to the States. Each object was in my style - they really know me.

Closed out Career Goals Blog

I woke up in the middle of the night last night and had a realization - the Career Goals blog was too much for me to keep up. I wasn't passionate about it as I am about this blog. Did I ever reference the content? No. It had so few hits that I realized it was just more jibber jabber to keep me busy. So, I just deleted it. Gosh, it went away in less than a second. That was a bit scary.

Final Day of Work in London

Well, today is my last day of work in London. To go out with a bang I'm facilitating our Away Day (what we call a retreat in the States). We're holding it at an international law firm which provides lovely biscuits and tea every two hours to make sure you're well caffeinated. Don't worry, I won't have any tea - as many of you know caffein makes me beyond hyper and when I facilitate I'm already on super power mode.

Yesterday was my last day in the office. It felt strange because I wasn't sad to go. The job was excellent for my learning and career aspirations but I'm clearly ready to return to the States.

Beachcombing on the River Thames

Pauline and I had another beach adventure - this time taking a London Walks walking tour with an archaeologist along the River Thames near the Tate Modern. This being my last Sunday in London it seemed appropriate to look for bits of history I could possibly take back with me to the States.

Pictured are the best of our pickings. Top left is a piece of crockery - not sure of any dates. Top right is a bit of Tudor roof tile. You can tell it is Tudor because of the whole in the shingle through which they would post a wooden peg. The white tube sitting on top is a piece of clay pipe from the late 1600s when tobacco use to be smoked in tiny amounts as it was an expensive, imported luxury. The bowl of the pipe is missing. The rippled piece of pottery is a design which replicated a cake's layering and the edge of the ceramic was finished like a pinched pie crust. The piece of glass at the bottom which was amongst a pile of sacks from the 1930s thrown into the water to create a firm base on which to build.

We learned that there are bits of Roman history you can find along the shore directly alongside pieces from the 1900s. This is because the river was dredged for 150 years and all the materials from the sides sank into the center creating a big mix of history. In our 1 hour walk Pauline and I found a half dozen pipes of various sizes, twenty pieces of colorful pottery, bits of glass and some impressive nails. It was an excellent way to spend my last Sunday.

Building a Better Box

I have consolidated most of my "stuff" into two boxes to ship to Washington next week.

Poor Ike the Bike, even though he folds he doesn't fit into the box they moving company provided. Solution? They told me to build a box that fits. Ah yes, they've asked me to get creative. I've built quite a box. Ike is quite buffered with clothes. I have a feeling it will be like a tossed salad when it arrives in DC.

It may be difficult to tell but I built the box on the left. The one on the right is factory produced.

Closing Facebook

Facebook seemed like a pretty good thing when I signed up. A way to connect with family, friends, Googlegangers, find distant cousins, former classmates and co-workers. When someone sends you a message you receive an email with the content already in it. I then have to log on to Facebook to respond. Why not just connect directly?

So, I'm closing my Facebook account at the end of this month.

Texas tries to ease polygamist kids' culture shock

I found the CNN article Texas tries to ease polygamist kids' culture shock interesting beyond the story of their religious sect. Although living in an unacceptable situation when it came to their mental well-being the article, unintentionally, highlights that their are several inspirational components to how they were raised as good kids.

Apparently these kids didn't watch TV, grew their own veg, raised livestock, only ate fresh healthy foods, were very polite and possibly further along in their education than most kids of their age because they were home schooled. The kids are being fostered throughout Texas and the foster carers have been briefed on how to ensure the youth don't face a culture shock as they are exposed to society beyond their compound.

Child Protective Services agency spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said, according to the CNN article, "We recognize it's critical that these children not be exposed to mainstream culture too quickly or other things that would hinder their success. We just want to protect them from abuse and neglect. We're not trying to change them."

Children raised on the FLDS compound wear pioneer-style dress and keep their hair pinned up in braids, reflecting their standards of modesty. For the same reason, they have little knowledge of pop culture. They pray twice a day. They tend vegetable gardens and raise dairy cows, and eat fresh food. And they are exceedingly polite, always saying "please" and "thank you."

Pulliam said the temporary foster care facilities have been briefed on the children's needs. "We're not going to have them in tank tops and shorts," she said.

In addition, CPS has sent instructions to the foster homes to feed the youngsters fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, rice and other foods that may have been grown on the 1,700-acre ranch. "They don't eat a lot of processed food and we're not going to encourage that," Pulliam said, but noted that if the children want to eat processed or junk food, no one is going to stop them.

Hays and Pulliam said the children will continue to be home-schooled by the temporary foster-care providers instead of being thrown into big schools, where they could be bullied because of their differences.

If this is a throw-back to the 19th century way of living, as stated in the CNN article, I am interested in the fact that these are good, polite, modest, educated kids. The horror of their oppression is unfortunately the frame for their "goodness" but why not encourage feeding and educating kids in this way? For goodness sake, stop them from trying junk food.

Forms Forms Forms

Moving back to the States requires filling out so many forms. Forms for the shipping company, for US customs, for my UK pension, for leaving the UK, for UK taxes....

My poor little UK pension can't be moved back to the States. I'll have enough money when I retire to treat myself to a chai latte once a week. Of course it will have to be sent to me via post which means I'll probably only be able to afford one every other week.

Spiritual Meaning of a Seahorse

I was telling my friend Laia about the seahorse I found on the beach in Brighton and she said it was a spiritual sign. Here's what WikiAnswers had to say:

The Heraldic meaning of seahorse is "Readiness for all employments for king and country" and also "power of the water." Symbolic meanings for the seahorse are:
Patience
Friendliness
Protection
Inflexibility
Perspective
Generosity/Sharing
High-Perception
Persistence
Contentment

These spiritual meanings are all true about me except, I hope, Inflexibility. Readiness for all employments of king and country fit into my Hampton Court visit.

Meeting Henry VIII in the Hamptons

When you say, "meet me in the Hamptons" in the US you mean the posh area of eastern Long Island, NY. If you say let's visit Hampton in the UK you mean Hampton Court the palace of Henry VIII. So today I spent the day in Henry's Hamptons and let me tell you that the Long Island Hamptons can not compare with the splendor, opulence and drama of the Henry's court.

With only two more weekends until I return to the States I have been exploring bits of London and its surrounding areas. My inspiration for visiting Hampton Court came from a series of trashy love novels I'm reading by Philipa Gregory that chronicle the lives of Henry and his six wives. There is some historical truth to the works but they are, frankly, trashy novels and I love them.

I didn't even know if Hampton Court still existed but thanks to the internet I was able to find it and plan a visit. Only 35 minutes out of London an on the River Thames this palace took my breath away. No wonder it was Henry's favorite home. Actually it was more like a city. In Gregory's books the characters are always getting lost in the palace and I appropriately did as well, several times.

It was extraordinary to walk through the same halls as Henry, his Queens and his court. But what really brought it to life was the graffiti that people had scratched into the fireplaces and windowsills back when they were in use in the 1500s.

Fireplaces were the center of activity as they provided warmth and a place to gather, gossip, conduct business, and wait for the king. The graffiti became a link between past and present for me as I toured the rooms. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos. The most memorable graffiti was outside Henry's great hall where the soldiers and common folk would gather. On a windowsill there was the outline of a hand. I put mine on top of it and it fit perfectly. Who carved this hand and how many people before me tried it on for size?

Here are images of the gardens which filled the air with the fragrance of spring flowers. Absolutely beautiful.

Brighton Beach

Pauline and I took a day trip to out to Brighton yesterday, an adventure we've been planning for weeks. It was a typical English spring day - cold, windy and no sun, perfect for exploring this seaside holiday destination. Taking the day off from work makes every hour a special treat and the day was over in a blink of the eye.

Although I haven't been to Brighton Beach in the US I imagine it is much like its UK namesake. There was a boardwalk, plenty of fish and chip shops, tarot card readers, cheap jewelry stores, and "art galleries". However one big difference was the beach. The Victorians didn't like sand and so the beach was filled with small rocks instead. Actually it made a nice change as the rocks were filled with all kinds of shells and unusual seaweed that got stuck each time the tide went in and out. We even found a seahorse (which I wish I had taken a photo of but didn't). It was so beautiful even though it was dried up. Pauline has it for safekeeping.

The above photo is of a burnt out boardwalk that Pauline tells me is surrounded by much controversy - some people loved it and some hated it. I like how it looks now, like a skeleton, but I imagine it is not a lovely piece on the horizon when the sun is shining and you just want to enjoy the view.
Pauline loves scary carnival rides and as you know I don't. We were able to find one that we both enjoyed - one of those twisting seats that turns as the ride spins around and you listen to bad 80s pop music. It was grand! We laughed and screamed like the teenage girls in the cart next to us. What fun!
We ended our day with afternoon tea and scones at the Grand Hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. What an indulgence. Nothing compares to fresh scones, clotted cream and raspberry jam with a hot cup of peppermint tea while sitting in over sized fancy chairs watching the waves.

Pauline took a good photo of me at the beach and I love this portrait of her pouring tea.

The Farm Dream Evolves

The more I imagine (envisage as they say in the UK) the farm and tell friends about it the more real it becomes. When I talk about it people say, "I can see it". It is very visible to me too.

Simone and I were chatting and we started going off on a riff, as we usually do, about how this farm could be something more and we both had the epiphany of a retreat center. It would be a place where people come from around the country and the world to reflect, explore, create, connect...

As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm launching a business called Leading-Together which is crystallizing into "Inspiring community leadership". The farm is the next step in the business plan. It is a place where people come together to forge partnerships and develop leadership for building peaceful and sustainable communities.

The farm is as self-sustaining as possible - providing its own food, using solar energy, composting, and using well water. It has organic gardens - flower, herb and vegetable, that the visitors help maintain. There is a huge kitchen with lots of windows and plenty of counter tops so that meals can be cooked by groups. I am continuously inspired by the internship I had at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce where Liz Lerma, the former director of the community arts and education program, started every meeting by breaking bread. Sharing a meal is the best way to start a partnership.

There are several renovated barns that provide housing, meeting rooms, artist studios and plenty of fireplaces and cozy nooks for chatting, reading and relaxing. The property is filled with hiking trails for exploring and streams for gazing. With the help of Rachel, Anna and Dee-Dee there are horses, mules and ponies for riding. As my mom says there will be lots of kids around - perhaps school groups, community groups, children who may have never been outside of a city. I see people of all ages and generations seamlessly blending.

I know I can make it happen.

Getting in Touch with Books

Today I attended the London Book Fair. It sounds fantastic but I was actually dreading the visit. Last year was my first time there and it was overwhelming. You would think that seeing thousands of publishers displaying probably a million books would be fantastic. The wrinkle is that this is not an event for the public - it is a wheeling and dealing hot house for authors and publishers (probably agents too). Although our company is a publisher I work on the strategy side and not the actual publishing itself. So for me the London Book Fair is really just a big tease - look but don't touch because you can't buy. Kind of like a museum.

Why did I go, you ask? Because you do get to hear the latest news on e-publishing, blogs and copyrighting. That's the business development strategy side stuff that I think about in my day job.

Well, I did find some interesting things to do. I settled into a fantastic food demo area and learned Moroccan cooking. The demo chef spoke in French and there was a highly animated translator who added his own twist to her words. It all seemed so safe and normal until the pitch at the end for someone to translate her nine books into English. After all, the audience members were publishers.

Another cool bit I discovered was the Moleskin notebook booth which had personal diaries on display. When I say personal I mean that they were diaries already completed by their owners - filled with thoughts, illustrations, collages and photos. Like being in a gallery they asked you to put on white gloves to handle the works. It was really quite special to take a peak into people's lives - their secret thoughts.

At first I figured that these were created by marketing professionals - but no, these were the real thing. There is a whole community committed to making art in moleskins and they have a series of blogs called The Moleskin City Notebook Experience. On them you can see notebook postings from folks who love to use Moleskins to express their art and exhibit their creations online and in galleries. There are Moleskin City blogs for Barcelona, Berlin, Milan, New York, London, Paris and Rome. So cool!

There is a special exhibition of Moleskin City works on tour called Detour. Proceeds from their works support the non-profit Lettera 27, an organisation with the mission "To support the right to literacy, to education, and the access to knowledge and information, all over the world and especially in the most deprived areas."

My take-away from the day (besides food samples) was that there is something wonderful and special about touching a one-of-a-kind book as opposed to leafing through publications that have never been touched by humans. Like the illuminated manuscripts these Moleskin creations have a special meaning for their creator and a preciousness for their reader. I suddenly looked at the little notebook I carry around with me and realized it was so much more special than just a place that I jot down ideas. It has the potential to illuminate all my secret thoughts, musings, ideas and inspirations. Everything is illuminated.

April Showers

This morning the sun was shining and I was fooled into thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could go outside with my spring jacket and no hat. Nature must have been paying attention to my daring clothing choices and decided to open up the heavens and let rain and hail remind me that Spring has not yet Sprung.

I went out to watch the London Marathon and was not the only person caught in the downpour. Everyone was soaked making this already challenging race even more of a challenge. Here are images of the elite runners and wheelchair racers. I had my zoom lens and was able to get some

intense shots.

Rolling Stones Gather no Moss

Went to see Shine A Light the Rolling Stones rockumentary by Martin Scorsese. I'll be honest, I never really enjoyed the Rolling Stones' music. Seeing them "live" in concert changed my opinion. They are HOT! What a show. So much energy. Are these guys really in their 60s? I felt inspired and here's why...

Age is a state of mind

Flexibility - mental and physical is a state of mind

Wrinkles are fantastic - they add character

The creative process, in motion, is priceless and ageless

Collaboration makes a better outcome

Joy begets joy

When you do what you love your energy is infectious

The film was spectacular. A non-stop party on stage. No wonder these guys have so many wives, girlfriends and kids.

Dreaming of a Farm Home

A foundation of the American Dream use to be a white house with a white picket fence. I've never owned a home and in the I've called home homes are far from affordable (except perhaps Houston). Lately I've had this clear vision of owning a farm. It is becoming clearer all the time. I imagine a little house surrounded by gardens and fields, trees and a pond or stream, maybe some barn cats running around. In my dream it is filled with all my wonderful, favorite things that are now stuck in storage in Houston. They fill the little house. There are lots of windows, a fireplace, a cozy living room and kitchen with a butcher block table. Lots of flowers inside and out. My friends and family would come and stay with me and when I needed to be in a city I would stay with them.

I Google searched on the term "Virginia Farms for Sale" and to my surprise there are many fantastic farms with acreage for sale not more than 90 miles from DC. Some are even historic which very much appeals. Perhaps in a year or two I can be living on a farm like in my dream and staying connected to my consulting practice by the internet. Really, the virtual world allows you to be mobile, limitless, networked. I believe it can be done!

Check out this website with Virginia farms for sale.

Photo from 2002 Olympic Torch Relay

I found this photo in my archives from the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay in San Francisco.

Next Stop Washington, DC

I've been quiet for a few days as you can see following the flurry of posts this weekend. Many changes going on for me. In particular I am returning to the States on May 3rd, concluding my 18 months living in London.

This next step in my life I can live anywhere and do anything - I think I've been here before. This time I've decided to settle into Washington, DC. Like London, DC is a national capital with strong international connections. Living in London has sparked my interest in working across the US and the world. I want to continue on that ride.

I am going to return to consulting (did I ever really leave?) and am in the process of setting up a business called Leading-Together. The website will launch soon http://www.leading-together.com/ (you'll see tidbits appear in a few days). The business focus will be building sustainable community partnerships and developing leaders. Still perfecting the pitch.

My sibs live in the DC area and I am eager to be near to them.

Attempt to Grab Olympic Torch in London Relay

The BBC has a video of the attempt by a protester to grab the Olympic Torch that I mentioned in an earlier post today. This is why I saw the police officers jumping out of the van. You can see the Notting Hill Carnival dancers in the distance. This area is called Ladbroke Grove. I was pretty much 100 yards behind the camera taking this video (links to article and video on BBC). You can tell from the video that the entire incident was over and done in about 20 seconds. I'm impressed the police let the relay continue. The show must go on.

The BBC says, "The former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq spoke to the BBC about the incident in which someone tried to snatch the Olympic torch from her grasp."

Check out this article from an online Chinese publication which doesn't even mention the attempted torch grab although it talks about the Carnival.

Free-Spirited Acts #15-20; Strange day indeed

This has been a strange, strange day. It started with the Olympic torch relay, which as noted in my previous post, was very strange. What I didn't mention was on the way home from the relay I was crossing the street (J-walking I admit but that's not illegal here in London) and there was a car backing up in the street. I made eye contact with the driver and thought that she realized that I was going to walk in front of her car . That would work in San Francisco where pedestrians have the right of way, but not in London where pedestrians are unfortunate bumps in the road. She drove forward. I was furious and smacked the passenger window. Not very British of me. (free-spirited?) The driver's boyfriend got out and started yelling profanities at me, so, I said that I had made eye contact and yet she almost drove over my foot. "But she f$%#*ing didn't did she!" was his response. I just walked away.

Later in the day I was heading home from taking a London Walks tour. It was a fantastic tour of Little Venice which is one of the canals I love so much. As I smiled to myself thinking about how good the tour had been, I passed four children who seemed to be between the ages of 8 and 10. As we passed each other they screamed at me at the top of their lungs. Yes, screamed at me. I was so shocked (and a bit caffeinated from a Venti Chai Latte) that I said, "F-off! That was not OK." to them. This made them laugh and then say that I was a f-ing bitch and that everyone else thought it was funny. I looked into their eyes, which were covered with metallic green eyeliner and said again that that was not OK. As they walked away I said that some day that would happen to them and they wouldn't think it was funny. They kept pretending that they couldn't hear me as they giggled and inched forward - holding their ears like I was making no sense. Finally we were face to face. I looked at them good and hard and said it again. Of course they laughed and called me a c-nt. The whole experience left me shaky. Was this harassment? Bullying? Are these kids the future? (Read my recent post on bullying on my other blog Career Goals: Take the Lead).

I share these two scenarios because I have to wonder - is there some kind of different vibe I'm giving off lately? To balance these situations out I've also had many pleasant interactions today, more talking with strangers and making eye contact than my entire stay in London thus far. Perhaps I'm making myself more accessible? Maybe I'm preparing for my return to the States in May and am becoming more American in my behavior? Is it that I'm starting to become extremely free-spirited? Probably a combination of all.

Free-spirited acts 15-20

15. Danced around the flat when I saw the snow this morning.
16. Went to the Olympic torch relay and took photos.
17. Smiled and chatted to people at the event (again, not-British behavior).
18. Waved at the relay participants despite the overwhelming police presence and the fact that everyone else was waving protest banners.
19. Spontaneously participated in a walking tour of Little Venice canal.
20. Chatted with the tour guide and other participants and even learned some people's names (un-British to the extreme).

What I've realized in doing these 20 free-spirited acts is that I am already a very free-spirited person and everything I've done since Thursday are things that I would normally do anyway. However, I've become more aware of them and at times even a bit uncomfortable with my free-spiritedness. I'm certain this discomfort is magnified being here in Britain. In San Francisco I would just blend in with the street furniture.

Olympic Torch...Relay?

I love the Olympics and one of my life goals is to go to the Olympics some day - as an observer, a volunteer or a perhaps as a photographer!

Today the Olympic torch was brought through London as part of the relay to transfer it from Greece to China. This is the second time I've witnessed the relay. The first was in San Francisco in 2001. Stephen and I got up with the sunrise, hopped on our bikes and made our way the few blocks from my apartment (shared with Julie Trell) to the Marina. It was fantastic. Hardly anyone was awake. We were able to follow the torch as it passed from person to person. One participant carried it stretched out in his arms as he moved along the route in his motorized wheelchair. Another was bravely walking, each step made slowly, as he was suffering from Leukemia. He died three days later.

What I witnessed today held only a glimmer of the passion and joy that to me characterizes the Olympic spirit. Once again the torch was passing close to my flat (the benefits of living in a big city) and I was able to easily wander down to the route. However, it was snowing (three days ago it was sunny and in the 60s), which made it beautiful but logistically challenging in a city that gets bogged-down when it rains. Our neighborhood, Notting Hill was showing its best colors by featuring dancers from the Carnival Parade which takes place each August. The dancers looked beautiful but only a few of them looked happy. Too cold, too wet, too many police.

There were more police than observers along the route. But I understand why. Protesters everywhere. It appeared as though the Pope was coming along in his motorized bullet-proof carriage but no, it was just the torch bearer surrounded by police on foot, police on bicycles, police on motorcycles, police in cars, police in vans, police in buses. The only thing missing were police helicopters.

The most dramatic moment was when the next torch bearer jumped out of one of the vans in front of us, ran down the road to take his turn carrying the torch and then it appeared that protesters ran into the streets. Cops starting jumping out of vans, people started running into the street, sirens started blaring. I was actually afraid for myself and the young family next to me as the drama was moving closer to our position. A police van nearly drove us off the sidewalk as it determined we were standing in the best place to pull aside. When the torch passed I waved but believe me I was the only one waving (free-spirited act or sheer lunacy?) A few official vehicles followed the torch bearer and I attempted to bring some Olympic spirit by waving at the athletes and future torch-bearers inside each bus. They only distractedly waved back as they too were focused on the police scene around us.

But it all ended with a reminder of that first torch relay I witnessed in San Francisco. The torch bearer I saw earlier jump out of the van had finished his leg of the relay and jumped back on the bus now in front of us. He was absolutely glowing. He kept trying to suppress his smiles but I could see he had been touched by the spirit of the Olympics and despite himself couldn't help smiling ear to ear. Now that is the Olympic spirit.

Free-Spirited Acts #8-14

Now I am accountable to my blog readers as well as my coach to commit 20 free-spirited acts by Sunday evening. It takes a lot of energy to keep this up. I'm sure this is a test of how free-spirited you can be with your free-spirit.

Here are today's:

8. Awakened at the crack of down to be the first on line to get my bike serviced at the first-come-first-served bike shop in our neighborhood.


9. Smiled at the people already waiting outside the shop when I arrived (very not British to smile at strangers).


10. Purged stuff I no longer need in preparation for move back to the States.


11. Set out to find a piece of art that reminded me of the UK when I'm back in the States.


12. Immediately found a piece that spoke directly to my dream of having a cozy farm cottage with a fireplace, books, nicknacks and a cat like Tika.


13. Purchased the artwork "Interior, Manor Farm" by Howard Phipps, wood engraving, 1991 (pictured above) from the Rowley Gallery.

14. Contemplated setting up a bi-coastal, multi-national consulting practice.




I didn't include hosting the weekly yoga class out my flat since I do this every week. But may need to pull that in if I'm having a hard time finishing up the last six tomorrow.

Acts of Free-Spirit Numbers 1-7

Okay, here we go. These are the acts of Free-Spirit for Friday.

1. Biked to work along the London Canals.
2. Continued to wear my funky bike clothes during the work day.
3. Helped my work associate visualize solutions to his event planning problem through NLP
4. Chopped up the company's promotional banner and hung it on the ugly wall.
5. Paid for my mid-day snack with pence (pennies).
6. Biked home from work and smiled the entire way.
7. Purchased random dinner options from Marks & Spencer - including stuffed clam shells.

13 more to go by Sunday evening. I can do it!

20 Acts of Free-Spirit

I'm working with Rebecca, my career/life coach to define my core values. In our conversations the one that kept coming up is being a free spirit. So, to start me working on expressing that free spirit (do I need more expression?) she has asked me to commit 20 acts of Free Spirit between now and Sunday.

At first this seemed like an easy assignment since I label myself a free spirit. But now I'm finding that I don't know what that means anymore. Is it being a rebel? Eating bad food? Indulging? No, that doesn't seem like it.

Well, I've started by riding my bike to work. Only 19 to go...

Reflexology Relaxes Your Soul

I'm more than a bit addicted to reflexology. Just got home from another session and I feel so super mellow. That makes two in two weeks.

The best part of the experience is the assessment from the reflexologist following the treatment. Your feet reveal so much about you. The practitioner always knows how to hit the most needy spots. Little crunchies give it away.

My spine, colon, face, neck and liver are the most crunchy part of my feet. That means they have the most chemical deposits that need rubbing out. I honestly feel all kinds of gurgling in my belly when certain parts of my foot are rubbed. I wonder how walking and wearing the wrong shoes impact your vital organs?

Every time I go they tell me the same thing - that I need to reduce stress in my life. This time Amy, the reflexologist, suggested that I write up a list of stressful things and start eliminating them one by one. Hum. Plus, she recommended that I meditate and practice yoga. Since I already do these things imagine how much more stressful my life would be without them?

If you want a one hour holiday for your soul/sole I highly recommend reflexology.

Image from a cool blog post about Reflexology in Bali.

My First Podcast

This is my first podcast - very short and to the point. Learning to do this so that we can create podcasts of our law seminars at work. I've learned the podcasting and technology skills from various video podcasts I found on YouTube.

Click the arrow twice to launch.

I like how my voice gets all official.