IT'S A NEW DAY!!!

I can't even count how many times I've said, "it's a new day!"

It's true. Every day is new and full of exciting opportunity. Or not so exciting, depending on if you are a glass half full or glass half empty type of person. Because I am not so psyched about my past, current, and probably my future blog life, I am starting over. And this time, I will try to be truthful about my experiences and my thoughts. What is a blog if it doesn't benefit the blogger? What is it if it does not provide catharsis to an emotional individual such as myself? Nothing of importance. If it isn't meaningful to me, then I won't do it, and it certainly won't be meaningful to anyone else. All this to say that my past "blog life" was full of pretentious and dulled down thoughts and feelings put onto figurative paper. I am not satisfied with that. So hopefully, I can share my experiences, recipes, pictures, and feelings with what friends may come my way.

Today was new and now this day is pretty much over. I just got done playing a backgammon series with my dad. Seven games to win the championship. We've been playing in this fashion since I was in my teens, and I believe it's a tradition I will treasure when I am older. We talk, laugh, listen to music, and taunt each other. Believe or not, age has nothing to do with winning backgammon. Yes, you have to make wise decisions, but sometimes it's simply the luck in the roll of the dice. I have been the champion for several months now, severely frustrating my father's pride. This past Sunday, I won again, and as I rolled for the last time and set my pieces in the finishing area, I played this song on the iPad. Rubbing my victory in with rap music probably caused my fall tonight. He finally regained the championship. I will have another chance, another day.

Winning and losing aside, I really enjoy this time with my dad. We were listening to 60's and 70's music and then the Carpenters came on. Wa wa wahhhh! I made my dad turn on the Big Band/Swing music. The genre makes me so happy. It brings back fond memories of sitting at Saints on a cold day, sipping coffee, listening to jazz, blues, Sinatra. It reminds me of Christmas. I reminisce about making up silly scat songs with friends, singing an Andrews Sisters song in middle school, being with my grandfather. My dad almost began to cry when he talked about how he used to listen to the same music on mornings at home as a child. He also remembered listening to Duke Ellington while drinking tea with his grandfather.

Don't you ever feel like life can be so good, when we just relax enough to enjoy each other? As I go through my life, slaving away at my dead end job, I sometimes forget about myself, my family, and relationships in general. Who wants to walk through life not having fond memories of people you love? I guess if you never had those memories, you don't know what you're missing. I will never forget our trip out to Colorado this summer. During the hectic trip, I got to spend time with some of Matt's friends. As we drove away from Colorado at the end of the trip, I began to cry because I had never felt a sense of family as intense in a group of friends before, and I didn't want to leave that. His friends and their families, accepted me and loved me. We shared life for a few days. I am not sure if they even know how lucky they are to have the great extended "friends-family" they have. I hope we can go on vacation together again some time.

I want to start enjoying my life and the people that have remained in my life. I hope that I can keep this up!

Until next time....