Happy Anniversary to Us!

Yesterday was my two year wedding anniversary.  We call it 'paper signing' day since all we ended up doing was going to the courthouse with a couple of friends (which, since I didn't invite family my mother will never let me live down). It doesn't make our wedding, or marriage any less valid, but in typical Eileen style, I had to deviate from the norm.  One day we will have a 'real' wedding, hopefully at sea, hopefully when I'm about 100lbs lighter and would look mad hot in an inappropriately white (or off-white) dress.  Since we are already 'married' we get to set all the rules.

So...onto the celebrations! Last night we got dinner at Sushi Sono, which I feel a need to review. It was recommended by one of my ladies over at Happy Housewives and since we both like sushi I thought it would be perfect.  Note about me--I hate fish...but I like sushi.  I eat the vegetarian stuff, or a California roll. I occasionally get adventurous and eat some shrimp sashimi, but even that can get too 'fishy' for me.  No need to recommend things fishy that you think I'll love, I'm pretty sure at this point in my existence, my hatred of fish is pathological.

Sushi Sono is located in Columbia, MD at 10215 Wincopin Cr overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi, which you can see from every window, making the view very nice.  We arrived around 6pm, and were immediately seated. The place was around 1/2- 3/4's full with 1/2 of the seats at the sushi bar taken, but most tables occupied.  I love the decorations.  Lots of beautiful rice paper walls and lamps, along with authentic swords above my head.  My husband commented on liking that the sushi chefs were actually older (if 50's is older) genetlemen vs. guys in their 20's.  The hostess, a Japanese woman, was hilarious.  I made a comment about wanting to sit at a table instead of the bar so we could be silly, and she commented that "we could sit at a table and be as silly as we wanted!" then she proceeded to sit us near the front door where she could hear us.  We were pretty tame though.

After we sat down a waitress brought us a hot towel to wash our...I washed my hands with it (and assumed that was what it was for).  My husband who has actually BEEN to Japan told me that they were actually for your face.  Let's just say, I was wearing masacara, and it wasn't happening.  Hubby ordered hot tea, and 6 peices of ala carte sushi and a California roll. I ordered a cucumber roll, California roll, edemame and some teriaki chicken.  So...I thought my husband had ordered a lot more food than he had.  I was wrong and it ended up looking like I ordered half the menu.  I also assumed we would share the edemame, but I only managed to get him to eat one pod's worth.  Oh well, more for me.

His assessment: The food wasn't as good as our old standby in VA (Jasmine Garden ).  The decorations however, were beautiful.

My assessment:  My rolls were good, but the rice had a little too much vinegar in it, and my cucumber roll was 'de-rolling' before I could even get it in my mouth.  My teriaki chicken was bland and basically uneventful. I didn't even take my leftovers home.  I loved the edemame, but it also wasn't anything specical.

One weird thing: until it started getting really busy the waitresses were unnaturally hovering around us attempting to give us advice (since white people don't know sushi?) and just generally staring.  I think they were flirting with my husband, since they mostly ignored me.

For $60, it was overpriced and the food wasn't that great.  It was a fun experience though, and I enjoyed the service and atmosphere. My water glass also never got more than a sip out of it before someone came rushing over to re-fill it.  I drank a lot of water.

After dinner we went to the see Green Lantern.  I'm not sure why it would get bad reviews.  My husband seemed to think that it stayed pretty true to the comic books he was raised on, it was funny and there was quite a bit of good action.  Overall, I liked it. I still have issues seeing Ryan Reynolds in something other than "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place," but I might be the only person that actually watched that show.

My anniversary was wonderful, and sharing the cherry coke at the movies was a good call on my part, since I slept like an overtired baby.


Message to my hubby: Thank you for putting up with all of my insanity, neuroses and still loving me more everyday.  I love you more than words can discribe and you have made my life so incredibly wonderful these last few years.  I will be schmucky in love with you as long as we are both still living (which means you better not die anytime soon)!  May we have a long and happy marriage with many schnugs and kitty loves. And just cause I haven't said it in awhile,  you cried first at our wedding;).  I love you.

Guest Post! New Years Resolution

My father in law is one of the most awesome, and unique people I have ever met. I feel blessed daily to have been handed this new and amazing family!  He wrote an essay a couple of years ago about his New Years Resolutions, and I loved it and wanted to post it here.  

New Year’s Resolutions

toward a new reality

on planet Earth

By Mani Pureheart

 

Meditating on my own personal resolutions for the New Year, I was once again made aware by Spirit of the bigger picture and the need for universal resolutions which could be implemented by everyone for the benefit of all mankind. Here they are. I'm sure there must be more, so feel free to send me your suggestions, and feel free to pass this among your friends as well. Please include this entire essay, which is copyrighted. I can be reached at ManiPureheart@Gmail.com.

 

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In order to bring myself and this world further into peace, balance, Love and Lightness of Be-ing I will do my best in each moment to remember and abide by the following resolutions:

 

I hereby resolve to:

  Treat and think of every human being as a brother or sister in each moment and in every circumstance.

It does not matter what their nationality is or what those in power in my government, church or clique of the moment tell me that I should think about them. They are each my Brother; they are each my Sister. Each one has hope, beliefs, fears; they have families. They have good days and bad days just as I do.

Some may seem to be threatening for they live in fear and the shadow of fear and the most common response to fear is to assume an attitude of possible retaliation or attack. When this happens and neither side dares to back down, each group demonizes the other, creating Them and Us scenarios that those in power can use to further manipulate us into doing their twisted will. I will not succumb to the lies and half-truths of the government, the churches and the press. I will believe and follow my own heart and Love these ‘others’.

It does not matter if they are richer than I or far poorer in material wealth. Those who have the appearance of wealth are not happier. In many cases they are trapped by their wealth in a non-caring existence and are often as unhappy as those without resources, though in different areas. Money has only one purpose, and that is to buy freedom. If one is already free inside, the lack of money is minimized as a problem in their life.

 

I will respect my own body

 because it is the vehicle for my soul on this Earth adventure and if I am going to be here for a long time I would prefer to have a vehicle in good working order. I will give it the correct amounts of the correct fuels, give it sufficient down-time for maintenance, and take it out for full throttle runs occasionally to make sure that everything works the way it is intended to. I will take it to the appropriate tune-up specialist whenever necessary, and will abide by their suggestions as long as they seem to be ‘correct’ to me.

 

I will be patient with those who seek to acquire ever more,

 knowing that they are living out and creating their Karma in each transaction and that Karma is never punishment but only balance, and it will not be denied.

 

I will attempt to share what I can with those who have less than I.

 In doing so, I will remember that I must first honor my own perceived needs and those of my family, so that I can stay healthy enough financially to keep giving to and supporting those who appear less fortunate in the world.

 

I will show compassion to those who are confused and hurt by life

 and offer support to the best of my ability to those who are willing to accept it, though not to those who would abuse the offer through greed.

 

I will not take anything personally,

 because I do understand that ALL THINGS are in Divine order; that ALL THINGS serve my soul in its journey into Divinity. I will remember that EVERYTHING happens FOR me – that NOTHING happens TO me.

 

I will not beat myself up

 over errors in judgment or action which I seem to have made, nor will I allow others to demean me, for I have self-respect, self-love and self-knowledge. Either that which they say is true, in which case it serves me, or it is false, in which case it carries no weight in the greater scheme of things.

 

I will Love my Brother, Love my Sister as myself

 for ALL beings are One, and in that One-ness is Divinity itself. Whenever I do something to harm another, I harm not only them, but myself and All that Is.

 

I will Love this planet, and support her health and repair.

 I will be considerate of how much and why I drive, pollute and use the Earth’s bounty. I will conserve whenever possible and recycle as much as I can, in order to give my children and theirs a planet which can support them – and itself.

 

I will be Loving and supportive of the animal kingdom;

 all who crawl, walk, hop, slither, swim or fly, for they too are my relations, my brothers and sisters. So long as they do not appear to threaten myself or my family, I will leave them in peace and assist them as I am allowed.

 

I will reach ever higher

 in and through the belief system of my choice toward the Divinity that I am, that we all are. I will attempt to manifest its highest teachings in my every word, my every thought, my every deed and my every prayer. I will BE Love to the extent of my ability in each moment.

 

I will make every effort to understand

 those whose beliefs differ from mine, because perception DOES create reality, and, through their different perceptions, they live in a reality which is not mine, though it is related. I will honor their path so long as it does not appear to threaten my right to follow mine. There are as many paths to the Divinity as there are souls, yet there is but one path, and every soul knows it.

 

I will not seek power over others,

 nor will I allow them to assert undue power over me and mine. When it appears that others have given me power over them, I will not misuse it nor will I perpetuate that situation; rather I will do everything in my power to assist them in reclaiming their own power.  Evil is simply the misuse of power (Ego), and I will not participate.

 

I will not succumb to greed,

 nor will I think of myself as undeserving. I will gratefully accept that which the Cosmos offers me, and when it offers abundance, I will share with others as an agent of All that Is.

 

I will not judge,

 but I will use discernment and try to place myself in another’s situation in order to understand their decisions and actions. When they appear to me to have made unfortunate decisions and actions, I will make every attempt for my main focus to be compassion, and my main action to assist.

 

I will be ever the Student – never the Victim.

 I will remember and live in each moment my sure knowledge that ALL EVENTS serve me by my soul’s request, that they offer me lessons which helps to move my soul further along the path of self-awareness and self-fulfillment.

 

I will avoid anger, for anger is the tool of the Victim.

 Victimization occurs when we or something we love or support seems to be threatened by diminishment. The quickest (and dirtiest) way to recover that supposed diminishment is to puff ourselves up with anger – to make ourselves appear larger than life – like a cat in a battle – in order to intimidate our perceived ‘enemy’ and make them back off. If it is effective it can become very addictive, because it can be seen as a ‘power’ of its own. This is a very destructive path to walk, and I will not step there.

 

I will always be open to new information and ideas.

 Simply because I am open to them does not mean that I have to accept them, but I WILL listen to them. To shut the mind shuts the doors to the growth of the soul, and that is spiritual death. I choose to LIVE!

 

And finally, I will BE LOVE

to the best of my ability in each moment of every day. I will BE LOVE in every word, in every thought, in every deed and in every prayer. I will live my dream of becoming the brightest spiritual light that I am capable of, of touching the lives of others with that Love and of making them aware that they, too are that light.

These things I resolve from this day forward.

 

                        Mani Pureheart

                        www.i4c4u.com

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