Day 130: Romper Room

When I was a kindergartner, there was a TV show called Romper Room. The teacher would hold up a magic mirror and call out random names of kids who were watching the show. Now, I know that Amy and Patty, Michael and Christopher, Marie, Simon, Arvin, Aya, Maxime, Noreen, Pat, Joan, Paula, Lucy, Jacques, Pascale, Eva and many more are out there, anxious to get a head start on the new year.

In Japan, the first dream of the year is supposed to have special meaning. Hatsuyume is typically the dream you had last night - the dream between January 1st and 2nd. I recall mine to the kids at breakfast. There are two types of friends in my dream- one type that looks like a friend but really isn't, and another that may not even seem friendly, but actually really cares about you. As I describe the first type, Camille says, "I know, that's the type that uses you." In my hatsuyume, this type was certainly using me. In fact, I was washing a lot of dirty dishes for the first type. Obtuse though I am, I remember thinking in my dream that it didn't seem right.

In any event, I have missed yoga, so I decide to go to the pool. Maxime says he'll join me, as he enjoyed it yesterday. "It's like a bath for the emotion", says he, as I explain that this is what meditation is supposed to be. So, after breakfast, Maxime, Charlie and I meditate for 13 (shorter) minutes (than yesterday) and go to the pool, where we share the pool, and then the hot tub, with an elderly couple who are flirting with each other. Awkward as it seems to us, it's nice to see that hope springs eternal.

Lunch is meat loaf with garlic, onion, egg plants, carrots and mushroom. We then drive up Mount Tamalpais to the East Peak (2,571 ft high) and hike up to a fire station outlook to view San Francisco, Marin and the East Bay. Charlie is happy to be home, and promptly sprawls on the floor. My inclination is to do this too, but instead, I make a mushroom soup to be followed by 5 cheeses (thanks to Costco that now even carries mimolette) for dinner.

At the back of my mind, I am thinking of what needs to be done to make my business work. Just like Amy and Patty, Michael and Christopher, Marie, Simon, Arvin, Aya, Maxime, Noreen, Pat, Joan, Paula, Lucy, Jacques, Pascale, Eva and many more out there.