Here's Where I Am.

Back from 5 days visiting my family in Indiana, feeling fat and weepy. Lots of snow there, very cold and beautiful. 70-some degrees here and sunny this morning.

I have never made new year's resolutions, but I have a to-do list:

#1, get my teeth fixed. (My two youngest nephews, who spent a lot of time on my lap, told me I had stinky breath, which didn't surprise me because a couple of my molars have been hurting for months now, and tooth decay can't smell pretty; but still, ouch. Thank god for little kids who will tell you the truth.) Last year around this time, I went to the dentist down the street; he burned through the $500 I had put aside for my teeth, fixing things that didn't need fixing and nothing that did. Since then, I found out about a low-income dental clinic in Austin with a sliding scale, so I'll check that out. It breaks my heart that my teeth are in such bad shape. I used to take such good care of them.

#2, hook up my new phone. I should do this today! I gave up my cell phone -- I seldom used it away from home and it had been months since I even came close to using my minutes. In general, I avoid the phone. I don't feel comfortable on the phone unless I'm talking to someone I know well (or, more to the point, someone who knows me well). I don't think I communicate effectively on the phone. I'd much rather email. So, I switched to Vonage for $25/month which is half of what I was paying for my cell phone.

#3, meditate. A more traditional resolution. I stopped meditating when school started. I've been a meditator for several years, and there have been periods when I've been less disciplined than others, but I've never taken such a long time off. Now that I'm accustomed to the rhythm of student life, it's time to get back to it. (Though I gave up my daily sitting practice, I continued my lo jong slogan training, which is sort of the heart of my practice.)