Author Archive
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes
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I don’t know about you but I am tired of all the negative political rhetoric. The frenzy of headlines, Facebook updates & tweets about all the awful things and ideas the current candidates and administration are doing and saying.
There must be some politicians out there doing good things. People who really want to make a difference.
The saying “energy flows where attention goes” comes to mind when I think of election years.
I would like to challenge whoever is reading this to help me create a more positive election year.
Here is the challenge: Every time you see or read a negative political statement, find or create a positive one to counteract it. Share something good our politicians or doing or saying.
If you feel you absolutely MUST post about that awful thing that horrible politician or political party is dong, then please try to include an idea for a solution to the problem you are pointing out. I know I too am guilty of spewing political negativity, there is so much of it, it is easy. I’ve learned through the years that pointing out the “bad” things those “politicians” are doing has not had much impact in changing the way their supporters feel, nor has it really done anything to improve the world. What it has done is created a barrier to the people close to me. It’s created more disconnect than connection.
I understand some politicians do heinous things and we need to know about it so we don’t elect them in to office but that is not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the blah, blah, blah. To me blah, blah, blah is the know-it-all types of people (both liberal and conservative) who have a very good memory of statistics and like to show off how good they are at remembering numbers. The person who goes on and on for 15 minutes preaching to the choir. Their little rant hasn’t really done anything to improve the world, all it has done is shown me 1. they have a really good memory, 2. they probably got an A in history class, 3. I have just spent 15 minutes of my life that I will never get back bored to death by my know-it-all friend and this 15 minutes has done nothing to improve the state of our world. (I used to be that person, although I did not get an A in history class and I’m not very good at remembering statistics, I was good at blah, blah, blah.)
During election time I barely want to log in to Facebook, reading post after post of what this or that horrible politician said or did today is not how I want to spend my free time.
How about we share the good news? Find a politician you can respect and share with the world what they are doing. Put our energy in to the good and see if we can make it grow. Bring awareness to politicians a.k.a. people who are working hard to make this place a better place.
Here are some places to start looking for good news:
Maybe we can use the hashtag: #PositivePolitics
*Peace Flag photo by flickr user Beverly & Pack (Thank you)
My Mountain
Posted by: | CommentsI feel like I have climbed a mountain over the last year and arrived in a place of gratitude. I am thankful for so many things. Right now, I am especially thankful for my friend Maria who is the author of the Mt. Tam 365 blog. Each day she takes a picture of Mt. Tam, posts it to her blog and writes something beautiful. She then posts a link on Twitter with the hashtag #MtTam365. Because of her blog, I started taking photos of the TransAmerica Pyramid Building. What started out as a joke to me has turned in to something else.
I work in a building located next to the TransAmerica Pyramid so I get to look at the Pyramid everyday. It wasn’t until I started photographing it, that I started admiring it. I’ve discovered the unique architecture and landscape. Did you know all the bushes around the building are cut in the shape of a pyramid? And did you know there is a peaceful park located behind the building with a beautiful water fountain, trees and a fun statue, open to the public?
As far as I know, the inside of the building is not open for public access beyond the lobby. I hope to someday meet someone who can take me to the top. (hint hint to my Twitter friend @TransAmericabdg)
Here are some of the photos I’ve taken of this unique and beautiful building in the middle of San Francisco, that I like to call #MyMtn on Twitter.
One of the TransAmerica shaped bushes.
When I stepped off the bus this morning,
I noticed the TransAmerica building reflected in this building,
located on the corner of Sacramento & Battery Streets.
Taken from Jackson Street. I love this one.
Quiet Time
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I am in serious need of some quiet time. Despite my big plans to slow down in 2012, I feel like I have sped up. I need to follow Laura Fenemore’s advice and listen to what my body is saying. I’m sitting here at home, on this holiday weekend, with a sore throat. I am exhausted. I decided I am going to hibernate this weekend and recover. I’m also going to take some time to reflect on what is really important to me. I’m starting with clearing out the clutter in my life: emails, piles of paper and my closet.
I just deleted 735 emails from my in box. Some junk, some newsletters, some blog requests, others;
letters from kid’s schools and sports teams, personal friends and family, strangers who want something, friends wanting to hang out, responses to emails I sent, endless. So many not read.
Decided I needed a fresh start. Have been trying to get on top of my email account for months and it has been a slippery slope. Every time I opened my email I felt bad for not responding to each person, especially my friends and family. Problem is, each time I respond I get another email back almost instantly. Tried to keep up but couldn’t. Realized today, I was never going to catch up.
Feels good to start fresh. I wish people would be more conscious about the number of emails they send. I know I’ve been guilty of shooting off too many because I’m too lazy to pick up the phone. Sometimes a quick phone call could save 10 email exchanges.
What do you do when your email in box reaches the point of overwhelm?
I plan to spend more time enjoying the sunsets. Thankful to my friend Marilyn who has been getting Poncho and I out on more sunset walks.
This photo was taken along the path that starts at Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Posted by: | CommentsI found love in the strangest places this year.
While hiking.
Hanging with the dogs.
Preparing food.
Walking down the street.
Playing in the snow on Mt. Tam.
From Felix the Cook!
Photo tweeted to me from Bistro Burger
Even found love in a hamburger from Bistro Burger!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
For even more love… Like us on Facebook!
PS. If you’re feeling lonely or sad today, give a gift to someone who is not expecting it.
#ValentinesDayTip #SinglesAwarenessDay
Fun things to do in Marin Today
Posted by: | CommentsHappy Saturday!
It’s another beautiful winter/summer day here in Marin County and it is almost Valentine’s Day!
Have you thought about what you are going to give your honey, your child, your best friend or your mom for Valentine’s Day yet? Want to give them something new and different? I have an idea for you!
Go to San Anselmo today!
Tamara Holland is having an Art Sale TODAY.
Where: 2 Florence Ave. in San Anselmo, CA.
When: Today, February 4, 2012 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
More Weird Winter Weather
Posted by: | CommentsThis has been the strangest winter I have ever spent in the Bay Area. The weather has been nicer than a normal Bay Area summer.
Here are some photos from the past week.
Took a walk during my lunch break today and happened upon this friendly seagull near the Bay Bridge.
View from the Golden Gate Bridge taken from my bus ride in to the city this morning.
View of Richardson Bay from the Tiburon Bike path. Amazing colors last night.
Wonderful winter walk with Marilyn LoRusso last night.
Calling All Marin Restaurants
Posted by: | CommentsDear Marin County Restaurants:
I am trying to decide where to plan the next TweetUp. Please help me make this decision. This is a GREAT opportunity for a local Marin restaurant to get new customers and lots of exposure. Please pass this information on to all your restaurant friends.
What does a TweetUp mean for my business?
It means I will be talking about YOUR business online to my thousands of friends, fans and followers and many of them will also start talking about YOUR business to their friends, fans and followers. (Lots of local exposure for your business.) It also means 20 – 50 (or maybe more, you never know) people will show up at your business ready to spend money. $$$ They will buy drinks, food and they will talk about YOUR restaurant to all their friends, family and followers.
A little Twitter birdy told me the media (ie. The Marin Magazine!) shhh don’t tell anyone 
will be attending the next TweetUp. They will be taking pictures and introducing our community to the world, which means YOUR restaurant will likely be introduced to the world via the prestigious Marin Magazine.
When the Marin Twitter Community comes to your business it is not a one time thing. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. When we decide we love a business we support that business, we go there often, we introduce our friends to it and we talk about it on Twitter, FourSquare, Facebook, Google+, Path, Yelp, YouTube, our blogs and anywhere else people will listen to us. (We like to talk.)
If you are interested in being THE restaurant to host this next fabulous TweetUp please contact me and convince me as to why we should do it at your restaurant. Maybe you want to offer us a free appetizer or a drink. Maybe you want to purchase a month or 2 of advertising on my blog —-> see the ads over there (I offer very reasonable rates), maybe you want to give us gift cards to thank us for all the promotions, perhaps you want to donate a percentage of the profits to a worthy cause, be creative. Give us an incentive or at least a thank you for shouting about your business to the world and for bringing paying customers and the media in to your business.
If you are interested in being the next restaurant TweetUp destination, please contact me and give me a reason to coordinate this.
If we have already had a TweetUp at your restaurant, we are open to coming back – just give us a reason.
I look forward to hearing from you! Please fill out the form below, send me a tweet or email me at sally @ sallyaroundthebay.com
Thanks!
PS. Join The Marin TweetUp Community to hear about upcoming TweetUps.
Thank you for passing this information on to the local restaurants in Marin.
For more information on TweetUps see past blog post: What is a TweetUp?
Weird Winter Weather
Posted by: | CommentsThis has been the strangest winter I have ever experienced in the Bay Area. It’s been sunny and beautiful. No rain. I know this weather is probably not a good thing but worrying and whining about the fact that we haven’t had any rain is not going to change the fact that we haven’t had any rain. I have to say I have been enjoying the beautiful weather and views. I think I remember last year we got some record rain fall and Tahoe got some record amounts of snow. Maybe it is just the earths way of balancing things out.
Thanks to this odd weather I have been able to get some beautiful photos.
Taken from the bus right after crossing the bridge in to the city.
Taken from behind the Ferry Building.
Taken from the bus while crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge in to San Francisco.
Hope you are enjoying this weird winter weather!
It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over
because there’s nothing you can do about them,
and why worry about things you do control?
The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.
Wayne Dyer (via BrainyQuote)
To see regular morning sunrise photos, taken from the bus, on the Golden Gate Bridge, be sure to like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SallyAroundTheBay
Doggone Good Advice
Posted by: | CommentsMaybe I can’t teach an old dog new tricks but it seems an old dog can teach me some things, about life. I think I am going to take advice from my aging dog and slow down a bit this year. Poncho was a crazy puppy. He had a LOT of energy. Kind-hearted people always told us just wait until he is 2 and he will calm down. Well, he turned 2 and he did not calm down one bit. In fact he made it all the way to 10 without calming down much.
Now he is 11 making his way toward 12 and he is finally calm (most of the time).
Poncho used to go, go, go! Now he spends most of his time sleeping. He still likes to play, but not for too long. He still likes to go on walks, but tires sooner. He still enjoys seeing his doggie BFFs but hardly plays with them like he used to. His younger dog friends try taunting him but he usually chooses to lay down over playing tug-o-war, chase or wrestling.
He is losing his eyesight. His muscles are degenerating and I am watching the process of aging do its thing in the rapid way it does in dogs.
I get sad sometimes seeing him slow down knowing he may not be with us for much longer. But he is not sad. He is just living life, taking it as it comes and enjoying it as much as possible.
I wish I could be more like Poncho. I spent the last year in the go, go, go mode and to be honest it was not a very satisfying year.
Instead of go, go, go I am going to try to slow, slow, slow. Life is flying by fast enough. I see proof of this when I look in the mirror and see the wrinkles on my face. What is the hurry?
I am going to slow down, spend more quality time with my dog in the sunset of his life and maybe learn a little bit from him on how to worry less and appreciate more.
I am not sure how I am going to do this but slowing down is my intention for 2012.
Simplify My Life: Out with the poop in with the new
Posted by: | Comments2012 is the year I am going to simplify my life!
2011 was anything but simple. 2011 was probably the hardest year I have had since coming out of the closet.
Let’s just say 2011 was a bit of a poopy year.
***WARNING*** TMI coming up.
With extended “family” drama taken to a whole new level, a sewage flood that took out a large section of my house (there was literally human poop floating around my house), to the undiagnosed-but-most-likely-Ecoli-poisoning I had that made me poop blood, 2011 was a poopy year.
Me sitting outside of Kaiser hospital with the poop test hat. Laughing to avoid crying.
My home after the poop flood.
All this poop turned out to be very cleansing. The shit of the family literally came to the surface and we are slowly cleaning it up. The great poop flood of my home was a symbol of my life. My home is now beautifully remodeled. The food poisoning gave me a serious cleanse and took with it those extra 10 pounds I had been carrying around.
Now that the poop has been washed away I am ready for a clean, simple 2012.
To start with I am going to intentionally plan simplicity in to my life and focus on the things I love: my family, friends, my dog, hiking, cooking, reading, blogging, tweeting, etc.
I’m going to…
- downsize my social life. Taking an idea from Lissa Rankin, I’m making a list of special people in my life that I want to spend more time with. I am going to say no to events and invitations that I feel obligated to attend and only say yes to spending quality time with the special people in my life.
- eat out less and cook more healthy meals at home.
- spend more time reading books, less time on the internet.
- more time hiking with my dog.
- more time blogging.
- more time serving others. (going to start volunteering)
What are your plans for 2012?
