present

Recently reminded of the value of being fully present in each minute even as we scatter here and there, I list all the things that made me feel today in the order they happened. Specifically, things that made me very happy, for balance and because that's what I have.

1. Got an email from G. about art/photography in response to inquiring how he liked the Nicholas Nixon exhibit yesterday.
2. Watched the video of the Goodies/Rizzilicious danceoff from Second Year Show. I messed up timing several times but it was nice to see from the other side, and feel again pride and affection for our class.
3. Despite already knowing how perceptive he is, was impressed anew by a good friend's ability to pick up on how I am.
4. BB sent an email to organize a potluck, complete with a link to a website where we can post the days we are free and list what we're bringing.
5. Ali turned bright red while arm wrestling Nupur and we laughed so hard everyone in the cafeteria turned to look and laugh.
6. Found out that my youngest brother Binh is in the final ten of what was originally 696 players in a World Poker Tour Tournament. At one point he was #1. I'm so so proud! Of his dimple (prominent in the video clips I watched) and smarts. I feel privileged to have been his poker guinea pig as a kid.
7. Laughing too much at the library with the family.
8. Dinner with Ali: he was made incredibly happy by Ben & Jerry's raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream; he asked me questions like what kind of person I'd like to marry and what was my favorite thing in the whole world (when I explained, he burst into a smile and said That's beautiful! I never would've thought of that in a million years); he rode his bike slowly next to me as I walked (when I said, just go home it's cold, he said, I got my clothes on). This item should really just be: Ali...an extremely strange, extremely kind person.
7. My mom's wonderful voice advising me to go to sleep, when it was 10 PM.
8. Finally having time to do questions on our endocrine module, and feeling like I'm learning even if not retaining.
9. Taking out the trash.
10. My two brothers in CA wanting to go to LA tomorrow to see Binh play poker.
11. The Magnetic Fields - "The Way You Say Good-Night."

Good night.