Obsessions Meme

Interstellar Lass tagged me for a meme. Lass told me it would be short, but she had no idea how many obsessions I currently have. Here, in no particular order, are my current obsessions, both positive and negative:

1) The perfection and exquisite sweetness of my nephew's face. I'm totally enraptured. I take at least 50 pictures a day. What will I do when I can't hold his little body and feel the rise and fall of his little chest against mine? And what of his smell? Bean can send me pictures, but she can't send me his baby smell.

2) Mini Eggs - Bean's kitchen is stocked with all manner of candies, cookies, and ice cream, and I, apparently, have absolutely no self-discipline whatsoever. Not a speck of control. When I get back to New York I'm going to meditate on this issue, but for now, pass me another Mini Egg.

3) My Smile and the Way My Face Looks In Pictures - There's something wrong with it, but I can't quite figure out what it is. In pictures I swear I look partially demonic if I smile too much, and despite years of retainers and braces, my teeth, or is it my jaw, are oddly crooked. If I tilt my head either too high or too low, all is lost.

4) Lululemon - I discovered this store in Victoria, Canada and was thrilled when they opened up a branch in New York. It's everything yoga, has awesomely cute work-out clothes, and a great vibe. On Sunday nights they have free yoga classes out of their Lincoln Center Store. Love them!

5) My Eyebrows - I think I over-plucked them and now they're growing in funny. I've even contemplated buying an eyebrow pencil. Ee-gads!

6) Maximizing My Two Months of Freedom - I'm totally obsessed with maximizing my two months off of work. I've stopped worrying about money and have been spending like my brother Frey - on anything that I want, and anything that I need to enable me to fully enjoy this time of blissful unemployment. If it costs a few hundred dollars extra to get to where I want to be faster, than so be it. As my mother always says, "You can't take it with you."

7) Scheduling My India Trip - I leave in about a week and have yet to purchase a ticket because I haven't decided where I should fly back from yet. I'm flying in to Kolkata, but I can't decide whether to fly out of Delhi or Bombay.

8) Packing Light for My India Trip - My goal for this trip, though it sounds insane and totally out of character, is to pack only three changes of clothes for my one-month long trip. It's a little tricky because I'm going up into the mountains as well as the beach, so I've got to pack something warm and at least one set of long pants. If anyone has tips for packing light, or cute, all-purpose travel outfits, send 'em my way. I got a sweet pair of yoga/travel pants from Be Present.

9) Being Present and Mindful in the Moment - I'm obsessed with this concept, but I have yet to implement it successfully. It's hard to sit still in the moment, to have your mind clear of distractions. Especially when the house you're staying in is stocked with mini eggs and filled with your family members. I'm planning to take a Buddhist philosophy/meditation course in Dharamsala, India in May.

10) Creating the Life That I Want For Myself - Let's be frank, the last two years of my life pretty much sucked. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating a fact. To all law students: Don't go to a big law firm in New York, unless it's based elsewhere such as California or the Midwest. It's simply not worth it. Not that there weren't great things among the toxicity, and not that I didn't make the most of every experience. However, I'm done with living my life for something other than me (and by "me" I don't mean anything selfish, I simply mean living my life according to what I believe in and what's important to me). I'm slightly petrified that once I start working again, at my new law firm, I'm going to be sucked back into a toxic way of life. However, this time I'm going to fight it.

11) DVR and All of My Shows - I know this is going to sound crazy, but I actually miss just chilling on my couch watching my shows. I'm at least three weeks behind and have no idea what's been going on on ANTM, Heroes, or Grey's Anatomy. Last night I watched the season premiers of Sopranos and Entourage, which were awesome, and tonight I saw American Idol. I can't believe Sanjaya is still on the show!!! What's the matter with America? Anyway, I'm looking forward to a few solid days of doing nothing but vegging on the couch, with occasional breaks for yoga.

12) Yoga and Pilates - I had such an amazing experience at Bikini Boot Camp, and one of the things I loved the most was being able to do all the yoga and pilates I wanted each day. My mind and body always feel fantastic when I do either, and I'm obsessed with making both a part of my new life once I settle back down in New York after I come back from India.

13) Pruning - I've been pruning a great deal in the last few months, and I want to continue that. When I get back to New York I have plans to throw out all of my old videos, to finally toss all the clothes I never wear anymore, and to basically let a bunch of material weight float down the river. I want to get rid of the unnecessary stuff. I want to streamline.

14) The Notion of the Universe Conspiring Behind Me - Ever since I read the Alchemist I've been thinking about my life path, and the need to pursue my dreams. It goes along with what I said about about creating the life that I want for myself. While walking down the beach in silence in Mexico, I had a moment where I truly felt at one with myself and the universe. I think I might be obsessed with striving to achieve that sense on a more consistent basis.

15) Letting Things Go - Similar to the pruning concept, but a totally mental/emotional endeavor. It's connected to forgiveness, and that's sometimes hard especially when you're not sure what exactly you should forgive someone for, even though you know that they hurt you. Basically, I've just been trying to send all negative thoughts and emotions down the river.

16) Renaming B&B - Bean's busy with being a new mom, so we've decided to make the blog be all things Buttercup both in practice and in name. Don't worry, you'll still hear about Bean from me, and she may grace us with some guest appearances if my nephew doesn't keep her to busy. So now I need to drop the "Bean" of B&B, and come up with a new name focusing on Moi. It's tricky! Ideas?

I'm sure I have other obsessions, but that's all I can come up with at the moment.