What happens when you do a 10 day TV Detox?

You have heard of people doing a detox when they are feeling sluggish? But have you heard of anyone doing a TV detox? That is just the kind of detox I undertook recently. Read on if you want to learn more about my 10 day TV detox and what it did for me.

I recently decided to cut out TV, youtube and unnecessary online surfing. I allowed myself everything else including reading books, blogging, listening to the radio etc. The reason I wanted to do a TV detox was because I was becoming a bit of a TV junkie. On my weekends I would plop myself on the couch and go on a TV binge starting at noon. On weekdays I would start TV right after dinner and continue until after midnight. The lack of sleep was contributing to dark circles the size of Antarctica. My wake up call was when a well meaning friend inquired if I was well since I was beginning to look “a bit haggard”. That was the last straw, I decided I needed an intervention.

I have previously resolved doing a TV detox but have never been successful beyond day one. This time however I was determined not to get distracted. I created a list of things to occupy my mind with during my free time. The list including fun activities such as baking cake, cooking, painting, writing a poem or rewiring an old one, getting a facial and even enjoying a bubble bath. Who needs TV to have fun? If my mind ever craved TV I would confidently pull out my list of fun activities and flash it around like a victory flag.

Day one, was the hardest. I frequently found my feet mindlessly carrying me over to the couch: my TV pit. I thought it was best to go out for a long walk and avoid the temptation completely. On the way back I stopped by at Ralph’s and picked up some fresh fruit and decided to have a sweet potato and fruit salad for dinner with a cup of mint tea.

Day two and three fell on the weekend which were super hard. Normally when I am done with home chores, I love to plunge on the couch and binge. I love catching up on HBO shows or pay per view movies. But now I almost did not know what to do. So I did an hour of yoga and then cooked up a storm. Lunch included sauteed fresh vegetables with home cooked basil sauce over a bed of black rice. Later I went out for a refreshing walk and came back to clean up the pantry, kitchen cabinets and my wardrobe. The next day I decided to do a load of laundry and ironing. It was only day three, and I was already feeling quite accomplished.

Day four, I decided to do a bit of meditation and deep breathing. Even though I could not focus my mind too long, I must say, it felt good. Note to self: “Must continue deep breathing and meditation at least once a week”.

Day five, I was already feeling so much better. My eyes felt more relaxed and my dark circles were doing a vanishing act. Since I was feeling so good about myself, I decided to OD on TLC. I decided to give myself a long relaxing facial. I started with deep cleaning, then facial massage and pore extraction and ended with a cooling face mask with an eye compress. The result may not have been life changing but I looked squeaky clean like a freshly plucked tomato.

Day six, I went back to writing. I dug out some semi finished poems and rewrote them. I even published a shiny new post.

By Day seven TV detox had already become a habit. I no longer craved the idiot box. There was so much to occupy my mind with. I went for a leisurely walk, took plenty of pictures came back to cook and enjoy a peaceful dinner and went to bed early. Day eight I read a book and called it a night.

Day nine and ten again fell on the weekend. This time things were so much easier. I re-potted some old house plants that were growing out of their space and painted earthen pots. I did Hatha yoga, deep breathing exercises and worked on my blog.

I cannot believe how easily I have grown out of my TV binging and how great I feel. Before I went on my detox I had created a list of things to occupy my mind with. But I never had to use the list. After day three I was on autopilot mode, I automatically knew what had to be done. I felt all along TV was never something I loved infact it was actually distracting me from the things I love to do.

I am feeling so good I am going to continue abstaining TV for a month and do a follow up post. Meanwhile if you too feel like joining me on my TV detox and would like to catapult your productivity then please join me. I welcome you to write a post about your TV detox experience, all I ask is you ping back to mine so we can spread the good word around. Happy TV detoxing!

Prose Poem: Lazy Sunday

I love this room with its queen-size bed, decked with blue-green cushions that call my name in colored tones of embroidered silk. This room with its tall windows, and the sun stealing in through gaps between wooden lattices, casting ribbons of bright yellow on my brown hardwood floor. It’s hard to tear out of its delicious embrace every morning at eight. And head out into a day full of meetings like the bumper to bumper jammed 405. How I long for the comforting parlance of this room while at work, buried under piles of deadlines. I count my week backwards to Sunday, when I too can burrow deep like squirrels, moles and gophers do. Today, I shall draw the blinds longer and burrow deeper. Today I enjoy a lazy Sunday!

architecture bed bedroom ceiling — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Lazy Sunday inspired by DailyPost Prompt

Review on Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis

Sometime early this year, I decided to start a completely new exercise routine that I had been hearing raving reviews for; Tracy Anderson Method.

It all started with an innocent if at all a bit vain google search that read like “Body Metamorphosis”. As you can expect Tracy Anderson’s Metamorphosis popped up in the top 3 search results.

Tracy Anderson’s method is broken down in 4 DVD’s (1 dance video and 3 Muscular structure workouts). You even get to choose the Method based on your body type: omnicentric, abcentric, hipcentric or glutecentric. I decided to choose Omnicentric because I honestly could not figure out which body type I am… *gulp* 😦

I started the routine like I start almost everything; full gusto…The DVD’s come with a small pamphlet of food plan with menu items that would fill your appetite if you were a bird …a sparrow to be precise! It also comes with a pamphlet to track your progress (which I actually loved).

Tracy wants you to do 30 minutes of her dance routine followed by 30 minutes of the Transform DVD. Each Transform DVD has 3 unique workouts and is supposed to be completed in 30 days after which you move on to the next DVD and so forth. Here is my honest unequivocal review of her method.

Pros:

1) Dance Cardio: I really enjoyed the dance DVD the first few weeks. The first time I tried it I absolutely loved it. I was jumping around like a little girl in my living room and all the movement got my blood pumping and my mood elevated. The choreography is fun although difficult to follow at first, but Tracy does mention that if you cannot follow along you can freestyle it. I always believe that any exercise is better than no exercise and had no issues with free styling a large part of her moves. In the end, I was sweating like a dog and felt really happy almost euphoric.

2) Any exercise is better than no exercise. This is also true for Tracy’s method. Tracy wants you to get a combination of cardio and body transforming muscle conditioning exercises on a daily basis (6 days a week) in order to make the change happen. In that, it is pretty effective. Both the 30-minute dance and 30-minute muscular workouts got me sweating and my muscles exhausted. Her workouts are constantly changing which causes sufficient muscle confusion so you do not plateau and continue seeing results.

3) Muscular Transformation exercises are really good. This is not your typical High-Intensity Jillian Michael workout. These moves are mostly stationary done either standing or on your hands and knees. The focus is on intensity, repetition and muscle confusion. In just 30 days of working out to her routines, I did notice a definite muscle conditioning and my arms and legs felt stronger and looked more toned.

Cons:

1) Dance Routine: Now for the cons. While I loved her dance routine the first 2-3 weeks, I started to tire off within a month of the same dance routine. The idea of using the same routine for an additional 2 months was really wearing on me. I even tried muting her audio and playing my own numbers, but I do enjoy variety. Also by the 3rd week my knees were really starting to buckle and hurt and I needed a break.

2) Muscle definition Transform 2 DVD. Tracy is the queen of creating hard to follow exercises and really does not provide sufficient instructions during the routines. What’s more each week her workouts got not only harder but I feel: quicker and jerkier. What I mean is that she does not give you enough time to move from one sequence to the next, and I almost always ended up jerking my neck and back. I really did not enjoy her Transform DVD 2 and for a couple more weeks went back to her Transform 1.

3) Diet Plan: I cannot speak enough on how dangerous, amateur and irresponsible her meal plan is. The fact that I tried to follow it for a couple weeks is something I am really not proud of. To start with I was not doing her workout to lose weight but to tone up. Her meal plan assumes that you are either a sparrow or you are working out to lose tons of weight. The truth is even if you are trying to lose weight, if you are exercising as much as she wants you to, it is essential to give your body wholesome nutrition so it can sustain the new and strenuous exercise routine. Her meal plan clearly lacks detailed research. I felt it was loosely put together without making sure that you get a good combination of proteins, minerals, carbs and fat required to sustain a healthy body. In just 2 weeks of following her meal plan I lost 4 pounds (which I did not need to) but I also lost tons of hair (which I definitely did not want to). I have since thrown away her diet plan and continued eating a balanced diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Overview: Even though I only lasted on Tracy’s method for a Month and a half in all honesty her workout cannot be completely dissed. Her muscle-conditioning routines are good and you do feel the burn in a very short time. I would have continued with Tracy Anderson’s workouts if the moves weren’t too fast, jerky and complicated for me to follow. I am taking a break from her workouts and am instead doing Piloxing by Viveca Jenson which I absolutely love and will soon do a review of. In all honesty if you are able to follow Tracy’s moves you will see results but be prepared to be really patient and expect little instructions during the program.

Motion

Gathering of birds

Weekly Challenge: Motion

Don’t be a pigeon

When a pigeon sees a cat it closes its eyes. The pigeon thinks that if it cannot see danger, then danger cannot see the pigeon. That’s a fallacy that causes the pigeon to lose its life. Don’t be a pigeon.

Daily Prompt: Be the change

The concept of change and evolution has always resonated with me. Life, in its most basic form is nothing but evolution. The ability to adapt with the changing environment and times is therefore key to growth and success. But the vision to rise above one’s humdrum life and envision change for the betterment of humanity truly identifies a liberated and enlightened mind. In my own personal experiences I feel that the journey is far more precious than the destination. To me the awareness to will a change and take conscious efforts to execute the change is more important than being able achieve it.

When Mahatma Gandhi first visualized a happy and a free India independent from the shackles of the British rule he became the agent of change. His vision and the depth of his resolutions ignited the Independence movement of India and united an otherwise divided country which had been left economically shattered by the oppressive rule.

Often the catalyst of change is nothing more than a fleeting will to change. This fleeting will when powered by vision and depth of emotion can become so insurmountable that it can put one of the biggest powers at its knees.

Take John Locke for instance; the English philosopher and physician who influenced the Revolutionary movements in so many countries including America. He had views that were so revolutionary in their times that all through his living years and until his dying will he denied authorship of his own papers. Today the concept of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is not just a phrase (a phrase influenced by John Locke’s theories) in the declaration of Independence but an important Tenet for American socio-economic and political life.

A single powerful thought alone can be the catalyst for change. When like-minded people meet and share their views, thoughts multiply like a nuclear reaction and revolutions are formed. Therefore it is important to fully appreciate the value of thoughts as well as the power of an individual. Never say, “What can I do alone”? Chances are you alone are more than enough to bring about the change most would not dare to dream of.

Life is…

empty when full
and full when empty.
Like the chaotic symphony
of the colorless cocoon
(no larger than a thimble)
unwinding into a mile long
silken yarn.

Waiting to be woven & inked
with jacquard pots of red & gold
into a scarf that bears artistic witness
to snowy wastelands of icicled mulberry trees.
Underneath which sits a fair maiden shy of her
own reflection in the bubbling brook, spinning delicate
sighs for her lover. And around her Chinese letters
rise up in air like prayer.

Later the same scarf tied around my neck
will get caught in the brooch of your breast
pocket and endure a tiny tear
as you pull away from
my embrace.

Leaving me to wonder how many miles
of unwinding, weaving and dyeing do I have to do,
before my life is fully empty of you?

Happiness for sale

Whoever said “Happiness is in between the ears” was right on. Happiness and misery are states of mind. Yet we continue to believe that material goods will bring us joy. TV, newspapers, radio abound with commercials that promise us lasting happiness if only we buy their specific goods. With the best intention parents will often promise a child his/her favorite toy if the child agrees to adhere to the rules laid out by a well meaning parent; “When the child adheres to these rules he /she gets rewarded with a toy. Since our infancy we are trained to believe that hard work and perseverance lead to achievement of material goods that ultimately bring fulfillment and happiness.The only thing wrong with this picture is that the promise of fulfillment is a facade and a temporary one at that. The toy only provides temporary joy and is soon discarded for new shinier one. As we grow older the toy takes on different forms, it may take the form of a better job(s), a house(s), car(s), wife, children the list goes on. The toy not only changes forms it even multiplies. Yet, the joy and fulfillment we seek is not to be found?

This is because we never looked for it in the right place, in fact we have only been trained to look for it in all the wrong places. Happiness cannot be found “outside.” This is an important concept to understand. “Outside” here represents people, places and things all of which give us temporary happiness. Happiness and misery are right here within us; inside our mind.

I am not suggesting that one must not Endeavour to improve one’s economic status by getting a better job, or seeking a happy married life. The problem is not with the material goods, the people or places that we seek, but the belief that their attainment alone will lead to happiness. All too often despite having it all we are still not happy. And when we are not happy we tend to blame the world for our unhappiness.

Let’s pause here, and discuss what happiness is, before we dwell further into this. Happiness means different things to different people. Some people equate happiness with visiting certain places, others will confuse it with an acutely euphoric state of mind rendered by drugs, alcohol, material goods, while yet others feel they are happiest in the company of their loved ones. I am not here to tell them they are right or wrong. In one way, they are all right in another they are all wrong. The quest for happiness or the lack thereof is a very personal journey and it is what makes the world go round. However one thing is certain, lasting happiness cannot be found “outside” in any one person, place or thing.

So then how can we guarantee lasting happiness? Unfortunately, the simple truth is: we cannot.

The workings of a human mind are far too complicated to fathom. An ordinary person cannot be happy or unhappy all the time. We feel love, joy, jealousy, disgust, desire, happiness and a sleuth of emotions all in the span of a single day. The goal is never to remove the negative emotions completely and permanently because that is just not humanly possible.

The goal is to lengthen the enjoyment of the positive emotions, without becoming a slave to them and without the crutch of abusive substances, things or ever the people we love. Emotions such as happiness and pain by nature are transitory and thankfully so.

The state of mind that is most desirable is not happiness; it is equanimity. Equanimity is the intelligence to neither get completely carried away in a moment of joy nor get shattered in misery or pain. Equanimity dwells on the concept of awareness. All too often we live in the past or in the future, never fully cherishing the moment we are in. Equanimity in a nutshell is the negation of its ego and the complete awareness of the present moment without forming a bias or getting attached to anything. Clearly it is a loaded concept to understand, however, it is one that promises lasting peace of mind.

To become an equanimous person, one must let go of one’s ego which is the root cause of pain and misery. Needless to say, we live in a very individualistic world and see every opportunity with the lens of “What’s in it for me?” But if the answer to that question were to be “lasting peace and a greater appreciation of every moment,” would we not find it worthwhile to inculcate?

The problem is that the concept of equanimity preaches to lose the very baggage we have so passionately carried with ourselves through our life; our ego. Imagine a child that started rolling a ball of snow through a snow covered mountain, and as he rolls it, the ball collects more snow and grows bigger in size. By the time he reaches the foot of the hill, his tiny ball of snow has become a gigantic boulder of snow, which will eventually roll him over. This ball of snow is our ego, and it is not easily let go off.

I would like to clarify at this point, that I certainly do not claim to be equanimous myself. I am easily moved by sorrow, pain and jump for joy at the slightest indication of happiness. As humans, we can only endeavor and persist to continuously improve ourselves. When we stumble and fall, what do we do? We instinctively get up and move on. Thus also during difficult and trying moments it is only too human to lose one’s mind, but the important thing is to persevere. Losing one’s ego and becoming equanimous is not something we will achieve overnight, but realization is always the first step to change.

Realize that happiness cannot be bought with money, and the very ego that we are so protective of is the very source of our unhappiness. Realize that constantly living in the past or in the future is another source of unhappiness as it causes us to lose the only thing we are guaranteed in life: the present.

Unfortunately, happiness is not for sale here. Lasting peace of mind and equanimity is, however, available in your own mind. Let us now begin our journey to seek for the right goal in the right place; “within.”

Cinderella: A snobbish rant on a favorite fairytale

Believe me, I am not against the idea of fairy tales. There is nothing better than a heart warming fairy tale read over bed time with a glass of warm milk and chocolate cookies. However, as times change so should the depiction of popular characters in fairy tales and Children’s stories. Children have a strongly receptive mind and childhood is the best time to bolster their mind with powerful thoughts.

I feel some of our fairy tales like “Cinderella” need to be updated to mirror the modern times. “Wishing” for things does not make dreams come true. While fairy tale stories are great to read and watch, life is about planning and hard work. Waiting for a “hero” figure does not help. Being a woman, I cannot help but be completely in awe of other women who manage to achieve so much every day! These women wear so many hats (that of a mother, wife, daughter and a career woman) and march on tirelessly… Woman today have come such a long way from the hapless Cinderella who indeed had no option than to wait for a Prince Charming to come and rescue her from her evil Step Mother and Step Sisters. Why wait for poor Prince charming to fight off the evil trio, he probably has his own daemons to fight. We have to take the reins of our life in our own hands, and march on. Here is a new glimpse to the Cinderella story. Hope you like it?

Cinderella

Who was Cendrillon?
A beautiful girl with two step-sisters and a step-mom?
The girl who lost her glass slipper only to have the prince slip it on,
And sweep her off her feet, amidst celebration and aplomb?

Was she a princess, or just a girl next door?
Was she a soul perfect and pure?
Known as Cinderella, Cenerentola, Aschenputtel, another name that girls adore,
Or just a childish fable that somehow times did endure?

People need a reason to believe,
Cinderella; not a person but a belief so deep,
That good will win over evil; a hope so primeval,
That Life should have a meaning; as you sow, so shall you reap.

Elders have a way to instill; morals that they shall themselves not follow,
A way to nurture young to do good, not by choice but fear,
Stories of hardship and ensuing grandeur; promises empty & hollow,
Cinderella; more than a bedside story, she is the carrot that a mare endear

If I had a daughter, I would teach her to fight,
Stand up for herself, and for those who won’t,
Waiting for a fairy godmother, or a prince to rescue, is a sad plight,
The days of Cinderella are old school, I shall teach mine to test their own might!

Inspired by Daily Post

Love Thy Neighbor

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:27

Sometimes you don’t realize how much time has passed, until you turn back and look at the serpentine tunnel of time behind you. I cannot believe twenty long years have passed since I met her last. It might well have been yesterday.

She was well into her seventies when I first met her. I remember her vividly, since I never met a more sophisticated or classier woman. Something about her memory reminds me of a beautiful Hindu temple, with large brass bells ringing outside, as they often do in temples.

I had just finished my Board exams and was off for the summer. We had recently moved into a new neighborhood. “Nani-Maa” (grandma in Hindi) as we would grow to call her was our next door neighbor. When I first met her, she was wearing a beautiful white sari (a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body) with a dark temple border neatly draped and pinned around her petite figure. Her hair pulled back into a high bun so tightly that not a tendril of hair would ever fall out of place. Her skin was thin and translucent and her face reflected the wisdom that comes only with age.

She talked very softly, so you had to listen intently, and I instinctively wondered what stories this lovely creature had to share of her life. As it would turn out she had many.

Nani-Maa was the oldest in a family of four children and came from a wealthy family of Nawabs. The year was 1947 and Nani-Maa was a young woman of 27 already a mother of three kids, when India was caught in a wave of celebration and turmoil. While the country celebrated its Independence on one side, riots were breaking out along the western and eastern borders causing massive population exchanges and sectarian clashes that the young administration of the countries could not support. Nani-Maa and her family, like millions of others in the day, found themselves caught in this political tornado. The riots that broke out had forced them to leave their palatial quarters in Lahore (Pakistan) and leave for India overnight. Much of what their fathers and forefathers had built was lost overnight. And yet she had many heart wrenching tales to share about the victory of love and humanity in the midst of these darkest of hours.

Nani-maa and her husband were young doctors and soon their practice flourished in India. They became well known and came to lead a comfortable if not a princely life raising their beautiful kids the best way that parents can; with love and fortitude.

Disaster struck again, when Nani-Ma’s husband died leaving her a single mother with three children to raise. The kids were now well into their teens. She practiced medicine for another 20 years before she renounced Allopathy completely in favor of Homeopathy.

She believed that while modern medicine had the same prescription for all people based on their ailment, homeopathy offered a much more tailored approach; suited to the patient not only by the ailment but by the patient’s age, gender, weight and other biological factors.

I still remember how many people visited her at all hours of the day to get Homeopathic treatment. She would sit and talk patiently with all, offering free consultation and drugs. I would often warn her against offering people free medicine as the huge influx of patients was causing a toll on her own fragile health.

2 Years later, I left for my studies to the US. I would call my parents on a regular basis and frequently enquire about “Nani – Maa”. One day I got a call early in the morning. Nani-Maa had passed away peacefully in her sleep. She had left behind a wealth of family consisting of her children and many of theirs.

It is very unfortunate that I never could meet Nani-Maa again. I console myself with the belief that being sad for the passing of awakened souls diminishes their greatness. I remember her till this day as a classic beauty who served more that her fair share as a mother, wife, doctor, philanthropist and a great neighbor that I only wish I could ever measure up to.

Inspired by Daily Prompt: Good Fences

Group Think

“Don’t you feel like you live in a fish bowl sometimes”? said Sabeena skimming over the news on her laptop. The phone was on speaker mode.

“What do you mean?” responded Andy with the phone stuck between his shoulder and ear, while cooking gits over the stove.

“Thanks to social analytics and what have you, your whole personal data can be pulled from all over the web and used to scrape out detailed information about you. Companies and the Government can & do use this information all the time” explained Sabeena.

“Well sure maybe they have some basic information about us, but nothing of consequence” said Andy munching his cereal.

“Nothing of consequence? They know what you eat, what you drink, what you like to wear, movies you watch, what you read, your age, gender, the color of your hair! They have enough information to map out a complete personality Andy, without once needing to see you. They can even record your personal conversations over the phone or any emails over the web. Like this one for instance. They can track you anywhere using your phone”

“C’mon Sabeena, aren’t you being a bit paranoid? What can companies do with it, except maybe send you more promotional emails for the handbags you are obsessed with?” argued Andy. “And certainly the Government will never misuse such information. It is really meant to protect us.”

“I agree. It is meant to protect us. Protect us today. And sure, this regime or the one after will not misuse it” agreed Sabeena. “But who is to say what will happen decades from now? This technology will only grow. They could start mining your thought patters. Who is to say a more autocratic regime could not come to power and completely misuse it? Or what if it gets into the hands of the very people it is meant to save us from; terrorists”.

“So fine, information is power, and power may be misused. But what of it? We have the right to overthrow an autocratic regime or thwart any terrorist group” said Andy stirring the pot.

“Aah right. Yes you have the right but will you be able to execute it? Before you can even get to move the masses to organize a social uprising, they would know who you are and what you are upto. You would stand no chance. There are so many means at the hands of a corrupt regime to quieten a person or even a group of people. Think only of what happened in Nazi Germany Andy” she sighed.

Outside a truck screeched a sharp halt. Someone honked and yelled. Andy pulled the glass window shut.

“Fine you win. But why worry over something you can’t do anything about? Anyhoo…do you know of any good movies playing?” asked Andy changing gears.

“No I don’t” answered Sabeena. “Google it”.

Inspired by Daily post: Groupthink

Daily Prompt: Captive’s Choice

You’ve been kidnapped and given a choice: would you rather be stranded on an island, dropped into an unknown forest, or locked in a strange building?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us CHOICE.

————-

Daily Prompt: Captive’s Choice

Life is all about the choices we make. Choices are like forks in the path of life, they always bring a sense of anxiety before, “should I choose this or that?” and a sense of doubt after, “what if I made the wrong choice?” Some choices are difficult while others are easy and then there are the choices that we never chose; they chose us.

Unfortunately, making choices has never been easy for me. To me, the idea of being “stranded” anywhere smacks of being “stuck” and it’s never nice to be “stuck”. The first thought that comes to mind is, “escape”. So the real question for me is not where I would rather be stranded but which of the three options would offer me the greatest opportunity to escape? An island, a forest or a strange building?

I must say while the idea of languishing on an island sounds more agreeable, I know I would find myself on wits end on finding an escape. I am neither a good swimmer nor daring enough to try tying myself to a dolphin’s back in order to escape. What’s worse I am a vegetarian, what would I eat?

So a forest? With an ample supply of flora one should think that may not be a bad option for a vegetarian like myself. But what about the animal life? Are there snakes, lions, bears in that forest that could turn me into a “happy meal”? I do not see myself as the bow and arrow kind of gal who should be able to survive by hunting predators. So that’s out.

That leaves me with the last option. The idea of being locked up in a strange building. Shudder. I am thinking “I am a Legend” with Will Smith. Shudder again. However, it may just offer me the greatest chance for an escape. Consider the worst possibility; the building had been abandoned years ago. However that only means it was inhabited at one time? There must be abandoned things inside I may potentially use for survival. One thing is for certain, it has to be on the human radar. Possibly even close to human civilization?

I would first try to break out of the cell my abductors abandoned me in. Then look for a telegraph machine or a radio that I could use to send out a Morse code. Any four walls would do fine to save me from the forces of nature. A rope to escape with, forsaken derelicts to burn a fire and some old tins of food. No not my idea of a perfect vacation, but enough to keep me in the business of survival!

I will say, dreary as the option to be marooned in a strange building sounds, there are worse places to be stuck in…the human mind for instance… Now there is a thought? I am thinking a sci-fi suspense? What says?

Daily Prompt: The Luckiest People

Who was the first person you encountered today? Write about him or her.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us PEOPLE.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/18/daily-prompt-people/

I woke up to a pair of beautiful brown saucer eyes pouring at me. Ziggy was clutching my blanket between his teeth and pulling it off excitedly.

“No, Ziggy, it’s too early to wake up. It’s Saturday” I said sleepily.

“Woof, Woof” replied Ziggy tilting his head sideways, tail wagging merrily. “Woof, Woof” he barked again.

“Jeez” I sighed. My alarm clock I can set to snooze but Ziggy is relentless. “You win” I sighed again, as I peeled myself off my bed. “Seriously, how can anybody be so cute and annoying at the same time”? I wondered.

I love my Saturday mornings. They start with me enjoying a nice cup of tea while leafing through a magazine, followed by a long walk with Ziggy and finally a gourmet breakfast of whole wheat pancakes and eggs; sunny side up! Well the indulgence varies…but you get the point, don’t you?

I love going for walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings, people look so happy and relaxed, the weight of the week lifting away. My neighbor is walking his dog with his three musketeers; a Terrier, a Bichon and a Bolognese. We have never shared names, but he we always manage to get a nice word about the weather, the dogs or something trivial.

This weekend I have guests over for lunch and I make my famous veggie enchiladas (promise to share my recipe soon) and whole wheat muffins (with banana and honey, no sugar I Promise!).

So coming back to the crucial question. Who is the luckiest of them? My dog, neighbors, friends?

I must admit I think I am the luckiest of them all. Lucky to be alive and to have woken up to another beautiful day. Lucky to have dreams and the strength to fulfill them, lucky to have friends and family and the sense to cherish them.

I am lucky enough not to take this day or any other for granted. Hmmm… I could drink another cup of tea to that. Cheers to all equally lucky!