I got up with the dogs this morning out of gratitude to Jennifer for doing so yesterday morning. Today was her turn to sleep in. I attended to feeding them before looking out the window in anticipation of seeing Tommy's new Tesla. It's beautiful. It's total "him" regarding the style and color. Far more so, in my opinion, than the model Y in white (or any color) would have been. He got up a short while later, and we drove to the Great Bear for coffee. That car is so smooth and so comfortable to ride in. Of all the cars he has ever had, this is the first I feel like I do about Lauren and her Mini Cooper. It's perfect for him. After coffee, we returned and took Jennifer for a ride. He wanted to charge it, so we parked behind the strip mall on S. Santa Cruz, where there is an Aldo's Cafe, Starbucks and other spots. Aldo's was closed, so we walked across the street and got breakfast at Sweet Pea Cafe. Later at home, I packed up and headed up the hill to start my week-long stay practicing meditation again at Jikoji. My last visit was so influential, as have my subsequent trips for morning Zazen been, that I wanted to try a focused 2x/day effort over five days. That initial stay was really about pushing my boundaries and testing the waters. This visit reinforces my focus while leaning into the experience enough to learn, memorize, and incorporate the principles. I want to try and do this routinely, wherever I might be. Before this, my meditations were typically shorter and guided ones. The calm app has been a life changer, and I always get something significant out of the daily calm, trip and "Jay," So much so that I want to do all three plus the 30min Zazen sit, too. That's over an hour each day of my time, not including d drive time if coming to the zen center, which has the benefit of sitting in a community of others. It does make a difference to me. The drive up this afternoon was stunning. The top 20% of the mountain, Jikoji's grounds included, is covered with snow. The road was also lined with cut-up trees on the roadside, which resulted from crews working to open the highway after that big storm. I hope the rain continues while I am here because it leaves me with fewer options to focus on beyond writing and reading. However, having storms or winds come through could cause issues with comfort. They lost power, and they could again. The risks aside, my plan to write and read is playing out rather well. Luke and Nick are here. Michael is, too, although we have not crossed paths yet. Amanda popped into the common room briefly. All familiar faces now in a community that I am becoming an ancillary part of. This does not appear to be something that will be a heavy demand on my time while being a focal point and routine reminder to live as much in the present as possible. This week's goal is to work on my writing, but with a secondary purpose of exploring how I might take my thoughts and insights to a new level and establish a more visible online presence of its own. So many signs are coming my way, multiple signs each day. Several thoughts I have expressed were later echoed in a podcast or a newsletter I read. So many indicators give me a sense of direction and confidence I have not mustered before. Is that karma, fate or just the way the mind processes things? Whatever it is, this may be a good follow-up step and timing for me to head in a direction that allows for more happiness and well-being. Far more than having never taken a leave in the first place would have or just using the time off as a staycation filled with activities that do not lead me toward a much-needed change. Like I've quipped before, what doesn't move me forward holds me back.
