I am officially on a 50-year-plan now. Goals are important. Today I went to lunch with my mother, my uncle, and two family friends who are about to depart on a cruise to Japan, and in the spring they are going on a 32-day trip through several different countries in Asia. During this discussion it was announced that it is cheaper to cruise full-time than live in a nursing home. Traditionally I have been against the idea of cruises, because they don't let people really get to know one area. You get off in the tourist section of the port, shop around, do a tour, and get back on the boat. But....life is about having a good time. Being on a cruise ship sounds infinitely better than a nursing home, and I would rather just see the tourist market of a town than stay at home. I fully intend to end up on one of these boats, playing bridge with my white-haired compadres.

Sparkling moment of the day: I was working my dreadful job at the gym in order to rid myself of the last-minute one way plane ticket from Shanghai to Seattle. One of the members always responds to  the 'how are you doing?' question by saying he is 'unbelievable.' In my revelry of boredom I asked him if anything special happened today. He really and truly responded by saying that he got out of bed, he made it through the day, and now he is here working out. He said all this with a smile and a light-hearted tone; he genuinely meant it. When I smiled back at him I felt completely refreshed.

Fortunes from the Palomino:

"The problem with people who have no vices is that you can be fairly sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues." Elizabeth Taylor


"The world will always welcome lovers." As Time Goes By