A Friday Note

Sometimes I feel as though I work with a different group of people on Fridays than I do on Mondays.

The Monday group is akhmoo, mean and has low energy.

The Friday group laughs really loud, does whatever you ask them to do and says "Thank You" a lot.

I strongly believe that the 40-hour work week is unnecessary and inefficient. Soon, there will be substantial research to support the fact that if employees work less hours, they will also waste less time and be more productive. Then this research will be submitted to government agencies for review and will be drafted into legislation, then made into law reducing the work week. This will eventually decrease number of car accidents, lower gas prices and cut down on health care costs.

That simple. Remember nothing made by human beings is set in stone. Ever.

Hello, I grew up.

This is my first Chamber of Commerce networking event--ever. I have been so excited all week, anticipating this social gathering of business owners and professionals--my doorway to the adult world. I mean, I have been an adult for a long time now, but recently I just feel more like one.

I enter and give them my business cards, give a little shpeel about the firm, blah, blah. Then I walk in the room where the food and drinks are served and I am a little confused: is this a joint meeting between the Senior Citizens Center and the Chamber of Commerce? I look around a bit more and take a peek at people's name tags, especially the ones that look more "senior". I say hello to a man in front of me in line for food, and sneak the question of whether everyone here tonight is for the Chamber of Commerce? Yes, of course, he claims.

Oh, how interesting. This means I am officially an adult, trying to mix in with other adults in society, many of whom have all white hair.

I am sorry but when did we grow up? How come they forgot to blow the horn at that grand moment?

Joy of Spring

Spring is here. I smelled it today. It was hiding in the grass, playing hide and seek still.

I am craving fresh strawberries now.

Don't pick up...don't pick up...don't pick up

Bill Maher said we are so far gone from verbal communication that when we call someone, we actually hope they don't pick up the phone, desperately praying for their voice- mail.

How sad.

A good starting point

"To Joorabato Joft Nemeekoni?!" She asked me half yelling.

"Not really." I said with a wicked smile.

"Then how much time do you waste looking for the right pairs every morning?" She was screaming at this point.

"lots of time, as a matter of fact." I replied.

***

Five years has passed since she made that comment to me. Finally, I have decided she was right, I need to start "jofting my joorabs". It might be a good starting point out of this chaotic world we live in--however, tiny.

My new friend

It's 1 a.m. and it's raining hard. I can't sleep and I am here with my Loneliness. In fact, I have befriended my Loneliness recently, so both of us can sit together in the same room and hear the rain fall.

A while ago I surrendered to him (or her?)--my Loneliness I mean-- realizing that she is not going anywhere, that she has a mind of her own and goes and comes on her own watch, not mine. So I might as well just sit with her.

I even offered her some tea.

Then, Loneliness asked for some ghand with her tea.

Perspective

I finally got pulled over today after lunch by Irvine Police for expired tags, no proof of insurance (b/c I don't know where I put it) and for a broken break light.

It was coming. No surprise.

The female cop, who was blond and tall, was the nicest cop I have ever met. She had such good energy, I walked away feeling better than I did before she pulled me over.

How ironic is that one?

Check your spaces

There are two spaces after a period, before starting a new sentence.

I spent so much of my time editing this issue every day.

To Wed or Not to Wed

Marriage is a broken system. Hence, the 50% divorce rate.

Marriage is obsolete, like VCR. They should simply have the whole damn system replaced with something much more advanced and better quality.

Marriage is an economic conspiracy: they make you think you get great tax breaks but the small print says that instead, you end up consuming three times as much because being married and having children means more dollars spent on EVERYTHING.

But...it's still nice to come home to someone at night, and if marriage as a system, is a way to guarantee this "coming home to someone at night"--however unstable, risky and short-lived it may be--then, for that reason only, marriage is still not that bad...

On Why I am Always Broke

I go to Whole Foods for lunch and spend $13.85 on salad bar.

Unjustifiably expensive, yet heavenly salad bar.

Lonely Man in a Big Lonely House

His three level house sits on top of a mountain in Pasadena, overlooking a two-acre green field, with a peak view of downtown L.A. The entire southern part of the house is glass, making you feel bare standing inside. The house is filled with African art all over, including the bathroom, all kinds of big and small human looking statutes, all black and brown. The house plus the art work itself is probabely worth 4 million dollars at least.

The energy of the house is suffocating. I almost want to run away after the second hour of being there.

The man who lives there is 55 years old, has all white hair--has two masters degrees and two Ph.D's, and two huge dogs in size of ponies. This man has a lot of money, has probabely slept with at least 300 women in his life, never been married, no kids.

This man is so lonely living in this big lonely house, I almost want to hug him.

Sometime, somewhere in his past, something went wrong in his psyche, somebody screwed him over, touched the wrong nerve, said the wrong thing...and then this lonely man was born in this lonely house.

Where men and women differ

This idiot guy who passed the bar a year after me, calls himself "Senior Attorney" at his firm.

I still consider myself a "Young Lawyer" since I am under five years of practice.

Where do men buy their self-esteem from?

I suppose there is also a Saturday fleet market for self-esteem somewhere.

Attaining Higher Consciousness

"Those who have attained a higher level of consciousness are the ones who are free and independent of the good opininon of other people."

Leave the tribe. Now.

In Preparation of Court Hearing tomorrow

Good Morning Your Honor,

Ghalat Kardam, Your Honor,

Goh Khordam, Your Honor,

Ma Mokhleseh Shomaeen, Your Honor,

Bandeh Kafsheh Patooneem, Your Honor,

Thank You, Your Honor.

Pros of employment

Besides the fact the an income is dervied from being employed, and presumbaly, living expenses are paid for from that income, there is even a much stronger reason to come to work: during your employement hours, you actually place your attention on trivial matters, and in my case, on other people's problems, thus, not focusing on your own, much more important and life-threatening issues. Further, you have no time to ask the big questions about the existance of God and life's true purpose.

I like being employed.

Regret

He has two children from another woman now.

I wanted to be that woman once.

In love

Hanooz hamdeegar raa molaaghaat nakardim.

Vali man to raa hameesheh doost daashteham and khaaham daasht.

Reasons for Sale

Everything happens for a reason. Or so they say. Of course, they don't tell you the reason, nor are you supposed to inquire. So what do you do? You make up your own reasons, over and over again until you find something semi-suitable to mend your heart.

Is there a Saturday fleet-market that sells a variety of reasons? Maybe you can find 7 different reasons and use one each of the week?

Maybe they have combo deals? Two for the price of one?

She grew up

A few yesterdays ago she started walking and saying her first words like "baba" and "toop".

Today, we had a discussion about California's current budget crisis, Obama's ability to awaken a new generation of voters and Mitt Romney's waste of 35 million dollars. She then used words like "apathy" and "congenial" in her conversation with me.

And hasn't even been two decades yet since those yesterdays ago.

My baby sister grew up.

One-way track: the story of immigration

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NNre5neZ6QI&feature=related


Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a blowtorch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning

So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
I promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep

It seems no one can help me now,
I'm in too deep; there's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there

Can you help me remember how to smile?
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded?
Life's mystery seems so faded

I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just a-drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train

And everything seems cut and dried,
Day and night, earth and sky,
Somehow I just don't believe it

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there

Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughing at the rain
A little out of touch, a little insane
It's just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there

Runaway train, never coming back
Runaway train, tearing up the track
Runaway train, burning in my veins
I run away but it always seems the same

The sleeping volcano

It's been a while I haven't written about something emotionally profound. A deep wound of some sort.

I have been busy with life but I feel it coming soon, I feel the random vibrations which will finally lead to its eruption, it's gonna spill over soon...overflow...

Watch out.

It was her energy...it was...it was

As we lie on the floor and stretch every single muscle in our bodies, in Tustin, Orange County, it hits me: I moved out three weeks after she left because her energy was gone and my balance was gone with it. For three years, she kept me in balance, at peace and in harmony. And boy, I got screwed up without her.

Now she is back, lying on the floor and stretching next to me and I feel comfortable and cozy again.

Who knew she'd end up in South Orange County? and we'd do yoga together again? Who knew...

Life has its own mind.

I like her energy near me. I am happy she is back.

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Publish Post

Count your blessings

I am grateful for the Dove body wash that smells like grapefruit and makes me feel fresh and energized after a hot shower at the end of a long day.

The pissin' match

A great deal of practice of law is truely a pissing match.

Whichever side hires a lawyer who can piss faster and in higher volumes and perhaps in a wider diameter even, wins.

FYI.

"Asrooneh"

Asrooneh consisted of the same exact ingredients of "Sobhooneh" except it was served in the afternoon, usually after a nap and right when the 5 o'clock "Barnaameh Koodak" began.

For some reason, it tasted better than Sobhooneh though.

Do you remember?

Leave the wake behind...

"They demolished our Purdue apartment :-(" His text read.

It took me a few minutes to digest it.

Demolish? Yani tear down? Ba khak yek saan?

Wow.

***

Rows of cars would line up on the street right by 1500 Purdue and wait for me as I came downstairs to go out. For years, our place was the meeting spot for all my friends, right off the freeway. Convenient.

Seven years we lived there. Good and bad happened but I only remember the good, and only feel the warmth of the happy moments in my memory, the togetherness of it, the absence of lonlieness of it. All of us grew up in that apartment practically.

And now it's gone.

***

"Just don't tell mom, she'll cry for months." I texted back.

***

You gotta leave the wake behind...you gotta let go of the past. Maybe it's a good thing they tore it down. Maybe it's sign that we have to let go and immerse into a better future.

Beemeh hazrateh abolfazl

i just drove home buzzed with expired tags on my car and cancelled insurance.

Woops.

Beemeh Hazrat abolfazl is sometimes all you have.

C'est la vie.