What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0202

10051.  Broccoli stems soften (and shrink) quite a bit when roasted (in the oven);
10052.  No, you’re not a hopeless loser.  Life is challenging.  It’s okay to feel sad or angry in response to whatever obstacle you’re facing;
10053.  Making just one positive change in your life will push you towards all the other things that are good for you;
10054.  I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination;
10055.  Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being;
10056.  Happiness is not something ready-made.  It comes from your own actions;
10057.  You do not find the happy life.  You make it;
10058.  Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it;
10059.  If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way;
10060.  When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be;
10061.  Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself;
10062.  If you want unusual results, you can’t do the same things that everyone else does;
10063.  It is a common mistake to assume that evolution is a process of improvement, that evolving organisms are progressing toward some final, perfected state.  But they, and we, are not.  An evolving society or organism simply adapts over the generations to changing conditions.  While these modifications may be immediately beneficial, they are not really improvements because external conditions never stop shifting;
10064.  When children and adolescents don’t get adequate nutrition for as little as a week, growth slows in the long bones in their arms and legs.  When their nutritional intake recovers and the bones begin to grow again, the density of the new bone growth differs from the interruption.  X-rays reveal theses telltale lines in ancient bones know as Harris lines.  Periods of more prolonged malnutrition leave signs on the teeth known as hypoplasias – discolored bands and small pits in the enamel surface, which can still be seen many centuries later in fossilized remains.  Archaeologists find fewer Harris lines and dental hypoplasias in the remains of prehistoric hunters-gatherer populations than they do in the skeletons of settled populations who lived in villages dependent on cultivation for their food supply;
10065.  Approximately 800 skeletons from the Dickson Mounds in the lower Illinois Valley have been analyzed.  Archeologist George Armelagos and his colleagues reported that the farmers’ remains show a 50% increase in chronic malnutrition and 3 times the incidence of infectious diseases (indicated by bone lesions) compared with the foragers who preceded them.  Furthermore, they found evidence of increased infant mortality, delayed skeletal grow in adults and a fourfold increase in porotic hyperostosis indicating iron-deficiency anemia in more than half the population;
10066.  Throughout the world, the shift to agriculture accompanied a dramatic drop in the quality of most people’s diets and overall health;
10067.  Don’t waste your time and energy reinforcing a negative belief system;
10068.  Keep/use your old toothbrushes to clean/scrub the inside of your toilet (bowl) and then toss them;
10069.  Save the unused wet wipes/moist towelettes you get at restaurants.  They work great for cleaning the sides of your toilet;
10070.  The “PLNT burger” at “PLNT Burger” (PLNTBurger.com) is tasty. . . . So is the “spicy chik n’ funguy” (sandwich);
10071.  “PLNT Burger” is from Spike Mendelsohn (i.e., the former contestant on “Top Chef”);
10072.  I no longer judge myself for my past;
10073.  I look back kindly at my past self;
10074.  The quickest way to get your attention back to the present moment is to focus on your breath;
10075.  Sometimes what is most beneficial might be painful and what is toxic might be pleasurable;
10076.  Difficult as it may be for some to accept, skeletal evidence clearly shows that our ancestors didn’t experience widespread, chronic scarcity until the advent of agriculture.  Chronic food shortages and scarcity-based economies are artifacts of social systems that arose with farming;
10077.  Hunter-gatherers spent their abundant leisure time eating, drinking, playing and socializing – in short, doing the very things we associate with affluence;
10078.  For the vast majority of human generations that have ever lived, it would have been unthinkable to hoard food when those around you were hungry.  The hunter-gatherer represents uneconomic man;
10079.  John Fogerty has to dye his hair;
10080.  Hearing John Fogerty’s band play reminds me of listening to (live) music at “The Tobacco Company( Restaurant)” (TheTobaccoCompany.com) in Richmond;
10081.  John Fogerty wrote “Who’ll Stop the Rain” after coming back from playing (the) Woodstock (Music & Art Fair) in 1969;
10082.  John Fogerty’s two sons, Shane and Tyler, play in his band;
10083.  John Fogerty has a baseball bat-shaped guitar for playing “Centerfield;”
10084.  Shane Fogerty can really play( the guitar);
10085.  Warfare is more likely in advanced horticultural and agrarian societies than it is in hunting-and-gathering and simple horticultural societies.  When sociologist, Patrick Nolan, limited his analysis only to hunter-gatherer and agrarian societies, he found that above-average population density was the best predictor of war;
10086.  Ecologist Peter Turchin and anthropologist Andrey Korotayev looked at data from English, Chinese and Roman history finding strong statistical correlations between increases in population density and warfare.  Their suggests population growth could account for as much as 90% of the variation between historical periods of war and peace;
10087.  Freedom (from war) is just another word for nothing to lose or gain;
10088.  After conducting a comprehensive review of prehistoric skeletal evidence, anthropologist Brian Ferguson concluded that apart from one particular site in modern-day Sudan, “only about a dozen homo sapiens skeletons 10,000 years ago or older, out of hundreds of similar antiquity examined to date, show clear indication of interpersonal violence.”  Ferguson continues, “If warfare were prevalent in early prehistoric times, the abundant materials in the archaeological record would be rich with evidence of warfare.  But the signs are not there;”
10089.  Let go of the past.  Don’t spend your energy on something that no longer exists;
10090.  (George Mumford’s) 4 “A”s: 1.  Awareness; 2.  Acceptance; 3.  Action; and 4.  Assessment;
10091.  Strive for a healthy balance between doing the best you can and then letting go;
10092.  I can say that I’ve seen Genesis (with Phil Collins) in concert;
10093.  Phil Collins walks with a cane;
10094.  Phil Collins doesn’t play drums (in concert) anymore;
10095.  Nic(holas) Collins, Phil’s son, plays (the) drums for Genesis . . . and he’s really good;
10096.  Take a minute to focus on things that are going right for you;
10097.  Problems in relationships occur because each person is concentrating on what is missing in the other person;
10098.  If your love for another person doesn’t include loving yourself then your love is incomplete;
10099.   You can love them, forgive them and want good things for them, but still move on without them;
10100.  Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0201

10001.  Apparently, you shouldn’t have a big steak dinner (specifically at Voltaggio Brothers Steak House in MGM National Harbor) before playing a concert;
10002.  Apparently, Tom DeLonge likes (red) wine;
10003.  “Blink-182” wouldn’t exist if Tom DeLonge hadn’t been expelled from (Poway) High School;
10004.  I can say I heard “Angels & Airwaves” play “Losing My Mind” (live) for the second time ever;
10005.  Ilan Rubin, the drummer for “Angels & Airwaves” is also the drummer for “Nine Inch Nails;”
10006.  If you have a craving for kettle corn, buy yourself a bag of O Organics “Sweet & Salty Organic Kettle Corn” from Safeway;
10007.  Set aside some time to talk and to think about the illness or other crisis and how it should be managed every day.  Do not talk or think about it otherwise.  If you do not limit its effect, you will become exhausted and everything will spiral into the ground;
10008.  When worries associated with the crisis arise at other times, remind yourself that you will think them through during the scheduled period;
10009.  The parts of your brain that generate anxiety are more interested in the fact that there is a plan than in the details of the plan;
10010.  Don’t schedule your time to think in the evening or at night.  You won’t be able to sleep.  If you can’t sleep then everything will go rapidly downhill;
10011.  Aim high like Pinocchio’s Geppetto.  Wish upon a star and then act properly in accordance with that aim.  Once you are aligned with the heavens, you can concentrate on the day.  Be careful.  Put the things you can control in order.  Repair what is in disorder and make what is already good better.  It is possible that you can manage if you are careful;
10012.  People can survive through much pain and loss.  But to persevere they must see the good in being.   If they lose that they are truly lost;
10013.  Every day, the prayers of desperate people go unanswered.  But maybe this is because the questions they contain are not reasonable to ask god to break the rules of physics every time we fall by the wayside or make a serious error.  Perhaps in such times you can’t put the cart before the horse and simply wish for your problem to be solved in some magical manner.  Perhaps you could ask, instead, what you might have to do right now to increase your resolve, buttress your character and find the strength to go on.  Perhaps you could instead ask to see the truth;
10014.  What had we each done to contribute to the situation we were arguing about?  How was I wrong?  The problem with asking yourself such a question is that you must truly want the answer.  And the problem with doing that is that you won’t like the answer.  When you are arguing with someone, you want to be right and you want the other person to be wrong.  Then it’s her/him that has to sacrifice something and change not you and that’s much preferable.  If it’s you that’s wrong and you that must change then you have to reconsider yourself – your memories of the past, your manner of being in the present and your plans for the future.  Then you must resolve to improve and figure out how to do that.  Then you actually have to do it.  That’s exhausting.  It takes repeated practice to instantiate the new perceptions and make the new actions habitual.  It’s much easier just not to realize, admit and engage.  It’s much easier to turn your attention away from the truth and remain willfully blind;
10015.  You must decide whether you want to be right or you want to have peace;
10016.  You must decide whether to insist upon the absolute correctness of your view or to listen and negotiate;
10017.  You don’t get peace by being right.  You just get to be right while your partner gets to be wrong – defeated and wrong;
10018.  More than 50% of the surface of the brain is devoted to processing visual information.  Closing our eyes frees up the energy associated with that 50% and allowing our brains much needed recovery.  We can tap into the unconscious processes that help us connect with our innovative ideas and solve problems more efficiently simply by decreasing visual input;
10019.  The adult brain, a mere 2% of body weight, is responsible for around 20% of oxygen consumption;
10020.  An Atkins “caramel chocolate nut roll bar” tastes like a “Baby Ruth”( candy bar);
10021.  To seek peace, you have to decide that you want the answer more than you want to be right.  That’s the way out of the prison of your stubborn preconceptions;
10022.  Perhaps true prayer is the question, “What have I done wrong and what can I do now to set things at least a little bit more right?”
10023.  There is no enlightened one.  There is only the one who is seeking further enlightenment;
10024.  Proper being is process not a state; a journey not a destination.  It’s the continual transformation of what you know through encounter with what you don’t know rather than the desperate clinging to the certainty that is eternally insufficient in any case;
10025.  Always place your becoming above your current being;
10026.  Remember those who have nothing and strive to be grateful;
10027.  You may be blocked in your progress not because you lack opportunity, but because you have been too arrogant to make full use of what already lies in front of you;
10028.  He who has many material things may be described as rich, but he who knows he has enough and is at one with the Tao might have enough of material things and have self-being as well;
10029.  To give is to do what you can to make things better;
10030.  If we put ourselves in order perhaps we will do the same for the world;
10031.  Strength in the face of adversity is very different from the wish for a life free of trouble;
10032.  When everything has become chaotic and uncertain, all that remains to guide you might be the character you constructed previously by aiming up and concentrating on the moment at hand.  If you have failed in that you will fail in the moment of crisis and then god help you;
10033.  The best way to fix the world is to fix yourself;
10034.  Failure to make the proper sacrifices, failure to reveal yourself, failure to live and tell the truth – all that weakens you;
10035.  The terrible suffering of unfortunate souls becomes attributable, by their own judgment, to mistakes they made knowingly in the past: act of betrayal, deception, cruelty, carelessness, cowardice and, most commonly of all, willful blindness;
10036.  To suffer terribly and to know yourself as the cause: that is hell.  And once in hell it is very easy to curse being itself;
10037.  Lay’s “Magic Masala” chips are tasty;
10038.  There are a lot of burger places in Toronto;
10039.  Chip bags in Canada seem to use less packaging;
10040.  There are black squirrels in Toronto;
10041.  Billy Bishop (Toronto City) Airport is right next/within walking distance to CN Tower;
10042.  Dr. Clive Hamilton, a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, set out to study the “suffering rich” and found that 4 of every 10 people earning $80,000.00 at the time felt “deprived;”
10043.  Another recent survey in the United States found that 45% of those with a net worth (excluding their home) over $1 million were worried about running out of money before they died.  Over one third of those with more than $5 million had the same concern;
10044.  He is richest who is content with least for contentment is the wealth of nature;
10045.  When communities grow beyond the point where every individual has at least a passing acquaintance with everyone else, our behavior changes, our choices shift and our sense of the possible and of the acceptable grows ever more abstract;
10046.  Community ownership doesn’t work in large-scale societies where people operate in anonymity;
10047.  The size of human societies and cultures matters because larger societies will naturally have more concentrated social power.  Larger societies will be less democratic than smaller societies and they will have an unequal distribution of risks and rewards;
10048.  Human nature functions one way in the context of intimate, interdependent societies, but, set loose in anonymity, we become a different creature.  Neither beast is more nor less human;
10049.  Apparently, Norfolk(, Virginia,) had a techno scene . . . until all of the illegal Europeans were deported;
10050.  Apparently, Dan Deacon (the deejay) hangs out at “The Auld Shebeen( Irish Pub & Restaurant)” in (Old Town) Fairfax on Wednesday nights for “Transit Party;”

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0200

9951.  According to Jack Antonoff, the concert at The Anthem (in D.C.) on (Friday,) September 24, 2021 is the largest “Bleacher’s” concert ever played or scheduled;
9952.  “Rollercoaster” was the first song Jack Antonoff wrote for “Bleachers;”
9953.  There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so;
9954.  Relationships require more than just love. . . . It takes time, patience, loyalty, respect, communication, forgiveness and selflessness. . . . Maintaining a healthy relationship isn’t easy.  It takes hard work. . . . To receive you must give, mutually, equally and not more than the other and vice versa. . . . Relationships are important.  You need them to grow.  You need these special, rare and beautiful interactions with people. . . . Love is so very important, but it also takes so much more than you think;
9955.  A regular-sized hip flask holds 8 ounces so a little over 5 shots;
9956.  Charlie (Dog) likes carrots;
9957.  Don’t doubt your worth just because someone couldn’t see it;
9958.  The habits that you develop now will determine the way you’ll feel about yourself in the future;
9959.  Don’t force yourself to be happy or productive every day;
9960.  You’re doing your best with what you’re given.  Go easy on yourself;
9961.  Move on and don’t let memories of past mistakes weigh you down for the rest of your life;
9962.  Don’t wait to feel grateful and happy for your life;
9963.  Apparently, fundraisers love/target donors who give annually (over many years) across multiple areas/categories;
9964.  Ultimately, it’s you who has to live with the consequences not them.  Choose what’s right for you;
9965.  If you’re thinking about an ex, you’re usually not (actually) missing her/him, but you’re missing something you got from her/him (e.g., comfort, love, closeness, etc.);
9966.  Other people’s reactions to you are usually not about you, it’s about what’s going on inside of them.  If someone blows up on you, that’s more about the triggering going on inside of them and it really has nothing to do with you;
9967.  Even successful people feel lost, sad and lonely at times.  These are normal emotions that everyone feels no matter how good your life is . . . and it’s okay and normal to feel this way;
9968.  Be gentler on yourself. . . . Pushing yourself to always be perfect and to live up to unrealistic standards is not a fun way to go through life.  Having a little more compassion for your inner child and allowing yourself to make mistakes can do wonders for you;
9969.  Bad things and good things can happen simultaneously in your life.  Choose which one you want to focus on more;
9970.  Agreeable, compassionate, empathic, conflict-averse people (all those traits group together) let people walk on them and they get bitter.  They sacrifice themselves for others, sometimes excessively, and cannot comprehend why that is not reciprocated;
9971.  Agreeable people are compliant and this robs them of their independence;
9972.  Agreeable people will go along with whoever makes a suggestion instead of insisting, at least sometimes, on their own way.  So they lose their way and become indecisive and too easily swayed;
9973.  The Oedipal mother makes a pact with herself, her children and the devil himself.  The deal is: “Above all never leave me.  In return, I will do everything for you.  As you age without maturing you will become worthless and bitter, but you will never have to take any responsibility and everything you do that’s wrong will always be someone else’s fault;”
9974.  Your pain and your struggles are real, but you don’t have to succumb to them;
9975.  You can find life rich and valuable without following society’s definition of success;
9976.  If they’re healthy, women don’t want boys.  They want men.  They want someone to contend with; someone to grapple with.  If they’re tough, they want someone tougher.  If they’re smart, they want someone smarter.  They desire someone who brings to the table something they can’t already provide;
9977.  It’s hard for tough, smart and attractive women to find mates.  There just aren’t that many men around who can outclass them enough to be considered desirable (who are higher, as one research publication put it, in “income, education, self-confidence, intelligence, dominance as social position”);
9978.  Apparently, (some) congressman (specifically Doug Lamborn) have a(n official) scheduler (specifically Meghan Selip);
9979.  (To me,) NEEDTOBREATHE’s music is (very) hopeful/joyful;
9980.  What can be truly loved about a person is inseparable from their limitations;
9981.  Being of any reasonable sort appears to require limitations;
9982.  Being requires becoming as well as mere static existence and to become is to become something more or at least something different.  That is only possible for something limited;
9983.  What is an exercise in futility?  The answer is: Trying to please everyone;
9984.  Don’t let negativity be the only available response to things you are experiencing;
9985.  Failure is more common than success.  It isn’t personal though we still manage to take it that way.  (The first step is to) stop taking failure personally;
9986.  You should actively anticipate failure and prepare for it, so that when it (might) come, you’re ready.  This is not to say you should be negative-minded;
9987.  Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts;
9988.  The way your parents spoke to you, treated you or dealt with their own emotions is a reflection of their own childhood trauma not a reflection of who you are;
9989.  Awakening or becoming conscious will bring up lots of pain and unresolved trauma.  As you heal, you’ll realize that you are a powerful alchemist able to turn your pain into wisdom;
9990.  The desire to produce suffering for the sake of suffering is the very essence of evil;
9991.  When existence reveals itself as existentially intolerable, thinking collapses in on itself.  In such situations, in the depths, it’s noticing (i.e., feeling) not thinking that does the trick;
9992.  You shouldn’t stop trying to make life better or let suffering just be, but there appear to be limits on the path to improvement beyond which we might not want to go lest we sacrifice our humanity itself;
9993.  Apparently, I issued Google’s MapReduce patent;
9994.  The fat from grass-fed beef (does) taste(s) different than (the) fat from corn-fed beef;
9995.  Grass-fed beef does taste gamier than corn-fed beef;
9996.  Apparently, you don’t need to cook grass-fed beef as long as corn-fed beef (because of the lower fat content);
9997.  I just realized that Arlington National Cemetery is right next to the Pentagon( and only separated by George Washington Memorial Highway);
9998.  I can say that I saw “1990nowhere” on their first tour;
9999.  Opening for “Angels & Airwaves’” “Lifeforms Tour 2021” is the first time “Bad Sun” has played live/toured in 2 years;
10000.  Tom DeLonge (the lead singer and guitarist for “Angels & Airwaves” and formerly of “Blink-182”) likes cheese;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0199

9901.  The Dyson Ball vacuum works pretty well;
9902.  Mung bean(s) (sprouts) are bean/soybean sprouts;
9903.  Charlie (Dog) likes (teriyaki) salmon;
9904.  Onion is toxic to dogs . . . and so is garlic;
9905.  Charlie (Dog) is still enemies with the vacuum( cleaner);
9906.  (Barack) Obama had a( black,) Kenyan father (i.e., Barack Hussein Obama, Sr.) and a white(, American) mom/mother (i.e., Ann Dunham) from Kansas;
9907.  (Barack) Obama attended Occidental College (in Los Angeles, California) before transferring to Columbia (University);
9908.  (Barack) Obama was the first black president/editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review;
9909.  (Big surprise . . . .) “Coca-Cola with Coffee” tastes like a Coke with coffee;
9910.  Hot Lola’s (chicken) (HotLolas.com) is pretty good . . . and pretty hot (specifically the O.G. hot);
9911.  Brandi Carlile is from Seattle;
9912.  Brandi Carlile is a lesbian;
9913.  Brandi Carlile(‘s voice) reminds me of Chrissie Hynde (the lead singer of “The Pretenders”);
9914.  If you see your girlfriend or female friend crying, you should ask her if she’s okay and/or give her a hug or touch of support;
9915.  Apparently, there’s a Potomac primary consisting of the states of Maryland and Virginia and( the) D(istrict of )C(olumbia);
9916.  “Eating her out” after she cums . . . check;
9917.  (A plumber told me,) you should buy your plumbing supplies and fixtures from a plumbing supply store (instead of a hardware store).  Manufacturers provide better hardware to plumbers than they do to retail shoppers for the (exact) same fixtures/models;
9918.  A plumber told me to use “Glug” drain opener to unclog drains;
9919.  A plumber told me to (periodically) put (distilled, white) vinegar into my toilet tank to get rid of/remove the mineral build in the (bowl) drain holes;
9920.  Charlie (Dog) likes pinto beans;
9921.  Pinto beans are good for dogs.  They’re a great source of plant-based protein and cholesterol-lowering fiber, which helps your dog feel fuller and aids in digestion.  Pinto beans are also rich in magnesium, which helps your pet process and use vitamin C;
9922.  New Amsterdam Pink Lemonade (vodka) and soda tastes like (watered-down) Sprite;
9923.  Your fist is about 1 cup;
9924.  1 scooped handful (from the tip of your fingers to the base of the palm) is about a ½ cup;
9925.  A palm full is about a ¼ cup;
9926.  One thumb is about 1 tablespoon;
9927.  Your palm is about 4 ounces;
9928.  You can only connect with people as deeply as you’ve connected with yourself;
9929.  The pork barbeque at “The Fishin’ Pig” (FishinPig.com) (in Farmville/Norfolk/Waynesboro, Virginia) is (pretty) good;
9930.  According to our server, I’m the first person to ever order an Aperol spritz at the Biltmore (TheBiltmoreCville.com) in Charlottesville, Virginia;
9931.  Charlie (Dog) likes hard boiled eggs;
9932.  Don’t pressure yourself to make sense of every experience.  Just be;
9933.  We have a mental image of another person, project it onto someone who happens to get our hormones fluttering and happens to be available (ideally) and then fall in love with this image of our own creation.  In effect, we fall in love with someone that we don’t particularly know: a semi-stranger;
9934.  It’s often rather hard to get to know this person because every time we’re with them we start hallucinating . . . hallucinating that we’re in the presence of someone whose every word and deed is transcendently perfect;
9935.  The hallucinations don’t last forever.  In time, we start to get to know the real person hidden beneath our mental image of them and occasionally, if we’re lucky, we come to love that person too;
9936.  This next-level love is often the more genuine, less delusional form of love;
9937.  Love is a temporary madness.  It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides.  And when it subsides you have to make a decision.  You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.  Because this is what love is.  Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion.  That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.  Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away and this is both an art and a fortunate accident;
9938.  Changing your habits is about creating a difference in the way you approach each day;
9939.  Uncomfortable conversations are an important part of healthy relationships;
9940.  Whatever you are worried about probably won’t happen;
9941.  Do not undermine your ability to make things better;
9942.  Mambo/mumbo sauce is (pretty) tasty. . . . It (tastes) like a sweeter and slightly sour barbeque sauce;
9943.  If it were easy, you would not achieve personal growth;
9944.  Let go of any narratives that don’t serve your end goal;
9945.  When you envy others, you disrespect the life you have worked so hard to create;
9946.  Just because you are struggling now doesn’t mean that you always will;
9947.  A typhoon and a hurricane are the same thing (i.e., a mature tropical cyclone).  Typhoon is used in the northwest Pacific, while hurricane is used in the northeast Pacific and northern Atlantic;
9948.  Keep your mind open to finding happiness around you;
9949.  If you can make yourself miserable with all the negative self-talk, you also have the power to make yourself happy;
9950.  I can say that I’ve been at the largest “Bleacher’s” concert;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0198

9851.  Liquor stores aren’t open on Sundays in South Carolina;
9852.  Liquor stores aren’t open on Sundays in North Carolina (either);
9853.  You can buy Everclear in North Carolina;
9854.  Charlie (Dog) has (now) been to the beach;
9855.  Apparently, McDonald’s doesn’t use onion powder in their food;
9856.  Charlie (Dog) likes apples;
9857.  Your whole life is a kind of apprenticeship.  Everything that happens to you is a form of instruction if you pay attention;
9858.  People too often make the mistake of thinking there is an end point for the need to learn, practice or improve;
9859.  Most students of any discipline inevitably stop learning at some point and flatter themselves that they know everything they need to know;
9860.  Sooner or later we reach a point in our studies or careers when things start to feel easier;
9861.  If things stay easy for too long, motivation evaporates and we lose enthusiasm for our work;
9862.  In a world mostly driven by profit and praise, creativity usually comes a distant second to productivity;
9863.  To stay engaged with your craft, you must continually strive to improve.  Stagnation will lead to dissatisfaction on a long enough timeframe;
9864.  Between too easy and too hard, there is the “Goldilocks” zone where the level of challenge is just a little beyond what you know you’re capable of.  Continually look for that sweet spot and you will find greater joy in your work and reach a deeper understanding of your field than you knew existed;
9865.  Charlie (Dog) has eaten gator (tail);
9866.  REEF (brand) sandals (REEF.com) are (really( comfortable;
9867.  Apparently, Elizabeth’s cousin’s (i.e., Amanda’s) husband is the CFO of Sazerac Company (i.e., the makers of Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Goldschlager & Pappy Van Winkle among others);
9868.  I can say I’ve blown a double bubble . . . and a triple bubble (too);
9869.  Beach house (on Pawleys Island) . . . check;
9870.  Kayaks are heavy;
9871.  People can actually catch something surf fishing (specifically blacktip sharks);
9872.  I can say I’ve gone kayaking on Pawleys Island;
9873.  Marlin’s grandfathers died/passed on the same day (i.e., August 6^th) a year apart . . . strange/weird;
9874.  (If something goes wrong,) just be a goldfish (i.e., have a short memory) and move on;
9875.  Helping others feels good.  There is some evidence to suggest that when you help others, it can promote physiological changes in the brain linked with happiness.  This heightened sense of well-being might be the byproduct of being more physically active as a result of volunteering or because it makes us more socially active;
9876.  Helping others can help us to make new friends and connect with our community.  Face-to-face activities such as volunteering at a food bank can also help reduce loneliness and isolation;
9877.  Studies show that volunteering enhances an individual’s overall sense of purpose and identity.  This is because helping others can make you feel rewarded, fulfilled and empowered;
9878.  Giving helps keep things in perspective.  Helping others, especially those who are less fortunate than yourself, can help to put things into perspective and make you feel more positive about your own circumstances;
9879.  One study found that people are more likely to perform feats of generosity after observing another do the same.  This effect can ripple throughout the community inspiring dozens of individuals to make a difference;
9880.  Regular volunteering can improve your ability to manage stress and stave off disease as well as increase your sense of life satisfaction.  This might be because volunteering alleviates loneliness and enhances our social lives;
9881.  Helping others can teach you to help yourself.  If you’ve been through a tough experience or just have a case of the blues, the “activism cure” is a great way to get back to feeling like yourself;
9882.  People who volunteer have been found to have higher self-esteem and overall well-being.  The benefits of volunteering also depend on your consistency.  So, the more regularly you volunteer, the more confidence you’ll gain;
9883.  When you help others, you give off positive vibes, which can rub off on peers and improve your friendships.  Being a force for good in a friend’s life can help build a lasting bond;
9884.  Having a positive impact on someone else could help you change your own outlook and attitude.  Experts say that performing acts of kindness boosts your mood and ultimately makes you more optimistic and positive;
9885.  Everybody just wants to be heard.  What every child wants to know is: “Do your eyes light up when I enter the room?  Did you hear me and did what I say mean anything to you?”  That’s all they’re looking for.  That’s what everybody is looking for;
9886.  Every single person you will ever meet shares the desire for validation.  They want to know: “Do you see me?  Do you hear me?  Does what I say mean anything to you?”  Try it with your children, your husband, your wife, your boss and your friends.  Validate them.  “I see you.  I hear you.  And what you say matters to me;”
9887.  When taking your parents’ advice, observe if they have the life, relationships and emotional wellness you’d want for yourself;
9888.  (A plumber told me,) you should use your garbage disposal at least once a month. . . . Fill up the (garbage) disposal with ice (cubes) and turn it on until you can’t hear it grinding anymore.  The grinding keeps the blades clean and sharpens them (as well);
9889.  (A plumber told me,) you should plug up your (kitchen) sink with a sink stopper, fill it up with water and then unplug it at least once a month.  The water pressure helps to push debris down your pipes;
9890.  (A plumber told me,) you should use “Bio-Clean” (i.e., a special combination of natural bacteria and enzymes that digests dead organic waste found in plumbing) in your (kitchen) sink at least once a month to keep it from clogging;
9891.  Aretha Franklin knew Martin Luther King(, Jr.);
9892.  Aretha Franklin was heavily involved in the civil rights movement;
9893.  Elizabeth likes Aretha Franklin;
9894.  Integrating abandonment trauma and learning how to self-regulate while that trauma gets triggered is necessary for healthy, conscious, loving relationships with others and yourself;
9895.  You can heal abandonment trauma to a great extent by releasing many trapped emotions from the body connected with feeling abandoned;
9896.  Releasing the trapped emotions helps rewire the nervous system back to balance;
9897.  Causes of abandonment trauma: 1.  Family instability due to parental disputes or separation due to divorce; 2.  Death of parents or caregivers who the child depended on to feel safe and loved; 3.  Emotionally unavailable family or a parent who is only sporadically engaged with the child; and 4.  Childhood neglect due to mental health issues (such as depression in the parent) or substance abuse (such as alcoholism or drug abuse);
9898.  Signs a person is living with abandonment trauma: 1.  Broken relationships or friendships, separation from lover/partner, feeling unattached or emotionally unavailable to connect; 2.  Fear of loneliness or being abandoned; 3.  Giving too much or being overly eager to please; 4.  Jealousy in your relationship or of others; and 5.  Having difficulty in feeling intimate emotionally;
9899.  Other people’s insecurities about your success, your money or your happiness are just that . . . their insecurities.  Nobody benefits if you “play small” just to appease them;
9900.  Charlie (Dog) likes graham crackers;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0197

9801.  When you look back and think about what actually made you happy, it’ll be the people you spent your time with.  And those people will be responsible for how far you made it too;
9802.  You must determine where you have been in your life so that you can know where you are now;
9803.  You must determine where you have been in your life because otherwise you can’t get to where you’re going.  You can’t get from point A to point B unless you are already at point A and if you’re just “anywhere” the chances you are at point A are very small;
9804.  Say what you mean so that you can find out what you mean.  Act out what you say so you can find out what happens.  Then pay attention.  Note your errors.  Articulate them.  Strive to correct them;
9805.  I’m not close to my parents because I don’t (really) know them;
9806.  The more you try to appear “perfect” the less people will connect with you;
9807.  People don’t connect with you because you’re perfect.  They connect with you because of your flaws and your rough edges;
9808.  Apparently, my feet can double for dog pillows;
9809.  There’s a fine line between tyrant and king;
9810.  Paprika on roast chicken is great (specifically EveryPlate’s apricot Dijon chicken legs);
9811.  I really didn’t feel hungry on a juice cleanse, but I did have the urge to chew on something. . . . I also kept fantasizing about eating things (i.e., hamburger, chicken sandwich, chips, etc.);
9812.  A Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich (probably) shouldn’t be your first solid food after a juice cleanse;
9813.  Winemaking accounts for 90% of grape cultivation;
9814.  Grapes are a natural diuretic;
9815.  Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will change your life.  (They’re) like chicken breasts, but tastier and cheaper;
9816.  If you want your clamshell/bagged (salad) greens to last longer, open the clamshell/bag and put a paper towel inside.  The paper towel will absorb excess moisture and keep your (salad) greens from getting slimy;
9817.  Apparently, to reduce/stop the flatulence/gas that can come with eating beans, you have to thoroughly rinse and drain them;
9818.  If you’re a go-getter, the answer isn’t to push yourself harder it’s to be gentler on yourself;
9819.  Allow yourself to make mistakes;
9820.  Allow yourself to be human;
9821.  If you grind your teeth at night, it’s probably because of anxiety;
9822.  Taking garlic pills (i.e., allicin) on an empty stomach can make you smell like garlic;
9823.  If you sign up for their rewards program, Krispy Kreme (Doughnuts) will give you a dozen, original glazed doughnuts for your birthday;
9824.  It can be (emotionally) painful losing a dozen, fresh(, Krispy Kreme) doughnuts to a (strong) gust of wind;
9825.  Apparently, dogs don’t like fireworks;
9826.  Be humble.  Be kind.  Be thankful;
9827.  Dogs shouldn’t have undiluted apple cider vinegar because of the acidity;
9828.  A person starts to live when s/he can live outside herself/himself.  Often, the best thing we can do for someone else is to recognize when s/he is in a time of need and being present for her/him;
9829.  To foster great relationships, you have to want more for people than you want from them;
9830.  It’s not (actually that) attractive to a woman if you’re trying to impress her by being perfect;
9831.  What’s more attractive (to a woman) is a guy who knows he has flaws and is working to be a better man;
9832.  Apparently, the pits, stems and leave of cherries contain cyanide. . . . Who knew?
9833.  Of the (delivered) meal kits I’ve tried, Blue Apron seems to be the best.  Their instructions are clear.  They’re easy enough to make.  And they tend to use some exotic ingredient(s) that make(s) the meal feel extravagant;
9834.  We can all wish we were taller, richer, better looking, JFK’s son, etc., but eventually you’ve got to play the cards you’re holding and things are rarely perfect for anyone;
9835.  You’ve got to be willing to be imperfect and play the fool to grow;
9836.  When everything hits the fan, the answer is to adapt;
9837.  What money will do for you: 1.  Make your life more enjoyable; 2.  Relieve a lot of your stress; and 3.  Give you freedom;
9838.  What money won’t do for you: 1.  Get rid of all of your problems; 2.  Make you happy; and 3.  Fill the hole in your soul;
9839.  Money is great. . . . And it can be life changing . . . ,but, if you have unrealistic expectations for what it will do for you, you’re going to be disappointed;
9840.  Kohlrabi is also called German turnip;
9841.  Kohlrabi is a wild cabbage.  It’s related to broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and gai lan/Chinese kale;
9842.  I never thought I’d have my feelings hurt by a dog;
9843.  (Apparently,) t-shirts with holes in them aren’t a good look;
9844.  On a (brand) new(, Tempur-Pedic) bed/mattress . . . check;
9845.  The most powerful law of attraction is that we attract who we are;
9846.  The things we procrastinate on are generally not difficult in themselves.  It’s our stories about them that make them difficult;
9847.  Don’t let the fear of failure/striking out keep you from playing the game.  It happens to everyone.  Just smile and move on;
9848.  Apparently, if you haven’t heard from someone for a while and you can’t get ahold of her/him, you can call the police to do a wellness/welfare/safe and well check on her/him;
9849.  Just worry about being a better person than you were yesterday . . . and it will sort itself out;
9850.  Elizabeth dated a (former) University of Virginia men’s basketball player (specifically Tunji Soroye) . . . and so did her sister (Grace) previously and unknowingly in another city/state;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0196

9751.  Dogs can sneeze;
9752.  Dog snot is a thing;
9753.  Wendy’s spicy nuggets are pretty spicy. . . . They have a residual kick to them;
9754.  Wendy’s “S’Awesome” sauce is tasty. . . . It reminds me of Chick-fil-A sauce;
9755.  Charlie likes cold, white rice;
9756.  Deepthroated . . . check;
9757.  Apparently, I still shut down emotionally (at least on the outside) when I’m upset;
9758.  I think Elizabeth and I just broke up;
9759.  In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few;
9760.  No one likes a know-it-all, but what happens when the know-it-all lives in your head?
9761.  When people think they know all there is to know on a subject, they prove to be more closed-minded (. . . and less enjoyable to be around);
9762.  The question becomes: How can you embrace more of a beginner’s mindset, which reflects humility with respect to life experiences and the world?
9763.  The Zen Buddhist term, Shoshin, means “beginner’s mind” and holds that, only when you are a true beginner, can you really learn anything;
9764.  The beginner’s mindset refers to maintaining the open attitude of a beginner no matter how advanced your knowledge becomes on a topic;
9765.  A wise place to start would be to embrace more openness with regard to your judgments.  And really, everything is a judgment – from your opinion about someone else’s beliefs, to the system of yoga or religion you follow, to the “facts” that you consider absolutely unwavering.  After all, at a certain time in history, it was a fact that the world was flat!
9766.  When considering anything, try taking on the viewpoint of “Yes, No, Maybe” rather than choosing just one perspective (e.g., Should a person eat meat?  Yes, no, maybe.  Is your method of disciplining your children the best choice?  Yes, no, maybe.  Should you really wait 30 minutes after a meal before swimming?  Yes, no, maybe.);
9767.  The qualification is to not be wishy-washy, but instead to consider that few things in life are black and white.  The universe is basically comprised of all shades of gray;
9768.  Southern Grove (i.e., ALDI) cocoa almonds are really tasty. . . . Who knew?
9769.  The great naturalist, Rachel Carson, said in her book, The Sense of Wonder, “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.  It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.  If I had influence with the good fairy, who is supposed to preside over all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life;”
9770.  Rather than trying to figure these things out, practice being at peace with the state of not knowing;
9771.  You learn to relax into the moments when faced with a challenge or a conundrum and have no idea what will happen.  Faith in the unknown brings about inner peace;
9772.  Beginner’s mind asks you to see things as they actually are as opposed to the illusions with which you may so often identify.  It is your past experiences, assumptions and judgments that send you into a cycle of storytelling and unnecessary suffering (e.g., a person being 5 minutes late to your lunch meeting may just mean that that person is running behind not that s/he devalues you and your time so much that you feel disrespected and resentful);
9773.  It is far easier to jump to conclusions than to assume everyone’s innocence – at least at first.  With time, it gets easier to treat each person you meet with openness and without expectation;
9774.  Treat every day like it’s your birthday.  You know how you wake up on your birthday and every experience is heightened and special?  What would happen if you treated every day like that?  Each meal would become really magical because it would be exactly what you chose to eat on your special day.  You would walk down the street with light in your heart and pep in your step because you know that this day is an auspicious one in your life.  You would look around and see everything as a sign or a good omen that this will be your best year yet;
9775.  Approaching the world with a sense of authentic curiosity is one of the keystones of openness and the beginner’s mind;
9776.  If the whole world was blind, how many people would you impress?
9777.  There is no shame in making mistakes while trying to figure things out.  The goal is to live a fulfilling life not a perfect one;
9778.  Will what I’m about to do bring me closer to or take me further away from my goals?
9779.  Is this behavior, activity or attitude bringing me closer to or further from the person I want to be?
9780.  Bold Rock’s (seasonal) watermelon (cider) is (really) tasty. . . . It could be dangerous.  You can’t taste the alcohol at all;
9781.  Hummingbirds can fly forward, backward and (even) upside down;
9782.  Hummingbirds have a high metabolism and must eat all day long.  They consume about half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10-15 minutes and visiting 1,000-2,000 flowers throughout the day;
9783.  Hummingbirds are the smallest of all bird species;
9784.  Only female hummingbirds build nests and they only lay 2 eggs;
9785.  Male hummingbirds are no involved in raising young and will often find another mate after the young are hatched;
9786.  Praying mantis can kill hummingbirds;
9787.  Lobster/lobsta on pizza?  Yes, please;
9788.  Red Lobster’s lobster and langoustine pizza is pretty good;
9789.  While you are failing to define success (and thereby rendering it impossible) you are also refusing to define failure to yourself so that if and when you fail you won’t notice and it won’t hurt;
9790.  What is terrible in actuality often pales in significance compared to what is terrible in imagination;
9791.  Often what cannot be confronted because of its horror in imagination can in fact be confronted when reduced to its still-admittedly-terrible actuality;
9792.  If you shirk the responsibility of confronting the unexpected, even when it appears in manageable doses, reality itself will become unsustainably disorganized and chaotic.  Then it will grow bigger and swallow all order, all sense and all predictability;
9793.  You can’t compare yourself to others.  You have to run your own race.  Because there’s always someone that’s going to be better than you (i.e., richer, stronger, better looking, etc.).  That’s a game you’ll never win.  And that’s why you have to keep focusing on your progress;
9794. Release yourself form the need for validation;
9795.  You don’t need the approval, “likes,” attention, admiration, texts, comments or any other reaction from any other human being in order to feel good about yourself;
9796.  Practice telling yourself that whatever someone else says (or does not say) about you is of no consequence to how you feel;
9797.  Change can be joyous if we can let go of the resistance;
9798.  Anchovies aren’t half bad;
9799.  The roasted mushrooms (with soy, sherry, olive oil, egg yolk, smoked salt, pimento & warm bread) tapas at BARCA Pier & Wine Bar (BarcaAlx.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria is (pretty) tasty;

9800.  F(riends )W(ith )B(enefits) . . . check;