where angelenos fear to tread

The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ~Paulo Coelho

a mysterious underground tunnel in the lax airport. despite the desolation and the creeping feeling that we were doing something we shouldn't, we left terminal 5 in search of coffee. we risked so many things--exposure to noxious gases, the risk of being trapped by a cantankerous steel cage, the possibility of never finding our way back.

despite our fears, we arrived safely on the other side, in terminal 6. we were rewarded for our bravery with a tall cup of joe and a bonus bag of jelly beans. we took our time getting back. mixing bitter beans with sweet, noticing another taste buzzing on our tongues; a sense of possibility. what other tunnels would there be? what tunnels had we passed out of fear? what other rewards were waiting for us on the other side of an adventure? we boarded the plane looking forward to finding out. with great risks come great discoveries and with each great discovery we draw closer to finding our truth.

joystick to the world

nothing brings you together for the holidays quite like virtual reality. I spent this christmas with my family drinking a mishmash of alcoholic beverages and staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing wii. I watched my parents play each other at tennis, the carpet their court. along with my siblings, I transformed the living room into a bowling alley and then a stage. my boyfriend played lead, while I played bass for the stones. I watched my brother and sister head out into the wild to shoot at tin cans and alien space ships--all while sitting next to the warmth of the fire place. we spent hours swinging at invisible things and jamming on fake plastic guitars until we laughed ourselves to sleep, sometimes well past 4 in the morning (the parentals included).















I am now back home with a stiff shoulder and a newfound appreciation for video games. it doesn't matter if you are wrapping gifts or singing carols, all that matters at christmas is that you are spreading joy with the ones you love. I beat that level and then some.

merry and bright

a toews family tradition continues.

merry everything!

dissecting your dinner

after a five-year stint as a vegetarian, I found myself dissecting my dinner this holiday season. atop my plate, a cute little bird was bending over in front of me. I was sad, and curious. Hungry, and a bit disgusted too. I soldiered on, determined to experience a new thing, in this case, a cornish game hen. the truth is, I preferred the potatoes and the warm buttered rolls. the stuffing stayed in its bowl as it always has when it was passed to me--soggy baked bread crumbs have never tempted my pallet. but after it was all done, the dishes washed, desert set out; I was glad to have shared in this experiment with my family. I looked around the table at all the smiling faces that resembled my own and I ate my mother's cherry and pistachio pudding pie with a very merry heart.

ho ho ho down

oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, to deck the halls with bows of holly, there are chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and in the lane, snow is glistening, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of rudolph the red-nose reindeer, frosty the snowman, jolly old saint nicholas, the little lord jesus, good king wenceslas and santa baby, oh holy night walking in a winter wonderland, all I want for christmas is my two front teeth, I mean, you.

fudge and his fully functioning follicles

this is fudge.
fudge thinks he is too hairy.
fudge thinks he should get laser surgery.
fudge thinks his abundance of body hair is the reason he's single.

fudge is single for the same reason as everyone else, he hasn't met the right person yet.

I told fudge that the right woman will love fudge and all his fully functioning follicles.

I also told fudge that the right woman isn't looking for a hairless man, but rather a man comfortable with himself. there is really nothing sexier than self-acceptance. and besides, people like all types. hairy, bald, thin, fat, tall, short, cross-eyed, chip-toothed, big-nosed, beady-eyed. there are all kinds to love all kinds. in the meantime, we've got to love ourselves so when someone else does come along, we can show them how to love all of the facets of our beautifully idiosyncratic selves. we can only be loved as much as we love ourselves.

what's up now dr. phil?