Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.

And you get to join in if you feel like it.

Checking in again …

Everybody say chicken!

That was fun. Moving on.

The hard stuff

Oh the sadnesses.

Seeing that poor, scared cat get run over and die. And not being able to handle it at all. Seriously. Just freaking the heck out.

I don’t even know how to explain how sad and distraught I was. You know? Ach, this gorgeous fluff-muffin of a pumpkin cat. And the minivan which didn’t stop. It didn’t stop. So agonizingly horrible. Sad and senseless and painful.

Honestly I don’t remember the last time I cried so much.

To the point that people who came by truly thought that I had either run it over or that it was my cat because really there was just no other way a human being could come so unglued.

And then this woman gave me a hug, because we’re in Portland and told me that death is part of life and I was sort of like yeah, you’re right but also sort of like, go away, you don’t understand.

My gentleman friend came and picked me up because I was a wreck. And he comforted me and told me about how he once hit a dog (the dog was okay, gott sei dank). and I decided that maybe my plan to firebomb all minivans was a little overreaching.

So yeah, hard hard hard.

It’s officially winter.

The truth is, I’ve been working for a few years on this particular pattern of dreading the change in season … trying to become the kind of person who likes all kinds of weather.

And I’ve certainly resolved a chunk of it. But still had that punch-to-the-stomach feeling this week on the day when it became obvious that there was no way I’d be able to even start my morning meditation without turning on the heat.

And putting on long underwear and ridiculously fluffy socks.

This will be my first winter in Oregon so everyone has been warning me about the rain and the grey and how depressing it can get. I’m not especially worried about that part.

I love rain. I like grey.

Really, I’m not impressed by grey or wet.

But the cold. Not a fan of the cold.

I’ve survived winters in Michigan. And one awful one in Wisconsin, which made Michigan winters look like a joke. I’ve even made the mistake of visiting Chicago in December.

Heck, I lived through winter in East Berlin … in what was for all intents and purposes an abandoned building where the only heat was a coal furnace.

So yes, I can handle it. But mmmmmrphgh. There may be some whining.

The good stuff

*blush*

My wonderful, sparkly, effusively awesome brand new girlfriend aka super-famous self-help superstar Jennifer Louden was in town to eat biscuits with me give a workshop, which was insanely great.

Also she pretty much mentioned me and how important my work is about once a minute so I spent the whole time blushing embarrassingly charmingly.

We did a ton of really neat journaling exercises, some of which I’ve been adding to my morning routine, and the whole thing was just awesome insight after awesome insight.

If you have a chance to take any kind of class with her — and yeah, she’s doing one by phone on Wednesday — ohmygosh do it!

My life: I don’t even know what to say. Yay!

Speaking of biscuits …

This weekend I’ll be — ahem — buttering biscuits with the brilliant, charming and fabulous Colleen the Communicatrix!!!

Given that I just had breakfast with Jennifer Louden last weekend, the percentage of breakfasts with people I’ve wanted to meet for ages is totally on the rise. Through the roof! Statistically speaking, of course.

Pretty soon it will just be Mark Twain and the Dalai Lama that I haven’t breakfasted with.

I’m not even eating right now!

Yes, it was Yom Kipur this week. And yes, that’s why I haven’t answered your email yet.

Anyway, this year was the easiest fast I’ve ever had. Didn’t even get hungry until about two hours before it was over. Plus I hardly fell apart at all during yizkor (memorial service).

Usually I spend the day after Yom Kipur doing nothing but snacking. Just because I can. But this year that kind of loss consciousness or whatever you want to call it hasn’t been showing up. So yay for that.

The teleclasses!

I taught two teleclasses this week, and I must say that much ass was kicked. In a good way.

Naomi and I always have a rocking good time on the non-icky self-promotion calls but this week’s theme (what to do when you’re not getting encouragement and support from your friends and family) is so, so huge.

And it was just the most fun ever. You know life is good when a. you’re thinking “I have the best job in the entire world” and b. people are sending you email titled “This is f*cking great!”

Also, if you missed my “Hey, I’m doing a random freebie call” Tuesday about how to get into a regular-ish exercise-ey routine when you don’t have time and you don’t feel like it, it was a blast.

We had 111 people sign up officially, and then switched services and then there were presidential debates so it ended up being a cozy 27 of us. And it was just really fun.

And you can listen to it here (mp3 download) if you feel like it.

Warning: 100% unedited. Sound quality semi-sucky. So you might have slog through a bit of us being goofy and making weird noises and then some weird noises that aren’t us.

Several people emailed to say how much they enjoyed it (one woman wrote: “Great topic — been wondering this for about 27 years now!”)

And this one was so so great:

“It’s always refreshing to hear a very non-bootcamp “suck it up, soldier!” take on a daily practice. It’s far less threatening to the rebellious teen that still rages on inside of me sometimes and thinks that bootcamp-ish rules are so “The Man” and, therefore, damnable.”

Hooray! That’s exactly what we’re going for.

That’s it for me ….

And yes, absolutely join in my Friday ritual if you feel like it and/or there’s something you just want to say out loud too.

Yeah? What was something hard and/or good that happened in your week?

And, as always have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious weekend. And a happy week to come.