"I want to get away....."

Finally.... a break.

*takes a deep breath*

Winter term complete. 

There is some very valuable lessons I have already learned from being in school again. Lessons beyond the actual classes I have been taking. One of those lessons is that I have many maintenance type activities that must be done to keep me going in a healthy direction. Those things have been hard to keep up with while in school and working full time. 

The other lesson is that time is more precious than I already thought it was. 

Winter term is done and so I can take a breather. Well...kind of. I’m still playing catch up. This term I tried harder to make working out and finding more “me” time as bigger priorities into my already busy schedule. Well, this term I did do better at working out and creating some fun time for myself. However, when trying to balance so many things something always gets put on the back burner. This term that thing that got put on the bottom of my to do lists was cleaning. Not so bad my place is destroyed, but for me its definitely not up to par. My home is kind of a direct reflection of my mind and myself. So, when it’s cluttered it becomes harder for me to think or focus. So, it has been neglected a bit over the last few months. I’m currently trying to change that as much as I can before the spring term starts on April 1st and before I leave to go to visit my cousin in Arizona for a few days. Between appointments, errands, working out, cooking, and cleaning I have been a very busy boy. 

But this is spring break... I should have a little more time on my hands right? Not when you’re as focused as I am and working full time. To do the things I’m doing for my health it doesn’t leave much time for much else. I don’t remember the last time I watch a full movie at home and reading has been halted as well. Thats just the way it goes when you get older I have found. Also, I guess I'm a parent in training because I know having a kid does make your life this kind of busy or at least more prepared if such a thing should happen. 

I have also realized while being in school that I have two modes in my life apparently. It’s either crazy busy or I have too much time on my hands. The trick is finding that middle ground between those two modes in my life. That is what I’m continually working on. I can say that over the 3 terms I have done so far I’m getting better at doing so and at least progressing in this area. 

Finals this time around was a lot harder because I was struggling a bit in my math class.  So, I locked myself down and I spent a lot of time studying. Which I believe paid off because I feel I did well for my math final.  Over all I really liked my classes this term especially when it comes to how I scheduled them. 

Okay on to the song of the week. I have actually already picked this song last year around the same time and I’m picking it for the same reason this week. It is now my anthem for going on vacation. It is technically spring now here in Oregon and over the last week it definitely hasn’t felt like it. Winter is having a really hard time making an exit. Well, I’m breaking up with Oregon for a few days and heading south. Hopefully when I come back Oregon will have figured itself out and realized it is actually spring now and so it will start acting accordingly. So, I’m off to catch a plane today to take me to the Southwest. This will be my second time visiting my cousin Jason in Arizona. I have been watching the weather down there and it’s been in the 80’s all week. I can dig that. I need some relaxation and some warmth. With all that said today is the day I fly away. There is no song for me that fits the feeling of wanting to get away than Lenny Kravitz’s song “Fly Away”. So, let the guitar riff get stuck in your head and let the beat carry you away.... Fly away.... Let the vacation begin! 

I wish that I could fly 

Into the sky 

So very high 

Just like a dragonfly 

I'd fly above the trees 

Over the seas in all degrees 

To anywhere I please 

Oh I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah yeah yeah 

Oh I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah yeah yeah 

Let's go and see the stars 

The milky way or even Mars 

Where it could just be ours 

Let's fade into the sun 

Let your spirit fly 

Where we are one 

Just for a little fun 

Oh oh oh yeah ! 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away                         

Yeah yeah yeah 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah yeah yeah 

I got to get away 

Feel I got to get away 

Oh oh oh yeah 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah with you yeah yeah 

Oh Yeah ! 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah with you yeah yeah 

I got to get away 

I want to get away X4 

Yeah 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah with you yeah yeah 

I got to get away 

I want to get away X4 

Yeah 

I want to get away 

I want to fly away 

Yeah with you 

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

As always I bring this to you with love and pure D-lite. = ) 

P.S. I will try to bring the sun and warmth back with me. ;- )

Well that was refreshing....

So, I spent yesterday morning going through my pile of mail (a.k.a. bills). During that painstaking process I spent a good portion of time on the phone talking to customer service representatives trying to straighten things out. Today, the people I talked to on the phone were actually very helpful and so I got a lot accomplished in the short time that I had. One person in particular that stood out to me was the person responsible for the New Seasons Market account for our flex spending program. When after I called her up the second time I was joking around towards the end of our conversation that I would promise to leave her alone for the rest of the day at least. See even after my barrage of questions her customer service never wavered. After I got off the phone I was required to respond to an e-mail she sent me to verify that the new e-mail I gave her was the right e-mail to use on my account. Well, I did respond to her e-mail and this is what I wrote: 

"Yes, please! This is definitely the e-mail I would like to use for this account. Again, thank you so much for all your help today. I really do appreciate it. Good customer service is hard to find especially in the phone/online customer service department. So, I want to take the time to recognize it and appreciate it. So, thank you. Have a good rest of your day and beyond! = ) 

D~" 

Now I know because it's her job and she has to remain somewhat professional she wrote back:

"Thank you Derrick! I updated our system and this email address is on file now." 

The "!" mark tells me my message made it through to her and I hope I made her day. It's true though. Half the time I call customer service they are rude, unhelpful, or I can't understand them. As a whole we all don't get appreciated enough for the hard work we do. You can't be appreciated if you don't take the time to appreciate others. Also, remember if you are always looking for appreciation outside yourself than you might find it hard to feel appreciated. Life isn’t fair or even. Therefore, sometimes you are the only one to lift yourself up during tough times. Life also doesn’t always look over your shoulder and appreciate everything little thing that you do that is so great. Always strive to do your best and always take time to appreciate yourself as much as possible. Its a big component of self love. 

As always I bring this to you with love and pure D-lite. = )

Life Through Music: “Let The Good Times Roll”

Well, I’m finally set in motion and life is feeling good. Many things are coming together for myself from the hard work that I’m putting in. So, this week I wanted to continue the vibe from last week’s song of the week called “Good Life” , so I pick “Let The Good Times Roll” by the one and only Ray Charles to help continue this awesome vibe I have going for myself right now. 

Lyrics:

Hey everybody,

Let's have some fun

You only live but once

Yes, really lets just have some fun. I don’t care how cold it has gotten in the last week spring is on its way. We can all work to squeeze more fun into our life. I’m reminded of one night when I was at work and I asked this regular customer “How are you doing?” to which he replied back “I’m not having enough fun man”. What a statement that was because he is so right. We get caught up in the business of life and next thing you know it’s gone. So my message here is make more time for fun. 

And when you're dead you're done

So let the good times roll,

I said let the good times roll,

I don't care if you're young or old,

You oughtta get together and let the good times roll

It really doesn’t matter what your age is we can all help each other have more good times. I spent yesterday just hanging with my brother. We played some basketball and kicked around a soccer ball at the park up the street from my house. It was such a gorgeous day in the pacific northwest and it felt so good to take advantage of it. After that we went to a Timbers game in downtown Portland. Even though the Timbers lost we had a blast. After the game we came back to my house where we were joined by my brother’s girlfriend and then had an impromptu game night. My point is you can be a fun times facilitator and it doesn’t have to be complicated to become one. Start a movie night, have a BBQ, organize a group hike, have dinner party, go on a road trip, or my personal favorite is have a game night. These are just a few things you can do to have a good time. I know you can come up with more. 

Don't sit there mumbling

Talkin' trash

If you want to have a ball,

You got to go out and spend some cash

And let the good times roll now,

I'm talkin' 'bout the good times,

Here is where I interpret he’s lyrics a bit different then what I’m sure Ray Charles meant. I think of money as energy and so sometimes you have to throw in a little doe (or your time and energy) to have a good time. Conversely, some of the best times in my life have been from no money spent at all. Either way the effort needs to be there to accomplish having good times in your life. Point is when you do spend money to have a good time that is putting your energy into an investment of yourself and your well being. So lets let them good times roll people. 

Well, it makes no difference whether you're young or old,

All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll

Hey y'all tell everybody, Ray Charles in town,

I got a dollar and a quarter and I'm just ringing the clock,

But don't let no female, play me cheap,

I got fifty cents more than I'm gonna keep.

So let the good times roll now,

I tell y'all I'm gonna let the good times roll now,

Well, it don't make no difference if you're young or old,

All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll

Hey no matter whether, rainy weather,

If you want to have a ball, you got to get yourself together,

Oh, get yourself under control, woah, and let the good times roll.

Yes, if you want to have a good time you definitely have to get yourself under control. You can’t have a good time if you are as I put it “just a mess”. I’m talking drama free and carefree good times. Pull yourself together and enjoy what life offers you. 

I think this song is a very good song to usher in spring because I consider spring and summer in my life to be some of the greatest chances to have some really good times. So get those thoughts brewing now because before you know it September will be upon us. 

I hope you all had a great week and are ready for the next. Speaking of letting the good times roll my trip to Arizona is right around the corner so I’m definitely letting the good times roll. 

As always I bring this to you with love and pure D-lite. = )  

Life Through Music:"The Good Life"

“Welcome to the good life...”

“Like we always do at this time

I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

I g-go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky”

So, life isn’t always about looking deep inside. This week I’m trying to focus more on my progress in general and just where my life is “right now”. Forget about the past and trying to dissect it. Forget about where I will be in 5 years. Lets talk about right now. Lets take sometime to enjoy the hard work that I have done.

“Is the good life better than the life I live?”

I realized last week on my bus ride home that when I look at my life in the big picture I’m doing really well and overall I’m really happy with where my life is right now. Yes, I still have struggles, but why the hell am I really going to let them drag me down. There has been much talk lately in my circle of peeps about the idea of “First world problems”. I mean think of all the little stupid things we complain about and someone else in this world is having real world problems. I don’t want to be one of those people that complains about the petty things that in the bigger picture don’t mean much. I have had the luxury of living in a “first world” instead of a “third world” my entire life and for that I’m truly blessed. 

So lets have fun. This song “Good Life” by Kanye West was an instant hit for me when I got the album day one years ago. Kanye used a sample from the song P.Y.T. by  Michael Jackson in the song and so I was hooked right away. This song always makes me happy and gets me moving. I felt it was very fitting when I heard it while having my revelation on the bus earlier this week. The overall message that spoke to me in this song was in the chorus that says: 

“I’M GOOD” 

Now lets apply this phrase to my life as the check mark to the list that is me. 

My health, I’m really good. 

My dedication to my exercising, I’m really good. 

My eating and tracking my food, I’m doing really good.

My circle of family and friends, I’m really good. 

My winter term in school, I’m good. 

My love life, I’m good. 

Keeping up on my sleep schedule, I’m doing really good.

Winter is on the way out and spring is on it’s way in so I’m good.

This month I’m going to Arizona to see my cousin to celebrate my birthday and the beginning of spring so I’m really good.

I really do have everything I need in my life and more than some have in their entire lifetime. So really...

I’m good. = )

Now from the video and the other lyrics in the song you can definitely tell that Kanye and I have very different views on what is classified as the "good life". In life we all have different ideas of what makes a good life. So take the time to appreciate whatever it is that makes your life so damn good. 

In the song Kanye talks about closing his eyes and imagining the good life. Well, I don’t need to imagine because it’s right in front of me. What good is putting in the work if we don’t take the time to enjoy it. So, lets all take sometime to enjoy the good life. Take a moment to sing and dance along with me...

“Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky

Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine

Now throw your hands up in the sky”

It’s time for all of us to shine as bright as we can. 

As always I bring this to you with love and pure D-lite. = )