I believe there are three main forces at work guiding how we humans engage with the world around us. These subconscious and ever-present forces drive us to do the things we do. The first is fear. When it comes down to it, fear is a pretty strong motivator. The fear of failure could push us to wake up each day, put one foot in front of the other, and make something happen, while a fear of success could keep us from truly reaching our utmost potential. Oftentimes when I find myself upset, anxious, worried or scared, it takes only a few moments of self-reflection to realize that I'm probably reacting out of fear. Prejudice is a symptom of fear. Wars are born from fear -- fear of what "the other side" might do to us first, fear of the unknown, fear of an end to our way of life, etc.
The second, and much more enticing force, is love. I use the term love in an all-encompassing kinda way. Love might be phrased, more explicitly, as unwavering and overwhelming acceptance, appreciation and good will. Although love can take other forms such as Eros or romantic, sexual love, I'm primarily focusing on the Agape version. Agape has been defined as "divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional and thoughtful love." A mother's love falls under this category. Not easy to come by. When you have it, hang on to it and cherish it. When you don't have it, keep looking and don't give up. It's that important. So much of what we do is in response to, in quest of, in reaction toward, this powerful force. As the old adage goes, we do crazy things for Love.
The third force could probably be best summarized as the force of Stasis. I think of this as the continual search for balance and comfort; the status quo maintained. This is about satisfying our instinctual needs and basic desires. Food and shelter would qualify as aspects of this Stasis. We want to survive and need creature comforts to do so. I think Stasis has gotten us into a lot of trouble. As humans we often reach Stasis and have all of our physical concerns taken care of. This is where the other two forces kick in. Whether it is at the urging of Fear or Love, we get greedy. We want more. We get more. Suddenly, our Stasis is thrown off kilter. We are over indexing on plush, easy, carefree, glittery, new and better when we really didn't even need or want anything else in the first place. When this happens, Stasis is lost. In the immortal words of Britney Speers, "Oops, I did it again."
So why all the reflections on these invisible yet important forces? Perhaps it is on my mind because I spent a lot of time out of Stasis this weekend attending various fairs and festivals with friends and family. First up was a trip to the state fair -- the great Minnesota Get Together. Upon entering the gates, me and my band of hungry foot soldiers cut a swathe of feverish gorging on bad-for-you, deep fried, stick enhanced, fantastically carnivorous delightfulness. It was a never ending feast. We left an array of empty cups, dirty napkins and greasy wrappers in our wake.
The next day found us doing similar damage at the Renaissance Festival. Although somewhat more subdued, the Ye-Old event ignited more encounters with jumbo smoked turkey legs, bread bowl chowders, cream puffs, pickles and mead (not necessarily in that order and not all consumed by moi). Yes, I drank mead -- it's a rather tasty beverage made from fermented honey. Who knew? Well, all this consuming made me stop and consider what it was all about. Sure, the motivation was to have fun, spend some time in the sunshine enjoying the last, fading glory of summer, share some laughs with my sister, brother-in-law, little bro and hubby.
This is the third year that Mr. Oz and I attended the state fair. The fair was the scene of our memorable third date so it's become a tradition of sorts. There's nostalgia, entertainment, the lure of people watching . . . all of these are fine reasons. When in Rome, one has a need to experience Rome in all its sensorial glory; soaking it in, tasting its salty, sweet, bitter and briny wonder. But, what about my theory of fear, love and stasis as forces behind everything we do? Well, I think for me, my Stasis jumped completely out of whack. I've taken it too far. I'm in too deep. What I haven't quite figured out yet is whether Fear or Love is to blame for my actions. What hole am I trying to fill? What am I trying to outrun? I need to regain my sense of Stasis and get back into balance, stat.
Cleansing, healing, calming, re-centering are words and deeds I must become intimately familar with. Sounds a little too "Jack Handy's Deep Thoughts," perhaps. Sometimes a corn dog is a symbol of fear, a sign of self loathing, a lack of appreciation and a profound imbalance. Sometimes, just sometimes, a corn dog is just a corn dog.
It's official. I've fallen in love. I'm declaring it to the world today. This is not just some passing fancy or silly crush. Nope. I'm head over heels and seriously obsessed. My husband knows about it too. He's not upset. He understands. These things happen. The fact that I have found this love does not diminish the adoration I have for my dear husband, no not in the least. What can I say? I love my dog! He's just THE best little puppy . . . so cute, so cuddly, so devilishly smart and, of course, extremely naughty.
Last weekend, found us hanging by a local lake with one of our Besties, J-Hawk. Chilling on the shore, people watching and kickin it provided ample photo opportunities. J-Hawk has this sweet camera and amazing eye so she got to snapping. Ahhhhh, little Ozymandias, how adorable, right?
I'm going to investigate puppy modeling agencies cuz this guy needs to be in magazines, on billboards, gracing the front of various dog food packages, perhaps on the cover of Dog Fancy magazine . . . seriously. He's gonna be a star. I hope I don't become like one of those whack job stage mothers who pimp out their children and get all Joan Crawford "no more wire hangers" on them. That would be bad. I just want to see my boy realize his dream of super fame, riches and what not.
OK, that reminds me. Did anyone seen the movie Bruno this summer? If you did, you can appreciate the comment about Stage Mothers. There is a particular scene where Bruno is casting for little children to take part in this offensive commercial. As he explains the premise of the video to the would-be child stars' moms and dads, the plot gets stranger and stranger. He asks things like "so, your child would be dressed up as a Nazi and torturing another child with a sword while flames are surrounding him. Would that be ok.?" All the parents are like "oh, sure. That is fine." WHAT?!? Although Bruno (aka Sasha Baron Cohen) may not be everyone's cup of tea, he sure does know how to put a spotlight on some of our society's more insane habits and practices. Love it.
But I digress. Anyone know the name of a good agent so I can get my dog into some Hollywood movies? 
As many of my loyal (3 of you) blog readers know, I occasionally like to check out new dining establishments, take pictures and offer up my reviews. This weekend, in between running errands and lazing about, I had the opportunity to try three new spots in the Twin Cities.
On Friday night, the hubby and I had a date night of sorts. We wanted sushi and just happened to have a $50 gift card to Tiger Sushi 2 in Minneapolis. About a month ago, we attended a SidewalkDog.com sponsored 'sushi with your poochie' event at Tiger Sushi 2. Upon arrival at this dog-tastic shin-dig, we were greeted with the news that we won a gift card. Yippee!! The patio just happened to be overrun with dogs and their owners -- it was wall to wall yips and yaps and not an open seat to be found. Sadly, this meant we did not get any sushi with our poochie. Well, this weekend we went back. I had read some mixed reviews about the place online, but came in with an open mind and empty stomach. Tuna Tataki tacos were yummy but my crunchy salmon and tuna roll was . . . well, it smelled kinda fishy. Mr. Oz enjoyed his sushi combo platter, but wasn't blown away by the freshness. All in all, it was a fine meal and I might go back for happy hour or something.
The ginger infused martini was superb though! Delicious.
On Saturday, we hit this new frozen yogurt place in our hood. Freeziac is the first of its kind in the Twin Cities. Patterned after the popular west coast chains, Pinkberry and Yogurtland, this place is a veritable cornucopia of flavors and add-your-own toppings. They boast a selection of about 8 yogurt flavors with a mix of both tart and sweet varieties. You grab your cup and fill 'er up. Next you can add a wide array of crunch toppings, fruits and sauces to make your treat complete. The yogurt is weighed and you pay by the ounce. It's not cheap, but it is oh-so-delectable and refreshing. I high recommend Freeziac. I'll probably be there at least once a week doing my part to keep the place in business.
Finally, today my friend Jess and I had dinner at the latest contestent vying for the title of 'Worlds' Greatest Hamburger Joint.' Smashburger in Golden Valley, MN has been open for several months now. There's been some talk of it in the local press. Of course, I had to check it out. When we arrived, luckily the line wasn't too long. A few short minutes and we had placed our order and nabbed a table. Just as our food arrived, the line grew and trailed out the door and half way around the block. So here's the good and the bad about Smashburger:
Pros:
If you are a fan of In & Out Burger, you'd like Smashburger. The flavor and portion size reminded me of the infamous West Coast chain quite a bit.
I ordered the Twin Cities Smashburger and Smash Fries. What the place lacks in imaginative product naming, it makes up for in taste. This burger was awesome! The meat piles out over the sides of the bun, cheese dripping so much I had to switch over to a fork and knife tactic before I was even half way through.
Smash fries are yummy.
Cons:
The dining room is not necessarily configured in the best way. The order line cuts a perfect swathe through the middle of the restaurant in such an awkward way. Patrons hover over you as you eat making you feel very claustrophobic. It's really quite annoying.
The prices are a little high. I had a burger, fries and root beer for a little over $11. I suppose it beats gourmet restaurant prices, but for all the cramped and claustrophia vibes, I'd expect under $10 to be more appropriate.
This concludes my impromptu restaurant review. I'm no James Beard, but hey, I also don't charge my dear friends (readers?) a subscription fee for my pearls of dining wisdom. Eat at your own risk people.
No, I didn't drop off the face of the planet. I'm still here. Alive and kickin it old school since 1972. It may seem as if I've abandoned my post. Little Ozy the wonder pup has been occupying a great deal of my time these days. Man, he's a handful. We have dubbed him the Boston Terrorist due to his high energy and obsessive, compulsive disorder when it comes to shoe laces, pant legs, shoes, leaves, magazines, dirty clothes . . . basically anything he can fit in his mouth. On a related note, he's developed a hankering, how shall I say this, a mad frenzied and abnormally focused taste for the cat poop (otherwise known as kitty snickers). GROSS. I know!! He cannot get enough. Apparently, once you try it, your hooked -- well, at least if you are a puppy.
Don't worry. We are on the case. Mr. Oz and I have stepped up our game significantly. Diligently we guard against the fiendish cat poop eating behavior. We've become much more frequent kitty litter box scoopers. Mostly we keep the door to the litter box room closed whenever the puppy is roaming free in the household. We bar him from the space using a cleverly devised system of baby gates, zip lines, counter leevers and pullies. Well, mostly just the baby gates, but I REALLY like the visual of a fully rigged up townhouse.
This whole thing has not been easy for the two cats. They are seriously bummed by the presence of the bitty canine rampager. Spencer, our debilitated, slow, fat cat, cannot get away fast enough. Ozy pounces on him, batting and barking, jumping to and fro in a crazy kind of doggy, devil dance. Spencer mounts a meager resistance, occasionally tapping Ozy on the head with his declawed paw. Sad. The good news is Ozy quickly tires of Spencer due to his general lack of engagement. Sophie, on other hand, holds extreme fascination for Ozy. Sophie is our lithe, vocal, dominant diva cat. She's the boss. Well, Ozy is quite territorial. Whenever Sophie is near, it is on like Donkey Kong. Ozy lunges and barks out amplified aggression. Sophie responds with big hisses and growls. Ozy moves forward. Sophie jumps the baby gate and taunts from the other side. It's enough to make a peace loving animal owner want to run away. Calgon, take me away!
Sigh.
Since bringing home our cute little pup, I've developed my own slight obsession. I wouldn't liken it to be on par with Ozy's desire for cat poo, but it might be pretty close. I am completely into Cesar Milan, otherwise known as The Dog Whisperer. That guy's got mad skills. I want to do what Cesar does. He rehabilitates dogs; he trains people "I am the Dog Whisperer." Love him. What I find, as I watch Cesar perform his miracles, is the overlap between dog psychology and human psychology. In the pack driven world of dogs, someone is always trying to establish dominance. In the absence of dominance, there is chaos and crazy. The goal is calm submissive state. People are like this to. They want to be led. Without clear leadership, everything goes to hell. With leadership, things are relaxed and seemingly effortless. This, of course, assumes the leadership is fair and just and not some insane dictator out for blood. Good luck with that, I say. Like dogs, people are motivated by "treats." We need to feel like we have a purpose and balance work and play. Dogs too need to feel they've worked for something before they are rewarded. Maybe I should write a book about how people are like dogs and tie it to organizational psychology. Hmmmm . . . OR, maybe not. But, it's kinda fun to think about.
We have enrolled in puppy class. I'm hoping I'll learn how to channel my inner pack leader and be more like Cesar. In the meantime, no more kitty snickers for Ozy. Bad doggy. Bad.
