floating down the stream
{ Monthly Archives }
I am leaving when it’s the busiest. In reality I will be only off line for 20 hours. Twelve hours on the plane, three hours before and after. What’s on the plate? Enough to keep me busy. And hopefully enough to keep me in the small luxuries I adore, and the necessities I need.
Image: © Ophelia Chong 2007 / Dumo, Milan
Here is your horoscope for Sunday, July 15:
Your life continues to improve by leaps and bounds — and it’s all thanks to your recent commitment to learning new and better ways to communicate. It’s a lot of work, but the results make the effort worthwhile.
I have been on the phone and online for the last two weeks trying to get this group of people together. One sees the potential to a client, the other sees “just another idea”. This group has gone through the mill with luke warm ideas and burned through a huge amount of cash. As for me, this possible project is more the thrill of the hunt than a future job. So it’s an altruistic move right now.
All projects start out with hope and smiles. To have those projects succeed your group has to have imagination, money and mostly the gambling spirit. You never pull back the dice once you’ve rolled it. But people do this all the time. “Oh wait, I read this…” “My friend said…” “My better half doesn’t like….”
it goes on. Second guessing only leads to second rate ideas.
©ophelia chong / picture of a toasty friend
I regret losing (extra “o” is now saved for later) the lust I had. It’s in hibernation right now, got to keep a lid on it. It’s ready to come out and play. But right now all I am going to do is go to the gym and work.
This week has been non-stop with work. All wonderful work. I am exhausted but with the right word, I am energized.
Back to lust. Back to work.
image: © ophelia chong
I realized that I happiest when I connect dots. My fault/gift is that I love talking to strangers. Strangers on the plane seat next to me, clerks, people at restaurants. I have no fear of talking. And I remember everyone. When an opportunity comes up, and I think I can connect someone to someone else, I will. My patter is similar to a Labrador Retriever, “hey you hey you, how ya doing? hi ya hi ya hi ya…whatchas your name , eh? huh? hi ya hi ya”….except I don’t drool.
©ophelia chong / bunny dance “lets wangchung tonight….”
Social life? Sort of. Well, not really. Kind of. Work comes first, going to the gym next, looking after the house, garden, work…okay social life is not up there.
All work and no play makes Ophelia…..not sure.
I will get one soon. Yep, I will for sure. Really. Right after I finishing working.
I am not even sure if I have time to socialize. It has to be something/someone really amazing for me to make time.
This image is of the escape to the West from East Berlin. Good image for this blog. The Great Escape.
I think I slept a total of 2 hours last night. Jojo the 14 year old dog had a bad night, she could not lay down. She walked around the house for over 5 hours. I put her outside, thinking she needed to pee. No such luck. Poor thing. I tried to pet her and helped her lay down. No luck there either. And damn it, if she didn’t step on the squeaky toy next to my bed and completely freak out the other dogs. They all woke up with a start. Once they figured out what it was, they had that annoyed look. I am exhausted. I got out of bed at 6am and started working. Then a breakfast meeting and back to work. I emailed Dr.Augustine Fou about a possible project, he’s a genius. Press check later in the day in Culver City. Poor Jojo finally got some sleep during the day, and I really wanted a nap. Now I am finally going to bed. I went out for Korean BBQ with my best friend Greg and I feel very very full and sleepy. Burp and ZZZZZZZZZs.
I did it again. I said something that didn’t make any sense. I was at the gym and getting ready for Spinning Class. Someone asked me how my 4th was, and I replied “Meat and more meat”. Now if you heard that, what I said a few minutes later would make perfect sense. The one good looking male at the gym said hello to me, and I had to say “How was your meat?”. I stood there with my mouth open and realized he’s probably thinking I was inquiring about a body part. I quickly scooted over to my bike and hung my head low. Pure Chong Moment.
Sigh.
Image: © Ophelia Chong / Mister Pooh cradles his banana.
4am - lay awake thinking about what I have to do
6am - smell the coffee (auto setting) get up and log-in / let dogs out
7am – talk to East Coast
8am – prepare files / decide to put on shorts / drink 3 cup of coffee
9am – upload new program / actually really fun
10am – BREAKFAST! oatmeal and blueberries
11am – more phone calls / sweating details
noon – sweat some more
1 pm – 4pm – work and IM a new friend in SF. interesting how the world is so small.
5pm – look at myself in the mirror and decide to take a shower
6pm – spinning class and weights / i must look very anti-social
7pm – deposit checks / wahooo!
8pm – back online and working
9pm - zap a potato for dinner. damn that sounds sad.
10 pm to now - working
11pm - hopefully in the bathtub by then
6am Wednesday July 4th – back online working.
Social life? That’s for wussies.
Image: ©Ophelia Chong / Shanghai June 07 / Where I want to be now.Going back
July 24 – Aug 8.
Now:
6:12 am – wake up. lets dogs out to pee. pour huge mug of coffee. make first of a dozen East Coast calls, work on new program.
9 am – Pasadena to pick up stuff/ played with iPhone at Apple Store
11 am – work on new program
1 pm - almost screw up a bunch of stuff, loose a kidney.
6 pm – Spinning Class + weights
7:30 pm – Vons, pick up fat free cream(?) and food
8:30 pm – back to working on program
11:27pm – still working on new program
midnight - hot bath
12:30am Tuesday - crawl into bed with LA Times crossword
1 am – pass out
6:12 am – alarm goes off, back to work on East Coast time, smell coffee
9 am – upload new program
Oh lordy, please someone distract me.
Image: ©Ophelia Chong / super 8 film
I took in another dog. Jojo lived in a shed behind this house, it was hot in the summer, freezing and wet in the winters. Someone would come by and feed her, but that’s all the interaction she got for the last few years. Her owners were very old and passed away. She was skin and bones. Fourteen years old and barely hanging on. She would look at you with her big cloudy eyes and slink away. So we took her home. The first day she was a bit stressed out by new surroundings. And all she would eat was Oscar Meyer Baloney©. Now after two weeks, she’s eating anything you hand her. Her fur is getting shiny, her gait is stronger and she follows me around like a puppy. The other three dogs first looked at her and thought “Dead Dog Walking”, and left her alone. Now they sleep together and coexist in their doggy way. She is deaf, has cataracts, few teeth, and is one wonderful loving dog. All she asks for is a soft bed, a few scratches behind the ears, and love. She gives back a hundred times the love you give her. And she loves steak.
This is JoJo sleeping on her bed next to my desk.
Image: © Ophelia Chong / 35m slide work
