Lazy Woman Does London!

In London and all my travel tricks worked. The homeopathic remedy "No Jet Lag" that I got at Whole Foods is brilliant! It works. I literally have NO jet lag. I took a two hour nap my first afternoon, several hours after getting off the plane, and then went to bed at normal London bedtime after going to see "Billy Elliot," the most wonderful musical.

And the flight from LA to London passed by so quickly because I read dear Miss Salle's birthday gift book "Elegance of the Hedgehog" which I couldn't put down, and read all the way through to taking a brief nap at the end of the 13 or 14 hour journey. I didn't feel like I was on a long flight. I felt like I was on a lovely journey with these characters, and then dropped off to sleep with them floating inside me.

Now, after a long walk along the Thames it's time for bed, at the same time I'd be going to bed in LA, around 11:30 p.m. I'm just so blown away that I've actually found a Lazy Cure to my jet lag because I really have suffered before, and made little dents in my vacations by dilly-dallying with oscillating energy levels. Run, don't walk to your nearest Health Food Store or homeopathic remedy carrier to get "No Jet Lag" next time you travel through timezones.

While I was on my magical evening walk tonight, I passed by the Globe Theatre, a thrill for anyone who is a major Shakespeare fan. I was looking at every detail and my eye fell on a series of beautiful stone friezes along the outside wall of the theatre restaurant. I was investigating their simple stone delicacy when I was drawn by voices coming from the window below, at my feet. The chefs were almost casually preparing the most intricate dishes with many tiny detailed steps involved with preparing each plate. I kneeled down and watched. They had no idea I was watching because one of the chefs kept stealing bits of edible decorations from the other chef's creations. It was pretty hilarious. I really was an American fly on this British wall.

Oh to have long lazy london moments...sans jet lag. I am a lucky lucky girl.

Lazy Woman iDEALs for a New Car

I loved my convertible Saab but it had 125,000 miles on it. It was really great to not have a car payment. But, things were starting to happen to the car. Last month my driver's seatbelt broke, which is something that happens in older cars, and it cost nearly $300. Driving without a seatbelt just to even get to the mechanic was stressful. Last year my car broke down 75 miles away from my mechanic when I was in the middle of a trip, so every time I took a long drive I would wonder "Will it happen again?" So, that was a clear, consistent stressor.

Another conflicting stressor for me was money. Having a car paid off is a delightful wonderful thing. I didn't want a car payment again. My priority right now is getting completely out of debt. But I sat down to "get straight" with my car. I pulled out every receipt for the last 14 months. I found out I was paying far more than a car payment each month for repairs on my older car. So, weighing all the stressors and managing them was the key. Getting straight with what was "so," the facts, the reality, not the story -- was absolutely necessary for me to move forward.

It's so easy to get hemmed in by stressors and constricting facts. As soon as I got straight with the facts I felt some freedom and energy, and was able to immediately spring into action, apply for a car loan from my credit union and look at the POSSIBILITIES, not the constrictions and stressors. It was the getting honest and straight about the facts that started the movement in the right direction.

In the end I got the most unbelievable deal on my ideal car. So much less stress, so much MORE JOY!!!! It's a true Lazy Woman day!

Lazily Making My Way to the Plane

I couldn't be happier right now because I had a day of finishing gathering my super cool Lazy Woman ingredients for a healthy, wide awake trip to Europe, sans jet lag:

1. Marvelous Melatonin -- I tested it last night, and it worked! And, I was spunky and alert when I woke up.
2. Super Soft Inflatable Pillow -- I never have bought one, but I keep hearing about what a difference they make. Travel sites say this one is the best -- Eagle Creek -- and then I found out a friend has one and loves it. Yipppeee!
3. Precious Lucious Pashmina -- I got my replacement pashmina in the mail today. It is delicious and wonderful.
4. No Jet Lag Pills -- My genius pill-pusher at Whole Foods said people unequivocally rave about them, so I'm excited to try them.
5. iPod Goodies -- Eckart Tolle has the most hypnotic way with words and voice. He will make "sleepy time" very happy.

I have to be awake and smart 24 hours after I land, so I think I have amassed all the Lazy ingredients to make that happen.

Again, I couldn't be happier...plus my little Tallulah is snuggled up next to me with her little chin resting on my elbow. Delicious day, delicious day.

Lazy Woman Travel Tip #44

One of the things I do to ease my own travel stress is I start packing a couple days early for short trips, and several days early for long trips. When I do this then I remember the little things that are going to ease my stress when I'm on my trip.

For instance, I wear contacts, and I always have an extra pair of contacts in my cosmetic bag, but I don't always remember on my first round of packing to take my glasses, which I've needed in the past when my eyes were irritated.

I hate the panic of remembering something I have forgotten, and regret the minutes I completely lose to wondering if I will get an eye infection, for instance, on THIS trip!

The bottom line is that most of my travel stress is all about being in the "what ifs"...and not being in the PRESENT, being entrenched in the adventure of the moment.

As I started stressing about how much money I should exchange for both the countries I'm going to, I had a little "aha" moment and realized that even getting ready for the trip can be an adventure. No choice is wrong, it's just part of the adventure. There isn't an amount of money that is a problem: I can change it back or give it away! Every choice is just one little piece of the grand adventure.

So, I'm off to add a few items to the suitcase, and have a heckuva time doing it...because NOW I'm starting to get very excited about my trip! Usually I don't get excited until I actually get on the plane...but damn it all to heck, I'm gonna travel like a Lazy Woman this time, and enjoy every little moment of this frolic abroad.

Lazy Cuddly Travel Buddy

There's nothing like a cuddly delicious boyfriend to provide warmth and softness during travel. But, in the absence of such a thing, I have a huge passion for pashminas -- truly a Lazy Woman's Travel Tool.

A few months ago, I took the subway from Manhattan to Brooklyn to meet friends for dinner. It was cold out, but the subway is always toasty warm, of course. So, as I entered the 72nd street subway station I pulled off my pashmina and stuffed it in my bag. I discovered it missing late that night, and was immediately saddened, like I had lost a friend of sorts. It had been so many places with me, had provided me consistent comfort and "love" and I missed it terribly. Travel since hasn't been the same.

It warmed me on airplanes and in cold corners. It comforted me when I was so tired I didn't think I could get up the energy to change planes. It was my sarong on the way back from the pool. It was a soft pillow. And, it didn't weigh a thing, to boot!

So, here I am getting ready to rack up a lot of airplane time, and cold temperatures in London, and I'm missin' my baby! Thank god I remembered. I keep forgetting to replace it. It's so critical to my trip that I just ordered TWO online. You can't tell how soft they are online, even though both claim to be 100% pashmina, so I'm just hoping one of them proves to be as delicious as my old friend.

I'm looking forward to meeting my two new friends. I think one of them will love London. And, I look forward to millions of miles of travel together with my new Lazy Cuddly Travel Buddy!

Taking it Slow with Gratitude

There is no better anticdote for disappointment than gratitude. I woke up this morning feeling a little exasperated by a three month long string of romantic disappointments. Then it occurred to me how great it is that I've had some movement in that area, and even have a couple of new and interesting guys interested in me that I have yet to explore. But, beyond that, I have so very much to be grateful for. I was sleepily letting my mind wander through a long list of things I am grateful for. I was laying in bed looking out onto the two mightly oak trees, lemon trees, and other wonderful flora and scampering fauna (aka two squirrels) when I really got how much love I have in my life in so many different forms. I am so loved.

The Lazy Lesson of this time is to not get thrown by the disappointments and not make myself wrong because men aren't choosing me. Thank god they didn't choose me because I didn't choose them either. The right one will choose me, and I will powerfully choose him. And, it will definitely be far lazier than the stressful weirdness that's been going on... Lazy = less stress and more joy.

In the meantime, Lazy Dating for me about being grateful for my life just exactly as it is without a man in it.

It's all good. Gratitude rocks. It's like coffee. It perks up the soul.

Thank God I'm Taking it Slow!

These new muscles are sore, but I'm grateful I'm working them out! You learn about people in TIME. I am not a patient person. Most people protest that they aren't patient, but I think as an Aries I can definitely proclaim a mastery of IMpatience. We are impetuous and I am super-impetuous. I've never waited to sleep with men. And, by the same token I've actually rarely regretted the decision. But, I really made a commitment to exercise my new muscles and I'm glad I did.

I knew that the man I was interested in was very likely a non-match, but I was considering -- after a long and lazy drought -- an affair, a frivolous and fun affair, since there was such great chemistry between us. For the long haul, I'm certain we would have driven each other nuts, but for the short term, why not a little fun!

I was trying to figure out if I could handle it: fun without attachment. Friends said I couldn't, but I tried to imagine it. It was easy and lovely to imagine. Luckily, he pulled away (after letting me pay for dinner!) before it became an issue. I was fairly certain I woldn't be able to tame my impatience beyond that first date. It was an excrutiating night of me trying to be "good." He should pull away, as I was slightly insane trying to keep my hands off of him. Chemistry is a powerful thing, but my nature is even more powerful. I'm like a wild horse when I meet a man I want to meet. But, this horse needs to work out a lot more with her trainer to get some muscles developed.

Or not...sometimes I think the lazy answer is sleeping with the guy on the first date, but I am still going to give the newly developing muscles a shot. I'm happy I did this week, and I'll be happy about this decision again, I'm sure!

Taking it Slow is Lazy

I live more in black and white than gray. And while I think of lazy as a wildly colorful concept, laziness bringing me joy and happiness as a rule, lazy sometimes rests in the gray zone. A good gray, but gray nonetheless. I met a man I'm interested for the first time in way too long. I'm not good at taking it slow with men. But I'm finally learning how to take it slow, to savor the flavor of getting to know someone.

In this case taking it slow requires more effort on my part, which might imply a lack of laziness. But, I still get to be lazy. I get to discover some muscles that are untoned, and choose to exercise them. I took a new class at the gym a few weeks ago, and I learned a new squat exercise that shocked the heck out of me.

"I thought I HAD BEEN exercising those muscles!" I found myself screaming in my head when clearly unchartered territory was being met. But I definitely had no interest in giving up the new exercise. In fact, the pain made me want more because I was immediately connected to the results I might get. I actually savor the new sensations of pain in places I didn't know existed. And, the next day when trying to peel myself from my bed, I actually delight in the new aches and pains because it means I'm getting somewhere.

Taking it slow with men is exercising a muscle that is so deep down I even have trouble tapping into it. I don't even know how to be in my skin with it yet. But, I'm inspired to do things differently, so I'm savoring the little aches and pains. I expect the resultant sculpting this workout will effect is well worth a little lazy effort.

One very Lazy Love Solution for me is ...and I know this is going to sound very un-lazy, but it's true...is to throw a dinner party for friends that I really love. So, I did that very thing. Dinner for three couples that I adore. One couple I've known since college, one since I moved back to LA...and the third couple...is my "claim to fame." I set them up, and they have been happily married now for several years. Each and every one of the people at the table was brilliant, funny, and they have the most amazing hearts. I really love them and they totally appreciate me and "get" me.

It's so good to get gotten! Good and gotten!

The day after our dinner party I stopped at Marshalls to pick up a last minute birthday gift on the way to a party. I got picked up by one of the more handsome shoppers. I never get picked up, and he was a delightful little pick up because he seemed to "get" me a little in our short flirtation. Unfortunately, he's recently divorced, but it was still nice to get picked up and gotten all in one fell swoop.

But, I think what I'm going to use as my new Lazy Dating Barometer is this question "Would my friends set me up with him?" All I have to remember is this one magical dinner party and all the beautiful loving and hilarious souls around the table...would they set me up with him?

That's my new Lazy Dating Barometer...and I'm stickin' to it!