#14 save, save, save!

I recently increased my contribution to 6% so I can get my employer's maximum contribution. A few years ago I was at 3% and I didn't think I would be contributing more, so this is a big step! As one saying goes, retire from work, but not from life.

The Cup of Life

A group of working adults got together to visit their University lecturer. The lecturer was happy to see them. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. The Lecturer just smiled and went to the kitchen to get an assortment of cups – some porcelain, some in plastic, some in glass, some plain looking and some looked rather expensive and exquisite.

The Lecturer offered his former students the cups to get drinks for themselves.

When all the students had a cup in hand with water, the Lecturer spoke:

If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal that you only want the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What you all wanted was water, not the cup, but we unconsciously went for the better cups.

Just like in life, if Life is Water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold or maintain Life, but the quality of Life does not change.

If we only concentrate on the cup, we won’t have time to enjoy or even taste the water in it.

~ unknown source

#99 Ask For A Raise

Checklist:

Prove yourself.  

Prepare a list of accomplishments.

Set a meeting with boss.

Make a case about your value to the company.

Ask for a raise.

Wait...patiently.

--

Earn raise and promotion.

Do the happy dance.

#99 of goal, checked!

#98 We've moved!

A house is made of walls and beams, a home is built of love and dreams.

#18 Taste of Gaslamp

We spent Father's Day tasting delicious food samples from over 20 eclectic restaurants in the Gaslamp district. It was a lot of fun to visit each restaurant in anticipation of what we were about to taste. My favorite venue was the Airr Supper Club because of its modern ambience and monochromatic decor, which I had to do a double take when I first walked since I felt as if I was transported to a clandestine place in Santorini with white furniture and walls. And my favorite sample was the carne asada potato skin at the Tavern. We were stuffed after 2 and a half hours of the tasting tour...we went to 20 out of the 30 restaurants that participated!

#28 Volunteer for an organization

Habitat's vision: a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

#7 Seeing 20/20

Finally I can see perfectly clear without glasses or fumbling with contact lens! I've been debating getting LASIK for years, and I'm happy I finally decided to go for it. I can play sports without worrying about a ball slamming my glasses or losing a contact lens. I can wake up in the morning and see my son's smiling face without having to squint. And in case extraterrestrials invade, I can escape without having to worry I'd forget my spectacles. Yep, truly a great investment!

#55 Snow adventure

Okay, so it wasn't snowboarding in Utah, but it was skiing in Mammoth and it was a great experience! We planned to ski the first day, but an avalanche caused road closure from the lodge and we resorted to sledding to fill in the day with at least some snow action. It was freezing!

Back at the lodge's lobby we warmed up near the fireplace and I had a perfect drink for a snowy day: hot apple cider, specially made by the lodge's chef. Inside our room we had a mesmerizing view of falling snow and evergreens.

For dinner, we dined at the lodge's cozy Lakefront Restaurant where we ate delectable seafood dishes. I had salmon (with fried skin) and the yellow triangle-shaped item on the plate was polenta, which tasted like buttermilk grits. So good!

The next day the sun partially shined and we were ready to ski! After countless pizzas (ski term for breaking/stopping) and having every single person pass me, I finally let go and zoomed through the slopes, as I put aside any fears of falling and running into people. Up next...snowboarding!

#98 Picture time!

Every time the photographer snapped a picture, he laughed and smiled like it was the funniest thing he's ever seen in his six months of existence. Definitely fun times!