Life's too short to drink bad wine, but bad beer is probably ok ...

That was the screensaver on the computer in the lab where I did my graduate research, on the old 486 running Windows 3.1. Life is too short for a lot of things and if people remembered that I think, as a people, we'd all be much happier. I was miserable living in Rhode Island in a job that made me very unhappy. Life is too short to live that way so I quit my job and moved to Seattle. There were a lot of twists of fate, ultimately it felt like bad things would have happened if I hadn't moved forward on the opportunities presented. I have been much happier with the various ups and downs life has presented since moving to Seattle.

Life is too short to wear clothing that makes you feel ugly, even if it's only your self perception. My mother passed away last March and I took many of her clothes including the two cashmere sweaters. The pale aqua cardigan makes me feel good and happy, the olive green crew neck makes me feel down and dark. I gave it to a co-worker who really likes that color. She really didn't want to take it from me. I finally insisted that even though it's a great sweater and was my mother's I was never going to feel good wearing it, life is too short to wear things you don't like, regardless of how nice they are. I have plenty of other blouses and sweaters that I will never part with, the colors and styles make me feel good, why do I need one more sweater that I don't like.

Life is too short to vacuum the apartment every day. I'd much rather take the dogs to the park for a fun run around than vacuum all the time. I'm ok with some dog hair, a lot of dog hair, in my life. The joy it brings me watching Llelo sprint like a mad man around the park with a handful of dogs racing after him and Gus swimming for his ball makes neglecting the housework all worth it.

Life is too short to sit back and watch it go by. My mother's passing really was my wake up call. I believe I had fallen into the watch it happen trap, to a degree, and now I'm working hard to get out there and be a more active participant in my life. I realize that I have spent far too long waiting for Mr Right to come knock on my door, I need to get out there and look for him. We all know guys can be resistant to asking for directions, maybe he's out there looking for me and has gotten himself lost! I've been on a few online dating sites, I've answered a few craigslist ads. I've gone on some dates and met a some nice men and a couple that so weren't Mr Right. I'm still looking, it doesn't have to happen today, tomorrow, or even the next day/week/month/year, I just want to enjoy the journey, be an active participant. So, if you know of any nice single guys ... Life's too short to not have another first date!