Best Day in a Long Time!

I know I already wrote an entry today, but I just wanted to say that I had the best day I've had in a long time--Truly.

This was the best day in a long time for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons was simply because of this:

There was no crisis...there was no conflict....there was no argument with anyone--myself included. No one called me up and said "you have to take care of this NOW!", no one went the hospital or smashed their face open or wrecked their car. There was no push and shove and no pull and prod. There was no dyer need for me to do anything imparticular and I felt great physically, too!

Yes, today was a very good day indeed!

Obviously, I wrote an entry this morning and then I went and got my car smogged.

I also went to the Library and found some terrific music and books! Thank God for Libraries--thank my County too! I LOVE Libraries, they're fantastic places to learn a wealth of information and gain a wealth of inspiration! My local libraries are one of my favorite things in life, and the older I get, the more I appreciate them--they're such an asset to the community!

Speaking of the Library, I could literally check out the ENTIRE Religion/Spiritual section if they'd let me! LOL! I came home with some stuff--I just love learning about different paths to God and how people see the world and what they believe. It's endlessly fascinating!

I'm already a quarter of the way through a terrific book on Healing--it's so great! I can't read it fast enough--I love reading and I'm blessed to have the freedom and ability to do so! Yay!

I got my car washed and waxed for a very reasonable price and I must say, it looks better right this minute than it did when I first bought it last year! My car, inside & out, is sparkling and shiny and beautiful. My windows are so clean that I had to check twice to make sure they were rolled up! The car is so nice and clean that I almost don't know what do with it. It's in gorgeous show-room new condition, which is so nice to drive around in!

(Call me shallow on the car thing, perhaps. I get maybe 3 car washes a year and rarely ever for this cheap! I am so psyched, because the way I see it is, if I have to spend that much time in my car--which I still love driving by the way--why not have it be clean and enjoyable?)

I got to talk to my Grandma today and one of my best friends, Tessa! She and I chatted for probably 2 hours. We only get to talk about once or week or so, now, which is better than once a month, I guess, but that just makes the weekly phone chat that much longer. LOL! We laughed and laughed, it was great!

Then, I ran a few more errands and went to my favorite new place to eat. Smashburger! Yes, you read that right, this former-vegetarian is no longer meat-free. Sorry, folks. I found out about this place from a friend and oh good Lord, it is SO good. I'm still not a huge meat eater, and when I do eat it, I'm quite picky about it--especially my burgers. But these burgers are SO GOOD--the burger itself is 100% Angus Beef (always a good thing) that they smash down (literally) and fill with great flavor and seasonings. And the toppings are SO FRESH! Crisp lettuce, juicy tomato (not the pasty kind, either), crisp & vibrant red onion (my favorite) and honest to goodness freshly sliced cheese! Oh, man! And, when you get the burger to your table, it actually DOES look a picture. I kid you not. You know, the pictures on TV that you always see of burgers advertised by fast food joints--well, this actually looks just like those pictures--and they taste amazingly better! Smashburger's Classic Burger reminds me of the hamburgers that my Grandma made for me growing up. There, I said it, yes, it's a Grandma-thing for me. But, before I became a vegetarian, my Grandma made the best hamburgers. They were just so juicy and full of flavor! Yum! Smashburger is terrific and if you have one in your town, I highly recommend you stop in! Sure, the calorie and fat overload are horrendous, but hey, once in a great while--what the heck? Oh so good, my mouth is still watering just thinking about it.

I'm just as shocked as you all are. I've never been a burger fanatic. I liked In N' Out Burgers for a LONG time, and I still do. In N' Out's Animal Fries and Grilled Cheese (Hamburger without the actual burger, confusing, I know.) are out of this world! I still crave them--and they make the BEST french fries ever! But, at Smashburger, I'm in love with the ACTUAL BURGER! What a concept! The burger itself is delectable! Smashburger also makes great fries, I prefer their Sweet Potato Smash Fries because they're cut just right and are tossed with Rosemary & Garlic--which is very different, but delicious. The contrast between the crisp outside of the french fries, combined with the creamy inside of it--with the sweetness and earthiness of the sweet potato itself, together with the savory earthiness of the pungent rosemary and hint of garlic flavor--it's an incredible taste sensation! Oy ve!

So, there you have it, I love Smashburgers! Go figure!

The other reason my day was so great (aside from Smashburger) was that I got to listen to some wonderful music while driving around town! At the Library, I rented Joe Nichols' CD "Real Things," whose title track is written by my favorite, Billy Dean! But, the whole CD of Joe's is stellar--a real country record, with a modern twist--so cool! I got a Kathy Mattea (who I adore!) CD, a Phil Vassar CD (my favorite songwriter) which had a great song called "Lemonade" on it--such a cool message that song has in it! That Phil is brilliant with his song writing and piano playing, let me tell you! I also got Kenny Chesney's "Lucky Old Sun," the actual CD that has "I'm Alive & Well" on it. (One of my picks this week for Music Monday) and the entire CD is great. You know, a lot of people in the country world kind of brush Kenny off as a country Jimmy Buffet or a rockin' party boy. But, on this CD, wow, Kenny really shows his sensitive, introspective side--it's a great CD!

So, I got great music, great good & great conversation--all of which add up to one fantastically terrific day!

ON TOP OF THAT, however, I also got to hang out with some friends and their kids and that was so much fun too! I drove home this evening during a thunder/lightning storm and it was so beautiful! The two don't scare me as long as I'm in a car--the lightning over the Strip was just beautiful and mystical--it was so cool!

Oh, and I wrote a lot today, I wrote not only these two entries here, but I wrote some poems and other things. I'm learning, a lot, and I'm feeling so much better all the way around. I'm feeling positive--obviously. You know, I'm still thought of as "perky" and perhaps my optimism is sometimes annoying--but that's how I've survived, people! If I was negative ALL the time, I sincerely believe I wouldn't be alive today. For a variety of reasons. What's different about my current positive attitude, though, and my younger, more innocent positivity--is that I'm real. I'm willing to come on here and write about how/when/why life sucks. I'm old enough to know, through personal experience and the experiences of others, that sometimes, life DOES suck. That sometimes, it isn't fair. That sometimes, all the freakin' optimism in the world can't help you. I know that life is real and up and down and back again. I'm not naive anymore, folks, my optimism is genuine, but so is my attitude when I'm not 100% optimistic. I like to look on the bright side, I always have, I always will--and I really like that about me. I can be Debbie Downer with the best of 'em, but for the most part, I still believe that you get what you give. That the quality of your life is--most days--how you perceive it to be. I'm not running around sticking a fake smiley face on every thing not right in the world--some of it is just plain wrong and crazy--but focusing solely on the plain wrong and crazy doesn't get us much of anywhere either. So, go figure. My point is, I like that I'm perky and positive and real, and I like that if/when I have a bad day or am struggling, I finally have the guts to say so!

Basically, this has been the best day I've had in a LONG time! I've had MOMENTS of peace and MOMENTS of goodness and pleasure and enjoyment. I can always find them when I seek them because as you know, most of the time, I go actively looking for them--and if I don't find them, I just create them for myself. But, the difference between those days and today is that this day--this day was a WHOLE DAY OF ENJOYMENT! I also took a nap, which was so lovely! I love naps! I was equally active and restful--talkative/creative/silent. I got to spend time with my friends and loved ones, eating great food, seeing some amazing sights, listening to fantastic music and feeling well physically while doing all of it. Yeah, that adds up to a whole day of goodness, for me!

It's been a long time since I've been able to have this kind of day--where I had the WHOLE day, not just bits and pieces of solitude. I didn't sit down and meditate today, but I did have moments of quiet reflection throughout my day--and sometimes--those are just as good--they all add up.

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring and I'm not too worried about it. I know days like this don't happen every day, and I'm okay with that. Because it just makes them all the better and all the more enjoyable when they do!

I felt happy today, I felt peaceful and calm and even. I did not feel like everything is right with the world, I know it's not. But, for one single day--everything was right in mine. And that's a really nice feeling!

Thank You, Lord, for a whole day of wonderfulness!

I hope you all had a great day too, and I hope you have a great rest of the weekend! Enjoy!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)

P.S. I also found razors and Tagament (similar to Pepcid AC) on SALE! I really needed those two items and the Tagament meant--NO HEARTBURN! I was able to enjoy my Smashburger--and other foods--without a stomach ache or heartburn! That is just awesome on any day!