I think maybe I’ve been too honest in my life. I always thought honesty was a most desirable trait. I was proud of myself for exhibiting that characteristic on a (mostly) daily basis. I was glad to get out of the dating pool–that cesspool of dishonesty–in order to re-achieve more honesty in my life. I found someone to not only share my life with, but with whom I could be completely honest. I’m happy. I’m content. But, I look at my life and I can’t help but feel that I could be happier. I can’t help but feel that I could be more successful (whatever that means). I can’t help but feel that I should be more significant to the world. I look around at the people who appear to be happier, who appear to be more significant, more successful, and they don’t look so much like myself. Are those people just born that way? Do they have a drive that I don’t possess? Are they honest with themselves, or is honesty something you just throw out the window on your way to happiness, success, and significance? Is it okay to Fake It Until You Make It? It’s inherently dishonest, but if it gets you to where you need to go, is that okay?

Church-going god-believers
When someone says they have a personal relationship with god, what does that mean? If someone said they had a personal relationship with Liberace, or had conversations with him, I’d certainly think they were crazy. So what’s the difference? Is it all just Inner Dialogue cloaked in an expansive mythology? I think. I ponder. I reach mental forks in the road at which I am forced to choose a distinct path. To me, this is just internal dialogue. Is this what lifelong church-going god-believers mean when they refer to their personal relationship, and conversations, with god? Or, do they believe that it is something more? What is it that god tells them that they couldn’t figure out on their own? Do people really have back and forth conversations with god? Or, do they simply attribute their own conclusions to god? I’ve never heard a word from god. What if I were to apply the Fake It Until You Make It (FIUYMI) principle? If I faked a personal relationship & conversations with god, would I end up better off in the end? Could I fake myself into believing? Or, perhaps, simply attributing my personal successes and failures to somebody/something else (even absent any authentic belief) would make life easier.

Rachel Ray
She’s just so damn happy and perky. She always has a smile on her face. She giggles a lot. She has catch phrases. On one hand, I’m attracted to that sort of positivity. On the other hand, if forced into a long-term relationship with that type of person, I would likely bludgeon them to death. I’m just not that happy of a person. Nevertheless, on the face, happiness & positivity are more attractive than negativity & depression. How much of this can we fake? Can humor substantially change one’s mood? And, if I appear to be happier, does that make me a better person or just a more attractive person? I assume that greater attractiveness makes developing and sustaining personal & professional relationships easier. And, the successful managing of relationships seems to lead to greater happiness and success. What about the FIUYMI principle? Can I fake myself into actually becoming a happier person? If I fake happiness, will I be better at making & sustaining relationships and thus become happier and more successful?

Covey, Stephen or Franklin
Find a man in a suit on an airplane and he will be reading a business-related self-help book. I have avoided these types of books like the plague. They’re too full of oversimplifications and clichs. They seem to prey on people in need. People who are in desperate need of simple answers–any answers, whether they are right or wrong. Like diet books, they seem dangerous. Diet books offer people the possibility of finally getting it right when all they ever needed to know is that the calories they eat should be less than the calories that they burn. It’s the same with business. If only you can pigeonhole your employees into boldfaced italicized groups, or make them into some sort of Team, then all of your answers will be solved. Forget about respecting them and treating them like actual people.

And, then there are the people devoted to their day planners. Instead of thick leather-bound books, these are becoming smaller handheld digital devices. I guess that makes them more universal, more hip. But, do these things work? When does time management morph into an unwelcome intrusion of your life? I can understand up to a point a desire for greater efficiency. But, I don’t want to become a slave to handheld devices. I want to maintain some freedom, some space from the outside world. But, would I be better off if I digitally managed every minute of my life? Would better time management and increased efficiency lead to a more successful and happier me? I’m just not inherently a self-help reading, day planner devotee. Once again, what about the FIUYMI principle? If I forced myself to read those books and put some of their principles into practice, and I managed my time more rigorously, would I become a better person?

If I pretend to believe in god,
If I pretend to be happier than I really am,
If I accept self-help clichs,
If I accept strict management of my time,

and I make more money,
and I am better known,
and I am more successful in the eyes of some,

then will I be happier?
then will I be a better person?
then will it have been worth it?

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and the stores open at 5:00 A.M. What would have to be on sale for you to crawl out of bed at such an hour?

Last Friday at work was one of those days that seemed like it might never end. Maybe there wasnt enough work to keep me busy. Maybe it just wasnt the kind of work I wanted to do at the moment. Maybe the problem was that management just wasnt challenging me. Im gonna have to go ahead and disagree with me on that.

Whatever.

Im antsy. Its time to leave or Ill start screaming or dreaming of ways to torture my co-workers. Its time to cut out early. Thankfully, the same is true for Sarah. Soon were wandering around trying to find a place to go before dinner. Its too early for anywhere we want to go or any of the usual haunts. Not that we have to show up fashionably lateits just theyre not open yet. We end up at Varsity. Never anyones first choicebut not the worst place either. There is Happy Hour for beers I dont like. So, I order something different. A few Bass later and were with much improved moods. No thanks to our waiter. Its not that he was a downer. Its just that theres enthusiasm. And, then theres TOO MUCH enthusiasm. Serving me beers on waiters wages is no reason to be too enthusiastic. Trust me.

And, then it was Redemption Time. After a few disastrous attempts at a certain other sushi establishment, we decided to try Tokyo Japanese. Im so glad we did. It was wonderful. It was everything that the other place used to be and should have continued to be. There was good food AND good service. Of course, all things are improved with a bottle of shiraz. This managed to be what the other place hadnt been–an enjoyable experience worth repeating.

I really enjoy sushi. But, I have to admit that the first times I ever ate raw seafood, it was more about just eating RAW fish than eating something that tasted good. The first ever bites were filled with coming to terms with the new texture and the new notion of eating raw fish. There was a bit of pretending like I liked it more than I actually did so as not to offend whoever it was who introduced me to this new cuisine. But, now its all about eating something that tastes so good. So, I guess it was a bit of an acquired taste. Like beer. Im glad Ive acquired it. Like beer. And, its still about trying new things. There are so many things on the sushi menu that Ive yet to try.

On this visit, we tried Uni (sea urchin) for the first time. It was supposed to be sweet. And, apparently it is thought to act as an aphrodisiac. I cant say either turned out to be true. Its hard to trust the internal roe of bottom feeding echinoderms. It was okay though. Better than the crab cakes at that other place.

So, after the success of finding a sushi restaurant replacement, we decided to end the night with one last drink. We ended up at Sidecar Lounge. Its a tiny little lounge nestled behind the Hi-Lo Club. For some reason, we can never drive straight to the Hi-Lo. We have to drive past it a few times, around it a couple more, and then right by it at least once, before actually realizing where it is. This is understandable the first time. But, at this point, that type of behavior is just unacceptable. I dont know why I put up with myself.

Anywaysthe Sidecar was okay. We managed to find a couple of chairs and Flying Dogs. It deserves another visit before I can either fall in love with it or say its just okay. Maybe I just need to be a bit more sober. Regardless, it was a delicious night in Oklahoma City.

Brunch at the Museum Caf One of my favorite things about brunch is that its an affordable way to eat at really chi-chi restaurants. Whereas dinner at the Museum Caf will run you around $30 a person, you can enjoy an amazing brunch for half that (depending on how many mimosas you consume). Plus, I just really, really love breakfast. Dwight and I have had brunch here several times, and its always been outstanding, this Sunday being no exception.

Lets start with the ambience. We were seated underneath a movie poster for Breakfast at Tiffanys, which made me happy for some unexplainable reason. There was a large table of elderly men and women to our left, raising mimosas to the Class of 1955. I overheard the waiter asking one of the gentlemen how church was, to which the man responded, Im sure it was fine. This also made me happy, for more explainable reasons. Dwight and I laughed out loud when we heard that exchange.

Then theres the food. The glorious, glorious food. Dwight has a penchant for trying whatever the Special is that day, and yesterday he ordered the Special of lamb chops with eggs hollandaise, parslied baby potatoes and roasted tomatoes. The presentation was adorable, with two chives and a sprig of rosemary artfully arranged atop the food. I know, I know…me and my presentations. I ordered the crepes with maple pecan butter, which was served with a sausage patty, a strip of bacon and a fresh fruit garnish. Both of our meals were, for lack of a more evocative word, delicious. As were the mimosasthe sweet, sweet mimosas. Theres nothing like getting a buzz on before noon on a Sunday. Its so wonderfully decadent.

Click here to browse the Museum Cafs menu, and for more information.

Walk the Line – We decided that instead of going to Harkins Theater in Bricktown, we would take a long-overdue trip up to the North Side (our old stompin grounds) and see it at Quail Springs. Weve missed Super Target ever since we moved to the South Side, and figured this would be a good excuse to make a stop there, as well as to check out the Baker St. Pub, which recently opened. Anywayback to the film.

The performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were terrific, especially considering that they do their own singing. Ultra-impressive. My biggest complaint is that, like all Hollywood movies, this one reduces a fascinating, colorful life into a series of clichs. And why must every movie use shaky, erratic camera-work to signify that a character is drunk, high, or otherwise emotionally unstable? This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves in filmmaking. Surely theres another effective, creative way to imply the same thing.

Overall, Id say this is worth seeing for the acting and the musicbut the film itself reaffirmed my belief in the vast superiority of documentaries. Sometimes (nay, most of the time) the raw, honest reality is much more fascinating than the glossified Hollywood version.

Baker St. Pub & Grill I was very disconcerted by the fact that this English pub is located in a building of Asian design (Baker St. occupies the building that once was China Court or China Garden, I cant remember). Once inside, thoughits exactly what you would expect. Dark, massive bar, darts, pooltypical pub. It doesnt feel very authentic, thoughespecially once you open the menu and see chicken fingers and potato skins listed as appetizers. We all know how the British love their Buffalo wings. To be fair, they also had some kind of British sausage roll and Scotch eggs (hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage and then fried). I was very pleased to discover that they had a decent-sized collection of beers on tap, including two of my favorites, Boddingtons and Blue Moonneither of which Ive seen on tap anywhere else in Oklahoma. (Except maybe Tapwerks, but we’ve long since boycotted that place. That’s a story for another time.)

How’s the food, you ask? Dwight ordered Bangers and Mash (sausage and mashed potatoes to us non-Brits), which he seemed pleased with. I had the Fish and Chipsand have to say that this was probably the best Fish and Chips Ive had this side of the Mississippi. The beer batter was perfectnot too greasy or bready. The cod wasnt overcooked. And the fries werent too salty. Well done, Baker St., well done. I dont think well go back, though. It was an okay place, and if youre into domestics they have good Happy Hour specials, but it wasnt really interesting enough to motivate another 40-minute drive to the North Side.

For more information, visit the Baker St. Pub & Grill website.

Super Target We cant go to the North Side without a trip to my personal Mecca, Super Target. I am seriously obsessed with this place. I love everything about it. Even the generic items are superior to most anything youll find at Wal-Mart. Now, there is a new item that further increases my devotion to Target

Cha-Cha-Choxie!

Choxie is a perfect example of me being shamelessly seduced by advertising. I guess thats kind of okay, because I think Target has had one of the best overall ad campaigns ever. Super-effective. Witness me plugging it (and Choxie) freely and wantonly. Anyway, for those who may not know, Choxie is Interesting Chocolate. We were slightly overwhelmed by the variety, but finally settled on a dark chocolate chipotle bar, and a sampler box of chocolate truffles. Favorite truffle so far? Chai tea, but Chocolate Champagne is a close runner-up. In the immortal words of everyones favorite Mistress of Perky, Rachael Ray, Yum-O.

Cha-Cha-Choxie!

We also stocked up on our favorite frozen snacks, Spanakopita. (Or as we call them, Skankapod Phyllo Doughs. Again, a story for another time.) All you need to know is the following equation: spinach + feta + phyllo dough = party in my mouth. Also thrown into our basket was a brie-stuffed puff pastry, salmon stuffed with crab Florentine, hard-to-find Ginger Altoids, and gourmet dog treats from the Three Dog Bakery. It didnt seem fair to load up on all this great stuff for ourselves and leave the Puppies out. I spent a good ten minutes mesmerized by the Isaac Mizrahi line of dog items. I love Target. I love it so.

Cha-Cha-Choxie!

Dwight and I finally forced ourselves out of Super Target and headed home, where we crawled into bed to eat our Choxie and indulge in a little horrible T.V. Rotting our teeth and our minds. I have an embarrassing affinity for bad made-for-T.V. movies, so I had to see last nights pointless remake of The Poseidon Adventure. This was the worst waste of time since my last adventure in television slumming, Category 7: The End of the World. Why do I continue to do this to myself? How do these movies get made? Are there people out there who actually enjoy them without (gasp!) ironic appreciation?

Dwights a trooper for putting up with this bad habit of mine. Give the man some Choxie.

What are you currently listening to on your iPod (or CD player, tape deck, 8-track, etc.)? Answers may be in the form of a playlist or an album.