Steeped Tea

I sit in my room this eve with a steaming cup of steeped tea. This particular tea is named "Burbon Street Vanilla Rooiboos". It is great. I really quite enjoy tea, its so soothing after a long walk, or after a hard day, or at the beginning of a new day. I have enjoyed tea all my life since both my parents drink tea, but it was a few years ago that I really started to have a passion for a good steeped beverage. It was late one night after a hard day of classes when a friend of mine named Charlie Buhler decided that I should partake in one of his rituals of having tea before bed. I obliged the man and he produced for me a cup of this wonderful smelling tea. From that point on I decided that Rooiboos is my number one all time favorite tea. Granted there are many different varietys of said tea, but I have not found one I don't like. Unlike other hot beverages, this tea does not need sugar or cream, does not require spoonfuls of chocolate powder to make it tolerable. In short this drink is free of sugar and free of nasty chemicals. Last night I also indulged in some steeped tea after a friend and I went for a long walk in the crisp winter snow. The tea warmed me from the inside and after a lengthy talk I went to bed and fell right asleep, partly due to the fact that I was tired, but also due to the fact that I was comfortable and warm and cozy and sleepy. I really quite enjoy tea with good friend, or by myself, which ever the mood strikes, and if there happens to be muffins on hand, then I enjoy my tea with muffins. Its basically one of the more perfect drinks out there. So thats it about steeped tea of the Rooiboos variety. The next time you enjoy some tea with friends remember that not only is it good for your body, but its also good for your soul.

Walking

I just returned from a walk that featured the Mighty Bow. This walk also gave me reason to comment on why walking is such a favorite passtime. I find that there are a few types of walking, and without being technical I have decided to label one type as Productive, and the other as Non-productive. The first, productive, is the type of walking that people do when they walk to work, or get grocerys, or go for coffee. I engage in this type of walking daily. From the moment I awake I am going somewhere, which means that the productive walking is the highest concentration of walking I do. Every person on this earth engages in Productive walking. I enjoy productive walking, it gets my heart rate up, its gets me sweating, and it gets me places. It may not be too enjoyable, but it is great excercise. The second kind of walking is non-productive. Now this may be a little misleading since things can get acomplished on such a walk, however these types of walks usually end up the same place they started from. The walk I took this eve started in my apartment, and then 45 minutes later I was back at my apartment. So in a sense there was nothing gained nor nothing distroyed. Well perhaps I did gain something. I find that I gain perspective when I engage in walking, both kinds of walking. There is something about the fact that when walking your not too worryed about where to put one step or the next, rather you are concentrating on your surroundings. I noticed a bird nest today for the first time, after walking almost every morning past the same tree. I also enjoyed the sound of a rushing river as I walked by the Bow. These things would have not been possible if I was listening to music or reading a book. Don't get me wrong, I love both books and music, but I think that sometimes we need to put down the headphones and sci-fi novels and marvel at what is happening around us. Walking is great for getting your head straight after a fight, for spending some quiet time with yourself (or a friend), and also are great for the heart. So today I offer Walking as one of my favorite things.

My Favorite Things - A New Series

Contrary to popular belief or legand, I am not Oprah nor Julie Andrews, though both women have things they are fond of found in list form. Rather I am a 22 year old male who seeks to elevate some aspects of his life do to their significance, enjoyment, and overall gloriousness. So for the next few days, weeks, and/or months, I will be sharing with you what I hold dear, what I enjoy, and what I favor. An expanitory list before I end this brief opening session. 1. Favorite is defined as a word here. 2. The title of each blog will indicate the subject matter of the entry. 3. Enjoy some of your favorite things while I tell you mine.

"All is quiet on New Year's Day"

I just stepped off the elevator after visiting a friend a few floors below. Now usually the ride on the elevator is decent and harmless, but today the ride was almost unbearable. Well pretty much the only thing that was wrong was that the elevator smelled like a strange mix of body odour, pork sausages, and something from asia that I couldent really put my finger on. Anyways the smell is still with me and I am tempted to go and shower. So last night was the big night, when all the calenders changed and 2006 began. I find that New Years is an overrated holiday for the most part. Its great to get together with friends and share a special moment, however, if that special moment is then followed quicky by the desire to sleep and then the beeping of an alarm in the morning then I find that the holiday lost its zing. Yesterday eve I worked until 11ish and then ambled home to join some friend a few floors up for some celebration. We listened to music and they played that game where you flick small disc's of wood into the center of the board. Then as Midnight approached we decided to venture out to the balcony only to find that it was rather chilly and then came back inside to wait out the remaining half an hour. When midnight hit I poped the cork on a delicious, but inexpensive bottle of Italian sparkling. It was quite a good beggining to the year. Then we watched the office and I went to bed. This morning I was rudely awoken by my alarm clock and the fact that I had to work at 8:45. So I walked to work this fine morning, it was a beautiful morning for a walk so I found it pleasent. However I felt as though the world had ended and I was walking the streets alone. It was so quiet, and when I say quiet I mean the only noise was the few trains that happened to glide along the rails empty except for a few poor souls like me heading to work. The first few blocks of walking were surreal to be exact. Then as I approached the building I work in I noticed a rather large line of people standing outside the doors to the Bay, and I found this odd. On second glance I think that there was something free being given away to the first however many people in the store, marketing at it's finest. Then I went to work, it was the same as before, except so so slow, which was good since today I posted a personal best for the call average. Anyways thats about it, and right now outside my window all I can hear is cars honking their horns, what a strange, sometimes smelly, and sometimes annoying city.