First day of summer

Summer arrived in Stuttgart while I was away. The chestnut trees are in full bloom, triggering an unusual allergic reaction: I have a dry, scratchy throat and eyes. The dandelions have been and gone, the roses are budding out. Toronto is at least three weeks behind us climatically, the magnolias were just starting and many trees were still bare.

I'm sitting in shorts and t-shirt in my summer office aka the balcony, having just eaten brunch out here (bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms), with a cup of coffee and a pair of telephones by my side. The temperature is somewhere in the high 20's, the sky is immaculate blue and there is a gentle breeze stirring the leaves of the trees in the schoolyard opposite.

Life is grand.

In geek news Microsoft announced last week that it has sold 2 million Zune MP3 players since the device was introduced in November 2006. Apple sold 10.6 million iPods last quarter. 'nuff said. source

In blogging news Dale is hitting a groove, writing well about the intersection between his beliefs and his massage practice. Quitting the cubicle was such a good move for him. He writes here about pain and self-control, here about poetry and meditation and his fifth blogday, here about maintenance and tennis balls, here about surrender:

I went to KCC last night. It was full of young people... It was nice to see them all there. Though I'm puzzled, as always, when young people come to the Dharma. How do they know, yet, that the world isn't going to make them happy? It makes so many promises. It's so beautiful, and so plausible. And it's so good at convincing us that our unhappiness is our own fault. If only I were twenty pounds lighter -- if only I weren't diffident -- if only I had enough resolution -- if only I did yoga every day -- if only I meditated every day -- if only I ran every day practiced the guitar every day went to the gym every day studied Italian every day read more demanding books learned to appreciate opera and Noh drama and Renaissance painting and memorized poetry and got out into the wilderness made more time for friends and understood quantum mechanics and stopped pressuring myself to do more things -- ah, then I would be happy.

and here about visitors to his massage practice:

If one more woman apologizes to me for being ten imaginary pounds overweight, I am going to scream.

1) You are not overweight
2) It would be no damn business of your massage therapist if you were
3) You are so beautiful that it makes my heart sing

Quite right. Go read.