Top Eight! I Never Dreamed I Would Still Be In This!

Thanks to your reading and your votes, I'm actually still alive in LJ Idol, and ready to start writing for the next challenge, due Saturday afternoon. I'm one of the top eight! I'm quite certain I wouldn't have gotten this far without a few friends dropping out because of life circumstances. I thank ALL of you who have been reading my efforts and voting on them. I've NEVER made this far before, and now to be in the Top Eight!!! I'm astounded, and thrilled (and slightly terrified - the atmosphere up here is rarefied). 

I'm in the top (or final) eight in this session of LJ Idol, 
and I KNOW I owe it all to those of you who have 
been kind enough to read and vote for my stories. I 
can't thank you enough! I'm THRILLED. 

The prompt this time is the title of a book by Douglas Adams: "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul". There are lots of directions to go with this guidepost. I'll be mulling things over in my "spare" time at the shop today. Once again, THANK YOU for reading and for voting. It's been an amazing season of LJ Idol and I'm in it for as long as possible. 

Today I'm tired. I'd much rather curl up and go 
back to sleep for another hour or two, but I know 
I'd really be angry at myself if I wasn't at the pool 
by 4:45 am and in the water shortly after 5:00 am. 

I'm tired today, though. I awakened around 2:15 am, and even though I could have gone back to sleep until my alarm went off at 3:00 am, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was only 45 minutes early for my 3:00 am alarm, and do my morning meditation without a rush. That doesn't happen often on swimming days since I'm on a tight time schedule, wanting to be at the doors when they unlock at 5:00 am, and in the pool shortly thereafter. 

It's not even the crack yet, not even the hint of dawn. 
We'll still be fully dark when I'm standing in front 
of the doors at the YMCA, waiting for them to unlock 
so that I can go swim. 

It's rather crazy to be that busy at the crack of dawn - or before the crack of dawn to be fully accurate. But that's my life. The early morning has always been "me" time. It's when I spend what time I deem necessary to keep my balance, feed my soul, and exercise my body. So, if I'm not in the pool, I'm on the treadmill (although I do set my alarm for 4:00 am instead of 3:00 am on treadmill days). I love the early morning. The possibilities resting just over the horizon, the deep quiet of the sleeping world around me, and the possibilities around the next corner that await. 

Today is a new day. Awaken to the possibilities that the day 
will present to you and explore expanding your mind and 
thoughts today. Awaken your inner force. 

So, as you awaken to your own set of possibilities, may your day ahead be filled with joy, meetings and conversations with others, and music - always music. Celebrate this amazing day that we've been given, leave the disappointments in your virtual trash bin, and meet the day with song and dance. It's another day, what more could we possibly ask for. I'll be back tomorrow, Slava Ukraini.