The Karma of Breaking Bad

Last year, I made a resolution to explore my spiritual side. This consisted of attending meditation classes at a local Buddhist temple. I followed that by taking an Introduction to Buddhism class. Since then, I have continued my meditation practice and reading. Buddhism is a bit like being your own therapist in that it forces you to be aware of your thoughts and recognize that YOUR actions and reactions result in your own happiness or suffering.  I am intrigued by these teachings, in that it is easy to see the wisdom of being both wise and kind as a means to avoid mental suffering.

I have found that my practice over the past year has made a noticeable difference in my life. I am a more considerate driver (LOL), more patient with and empathetic to others, slower to judge, more thoughtful in my speech, more focused on finding the positive, and much more analytical of my motivations resulting in a contentedness I have not felt for many years.

A few weeks ago, I took the next step on this journey by signing up for a Discovering Buddhism class, which is a two year course divided into 14 different curricula. The current course work focuses on Karma, which when directly translated, simply means “action.”

There are four laws of Karma

1)    Karma is definite: Virtuous actions always lead to happiness, while non-virtuous actions always lead to suffering.

2)    Karma expands over time like a seed that grows into a mighty oak tree.

3)    There is no result without a cause (i.e. cause and effect)

4)    Karma cannot be lost; however bad Karma can be purified and good Karma can be destroyed by anger.

Pretty simple actually - I am not to blame, but I am responsible for my life, my joy, and my suffering. Which brings me to the topic of today’s blog post: The AMC series Breaking Bad.

Several family members, friends, and colleagues have recommended this show, but I have been actively trying to reduce the amount of time I spend in front of the television, so I simply added the first season to my Netflix queue last year. A few weeks ago, the first CD made its way to my mailbox and I am now obsessed with the tragic life of Walter White.

If you are not familiar with the series, this synopsis from IMDB pretty much sums it up: “Informed he has terminal cancer, an underachieving chemistry genius turned high school teacher uses his expertise to secretly provide for his family by producing the world's highest quality crystal meth.” While there is plenty of tragedy, sadness, and anger, there is also plenty of love and humor to balance the series.

What intrigues me is that while I watch it, I see all the laws of Karma at work. Walter’s motivations are honorable, yet the non-virtuous means he utilizes for obtaining his goal does not lead to happiness and security for his family. Rather, as he states in a fit of anger, for every step forward, he is pushed three steps further from his goal. The karmic seeds he plants in the first season continue to bear bitter fruit in the second season and probably into seasons to come. His actions negatively affect not only his psyche, but also the lives of his family, co-workers, partners and “employees.”

Buddhists do not believe in chance, meaning we are where we are in life due to the choices we have made in the past. I am beginning to think there may be something to this since my Netflix queue seems to have been perfectly attuned to my spiritual journey.  Or maybe I am simply more attuned to Karmic results due to the classes I am attending. Either way, I am grateful for the life lesson and excellent entertainment this series provides.

Lesson learned: Meth is bad and will ruin your life – whether you are cooking, selling, or using it! 

Raleigh Culture: Theatre (with an "re" 'cause we are cultured)

Dating has made me hyper-aware of what’s happening around town this past winter. The warm months are slightly easier since there is always the possibility of heading to the mountains for a weekend or slipping away to the beach for a day. Winter, however brings much more pressure to find quality, affordable options. Each week begins with a hasty search for a movie, concert, play, or event in the area to keep us both entertained and occupied.

Carl is super vigilant about forwarding all entertainment options that land in his inbox from which I can choose. So, I was rather proud of myself for discovering the Burning Coal Theatre Company’s Wait ‘Til You See This! series consisting of smaller more intimate productions. As such, we have arrived with no expectations and departed with a greater appreciation for our local performing arts scene.

After a quick and surprisingly delicious dinner at Kimbap: Korean Café we headed to the theater for this week’s dose of culture;  Nocturne by Adam Rapp featuring one of my favorite local actors, Jesse R. Gephart (most recently seen in the Raleigh production of the Santaland Diaries). 

My first impression upon walking into the performance space was of the imaginative set, constructed solely of books in the forms of a credenza, piano, stool, bookshelves, etc. Books were stacked and scattered throughout the space as if the furnishings were either rearranging themselves into new forms or decomposing and returning to their beginnings. There are few things I love better than a book; therefore, I was quite intrigued. 

The play is a monologue delivered in a literary style – as if someone were reading a short story rather than speaking. Without a doubt, the story is tragic, but its lyrical quality paints a picture of not only lost innocence, sadness, anger, loss, and depression, but also of hope, resiliency, and a possible rebirth. 

To say that Gephart’s performance is brilliant would be an understatement. His conversational tone immediately draws the audience into his narrative. Not letting go until the very end. This was one performance that deserved the standing ovation he received.

Sadly, the play’s run ended Saturday night, but I am thrilled to have found a new theater company in  Downtown Raleigh that produces challenging and thought-provoking theater. Bravo! 

Kimbap Korean Café 
111 Seaboard Ave. Ste. 118 Raleigh, NC 27604
919-900-8053

Burning Coal Theatre Company 
224 Polk St. Raleigh, NC 27601
919-834-4001

2012/2013 Season Tickets Are Now Available

This Week's Entertainment Body Count: Pretty High

Usually, I am not one to frequent movies with terrifically high body counts, lots of guns, buckets of blood, and huge explosions, but this week there were to rather enjoyable exceptions to this rule. 

Cheese, glorious cheese!

The first, Machete (2010) was added to the Netflix queue last year only because a (now former) coworker’s husband worked on the post-production team – titles, posters, etc. This movie is a bit like the Mexican immigrant version of Django Unchained (2012), but with more purposeful bad acting, amateurish editing, and even more buckets of fake blood. It reminded me of a B grade horror movie with a social message.   

You know that when you have Robert DeNiro, Lindsay Lohan, AND Steven Segal in the same movie, you are in for a special treat. If you haven’t seen it, add it to your queue. I think you will enjoy it if you are a fan of slasher movie send-ups and you are not overly sensitive to the ham-handed / satiric use of stereotypes.

Rating: 4 enthusiastically sharpened machetes out of 5 due tongue-in-cheekiness and Lindsay Lohan's surprisingly perky breasts.

 Thursday night, Carl and I found ourselves at the sneak preview for Olympus Has Fallen (2012).

 Olympus Has Fallen is another shoot ‘em up, jingoistic, blood bath of an action thriller. The premise is that a North Korean commando team takes over the White House, holding the handsomely tragic and likeable President hostage. While Carl found a few holes in the narrative (he is a bit logical at times), I found it to be a smart, witty, tense, and enjoyable romp – albeit a bloody one.

If you liked Air Force One (1997), you will most likely enjoy this movie as well. The bad guys are really bad. The good guys are really handsome. And the women are bad-ass!

I freely admit that I LOVE the USA. And, I hate to admit that while watching this movie I was more than a little moved at the destruction of buildings considered national symbols. I have always taken the position that a flag is only a piece of cloth that identifies a country – it is not actually my country. However, in watching this movie, I was viscerally affected at seeing the destruction of the Washington Monument and the White House. Of course these feelings added to the experience and most likely inspired my applause when the good guy finally wins. I apologize for the spoiler, but really, can you even imagine Gerard Butler losing to a villain? LOL.

Gerard Butler: Hero!

We had free, sneak preview tickets, but if it’s the guy’s turn to pick the date night movie and you are tired of Oscar-nominated films and romantic comedies, this one will fill the void. Of course, you could save your boy-movie night for the next GI Joe movie, but there will be plenty of rom-coms between now and then.   

Rating: 3.5 slaughtered secret service agents out of 5 due to unnecessarily high body count. If your acting specialty is getting shot and lying around as a dead body, you probably found some work in this film.

Gravy: Irish Farm House Dinner

The menu

St. Patrick's Day came and went last weekend, but in its honor, Gravy created a locally sourced, Irish-inspired, five-course dinner. To make the evening even more delightful, each course was paired with a seasonal beer from Mystery Brewing Company.

The beer menu!

The dinner was served at long tables, which encouraged conversation with fellow diners. Carl and I dined with a pair of teachers from Harnett County and we made a new foodie friend, Nathan, who was a single diner last night.



What I really enjoyed about the evening, besides the company, was that the chef explained each course, why it was chosen, and how it was sourced. Then the brewmaster from Mystery Brewing introduced the beer pairing, discussing how it was brewed, and why it was selected to complement the course.  Learning, eating, and making friends. Three of my favorite things all in one place!

First Course: Scotch Egg / Kottish Ale

Second Course: Baby Arugula Salad with an Oak-Aged Sour Cherry Ale (yum)

Third Course: Shepherd's Pie made with delicious local lamb / Dry Irish Stout

Braised Angus Beef with Cabbage and Vinegar Reduction over Soda Bread / Carolinian Dark IPA

Breakfast Stout Chocolate Cake / Chocolate Breakfast Stout

The Scotch Egg was wonderful, but a bit heavy to start a five-course meal. The salad and cherry ale were a great palate cleanser in preparation for the best shepherd's pie I have ever tasted (sorry Clodagh). Local lamb, turnips, shell beans, and sweet potato never tasted better. The braised beef did not live up the shepherd's pie, but was tasty. And, who would think beer would go with cake? Wait a minute - what am I thinking? Beer goes with everything!

Carl and I have been wanting to try one of these dinners for the last several months, but it seems we have always had something else planned. I think we may start planning around these dinners from now on. But, we may need to invest in a tub of cocoa butter to rub on our tummies to ward off the stretch marks!

Coincidentally, one of our first dates was at Gravy - way back in June, 2012. 


Gravy Italian-American Kitchen
135 Wilmington St.
Downtown Raleigh, NC 27601
919-896-8513

Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Down

The view from the top

Saturday was a beautiful day in the mountains. Sunny and warm, it was going to be perfect for the 3^rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day hike around the mountain ridge into which the retreat is nestled. After a breakfast of fresh-from-the-farm eggs, sausage so recently ground that you could hear the squeal while it was frying, hash browns, and sliced tomatoes, we made ready for the day’s festivities.

 
The green necklaces and bracelets were unpacked. The cooler was stocked with both water and beer. A pitcher of green shots were mixed (Pearl Divers: 1 part Midori, 1 part Coconut Rum, 2 parts Pineapple Juice shaken with ice and strained).

Carl and Billy: First Breather

Actually, 2 pitchers of shots were mixed. The first pitcher was the unfortunate victim of “alcohol abuse” as a result of wind, an open screen door, and poor pitcher placement.

We were expecting about 10 people or so to come along, but due to a myriad of last minute “emergencies,” there was only one other person who showed up for the three-mile hike. Carl and I were both disappointed, but the weather was gorgeous and our spirits were high when we set off with Billy on the trail.

A few minutes later, I came to discover that hiking in the mountains is a bit like being in spin class. The trail only goes up. There is no down. The trail started with a steep ascent, that became more vertical with each step. It then leveled a bit, went vertical again, then leveled and so on five more times until we reached what I thought was the peak. Next time we attempt this trail, I think a long stretch and warm up would be a good idea. We were all huffing and puffing on the first leg of the trail.  

I can see my camper home from here

After a short stretch of level ground, the trail went up a few more times. There were a few jokes about thin air and wings melting, but we finally made it to the top. Since there was not any foliage, we had a clear view of the distant mountains and valleys. We could even see our “camper home” way down in the valley.  

An hour an half later, we emerged from the woods to find a small group of guys standing around. We invited them to join us for celebratory beers and shots. The group seemed to grow a bit once the shot started flowing, but we were happy to have made it back to level ground. Besides, shots are always better in a crowd.

Next time we brave the trails we will have to come up with a better incentive to encourage more participation, but I imagine once the pool opens, the option for strenuous activity will lose out to lounging in the sun with a cooler full of cold beverages near at hand.  

Carl and Glenn: Happy Trails

 

Tonight's Dinner: Brought to You by the Color Brown

The family-friendly portion of the day

Downtown Raleigh is recognized for throwing the secondlargest St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration in the Southeastern USA. Mycondo is actually located two blocks from the parade route’s end. From mybalcony, I can see participants jumping from their floats ducking into the TirNa Nog Irish Pub for refreshment or scattering into the streets to continuetheir revelry. By the time the dregs of the parade reach my building, there isnothing but empty floats and exhausted high school marching bands. 

The rest of the day is a celebration of all things Irish(music, crafts, food, beer, whiskey, etc.) The streets and Moore Square Parkare taken over by those proudly wearing the green.  For one day everyone in Downtown is an honorary Irishman. 

Supplies for a long weekend

This year, Carl and I decided to skip the revelry and headto the mountains to open up the campsite. Over the last few weeks, Carl hasbeen mulling what to do with the campsite – keep it another year or put it upfor sale. So, with Spring just around the corner, we (he) had to make a decision. 

We left town late Thursday afternoon and arrived at thecampsite around 10:00 PM.  Brrrr, it wasa bit chilly. Carl turned on the heat and we started unpacking. Oddly, thecamper was not getting warm. Carl fiddled with the gas and checked the fuses,but still no heat. Of course, I was huddled next to the space heater playingwith my iPhone – my brain shuts down when the temperature goes below 40 degrees(5C). After a few false starts, Carl realized the gas tanks were empty.Luckily, he had an extra tank attached to the gas grill!  A few minutes later we had heat!

Halfway there: Mount Pilot

I worked on Friday as Carl took the tanks to be refilled andthen de-winterized everything. During our afternoon golf cart ride around thecampground, we ran into Ronnie who invited us to a fish fry at the Raetown Ruritanclub. We politely declined since Carl doesn’t eat anything raised in the water.Ronnie re-extended the invitation with the added information that the menuincluded fried chicken fingers, so we decided to come along. In the end, therewere seven of us heading over to Raetown for all-you-can-eat crispy brown food(fish, shrimp, chicken fingers, fries, hushpuppies) plus sides of coleslaw anddessert.

To say the seven of us stood out in the crowd would be anunderstatement. Most everyone there was a local and they all knew each other.Seating was at long rows of fold-up tables, so we had an opportunity to get upclose and personal with our fellow diners – once we pushed our way in. Ourfriend Tip (yep, it's really Tip), seemed right at home, and started up a conversation with the folksacross from him who, coincidentally were from the same town as his parents(small world, indeed). The other locals at our table simply leaned as far awayas possible to prevent having to speak. LOL

Not quite Spring, but getting close

The fish fry was scheduled to end at 7:30 and right on schedulethe food disappeared – including desserts and beverages. There was to be nolingering in the dining hall over another glass of lemonade.

So, full and tired we made an emergency liquor store run, hitthe tavern for a nightcap, then it was off to bed. We had a big day planned tocelebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

From the Lists #43: Dance to the Music of Time (volumes 10 - 12)

Nick, Nick, Nick. I know all your friends' secrets, and yet I know hardly anything about your life with your wife, your children, your feelings, your happiness or sadness, your dreams.....

How could we have spent so much time together over the past year and still you shared so little of your thoughts.

And, as the final pages are read, it is just you and I sharing a moment of contemplation. Everyone else has moved on.

Books Do Furnish a Room (1971)
The tenth volume, finds Nick Jenkins and his circle of friends re-establishing their lives and careers in the wake of WWII. Nick dives into work on a study of Robert Burton; Widmerpool grapples with the increasingly difficult and cruel Pamela Flitton—now his wife; and we are introduced to the series’ next great character, the dissolute Bohemian novelist X. Trapnel, a man who exudes in equal measure mystery, talent, and an air of self-destruction.
  

Temporary Kings (1973)
In the eleventh, or penultimate volume (as my friend John Martin would call it), Nick and his contemporaries are at the height of their various careers in the arts, business, and politics. X. Trapnel is dead, but his mystery continues to draw ghoulish interest from readers and academics alike—as well as from his lover, Pamela Widmerpool. Kenneth Widmerpool, meanwhile, is an MP with mysterious connections beyond the newly dropped Iron Curtain, but he continues to be tormented by Pamela; a spectacular explosion, Nick can’t help but realize, is imminent.

Hearing Secret Harmonies (1975)
In the twelfth and final volume, Nick and his surviving friends have begun to settle into the quieter stages of later life—even as the rise of the counterculture signals that a new generation is pushing its way to the front. The darkly fascinating young Scorpio Murtlock unexpectedly draws Widmerpool into his orbit, calling to mind occult and cultish doings from earlier decades; close friends leave the stage, never to be replaced in this life; and, drawing all the long, tangled strands together, Anthony Powell sounds an unforgettable requiem for an age.

Comments:
Of the last 6 books, these three were the most enjoyable. All of the characters' lives either ended or their story lines resolved.

Of all twelve books, perhaps the last is my favorite. It has an air of detached interest that I often find myself falling into when I encounter old friends or reminisce about times past. While I am truly interested in what they have to say or what they are doing, I find that I am less likely to jump in with a proposed solution or make an attempt to intervene. I now see that we are all on the paths we chose through our past decisions and actions and we are living the lives we made for ourselves.

Update on the Lists: The next few books on the list are not yet available as eBooks. So the hunt is on to find paper versions.  I apologize in advance to the trees who sacrificed themselves for my reading pleasure.

From the Lists: #43: Dance to the Music of Time (Volumes 7-9)

The life of Nick and his friends goes on and on and on....

Since I started reading the 12 books in this series (#43 on the list of 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century), I have met a new partner, paid off my car, traveled to the Greek Isles and returned to the Caribbean. Learned about Buddhism, Meditation, and Karma and celebrated my first year anniversary at my current job.

It seems that I have lived an entire lifetime while reading about Nick's.

#7 The Valley of Bones (1964)

World War II has finally broken out, and finds Nick Jenkins learning the military arts. A stint at a training academy in Wales introduces him to the many unusual characters the army has thrown together, from the ambitious bank clerk-turned-martinet, Gwatkin, to the hopelessly slovenly yet endearing washout, Bithel. Even during wartime, however, domestic life proceeds, as a pregnant Isobel nears her term and her siblings’ romantic lives take unexpected turns—their affairs of the heart lent additional urgency by the ever-darkening shadow of war.

#8 The Soldier's Art (1966)

The eighth volume, finds Nick in the thankless position of assistant to a rapidly rising Major Widmerpool. The disruptions of war throw up other familiar faces as well: Charles Stringham, heroically emerging from alcoholism but a mere shadow of his former self; Hugh Moreland, his marriage broken, himself nearly so. As the Blitz intensifies, the war’s toll mounts; the fates are claiming their own, and many friends will not be seen again.

#9 The Military Philosophers (1968)

The ninth volume, takes the series through the end of the war. Nick has found a place, reasonably tolerable by army standards, as an assistant liaison with foreign governments in exile. But like the rest of his countrymen, he is weary of life in uniform and looking ahead to peacetime. Until then, however, the fortunes of war continue to be unpredictable: more names are cruelly added to the bill of mortality, while other old friends and foes prosper. Widmerpool becomes dangerously entranced by the beautiful, fascinating, and vicious Pamela Flitton; and Nick’s old flame Jean Duport makes a surprising reappearance. Elegiac and moving, but never without wit and perception, this volume wraps up Powell’s unsurpassed treatment of England’s finest yet most costly hour.

Comments

These three books have been my least favorite to date. Mainly due to the war focus. While I realize this is a major event in Nick's life, he serves as an administrator and the experiences he relates are more in the line of tedious dealings with bureaucrats, incompetent commanding officers, and foreign ambassadors.