Blissful Vibes

Dedications



Arlene…
My college buddy and sister-friend of fifty years who remains smitten with our lucid daydreaming, the rowdy playtime, and our quest to snatch the hilarity on any day, week, month, or year. Namaste…

Madre and JJ…
My earliest mentors and the gift-givers of the laughter that resonated from a deep abyss of my belly. I shall never forget. Love, sweet love…

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Kudo Dog
Refreshing Moments
Laughter is the Best Elixir
Begone, Road Rage
Out of the Clear Blue
Sound bites
High-Steppers
Plan A, Plan B
Attitude = Altitude
Wicked Good Delights
Signs of a Truce
Sound bites
Mama Stealth, Let’s Ride
Keep up the Tempo
Hooked
Almost Looney Tunes
The Diehards
Sound bites
But Wait, There is More
No Worries With Za-Za-Zoom
Psyched Out-t-t
Bucket List Extravaganza
Doggie Adoration
Sound bites
Mellow
On the Q.T.
An Ode to Stretching Our Smileage
Eureka
Angelic Surrender
Sound bites
Snow Squall Mania
Earth Angel Chanchetta
Epilogue
Journaling Our Stories or Sound bites

Kudo Dog
Sisterhood and brotherhood are regal destinations,
A blossoming fellowship of ecstasy, playtime, and abundance,
Positive attitudes and today’s sustenance create a softer repose…

Dearest Mother Nature rules the roost. Entering our cozy coffee shop that was bustling, I spotted a cafe table near the front window and scurried there. I finished our scrumptious order, right before my best friend arrived.
“Yay! Got our favorite table and ordered our treats,” I boasted, as we hugged and giggled like adorable kiddos.
“Cheerio!” we flaunted in sync, as both of us sat down with our lavish grins.
As dear friends, we were a winning team, clicking our piping hot mugs filled with an aromatic Sumatra blend. We munched and savored the cranberry-nut muffins, almost as much as our nostalgic rendezvous.
Our cushy seats were close to a window sill near the front window. Was it marvelous karma to secure this bird’s eye view? Indeed, given my recent goal to raise my giggle-meter to at least 100 times per day. My best friend and I were destined to succumb. We became the prime witnesses effortlessly.
Conversing at the nearby sidewalk were two, bundled-up individuals with a pooch. We gave one another our famed, wide-eyed stares and began to laugh heartily.
“Either their winter attire is triple-layered or they are definitely from Alaska,” I quipped, as our heads bobbled in unison. “Hey, their pooch on a leash owns an obvious chutzpah!”
My endearing friend raised our laugh meter with her quick wit and retort. “In my next reincarnation as a dog, I would bypass any barking and choose a flamboyant howl with these brr temperatures!”
Not so with this stoic pooch. His doggie standstill hit the max potential. Suddenly, it was high time for a doggie chill-test. Attempts to rest his buttocks on the frigid cement resulted in the exotic, spring-loaded jumps and fancy twirls. The gawking and hysterical groupies, seated in our busier cafe, stopped to eyeball this stupendous doggie.
Our countless outbursts of laughter, clapping, and finger-pointing guaranteed a larger audience. Several of us gawked at this riveting and engaging show, ramping up our next opportunities for at least forty to fifty doses of tee-heeing.
My loco peals of laughter reverberated in this cozy cafe. I validated that this pooch deserved an Oscar namesake.
“Hooray, Kudo Dog!” I proclaimed, applauding and joshing with my best friend and several folks within earshot.
Well, the kudos for my friend, myself, and our kindred spirits were warranted as well. Was I on target or what—calling the utmost attention to this befitting and worthy “Kudo Dog.” Spot on!
During the last decade, there were increased health endorsements to defuse regularly. Adults needed to oust that nasty cortisol and epinephrine that kerplunked into our bodies, given the higher doses of our daily, frenzied living.
A purposeful, pivotal detour was paramount. Hanging tight with a person or a group that enticed our gaiety, a joie de vivre, and hilarity, like the splendor of this cafe experience, was invaluable.
Inevitably, a day for another grateful affirmation arrived. Alas, children were not the only ones with a natural desire to let loose and giggle. We adults were equally as capable of such an “endorphin high” on any day, week, or month.
Which playful friends would be chosen? I revered my longtime friend and our get-togethers at this cozy cafe. Today, when the “Kudo Dog” entertainment evolved, these charming, tantalizing, and engrossing pursuits were not shunned. All of us seized the day—Carpe Diem—with our healthier, humorous scenario.
Our coffee groupies were mesmerized. Each of us was in stitches and on the same page. The entertaining scenario evolved into a crowning time to high-five and to give “Kudo Dog” his standing ovation.
I was feeling smug, willing to embrace today’s dramatic comedy hour. Best of all, I instigated and accepted the contagious spirit that spread like an untamed, wild fire in our cafe.
We adults surpassed the lowly and meager statistics of four times per day, particularly when we indulged in today’s hilarity. We raised the bar, upped the ante for today’s statistics. Whoopee, rah-rah, and three cheers…
At a moment’s notice, I conjured up these images of our grand finale that day at our bustling cafe. There was a dynamite broadcast of “Accolades for Kudo Dog” followed by our teary eyes, the enthusiastic applause, and our titanic belly laughs.
Now, there was another pause. I wondered who else witnessed and enjoyed “Kudo Dog” on a different day or week.
In the interim, my best friend and I made a pact. We promised to return with our fervent and zealous hopes of witnessing “Kudo Dog” and his next doggie chill-test.