Interesting evening.

This evening's mood: Relaxed and contemplative.
This evening's music: A blues-themed playlist consisting of Muddy Waters, Cassandra Wilson, Robert Johnson, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Melissa Etheridge.
This evening's meal: Bow-tie pasta tossed with shrimp and a garlic cream sauce, and a green salad. Dessert was blueberries soaked in Grand Marnier with a white stilton cheese crumbled on top.
The 'spirit' of the evening: Pernod and lime juice.
The thought of the evening: "Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do." (Lord Bertrand Russell)
Films discussed this evening:What the bleep do we know? "A new type of film. It is part documentary, part story, and part elaborate and inspiring visual effects and animations. The protagonist, Amanda, played by Marlee Matlin, finds herself in a fantastic Alice in Wonderland experience when her daily, uninspired life literally begins to unravel, revealing the uncertain world of the quantum field hidden behind what we consider to be our normal, waking reality...The fourteen top scientists and mystics interviewed in documentary style serve as a modern day Greek Chorus. In an artful filmic dance, their ideas are woven together as a tapestry of truth. The thoughts and words of one member of the chorus blend into those of the next, adding further emphasis to the film’s underlying concept of the interconnectedness of all things."
Bad Education "Pedro Almodovar's latest film, a dark Hitchcockian thriller of a reunion between two friends -- one an up-and-coming director, the other an aspiring actor and writer -- that brings back memories of their upbringing in a Catholic school. What unravels in this multi-layered tale is a deeper mystery concerning the children's fates and a nuanced look at the nature of art."
Books discussed this evening: Open to Desire. "Proposing that spiritual attainment does not have to be detached from intimacy or eroticism, Open to Desire begins with an exploration of the dissatisfaction that causes us to both cling to, and fear, desire. Offering a new path for traversing this ambivalence, Dr. Epstein shows us how we can overcome these obstacles, not by indulgence or suppression, but by learning a new way to be with desire." The Middle Way.
The Hidden Messages in Water "Using high-speed photography, he (Masaru Emoto) found that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward it. Music, visual images, words written on paper, and photographs also have an impact on the crystal structure."
Additional topic of conversation this evening: Nail biting (onychophagia), hair pulling (trichotillomania), and compulsive skin picking -- when do they cross the line from being nervous habits to symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? How does one break these habits? If one cannot break these habits as an adult, is that an indication of OCD? Is the impetus a dislike for imperfections (rough nails, odd hairs, blemishes) and a compulsive need to eliminate the imperfection? Is it the inability of the body to remain still while the mind is otherwise occupied? How many people have more than one of these habits? Is it a response to stressful situations? How likely is it that there are proportionately more left-handed people with these habits than right-handers? (Lots of questions, lots of speculation, little in the way of factual knowledge.)

Also:
I'm missing Stephanie. I admit it. We've been in each other's pockets on a daily basis for 5 years, and we were getting tired of it, but now that she is off in Italy, cursing the day the striking railway workers were born, I am noticing how much of my life was infused with her presence.