Recipe for an Auspicious Year

On the first day of the year, try these recommended activities:

• Chant through the entire Buddhist Sutra book, even if it wakes your wife up too early.

• Have oatmeal for breakfast, with orange juice and Roiboos tea. With a dash of honey.

• Play three games of Solitaire and win two. Cheat on the third.

• Play through Bach’s French Suites on the piano. Memorize the Allemande of No. 4 and be astounded yet again by the complexity of Bach. And moved by the beauty.

• Learn the lyrics to All of Me, All of You, All the Things You Are, Always and Autumn in New York. Note how it changes your playing. Wonder if by the end of the year, you could learn the words to 295 more jazz tunes.

• Shave your mustache that you’ve had for 30 years.

• Start cooking 17-bean soup. Count the beans.

• Look in the mirror and remember why you grew the mustache.

• Go for a walk in Golden Gate Park past the drummers on Hippy Hill. Think about going to get your bagpipe. Decide not to.

• Eat the soup with salad. Wonder why your upper lip is so thin.

• Watch Miracle on 34^th Street and feel uplifted even if you’ve seen it 34 times before.

• Brush your teeth and decide you’ll definitely grow that mustache back.

Happy New Year!