Operation "Live More, Worry Less" is in effect.

I hope everyone had a great summer. The locals are starting to return to Rome.

I'm looking forward to fall. It's time for a fresh start and I must make some changes in my life.

I don't know if it's the business I work in, being the first born of Caribbean parents with high expectations, being a Virgo, a New Yorker/Jerseyite, an anal retentive American or what, but I have a bad habit of winding myself into a super tight ball of stress.

This year, I really went over the edge. And for what? It's not like anything changed. I have to let go of my control freak ways and get a grip.

This will be hard for me to do. It's so against my nature. I always have a plan. Only recently did I stop with the whole five, ten, fifteen year plans.

Last week I celebrated another birthday. I realized I have a big one coming up in a few years. Do I want to look back on this decade as the one where all I did was worry and stress the hell out?

I'm at the age where friends are starting to lose their parents, or are battling cancer. Instead of wallowing in self-pity about what is not in my life (a house, a man, a savings account, financial security, my next job, a Birkin, etc.) I am going to do my best to appreciate what is in it.

I had a long talk with my parents about my work/money situation. They are very understanding and supportive. Without them I would have to forget about Hollywood and call it a day. Many people assume that because JUMPING THE BROOM was a hit, I must be rolling in dough or have a billion jobs lined up. That is not the case. Not even close. Post JTB I had a big wake up call. I will get into that in few weeks. I need to let the rage subside a bit.

At first I wasn't going to go away for my birthday weekend. Instead I planned to hold on to the birthday gift from my parents for living expenses.

Then I thought about it. What is a living expense, only rent, food, bills? Of course I can't/won't go crazy spending money I don't have. I'm not irresponsible.

The other extreme I was following, budgeting every single euro wasn't healthy either. I have to find a middle ground. The only things that are certain in this world are death and taxes. What I feared and stressed out about the most happened and yet I'm still here.

As I sat on a TERRACE on a hill in Piemonte I made a vow to myself to live more, worry less.

I'm not sure how things will go. I feel I did take a major step in the right direction last weekend.

I will write about Piemonte next week. I have a bunch a photos to go through. Grazie mille to Diana & Micha for making my birthday weekend so special.

If you have some good advice or links about how to become less of a control freak, I'm all ears.


UPDATE: Several friends have sent me the link below.

http://zenhabits.net/

The new trailer for Jersey Shore reminds me of the drunk idiots I see every night in Campo

Mamma mia. Drama.

I still don't know why MTV decided to go to Florence. There's no beach.

Judging from the trailer, Season 4 is going to be a big hit. I wonder what the Italian press will make of the show.

R.I.P. Clarence Clemons - Born To Run

Compared to my classmates at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School and then Verona High School in Verona, NJ, I was not the biggest Springsteen fan. I don't know all the lyrics to all his songs.

I did spend many an afternoon trying to learn Clarence Clemons's tenor sax solo in this song.

Back in the day some crazy Jersey politicians wanted to make "Born To Run" the office state song. Hello, did they not listen to the lyrics?

Every time I hear this song, I get chills. It's so f-king Jersey!

Good-bye Mr. Clemons. Some of the youngins may only know you as that guy who played sax with Lady Gaga. But for us folks who grew up in Jersey in the '80s, you will always be The Big Man.