Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Abstract
Thursday, November 11, 2010
My headspace has changed
Why, oh why, must life travel so fast when you're an employed, married, cat parenting, friend-making adult? How, exactly, is it almost time for the holidays? And where did the warm weather go? Seems like just a couple days ago SF was still reaping the benefits of the late summer/early autumn transition, and now all of a sudden it is truly fall. I feel like it's all gone by in the blink of an eye.
There was a time when work was just this thing I did with relative ease. Something happened along the way that changed that, and I still don't know exactly what that is. We definitely got busier and had some bigger changes in our organization, but it feels like more than that. Is it me, is it work, or is it both? I can never tell for sure.
Blogging (writing), as I used to tell Honey Bunny, is something you have to do often in order to stay adept at it. By the time I leave work there is plenty to do on the way home and at home, and the last thing I feel like doing is spending more time in front of the computer. I really miss writing in blog format on a regular basis but unfortunately there are other priorities at this point in time. I'm hoping that going forward I can blog at least once a month. Again with the headspace change.
I lost a lot of momentum on my Zaftig Chicks Meetup group by mid-September when work started to get uber busy and I was getting ready for vacation. By the time I got back into it, when I got back from vacation, I'd honestly lost some interest. Once again, and here at the three month anniversary mark, I've gone back and forth on whether to just pull the plug on the group or to try to revive it. After consulting with my two regular group members and friends, I decided to give it another go. Last Sunday night I was the posting fool on our group's Meetup site, having planned two events a month through January and sent an email to the group outlining some changes in administration (no RSVP's three times in a row and you're out). We'll see how it goes.
I'll be honest... I feel like I've lost the excitement of trying new things and trying to stay in a present-oriented headspace. I'm excited to do more Letterpress and to see where my Meetup group goes, but otherwise feel like - you guessed it - my headspace has changed. This is, in some ways, totally natural. Afterall, you can't spend your life in a heightened state of mind full of change forever. I went through a peak and now I'm in a valley... that is the course of life. Weather and the seasons are also ever-changing, so maybe it's just time to hunker down and ponder for awhile.
ps. It's not all been downhill... the Giants won the World Series! And, I got to attend the Champions parade in downtown SF! There is a benefit to working near Civic Center...
There was a time when work was just this thing I did with relative ease. Something happened along the way that changed that, and I still don't know exactly what that is. We definitely got busier and had some bigger changes in our organization, but it feels like more than that. Is it me, is it work, or is it both? I can never tell for sure.
Blogging (writing), as I used to tell Honey Bunny, is something you have to do often in order to stay adept at it. By the time I leave work there is plenty to do on the way home and at home, and the last thing I feel like doing is spending more time in front of the computer. I really miss writing in blog format on a regular basis but unfortunately there are other priorities at this point in time. I'm hoping that going forward I can blog at least once a month. Again with the headspace change.
I lost a lot of momentum on my Zaftig Chicks Meetup group by mid-September when work started to get uber busy and I was getting ready for vacation. By the time I got back into it, when I got back from vacation, I'd honestly lost some interest. Once again, and here at the three month anniversary mark, I've gone back and forth on whether to just pull the plug on the group or to try to revive it. After consulting with my two regular group members and friends, I decided to give it another go. Last Sunday night I was the posting fool on our group's Meetup site, having planned two events a month through January and sent an email to the group outlining some changes in administration (no RSVP's three times in a row and you're out). We'll see how it goes.
I'll be honest... I feel like I've lost the excitement of trying new things and trying to stay in a present-oriented headspace. I'm excited to do more Letterpress and to see where my Meetup group goes, but otherwise feel like - you guessed it - my headspace has changed. This is, in some ways, totally natural. Afterall, you can't spend your life in a heightened state of mind full of change forever. I went through a peak and now I'm in a valley... that is the course of life. Weather and the seasons are also ever-changing, so maybe it's just time to hunker down and ponder for awhile.
ps. It's not all been downhill... the Giants won the World Series! And, I got to attend the Champions parade in downtown SF! There is a benefit to working near Civic Center...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Super awesome vacay :D
Honey Bunny and I had the best vacation we've ever had in Catalina, perhaps the best vacation I've ever had there between childhood and current times, and maybe even the best vacation we have had together as a couple. It was over a month+ ago and lots of memories have long since been shelved but I wanted to highlight a few of the better ones.
Firstly: BUFFALO. Catalina's history with buffalo (and the treatment of non-endemic species in general) has pretty much sucked until more recent times. I'm glad that the buffalo population, although trimmed down, remains on the island. (IMHO if you've lived somewhere for 70 years you can rightfully call yourself a "native" even if you're not really.) If you're anywhere other than Avalon when in Catalina, you have much more access to the buffies. Access meaning, you get to see them. You must not interact, as Honey Bunny and I learned four years ago when we went camping at Little Harbor. A day prior to our arrival, a drunken frat boy walked right down the middle of a herd - one that included calves - and was gored in the backside by one of the buffalo. Note to self: all buffalo have horns, regardless of sex. Um, did the frat boy miss the large, black, pointy protrusions from the heads of every single approximately 1000 lb. animal in a 50+ member herd? He was evacuated out by helicopter to the mainland and almost lost his life because of his stupid action.
Point being that you can have very lovely, albeit quiet and controlled, interactions with buffalo, especially if you're staying in Two Harbors. Male members of the herd are unceremoniously kicked out after they provide babies, so all over you will find solo buffalo baby-daddies. Wilson is one such example... he seems to exclusively hang out in Two Harbors and is older than the hills. Honey Bunny and I spent some great quality time with him at the Cat Harbor dinghy dock BBQ and picnic area. Someone brings him the occasional bale of hay and set up a gigantic water bucket in a shady patch. As it was hotter than sin the day HB and I were walking around Cat Harbor, the shaded picnic area was most excellent to cool off in and we got to observe Wilson chewing cud, holding court with a large flock of little birds that liked to congregate on and around his head (I'm guessing mutualism, but what exactly?), and then shake and barely get to standing where he would sway and eat hay. At one point I noticed that his water bucket was running quite low so I refilled it with the picnic area's hose. Ah, Wilson... elderly hermit, lonely soul.
When we were on the Safari Bus heading from Two Harbors to Avalon via the Airport-in-the-Sky, we saw a huge herd as we cruised through the Wrigley Ranch. OMG! Babies! I did see calves when we were at Little Harbor as previously mentioned but none of it really stuck; that happens when you have only tent fabric between yourself and goring-happy buffalo mamas. (Just kidding! They are NOT goring-happy animals. We were goring-paranoid humans.) The babies are the cutest little things ever, especially when suckling at the teat which many were.
Another highlight was the sheer amount of time Honey Bunny and I spent doing stuff. Let me preface this with a little story of last year's vacation to the Trinity Alps. Honey Bunny is no stranger to what I call "my adventure-related meltdowns". Whilst in the Alps, he talked me into going on an eight mile round-trip hike in one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen. Wildflowers and mountain lakes? Check. When I got tired, I didn't just say "I'm tired, let's rest." Nope, instead I said, "I'd rather be walking on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym" in addition to several other choice things. Let me just say that I have issues stemming from adventures in my formative years in which I felt trapped, scared and/or tired, and it wasn't really okay to express - or even be feeling - any of that. That day on the hike changed me, though. Honey Bunny WAS pissed at me for saying what I said, but he also showed me a lot of compassion and metaphorically held my hand when he probably would have rather slapped it away. For this reason, I at least try to enjoy the adventures he proposes/we do rather than automatically judge and react.
The first year we went to Catalina, we rented a kayak during our stay in Two Harbors and it was really quite lovely seeing the coastline that way. We paddled about 5 miles to Emerald Bay but then the wind picked up on our way back and we had to battle it and current. We missed our check-in time at the rental place so they sent the Harbor Patrol out for us. Being picked up by the Harbor Patrol was both relieving (no more paddling in place after no food or water for four hours) and embarrassing (getting up to standing on a kayak to climb over the edge of the Patrol boat? UGH!). Talk about an adventure, eh? That whole experience unfortunately contributed to my overall adventure-adverse headspace, though... something I didn't realize until the hike in the Trinity Alps. I'm scared of going too far out and getting stuck. Story of my life.
That day in the Alps was a great jumping off point for both Honey Bunny and I. For me, it started a bit of healing. For him, he understood me better not just in a vacation context but in life overall. Neither of us discussed that this vacation would be vastly different than all those that came before, but it just was. My headspace was different. I didn't want to make excuses to get out of doing things, nor did I want to be inhibited by fear enough to explicitly say so. As ridiculous as this sounds (and for me to even write it), I challenged myself to have a great and more active vacation. We kayaked in both Two Harbors (scary big waves and wind, meltdown included, but we got through it and ended up having a great time) and Avalon (surprisingly far superior than the Isthumus; highly recommend!), we did day hikes in both places (exhausting because of the heat), and we swam as much as possible (colder water this year than normal, but still YAY). In Two Harbors we stayed at the Banning House Lodge which was as beautiful as ever, and you have to hike a 1/2 mile up- or down-hill to get anywhere other than the Lodge. That's a dust-filled adventure with the occasional buffalo encounter in itself! In Avalon we stayed at La Paloma Cottages which were bijoux at best and uncomfortable at least, so staying out and about was crucial. Everything worked out for the best.
One thing I really enjoyed this time about Catalina and can't remember really doing so in the past was tuning in more with the local culture. In Two Harbors, we were there during the weekdays run-up to Buccaneer’s Day. "Buc Day", as the locals call it, is apparently the last big party of the season and what a party it is. 6000 people crowd into the Isthmus to booze up and pretend they're pirates. The town was battening down the hatches quite literally in preparation. Sounds like most people sleep where they fall down and pass out, including the playground and beach. HB and I so badly wanted to stay to witness the spectacle but there was no way to change our plans. In the midst of prep for Buc Day, the ladies of Las Caballeras arrived in town for their annual 5-day ride. For 24 hours, the sound of whinnying horses carried through the air while ferries full of cowgirls unloaded at the dock. How cool is that?
Once in Avalon, we realized the town was gearing up for the Jazz Trax Festival at the Casino. Actual people of color (gasp!) were in town! Whereas the average tourist lady wears a sun visor, capri pants and flip flops and has fish-belly white skin, it was easy to tell who the jazz tourists were. We saw tons of women who were fake-baked beyond recognition, hobbling around on Avalon's cobblestone in 4" stiletto heels and pristine mini dresses. The opening night of the festival, HB and I sat on the brick wall at the bottom of the Casino, like many others, and enjoyed the music, blaring clearly through open windows and doors upstairs. (Why pay a fortune for the tickets when you can just enjoy from street level?)
The other thing we did in Avalon, when we went on our walk up to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, was stop at artist Will Richard's Art Studio (and house). Far from being just a standard art studio, his place is full of crazy stuff he's made in the name of art. There are painted sculptures, molds and paintings of aliens, Jesus, cats, you name it, everywhere, tucked into corners, integrated into the architecture, on display, so on and so forth. While it's clear he doesn't necessarily love chit-chat with tourists, he's a super nice guy and very welcoming.
It's always hard for me to leave Catalina. I've often wondered if I lived a past life there, which is something I've felt since I was a kid. Something about it always felt and feels like home to me, something that transcends it just being a "fun vacation destination". I remember the first time I visited and was walking around with my parents. The art deco architecture and art on the Casino took my breath away, the look of the town in general was something I'd never seen or experienced before (aka Mediterranean seaport town), and I loved every minute of it. I had an insane imagination when I was that kid, and would always dream up crazy scenarios about being a young woman there at the turn of the 1950's, or about being in a romance with Zane Grey (who looked like a young but completely different Zane in my daydreams), or even being the lithe mermaid in her art deco water world in the Casino's frescoes. I think the daydreaming was helped along by the fact that I was going through puberty, discovering boys and longing to be an adult who could party at Luau Larry's instead of being trapped on a tiny sailboat with my parents.
So, I always feel wistful and cry when the ferry leaves the dock and I watch as the island gets farther away, and this time was no exception. The cool thing about this time, though, is that we came across a huge pod of dolphins who swam with the boat for awhile and played before zooming off. They are amazing creatures to watch, and swim extremely fast, and seem to genuinely love playing games. In that moment, I was so convinced that nature gives you gifts when you embrace it. Honey Bunny and I really enjoyed being in the sun, sand, dirt, water, kelp beds, etc, and so nature gave us Wilson (hello, how often do you just hang with a buffalo?) and a parting gift of dolphin playfulness. I know it's a super fruity theory that's probably hard for most people to buy into, but I believe it. 'Til next time, dear Catalina!
Firstly: BUFFALO. Catalina's history with buffalo (and the treatment of non-endemic species in general) has pretty much sucked until more recent times. I'm glad that the buffalo population, although trimmed down, remains on the island. (IMHO if you've lived somewhere for 70 years you can rightfully call yourself a "native" even if you're not really.) If you're anywhere other than Avalon when in Catalina, you have much more access to the buffies. Access meaning, you get to see them. You must not interact, as Honey Bunny and I learned four years ago when we went camping at Little Harbor. A day prior to our arrival, a drunken frat boy walked right down the middle of a herd - one that included calves - and was gored in the backside by one of the buffalo. Note to self: all buffalo have horns, regardless of sex. Um, did the frat boy miss the large, black, pointy protrusions from the heads of every single approximately 1000 lb. animal in a 50+ member herd? He was evacuated out by helicopter to the mainland and almost lost his life because of his stupid action.
Point being that you can have very lovely, albeit quiet and controlled, interactions with buffalo, especially if you're staying in Two Harbors. Male members of the herd are unceremoniously kicked out after they provide babies, so all over you will find solo buffalo baby-daddies. Wilson is one such example... he seems to exclusively hang out in Two Harbors and is older than the hills. Honey Bunny and I spent some great quality time with him at the Cat Harbor dinghy dock BBQ and picnic area. Someone brings him the occasional bale of hay and set up a gigantic water bucket in a shady patch. As it was hotter than sin the day HB and I were walking around Cat Harbor, the shaded picnic area was most excellent to cool off in and we got to observe Wilson chewing cud, holding court with a large flock of little birds that liked to congregate on and around his head (I'm guessing mutualism, but what exactly?), and then shake and barely get to standing where he would sway and eat hay. At one point I noticed that his water bucket was running quite low so I refilled it with the picnic area's hose. Ah, Wilson... elderly hermit, lonely soul.
When we were on the Safari Bus heading from Two Harbors to Avalon via the Airport-in-the-Sky, we saw a huge herd as we cruised through the Wrigley Ranch. OMG! Babies! I did see calves when we were at Little Harbor as previously mentioned but none of it really stuck; that happens when you have only tent fabric between yourself and goring-happy buffalo mamas. (Just kidding! They are NOT goring-happy animals. We were goring-paranoid humans.) The babies are the cutest little things ever, especially when suckling at the teat which many were.
Another highlight was the sheer amount of time Honey Bunny and I spent doing stuff. Let me preface this with a little story of last year's vacation to the Trinity Alps. Honey Bunny is no stranger to what I call "my adventure-related meltdowns". Whilst in the Alps, he talked me into going on an eight mile round-trip hike in one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen. Wildflowers and mountain lakes? Check. When I got tired, I didn't just say "I'm tired, let's rest." Nope, instead I said, "I'd rather be walking on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym" in addition to several other choice things. Let me just say that I have issues stemming from adventures in my formative years in which I felt trapped, scared and/or tired, and it wasn't really okay to express - or even be feeling - any of that. That day on the hike changed me, though. Honey Bunny WAS pissed at me for saying what I said, but he also showed me a lot of compassion and metaphorically held my hand when he probably would have rather slapped it away. For this reason, I at least try to enjoy the adventures he proposes/we do rather than automatically judge and react.
The first year we went to Catalina, we rented a kayak during our stay in Two Harbors and it was really quite lovely seeing the coastline that way. We paddled about 5 miles to Emerald Bay but then the wind picked up on our way back and we had to battle it and current. We missed our check-in time at the rental place so they sent the Harbor Patrol out for us. Being picked up by the Harbor Patrol was both relieving (no more paddling in place after no food or water for four hours) and embarrassing (getting up to standing on a kayak to climb over the edge of the Patrol boat? UGH!). Talk about an adventure, eh? That whole experience unfortunately contributed to my overall adventure-adverse headspace, though... something I didn't realize until the hike in the Trinity Alps. I'm scared of going too far out and getting stuck. Story of my life.
That day in the Alps was a great jumping off point for both Honey Bunny and I. For me, it started a bit of healing. For him, he understood me better not just in a vacation context but in life overall. Neither of us discussed that this vacation would be vastly different than all those that came before, but it just was. My headspace was different. I didn't want to make excuses to get out of doing things, nor did I want to be inhibited by fear enough to explicitly say so. As ridiculous as this sounds (and for me to even write it), I challenged myself to have a great and more active vacation. We kayaked in both Two Harbors (scary big waves and wind, meltdown included, but we got through it and ended up having a great time) and Avalon (surprisingly far superior than the Isthumus; highly recommend!), we did day hikes in both places (exhausting because of the heat), and we swam as much as possible (colder water this year than normal, but still YAY). In Two Harbors we stayed at the Banning House Lodge which was as beautiful as ever, and you have to hike a 1/2 mile up- or down-hill to get anywhere other than the Lodge. That's a dust-filled adventure with the occasional buffalo encounter in itself! In Avalon we stayed at La Paloma Cottages which were bijoux at best and uncomfortable at least, so staying out and about was crucial. Everything worked out for the best.
One thing I really enjoyed this time about Catalina and can't remember really doing so in the past was tuning in more with the local culture. In Two Harbors, we were there during the weekdays run-up to Buccaneer’s Day. "Buc Day", as the locals call it, is apparently the last big party of the season and what a party it is. 6000 people crowd into the Isthmus to booze up and pretend they're pirates. The town was battening down the hatches quite literally in preparation. Sounds like most people sleep where they fall down and pass out, including the playground and beach. HB and I so badly wanted to stay to witness the spectacle but there was no way to change our plans. In the midst of prep for Buc Day, the ladies of Las Caballeras arrived in town for their annual 5-day ride. For 24 hours, the sound of whinnying horses carried through the air while ferries full of cowgirls unloaded at the dock. How cool is that?
Once in Avalon, we realized the town was gearing up for the Jazz Trax Festival at the Casino. Actual people of color (gasp!) were in town! Whereas the average tourist lady wears a sun visor, capri pants and flip flops and has fish-belly white skin, it was easy to tell who the jazz tourists were. We saw tons of women who were fake-baked beyond recognition, hobbling around on Avalon's cobblestone in 4" stiletto heels and pristine mini dresses. The opening night of the festival, HB and I sat on the brick wall at the bottom of the Casino, like many others, and enjoyed the music, blaring clearly through open windows and doors upstairs. (Why pay a fortune for the tickets when you can just enjoy from street level?)
The other thing we did in Avalon, when we went on our walk up to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, was stop at artist Will Richard's Art Studio (and house). Far from being just a standard art studio, his place is full of crazy stuff he's made in the name of art. There are painted sculptures, molds and paintings of aliens, Jesus, cats, you name it, everywhere, tucked into corners, integrated into the architecture, on display, so on and so forth. While it's clear he doesn't necessarily love chit-chat with tourists, he's a super nice guy and very welcoming.
It's always hard for me to leave Catalina. I've often wondered if I lived a past life there, which is something I've felt since I was a kid. Something about it always felt and feels like home to me, something that transcends it just being a "fun vacation destination". I remember the first time I visited and was walking around with my parents. The art deco architecture and art on the Casino took my breath away, the look of the town in general was something I'd never seen or experienced before (aka Mediterranean seaport town), and I loved every minute of it. I had an insane imagination when I was that kid, and would always dream up crazy scenarios about being a young woman there at the turn of the 1950's, or about being in a romance with Zane Grey (who looked like a young but completely different Zane in my daydreams), or even being the lithe mermaid in her art deco water world in the Casino's frescoes. I think the daydreaming was helped along by the fact that I was going through puberty, discovering boys and longing to be an adult who could party at Luau Larry's instead of being trapped on a tiny sailboat with my parents.
So, I always feel wistful and cry when the ferry leaves the dock and I watch as the island gets farther away, and this time was no exception. The cool thing about this time, though, is that we came across a huge pod of dolphins who swam with the boat for awhile and played before zooming off. They are amazing creatures to watch, and swim extremely fast, and seem to genuinely love playing games. In that moment, I was so convinced that nature gives you gifts when you embrace it. Honey Bunny and I really enjoyed being in the sun, sand, dirt, water, kelp beds, etc, and so nature gave us Wilson (hello, how often do you just hang with a buffalo?) and a parting gift of dolphin playfulness. I know it's a super fruity theory that's probably hard for most people to buy into, but I believe it. 'Til next time, dear Catalina!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Speed of light
Ok, it's fair to say that I've completely fallen off the blogging wagon at this point! My life has been traveling at the speed of light lately. I realized this at about 6:30am this morning while laying in bed thinking, and decided to get up and write a quick posting. (The cats are not happy about their lack of snuggling time, however!) It's a beautiful beginning-of-Fall morning.
Last week I worked with my new personal trainer, Boxing Lady, for the first time. She comes indirectly from the Fat Acceptance movement in San Francisco, which was a great surprise to learn when I interviewed her. I worried that she wouldn't push me as hard as other trainers because she specializes in working with larger and/or elderly people, but color me wrong on that one. After my first session, "the easiest one I'll ever have" according to her, I was sore from stem to stern for four days. Four days! I saw her again this week and indeed, this session was harder than the last by a long shot. She is, as her name implies, an amateur boxer and I can't wait until we start doing some boxing drills. It feels great to work hard again, and not know what's coming next in each session. It also feels great to have gotten out of what feels like a weird and dysfunctional - if not slightly abusive - relationship with Yoga Trainer, and to move on. This summer was all about moving on, from a lot of things, from a darker and bereaving period of my life.
Last week I also took another Intro to Letterpress course at SFCB, and it was great! This course was focused on designing notecards. Can I just say that I love my design? Knowing how to set type going in was a huge advantage, as was having an experienced teacher, Maia de Raat of Dandy Lion Press, who took the time to explain everything and was calm and patient. She told a funny story about a previous student who kept running to the bathroom every few minutes, and after awhile Maia asked her if she was feeling okay. The student replied, "I'm fine, I'm just looking at my design in the mirror!" You do have to typeset backwards (and, initially, upside down) and I'd never even thought about looking in a mirror to check my work and see how a dingbat/decorative element was going to work with the font or overall design. Shiver me timbers... it really does help! As I've been asked by more than one party at this point if I can custom-make notecards, and given how much I'm loving and taking to Letterpress, my goal is to take full Letterpress courses I, II and III in order to qualify for open studio time where I can design and press at leisure.
Honey Bunny and I are heading out on vacation in a few days, which I'm looking so forward to. As mentioned in a much earlier post, however, preparing to leave on a week-long vacation from work is a pain in the ass. Especially when we have a 2-day event starting tomorrow that I feel like I've been prepping for for weeks. Thank goodness I'll be walking out of this next event to go on vacation.
It'll be radio silence until I return... TTYL!
Last week I worked with my new personal trainer, Boxing Lady, for the first time. She comes indirectly from the Fat Acceptance movement in San Francisco, which was a great surprise to learn when I interviewed her. I worried that she wouldn't push me as hard as other trainers because she specializes in working with larger and/or elderly people, but color me wrong on that one. After my first session, "the easiest one I'll ever have" according to her, I was sore from stem to stern for four days. Four days! I saw her again this week and indeed, this session was harder than the last by a long shot. She is, as her name implies, an amateur boxer and I can't wait until we start doing some boxing drills. It feels great to work hard again, and not know what's coming next in each session. It also feels great to have gotten out of what feels like a weird and dysfunctional - if not slightly abusive - relationship with Yoga Trainer, and to move on. This summer was all about moving on, from a lot of things, from a darker and bereaving period of my life.
Last week I also took another Intro to Letterpress course at SFCB, and it was great! This course was focused on designing notecards. Can I just say that I love my design? Knowing how to set type going in was a huge advantage, as was having an experienced teacher, Maia de Raat of Dandy Lion Press, who took the time to explain everything and was calm and patient. She told a funny story about a previous student who kept running to the bathroom every few minutes, and after awhile Maia asked her if she was feeling okay. The student replied, "I'm fine, I'm just looking at my design in the mirror!" You do have to typeset backwards (and, initially, upside down) and I'd never even thought about looking in a mirror to check my work and see how a dingbat/decorative element was going to work with the font or overall design. Shiver me timbers... it really does help! As I've been asked by more than one party at this point if I can custom-make notecards, and given how much I'm loving and taking to Letterpress, my goal is to take full Letterpress courses I, II and III in order to qualify for open studio time where I can design and press at leisure.
Honey Bunny and I are heading out on vacation in a few days, which I'm looking so forward to. As mentioned in a much earlier post, however, preparing to leave on a week-long vacation from work is a pain in the ass. Especially when we have a 2-day event starting tomorrow that I feel like I've been prepping for for weeks. Thank goodness I'll be walking out of this next event to go on vacation.
It'll be radio silence until I return... TTYL!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Lotsa updates
It's been just over a month since Staycay concluded, and I can definitely feel that I'm slipping backwards in some ways. Writing frequently had become more or less natural and fun, but now I don't feel as motivated. Work has ramped up to be legitimately busy and will continue to be so through September, which means a large portion of my weekday brain is taken up by all the picky little event coordinating details I have to tend to. In general I feel like I'm super busy and just trying to keep up day to day, both at work and at home. Staying in the cool, calm and relaxed Staycay mode has been pretty well impossible, which I suppose is to be expected. It was meant to carry over but nothing lasts forever, eh*?
On the upside, I do feel as though I'm doing things rather than just blogging about doing them. I described something similar in an earlier post about photography. I can either take photos and be fully immersed in the experience, or I can (half ass) take photos while obsessing about how they're going to turn out after the fact and about who I'm going to show them to, etc. Better to actually be experiencing life rather than just talking about wanting to experience life!
On that note, here's what I've been up to lately.
Lastly, I've been trying to continue to take photos but it's proven to be difficult. When I'm immersed in work, I feel like I'm on autopilot and don't really see the world around me. As Honey Bunny would say, "it is what it is" but I do find it disturbing that nothing seems particularly interesting visually when I'm not relaxed. Nevertheless, here is some randomness from the past couple weeks. Take it away, Hipstamatic!
* You'll have to excuse me, I've been reading the Scott Pilgrim series. It's Canadian. Eh! Loved the movie and love the books even more.
On the upside, I do feel as though I'm doing things rather than just blogging about doing them. I described something similar in an earlier post about photography. I can either take photos and be fully immersed in the experience, or I can (half ass) take photos while obsessing about how they're going to turn out after the fact and about who I'm going to show them to, etc. Better to actually be experiencing life rather than just talking about wanting to experience life!
On that note, here's what I've been up to lately.
- I made GGC's chile rellenos!
Firstly, GGC = Girl's Gone Child, and specifically for this point, her Eat Well posts written by her mother, Wendy. About a month ago Wendy posted how to make chile rellenos, their associated sauce, and assorted side dishes, including the best Mexican Rice I've ever laid lips on. For this visual/kinesthetic learner, it was awesome to have both a traditional ingredient recipe to follow and pictures of each step.
I LOVE mexican food and make some pretty good enchiladas and refried beans but that's about it. Wendy's recipe for the rellenos was challenging but in a good way. For instance, I've never done the separate the egg whites/yolks thing where you whisk them both separately and then fold them back together. In fact, I've never whisked an egg white into a foam (similar to a meringue for those of you not kitchen-oriented), let alone whisk an egg yolk to the point where it turns lemony yellow. Who knew? Fortunately for my right arm, my birthday present from Honey Bunny this year was my treasured Cuisinart hand mixer with whisk attachment.
All in all, it was a fun dish to make and quite delicious. I didn't get my eggs quite right so the batter was a little not puffy/flat on the chiles but no matter... they tasted super yummy (and tasted "correct" for what that's worth) and that's what counts. If you're inspired to try something new in the kitchen but don't want to dick around with whisking eggs and roasting chiles, I highly recommend trying the Mexican Rice. It's easy enough, utilizes fresh ingredients and I suspect no matter what you'll get tasty results. (Use broth instead of water, though!) - We planned our week-long vacation!
Yee-freakin-haw. I can't tell you how many times Honey Bunny and I have sparred trying to plan our vacation this year. I wanted to go to NYC, he has no interest. He wanted to replicate our road trip from last year, which is fine but I want to do something new. Eventually we both agreed to drop the issue for awhile and see if a good idea would naturally spring up... which it did. His coworker went on a family vacation and came back to tell HB how fun it was. The next day we outlined a plan and made all the reservations. We go at the end of September, just after Hell Work Week & Month for me concludes. I can't wait! - My Meetup group has taken off!
This is what I'm most excited to post about. All of my angst over the membership volume of my Meetup group went away when I did my first meetup last week. There were originally eight confirmed for Happy Hour but only two ladies showed. To top that off, they were both super friendly and it was fun hanging out and chatting. Small groups are really my thing (especially when there are no personality conflicts, yay!), as they're much more conducive to getting to know each other on a level that is neither surface (blech) nor deep (scary). We had a good enough time that we committed to hanging out together again today at a farmers market! This time, three new and very cool ladies also joined and now I feel like we have a good core group for future outings. Total membership is now at 32 (32!) and with several great ideas in the works for future meetups.
ps. After the farmers market, we sought dessert at That Takes The Cake. It was delicious (highly recommend!) and I even made them pose a la Real Housewives with a cupcake. Hee.
- I interviewed other personal trainers!
I decided for sure it's time to move on from Yoga Trainer. I want to work out with a woman who understands some of the challenges that come with being fat, whether that means knowing how to coach me through a meltdown or whether it's as simple as knowing that large breasts in a sports bra means you can't put your chin against your chest in a forward fold. I thought this would be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack but it was actually quite easy to find two very qualified women with the help of Yelp (which I usually hate but - argh - it can be helpful too). I met them both last week for interviews and both went extremely well. They are very different personalities from one another but both with similar backgrounds, and I have to make a decision. Ack! In Scott Pilgrim speak: "but... but... it's harrrrrrrd to make a decision!!" - I practiced my facilitation skills!
This is actually an older item that didn't seem particularly interesting to write about. If you don't know me, I'm a really shy person and I hate public speaking. And, if you can believe this, I got up in front of 15 coworkers and facilitated something called a Consensus Workshop, which is, well... exactly what it sounds like. I spent just over two hours facilitating a fairly difficult group of people, several of whom are loud and dominant types, and one of which is the Assistant Director of my agency (who I strong-armed into a decision the group as a whole wanted but she was resisting, ah thank you very much!).
The day prior, I spent about four hours in preparation, with a script and all. I didn't sleep well that night, and as I started the workshop with a contextual introduction I literally got light-headed and thought I was going to pass out. Thankfully this facilitation method requires you to sit with the group for portions (so you don't stand out as the "leader", as the model is based on tapping into group intelligence) and so once I was sitting it was all good. Several coworkers came up to me afterwards and told me they didn't know I had it in me. As I said to both those coworkers and peeps I've told the story to since, "Once you strip away the shyness and anxiety, there is a very bossy person in there."
Since that meeting day in early August, I've gotten involved in another facilitation project with a group of coworkers who seem hell-bent on sending me to the nut house. I really don't do well in teams. It's a stretch, which I guess is a good thing. We'll see.
Lastly, I've been trying to continue to take photos but it's proven to be difficult. When I'm immersed in work, I feel like I'm on autopilot and don't really see the world around me. As Honey Bunny would say, "it is what it is" but I do find it disturbing that nothing seems particularly interesting visually when I'm not relaxed. Nevertheless, here is some randomness from the past couple weeks. Take it away, Hipstamatic!
* You'll have to excuse me, I've been reading the Scott Pilgrim series. It's Canadian. Eh! Loved the movie and love the books even more.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Meetup madness and a turn of the pedals
So, last Friday I took the day off and was dicking around on the computer all day catching up on some personal-goal type things. It was like Staycay Lite. Feeling dissatisfied with GirlFriendCircles and even the Book Club, I decided I'd start my own Meetup group. Why not, eh? It's free and super easy!
Well, it's neither of those things, actually. What it is is a giant can of worms... like the spring-loaded gag gift kind that someone gave you for your birthday in 1980. It's $19/month to have a Meetup group, and setting it up is a bit of a pain in the rump.
I started the San Francisco Zaftig Chick Social Club. As you may know, Zaftig Chick is my fat pride related internet handle, created in 2003. "Zaftig Chick" is even the name I used in the Craigslist personals section to catch the eye of my now-husband. I realized, after much thought about why GFC wasn't exactly working for me, that to have access to people I want to hang with, aka "my people", I'd need to figure out who my people are. I had the same exact process thought right before I put up that last Women Seeking Men personal ad, the one that worked (while the previous five ads hadn't). My people are, theoretically, like me so I created a Meetup group that I'd want to join.
The Club initially had one member. I might have pouted about that for a minute, thinking no one else wanted to come to my party. But soon enough, many others joined and by the time I went to bed on Saturday night I had 25 members total. I actually woke up in a panic on Sunday morning at 4:30am with the following tickertape running through my head: How in the fuck am I going to come up with enough stuff to do for 25 women???? But, as most of us know, nothing of substance really comes out of a 4:30am anxiety attack so it was nothing but a lot of hand-wringing and tossing and turning. After finally falling back asleep and then waking a few hours later, I felt strongly that I can do this, no worries.
Since then I've cycled between casual confidence and panic. On one hand, it's fun to be the ring leader and come up with fun stuff to do. On the other hand, it feels like a lot of pressure to put together not just a series of events (meetups), but a community. Earlier this week I realized I needed help, and fortunately Meetup has a solution for that. I can and did ask for volunteers to be Event Organizers, those who can plan, post, administer and host meetups without necessarily having me be part of it. So far I have one person who would like to be an Organizer.
Right at this moment I'm in PANIC!! mode. I fully plan to attend and enjoy the two meetups I've scheduled, and any that my other Organizer will schedule, and hopefully those will be so fun that it will propel me forward. Maybe others will come forward and want organize some meetups as well. To be continued...
On a completely different and more positive note, Honey Bunny and I went biking last weekend in Golden Gate Park! See, I had HB's beloved 10-speed bike from the 80's restored for him for his birthday and he was super excited to go out and ride. So much so that he whipped out my beloved mountain bike from the 90's from storage, cleaned it up and got it working again. Give my man a can of WD-40 and he can make pretty much anything work.
In full disclosure, this is the other reason I woke up at 4:30am on Sunday monring -- knowing that Honey Bunny was probably going to pounce out of bed, raring to go on a bike ride in the park where the road is closed on Sundays. The last time I rode a bike was on our honeymoon and let me just say there was a very heavy and unfamiliar rental mountain bike involved, as well as 95 degree beating-down-sun SoCal weather, a shitload of dusty dirt, a couple rattlesnakes, some chafing, and several meltdowns and tears, all capped off by a rather unfortunate fall down the side of a slippery hill. It was not fun, and it felt like the last nail in the coffin where bikes and I were concerned. The thought of not only riding a bike but riding it in front of other people was terrifying.
Except, I'd forgotten about my bike! I have a wonderous Trek 820 that I bought in Arcata with my first credit card when I was 21 years old. I bought it because my friend Shazzer bought one and upon test-riding it, I felt like this:
Comic exerpted from 5 Reasons Pigs Are More Awesome Than You on The Oatmeal
That bike is... well, the only way to put it is that it's like a razor blade going through cat shit. It's smooth as butter to ride. Lucky, lucky me. The height and frame and feel and gearing of that bike suits me perfectly. I'm sure there are better bikes out there, and certainly all the road bikers I know (including Honey Bunny) would say I'm high on crack to prefer riding a mountain bike on the street but whatever. I. love. it.
Honey Bunny is out of biking shape as well, and to my surprise was also feeling tentative about the Sunday ride. He kept saying, "It'll be fine... we'll just take it one block at a time... we can stop to rest whenever we want!" But you know what? I got on my bike, and it all came back to me, and I rode it like a mo-fo. It was so beautiful riding on a bike next to Honey Bunny on his bike, chatting away as the lovely scenery rolled past. We biked much farther than I ever thought we would, especially first time out. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again! All in all, a perfect purposeful gift for Honey Bunny and a perfect accidental gift for me.
Well, it's neither of those things, actually. What it is is a giant can of worms... like the spring-loaded gag gift kind that someone gave you for your birthday in 1980. It's $19/month to have a Meetup group, and setting it up is a bit of a pain in the rump.
I started the San Francisco Zaftig Chick Social Club. As you may know, Zaftig Chick is my fat pride related internet handle, created in 2003. "Zaftig Chick" is even the name I used in the Craigslist personals section to catch the eye of my now-husband. I realized, after much thought about why GFC wasn't exactly working for me, that to have access to people I want to hang with, aka "my people", I'd need to figure out who my people are. I had the same exact process thought right before I put up that last Women Seeking Men personal ad, the one that worked (while the previous five ads hadn't). My people are, theoretically, like me so I created a Meetup group that I'd want to join.
The Club initially had one member. I might have pouted about that for a minute, thinking no one else wanted to come to my party. But soon enough, many others joined and by the time I went to bed on Saturday night I had 25 members total. I actually woke up in a panic on Sunday morning at 4:30am with the following tickertape running through my head: How in the fuck am I going to come up with enough stuff to do for 25 women???? But, as most of us know, nothing of substance really comes out of a 4:30am anxiety attack so it was nothing but a lot of hand-wringing and tossing and turning. After finally falling back asleep and then waking a few hours later, I felt strongly that I can do this, no worries.
Since then I've cycled between casual confidence and panic. On one hand, it's fun to be the ring leader and come up with fun stuff to do. On the other hand, it feels like a lot of pressure to put together not just a series of events (meetups), but a community. Earlier this week I realized I needed help, and fortunately Meetup has a solution for that. I can and did ask for volunteers to be Event Organizers, those who can plan, post, administer and host meetups without necessarily having me be part of it. So far I have one person who would like to be an Organizer.
Right at this moment I'm in PANIC!! mode. I fully plan to attend and enjoy the two meetups I've scheduled, and any that my other Organizer will schedule, and hopefully those will be so fun that it will propel me forward. Maybe others will come forward and want organize some meetups as well. To be continued...
On a completely different and more positive note, Honey Bunny and I went biking last weekend in Golden Gate Park! See, I had HB's beloved 10-speed bike from the 80's restored for him for his birthday and he was super excited to go out and ride. So much so that he whipped out my beloved mountain bike from the 90's from storage, cleaned it up and got it working again. Give my man a can of WD-40 and he can make pretty much anything work.
In full disclosure, this is the other reason I woke up at 4:30am on Sunday monring -- knowing that Honey Bunny was probably going to pounce out of bed, raring to go on a bike ride in the park where the road is closed on Sundays. The last time I rode a bike was on our honeymoon and let me just say there was a very heavy and unfamiliar rental mountain bike involved, as well as 95 degree beating-down-sun SoCal weather, a shitload of dusty dirt, a couple rattlesnakes, some chafing, and several meltdowns and tears, all capped off by a rather unfortunate fall down the side of a slippery hill. It was not fun, and it felt like the last nail in the coffin where bikes and I were concerned. The thought of not only riding a bike but riding it in front of other people was terrifying.
Except, I'd forgotten about my bike! I have a wonderous Trek 820 that I bought in Arcata with my first credit card when I was 21 years old. I bought it because my friend Shazzer bought one and upon test-riding it, I felt like this:
That bike is... well, the only way to put it is that it's like a razor blade going through cat shit. It's smooth as butter to ride. Lucky, lucky me. The height and frame and feel and gearing of that bike suits me perfectly. I'm sure there are better bikes out there, and certainly all the road bikers I know (including Honey Bunny) would say I'm high on crack to prefer riding a mountain bike on the street but whatever. I. love. it.
Honey Bunny is out of biking shape as well, and to my surprise was also feeling tentative about the Sunday ride. He kept saying, "It'll be fine... we'll just take it one block at a time... we can stop to rest whenever we want!" But you know what? I got on my bike, and it all came back to me, and I rode it like a mo-fo. It was so beautiful riding on a bike next to Honey Bunny on his bike, chatting away as the lovely scenery rolled past. We biked much farther than I ever thought we would, especially first time out. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again! All in all, a perfect purposeful gift for Honey Bunny and a perfect accidental gift for me.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friend-ly dinners with a dash of 'outspoken'
Alrighty, then. I went to my first official GirlFriend Circles outing (excepting the mandatory Connecting Circle, of course) last weekend and it was pretty awkward. Not good, not natural, not fun. I started a film club on the site and our first outing was to see Eat, Pray, Love. One of the two ladies who RSVP'd suggested we all get dinner beforehand and a plan was struck to dine at Dosa. Afterwards we would head over to the theater and tuck in to watch the film.
Dosa on Fillmore is one of my current favorite restaurants in San Francisco. The food is totally yummy, unique and organic, and the physical space is super cool (insane chandeliers! massive saturated color prints of Indian scenery! bamboo everywhere!). I was super looking forward to this outing, an excuse to dine at Dosa. But, dining there on what's essentially a blind date with two women that were not such great personality matches for me = oy. I didn't enjoy my food in the least, and in fact, it felt a little tasteless (due to the situation, not the restaurant's ability). I was counting the seconds until we could move over to the theater where I wouldn't have to make awkward conversation any more. It was just all wrong.
Flash forward to last night, when I met with my book club for the first time. This was my very first book club experience ever and I really had no idea what to expect. Like, were there going to be formal questions to answer? Was I expected to expound upon the themes of the book? (Reminder/reality check: dude, this is a Chick Lit book club!) Oddly enough, this month's book had a book club scene within, in which one of the characters hosts a meeting and mentions that they've always spent five minutes actually talking about the book and the rest of the time chit-chatting and getting drunk. We didn't get drunk last night but there was wine involved, and the requisite five minutes - and five minutes only - of talking about the book. Phew! I didn't care for the book, to the point where I stopped reading about a third of the way through and thought I would be admonished for such naughty book club behavior. So glad I wasn't.
Most relieving was that this outing went much better than the GFC dining/film club date. I felt more of an immediate connection to these women and in particular to my right-hand neighbor who I seemed to have much in common with. Mostly, I felt like I was being "authentic" (FYI, I hate that word but can't think of another for this context) in the group, meaning that I was being my usual shy self instead of some circus clown trying to get the party started. We were all more or less contributing equally to the vibe of the group which I can't say about the GFC outing.
The commonality between the two groups is that at least one of the attendees present was from the outspoken camp, and thus rubbed me the wrong way. I've always tended to have issues with people who are bossy, or who are bullies or who are know-it-alls (a "sabetodo" for those of you who also took Ms. Garcia's 9th grade Spanish class). In an attempt to recognize that everyone has a different personality - and that just because I have issues with the types I mentioned doesn't mean they're any less valid than the rest of us - I reframed and pooled these types into one category called 'outspoken'. Nothing wrong with outspoken, right? Outspoken people tend to be mavericks and can really get some shit done in this world.
Most recently, I've been fired up about my personal trainer, aka Yoga Trainer, who is both 'outspoken' and egotistical. In processing this anger with my therapist this week, she helped me articulate what this is really about, what my beef really is. Dialogue. And specifically: the lack thereof.
I like when I can have dialogue with people. In fact, I can get along with pretty much anyone as long as there can be some dialogue and a fundamental understanding that we both bring intelligence to the table. No doubt I've struggled a great part of my life with feeling like I'm "less than" and so 'outspoken' folks can really chap my hide. For instance, in putting strong opinions out there as fact and then shutting down any opposing viewpoints expressed (which is the most frequent offense of the 'outspoken' person), it sounds off an alarm inside me... the alarm that goes "this person does not value you!" The alarm that reacts with either "run away and hide!" or "fight this person to the death!" Older brings wiser and now I know that neither of those reactions work very well. Not taking it personally is the best defense of course (I struggle, seriously). Not taking the bait seems to be the second best. I go to therapy to understand myself in depth and so I'm glad I articulated this dialogue concept. I can struggle to not take it personally and/or not take the bait, but really I want to understand why it feels personal, or why the bait is being dangled in front of me, to begin with.
Now, back to my outspoken GFC and book club peers. I have to be honest: nothing is more off-putting in a potential friend than getting the 'outspoken' vibe. It's a good thing I realized this and can now walk away thinking "we're not a good match" rather than "whatta bitch." (I'm human and so I tend to leap to the latter assumption, especially in the heat of the moment when I feel so - yes, I'm gonna go there - desperate to find connections with other women.)
This whole trying to meet new friends thing is taxing but highly interesting. I'm about as introverted as you can get so I really feel it when I get back to my car to go home after an outing and am so relieved that it's over. But, I think it's good for me in that way, to push myself outside of my comfort zone. It's been a really long time since I've made new friends to hang with, even from the most natural source: the workplace. Of course it's going to be super awkward and hopefully, in the end, it will have been super rewarding.
On a last note, I accidentally fulfilled an item on my list! I wanted to try two new restaurants - the first was Another Monkey, of course, and the accidental second was our book club venue, Pane e Vino. I would never have dined there under normal circumstances but it was really quite good. As I'm having this strange and sudden love affair with arrabiata sauce, I ordered the Diavola pizza (sans salami) and wanted to eat the entire thing right there and then. It still could never beat the Inferno pizza from the restaurant named Diavola in Geyserville but hey, it was a very worthy second best!
Dosa on Fillmore is one of my current favorite restaurants in San Francisco. The food is totally yummy, unique and organic, and the physical space is super cool (insane chandeliers! massive saturated color prints of Indian scenery! bamboo everywhere!). I was super looking forward to this outing, an excuse to dine at Dosa. But, dining there on what's essentially a blind date with two women that were not such great personality matches for me = oy. I didn't enjoy my food in the least, and in fact, it felt a little tasteless (due to the situation, not the restaurant's ability). I was counting the seconds until we could move over to the theater where I wouldn't have to make awkward conversation any more. It was just all wrong.
Flash forward to last night, when I met with my book club for the first time. This was my very first book club experience ever and I really had no idea what to expect. Like, were there going to be formal questions to answer? Was I expected to expound upon the themes of the book? (Reminder/reality check: dude, this is a Chick Lit book club!) Oddly enough, this month's book had a book club scene within, in which one of the characters hosts a meeting and mentions that they've always spent five minutes actually talking about the book and the rest of the time chit-chatting and getting drunk. We didn't get drunk last night but there was wine involved, and the requisite five minutes - and five minutes only - of talking about the book. Phew! I didn't care for the book, to the point where I stopped reading about a third of the way through and thought I would be admonished for such naughty book club behavior. So glad I wasn't.
Most relieving was that this outing went much better than the GFC dining/film club date. I felt more of an immediate connection to these women and in particular to my right-hand neighbor who I seemed to have much in common with. Mostly, I felt like I was being "authentic" (FYI, I hate that word but can't think of another for this context) in the group, meaning that I was being my usual shy self instead of some circus clown trying to get the party started. We were all more or less contributing equally to the vibe of the group which I can't say about the GFC outing.
The commonality between the two groups is that at least one of the attendees present was from the outspoken camp, and thus rubbed me the wrong way. I've always tended to have issues with people who are bossy, or who are bullies or who are know-it-alls (a "sabetodo" for those of you who also took Ms. Garcia's 9th grade Spanish class). In an attempt to recognize that everyone has a different personality - and that just because I have issues with the types I mentioned doesn't mean they're any less valid than the rest of us - I reframed and pooled these types into one category called 'outspoken'. Nothing wrong with outspoken, right? Outspoken people tend to be mavericks and can really get some shit done in this world.
Most recently, I've been fired up about my personal trainer, aka Yoga Trainer, who is both 'outspoken' and egotistical. In processing this anger with my therapist this week, she helped me articulate what this is really about, what my beef really is. Dialogue. And specifically: the lack thereof.
I like when I can have dialogue with people. In fact, I can get along with pretty much anyone as long as there can be some dialogue and a fundamental understanding that we both bring intelligence to the table. No doubt I've struggled a great part of my life with feeling like I'm "less than" and so 'outspoken' folks can really chap my hide. For instance, in putting strong opinions out there as fact and then shutting down any opposing viewpoints expressed (which is the most frequent offense of the 'outspoken' person), it sounds off an alarm inside me... the alarm that goes "this person does not value you!" The alarm that reacts with either "run away and hide!" or "fight this person to the death!" Older brings wiser and now I know that neither of those reactions work very well. Not taking it personally is the best defense of course (I struggle, seriously). Not taking the bait seems to be the second best. I go to therapy to understand myself in depth and so I'm glad I articulated this dialogue concept. I can struggle to not take it personally and/or not take the bait, but really I want to understand why it feels personal, or why the bait is being dangled in front of me, to begin with.
Now, back to my outspoken GFC and book club peers. I have to be honest: nothing is more off-putting in a potential friend than getting the 'outspoken' vibe. It's a good thing I realized this and can now walk away thinking "we're not a good match" rather than "whatta bitch." (I'm human and so I tend to leap to the latter assumption, especially in the heat of the moment when I feel so - yes, I'm gonna go there - desperate to find connections with other women.)
This whole trying to meet new friends thing is taxing but highly interesting. I'm about as introverted as you can get so I really feel it when I get back to my car to go home after an outing and am so relieved that it's over. But, I think it's good for me in that way, to push myself outside of my comfort zone. It's been a really long time since I've made new friends to hang with, even from the most natural source: the workplace. Of course it's going to be super awkward and hopefully, in the end, it will have been super rewarding.
On a last note, I accidentally fulfilled an item on my list! I wanted to try two new restaurants - the first was Another Monkey, of course, and the accidental second was our book club venue, Pane e Vino. I would never have dined there under normal circumstances but it was really quite good. As I'm having this strange and sudden love affair with arrabiata sauce, I ordered the Diavola pizza (sans salami) and wanted to eat the entire thing right there and then. It still could never beat the Inferno pizza from the restaurant named Diavola in Geyserville but hey, it was a very worthy second best!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Fun dining: Another Monkey
Last week, the Mirthmaker and I went to a new and hip restaurant, Another Monkey. It was recently written about in the Food section of the SF Chronicle and piqued my interest. (Mostly, it's within walking distance of where I work so I'm excited to have a new lunch place.) Honey Bunny is not always the most adventurous when it comes to trying to restaurants while the Mirthmaker is, so off we went.
It was so good. Again - fresh food, prepared well and simply will win me every time. Being a vegetarian, I also appreciate when Asian restaurants truly understand that preparing something vegetarian means no fish sauce, no chicken stock, so on and so forth. AM takes it a step further and actually notes which items on the menu are vegetarian to start with, and which meat-oriented dishes can be modified to be vegetarian. Awesome.
The two biggest likes of the evening were my mixed drink and the bathroom. My drink was a Strawberry Margarita and I was expecting the usual in that department. What I got was a drink that looked like a regular on-the-rocks margarita only slightly pinkish and with just a couple very small strawberry parts hanging out within. Don't get me wrong - I love the goopy, smoothie-like fruit margaritas but I very much appreciate that AM took a different approach and went clear with this one. It was mighty tasty and likely the best drink I've ever laid lips on. Highly recommend!
The bathroom... was stunning. I know it's a crazy thing to say because it's a bathroom and we all go to various bathrooms all the time and who cares? Let me start by saying I'm not a fan of co-ed bathrooms generally, or those with frosted glass doors where you can still see a faint blob of a person behind the glass. AM really went there on both accounts. They are frosted glass 'cubes' (not stalls, but fully enclosed bathroom, well, cubes), all lined up next to each other; two for men, two for women. The sinks and a wall length mirror are right in front of you as you walk out of your cube. I felt exposed upon entering the scene but quickly got over it and immersed myself.
Mostly, it feels so artful in there. The actual cubes each have mirrors and art and decor in them. There's a giant J-pop painting on the far side of the room. The washing stations are super modern in that there are no sink bowls at all, but just a slightly sloped countertop where the water runs back towards a drain. The bathroom was such a wonderland that I had Fun With Photography.
It's entirely possible that the margarita took over, I'll admit.
It was so good. Again - fresh food, prepared well and simply will win me every time. Being a vegetarian, I also appreciate when Asian restaurants truly understand that preparing something vegetarian means no fish sauce, no chicken stock, so on and so forth. AM takes it a step further and actually notes which items on the menu are vegetarian to start with, and which meat-oriented dishes can be modified to be vegetarian. Awesome.
The two biggest likes of the evening were my mixed drink and the bathroom. My drink was a Strawberry Margarita and I was expecting the usual in that department. What I got was a drink that looked like a regular on-the-rocks margarita only slightly pinkish and with just a couple very small strawberry parts hanging out within. Don't get me wrong - I love the goopy, smoothie-like fruit margaritas but I very much appreciate that AM took a different approach and went clear with this one. It was mighty tasty and likely the best drink I've ever laid lips on. Highly recommend!
The bathroom... was stunning. I know it's a crazy thing to say because it's a bathroom and we all go to various bathrooms all the time and who cares? Let me start by saying I'm not a fan of co-ed bathrooms generally, or those with frosted glass doors where you can still see a faint blob of a person behind the glass. AM really went there on both accounts. They are frosted glass 'cubes' (not stalls, but fully enclosed bathroom, well, cubes), all lined up next to each other; two for men, two for women. The sinks and a wall length mirror are right in front of you as you walk out of your cube. I felt exposed upon entering the scene but quickly got over it and immersed myself.
Mostly, it feels so artful in there. The actual cubes each have mirrors and art and decor in them. There's a giant J-pop painting on the far side of the room. The washing stations are super modern in that there are no sink bowls at all, but just a slightly sloped countertop where the water runs back towards a drain. The bathroom was such a wonderland that I had Fun With Photography.
It's entirely possible that the margarita took over, I'll admit.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Early on a Saturday
Last Saturday, Honey Bunny and I were up hella early and out and about to attend to motorcycle service related issues and other errands. It wasn't necessarily easy to get up early but once we got out I realized the pay-off immediately. San Franciscans are known to be late sleepers, hence the popularity of brunch service at lots of restaurants around town. To be out in the morning is to enjoy a traffic-free and much less populated city.
For instance, we went to It's Tops for breakfast and all but one booth was empty! Every other time we've gone there, we've had to wait outside for 30 minutes for even counter space to open up.
Mmm, diner food. For those of you who know Honey Bunny personally - yes, that is sausage on his formerly-vegetarian plate. Not just sausage, but Louisiana Hot Links. Apparently he had a love affair with those little pigs when he was single and frequented It's Tops for hangover breakfasts. Now he just gets indigestion from them.
Getting home at 11am after doing several errands is discombobulating. I didn't know what to do with myself really so I got the cats out of bed and we had a little photo sesh. They don't pose for pictures like my previous kitty did, and so barely any turned out. I love those cuties.
For instance, we went to It's Tops for breakfast and all but one booth was empty! Every other time we've gone there, we've had to wait outside for 30 minutes for even counter space to open up.
Mmm, diner food. For those of you who know Honey Bunny personally - yes, that is sausage on his formerly-vegetarian plate. Not just sausage, but Louisiana Hot Links. Apparently he had a love affair with those little pigs when he was single and frequented It's Tops for hangover breakfasts. Now he just gets indigestion from them.
Getting home at 11am after doing several errands is discombobulating. I didn't know what to do with myself really so I got the cats out of bed and we had a little photo sesh. They don't pose for pictures like my previous kitty did, and so barely any turned out. I love those cuties.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wrappin' it up
I just crossed "blog about each day" off my list and made a couple of amendments to the items I didn't completely fulfill, and that's it for Staycay. Wow!
Nothing like time to give you a little perspective. I wasn't completely sure if my staycay worked in the way I intended it to, 'worked' meaning that I wanted to emerge fresh, relaxed, enlightened and having experienced new things. I definitely experienced new things and I really had no choice but to be relaxed having been away from the daily grind for two weeks.
Fresh? I wasn't so sure. Then I returned to work last week and realized that YES, I was fresh as a freakin' daisy. Everyone said I looked great and did I get a haircut? (Yep.) Had I lost weight? (Um, no.) Most importantly, any and all work and personal life weirdnesses were rolling off me like water off a duck's back.
Enlightened? Hmm... I'd say I'm only as enlightened as I ever get on my vacations, which is more a matter of realigning priorities that have gone out of whack. It feels good to realize that I need to give my existing, more local friendships some TLC rather than putting all my energy into making new friends. It feels good to remember that both romance and a little bit of independence is of upmost importance to keeping my marriage happy and thriving. It feels good to discover that (re)trying new things, especially art-oriented, makes me feel alive and accomplished. And hey, it feels good to pamper myself by doing things that I like!
Speaking of things I liked... here are The Top Five Things I Liked About Staycay, in a very particular order.
Oh, and I've decided to keep this blog going eventhough my Staycay is over, as a way to keep myself motivated to try new things, get out in the world more, get out of my rut and get happy. I hope you'll join me on my ride. Stay tuned for another To Do list!
Nothing like time to give you a little perspective. I wasn't completely sure if my staycay worked in the way I intended it to, 'worked' meaning that I wanted to emerge fresh, relaxed, enlightened and having experienced new things. I definitely experienced new things and I really had no choice but to be relaxed having been away from the daily grind for two weeks.
Fresh? I wasn't so sure. Then I returned to work last week and realized that YES, I was fresh as a freakin' daisy. Everyone said I looked great and did I get a haircut? (Yep.) Had I lost weight? (Um, no.) Most importantly, any and all work and personal life weirdnesses were rolling off me like water off a duck's back.
Enlightened? Hmm... I'd say I'm only as enlightened as I ever get on my vacations, which is more a matter of realigning priorities that have gone out of whack. It feels good to realize that I need to give my existing, more local friendships some TLC rather than putting all my energy into making new friends. It feels good to remember that both romance and a little bit of independence is of upmost importance to keeping my marriage happy and thriving. It feels good to discover that (re)trying new things, especially art-oriented, makes me feel alive and accomplished. And hey, it feels good to pamper myself by doing things that I like!
Speaking of things I liked... here are The Top Five Things I Liked About Staycay, in a very particular order.
- Being able to wear the same thing for days in a row
Gone is the keeping up appearances thing that comes with having to go to work everyday, where someone may or may not be watching to see that my wardrobe carefully varies from day to day. (But let's face it: the only person that's monitoring me is, well, me.) Also, Staycation seemed somehow more kind to the cleanliness level of my clothes than work is, and I'm speaking particularly about those tops that were new (ie. sprayed by manufacturer with toxic but highly effective water- and dirt-repelling substance). Mostly though, why endure a waiting period to once again don that fabulous outfit you put together yesterday? Just wear it again today. But, DO drape a dish towel over your chest and lap whilst eating burritos or else your cute outfit could go up in flames and you'll have to create a new one. - Inspiration for photography again!
It's been a long time since I've actually wanted to take photos. It's been a long time since the things around me seemed interesting enough that I wanted to capture them on film (er, pixels). The best thing was looking at the small body of work I did during Staycay and seeing that I still have my "voice". For me the line is thin between snapshot and art, which is the point of view I developed in university, and I could not be more proud to see that it's still going strong 12 years later and even after a long lull. I feel like I'm cheating on my nice camera - and on Photography, capital P, in general - by using my iPhone, and in particular the Hipstamatic application, but I'm going to forgive myself for that. I've always loved making the lo-fi camera and it's output work for me. - Great food, yummy food, fresh food, tummy food
Eating is awesome, particularly when you do it from a genuine and enjoyable place. I discovered that I love to eat when food is well-prepared, fresh and has a story. Or, in the case of Zona Rosa, if we have a lil' history together. I'm not ashamed of my love for fine food. Also: suck it Maggie Mason. I'll talk about what I ate for lunch all friggin' day long on my blog if I want to. (Just kidding... I think you have beautiful hair and write well and I stole your Life List idea, but that book title has always irked me.) - Going to bed when I felt like it, getting up when I felt like it
Well, duh. Lemme say this, though: I thought I'd veer into all kinda crazy territory like I did when I was a teenager on summer vacation, like when my mom's Wiccan friend told me I was clearly a witch because my most awake time was 2am (aka The Witching Hour), but I didn't. I went to bed by midnight most every night - because I was tired, not because I had to - and always woke up between 8:30-9am. It goes to show that your body's clock is smart and will right you when you let it. I felt very well rested. - Not listening to people bitch all day long
Aside from not having to listen to irritated coworkers, I also decided to tune out negativity from a variety of other sources. This includes, but is not limited to: myself (I get on jags, I admit it); my soul mates, both human and feline, on the occasion when they get crabby, hungry, want to play, etc (I love you with all my heart, though, it's all good!); certain NPR programming (I'm looking at YOU, Michael Krasny and your prolific exasperated sighs); the newsfeeds of a couple Facebook "friends" (no one reading this blog need worry); and, my mother-in-law (love her dearly but had to move on from the mama drama). The only downside to this is that now I've reentered the world and it is shocking how gripeful most people are.
Oh, and I've decided to keep this blog going eventhough my Staycay is over, as a way to keep myself motivated to try new things, get out in the world more, get out of my rut and get happy. I hope you'll join me on my ride. Stay tuned for another To Do list!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 16: Working woman walking
All good things must come to an end. I actually didn't have the anxiety I thought I would about the end of my Staycay, though. I felt surprisingly (and perhaps naively) upbeat about returning to work and "real life". It always helps when I know I'm returning to a mellow day at work. I knew when I left two weeks prior that I'd return on a monthly all staff meeting day, which is easy enough. Hey, our birthday committee sometimes even brings chocolately cakey desserts to the meetings! Nothing wrong with that. What was even better was checking my work email to see what time I had to report to the meeting, and learning that it'd been downgraded to a conference call starting at 9:30am. Since that's before 10am, when I'm to report to work, I could just call in from home and make my way to the office afterwards. Sweet!
I rolled out of bed at 10 (for the last time, waa!) to be able to meet The Mirthmaker at 11am. We went to the Farmer's Market and then to Park Chow for brunch. Yum. Long ago - in my head - I voted Park Chow the best overall restaurant in SF for vegetarians and they have stood the test of time. It goes to show what simple food, made with fresh and generally organic ingredients, and prepared extremely well can be.
I joked to the Mirthmaker I was "working woman walking" and therefore I was going to order something decadent. I got the French Toast with mascarpone and a side of strawberries. That shit was so good! If Honey Bunny and I ever divorce, Imma marry mascarpone cheese.
We talked for, literally, hours. The Mirthmaker sought some advice, which I gave, and vice versa. She helped me process that Personal Trainer and I are not necessarily a great match for what I need. In fact, I couldn't believe some of the negative examples that were coming out of my mouth. He is a wonderful person with a unique perspective on life, but there are times when he can be degrading. Sometimes it's covert, sometimes overt. I've learned that he is a piece of keeping myself healthy, not the whole. And so, the search begins - preferably for a woman who has previously been zaftig and knows some of the challenges that come with that.
The Farmer's Market was nice enough. I, of course, had to get money out of the ATM halfway through my visit. Standing in line to use it, I took the following photo (the last of my Staycay). I thought it was Tupac who I have a new respect for after watching Tupac: Resurrection on Palladia a few weeks ago. Upon further inspection, I don't think it's Tupac but it's cool. I've always loved SF's sidewalk art.
Last stop for The Mirthmaker and myself was Holy Gelato. It was her idea, I swear! I was so full of french toast that I couldn't immediately partake of any gelato but I certainly did take home one of their $8.95 (ack!) pints. They're hand-packed and you can put two flavors in one! I got Strawberry on one side for Honey Bunny (which tastes like homemade strawberry ice cream, with pieces of macerated strawberries in it), and Cookie Monster's Day Dream for me on the other. Cookies & Cream is a flavor I'd never willingly choose (which makes me wonder how I even tasted it at Holy Gelato in the first place), but Cookie Monster's is ah-mazing. There are whole Oreos in it and it just tastes so darn fresh. I've found myself - wait for it! - day dreaming about it a few times even.
The rest of the day was spent in no-fuss no-muss action. I finally took all that crap to Goodwill and yet still only made it to the donation center before they closed (and by the end of my Staycay) by the skin of my teeth. I did all the usual Sunday stuff, too (laundry, grocery shopping, etc). Basically I ended my Staycay the same way I began: by attending to the minutia of home life.
I rolled out of bed at 10 (for the last time, waa!) to be able to meet The Mirthmaker at 11am. We went to the Farmer's Market and then to Park Chow for brunch. Yum. Long ago - in my head - I voted Park Chow the best overall restaurant in SF for vegetarians and they have stood the test of time. It goes to show what simple food, made with fresh and generally organic ingredients, and prepared extremely well can be.
I joked to the Mirthmaker I was "working woman walking" and therefore I was going to order something decadent. I got the French Toast with mascarpone and a side of strawberries. That shit was so good! If Honey Bunny and I ever divorce, Imma marry mascarpone cheese.
We talked for, literally, hours. The Mirthmaker sought some advice, which I gave, and vice versa. She helped me process that Personal Trainer and I are not necessarily a great match for what I need. In fact, I couldn't believe some of the negative examples that were coming out of my mouth. He is a wonderful person with a unique perspective on life, but there are times when he can be degrading. Sometimes it's covert, sometimes overt. I've learned that he is a piece of keeping myself healthy, not the whole. And so, the search begins - preferably for a woman who has previously been zaftig and knows some of the challenges that come with that.
The Farmer's Market was nice enough. I, of course, had to get money out of the ATM halfway through my visit. Standing in line to use it, I took the following photo (the last of my Staycay). I thought it was Tupac who I have a new respect for after watching Tupac: Resurrection on Palladia a few weeks ago. Upon further inspection, I don't think it's Tupac but it's cool. I've always loved SF's sidewalk art.
Last stop for The Mirthmaker and myself was Holy Gelato. It was her idea, I swear! I was so full of french toast that I couldn't immediately partake of any gelato but I certainly did take home one of their $8.95 (ack!) pints. They're hand-packed and you can put two flavors in one! I got Strawberry on one side for Honey Bunny (which tastes like homemade strawberry ice cream, with pieces of macerated strawberries in it), and Cookie Monster's Day Dream for me on the other. Cookies & Cream is a flavor I'd never willingly choose (which makes me wonder how I even tasted it at Holy Gelato in the first place), but Cookie Monster's is ah-mazing. There are whole Oreos in it and it just tastes so darn fresh. I've found myself - wait for it! - day dreaming about it a few times even.
The rest of the day was spent in no-fuss no-muss action. I finally took all that crap to Goodwill and yet still only made it to the donation center before they closed (and by the end of my Staycay) by the skin of my teeth. I did all the usual Sunday stuff, too (laundry, grocery shopping, etc). Basically I ended my Staycay the same way I began: by attending to the minutia of home life.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 15: A nephewly trip
Firstly, I've made peace with my husband spending more time with the motorcycle than with me right now. :D
It really is a beautiful bike and he loves it, and it feels good on his traditionally achy hands and wrists which is most important. And so, he headed off on a ride with his moto-friends for the weekend. He got up at the crack of dawn and left me to sleep in. See you on Sunday, Honey!
Let's talk about my hair for a moment. I've always wanted hair and bangs that look like Rebecca's (aka Girl's Gone Child) or like Sarah's (aka Whoorl). This is about as close as I'm gonna get probably.
I'll take it. (Photo courtesy of Mac Photo Booth application)
So, after my last Zona Rosa burrito of Staycay (hey, I had to get last-minute presents for the boys and why not from Giant Robot?), I headed down to Monterey County to hang with my BFF and her peeps. I stopped in first at her theater, had a donut while she wrapped up rehearsal with one of her new cast members and, as usual, became transfixed with the television installation/marketing display in their front window.
On the way to her house to pick up the boys, we stopped and fueled up. An unexpected but friendly little face oversaw the process.
Once at her house, I gave the boys their presents and watched them play. One of the gifts was a hit, the others not so much, but it's all good. Bestie and I had a nice long convo before we had to hit the road and get Older Nephew to the theater at call time.
When BFF had to usher Older into the theater and get him set up, she asked me to entertain Younger Nephew outside. I felt a little panic-stricken, to be honest. Remember, I don't have quite the connection I used to have with them, and in general I always find myself struggling to find common ground with kids over the age of 4. My mind was racing, but so was Younger... around a large grassy area. I immediately reached for my phone to take pictures and then, POOF. An idea was born. I'd direct his ants-pants energy into getting good photos of him! And we'd be doing a project together! Connection!
I took several QuadCam photos with both 4- and 8-exposures, but I liked this one the best.
After making him run up and down a staircase a million times for photos, he finally came to rest at the top.
He really is the cutest, sweetest little kid. He can be both endearingly gentle and perceptive, and boyishly silly and tough, depending on where we are and his mood. Older is the exact same way, only older, and in fact is just a couple months away from 'tween' territory. My BFF has done a great job raising her boys.
Seeing Older Nephew in The Music Man was so wild! He played Winthrop, the female lead's kid brother who has a lisp and therefore doesn't talk much or engage with the world. At least, until the Music Man comes to town and brings Winthrop - and the town - to life again. Older did the lisp perfectly, and danced, and even had a whole song to himself! He sung "Gary, Indiana" and was so good. Bestie started to cry and leaned over to say, "Can you believe that's the little baby I gave birth to 10 years ago?" Which made me cry. It was so cool being there with Bestie, Younger Nephew, my nephews' father, and with Bestie's current beau and his son. It was a blended-family affair.
Can I just say that I was really surprised by The Music Man overall? I grew up with a father who was a community college music professor, and as a kid was dragged to many of the musicals the college produced. I don't really remember much detail about any one musical, and now I know why. I didn't get them. Sure, I liked most of the singing, and probably loved the costumes and dancing, but I didn't get the overall theme of each story.
Dude, The Music Man is - in the end - all about finding strength in the community! Who knew? That is such a prevalent theme in my work orbit. It's also a slice of life piece set in the midwest in 1912, and like I said: I love all things old fashioned, even when that sense of history is a complete fantasy. To top it all off, it didn't hurt that the lead male character, Harold Hill (aka the Music Man), had me at "hello". No doubt this makes me a complete theater ignoramus but for me, I tend to think of a work as a success if I fall in love with the lead characters a bit. (This actually holds true for fictional books, TV and film, too.) The guy who played Harold had a very Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory vibe, and even somewhat physically resembled that character. Something about how he played out the mischievous character of Harold made me fall for him hook, line and sinker by the end of the story (by when, of course, he redeems himself).
The other nutty thing is how many pop/cultural references come from that show. "Big trouble in River City" comes from that show. It's probably precisely because my Dad was a music professor but that was a commonly used phrase in my house growing up. My one big a-ha moment was the song "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little". There is an episode of Sex and the City called that, and I have always taken issue with that title (it's silly, and kinda dumb!). But, now that I know where it comes from, I get it.
Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to everyone after the show and head home. It was already 11pm by the time I left, with a two hour drive home. Would you be shocked if I told you I made it in one hour, 25 minutes? By the time I got home, the last day of my Staycay had officially started...
It really is a beautiful bike and he loves it, and it feels good on his traditionally achy hands and wrists which is most important. And so, he headed off on a ride with his moto-friends for the weekend. He got up at the crack of dawn and left me to sleep in. See you on Sunday, Honey!
Let's talk about my hair for a moment. I've always wanted hair and bangs that look like Rebecca's (aka Girl's Gone Child) or like Sarah's (aka Whoorl). This is about as close as I'm gonna get probably.
I'll take it. (Photo courtesy of Mac Photo Booth application)
So, after my last Zona Rosa burrito of Staycay (hey, I had to get last-minute presents for the boys and why not from Giant Robot?), I headed down to Monterey County to hang with my BFF and her peeps. I stopped in first at her theater, had a donut while she wrapped up rehearsal with one of her new cast members and, as usual, became transfixed with the television installation/marketing display in their front window.
On the way to her house to pick up the boys, we stopped and fueled up. An unexpected but friendly little face oversaw the process.
Once at her house, I gave the boys their presents and watched them play. One of the gifts was a hit, the others not so much, but it's all good. Bestie and I had a nice long convo before we had to hit the road and get Older Nephew to the theater at call time.
When BFF had to usher Older into the theater and get him set up, she asked me to entertain Younger Nephew outside. I felt a little panic-stricken, to be honest. Remember, I don't have quite the connection I used to have with them, and in general I always find myself struggling to find common ground with kids over the age of 4. My mind was racing, but so was Younger... around a large grassy area. I immediately reached for my phone to take pictures and then, POOF. An idea was born. I'd direct his ants-pants energy into getting good photos of him! And we'd be doing a project together! Connection!
I took several QuadCam photos with both 4- and 8-exposures, but I liked this one the best.
After making him run up and down a staircase a million times for photos, he finally came to rest at the top.
He really is the cutest, sweetest little kid. He can be both endearingly gentle and perceptive, and boyishly silly and tough, depending on where we are and his mood. Older is the exact same way, only older, and in fact is just a couple months away from 'tween' territory. My BFF has done a great job raising her boys.
Seeing Older Nephew in The Music Man was so wild! He played Winthrop, the female lead's kid brother who has a lisp and therefore doesn't talk much or engage with the world. At least, until the Music Man comes to town and brings Winthrop - and the town - to life again. Older did the lisp perfectly, and danced, and even had a whole song to himself! He sung "Gary, Indiana" and was so good. Bestie started to cry and leaned over to say, "Can you believe that's the little baby I gave birth to 10 years ago?" Which made me cry. It was so cool being there with Bestie, Younger Nephew, my nephews' father, and with Bestie's current beau and his son. It was a blended-family affair.
Can I just say that I was really surprised by The Music Man overall? I grew up with a father who was a community college music professor, and as a kid was dragged to many of the musicals the college produced. I don't really remember much detail about any one musical, and now I know why. I didn't get them. Sure, I liked most of the singing, and probably loved the costumes and dancing, but I didn't get the overall theme of each story.
Dude, The Music Man is - in the end - all about finding strength in the community! Who knew? That is such a prevalent theme in my work orbit. It's also a slice of life piece set in the midwest in 1912, and like I said: I love all things old fashioned, even when that sense of history is a complete fantasy. To top it all off, it didn't hurt that the lead male character, Harold Hill (aka the Music Man), had me at "hello". No doubt this makes me a complete theater ignoramus but for me, I tend to think of a work as a success if I fall in love with the lead characters a bit. (This actually holds true for fictional books, TV and film, too.) The guy who played Harold had a very Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory vibe, and even somewhat physically resembled that character. Something about how he played out the mischievous character of Harold made me fall for him hook, line and sinker by the end of the story (by when, of course, he redeems himself).
The other nutty thing is how many pop/cultural references come from that show. "Big trouble in River City" comes from that show. It's probably precisely because my Dad was a music professor but that was a commonly used phrase in my house growing up. My one big a-ha moment was the song "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little". There is an episode of Sex and the City called that, and I have always taken issue with that title (it's silly, and kinda dumb!). But, now that I know where it comes from, I get it.
Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to everyone after the show and head home. It was already 11pm by the time I left, with a two hour drive home. Would you be shocked if I told you I made it in one hour, 25 minutes? By the time I got home, the last day of my Staycay had officially started...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 14: Out and about in Marin County
Being my last workweek day off, I wanted to surprise Honey Bunny at his work with cupcakes for him and all his coworkers, and do so by the time they take their lunch at 12:30. That meant I had to get my buns out of bed, into the shower, to Andronico's to pick up the cupcakes, over the Golden Gate Bridge and to his work - all by 12:15ish. Eeek! I did it, though, and they were all very appreciative. It was fun to see HB at his "new" workplace and meet some of his coworkers finally. One constant remains: he gets and stays sweaty all day long no matter where he works.
Since I knew I'd be in Marin County, I made some other plans as well. For starters, I wanted to couch shop at Crate & Barrel in Corte Madera. Our friend works there and secretly I was hoping to run into her and finagle her into having lunch with me, but no such luck... Fridays are her day off. Dang!
I do love Crate & Barrel something fierce. Honey Bunny and I have been thinking about a new couch for a while, but wanted to wait until the kitties were old enough not to shred the shit out of it (or start peeing on it because it's a change to their environment, ahem). Now is the time and so I went to C&B to do a little preliminary recon to bring back to Honey Bunny. I won't bore you with details on anything other than the one we want.
Hello loverrrrrrrr.
Otherwise known as the Sidecar Sectional. The Sidecar meets all the criteria on the wish list. It's got arm(s) low enough to rest your head on if you're laying down, it's a sectional so both of us can lay down on it at the same time, it's firm but still cushiony and comfortable, you can vacuum underneath it without any fuss, AND it can sleep not one but two overnight guests if needed. The downside is that it's a very large couch and we're going to have to think about how to reconfigure the room for a sectional. Our living room is big and lovely but a total pain in the ass to work with given that it's a long rectangle (rather than square), there are two entrances (each on a different wall), one wall is mostly comprised of windows (and they start low), there's a fireplace situated diagonally in one corner, and the cable feed and outlets are the worst possible location in the room for pretty much any configuration. Hmm. Not to mention, Honey Bunny still needs to sit and lay on the Sidecar to see if he likes the feel. If he doesn't, I guess we go to Plan B.
The best outcome from my C&B trip is that I found a potential design solution to what has dogged Honey Bunny and I since we moved in together. I prefer mostly Mid-Century Modern while he prefers Arts and Crafts (which I also love), Mission and Adirondack styles. (Huh, Carrie Bradshaw's sitting area comes to mind. Come to think of it, Honey Bunny has gasped every time a piece of Aidan Shaw's "oppressive wood" furniture was shown!) I mean, how in the hell do you blend those design types together?
Well, here's one way. One part Sidecar in Herb plus one part Landon anything.
Oh, wait. We also both love our Giant Robot prints and accent pieces, which bear no relation to any of the design types I mentioned above. How do J-pop (Japanese pop-culture inspired design) and Blobjects figure into all this? Shit, and we love Lowbrow art, too. Oy! Annnd this is where every single discussion that Honey Bunny and I have had about how to blend all our styles together ends.
Ok, well, after my Crate & Barrel trip I visited one of my favorite beach/park spots, China Camp State Park. I don't think many people know about China Camp and thus it's still inhabited by elderly men in Speedos who take short swims and then come back to lay out and tan to the color of a hot dog; older women who bring their easels and oil paint the shit out of the bay scenery; families with kids who have no idea that the beach they just got to is lame and so they leave after five minutes; and, solo peeps like me looking for a little solitude to read a book or take some photos.
It was a lovely afternoon. Too bad the dock wasn't open to walk on, though. To me, that is one of the highlights of the Park. Walking out on that rickety dock, with all of its historical affects, is like stepping back in time. I love old fashioned things.
Afterwards I rocketed back to SF in Honey Bunny's "new" Volvo in preparation for personal training, which was then cancelled. Too bad, so sad. Heh!
At some point during the day, my BFF called me. We had our tense convo on Sunday, followed by my leaving her a message on Tuesday to settle plans for the coming weekend, and in return I got a taste of my own radio silence medicine. I actually think that's why I was so angst-ridden on Tuesday and Wednesday this week... I actually started to wonder if this was The End. Thankfully it was not.
I consider my BFF's kids my nephews since I was one of the labor coaches for both births and thus saw the miracle of birth twice. Believe me, I don't do sentimentality easily and so even writing "miracle of birth" makes me throw up in my mouth a little. But it's true -- seeing those little guys being born was a miracle and it changed me. Part of the fight between me and my bestie was about how I don't spend any time with them anymore, how they know me in pictures and come hug me when I visit but otherwise we're not too connected.
The whole reason I was making plans to see them all on the weekend was because the older of my boys was cast in The Music Man and I wanted to see it with the fam'. Happily, a plan was struck when my bestie called back AND we had a light, fun conversation.
I'm not sure if it was spending time in the sun or the relief of talking to my BFF, but I was really quite sleepy and ended up crashing out early. HB was leaving for a motorcycle trip the next day and I was supposed to help him pack but literally could not keep my eyes open. Honestly, it was probably the best night of sleep I've gotten in the last few years.
Overall, a great success of a day.
Since I knew I'd be in Marin County, I made some other plans as well. For starters, I wanted to couch shop at Crate & Barrel in Corte Madera. Our friend works there and secretly I was hoping to run into her and finagle her into having lunch with me, but no such luck... Fridays are her day off. Dang!
I do love Crate & Barrel something fierce. Honey Bunny and I have been thinking about a new couch for a while, but wanted to wait until the kitties were old enough not to shred the shit out of it (or start peeing on it because it's a change to their environment, ahem). Now is the time and so I went to C&B to do a little preliminary recon to bring back to Honey Bunny. I won't bore you with details on anything other than the one we want.
Otherwise known as the Sidecar Sectional. The Sidecar meets all the criteria on the wish list. It's got arm(s) low enough to rest your head on if you're laying down, it's a sectional so both of us can lay down on it at the same time, it's firm but still cushiony and comfortable, you can vacuum underneath it without any fuss, AND it can sleep not one but two overnight guests if needed. The downside is that it's a very large couch and we're going to have to think about how to reconfigure the room for a sectional. Our living room is big and lovely but a total pain in the ass to work with given that it's a long rectangle (rather than square), there are two entrances (each on a different wall), one wall is mostly comprised of windows (and they start low), there's a fireplace situated diagonally in one corner, and the cable feed and outlets are the worst possible location in the room for pretty much any configuration. Hmm. Not to mention, Honey Bunny still needs to sit and lay on the Sidecar to see if he likes the feel. If he doesn't, I guess we go to Plan B.
The best outcome from my C&B trip is that I found a potential design solution to what has dogged Honey Bunny and I since we moved in together. I prefer mostly Mid-Century Modern while he prefers Arts and Crafts (which I also love), Mission and Adirondack styles. (Huh, Carrie Bradshaw's sitting area comes to mind. Come to think of it, Honey Bunny has gasped every time a piece of Aidan Shaw's "oppressive wood" furniture was shown!) I mean, how in the hell do you blend those design types together?
Well, here's one way. One part Sidecar in Herb plus one part Landon anything.
Oh, wait. We also both love our Giant Robot prints and accent pieces, which bear no relation to any of the design types I mentioned above. How do J-pop (Japanese pop-culture inspired design) and Blobjects figure into all this? Shit, and we love Lowbrow art, too. Oy! Annnd this is where every single discussion that Honey Bunny and I have had about how to blend all our styles together ends.
Ok, well, after my Crate & Barrel trip I visited one of my favorite beach/park spots, China Camp State Park. I don't think many people know about China Camp and thus it's still inhabited by elderly men in Speedos who take short swims and then come back to lay out and tan to the color of a hot dog; older women who bring their easels and oil paint the shit out of the bay scenery; families with kids who have no idea that the beach they just got to is lame and so they leave after five minutes; and, solo peeps like me looking for a little solitude to read a book or take some photos.
It was a lovely afternoon. Too bad the dock wasn't open to walk on, though. To me, that is one of the highlights of the Park. Walking out on that rickety dock, with all of its historical affects, is like stepping back in time. I love old fashioned things.
Afterwards I rocketed back to SF in Honey Bunny's "new" Volvo in preparation for personal training, which was then cancelled. Too bad, so sad. Heh!
At some point during the day, my BFF called me. We had our tense convo on Sunday, followed by my leaving her a message on Tuesday to settle plans for the coming weekend, and in return I got a taste of my own radio silence medicine. I actually think that's why I was so angst-ridden on Tuesday and Wednesday this week... I actually started to wonder if this was The End. Thankfully it was not.
I consider my BFF's kids my nephews since I was one of the labor coaches for both births and thus saw the miracle of birth twice. Believe me, I don't do sentimentality easily and so even writing "miracle of birth" makes me throw up in my mouth a little. But it's true -- seeing those little guys being born was a miracle and it changed me. Part of the fight between me and my bestie was about how I don't spend any time with them anymore, how they know me in pictures and come hug me when I visit but otherwise we're not too connected.
The whole reason I was making plans to see them all on the weekend was because the older of my boys was cast in The Music Man and I wanted to see it with the fam'. Happily, a plan was struck when my bestie called back AND we had a light, fun conversation.
I'm not sure if it was spending time in the sun or the relief of talking to my BFF, but I was really quite sleepy and ended up crashing out early. HB was leaving for a motorcycle trip the next day and I was supposed to help him pack but literally could not keep my eyes open. Honestly, it was probably the best night of sleep I've gotten in the last few years.
Overall, a great success of a day.
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