Turkey Trotting

Thanksgiving morning I had signed Randy, Kyle, Amy and myself up to do the 34th Annual "Turkey Trot" in Walnut Creek. Having a planned event to train for is motivational- even though this is a far cry from the 1/2 marathon distance I am ultimately aiming for. Regardless I thought it would be fun to do and collecting another race tee shirt is always fun. The plan was to get up and out of here by about 7:20, pick up Amy and get to Walnut Creek well ahead of the 8:15 start time. Randy woke up, as usual, long before the alarm clock and was off to get his daily Starbucks fix. When the alarm went off I jumped up, dressed and then went to wake Kyle. Randy still wasn't home from Starbucks which is only about 2 1/2 miles away from the house. The time was drawing nearer that we were supposed to already to at Amy's to pick her up . . . still no Randy. Within a few minutes he came through the door and quickly dressed for the race. As we were leaving to go to Amy's he tried to explain why he was late. It seems a pack (herd, gaggle?) of turkey's was on Stone Valley Road. They are not daunted by traffic and were remaining in the road. One turkey actually had the audacity to engage Randy in a game of Chicken- the turkey flew out of the way as Randy got close enough to hit him. Randy's story was funny but Kyle wasn't particularly amused as his girlfriend was the person made waiting by our lateness. As we traveled down Stone Valley towards Amy's that same gang (or club) of turkeys was still impeding traffic. Now even Kyle had to smile- my goodness this is a stupid bird. And by the way, they don't trot, they slowly saunter out of the traffic lanes, but do so in a single file procession. . . maddening.

We made it to the race in plenty of time and all beat our previous 5K times. I finally conquered the 30 minute race time coming in below. Turkey's aside, it was a fantastic morning. I felt even less pity for the bird on our table that evening . . .

this may give you a chuckle

to my faithful readers . . . (all four of you)
I have so much to catch you up on, but will start with a short story about what happened to me this morning.

I have resumed my "running" career. Running may be overstating it by quite a lot. Jogging or bouncy walking is probably more accurate. I'm horrifically slow, but can only get better, right? To assist me in this quest I've found all kinds of technological wonders. It started with my new pink Ironman watch. The watch syncs up with my Ipod which I can control through the watch- Brilliant! Passersby likely think I'm quite fixated on my times when in reality I'm searching for songs or adjusting volume! My next find came from a recommendation of one of the MD's at work. This is a Nike-ipod gizmo which was supposed to work as a pedometer- you can sync it online and keep a record of your runs. And then finally Ashley told me about a free ap on my iPhone "mapyourrun" which I tried out concurrently today with the nike-ipod thing. To make a long story short, I hadn't calibrated the Nike-ipod thing properly so that was a bust, but the iPhone ap was brilliant. At the conclusion of the run, but before I was home (I walk a bit to cool down) I removed my headset to unhook everything. Just as I removed my head set I heard what sounded like an older woman crying "help me". Yikkes, where was that coming from? I quickly stuffed everything into my pocket and traced the sounds of the cries "help me, help me" she continued to cry. I ran through a bit of private property, quite nervous about what awaited me . . . I got to the back of the property to find the old lady there, standing and chewing grass.
It was a Nanny Goat bleating out "help me"

She had the last laugh- I felt rather ridiculous- I retraced my steps thankful that my neighbor wasn't home to observe me crashing through his property. I'm wondering what she was thinking . . .

apologies and more to come. . .

my goodness my blogging license should be revoked, I've been so "absent" these past 6 months or more.
I finished my triathlon on Saturday with a respectable, yet not too impressive time. Kyle was there and took no less than 80 pictures of me! Tomorrow he promises to download software onto my computer which will allow conversion of these gems to jpeg which is a much more publishing friendly extension.
till then I'll give you a little narrative.

Friday night after work I had a quick bite (Randy was in Tahoe so it was a night alone) and then decided to get totally organized. Kyle had lifted my bike into the Expedition the night before so all I had to do was collect all my other gear. Swim cap and goggles, bike shoes, helmet, teeshirt and number, sunglasses and running shoes- hat if I could find one to fit my enormous head. It took a little time but before long all was collected and bagged along with towels, a footwash basin, water etc. In my nervous nellie phase I put the key in the ignition to "make sure" the car would start . . . don't you know, it didn't! SWEAR WORD.

Picture this now- Randy is in Tahoe, Kyle is out and what am I to do? I have a portable charger for just this occasion. Hooked it up (using a flash light because by now it is totally dark) and , drum roll please, this is dead too! Now, do I try to jump the Exped using my little Miata and possibly draining that battery? HELL NO.
Instead I move everything over to the Miata. How does my bike fit? Top down and crammed into the seat with the wheel sticking up in the back, that's how.

Off to bed . . . lots of very bad dreams about how the race will go.

Up and at em (sort of) at 5:45 am. (prime sleeping time) and on the road by 6:00am. Kristi and I arrive within moments of each other and we are off to find a perfect staging area. Time evaporates and before we know it, it's time to line up to begin the swim wave. I stick to the front/center of the pack knowing I can stay ahead of the crew behind me. Into the water (murky,dirty and full of fowl feces) we run and off we go. Now, swimming SHOULD be my strongest leg- for the first time ever I have a mild panic attack. I can't breathe, there are people ALL AROUND me, oh dear. I sprint out a little, flip on my back and swim 90% of the event on my back! Despite my unorthodox approach my swim time is slightly faster than last year. Out of the pond, a quick shoe and shirt application and off we go on the bike segment.

Oops . . . I forgot to make sure the bike was in the lowest gear before I took off. The bike portion begins with freakin hill that I cant get up. I'm starting to get nervous when Kyle runs up and helps me gear down. Okay, I wasted a couple of minutes there. The first 1/3 of the ride was uneventful- then my chain came off. Calmly I stop, fix and restart. About the 2/3 mark it happens again. DAMN I'm losing time on the bike instead of gaining as I had hoped! Back to the park, sneakers on- off to the run.

I ran the WHOLE run this time, excepting two hills I walked up, each about 25 yards. So, why is my run time SLOWER than last year? My guess is that I didn't complete the whole run last year as one loop was totally new to me this year! Regardless I only added about one minute (which isn't bad as I also added about .25-.50 miles!

My overall time was 45 seconds faster than last year.
Next year, I'm going to make that even better . . . just wish I didn't have to wait until next September to give this a go again!

pictures will follow, just wanted you to know how it went!

Julia Child . . . rockstar!

My book club recently decided to read two books. First, Julia Child's own book "My Life in France" which chronicles Julia's time, post world war 2, in France and Germany. Secondly we read "Julie and Julia" a book by Julie Powell written to describe her journey cooking her way through Julia's first cook book, "Mastering the Art of French cooking".
After we finished both books we went on a field trip to see the new movie Julia and Julie . . . Meryl Streep does a dead on Julia Child by the way.

The movie (and books) made me desperately want to do some Julia Child style cooking. (Butter and Cream heavy). Yesterday I did just that. Julia's chicken with mushroom cream sauce. All I can say it yummmmmmm. Mind you, as a weight watcher member I had to significantly decrease my portion of sauce, but what I had . . . OH MY GOODNESS.

Our dinner was this: Chicken with mushroom cream sauce over roasted red potatoes. Grilled beets and asparagus, fresh chopped tomatoes/onions/garlic in an olive oil vinaigrette over baby greens. Julia invented the entree' I made up the rest.
I'm getting hungry just typing this!

I ordered the book today, (Mastering the art of french cooking) and look forward to adapting recipes in the future to make them a little "skinnier". Next on my list of must makes, Beef Bourguignon

till then, bon appetite'

the fifteen minute rule . . .

I don't know exactly how or when it happened but I've had this fifteen minute window of time engrained into my psyche. I was raised in a home where being fifteen minutes early for an appointment or meeting meant you were on time.
I consequently passed this on to my kids.
I can honestly say, we are very seldom late for anything.
I am a precision German instrument in that respect.
I can quite accurately gauge how long it will take me to reach my destination and, with my fifteen minute cushion, tardiness is seldom an issue.
Why doesn't the rest of the population run like this?
My first appointment today- VERY LATE.
Second- SAME
so, what does this do to the rest of the day?
How do I face the patient who actually runs on time but has to wait due to the inconsiderate behavior of those who came before?
Moral of this rant . . . If you are waiting in the lobby for an appointment, frustrated that your MD or whatever is running late- it may not be their fault, but the accumulated fault of those who came before you and gummed up the day!
If you run on time- ALWAYS make your appointment FIRST thing in the morning, or FIRST after return from lunch.

Whispering, a learned skill . . .

Last weekend Randy and I had a quick getaway to Reno.
The drive was pleasant, the weather lovely.
Randy had a great time playing in the casino and I caught up on reading, movie watching and working out in the gym.
We had tickets to the new stadium where the AAA Diamondback team plays in Reno.
Included in our package was seating and food in a giant luxury box.
As we stood in line getting ready to enter the stadium a pair of local ladies stood behind us.
Lady one kept pointing at me (mind you I was about 2' away from her) and saying (loudly) "that is the kind of hair cut I want, sort of short, but not diky". She repeated this several times, each time with the "dike" reference.
I was patient for a bit, and then thought I would have a bit of fun with her.
I turned around, smiled sweetly and said, "thank you for complimenting my hair, but you should know, I am a dike"
I thought she was going to die on the spot
Her friend kept saying "oh my God, oh my God, oh my God"
It was terribly fun.
After about 20 seconds I told her to relax, I wasn't a "dike" but she should watch the volume a bit. My phone rang and I started a conversation with Ashley- Randy called Kyle and we passed the next few minutes engaged in our separate phone conversations.
As I hung up I heard her again, "now, see that lady over there, I thought she was a guy- that is diky hair"
Clearly, this lady had not learned her lesson.
I turned around, looked her in the eye and told her "she can hear you".
Lady number two went back to the "OHMYGOD" refrain.

The funny part of this whole story . . . I wish I had a picture of this woman who so desperately didn't want to look like a "dike"
overweight, no makeup or styled hair, mans flannel shirt, shabby jeans and old tennis shoes.
I think the ship had already sailed . . . she looked the part already.

Lost . . . and found

as with many good intentions . . .my ability to "keep up" with my blog has been dismal.
I think about this daily- I have brilliant ideas to share (okay, maybe not brilliant, but ideas to be sure) but then the day concludes and still no post.

I can't nag Ashley about her lack of posting if I'm also negligent, can I? and, let's face it, we would MUCH rather be hearing from Ashley than me!

so this will be short- but sweet.

I've lost (to date) 24#
I've found the ability to wear my wedding ring.

I've lost my insecurity in my workout 2 piece
I've found (besides a great belly tan) more confidence.

I've lost (or rather put aside) some Capri pants that fall off when I wear them.
I've found my clavicle. (collar bone which was hidden by a bit of FAT)

I could go on, but you get the picture.

I still have a ways to go- but I'm firmly on the right track.

Now, i can badger Ashley without guilt.

I've "found" the ability to badger.

Love my Czech friend . . .

do you remember quite a while ago when I mentioned that my lovely Czech friend was the one who told me "you have a beautiful color . . ." in reference to my unwanted tan?
Well, today she struck again.

In mid April I finally decided to join weight watchers. I'm not sure what my final motivation was, and it really doesn't matter . . . regardless, I've been faithful and thus far have lost 21.8 pounds. I still have a bit to go, but so far, so good. My blood pressure is fantastic, lipid levels fantastic, glucose great . . . HEALTHY!

In the past several weeks I've heard many different things. First it was, "did you get a new haircut?" second "you look so tan" third, and this the most ridiculous "you look taller". But today, my lovely friend Helena (of you have beautiful color fame) said to me . . ."you look fantastic, you have lost weight" I could have kissed her.

It hasn't been hard. No sacrifices at all. Healthy eating and healthy results.
I really don't want to become one of those "come to Jesus" ladies extolling the value of weight watchers but . . . I'm off all prescriptive meds now and I'm feeling healthy. Appearance isn't a goal, it's a side affect.

Wednesday, what's on my mind

I have a couple of things on my mind this evening and I'll start with the easiest. Do you remember just a bit ago my complaining about having "pediatric illnesses"? Well, again, I've been struck with the problems of a typical two year old. Over the weekend, while Travis was home, I started feeling quite punk. My head hurt- my ear hurt- I was nauseated and dizzy. When I swam I was shaky and tired. Yesterday I felt so crummy I didn't even go out for my regular swim . . . that was when Randy knew for sure something was wrong. (that, and I looked like shit) Regardless- I went to work today feeling crummy. I went downstairs to visit with my friend Marcie- to commiserate with her after yesterday's supreme court decision (her marriage stands) anyhow . . . during our visit she commented that with all due respect, "you look terrible" I told her my pain problems and she looked into my ear- Yupp, as expected. Left ear is infected with a ruptured ear drum. So upstairs I run to make an appointment to be seen by a "grown up" MD. I made an appointment and then found my manager to explain the situation. "you can leave early, but why no have one of our pedi's examine and treat you?" Since I didn't want to get Marcie in trouble I agreed to her plan and the chief of the department examined me- Yupp same as before. Now I have one week of oral antibiotics to take, and a nice ear drop that numbs the pain- Tomorrow I'm hoping to feel much better.

In the meantime, I have something to keep me feeling a bit better.
Remember before I told you about my Czech friends who comment on my "beautiful coloring" and now whenever someone tells me "you are really tan" in that snarky tone I substitute (in my mind) "you have beautiful coloring"? I have a new such thing going on.
THREE time today I got complements on my new hair cut and or hair style. THREE times, three different people. Strange, because I haven't done a single thing different with my hair.
Here is the rub. I've been diligently "working the program" of weight watchers for the past 7 weeks. So far I've lost 14 pounds (one stone in the British measurement system) and not one SINGLE person has noticed. I've been around people who haven't noticed, but don't see me frequently- and, I have to say, it's been a little discouraging. Well today I realized, they don't know what is different, it MUST be my hair. Finally, to one of my work friends I said, "nope, my hair is exactly the same, there is just a little less of me" She looked at me and then said "okay, yes, that's it"

At the pool one of my friends Carl says, "I like your hair, it's different, isn't it?"
to him I replied "Carl, when do you see my hair? it's always in a cap!" He said, "I don't know, your hair just looks different"

I didn't tell him what was really going on.

so, from now on- you say "you are so tan" I hear "You have beautiful coloring"
you say, "Did you do something new with your hair?" I hear, "Damn you look fine with that weight loss"

so, one stone down- two more to drop

Lesson learned last year

If you remember the tale of last years triathlon you will recall the enormous transition times I endured trying to get the appropriate gear on for each leg of the race.

I went totally old school- one piece bathing suit for the swim, donning a tank top and bike shorts for the cycling and then just changing into sneakers for the run. Of course fretting about going to the bathroom between legs didn't help either.

This year I decided I was going to shave at least 5 minutes off of last years time in transition only. I'm also hoping to shave another 5 minutes off in the course of the three events. Step one, which I have easy control over, change my "outfit" for the day.

Consequently I ordered (and have received) a "tri suit" this one piece wonder will take me from swim to run with no changing. My only obligation will be to change into appropriate footwear. This year I'll forgo all the bathroom fussing as well.

so, in anticipation of "tri season" I'm beginning my cross training in June determined to be more succesful this year. Anyone out there care to join me?

Happy Birthday Travis!

Happy 22nd Birthday Travis!

After a weekend of record breaking heat yesterday we had clouds and a couple of raindrops. I said to Randy, "the weather was exactly like this 22 years ago when I had Travis!"

Wow, that time has flown.

In less than a month Travis will graduate from UCSB.

With boundless pride, admiration and love- Happy Birthday Travis!

Watch out world- here he comes.

been gone, haven't forgotten

where exactly does time go?
I have every intention of updating this thing on a regular basis but the day slip away and no update!
Currently I have nothing important on my mind . . . so, this is a quick hello and a promise for more than monthly updates in the future.

scouts honor.

some observations

I'm a little mad with myself that I don't have the cord to my phone to upload pictures.

I haven't commented on my recent trip to NYC and had a couple of cute shots to share, oh well.

This was my first visit to Ashley's new apartment. The observation here: If you watch any TV set in NYC you are bound to believe that everyone has spacious apartments. Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Mad about You, How I met your Mother, scenes from CSI NY or any other show would lead you to believe that living space in the city is relatively the same as here in California. NOT!

Ashley has a darling new apartment, in a fantastic location but her bedroom is roughly the size of Randy's truck (maybe a teeny tiny bit bigger). The living room/kitchen combined are about the size of my bathroom (granted I have a huge bathroom). We take big space for granted here, the average New Yorker does not.

The other observation: in NY a scarf is not a accessory, it is a necessity. Living in California I'm always amused by coats and scarves. It really isn't that cold here. I packed two coats and two scarves for the trip. Glad I did, it is cold there . . and when the wind kicked up YIKKES.

My daughter loves her new city, and I love my daughter.

I will enjoy visiting her as much as time permits, but I know that I could not be an Urban dweller at this point in my life.

Big spaces and the ability to drive wherever I want, buy enough groceries for a few days and DRIVE them home, now that's what I'm all about!

Fantastic!

I'm so cross at myself for not posting this a couple days back when I first heard it . . . better late than never.

go to this you-tube link for a treat.

Lesson: NEVER judge a book by it's cover.

It's all in the presentation

You've heard this before right?
For good food to be considered great, it's in the presentation.
A great screenplay is only as good as it's presented.
A compliment, is only that when presented correctly.

As you may or may not know I ABHOR being called tan. To my ears this translates to "oh dear, you should take better care of your skin" or " you will look old before your time" etc. I know people don't all mean that, but it's the hanging pause . . . "you are soooooo tan..........." how do you respond to that?

This evening, after my swim, I was headed to the comfort of the hot hot shower. My pool friend Helena, a lovely Czech woman said to me, "you have the most beautiful beautiful skin color"

It was all in the presentation.
A compliment which I received, and didn't doubt.
I will continue to use my 70 sunscreen, but the next time someone gives me the "you are soooo tan . . . . " I will instead hear, " you have the most beautiful beautiful skin color"

A fond farewell

It will be a long time before I will be able to look at this, or any other picture of Murray without spontaneously breaking into tears.

Last Wednesday we had to say goodbye to our dear Murray. He has been slowing down recently, but heck at over 10 1/2 years old- that is allowed. Randy commented on Tuesday night that he would walk Murray on Wednesday when he got home from work. He attempted that walk but found him too weak to even return home and subsequently took him to the vet. I just "knew" that there would be something wrong. I called Kyle at school who left his class and met Randy at the vet. I left work early and drove as quickly as I could to the vet. When I entered the room about 45 minutes later the vet had made her diagnosis and recommendations. It appears that Murray had one or several tumors in his abdomen. Of particular concern was one in his liver, wrapping around organs and compressing the bowels. He was uncomfortable and we knew what we had to do. The cancer was inoperable and the most humane thing to do was to let him go. Fortunately we were with him, hugged him, reassured him and loved him as he passed.

I don't know what your belief system is, and I don't really care. I am sure Murray is in heaven now, chasing squirrels and waiting for the rest of us to join him.

I love you Murray.

The best dog . . . ever.

Second post of the day

De Quervain's tenosynovitis. Can you say this? It's my latest "issue" Also known as "washerwoman sprain" (clearly not me) or "Mother's wrist" which new mom's get from the repetitive motion of picking up a baby (who's weight increases daily).

from the Mayo clinic website:
In de Quervain's tenosynovitis, the sheath of the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist becomes inflamed or swollen, restricting the tendons' movement. The result with de Quervain's tenosynovitis is discomfort and pain every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist.
Treatment for de Quervain's tenosynovitis may range from immobilizing your wrist and taking medications to surgery in more serious cases. If you start treatment early on, your symptoms of de Quervain's tenosynovitis should generally improve within four to six weeks.

From personal experience I can tell you that it also interferes with sleep.
I haven't had an uninterrupted night of sleep since Saturday when this flared.
Today I was fitted with a large splint, and a smaller wrist splint. So NYC here I come, splints and all.

Looks like my knitting will have to wait for now!

The perfect color

Yesterday I had my hair cut.

Oh yes, big news (not)

what is funny was my hairdressers comment.

She said to me, "I know I don't color your hair, but I LOVE the color and highlights, how do you do it" She went on to say that in this current economy her clients are electing to do home color and save a few dollars. If I could possibly share my secrets, she would gladly pass them on.


well, here it is. Be sure to follow exactly or I cannot guarantee the results.

PLUS

So, what you have here. Use "perfect 10" by Revlon- I favor light brown. Swim in a public swim pool, you may use a cap. Be sure to apply the latter 5-6 times per week.

It will work. You should have a nice light brown color which is insanely shiny like Barbie hair. If all fails, contact Mattel to see if they have some spare hair for you.

ringtones

What did we do before technology?
As you know (if you have been reading) I have a new I-Phone.
With all me previous phones I have had the kids make me ringtones which I assign to different callers. Randy has the theme from Sanford and Son, Ashley a Cake song called Opera Singer etc.
It's so helpful when you can hear who is calling, run in a sprint if its family and let the phone mail deal with strangers!
Well, the i-phone only lets you have personal ringtones if you use their music. HUH?
So, last night I started a new project.
I found a resource on you-tube and using both of my computer screens put the video on one and worked the other to create new ringtones.
Now the dilemma is what song to assign to who?
Randy is still Sanford and Sons.
Ashley is now Frank Sinatra "New York, New York"
Ingrid is Lady Marmalade "hey sister, soul sister"
Oma and Opa have John Mayer's "Daughters"
and now I'm open for suggestions for other songs. If you suspect you are in my address book- please suggest your own ringtone!

good Karma

From Sanfords lips to God's ears.
I had called the pool twice . . . no bag.
I despaired, but finally gave in and ordered a new swimp3 and new fins . . . my swim essentials.
I went off to the pool in a foul mood.
The swim was cold and rainy . . . I was still grouchy.
I came in from my shower and noticed a bag hanging on a hook behind another woman midway through dressing.
"is that your bag?" I asked
"no" . . . quickly I grabbed it and ta-da , my bag was found.
"that's amazing" commented the woman. I told her I would be most amazed if all contents were intact.
They were.
she commented on my good Karma and wondered if I had given a parking spot to someone.
Now I see what my reward is for letting people ahead of me in the grocery line.
This is far better payback than I could have imagined!

sad . . .

second post of the day, yippee- but kind of a whining one.
Yesterday I had a wonderful swim. As I said before I'm trying to make up for some lost time and have been hitting it as hard as possible whenever I manage to make it to the pool. Yesterday I put in 4200 yards- no slouch swim to be sure. I must have been exceptionally tired when I left the locker room after my shower because I left my mesh bag behind which contains my goggles, fins and paddles, gloves and beloved Finis swimp3 player which allows me to swim and listen to music during those long swims.

The problem was discovered when at lunch time today I went out to the car to find and recharge my swimp3 player. I quickly placed a phone call to the pool, not yet too nervous as I was one of the last to leave yesterday and it was only 11:30 am this morning. The desk clerk looked but found nothing.

My heart just sunk to my stomach.
I can't swim without my cap or goggles.
I don't really want to swim without my music
My shoulder requires I use the fins as part of my workout.

Insert a long string of epithets here.

Randy, always rational reminds me this isn't a huge issue. "just replace everything"
Oh, I will . . .
and this time I'm going to bedazzle the SHIT out of everything.
I find it hard to believe anyone is going to want to swim with fins or goggles with all kinds of bling on them.

I'm doing it. Imagine this hello kitty bedazzled all over my swim stuff.

something tells me my bag would still be in the locker room.

a different kind of love

I would like to put politics aside and wonder aloud, just what is gained by breaking up these families?

bubbles . . .

Two posts in one day!
I went to the pool today trying desperately to get my February numbers up.
If you know me well, you know I'm not the neatest person around. The past couple of days, apres' swim I haven't hung my suit to dry and have accumulated a pile of wet suits in the trunk. So, since I was in a big hurry I pulled my old pink suit out of dry dock to give it a spin.
oh dear.
I noticed after turns that as I came up my suit would fill with air. Mind you this is a super baggy, stretched suit . . .not a good look. Then, when I made a turn the air would squeeze out and make sort of a big "fart" noise. OMG, I was laughing, and trying not to choke on water.
I kept going though- as if nothing was amiss.
The swim went something like this. Stroke, stroke, stroke, turn (fill with air) swim swim swim, turn- (big fart noise) followed by (fill with air).
I swam 2300 yards before I could take it no more. When I got out of the pool the bottom hung down about 8 inches- it looked like I was wearing a big diaper in my suit.
I showered and intended to dump the suit then and there but held on to it, just in case some very large person ever wants to swim in our pool and doesn't have their own suit- I've got them covered . . . literally.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in the Western Church, the first day of Lent, being the seventh Wednesday before Easter. On this day ashes are placed on the foreheads of the faithful to remind them of death, of the sorrow they should feel for their sins, and of the necessity of changing their lives. the practice, which dates from the early Middle Ages, is common among Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Episcopalians, and many Lutherans; it was also adopted by some Methodists and Presbyterians in the 1990's.

I remember so vividly, when the children were young, Ashley observing a woman with Ashes on her forehead on Ash Wednesday. Insistently, Ashley turns to me and in a VERY LOUD preschooler whisper says, "Mommy, that lady has dirt on her face". My face of course turned red as I tried to explain Ash Wednesday to my then four year old. Those days are past but each year Ash Wednesday is a visual reminder of lent. In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

From Wikipedia: Lent, in some, is the forty-day long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan.

Many modern Protestants (of which I am one) consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. they may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate or alcohol) or activity (e.g., going to the movies, playing video games, etc.) for Lent, or they may instead take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering or charity work.

So, as I drove to work today I thought about what I would "give up" for Lent. Following a news story about alcohol consumption and a subsequent increase in breast cancer risk (Even as little as one drink per day!) the choice was easy. for the next 40 plus days, I'm alcohol free. I joked with Randy about this, had I known I was going to make this commitment, I would have partied up on Fat Tuesday! Randy thought he might give up working in the vineyard for Lent- I needed to gently remind him it was not giving up a chore or something you find difficult in the first place, rather something you find pleasure in or enjoy. He is still thinking about what that might be .

So, let's see how it goes. Is it too early to be planning Easter dinner . . . and the appropriate wine to go with it?

love and appreciation

After a weekend away from home I returned Sunday night wondering just exactly what I was going to find (having left two "bachelors" alone for the weekend.) When I had parked the Expedition outside I was immediately greeted by Murray and Tucker (no, these aren't the two bachelors, rather happy, exuberant dogs.) I walked inside, wondering what kind of disarray I might find. The family room was tidy, the kitchen was clean and the counter was filled with items already packaged for Ebay. "There you are" was Randy's comment as he came around the corner, a wide smile on his face which lite his eyes. A big hug and kiss followed by "I missed you". You know you can feel when someone is genuine . . . he really was happy to see me, and he really did miss me. The most telling thing here . . . all the wrapped and ready packages on the counter. That is typically "my" job for Ebay and represented hours of work- he had done that for me to save me that work on Sunday evening.
Heart squeeze.

We had a quiet dinner, followed by an evening of Oscar watching while I made the labels for all those packages Randy had done. Kyle was out, not expected home for a couple of hours. Later I called Kyle, wondering when I might see him, he thought they would leave and be home in an hour or so. Well, that hour came and went but I couldn't wait up any longer and took my book off to bed with me. Much later, while I was sleeping, Kyle came in said good night and gently kissed me on the cheek. I actually incorporated this into and dream and it wasn't until yesterday that I asked him about it. "did you kiss me on the cheek last night?" "yes", he replied . . ."I didn't want to scare you, or make you mad by waking you, but I missed you"

As if being loved and missed could ever make a Mom mad.

fusion . . .

Everyone, at one time in their life, should have a job that makes them appreciate what they do later in life. My such job was between my Junior and Senior year of college. I worked on an assembly line making pet feeders, and packaging supplies for pets. The job was HORRIBLE. We started early in the morning (6:30am) and worked very hard. The ladies on the line were all "career" workers- this was just a pit stop for me, but for them, this was it. If you remember the early episodes of the Roseanne show (when George Clooney was on) she worked on an assembly line, mine was quite similar.

So, where am I going with this particular wander down memory lane? Over the weekend I went to visit Travis in Santa Barbara. Austin's (Travis' roommate) father owns a company which produces energy drinks. Austin and Travis have been "contracted" to package these drinks for display and sale. I spent four hours "working the line" with them. We assembled display boxes and packaged product. Austin packaged for shipment. It was "sort of" like working on the line- only when I worked at the pet supply place I wasn't able to sit, sip a lovely IPA or watch movies.

These kids don't know how good they've got it!

"I do" believe in marriage equality

I have just a minute. I'm sitting in the Las Vegas airport- my plane should have taken off 15 minutes ago, it just arrived from SFO so I have a bit of time before I get to board. But, I just have a minute.
Travis was in Sacramento today lobbying for the NO on 8 campaign.
The group prevailed and the item has been sent to the California courts to decide.
Travis and John (another Soc major) are planning to write a blog entry and publish it here- keep your eyes open! The kids were quite excited about their foray into politics- I am anxiously waiting to read their account as well.

i phone . . .

Do you, or someone you know have an Iphone?
I just got one and though I do love it, it is a bit overwhelming. I sent Travis a message asking what are the “must have” apps. For those of you who may not know, apps are applications you can download onto your phone. Some are free, some cost anywhere from .99 to 4.99. I’ve decided that I’m only going to download the free ones, unless something comes along which is too good to miss.
I’ve downloaded a couple so far. A flashlight and a fitness calculator. The level looks interesting but given my lifestyle I’m unsure when/if I will require a level. The nice thing is, if I ever do, the app is there and can be downloaded in minutes. You can download a bill/tip calculator but I really don’t go out enough to justify that- besides which figuring a tip isn’t all that complicated. I guarantee you, if you can think of it, there is an app for it- I just need to sort out which are important and which I don’t need.
Suggestions?

Randy and Linda's Suite life

Last night we went to bed early in anticipation of our early flight to Las Vegas today. Who knew that the winds were going to wake us up frequently during the night? I heard the sheet metal we use during wine making, I’m not quite sure what happened to it, but it sounded like it was crashing about outside. I dreamed periodically that the fences went down and I was worried about the dogs. We woke to moderate rain and winds which still were incredible. The fences were intact and the dogs happy in their respective houses. The storm did slow our progress across the bridge, but we got to the airport in plenty of time to get our flight. A quick coffee for me and mocha for Randy and before you knew it, we were sitting in the airplane. Our flight was uneventful- I watched “America’s top model” and Randy played mah-jong. Once at the airport I fired up my new phone and checked email. What was interesting, when reading the guide it said I could use the phone in flight in “airplane mode” I was too nervous to try it, but according the the guide, it is perfectly okay to use the Internet option- you just cant talk . . . hummmmm
We took the LONGEST shuttle from the airport to the Mirage, but it was interesting to see sites we have never seen before. Once at the Mirage we tried to check in, but of course we were hours early and took care of the business end- and had to wait for the room to be available.
Randy knows that I am not a gambler- we come to Las Vegas with the full understanding that he plays and I hang out at the pool knitting and reading (I’m such an old lady). Well, the weather here certainly isn’t conducive to pool time but I thought- no worries I can hang in the room. I brought a couple of movies to watch through the computer and my knitting and reading. The one exception to my no gambling rule- BINGO! The old used to have a bingo place, but that has been torn down. Randy did some investigating online and found a casino- off the strip- which offers bingo. GREAT! So, we had a quick lunch at Carnagie Deli and then were off to the bingo place. I ultimately did a goggle pedometer to figure out how far our walk was, and when I named it I called it Las Vegas goose chase. The title probably gives away what happened, we were unable to “get there from here” on foot. 4.2 miles later, we were back at the hotel and ready to check in. By this time, walking in Ughs my feet were barking! We got up to our room and must say . . . AMAZING!
Things you get in a suite, you don’t get in a regular room. Slipper and robes, A full bar (alcohol you pay for of course), cosmetics above and beyond the standard room and four full rooms of elegance. The toilet area also had a bidet, wonder if we will give that a ride?
This, is why I don’t fuss about Randy’s playing. With luck we come home without losing too much and they offer us this “sweet” deal again!

identity crisis

When I'm at work many times I deal with people misunderstanding who I am.
Usually it is due to a language barrier, many of my ESL patients assume I'm a Doctor and insist on calling me "Doctor". It occasionally happens with even my very educated English speaking clients. I gently try to correct the impression, but generally this is jammed into their brain and they won't let it go. This particular mistake is slightly uncomfortable, but not as annoying as the folks who totally change my title.
For clarification. I'm an RN, a IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)
at work we just shorten it to LC or lactation consultant.

Lots of patients call me the "lactationer" okay, I'll let that one go.
I've heard "La' tishner" or "Lactator" (sadly, that stopped some 18 years ago)
but today was the best yet. A lady called and sweetly asked, "are you the lactose consultant?"
I didn't have the heart to tell her that no, I did not consult on milk sugar issues.

knit, purl, unravel.

Well . . what's new?
I finally made it back to the pool for an evening swim this past Monday.
It had been months since I had gone to the pool with the regularity of the past. I barely kept up with my mileage goals in December by having incredibly long swims whenever I could make it but to go more frequently, and for an hour swim at a time is much more comfortable. I finished 2008 with just over 330 miles. 2009 Started with a disappointing January total so my work is cut out for me! Now, I hope I don't talk myself out of going this evening when the temperature is sure to be less than two days ago.

I am enjoying the new found energy that regular exercise provides and have applied that towards knitting in the evening. I'm more than 1/2 done with the leg warmers I designed for Ashley, designed and finished two hats for Kyle, made some slippers for Ashley and now am embarking on a sweater/shrug for myself. This is my next project, only I'm not making it in purple, and I promise not to wear this skirt.

The reason I mention this to you related to a conversation I had with Ashley yesterday. Sunday she went to a "stitch and bitch" session in New York. While there she started work on a hat. I taught her how to make hats with a circular needle when she was in college and this was the project she was rediscovering. Yesterday she said her hat had an odd bump (forgot her exact word) and what should she do. Ultimately I encouraged her to start over. Best to complete a project you are proud of, not one with some strange affectation. I told her I can find tons of little issues with nearly every project I make, but one that changes the entire look, probably best to start over. I have restarted this sweater 3 times. I am hoping that this third start is the charm and it will soon begin to take shape and resemble in some fashion the model sweater.

Knitting is much like life. You learn from the little mistakes and sometimes come to love them- it's those big errors it would be best to completely remove and start over from.

a new nest

Travis has moved!
He was initially so very excited to move into the house he started the school year in but within a short period of time it became pretty clear that this wasn't the ideal situation. Last year he lived with 10 folks, a majority of them being super slobs- Travis found himself doing a majority of the cleaning. This year there are 6 others (I think) who have taken cleaning to a new level. Travis is very neat. He was frustrated when one of the housemates tried to make a chore chart. The same house mate would leave sticky notes reminding him to do certain things. "PLEASE!" It's one thing to communicate, it is quite another to be passive aggressive with your communication. As Travis said, "I'm not 5 years old, just talk to me"
On top of that the personalities in the house were "interesting". There were the passive aggressive folks, the queen bee, the tattle tale folks, and let us not forget the most effeminate gossipy girlie boy who thinks he is fooling people that he isn't gay. Let me just put it out there Daniel- if people believe you are straight, they have issues.
so, Travis and his friend Austin (who lived in the same house with Travis last year) have found a one bedroom to move into. The move saves me $$ each month. Travis is thrilled because Austin stays at his girlfriends most nights giving Travis an apartment to himself most of the time! Brilliant! Let's just hope that relationship stays stable over the next 5 months!

I'm looking forward to visiting soon- I think it looks great!

It just occurs to me that the former roommates probably were not too happy to see the television go!

technology, gone wrong . . .

I felt like I was living in a bad sitcom last night.
From the beginning. Tuesday morning, while working quietly on the computer (like this) the house alarm went off for no apparent reason. This alarm is a fire alarm, and burglar alarm. Since the burglar portion was unarmed I worried for a minute about fire and then once the worry was gone, set to disarm the alarm as quickly as possible. When Randy got home from work I explained what happened and suggested we have a company do a once through on the system to avoid this false alarms in the future. Yesterday when Randy came home early from being out the alarm was blaring, both inside and out. Luckily we had just discussed the alarm and I had reminded him of the code to silence it. After silencing it he decided it would be best to disarm them completely by pulling the electrical. (until they can be "fixed") When I got home it was evident that the battery was waning as there was just faint lights on the keypads.

I was happily sitting and knitting when Kyle came out and said to me "the alarm in your room is going off". Huh? Randy was in there asleep, how could he possible sleep through this? I got a flashlight and sure enough there was that very high piercing noise coming from the wall. I tried to disarm using the usual code but nothing . . . and Randy slept on. Meanwhile the two keypads in the living room and family room started alarming. I silenced those and returned to the bedroom- still unable to silence it. and, Randy slept on. I grabbed some bubble wrap and tape hoping to at least dampen the noise. No, this didn't work either, the alarm continued, and Randy slept on. Since he was not affected (he is wearing ear plugs) I decided to give it a few minutes. Sure enough- the other two started in with their portion of the song, once silenced I returned to the bedroom to FINALLY stop that alarm.

About 1 1/2 hours later I was finally ready for bed. While reading the alarm in the living room started. I got up, silenced it and returned to bed. 1/2 hour later it did it again. 15 minutes later, again. 15 minutes again. And, you guessed it, Randy slept on. Okay, I needed to get some of those ear plugs. It's after midnight, close to 1:00 am and I still haven't slept. I find earplugs in Randy's overnight bag and put them in. The only problem was the ringing in my ears from hearing that alarm. Within a few minutes I was asleep. I woke a few times to remove the plug and listen for the alarm. . . nothing. I will admit it wasn't the most restful night, but those ear plugs do work!

And now we "get" to spend money to have someone fix the system . . . oh yippee so much for technology.

Very disturbing

If you haven't seen it yet, please take the time to see "Slumdog Millionaire"
It is a wonderful story, brilliantly told and haunting with it's images of the slums of Bombay.

Filmed on location in Mumbai you fall in love with the children who bring this story to life. Imagine my dismay, disgust and horror when I read an article today which reveals how little the child actors who brought this to life were paid! click here to read the article

Meanwhile this film is expected to continue winning awards bringing more revenue to the producers. I am hoping this story goes viral and they are shamed into providing much more compensation for these children and their families . . .shame on them!

instant society, part deux

Remember Monday when I ended my post by saying that I was going to order a new bathing suit?
Well, I did- I ordered a new suit, new goggles and a new mesh bag for equipment. The order went in sometime late in the afternoon.
Yesterday I was suffering from a hideous cold (still am, thanks for asking) and knew I was sidelined for the day. I decided that I should check to see when I could expect my new swim stuff. Couple of mouse clicks later and I read to my astonishment "delivered"

I didn't pay for expedited shipping.
My stuff arrived to my house 18 hours after I ordered it.
a shout out to swimoutlet.com

unfortunately, due to this cold I haven't been able to use the new stuff- maybe tomorrow!

Instant society . . .

Are you as amazed as I am at how quickly we can do things now?
Constantly I am awed by the amount of information I can quickly access using my computer.
I remember being in school and having to write a paper. This took hours of research time at the library, writing a draft report and then typing the paper along with footnotes. The worst part was laying out the darn thing and then finding you didn't have room at the bottom of the page for the footnotes. Don't even get me started about typing errors! Kids these days have it pretty good. Between Google, Ask, and all other possible references online it's amazing HOW FAST information is available.
Not only information but shopping is incredible.

Case in point:
Remember in my previous post I told you about Ashley's ice encounter?
Tuesday night, while watching TV I fired up the laptop and found several options for Ashley to chose from for sturdy, good traction, cold weather boots. The next day she called me (with her cell phone from NYC- no charge for distance . . . do you remember 'long distance?') and had chosen a pair. While on the phone I clicked my mouse a few times and ta-da boots to be shipped directly to her within the next couple of days.

I can't even imagine how long this would have taken when I was Ashley's age. Think about it. We would have had to scour catalogues, called back and forth (long distance $$) and then finally found the appropriate boot.

I love this instant gratification! I'm going to order a new bathing suit now . . .

Housekeeping

Just a small note, but I've cleaned up the blog a bit. Gone is the countdown clock for George Bush- new movies for 2009 added and my recent reads also updated.
I'm hoping to be better at keeping current- goodness knows I have lots on my mind to blather about, just finding the time and energy to write it is the issue!

be sure to read the latest installment (below)
cheers!

It's a new day . . .

I'm sure you will all remember, many years from today, where you were when our 44th President took the oath of office. I was standing in Civic Center, San Francisco with 2 of my dear friends and 6000 relative strangers. Watching this event in a crowd was an unparalleled experience. In the hour prior to the actual start of ceremony we watched CBS's "pre game" coverage on the jumbo tron. As the crowd and others were panned you could hear our crowd cheer or jeer depending upon who was being shown on the screen. How liberating it was to stand with like minded people and boo without remorse Dick Cheney in his wheelchair. . . or GW (who brought the house down with his amount of boos). Equally impressive were the cheers. Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi sent the crowd into frenzy but when Barack Obama was shown- it was like being at a Stones concert. The picture, though poor quality, was taken from the KGO website- (they were co-sponsors of the event)

The only damper on my day was the gnawing in my stomach worrying about Ashley. Monday, while making her way home from a day of fun and frolic with friends, she took a nasty spill on ice and hurt her elbow and knocked her head on the concrete. Immediately she called Kyle (I was already in bed) and then some very kind strangers took care of her for a couple of hours before she got herself home. Once home she called again and this time Kyle came to wake me to talk to Ashley- "she hit her head" he says. Ashley sounded terrible, tired and probably worried- I instructed her to set her alarm for 3 hours later and have her roommate wake her if possible. The next morning at 5:00 am (our time) I called her to see how the night went. Brooke had woken her, she felt okay but a little nauseated. 1/2 hour later she calls me to say that while riding the bus to work she felt worse. A little later than this I called her and found she was in a cab and on the way to the MD. I also heard her have the cabbie stop so she could vomit on the road- Now, I started worrying. To make matters even worse- I had left my cellphone in my car and had to use my friend Fiona's. A bit later Randy called to tell me that yes, she had a concussion and they were having her go to the hospital for a CT scan. Knot in stomach now the size of George Bushes head.

After the end of the inaugural ceremony we walked and found a charming little cafe'. During this time Randy called me again to reassure me that the CT scan was negative and that Ashley was on her way home to rest.

24 hours later I am ebullient about the inauguration, and my daughters return to "normalcy" She goes back to work tomorrow and President Obama also will have to buckle down to some serious work. I'm looking for some really good shoes or boots with fantastic gripping ability for Ashley- I should also send our new President some thigh high waders to get through all the crap left behind by the previous administration!

Happy New Year!

As you know I'm a terminal Pollyanna, it's easier to look at the bright side of things than to focus on the dark. But, realistically speaking, 2008 was a little bumpy.
The economy is in the tank. (avoid looking at your retirement statements, it will make you cry)
Unemployment is soaring (including a small stay there by Ashley) The dollar's value is roughly that of a small pebble.
Wars continue. Crime is rising, corruption is rampant. Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson are box office bombs.

on the upside:
I mastered my flip turn!
We are healthy, Ashley is employed again, the boys are thriving in college, we have a new President elect, Brad Pitt rocks.
oh, and the whole family is together for a few more days . . . all is right in my world.

So, sweep up those pine needles, eat your black eyed peas, give thanks for your health and hold your family close- 2009 will be fantastic! trust me . . . have I ever steered you wrong?