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.