Random Thursday
I got up before my alarm (weird!). I went out for my run and decided to do the loop in the opposite direction (odd, for me). About mile 1, I realized it was supposed to be a rest day and I wasn't even supposed to be running (too late to turn back now, might as well finish it and take Friday off...).
At the levy, a chevy pulled up (the levy was dry!). A guy hopped out and started clamoring up the levy.
Cecil... he called.
Cecil..., again, he called out, looking over his shoulder.
And then, I heard it...
Baaa...Baaa, and, out of the bed of the chevy jumped a goat, which proceeded to clamor up the levy in search of its master. That's right, this guy was taking his goat for a run...
I passed them, laughing, and enjoyed the rest of my run with an incredulous grin on my face. I also made a mental note to spend the rest of the day on the look-out for oddities.
I didn't have to wait long. At lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in years, I learned that another friend that I had briefly dated and with whom I've lost touch now lives in one of the seedier towns in Southeast Asia. Instead of his former occupation as tech company executive, he now runs a bar. With Go-Go Dancers. Which, in effect, in that part of the world, means he's some sort of a pimp.
I'm very bummed I lost touch with this guy, but I think I know why he didn't return my random attempt to get back in touch a couple of years ago. I think there's quite a bit about the world he now lives in that must be complicated and interesting, and I think I'd enjoy discussing it with him, although, no doubt, I'd probably find much of it overly real and depressing.
Anyways, Thursday served to remind me that every moment of my life involves a choice, and each choice has effects, some intended, and some unintended. Every moment could at any time result in little, tiny, differences in my identity and life experience, or huge and surreal changes in my existence.
February 25, 2008
Words of Wisdom
Penelope Trunk is a regular read of mine.
I may not always agree with her perspective, but I look forward to reading every post because she's a great story teller, she's very open, and she's an optimist.
In short, she has several qualities that I admire, but do not possess.
(As an aside, am I the only one who, occasionally, when typing, sees a word and thinks, that can't be how it's spelled, so I look it up, and realize (a) I did know how to spell it, and (b) if I went with my second-guess, I'd be talking about posses? As in Andre the Giant had one? Anyway, I digress...).
Penelope's post today has played a proportionately large role in my day, in terms of waking minutes spent related to any one thing. First, I read it and thought it was insightful. Then, at some point, I sent it to my sister. Later, at lunch with H and A, I brought it up again. H asked me to send it to her so she could pass it on.
And now, here I am, blogging about it.
Crazy.
I don't *know* Penelope. But, because I enjoy her writing and she's very open, I know much more about her than I do about many of the people I work with, my clients, and even many of my acquaintances and less intimate friends. I speak of her written thoughts and perspectives to my closest friends and family as if she was one of them. I *introduce* them, so to speak.
In many ways, this stranger to me is playing the role of one of my friends. In fact, her blog shows up on my RSS feed just below two of my close friends' blog feeds and above another two close friends'. The times... they are a changin'.
So, anyways, the most insightful thing in her post today, for me, was this,
Be honest about what you love. If you’re not making time to do it regularly unpaid, then you probably don’t love it. Here’s the litmus test: Sex. We do it regularly, unpaid, and we love it. Run this test on other stuff you supposedly love. Do you crave it like sex? Then you probably don’t love it that much. You probably love the idea of loving it, the idea of who you are when you say you love that thing.
Amen, sister.
This ties nicely into the realization I had last weekend about relaxation. I hadn't thought of it in her terms, but when I do, I agree. I make time to do a good (although not perfect) job at work. I make time to cook and enjoy dinner with E. I make time to run and do yoga. I make time to see my family and friends. I make time to keep this blog up to date and I make time to manage the financial details of my life. But I don't make time for pure, unadulterated, zen relaxation. Because, as she so aptly points out, I don't love it. I'd rather cross more things off the list, because I *love* to make lists and cross things off of them.
This is not to say that relaxation isn't good for me. Or even, that I don't enjoy it. I don't love vitamins, I don't love sleeping when I could do more stuff, and I sure don't love difficult emotional situations that make me grow as a person. But I willingly seek them out because I know they are good for me and I like the effects, so I exercise discipline and make them happen.
The exercise of discipline is a noble pursuit. The idea that my personal brand of discipline may have to involve forced relaxation is antithetical to my idea of discipline. But, it fits with my eastern philosophy studies, and it seems very correct, in some way, that since I'm the type of person who finds the typical struggle with discipline almost simplistically easy, my personal version of discipline would look more like the opposite of discipline for most people.
Well, that's enough navel gazing for the evening, don't you think?
Penelope Trunk is a regular read of mine.
I may not always agree with her perspective, but I look forward to reading every post because she's a great story teller, she's very open, and she's an optimist.
In short, she has several qualities that I admire, but do not possess.
(As an aside, am I the only one who, occasionally, when typing, sees a word and thinks, that can't be how it's spelled, so I look it up, and realize (a) I did know how to spell it, and (b) if I went with my second-guess, I'd be talking about posses? As in Andre the Giant had one? Anyway, I digress...).
Penelope's post today has played a proportionately large role in my day, in terms of waking minutes spent related to any one thing. First, I read it and thought it was insightful. Then, at some point, I sent it to my sister. Later, at lunch with H and A, I brought it up again. H asked me to send it to her so she could pass it on.
And now, here I am, blogging about it.
Crazy.
I don't *know* Penelope. But, because I enjoy her writing and she's very open, I know much more about her than I do about many of the people I work with, my clients, and even many of my acquaintances and less intimate friends. I speak of her written thoughts and perspectives to my closest friends and family as if she was one of them. I *introduce* them, so to speak.
In many ways, this stranger to me is playing the role of one of my friends. In fact, her blog shows up on my RSS feed just below two of my close friends' blog feeds and above another two close friends'. The times... they are a changin'.
So, anyways, the most insightful thing in her post today, for me, was this,
Be honest about what you love. If you’re not making time to do it regularly unpaid, then you probably don’t love it. Here’s the litmus test: Sex. We do it regularly, unpaid, and we love it. Run this test on other stuff you supposedly love. Do you crave it like sex? Then you probably don’t love it that much. You probably love the idea of loving it, the idea of who you are when you say you love that thing.
Amen, sister.
This ties nicely into the realization I had last weekend about relaxation. I hadn't thought of it in her terms, but when I do, I agree. I make time to do a good (although not perfect) job at work. I make time to cook and enjoy dinner with E. I make time to run and do yoga. I make time to see my family and friends. I make time to keep this blog up to date and I make time to manage the financial details of my life. But I don't make time for pure, unadulterated, zen relaxation. Because, as she so aptly points out, I don't love it. I'd rather cross more things off the list, because I *love* to make lists and cross things off of them.
This is not to say that relaxation isn't good for me. Or even, that I don't enjoy it. I don't love vitamins, I don't love sleeping when I could do more stuff, and I sure don't love difficult emotional situations that make me grow as a person. But I willingly seek them out because I know they are good for me and I like the effects, so I exercise discipline and make them happen.
The exercise of discipline is a noble pursuit. The idea that my personal brand of discipline may have to involve forced relaxation is antithetical to my idea of discipline. But, it fits with my eastern philosophy studies, and it seems very correct, in some way, that since I'm the type of person who finds the typical struggle with discipline almost simplistically easy, my personal version of discipline would look more like the opposite of discipline for most people.
Well, that's enough navel gazing for the evening, don't you think?
February 24, 2008
Saturday Manic, Sunday Depressive
Saturday morning, I woke at 6 AM to beat the incoming storm. Under the cold grey skies, I ran 6 miles on my own, and then 13.5 with E2. We missed the majority of the rain and caught up over our run and subsequent brunch.
Technically, in true Jeff Galloway fashion, I didn't run the mileage straight and I didn't run it fast. Instead, I ran it with 1 minute walk breaks every mile, plus a little walking at the end to cool down. Regardless, even with the restraint, I am now *very* sore.
I'm glad I pushed through that distance, because I need to build the mental strength that is necessary for running for a long time period. And, I only have 8 weeks and 8 more long runs before the marathon to build it.
After the run, E, E2 and I headed to brunch. Then, while E took a welding class (I was jealous!) I paid bills, ordered flowers for my grandmother's get-well from surgery, arranged upcoming travel details for a bachelorette party and wedding, and cleared the personal email queue.
When E returned, bearing a T joint (Baby, I got you a gift...), we packed for the weekend's festivities, and drove to the city.
Once settled at R's (who graciously let us crash on his floor with our aerobed), we caught up with him over a 1998 bottle of Castle Merlot that he had given us in 2002.
From there, we headed to dinner with 4 of our city friends, a drink with JayKay and Clip, followed by an end of an era party for G. G is finally moving from the house where he threw his many infamous parties over the last half-decade, so to celebrate, there was one final huge party filled with costumes, dj-spinnings, dancing, alcohol, and general debauchery.
Despite my relatively good behavior when compared against the crowd at this event, I still woke this morning to a dull head and a general slowness. It is official. I am old.
So, I accepted this reality and acknowledged that today was largely a write-off. My legs were sore, so I nixed the rescheduled short run. We opted for coffee with R & L in lieu of brunch, and then we drove home, where my biggest accomplishments during the daylight hours were (1) a mexican food lunch with E, and (2) vegging on the couch while watching a silly chick-flick (can't help it, I adore AJ and have to see all of her films. Even the tomb-raiders. I know.).
Thankfully, around 4, I managed to pull myself together for a shower and a trip to the S family house to watch the Oscars, hang out with more good friends (a complete new set), most of whom I hadn't seen in months, and, of course, while there, in an effort to avoid taxing ourselves on the slow post-party day, we glued ourselves to the couch, talked shit about the Oscars, and ate pizza with wine.
All-in-all, it was a fairly successful weekend. And now, I'm off to bed in preparation for the weekly grind.
Saturday morning, I woke at 6 AM to beat the incoming storm. Under the cold grey skies, I ran 6 miles on my own, and then 13.5 with E2. We missed the majority of the rain and caught up over our run and subsequent brunch.
Technically, in true Jeff Galloway fashion, I didn't run the mileage straight and I didn't run it fast. Instead, I ran it with 1 minute walk breaks every mile, plus a little walking at the end to cool down. Regardless, even with the restraint, I am now *very* sore.
I'm glad I pushed through that distance, because I need to build the mental strength that is necessary for running for a long time period. And, I only have 8 weeks and 8 more long runs before the marathon to build it.
After the run, E, E2 and I headed to brunch. Then, while E took a welding class (I was jealous!) I paid bills, ordered flowers for my grandmother's get-well from surgery, arranged upcoming travel details for a bachelorette party and wedding, and cleared the personal email queue.
When E returned, bearing a T joint (Baby, I got you a gift...), we packed for the weekend's festivities, and drove to the city.
Once settled at R's (who graciously let us crash on his floor with our aerobed), we caught up with him over a 1998 bottle of Castle Merlot that he had given us in 2002.
From there, we headed to dinner with 4 of our city friends, a drink with JayKay and Clip, followed by an end of an era party for G. G is finally moving from the house where he threw his many infamous parties over the last half-decade, so to celebrate, there was one final huge party filled with costumes, dj-spinnings, dancing, alcohol, and general debauchery.
Despite my relatively good behavior when compared against the crowd at this event, I still woke this morning to a dull head and a general slowness. It is official. I am old.
So, I accepted this reality and acknowledged that today was largely a write-off. My legs were sore, so I nixed the rescheduled short run. We opted for coffee with R & L in lieu of brunch, and then we drove home, where my biggest accomplishments during the daylight hours were (1) a mexican food lunch with E, and (2) vegging on the couch while watching a silly chick-flick (can't help it, I adore AJ and have to see all of her films. Even the tomb-raiders. I know.).
Thankfully, around 4, I managed to pull myself together for a shower and a trip to the S family house to watch the Oscars, hang out with more good friends (a complete new set), most of whom I hadn't seen in months, and, of course, while there, in an effort to avoid taxing ourselves on the slow post-party day, we glued ourselves to the couch, talked shit about the Oscars, and ate pizza with wine.
All-in-all, it was a fairly successful weekend. And now, I'm off to bed in preparation for the weekly grind.
February 20, 2008
Evolution (and our friends)
I've been very busy with work and social life lately.
Last weekend, E and I took a much needed weekend away. Although I had to work on Saturday and we both had life-chores to tend to, thanks to the 3-day weekend, we managed to handle the necessaries and get away on Saturday afternoon for two full days of relaxation, good food, biking, hiking, and re-connecting to one another.
I slept in 'til double digits in a luxurious bed on both Sunday and Monday. Both mornings I spent about half an hour waking, making myself coffee, making E tea, and slowly joining the living while meandering about in my robe. Sunday morning, after we woke, we hit the hot tub by the crashing surf. Our day was approximately that stressful for the rest of the sunlight, and then, Sunday night, after reading some Intellectual Property literature for pleasure (I know. I know.), I hit the sauna and steam room before a delicious dinner.
We returned rejuvinated, rested, and re-connected. I, for one, laughed more in 2 days than I usually do in a week. All of it with my best friend, E. Why we don't do this more often was a topic of discussion on a couple of occasions.
The final evening of our short vacation, and upon our return, I spent quite a bit of time thinking and talking with R and lucky_girl about (a) why we don't do it more often (it's expensive, and we're too busy to regularly take an entire weekend off away from friends, family, and life), and (b) why it is that our life is structured such that we had to leave our home to completely relax and reconnect.
At home, there is always something to do on the to-do list. I cannot completely relax because there is always something I should be doing. But, when we leave, I've committed to relaxing. I can't even consider doing most of the stuff on the todo list, because it's at home. Where I am not.
Plus, when we travel, there are usually fun things like good food, gorgeous scenery, and friends upon which I can focus my energies. I can be committed to enjoying life because I decided that was the goal for the day and the distance makes it hard to reconsider the goal. Plus, the things we seek in our travels tend to make me happy and I find it easier to relax when I am happy.
The odd thing is, however, I know some people can relax in their homes. In fact, I think I used to be able to do so. I'm not totally sure when it changed, or, if I'm honest with myself, whether I was ever able to relax at home like I can when I'm traveling. Regardless, one thing I know is that my ability to relax at home has decreased over time. Most people I know who are good at relaxing in their own homes have significantly less life stress than we do, and, often, significantly less career and financial details to tend to.
This weekend I found myself spending quite a bit of time thinking about how our expensive weekend away was something I once would have found ridiculously extravagant. And now, I find it refreshing, and oddly, almost necessary.
E and I have chosen our life, with its lifestyle, and the overwhelming constant barrage of details and choice, and the benefits with which it comes. Sometimes, when you don't like things about your life, it is hard to accept that you have no one to blame but yourself.
But it's true. This is the choice I'm making right now. I am choosing to live a life that I can't balance well enough to relax completely at home. I spent much of this weekend struggling with that reality. Part of me wants to have it all and find a way to force myself to relax at home. But, that's a bit of denial. I may not want it to be true, but it is. My current life means I am always slightly anxious at home. I could make different decisions and make relaxing at home more of a priority, but I'd have to give up things that are important to me right now.
So, yes, while living the lawyer lifestyle and earning the lawyer pay hasn't changed me into a more materialistic person (yet), and I don't feel compelled to buy *things,* it has increased my ability to justify spending in areas where I already thought money was well spent, such as travel, food, relaxation-related services (spa services, massages, etc.) and lodging. For a formerly ridiculously frugal person, this change is difficult. But, it's happening. And to pretend it's not would be yet another struggle.
In other news, in keeping with Lucky_girl's continuation of Arvay's animal photos, I present yet another member of our Animal Planet, who stopped by after boys' night the other night to say hello.
Flickr and I got in a fight and my photos are not currently embeddable, but you can go to this link and view our local pointy kitty.
Update: Flickr and I have resolved our differences. Click the photo for 2 more, if you need more.
Enjoy!
I've been very busy with work and social life lately.
Last weekend, E and I took a much needed weekend away. Although I had to work on Saturday and we both had life-chores to tend to, thanks to the 3-day weekend, we managed to handle the necessaries and get away on Saturday afternoon for two full days of relaxation, good food, biking, hiking, and re-connecting to one another.
I slept in 'til double digits in a luxurious bed on both Sunday and Monday. Both mornings I spent about half an hour waking, making myself coffee, making E tea, and slowly joining the living while meandering about in my robe. Sunday morning, after we woke, we hit the hot tub by the crashing surf. Our day was approximately that stressful for the rest of the sunlight, and then, Sunday night, after reading some Intellectual Property literature for pleasure (I know. I know.), I hit the sauna and steam room before a delicious dinner.
We returned rejuvinated, rested, and re-connected. I, for one, laughed more in 2 days than I usually do in a week. All of it with my best friend, E. Why we don't do this more often was a topic of discussion on a couple of occasions.
The final evening of our short vacation, and upon our return, I spent quite a bit of time thinking and talking with R and lucky_girl about (a) why we don't do it more often (it's expensive, and we're too busy to regularly take an entire weekend off away from friends, family, and life), and (b) why it is that our life is structured such that we had to leave our home to completely relax and reconnect.
At home, there is always something to do on the to-do list. I cannot completely relax because there is always something I should be doing. But, when we leave, I've committed to relaxing. I can't even consider doing most of the stuff on the todo list, because it's at home. Where I am not.
Plus, when we travel, there are usually fun things like good food, gorgeous scenery, and friends upon which I can focus my energies. I can be committed to enjoying life because I decided that was the goal for the day and the distance makes it hard to reconsider the goal. Plus, the things we seek in our travels tend to make me happy and I find it easier to relax when I am happy.
The odd thing is, however, I know some people can relax in their homes. In fact, I think I used to be able to do so. I'm not totally sure when it changed, or, if I'm honest with myself, whether I was ever able to relax at home like I can when I'm traveling. Regardless, one thing I know is that my ability to relax at home has decreased over time. Most people I know who are good at relaxing in their own homes have significantly less life stress than we do, and, often, significantly less career and financial details to tend to.
This weekend I found myself spending quite a bit of time thinking about how our expensive weekend away was something I once would have found ridiculously extravagant. And now, I find it refreshing, and oddly, almost necessary.
E and I have chosen our life, with its lifestyle, and the overwhelming constant barrage of details and choice, and the benefits with which it comes. Sometimes, when you don't like things about your life, it is hard to accept that you have no one to blame but yourself.
But it's true. This is the choice I'm making right now. I am choosing to live a life that I can't balance well enough to relax completely at home. I spent much of this weekend struggling with that reality. Part of me wants to have it all and find a way to force myself to relax at home. But, that's a bit of denial. I may not want it to be true, but it is. My current life means I am always slightly anxious at home. I could make different decisions and make relaxing at home more of a priority, but I'd have to give up things that are important to me right now.
So, yes, while living the lawyer lifestyle and earning the lawyer pay hasn't changed me into a more materialistic person (yet), and I don't feel compelled to buy *things,* it has increased my ability to justify spending in areas where I already thought money was well spent, such as travel, food, relaxation-related services (spa services, massages, etc.) and lodging. For a formerly ridiculously frugal person, this change is difficult. But, it's happening. And to pretend it's not would be yet another struggle.
In other news, in keeping with Lucky_girl's continuation of Arvay's animal photos, I present yet another member of our Animal Planet, who stopped by after boys' night the other night to say hello.
Update: Flickr and I have resolved our differences. Click the photo for 2 more, if you need more.
Enjoy!
February 14, 2008
Black Bean Yogurt Soup
I invented this soup out of what was lying around in our fridge and pantry last night. It was *amazing.* And, bonus, it's filling and full of vitamins. We had it with half a spaghetti squash each and neither of us could finish our squash. Enjoy!
-1/2 white onion, diced
-olive oil
-2 tsp cumin seeds, ground in mortar
-1 can black beans, drained
-1 large jalapeno
-1 bunch cilantro, stems chopped off below where the leaves stop
-3 garlic cloves (I used 5, it was too much, but still delicious)
-1/2 cup low fat greek or russian-style yogurt
-salt and black pepper
1. Sautée the onion in olive oil on medium heat 'til almost translucent. Add the cumin. Then add the beans and allow to simmer.
2. In the cuisinart, chop the jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic until it's a finely diced. Then, add the yogurt and puree.
3. Add the yogurt mixture to the soup pan and stir. Strain the beans, onions, and other solid matter from the liquid and puree in the cuisinart.
4. Return the puree to the liquid in the soup pan, stir over medium heat, add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Serves 2 large bowls or 4 small.
Mmmmmm...
I invented this soup out of what was lying around in our fridge and pantry last night. It was *amazing.* And, bonus, it's filling and full of vitamins. We had it with half a spaghetti squash each and neither of us could finish our squash. Enjoy!
-1/2 white onion, diced
-olive oil
-2 tsp cumin seeds, ground in mortar
-1 can black beans, drained
-1 large jalapeno
-1 bunch cilantro, stems chopped off below where the leaves stop
-3 garlic cloves (I used 5, it was too much, but still delicious)
-1/2 cup low fat greek or russian-style yogurt
-salt and black pepper
1. Sautée the onion in olive oil on medium heat 'til almost translucent. Add the cumin. Then add the beans and allow to simmer.
2. In the cuisinart, chop the jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic until it's a finely diced. Then, add the yogurt and puree.
3. Add the yogurt mixture to the soup pan and stir. Strain the beans, onions, and other solid matter from the liquid and puree in the cuisinart.
4. Return the puree to the liquid in the soup pan, stir over medium heat, add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Serves 2 large bowls or 4 small.
Mmmmmm...
February 12, 2008
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
To pay for the free time on last weekend's trip and the few social lunches I've wanted to get to early this week, I worked 'til midnight on both Sunday and Monday.
Monday, and its after-effects, in particular, was brutal. While on Sunday I was able to pull together a meal of sorts and bake it in the oven while I worked, on Monday night, I had to admit defeat upon arriving home with a boatload of work to a house with almost no food.
So, E ordered, the Finals Pizza, one of the greatest saviors to ever arrive in our relationship. Although I hadn't asked for the finals pizza opt-out since May of last year, when E says he will take care of it, and with one click of an internet button, our pre-saved order of Californian-ridiculousness saves us (yes, our local joint will deliver our favorite pre-saved concocotion of prosciutto, olives, mozzerella, garlic, onion, parmigiano, tomato, and feta pizza), I have to wonder if I'm missing some grander plan. It just fits together so beautifully. Why don't I do this more often?
And, of course, last night's leftovers were even better than Monday night's offering -- more than likely because I didn't have to worry about a thing: not ordering, not saving the leftovers, nothing.
Even better? I was home by 8 without night-time work. I was asleep by 11 PM. And this morning, I woke at 7 AM, fully rested, after the first full night of non-insomnia sleep that I'd had in at least a week.
I think this morning's run is going to be awesome.
To pay for the free time on last weekend's trip and the few social lunches I've wanted to get to early this week, I worked 'til midnight on both Sunday and Monday.
Monday, and its after-effects, in particular, was brutal. While on Sunday I was able to pull together a meal of sorts and bake it in the oven while I worked, on Monday night, I had to admit defeat upon arriving home with a boatload of work to a house with almost no food.
So, E ordered, the Finals Pizza, one of the greatest saviors to ever arrive in our relationship. Although I hadn't asked for the finals pizza opt-out since May of last year, when E says he will take care of it, and with one click of an internet button, our pre-saved order of Californian-ridiculousness saves us (yes, our local joint will deliver our favorite pre-saved concocotion of prosciutto, olives, mozzerella, garlic, onion, parmigiano, tomato, and feta pizza), I have to wonder if I'm missing some grander plan. It just fits together so beautifully. Why don't I do this more often?
And, of course, last night's leftovers were even better than Monday night's offering -- more than likely because I didn't have to worry about a thing: not ordering, not saving the leftovers, nothing.
Even better? I was home by 8 without night-time work. I was asleep by 11 PM. And this morning, I woke at 7 AM, fully rested, after the first full night of non-insomnia sleep that I'd had in at least a week.
I think this morning's run is going to be awesome.
February 10, 2008
A weekend in the hometown
I took the time to go visit my extended family in my hometown this weekend. Saturday morning, I rose early, loaded 4 bags on my back, and boarded Amtrak.
I couldn't make the kiosk print my ticket, but, frustrated with how my morning was going, I boarded anyways.
Imagine my surprise (after recent air travel) when the conductor listened to me explain my problem, called ahead to another stop, had them print my ticket, and brought it to me over an hour later -- more than an hour on the train, by trust alone! Between that, and the 3 hours of work I was able to do (woo-hoo! 15 EDA contracts reviewed from front to back!) I was ready to sing the praises of Amtrak as America's best commercial carrier.
But, before I could declare it the best travel experience ever, today happened. Apparently, I picked a bad day to head back to the bay area from Capitol City. Upon arrival at the local station, where I had a reserved ticket on a bus, I found a taxi, totally full, and a taxi driver explaining that another taxi would be there in 15 to 20 minutes, because the bus had been full since Reno, NV and now he was full, too.
Thankfully, brother drove me to the Sacramento station, and I caught my train with 3 minutes to spare (the 15 minute wait for the taxi would have meant I was on the next train, 6 hours later!). But, what do you know, when boarding the train, I had to do epic battle with thousands of high schoolers. I felt like I was 20, traveling on my euro-rail pass. Only I had chosen to take the train to work instead of save money and the kids really didn't feel like my soul-mates so much. I kind of hated them.
Nerdy High Schoolers
I recognized my former self in the crowd many times. Overly wordy. Full of ideas but a little low on experience. Loudly discussing topics that seem *very* cerebral. I have no idea what they were there for, or where they were going. But they took over my train and spoke of books, math, music, and well, frankly, I could have used a little less of that. They bumped into me regularly. They played music through their ipods headphones as if they were speaakers. I'm horrid, but I must admit, between the high school brigade and the infant screeching, I lost a little bit of the love for Amtrak.
Thankfully, the rest of my weekend was fabulous. Highlights included:
- bowling alley 6-yr-old birthday party for my niece, where I got to see mom, sister, and brother, plus I got to know some of brother's and neice's friends, and enjoyed being an aunt.
- lazy dinner at home with brother and neice, catching up, eating, and relaxing.
- amazingly perfect weather and gorgeous views of the countryside while doing a morning 15-mile run through the sierra nevada foothill towns of Loomis, Penryn, and Newcastle, culminating in an emotionally draining, but gorgeous visit to Dad's gravesite, where brother and neice came to meet me and drive me back to the shower (how awesome is that?). [On a side note: Foothills are real hills. They will slow you down. That is all.]
- A delicious stylized sushi lunch with brother and neice.
- Coming home to a Cupig valentine's day card from my aunt (yeah, that's right the Cupig meme lives on).
Overall, it was a very productive weekend, on the family side as well as the work side (I busted out two edited contracts upon arrival back home this weekend, plus diligence on the train).
This week? Well, it promises to keep me busy with running, life, and work, if nothing else...
Happy almost cupig day, y'all!
I took the time to go visit my extended family in my hometown this weekend. Saturday morning, I rose early, loaded 4 bags on my back, and boarded Amtrak.
I couldn't make the kiosk print my ticket, but, frustrated with how my morning was going, I boarded anyways.
Imagine my surprise (after recent air travel) when the conductor listened to me explain my problem, called ahead to another stop, had them print my ticket, and brought it to me over an hour later -- more than an hour on the train, by trust alone! Between that, and the 3 hours of work I was able to do (woo-hoo! 15 EDA contracts reviewed from front to back!) I was ready to sing the praises of Amtrak as America's best commercial carrier.
But, before I could declare it the best travel experience ever, today happened. Apparently, I picked a bad day to head back to the bay area from Capitol City. Upon arrival at the local station, where I had a reserved ticket on a bus, I found a taxi, totally full, and a taxi driver explaining that another taxi would be there in 15 to 20 minutes, because the bus had been full since Reno, NV and now he was full, too.
Thankfully, brother drove me to the Sacramento station, and I caught my train with 3 minutes to spare (the 15 minute wait for the taxi would have meant I was on the next train, 6 hours later!). But, what do you know, when boarding the train, I had to do epic battle with thousands of high schoolers. I felt like I was 20, traveling on my euro-rail pass. Only I had chosen to take the train to work instead of save money and the kids really didn't feel like my soul-mates so much. I kind of hated them.
Nerdy High Schoolers
I recognized my former self in the crowd many times. Overly wordy. Full of ideas but a little low on experience. Loudly discussing topics that seem *very* cerebral. I have no idea what they were there for, or where they were going. But they took over my train and spoke of books, math, music, and well, frankly, I could have used a little less of that. They bumped into me regularly. They played music through their ipods headphones as if they were speaakers. I'm horrid, but I must admit, between the high school brigade and the infant screeching, I lost a little bit of the love for Amtrak.
Thankfully, the rest of my weekend was fabulous. Highlights included:
- bowling alley 6-yr-old birthday party for my niece, where I got to see mom, sister, and brother, plus I got to know some of brother's and neice's friends, and enjoyed being an aunt.
- lazy dinner at home with brother and neice, catching up, eating, and relaxing.
- amazingly perfect weather and gorgeous views of the countryside while doing a morning 15-mile run through the sierra nevada foothill towns of Loomis, Penryn, and Newcastle, culminating in an emotionally draining, but gorgeous visit to Dad's gravesite, where brother and neice came to meet me and drive me back to the shower (how awesome is that?). [On a side note: Foothills are real hills. They will slow you down. That is all.]
- A delicious stylized sushi lunch with brother and neice.
- Coming home to a Cupig valentine's day card from my aunt (yeah, that's right the Cupig meme lives on).
Overall, it was a very productive weekend, on the family side as well as the work side (I busted out two edited contracts upon arrival back home this weekend, plus diligence on the train).
This week? Well, it promises to keep me busy with running, life, and work, if nothing else...
Happy almost cupig day, y'all!
February 5, 2008
California meets Alaska at our Dinner Table
So, the last time Arvay was in town, I found myself the lucky and grateful recipient of Ole 55 pale ale with roast garlic moosetard.
Apparently, the purveyors of this fine product, based in Arvay's current hometown (which I can't wait to visit) of Fairbanks, AK, were surprised, nay, shocked, to find that the federal trademark for Moosetard was theirs, for the taking.
At the point of bestowing the gifts upon us (the lucky recipients included Arvay's mom, sister, a long-time friend (KH), JayKay, and me), Arvay explained how adorable the owners of the Moosetard mark were, and how she couldn't imagine how they missed the mentally challenged moose reference, whereas I, quietly, almost silently, but not so silently that JayKay and KH didn't hear me, laughingly pointed out, better that reference, than mooseturd!
Yeah. High Brow comedy. That's why you visit this site.
So, yes, I'm aware that the super Tuesday madness is going on as I write this. To give you a sense of how important that reality is to me, I thought I'd let you know that I'm also equally aware that my AM run of 6 miles is likely to be in 46F weather. This AM, I had to use an ice scraper, at 7:30 AM. I realize this doesn't impress Arvay. But the rest of you... I LIVE IN SILICON VALLEY!
And finally, in response to the title of this post, tonight's very healthy CA meets AK dinner was delicious. I encourage you to try it.
Steamed artichokes with brown rice and mustard dipping sauce
-1 artichoke per person, washed, stem sliced off, top trimmed.
-1/4 onion per person, chopped.
-1 garlic clove, per person, minced.
-1 Tsp. olive oil, per person (per artichoke, really).
-vegetable broth (or any other broth, if laying around)
-water
-brown rice
-various mustards
-some butter
1. Pour 1-2 cups vegetable broth in a stew pot over medium heat (enough for 1/2 inch layer of liquid once artichokes are added). Add chopped onions. Place artichokes in the liquid, stem-side down. Add water 'til liquid reaches the 1 inch mark on the side of the pan.
2. Sprinkle one minced garlic clove over each artichoke. Drizzle each artichoke with approximately 1 Tsp. olive oil.
3. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Place 1 cup brown rice in rice cooker. Cover with 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup water. Cook in rice cooker 'til done.
5. When the 45 minutes are up, remove the artichokes from the liquid using tongs and place each one in a large soup bowl, top side down.
6. Arrange brown rice around the artichokes in each soup bowl.
7. In microwave, melt 1 Tsp. butter for each diner. Divide melted butter into bowls based on how many mustard sauces you are making (This recipe calls for at least 1 dijon and 1 moosetard!)
8. Mix equal parts butter and mustard (moosetard!) to make sauces. Pour over the rice along the outside of the artichokes.
9. To eat, peel each leaf and eat the fleshy part (which absorbed the olive oil and garlic goodness), or dip the fleshy part in a mustard-butter sauce and savor it, or pick up some rice, like it's a spoon and eat.
Regardless, Enjoy! Healthy and delicious!!!!!
So, the last time Arvay was in town, I found myself the lucky and grateful recipient of Ole 55 pale ale with roast garlic moosetard.
Apparently, the purveyors of this fine product, based in Arvay's current hometown (which I can't wait to visit) of Fairbanks, AK, were surprised, nay, shocked, to find that the federal trademark for Moosetard was theirs, for the taking.
At the point of bestowing the gifts upon us (the lucky recipients included Arvay's mom, sister, a long-time friend (KH), JayKay, and me), Arvay explained how adorable the owners of the Moosetard mark were, and how she couldn't imagine how they missed the mentally challenged moose reference, whereas I, quietly, almost silently, but not so silently that JayKay and KH didn't hear me, laughingly pointed out, better that reference, than mooseturd!
Yeah. High Brow comedy. That's why you visit this site.
So, yes, I'm aware that the super Tuesday madness is going on as I write this. To give you a sense of how important that reality is to me, I thought I'd let you know that I'm also equally aware that my AM run of 6 miles is likely to be in 46F weather. This AM, I had to use an ice scraper, at 7:30 AM. I realize this doesn't impress Arvay. But the rest of you... I LIVE IN SILICON VALLEY!
And finally, in response to the title of this post, tonight's very healthy CA meets AK dinner was delicious. I encourage you to try it.
Steamed artichokes with brown rice and mustard dipping sauce
-1 artichoke per person, washed, stem sliced off, top trimmed.
-1/4 onion per person, chopped.
-1 garlic clove, per person, minced.
-1 Tsp. olive oil, per person (per artichoke, really).
-vegetable broth (or any other broth, if laying around)
-water
-brown rice
-various mustards
-some butter
1. Pour 1-2 cups vegetable broth in a stew pot over medium heat (enough for 1/2 inch layer of liquid once artichokes are added). Add chopped onions. Place artichokes in the liquid, stem-side down. Add water 'til liquid reaches the 1 inch mark on the side of the pan.
2. Sprinkle one minced garlic clove over each artichoke. Drizzle each artichoke with approximately 1 Tsp. olive oil.
3. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Place 1 cup brown rice in rice cooker. Cover with 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup water. Cook in rice cooker 'til done.
5. When the 45 minutes are up, remove the artichokes from the liquid using tongs and place each one in a large soup bowl, top side down.
6. Arrange brown rice around the artichokes in each soup bowl.
7. In microwave, melt 1 Tsp. butter for each diner. Divide melted butter into bowls based on how many mustard sauces you are making (This recipe calls for at least 1 dijon and 1 moosetard!)
8. Mix equal parts butter and mustard (moosetard!) to make sauces. Pour over the rice along the outside of the artichokes.
9. To eat, peel each leaf and eat the fleshy part (which absorbed the olive oil and garlic goodness), or dip the fleshy part in a mustard-butter sauce and savor it, or pick up some rice, like it's a spoon and eat.
Regardless, Enjoy! Healthy and delicious!!!!!
February 2, 2008
Marathon, 11 weeks to go
April and Japan both seem so far away, but when I think of the marathon as 10 long runs away, it seems so close...
So, after last weekend's humidity lessons and after considering the running books I've read, I decided to commit to a slightly customized, but more-or-less Jeff Galloway approach for the remaining training for my 3rd marathon.
Don't get me wrong, I love Hal and he's treated me right. No injuries. A fabulous first marathon on his Novice plan (slightly modified). A 12 minute speed up for my second marathon by training somewhere between novice and his first intermediate training plan.
But, at some point, you have to ask -- which fundamental training regimen makes more sense for ME? And Jeff definitely does a few things differently. He's *religious* about walk breaks. He's big into long-long-long distance training runs (albeit slowly). And, he swears that his program pushes people to personal bests.
I think the lack of discipline I showed at Marathon #2 by going out too fast and losing 15 minutes in the last 6 miles (more than 2 minutes a mile!) was the thing that made me think that perhaps I could benefit from Jeff's approach.
So, today was long run #1 on my Jeff G. inspired plan. It was relatively short, in truth. Only 13.2 total miles including walking warm-up and cool down plus walk breaks at every mile. I ran the miles intervals at a pace between 9:13 and 8:30. I felt good. The most notable thing is that I did it all on a treadmill, in our garage, while watching Memoirs of a Geisha (stupid rain!).
And, I have to say, mile intervals with 1 minute walk breaks plus the distraction of the movie made it possible, nay, even tolerable, to do 13.2 miles on a treadmill. Given that the longest distance I've ever done on a treadmill in the past is somewhere near 8 miles and I never thought I could exceed that without dying of boredom, I consider this a victory. Plus, it was faster than I would have expected for a recovery long run after a half-marathon race weekend.
So, stay tuned. I'll let you know how my Jeff G. plan works out for me. So far, so good.
April and Japan both seem so far away, but when I think of the marathon as 10 long runs away, it seems so close...
So, after last weekend's humidity lessons and after considering the running books I've read, I decided to commit to a slightly customized, but more-or-less Jeff Galloway approach for the remaining training for my 3rd marathon.
Don't get me wrong, I love Hal and he's treated me right. No injuries. A fabulous first marathon on his Novice plan (slightly modified). A 12 minute speed up for my second marathon by training somewhere between novice and his first intermediate training plan.
But, at some point, you have to ask -- which fundamental training regimen makes more sense for ME? And Jeff definitely does a few things differently. He's *religious* about walk breaks. He's big into long-long-long distance training runs (albeit slowly). And, he swears that his program pushes people to personal bests.
I think the lack of discipline I showed at Marathon #2 by going out too fast and losing 15 minutes in the last 6 miles (more than 2 minutes a mile!) was the thing that made me think that perhaps I could benefit from Jeff's approach.
So, today was long run #1 on my Jeff G. inspired plan. It was relatively short, in truth. Only 13.2 total miles including walking warm-up and cool down plus walk breaks at every mile. I ran the miles intervals at a pace between 9:13 and 8:30. I felt good. The most notable thing is that I did it all on a treadmill, in our garage, while watching Memoirs of a Geisha (stupid rain!).
And, I have to say, mile intervals with 1 minute walk breaks plus the distraction of the movie made it possible, nay, even tolerable, to do 13.2 miles on a treadmill. Given that the longest distance I've ever done on a treadmill in the past is somewhere near 8 miles and I never thought I could exceed that without dying of boredom, I consider this a victory. Plus, it was faster than I would have expected for a recovery long run after a half-marathon race weekend.
So, stay tuned. I'll let you know how my Jeff G. plan works out for me. So far, so good.
January 31, 2008
Muskrat Love... or something
You know that nighttime noise that often woke me on garbage night?
Last night, the night *after* garbage night, I heard it again.
Only this time, it was only 8 PM or so. And E was awake.
I brought him to the area of the house where the grinding of the gravel on the roof was loudest and he agreed.
SOMETHING was up there.
And it sounded big.
We took the mag light and ran outside to investigate.
We rushed out and surely would have seen something or someone flee, but from the sides of the house, no matter what the angle, we saw nothing.
And then, E climbed on top of the fence, shined the light and started laughing.
He laughed so hard he couldn't speak.
***laugh***It's***laugh***Racoons.***Laugh***You know...***laugh***Doing racoon business****
And then they ran away.
And then E felt very bad.
Oh... I feel sorry for him. I interrupted his night of fun...
I, of course, took the feminist side, His? His? night of fun?
uh... both of their fun. I feel bad for both of them...
And thus, another great mystery is solved. Also, I now know, which I probably could have guessed from the great raven/crow debacle, that 40 pounds on our roof, rubbing around on the tar & gravel without the muffling of any attic or insulation, sounds like well over 100 lbs.
So, no more fear. It's just animals, doing animal things. On our roof. Of course!
You know that nighttime noise that often woke me on garbage night?
Last night, the night *after* garbage night, I heard it again.
Only this time, it was only 8 PM or so. And E was awake.
I brought him to the area of the house where the grinding of the gravel on the roof was loudest and he agreed.
SOMETHING was up there.
And it sounded big.
We took the mag light and ran outside to investigate.
We rushed out and surely would have seen something or someone flee, but from the sides of the house, no matter what the angle, we saw nothing.
And then, E climbed on top of the fence, shined the light and started laughing.
He laughed so hard he couldn't speak.
***laugh***It's***laugh***Racoons.***Laugh***You know...***laugh***Doing racoon business****
And then they ran away.
And then E felt very bad.
Oh... I feel sorry for him. I interrupted his night of fun...
I, of course, took the feminist side, His? His? night of fun?
uh... both of their fun. I feel bad for both of them...
And thus, another great mystery is solved. Also, I now know, which I probably could have guessed from the great raven/crow debacle, that 40 pounds on our roof, rubbing around on the tar & gravel without the muffling of any attic or insulation, sounds like well over 100 lbs.
So, no more fear. It's just animals, doing animal things. On our roof. Of course!
January 30, 2008
The Rapture of the Word
I read for pleasure in bursts. I nurse a single book for weeks, a few pages before I fall asleep a few nights a week until there's a weekend involving a plane, a beach, a lake, or any other opportunity to sit still and read, at which point, I'll race through as much text as my time allows.
This weekend, I started Friday's travel by speeding my way through the Wall Street Journal at the airport, followed by the courtesy subscriptions I receive thanks to Active.com's subscription offer at race sign up -- Namely, the quality reading material offered by the fine people at People and National Geographic Adventure Travel.
I also managed to enjoy the Economist cover-to-cover, something I rarely have enough time or focus to do. But when I do, I sincerely enjoy it. Leave it to the Brits to make snarky comments about political economies that can make me laugh out loud. And, to round out my periodical consumption, I spent some time each day perusing the Miami Herald that was delivered to our hotel, including the articles on Jose Padilla's Sentencing, which, sadly, is something educated Americans should know and think about.
But enough of the regular circulation. Let us focus on my chosen books.
First (one down!), I finished Arvay's gift-book of Martin Booth's Gweilo: A emoir of a Hong Kong Childhood. Oh my. How does someone like me even begin to discuss this book. It's everything I love: foreign lands, foreign cultures, food, common humanity, adventure, and, above all else, curiosity. I highly recommend this book for those who are looking for an educational escape to Hong Kong of the 1950s.
Then (2 out of 20 down!), I read Sabine Dardenne's I choose to live. Wow. This is why I read books. The strength of this young woman (although parts of the book include letters she wrote at the age of 12, I will not call her a child, for she gave up her childhood the second she was kidnapped and refused to be a victim.) This book was not a literary work of art. Rather, it was a work of life. A story that needed to be told: of survival, fighting, and the reality that even happy endings are often full of struggle and unhappiness -- but we must struggle and find the happiness. Because that's the whole point.
And, to mellow it out (3/20 isn't particularly memorable), I meandered through The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The scary thing for me is that I've jokingly referred to myself as one of highly functional aspergers. I know it's probably true on some level, but it doesn't really affect my life -- I live in Silicon Valley. Reading this book brought home some realities about how I handle stress, how non-neuro-typical those behaviours are, and how much I can relate to a severely autistic individual. No doubt, the book was written to evoke this response from its readers. So it did a good job with me. But still. I found this book significantly more affecting than I expected. Well done Mark Haddon.
And there you have it. Back to the grind. Next time I find time for enjoyment of the word outside of work and blogs, I'll be sure to let you know.
I read for pleasure in bursts. I nurse a single book for weeks, a few pages before I fall asleep a few nights a week until there's a weekend involving a plane, a beach, a lake, or any other opportunity to sit still and read, at which point, I'll race through as much text as my time allows.
This weekend, I started Friday's travel by speeding my way through the Wall Street Journal at the airport, followed by the courtesy subscriptions I receive thanks to Active.com's subscription offer at race sign up -- Namely, the quality reading material offered by the fine people at People and National Geographic Adventure Travel.
I also managed to enjoy the Economist cover-to-cover, something I rarely have enough time or focus to do. But when I do, I sincerely enjoy it. Leave it to the Brits to make snarky comments about political economies that can make me laugh out loud. And, to round out my periodical consumption, I spent some time each day perusing the Miami Herald that was delivered to our hotel, including the articles on Jose Padilla's Sentencing, which, sadly, is something educated Americans should know and think about.
But enough of the regular circulation. Let us focus on my chosen books.
First (one down!), I finished Arvay's gift-book of Martin Booth's Gweilo: A emoir of a Hong Kong Childhood. Oh my. How does someone like me even begin to discuss this book. It's everything I love: foreign lands, foreign cultures, food, common humanity, adventure, and, above all else, curiosity. I highly recommend this book for those who are looking for an educational escape to Hong Kong of the 1950s.
Then (2 out of 20 down!), I read Sabine Dardenne's I choose to live. Wow. This is why I read books. The strength of this young woman (although parts of the book include letters she wrote at the age of 12, I will not call her a child, for she gave up her childhood the second she was kidnapped and refused to be a victim.) This book was not a literary work of art. Rather, it was a work of life. A story that needed to be told: of survival, fighting, and the reality that even happy endings are often full of struggle and unhappiness -- but we must struggle and find the happiness. Because that's the whole point.
And, to mellow it out (3/20 isn't particularly memorable), I meandered through The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The scary thing for me is that I've jokingly referred to myself as one of highly functional aspergers. I know it's probably true on some level, but it doesn't really affect my life -- I live in Silicon Valley. Reading this book brought home some realities about how I handle stress, how non-neuro-typical those behaviours are, and how much I can relate to a severely autistic individual. No doubt, the book was written to evoke this response from its readers. So it did a good job with me. But still. I found this book significantly more affecting than I expected. Well done Mark Haddon.
And there you have it. Back to the grind. Next time I find time for enjoyment of the word outside of work and blogs, I'll be sure to let you know.
January 29, 2008
Bienvenido a Miami
Yeah, I'm taking it back to the Fresh Prince.
What? It had been years (7 or so) since I'd last been to Florida, when I made a whirlwind tour with Nish. The last time, I loved the beaches, the old folks, the weather, and, well, to be honest, the Nasa space center. In fact, I distinctly remember food not playing an important role in that trip. Key food memories involved one meal at a time-share presentation buffet, another at Olive Garden in Orlando, and several others composed of cruise ship food, and not elite high-end cruise ship, think cruise ship pitching bahama-mamas at every corner which is run as a special vacation package to get you to buy a timeshare.
We didn't buy the timeshare, but I've grown as a person. In particular, I've become more food focused, as have my vacations.
So, last weekend, E and I met up in Miami with 3 of his high school buddies, two of their significant others, and one of their significant other's college roommates for an 8-person weekend of fun in South Beach.
It a blast. Sun. Fun. Food. Beautiful people. Relaxation (I didn't even bring my laptop!). A gorgeous and flat (if humdity-filled and slower than expected) half marathon.
Did I mention food? Well, good. 'Cause that was the main focus. Despite the low body fat, South beach is an eating frenzy waiting to happen.
Friday, after a 3-hour delay for takeoff and a 4.5 hour flight, we finally arrived, checked into our horrifically loud room at the aging Marseilles and then we headed out to enjoy a reunion with friends from afar over a midnight Italian thin-crust pizza and wine on Lincoln Road followed by another round at a Sushi joint and outdoor bar on Collins Ave. in the glorious 68F weather. OH! AND, I ALMOST FORGOT! WE SAW PINK-MAN! The fact that I called out to him by name and we hugged surprised my companions quite a bit. J commented, "I feel like I just stepped into a Fellini film."
Saturday, we relaxed, ate some Sushi for lunch, read on the beach and in hammacks, and at night, after a day of various independent activities, we treated ourselves to a huge Italian Feast where the 3 orders of the surf and turf taught us that P's default rule should probably be followed: Never order filet mignon at an Italian Restaurant. (I realized upon watching those that broke the rule struggle with their steaks that while I never technically knew the rule, I definitely have always followed the rule. Play to the strengths of the restaurant where you find yourelf... Duh!). To the restaurant's credit, they credited us 1/2 the price of the surf & turf for each unsatisfied turf customer (all 3) and we all left full and content. From there, we walked our way back through South Beach and toured several of the bars in the cooler hotels on Collins street.
Sunday, M and I got up at 5:30 AM EST (that's 2:30 PST for those of you keeping track!) to run the Miami half marathon. Holy mackerel! Humidity slows you down! Seriously. I finished this half marathon at 1 second under the first half of my marathon in December. But I had no energy left. As painfully slow as it was, in addition to the thrill of running in the dark in a gorgeous new city with a friend I never see, I'm glad I had this learning experience since the Nagano marathon is likely to be humid as well. I definitely have a better idea of what might be a reasonable time goal for Nagano and I'm glad I didn't set it on the basis of my performance in California.
E, S and R met M and I at the 6 mile marker to cheer us on. That's how I know E loves me. He was there, awake, dressed, wearing pants, even (!) at 7 AM EST (aka, 4 AM PST.)
After the run, Sunday turned into the glorious debauchery that you'd expect. A big brunch. Champagne. Gelato for lunch. An afternoon on the beach, reading on a chaise lounge while E hid under the umbrella and enjoying a couple of cocktails. And, of course, we capped the day with another amazing dinner with the group, this time at a super swank establishment serving meals with an amazing blend of flavors, Vix. After dinner, we enjoyed a drink at the Catalina bar (wacky decor, not the best drinks, but great ambiance and quiet enough that you could sit with a big group and talk. The pool area is *very cool*.)
Monday found us sleeping in (because after we changed rooms to a less noisy one, the Marseilles was no longer the bane of my existence), getting ready, enjoying a full lunch of gazpacho and italian pizzas, and then heading to the airport for the return. This time, no delays, only a missed approach at SFO due to a commuter jet off of our wing... scary!
And now? Well, now I'm back home. Relaxed. 3 books into the new year's 20-book challenge. Frustrated with work (already?). And ready for my next vacation.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Yeah, I'm taking it back to the Fresh Prince.
What? It had been years (7 or so) since I'd last been to Florida, when I made a whirlwind tour with Nish. The last time, I loved the beaches, the old folks, the weather, and, well, to be honest, the Nasa space center. In fact, I distinctly remember food not playing an important role in that trip. Key food memories involved one meal at a time-share presentation buffet, another at Olive Garden in Orlando, and several others composed of cruise ship food, and not elite high-end cruise ship, think cruise ship pitching bahama-mamas at every corner which is run as a special vacation package to get you to buy a timeshare.
We didn't buy the timeshare, but I've grown as a person. In particular, I've become more food focused, as have my vacations.
So, last weekend, E and I met up in Miami with 3 of his high school buddies, two of their significant others, and one of their significant other's college roommates for an 8-person weekend of fun in South Beach.
It a blast. Sun. Fun. Food. Beautiful people. Relaxation (I didn't even bring my laptop!). A gorgeous and flat (if humdity-filled and slower than expected) half marathon.
Did I mention food? Well, good. 'Cause that was the main focus. Despite the low body fat, South beach is an eating frenzy waiting to happen.
Friday, after a 3-hour delay for takeoff and a 4.5 hour flight, we finally arrived, checked into our horrifically loud room at the aging Marseilles and then we headed out to enjoy a reunion with friends from afar over a midnight Italian thin-crust pizza and wine on Lincoln Road followed by another round at a Sushi joint and outdoor bar on Collins Ave. in the glorious 68F weather. OH! AND, I ALMOST FORGOT! WE SAW PINK-MAN! The fact that I called out to him by name and we hugged surprised my companions quite a bit. J commented, "I feel like I just stepped into a Fellini film."
Saturday, we relaxed, ate some Sushi for lunch, read on the beach and in hammacks, and at night, after a day of various independent activities, we treated ourselves to a huge Italian Feast where the 3 orders of the surf and turf taught us that P's default rule should probably be followed: Never order filet mignon at an Italian Restaurant. (I realized upon watching those that broke the rule struggle with their steaks that while I never technically knew the rule, I definitely have always followed the rule. Play to the strengths of the restaurant where you find yourelf... Duh!). To the restaurant's credit, they credited us 1/2 the price of the surf & turf for each unsatisfied turf customer (all 3) and we all left full and content. From there, we walked our way back through South Beach and toured several of the bars in the cooler hotels on Collins street.
Sunday, M and I got up at 5:30 AM EST (that's 2:30 PST for those of you keeping track!) to run the Miami half marathon. Holy mackerel! Humidity slows you down! Seriously. I finished this half marathon at 1 second under the first half of my marathon in December. But I had no energy left. As painfully slow as it was, in addition to the thrill of running in the dark in a gorgeous new city with a friend I never see, I'm glad I had this learning experience since the Nagano marathon is likely to be humid as well. I definitely have a better idea of what might be a reasonable time goal for Nagano and I'm glad I didn't set it on the basis of my performance in California.
E, S and R met M and I at the 6 mile marker to cheer us on. That's how I know E loves me. He was there, awake, dressed, wearing pants, even (!) at 7 AM EST (aka, 4 AM PST.)
After the run, Sunday turned into the glorious debauchery that you'd expect. A big brunch. Champagne. Gelato for lunch. An afternoon on the beach, reading on a chaise lounge while E hid under the umbrella and enjoying a couple of cocktails. And, of course, we capped the day with another amazing dinner with the group, this time at a super swank establishment serving meals with an amazing blend of flavors, Vix. After dinner, we enjoyed a drink at the Catalina bar (wacky decor, not the best drinks, but great ambiance and quiet enough that you could sit with a big group and talk. The pool area is *very cool*.)
Monday found us sleeping in (because after we changed rooms to a less noisy one, the Marseilles was no longer the bane of my existence), getting ready, enjoying a full lunch of gazpacho and italian pizzas, and then heading to the airport for the return. This time, no delays, only a missed approach at SFO due to a commuter jet off of our wing... scary!
And now? Well, now I'm back home. Relaxed. 3 books into the new year's 20-book challenge. Frustrated with work (already?). And ready for my next vacation.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
January 22, 2008
Marathon, the third, on deck
Well, it's official. I registered for my third marathon -- and this time, it's international. Assuming all goes well, I'll be running the Nagano Marathon in April.
First, for pacing, I've got a half marathon this coming weekend, and based on my performance, I'll be setting my pace goals for the marathon. It should be interesting, since I've been sick, sick, sick-amundo for about two weeks and running like crap, if at all.
I expected to take a serious hit on my time this last weekend, and went out for my first long run after deep chest cough recovery to find that I was *faster* than I had been 2 weeks prior. As in, much faster. As in I ran 9 miles at the fastest consecutive pace I'd run since during the last marathon. Wow! It was such an enjoyable, fast, light, speedy run. I hadn't had a non-race run like that in more than 6 months. It was so fun -- I found myself grinning, even as rain pelted me and wind sang in my ears because I should have waited 'til the storm passed. I guess the speed training on the treadmill once or twice a week was actually paying off, despite the illness.
So, stay tuned. In addition to blathering on about the boring 2nd year associate legal life that I lead and the food-obsessed breaks that I take, I'll now go back to my old habit of annoying all of you non-runners, with 3 consecutive months of marathon training posts.
Oh, and if you were wondering, I finally managed to get just barely back within my 10-lb healthy weight range after the holidays. Just in time for this weekend's race (and bathing suit weather!). I suspect at least some of the newfound and very joyful increased speed is allocable to that change... but who am I to resist?
Onward!
Well, it's official. I registered for my third marathon -- and this time, it's international. Assuming all goes well, I'll be running the Nagano Marathon in April.
First, for pacing, I've got a half marathon this coming weekend, and based on my performance, I'll be setting my pace goals for the marathon. It should be interesting, since I've been sick, sick, sick-amundo for about two weeks and running like crap, if at all.
I expected to take a serious hit on my time this last weekend, and went out for my first long run after deep chest cough recovery to find that I was *faster* than I had been 2 weeks prior. As in, much faster. As in I ran 9 miles at the fastest consecutive pace I'd run since during the last marathon. Wow! It was such an enjoyable, fast, light, speedy run. I hadn't had a non-race run like that in more than 6 months. It was so fun -- I found myself grinning, even as rain pelted me and wind sang in my ears because I should have waited 'til the storm passed. I guess the speed training on the treadmill once or twice a week was actually paying off, despite the illness.
So, stay tuned. In addition to blathering on about the boring 2nd year associate legal life that I lead and the food-obsessed breaks that I take, I'll now go back to my old habit of annoying all of you non-runners, with 3 consecutive months of marathon training posts.
Oh, and if you were wondering, I finally managed to get just barely back within my 10-lb healthy weight range after the holidays. Just in time for this weekend's race (and bathing suit weather!). I suspect at least some of the newfound and very joyful increased speed is allocable to that change... but who am I to resist?
Onward!
January 21, 2008
It's the season
I have gotten back in contact with several friends recently and have come to learn that big changes are afoot.
Law firms are merging. Companies are going out of business. People are getting engaged. People are quitting their jobs for different opportunities.
I guess it's the new year.
Me. I'm still plugging along with my resolution: to roll with the punches and be more relaxed.
The latest internal revelation? In coding, they say, "write one to throw away." In literature, they say, "Just write. The craft is in the editing. And re-editing. And re-re-editing."
But in contracts? Well, the clients don't really want to hear that you wrote this one to throw away. Or that you just wrote. In that way, writing a first draft contract is actually harder than coding or writing: there is a small, but very real chance that the other side might just sign it.
You know, 'cause it's the season for change, and people are doing things to make things happen and all...
Is it really almost February of 2008? Crazy.
I have gotten back in contact with several friends recently and have come to learn that big changes are afoot.
Law firms are merging. Companies are going out of business. People are getting engaged. People are quitting their jobs for different opportunities.
I guess it's the new year.
Me. I'm still plugging along with my resolution: to roll with the punches and be more relaxed.
The latest internal revelation? In coding, they say, "write one to throw away." In literature, they say, "Just write. The craft is in the editing. And re-editing. And re-re-editing."
But in contracts? Well, the clients don't really want to hear that you wrote this one to throw away. Or that you just wrote. In that way, writing a first draft contract is actually harder than coding or writing: there is a small, but very real chance that the other side might just sign it.
You know, 'cause it's the season for change, and people are doing things to make things happen and all...
Is it really almost February of 2008? Crazy.
January 18, 2008
Roasted Winter Vegetables
I have been working too much. But learning quite a bit. And, really, what do you do when you are presented with an opportunity to work too much and learn quite a bit other than work and hope for respite.
So, here I am.
But damn. If you need a delicious, ridiculously healthy winter recipe, I recommend the following.
ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES
-1 carrot, halved lenthwise, and then quartered
-2 leeks, heavy green ends removed, and then quartered, parallel to the long axis
-1 bunch fennel, root end removed, and then sliced into 1/8 portions
-1 delicata squash, cut into quarters, seeds removed with a spoon
- 4 red radishes, slices into 1/8 inch slices with the root end removed
-1/2 stick butter
-3 leaves fresh sage
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Prep vegetables. Arrange them in a pan in a visually pretty arrangement, place in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. Melt butter over medium heat, add sage in torn leaves for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a dusting of salt and mix evenly. Open oven and pour over vegetables.
3. Take the butter pan and coat with 2-3 times around the pan with olive oil. Add 2 T of balsamic vinegar. Mix the blend in the pan 'til evenly mixed and aromatic over medium heat. Open oven and pour over vegetables.
4. Roast vegetables for a total of almost 1 hour. Just below. Enjoy after 5 minutes cooling. Delicious!!!
Enjoy!
I have been working too much. But learning quite a bit. And, really, what do you do when you are presented with an opportunity to work too much and learn quite a bit other than work and hope for respite.
So, here I am.
But damn. If you need a delicious, ridiculously healthy winter recipe, I recommend the following.
ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES
-1 carrot, halved lenthwise, and then quartered
-2 leeks, heavy green ends removed, and then quartered, parallel to the long axis
-1 bunch fennel, root end removed, and then sliced into 1/8 portions
-1 delicata squash, cut into quarters, seeds removed with a spoon
- 4 red radishes, slices into 1/8 inch slices with the root end removed
-1/2 stick butter
-3 leaves fresh sage
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Prep vegetables. Arrange them in a pan in a visually pretty arrangement, place in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. Melt butter over medium heat, add sage in torn leaves for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a dusting of salt and mix evenly. Open oven and pour over vegetables.
3. Take the butter pan and coat with 2-3 times around the pan with olive oil. Add 2 T of balsamic vinegar. Mix the blend in the pan 'til evenly mixed and aromatic over medium heat. Open oven and pour over vegetables.
4. Roast vegetables for a total of almost 1 hour. Just below. Enjoy after 5 minutes cooling. Delicious!!!
Enjoy!
January 15, 2008
No more favors
If you ask me to send you a draft of an agreement before you said you'd need it, and I oblige you with an early draft and a note that section 10 is still subject to review, sending me an email that berates me for some typos in section 10 and copying your colleagues will not make me very happy.
Especially when I am sick.
Your work is now my last priority.
If you ask me to send you a draft of an agreement before you said you'd need it, and I oblige you with an early draft and a note that section 10 is still subject to review, sending me an email that berates me for some typos in section 10 and copying your colleagues will not make me very happy.
Especially when I am sick.
Your work is now my last priority.
January 14, 2008
One of those days
I woke with a worse chest cough than I went to bed with. (The grammar of the previous sentence alone should give you an idea of where the day was headed.) Tired, grumpy, achey. You know, sick.
But, I had a big day of work ahead of me, so I went in early and busted out a 12-hour day.
Around noon I realized I'd left my wallet at home. Awesome. Not that I would want to buy sodas when my throat is sore or anything...
A few minutes later, I found myself at Starbucks with my closest girlfriend from work and she explained why she had given her notice that day. It was for a much better opportunity, and I'm happy for her. But still, I'm really gonna miss her. She's one of the few people at work who will go with me when I *really* need to take an hour or two break.
I stayed late at work to bust through as much as I could and also because I needed access to partners who were very busy all day and sometimes, you just have to wait 'til they have time for you. This waiting was partially to walk through an agreement with a partner where he pointed out all of the things I missed, that I shouldn't have missed, but I did, because I don't have enough time to do as good of a job as I would like to do. Basically, I did some fairly shabby work. And we both knew it.
Thankfully, I coughed my way through the review of the agreement, so he felt sorry for me and probably blamed a little bit of the lackluster performance on my health (when in reality, it's time pressure, life balance, and subconsciously choosing not to spend the time to do a perfect job when I know a partner is going to check my work).
Tonight was supposed to be healthy night -- yoga, vegetarian food, and no alcomohal. But, instead, when I got home, I asked if we could reschedule. E, sweet husband that he is, obliged me (he hates yoga anyways) and went to the store to buy wine and pre-made soup.
Here's to hoping tomorrow is a little bit better.
I woke with a worse chest cough than I went to bed with. (The grammar of the previous sentence alone should give you an idea of where the day was headed.) Tired, grumpy, achey. You know, sick.
But, I had a big day of work ahead of me, so I went in early and busted out a 12-hour day.
Around noon I realized I'd left my wallet at home. Awesome. Not that I would want to buy sodas when my throat is sore or anything...
A few minutes later, I found myself at Starbucks with my closest girlfriend from work and she explained why she had given her notice that day. It was for a much better opportunity, and I'm happy for her. But still, I'm really gonna miss her. She's one of the few people at work who will go with me when I *really* need to take an hour or two break.
I stayed late at work to bust through as much as I could and also because I needed access to partners who were very busy all day and sometimes, you just have to wait 'til they have time for you. This waiting was partially to walk through an agreement with a partner where he pointed out all of the things I missed, that I shouldn't have missed, but I did, because I don't have enough time to do as good of a job as I would like to do. Basically, I did some fairly shabby work. And we both knew it.
Thankfully, I coughed my way through the review of the agreement, so he felt sorry for me and probably blamed a little bit of the lackluster performance on my health (when in reality, it's time pressure, life balance, and subconsciously choosing not to spend the time to do a perfect job when I know a partner is going to check my work).
Tonight was supposed to be healthy night -- yoga, vegetarian food, and no alcomohal. But, instead, when I got home, I asked if we could reschedule. E, sweet husband that he is, obliged me (he hates yoga anyways) and went to the store to buy wine and pre-made soup.
Here's to hoping tomorrow is a little bit better.
January 13, 2008
My Sister
Fell, bouldering in Tahoe without a top-rope and broke her foot before landing in the freezing water almost 6 months ago.
Watched her boyfriend offer to drive her stick shift civic due to the foot that was broken and didn't stop him from crashing it into his parents' cabin, despite the gunning of the motor and the uncertainty between the clutch and brake because, he said he knew how to drive stick.
Is beautiful, beyond belief.
Was non-weight-bearing on her broken foot for 16 weeks.
At one point, became so frustrated that her 3rd cast just "fell off." Okay, so she took it off with a flathead screwdriver 12 hours after it was casted, but that's what she told the doctor...
Sings happy things as songs, just like me, like the song she left on my voicemail, after 6 months of rehab and casts.....
I, have, 2, *good* fee-eeet!.
Congrats to my sister, whom I love beyond my ability to express! Yay for happy feet!
Fell, bouldering in Tahoe without a top-rope and broke her foot before landing in the freezing water almost 6 months ago.
Watched her boyfriend offer to drive her stick shift civic due to the foot that was broken and didn't stop him from crashing it into his parents' cabin, despite the gunning of the motor and the uncertainty between the clutch and brake because, he said he knew how to drive stick.
Is beautiful, beyond belief.
Was non-weight-bearing on her broken foot for 16 weeks.
At one point, became so frustrated that her 3rd cast just "fell off." Okay, so she took it off with a flathead screwdriver 12 hours after it was casted, but that's what she told the doctor...
Sings happy things as songs, just like me, like the song she left on my voicemail, after 6 months of rehab and casts.....
I, have, 2, *good* fee-eeet!.
Congrats to my sister, whom I love beyond my ability to express! Yay for happy feet!
January 10, 2008
2007: My Year in Books
I didn't challenge myself to 25 books for 2007, and good thing, since I didn't get near 2006's 24 books.
But, I did finish a healthy 18, which, given the whole first-year lawyer thing and the two marathons in one year makes me think I must really enjoy reading, and, that despite my fears, I am semi-balanced (if a wee-bit over-extended).
1. How to Work a Room by Susan Roanne: 20% useful, 80% drither. Not recommended. Left it on a plane as a non-gift to the next passenger.
2. Cosmic Banditos: A.C. Weisbecker. A hilariously whole-circle story of: travel, drug use, quantum mechanics, piracy, bananas and banditos.
3. The Rain of Gold: Victor Villasenor Amazing.
4. The People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz & Lorena Havens: Very Good.
5. The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach: a bit too detailed for the length. More like an admonishment to take on a more serious study of Tibetan budhism. But, many great lessons and suggestions for being balanced in the work world.
6. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: Cheesy and trite but true. Sad and beautiful. A perfect cross-country plane read if you enjoy sappy emotional books that make you cry and grateful for your life.
7. Little White Lies: A Novel of Love and Good Intentions by Gemma Townley: Brit Chick Lit. Guilty pleasure, all the way. A very fast read. Recommended only for women and men who like fashion and love-story dramas.
8. The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman: Great story of a fascinatingly troubled man. Excellent pop history education.
9. The Tomato Festival Cookbook by Lawrence Davis-Hollander: 150 recipes. Tips on growing. History. A great reference book but not the cover-to-cover all inclusive Tomato book I was hoping for.
10. You Suck: A love Story by Christopher Moore: Brain Candy. Irreverant. Fast. Enjoyable. Fluff. San Francisco.
11. For One More Day by Mitch Albom: my review.
12. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie: Very educational on Chinese re-education.
13. A dirty Job by Christopher Moore: My review and this review, which is much better.
14. The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen.
15. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult: a good graphic novel, with great artwork.
16. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
17. Founders At Work by Jessica Livingston
18. Everyday Zen: love and work by Charlotte Joko Beck: Life, as it is, is perfect. How annoying is that? And yet… how beautiful. I probably read this book every year. I just read one vignette every week or so. I've been doing that for years and I never stop learning from it. In fact... if I count it for 2006 then I just barely met my 25-book challenge.
As for 2008. Well, I'm at 0.5 for the moment. But, I only have 1 marathon planned instead of two. So perhaps I should shoot for 20 books? I think it's ambitious, but what the hell.
I didn't challenge myself to 25 books for 2007, and good thing, since I didn't get near 2006's 24 books.
But, I did finish a healthy 18, which, given the whole first-year lawyer thing and the two marathons in one year makes me think I must really enjoy reading, and, that despite my fears, I am semi-balanced (if a wee-bit over-extended).
1. How to Work a Room by Susan Roanne: 20% useful, 80% drither. Not recommended. Left it on a plane as a non-gift to the next passenger.
2. Cosmic Banditos: A.C. Weisbecker. A hilariously whole-circle story of: travel, drug use, quantum mechanics, piracy, bananas and banditos.
3. The Rain of Gold: Victor Villasenor Amazing.
4. The People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz & Lorena Havens: Very Good.
5. The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach: a bit too detailed for the length. More like an admonishment to take on a more serious study of Tibetan budhism. But, many great lessons and suggestions for being balanced in the work world.
6. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: Cheesy and trite but true. Sad and beautiful. A perfect cross-country plane read if you enjoy sappy emotional books that make you cry and grateful for your life.
7. Little White Lies: A Novel of Love and Good Intentions by Gemma Townley: Brit Chick Lit. Guilty pleasure, all the way. A very fast read. Recommended only for women and men who like fashion and love-story dramas.
8. The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman: Great story of a fascinatingly troubled man. Excellent pop history education.
9. The Tomato Festival Cookbook by Lawrence Davis-Hollander: 150 recipes. Tips on growing. History. A great reference book but not the cover-to-cover all inclusive Tomato book I was hoping for.
10. You Suck: A love Story by Christopher Moore: Brain Candy. Irreverant. Fast. Enjoyable. Fluff. San Francisco.
11. For One More Day by Mitch Albom: my review.
12. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie: Very educational on Chinese re-education.
13. A dirty Job by Christopher Moore: My review and this review, which is much better.
14. The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen.
15. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult: a good graphic novel, with great artwork.
16. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
17. Founders At Work by Jessica Livingston
18. Everyday Zen: love and work by Charlotte Joko Beck: Life, as it is, is perfect. How annoying is that? And yet… how beautiful. I probably read this book every year. I just read one vignette every week or so. I've been doing that for years and I never stop learning from it. In fact... if I count it for 2006 then I just barely met my 25-book challenge.
As for 2008. Well, I'm at 0.5 for the moment. But, I only have 1 marathon planned instead of two. So perhaps I should shoot for 20 books? I think it's ambitious, but what the hell.
January 5, 2008
A Great Storm
You might have heard about the California storm that we've been experiencing. Torrential downpours. Winds so severe they closed the bay area bridges to avoid additional big-rigs from blowing over. A landslide on highway 17.
When I arrived home around 7:30 PM, the last few blocks of my drive were from another place and time. Instead of my pseudo-urban, busy, well-lit subdivision full of Christmas lights and blow-up decorations, I found myself driving in the country at night, unable to see anything except what my headlights illuminated. In addition to the blackness, when I got out of the car, it was beautifully silent (except for our neighbor's generator, but they have a newborn baby, so I was glad they were prepared). I wonder if that's what our neighborhood was like when it was first built.
Given the all-electric kitchen, we drove downtown, where they have power, and went out to a simple Italianesque dinner at a restaurant that used to be a regular in our rotation but somehow fell out. We remembered why we used to like it -- the food is good and there are simple options, the service is great, the specials were delicious, the owners are quirky (the head chef often sings opera while strolling through the restaurant), and the wine list is short, but well-selected and reasonably priced. We enjoyed a delicious, light Ventana Pinot Noir that they sell for around $38, which is very impressive given the retail price of $28.
After the big night on the town, we came home and lit candles to brighten the house and tone down the eerie glow of our flourescent lantern. We have a few decorative candles, but that's it, they are just decorative. The wicks are primarily unburnt. Until last night. Thanks to the storm, I realized that candles are nice, they give a soft glow to the room, and they smell good. They just feel relaxing.
And they make a nice relaxing side to a resounding round of scrabble that goes 'til midnight. (I lost. By one point. Apparently, Slavak is not a word.)
This storm was an excellent opportunity for me to work on my New Year's Resolution:
to be more calm and roll with the punches.
My sister and mother were *supposed* to visit this weekend (no travel due to the storm). Last night, I was *supposed* to come home and run on my treadmill (which requires power).
But hey, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the dark neighborhood, the candles, or scrabble if things had gone as they were *supposed* to.
Now I just have to figure out how to roll with today's planned long run of 11 miles and the predicted thundershowers and I'll be in great shape.
You might have heard about the California storm that we've been experiencing. Torrential downpours. Winds so severe they closed the bay area bridges to avoid additional big-rigs from blowing over. A landslide on highway 17.
When I arrived home around 7:30 PM, the last few blocks of my drive were from another place and time. Instead of my pseudo-urban, busy, well-lit subdivision full of Christmas lights and blow-up decorations, I found myself driving in the country at night, unable to see anything except what my headlights illuminated. In addition to the blackness, when I got out of the car, it was beautifully silent (except for our neighbor's generator, but they have a newborn baby, so I was glad they were prepared). I wonder if that's what our neighborhood was like when it was first built.
Given the all-electric kitchen, we drove downtown, where they have power, and went out to a simple Italianesque dinner at a restaurant that used to be a regular in our rotation but somehow fell out. We remembered why we used to like it -- the food is good and there are simple options, the service is great, the specials were delicious, the owners are quirky (the head chef often sings opera while strolling through the restaurant), and the wine list is short, but well-selected and reasonably priced. We enjoyed a delicious, light Ventana Pinot Noir that they sell for around $38, which is very impressive given the retail price of $28.
After the big night on the town, we came home and lit candles to brighten the house and tone down the eerie glow of our flourescent lantern. We have a few decorative candles, but that's it, they are just decorative. The wicks are primarily unburnt. Until last night. Thanks to the storm, I realized that candles are nice, they give a soft glow to the room, and they smell good. They just feel relaxing.
And they make a nice relaxing side to a resounding round of scrabble that goes 'til midnight. (I lost. By one point. Apparently, Slavak is not a word.)
This storm was an excellent opportunity for me to work on my New Year's Resolution:
to be more calm and roll with the punches.
My sister and mother were *supposed* to visit this weekend (no travel due to the storm). Last night, I was *supposed* to come home and run on my treadmill (which requires power).
But hey, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the dark neighborhood, the candles, or scrabble if things had gone as they were *supposed* to.
Now I just have to figure out how to roll with today's planned long run of 11 miles and the predicted thundershowers and I'll be in great shape.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)