Tag Archives: Summer

Jul 13 2012
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Life, Travel

Kicking it Old School

Oh gloriously happy day, an old friend was just brought back from the dead.  My new MacBook has roused my little old school pink iPod mini from at least five years of sleep.  It took a few tries, I didn’t think it was going to happen, but then it lit back to life.  Talk about time capsule.  This baby is filled with all the wondrous stuff I listened to in college– Drop it like it’s hot, anyone?

Okay, I did not just admit to that, there are plenty of songs I’d rather take credit for having on there, as well as some impressively intellectual podcasts (what in the world was I thinking?), but for some reason it’s the rap I’m sitting here reliving.  Laid back.  I can feel my feet hitting the dirt trails in Davis, rocking out on my afternoon runs across never-ending ag fields with my high-tech, pink iPod mini fastened to my side.

Now I just feel cool that I have one that still works.  Like, you have an iPod touch or one of those new iPod classics that fits 40,000 songs?  Well, I have a pink iPod mini!  And it works!  Who is the cool one now?  This little discovery is going to make for much better travels in the coming weeks– space for audiobooks galore!  (And, all those glorious rap songs.)

Happy Friday, indeed.

Welcome back old friend. I guess I named you Spunky in 2004.

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Jul 12 2012
4 Comments
Life

New Rule: Good Books Leave My House

Packages in the mail are magical.  I get just as much of a kick out of sending them as I do receiving.  Today I packaged up two books I recently finished, Sarah’s Key and the Snow Child, to mail to my aunt in Montana.  It only seemed fitting that Eowyn Ivey’s book set in the Alaskan wilderness reach her before her first winter surrounded in snow.

As I taped the box shut, I realized I usually do not keep books I like.  With the exception of a handful that I love, most of which are in Spanish because I have no one to pass them along to, my shelves are full of books that range from mediocre to downright lame.  All the good ones leave in the hands of guests.  Visit my house, you’re likely to leave with a book.

Now, I’m thinking that maybe I’ll start mailing more books after I finish them, assuming they’re any good.  I like the idea of a book being passed on and on in this fashion.  Read, then send to someone else you think might enjoy.  That way, the book lives on.  And, who knows, maybe good books will start arriving at my doorstep in return.

Life’s little pleasures unite: Passing on good books and mailing packages.

 

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Jul 09 2012
5 Comments
Home, Life, Travel, Writing

Squeezing Every Second Out of Summer

This is my last week of summer vacation at home.  Five days, really.  Saturday is off to the Bay, then Kauai, the Oregon coast, teacher retreat and back to work!  Talk about a whirlwind!

No complaints out of me, truly.  I will be sad to see my summer go, but I also remember the years spent with three weeks vacation, total.  Oh, what I would have given for these glorious seven weeks of summer then.  Now, I just feel lucky.

Even so, time is quickening.  The seconds seem to matter more than in those first couple weeks. Here is what I hope to squeeze out of these last days of summer at home:

1.  I am reading up a storm.  Finished bird by bird and The Snow Child.  Started Sarah’s Key this weekend, already 2/3’s through.

  • bird by bird, Anne Lamott:  I sound like a broken record, but this is my favorite book on writing, to date.  Read it.
  • The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey:  Based on an old fairy-tale, couple in Alaskan wilderness makes a child out of snow, dark story of magical realism unfolds.  Slow but good read.
  • Sarah’s Key, Tatiana De Rosnay:  Modern-day journalist uncovers a tragic story of loss from the perspective of a child during the Holocaust.  Amazingly quick and engaging read.

All the books that remain on my overly-ambitious summer reading list.  Hope to make it through a few more!

2.  Yoga, anyone?  In addition to squeezing in those last few 90 minute daytime classes that are impossible during the school year, I’m also getting ready for yoga on the road, thanks in large part to this awesome post on yoga while traveling.  My new travel yoga mat arrived this morning.  It is perfect for keeping my practice going, and will also double as a great mat cover for my regular hot yoga classes.

This super thin travel mat will fit easily in my carry-on and make yoga on the beach much more enjoyable!

3.  I am writing, writing, writing.  Suddenly, 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there are actually getting me somewhere.  I refuse to put an end date on Expecting Happiness, but it is slowly drawing to a close and feeling a lot stronger thanks to the amazing insight of my readers and all that time to think on my road trip.  I am hard on myself, it is definitely a first work, but I am also incredibly proud that I’m sticking with it to arrive at a place I feel comfortable.  I am also really excited about what comes next.  I have a young adult book I want to write for my students (and share with them throughout the year), and a more brooding adult piece that will hit on the topic of human trafficking in a different light than what I have come across.  I’m very excited!

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Jul 04 2012
3 Comments
Life, Travel, Writing

Lessons Learned from Three Teachers in a Prius

When I was first invited on a road trip to Olympia and back with three other teachers on my team, I was hesitant.  As much as I hate to admit it, I am particular.  I like to be in charge of trips, I like to control my own time.  Knowing that my travel companions can be more boisterous and free-spirited than I normally am, I worried I might feel out of place.  Thankfully, I pushed myself outside my comfort zone.  Here is what I learned from my adventure:

1.  We all need to get out of our boxes from time to time.  It’s so easy to surround ourselves with people that are like us, which are undoubtedly wonderful people, but it is also important to get out there in this big world and meet others who are different.  Not only did I bond with my team of teachers in an entirely new way, but I also met a lot of travelers whose stories will stick with me.  A woman from Wisconsin with her two dogs and a cat stuffed into her station wagon, the old man by the sea, a transplanted waitress from Placerville now living in Reedsport, a starving young artist selling t-shirts in Portland…  The list goes on, you get the point.  I met a lot of really friendly people wanting to talk.  Some I met because I traveled with a car full of extroverts, some I met just being me.  Their stories were fascinating, my notebook now full of characters.  Nothing sparks the imagination like the half-told stories of strangers.

2.  Sometimes you have to go in circles to get where you’re going.  My mom likes to say I’m a type 3 personality, insinuating that type A isn’t enough to describe me.  Accordingly, I’m usually very impatient with being off-schedule because I try to stuff so many experiences into each day.  However, on this trip, since I was not in charge, I just sat back and let things happen.  Sure we got lost and time disappeared sitting in the car, but that time going in circles ended up holding its own adventures.  At the end of the day, we always ended up where we were trying to go.

3. Laugh, a lot.  Four women in a car for five days makes everything funny.  Never in my life have I laughed so hard or so frequently.  More than anything else from my adventure, I will remember the distinct laughters of my travel companions and the fun we had in every moment, whether it was stuck on a bridge in Portland or waiting for coffee at a Dutch Brothers.  After all, anything in life is better if you keep a good sense of humor.

Our little road family in Waldport, Oregon.

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Jul 01 2012
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Life, Travel, Writing

My Love Affair with Powell’s Books

One hour to explore the world’s greatest bookstore.  The results:

  • Three books found me instead of me finding them.  Powell’s is an amazing labyrinth of stacks and stacks of books, (4,000,000+ to be precise).  I headed for Milan Kundera in literature and was sucked into countless book covers and displays along the way.
  • Finally reached my original destination– Milan Kundera’s The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, had second thoughts because my arms were already full, opened to a random page, which turned out to be a passage about writing a novel for the first time.  Fitting, sold.
  • Tears.  Literally.  I wanted to stay all day.  I have never been in a bookstore that sucked me in to this degree.  All those words, all those authors.  So many worlds captured.  A live poetry reading by a published author.  I will be back for much more than an hour next time.  Maybe I will just move to Portland.
  • Last, but not least, new life goal– someday have my own book hidden somewhere in those glorious stacks.

So many choices, so little time.

The bounty of my 30-minute shopping spree, (including two t-shirts).

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Jun 29 2012
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Health, Travel

My Little Secrets to Travel Health

Gearing up for the second leg of my four weeks of summer travel, I find it necessary to remind myself of the secrets to staying healthy and energized on the road.  These little gems may seem obvious to most travelers, but for me they were slowly won, lesson by lesson, during my three separate treks across Europe, countless American road trips, and a couple of visits to Canada and Mexico for good measure.  Yes, I realize I still have a lot of the globe to see, but I’ll get there with a little luck (and money) on my side.  For now, I’m determined to remember these tips to keep myself healthy for the road already traveled:

Sleep:  For me, sleeping in new places can be very challenging, particularly in noisy cities, or even boisterous small towns like Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre, where the townspeople shout back and forth from their apartments well into the night and again early in the morning.  It was not until my second trip to Europe that I discovered the power of wax earplugs, the kind swimmers use.  While they will not eliminate noise completely, they help you earn a little extra sleep by muffling the commotion, even if what is bothering you is just the stupid in-room refrigerator, (which I have also been known to unplug from time to time).

Now, the second piece of advice on sleep, is if you wake up early, don’t just lie there and wait for your travel companions to awaken– get up!  Get outside!  Some of my favorite travel memories come from early morning walks or runs when a place is just coming to life.  Imagine Rome, just as the shop keepers are opening up their stores for the day, fresh-baked everything wafting through the air, now which is better, lying in bed or getting out and seeing this?

Exercise:  Early morning or not, I force myself to exercise daily.  There is nothing worse than getting home from vacation and realizing that you have a lot of work to do to get back into your regular exercise routine.  I find that even a quick 15 minute run and 10 minutes of yoga, (a few sun salutations, some balance postures, and stretching), go a long way in keeping you energized both during your trip and when you get home.  Likewise, even if you are on an active vacation, this short routine gives you reflective time to yourself and gets your blood pumping for the day.  Best of all, if you push yourself to climb out of bed early enough, you can catch some really amazing sights on your run.  My favorites have always been in Hawaii, where the time change gives you an unfair advantage in getting out of bed early to catch the sunrise while running on the beach.  Life does not get much better than that.

My Montrails are a must pack– officially my favorite running shoes of all time and double as great hiking shoes.

Eat:  Combined with exercise and sleep, eating well on your trip will keep you feeling great both during your travels and when you get home.  There is nothing worse than the cumulative food hangover of consistent eating out.  My remedy for this is pretty easy– work in food from the supermarket during your trip then go sit in the local park or on a bench in town to eat and enjoy the scenery.

We picked up this meal for two for only $11 from the Mt. Shasta Super Market, which carries a wide range of grass-fed, humanely-raised meats. Way better than a fast food meal.

For quick lunches and anytime you’re tempted to eat fast food, these local groceries stores will do the trick.  You’ll save money from a sit-down restaurant, end up feeling a lot healthier, and get to explore local markets in the process.  Whether I’m in Salzburg or Mt. Shasta, I find wandering around a new grocery store to be an interesting cultural experience, and it is fun to buy foods you normally do not keep stocked at home, like dill havarti or German potato salad, perhaps.  Yogurt and fruit also make a nice change of pace from all the other crap you’re likely to be tempted to eat while away from home, which brings me to my other food tip.

Often I find myself ordering whatever sounds the most delicious on a menu, without any regard for health because it’s a special occasion to eat out.  However, a few cheeseburgers deep, my stomach usually starts to hate me, so I have to remind myself to balance in whatever sounds healthiest on the menu as well.  The upside is that usually I am surprised by how the healthiest choice ends up being equally delicious, prompting me to continue ordering this way throughout the trip, and feeling better as a result.

And, last but not least, I carry around a little pharmacy of natural (and not) remedies to cope with those moments you do not feel so stellar while traveling.  Nux Vomica is an excellent homeopathic for car or plane sickness, Emergen-C will fight off that pesky sore throat, enzymes take away some of the guilt for less-than-healthy food choices, and ibuprofen is pretty self-explanatory.  For long air trips, I also carry Dramamine to deal with motion sickness, which has the added benefit of knocking me out.  I may be the daughter of a hippie and into natural remedies myself, but I also recognize that travel time is valuable, so I will do whatever it takes to quickly fix the problem.

Staples in my Traveling Pharmacy

Fun:  So, there you have it.  I love to travel as much as the next gal, but I am careful to keep myself healthy and energized along the way, even if it means carving a little time out for myself to exercise or forcing myself to watch what I eat.  Now, wish me luck as I embark this afternoon on my girls’ road trip to Olympia, Portland, and the Oregon Coast.  Should be a raucous blast!

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Jun 26 2012
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Family, Life, Travel

Welcome to Mt. Shasta

This week I am visiting my mom in Mt. Shasta, which means, among other things, limited access to internet because her house in the woods is wired only through dial-up, and I am not patient enough for that kind of thing.  Now, when I say Mt. Shasta, I mean the little town at the base of the mountain, not the big party lake an hour away with house boats and drunk spring-breakers.

It is easy to drive through Mt. Shasta on I-5 heading to or from Oregon and not even notice it.  From the freeway, you can’t really tell there is a cute little town filled with shops and restaurants.  But, that’s not really what you come to Mt. Shasta for anyway.  The first time we visited Mt. Shasta, back when my mom still lived in Sacramento, we came to camp.  That’s really what you visit Mt. Shasta for, the outdoors.

My mom lives five minutes from a beautiful little lake, Lake Siskiyou, and twenty minutes from an even better lake, Castle Lake, which is crystal clear and glass-like.  Not to mention all the waterfalls and mountain vistas.  Now all of this is good and well, but Mt. Shasta is also weird, which makes it more interesting.  Good weird of course.  It’s a mixture of red necks and hippies, which always makes for some good fun.  If you did not already guess, my mom lands on the hippie side.  In fact, one of my most memorable Mt. Shasta memories was when my mom hired a local Shaman to bless my marriage with a meditative ceremony.

My weirdest Mt. Shasta moment, however, was the night my brother challenged Mt. Shasta to scare him.  It is helpful background knowledge to know that my brother is the graduate of a pretty cool sustainable agriculture program in Bolinas and sleeps outside most nights by choice, so he’s a wilderness all-star.  I, on the other hand, get spooked when we sit out under the stars, which is what started this whole challenge in the first place.  My brother wanted to show me there is nothing to be afraid of out there, yelling his challenge into the darkness.

That night, when we were all asleep in bed, we awakened to the sound of something pounding on the roof.  And, when I say pounding, I mean our room was shaking, like something was jumping up and down over our bed repeatedly.  My first thought, close the huge open window behind my head.  As I slowly moved it shut, I feared I would attract attention.  I did not want the thing on the roof to hear the window shut.  I did not want it to get me.  In the middle of the night, all of those campfire stories of aliens, big foot, and mountain lions really come alive.

Granted we never figured out what the thing on the roof was, but my brother slept through it, undisturbed, just as he boasted.  I, on the hand, was left equally afraid of the wilderness at night, if not more so.  Mysterious scary beasts aside, Mt. Shasta is an unusual place worth stopping if you’re ever driving the long haul on I-5.  More pictures and stories to follow, I’m sure.

My fearless brother headed up to my mom’s with me.

Glorious Mt. Shasta

Downtown Mt. Shasta getting prepared for the big fourth of July race.

My mom’s front yard at dusk yesterday.

Entrance to my mom and stepdad’s beautiful garden.

Garden welcome sign pays homage to my beloved childhood pets.

My mom always has beautiful flowers from their property waiting for me on my childhood dresser, I love how she arranged the wildflowers at different heights.

Sunset welcome to Mt. Shasta at the edge of their property.

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Jun 24 2012
2 Comments
Family, Life, Writing

Blog Birth Announcement!

Turns out the aftermath of staying the weekend with me is that you start a blog of your own.  Announcing the birth of a new blog belonging to my very own kid sister.  I have to say, she’s pretty darn poignant for her years:

http://felizlife.wordpress.com/

Weekend w/ me = Concert in the park, time with the world’s best dog, coffee, basketball, running, and, oh yeah, a new blog!

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Jun 22 2012
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Dogs, Health, Life, Travel

My Alter Ego is Named Grandma

One of my goals for this summer is to be more spontaneous, to go with the flow, to allow new experiences to wash over me, instead of avoiding them.  Sometimes I joke that my alter ego is named Grandma.  She enjoys curling up on the sofa with her dog, reading good books, and going to bed around 11PM.  She has even been known to fall asleep in her chair with company over, and she often avoids unscheduled activities.

Don’t worry.  I do not have multiple personalities.  I just have a part of myself that is very set in routines, plans, managing expectations.  I’m alright with this because I think it is important to know what you like and to not always do things just because you do not want to disappoint others.  However, I also do not want to miss out on exciting parts of life just because I did not plan for them.

So, yesterday, on a whim, I climbed into my car with my husband and my dog and drove to Berkeley for lunch to celebrate the birthday of one of my nearest and dearest friends, Liz.  We picked up fried chicken sammies from Bakesale Betty’s in Oakland, (which is absolutely amazing and a must-eat if you’re in the area).  Then, with the help of another one of my nearest and dearest, Jen, we surprised Liz on the Berkeley campus with a picnic near her office.

Mind you, this may not seem over-the-top crazy, but it was spontaneous and required some effort to get down there, two things that Grandma doesn’t like.  So, I’m happy to report that I successfully overcame my alter ego and had a lot of fun in the process.  Our picnic was delicious and it was awesome to hang out with friends in the town we used to call home, (and miss dearly!).

Now, for the next adventure Grandma is dreading, a five-day road trip to Olympia, WA and back, for roller derby, dirty Portland bars, and that magnificent Oregon coast…

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Jun 20 2012
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Dogs, Family, Life, Pets, Teaching, Writing

Will Teach for Time

I am a collector of things you can cannot touch.  Words, pictures, memories.  Right now my focus is summer.  Today is day 13.  I do not know how many days remain.  Enough, I guess.  I refuse to count for fear they will disappear too quickly.

I would lie if I said that summer had nothing to do with my decision to become a teacher.  However, I could not teach if I did not like the work.  Ten months of misery would not be worth two months of freedom.  Instead, summer is the perk that makes the pay more tolerable, helps me through those days with angry parents, makes me smile when my classroom is in upheaval.  In my past work life, I discovered that time is worth more than money.

Summer is time.  Time to refuel.  Time to reflect and grow as a teacher, wife, friend, human being.  Time to do the jobs that do not pay but feed my soul.  Time to write.

Everyday I am asked by people who do not teach, “How is your summer going?”

Splendidly, I respond.  I’m actively collecting all those little moments that will get me through the inevitable challenges of the coming year:

Listened to my sister’s high school poetry night, got lost in words, some funny, some sad.

Sunflower in Fair Oaks with my husband, he rode his bike seven miles to meet me. I drove in an air conditioned car.

Veggie burrito, healthy, much tastier than it looks. While other moms took their kids for Happy Meals, mine took me here. We’d feed the chickens and play in the park. I developed a fear of roosters.

Veggie nachos, probably the winner, but don’t tell Alex.  He gloats too much when his choice is best.

Sunday dinners with family, swimming, eating, happy.

My birthday came a little early today, make that a month and a half to be exact. My sweet husband bought me a new recorder of words, which I’ll put to good use. The irony of marriage, I’d tell him not to buy it if he asked, but I’m grateful that he did. And, yes, that is the cat you see on our dining room table, maybe you should rethink coming to dinner, I’ve given up on chasing her, at least today.

Much like the dog, I’ve also lazed about. Recharging is required to be a happy teacher. Scratch that, recharging is required to be a happy human being.

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Jun 15 2012
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Life, Writing

bird by cat

“I wanted him to have a regular job where he put on a necktie and went off somewhere with the other fathers and sat in a little office and smoked.  But the idea of spending entire days in someone else’s office doing someone else’s work did not suit my father’s soul.  I think it would have killed him… So I grew up around this man who sat in the study all day and wrote books…” – Anne Lamott, bird by bird

Two pages in and Anne Lamott already has me figured out.  I’m adding this book, recommended by two of my lovely novel readers, to my small pile that I’m reading simultaneously, (Snow Child and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking).  I think I must have a very advanced form of ADHD because I find myself alternating between reading multiple books, working on my novel, and blogging all within the same afternoon.  I’m okay with it though.  I like the writing that is coming out of all of this, even if it’s progressing slowly.

Luna is already loving up on bird by bird too…  And, yes, I appreciate the irony of the cat and title.

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Jun 15 2012
14 Comments
Life, Writing

Hurray for the Sac Girls’ Blogging Club!

Today was the inaugural meeting of the Sac Girls’ Blogging Club.  My apologies to any other club with the same name, we did not steal it from you and chances are we’d love to join forces with you if you really exist.

When people in my real life discovered that I had a blog, I started to get a lot of questions about how things work.  I also discovered the blogs of some other pretty cool people that I already knew beyond the computer screen.  Brainstorming with a friend about blogs, the idea dawned on us– we need to start a nerdy girls’ blogging club!

So, today, three of us met at Old Soul in Sac and talked WordPress vs. Blogger, WordPress navigation, site monetization, and guest blogging.  One of us is now even a WordPress convert, but we’ll wait until her style changes are ready to unveil her new WordPress home.  We also chatted about teaching, reading, summer plans, exactly the social vision that I imagined for such a club.

Now, we have the goal to make our little club a weekly occurrence.  Even if it only ends up happening a couple times a month, I’m excited.  It’s nice to connect in real life with the faces behind the stories we read online.  If you’re a chick in the Sacramento area and feel like joining us, let us know!  Sorry men, it’s not that we don’t like you, it’s just that we feel safer connecting with women in person, (and, besides, you’re probably not interested in all of our chatter anyway!).

Happy blogging!

Girl Bloggers Unite! 😀

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