Things are heating up

along the San Andreas. A little quake here, a big one there.  Its a good reminder to take quick stock of emergency provisions and I think we are woefully ill prepared. I have it at the top of my to do. But beyond that we are good mom! Love you and good night!

Whats that Smell?

sniff, sniff.. "uck!"

Chicken Little edges ever more towards puberty. While we were out getting this and that for Halloween costumes I took a moment to swing through the male grooming section. He was not thrilled. He stomped around exclaiming how embarrassing it all was. He'd storm off from our exploration of different scents and my tutelage on the difference between antiperspirant (which has a metal in it which keeps the toxins in your body by not letting you sweat .. not a good thing) and deodorant (which simply covers up odors but does not stop your bodies natural process of toxin elimination)  He didn't want any of it.  I had hummingbird reassure him that smelling nice is a good thing. He still wasn't convinced. But we finally managed to pick out some axe spray coupled with axe shampoo and spiking gel. At the end of the night I sent him up to clean up and get ready for bed. Afterwards he strutted down the hall, a smile a mile wide, proud to show off his new scent and engulf me in a super scented hug. I assure you it was quite pleasant! 

A matter of faith..

Auntie S. read my last post and with some tweaking came up with the following changes to my editorial prayer. And while I don't necessarily see the divine as entirely interventionist... the changes are apropos for those that do .. however, with this and all things, I think that people will have better luck combating ills if their actions and choices back up their prayers!   

“Merciful Father in Heaven, we thank you for your bounty you bring to us and ask that any poison in this food for which we are about to partake would be made null and void. We ask that You give wisdom to those who make laws to protect us to keep a close eye on those crazy scientists who play with our food. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, roof over our heads, the companionship of dear friends and everything else wonderful and good in our lives. We ask for your continued strength and courage in the battle against cancer raging in Aunt Lucy, Uncle Floyd and Grandma Maria, Cousin John’s kidney failure and Baby Adisons allergies. We put our trust in You because we are having quite a bit of trouble finding any to trust down here.  Thank you, Dear Lord. Amen” 

This past weekend was swamped. Saturday I spent the entire day at REI at the volunteer fair. It was slow and these events tend to not really draw too many. However, I am super excited that I may have found a Beach Clean up Captain to compliment the individual who has stepped forward to be the Coordinator. This is a huge deal as I don't want to/nor have the time to do the extra job. Looks like I have job descriptions to sculpt!

 In other chapter news.. we now have a Graphic Designer on board who also has super strong web design abilities. :) This is fabulous. I have been our webmaster for about a year and a half and while I have no problem maintaining a page for personal use I don't have the skills or time to manage a professional website. He has not committed to working on our site yet but in time I am hoping to persuade him to take up the job or at least be able to turn to him to help me address back end issues and CID codes. The work he has done in the two days since coming on shows extreme talent. However much time he commits, I already know he will be a great asset to the chapter... and hes easy on the eyes... and ears.

Sunday we attended to the details of home management before hitting the beach with the Young Vikings. It was not our typical hiking outing. We were testing swim skills.. at least that was the excuse we used to make it an afternoon of more relaxing beach play. 

And yes there was an earthquake that rocked our world in the early morning hours. I slept through it. No signs of damage to report. But it reminds me to make sure our disaster supplies are in order. 

And with that, my day begins. Love you Mom!

Chock full of Opinion and Fact

A dear neighbor Mrs. Potts (nick named such after the Character in Beauty and the Beast....Mrs. Potts is very motherly in nature, which befits her as she is mother to the teacup Chip and his other brothers and sisters. As the castle's head housekeeper, she has a very strict sense of responsibility. Often she is kind and consoling, but can be stern when the situation calls for her to be; out of all of the Beast's servants, she is the one who will most likely confront him about his behavior when he is in a temper). Anyway, Mrs. Potts after seeing a bit of my writing and knowing my strong feelings about what I choose to feed my family asked if I would attempt to submit an editorial about Prop 37 CA's GMO labeling bill which is up for the vote in this years election.  I don't know if it will be printed but Ive put it out there.  Here it is:

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The holiday feasting season is soon upon us when we will be sitting down to a banquet of wonderful dishes all prepared lovingly by Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunts. You join hands in a solemn moment of thanks. Heads bow and eyes close as the head of house’s voice rings out in prayer.

“Merciful Father in Heaven, we thank you for the wisdom of the scientist, geneticists, and chemical manufacturers who have “improved” upon your bounty to bring to us this food for which we are about to partake. We ask You to fill each pre-processed morsel with goodness for our minds, bodies and souls. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, roof over our heads, the companionship of dear friends and everything else wonderful and good in our lives. We ask for your continued strength and courage in the battle against cancer raging in Aunt Lucy, Uncle Floyd and Grandma Maria, Cousin John’s kidney failure and Baby Adisons allergies. Thank you Dear Lord. Amen”

Doesn’t sound right does it?! Yet, perhaps it is the prayer we should be offering up. Approx. 70% of the food in your typical grocery store contains Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s. In other words, that 70% has contents which have been tampered with by science and who’s long lasting effects on health and wellbeing have yet to be fully appreciated. However, recent research in France has demonstrated that there is a clear link to eating GMO corn (and exposure to the pesticide that is used on these particular crops) and serious health effects such the development of tumors, organ damage and early death.

Do you know what foods you eat that contain GMO’s? 50 countries around the world already require the labeling of these altered foods, but the US is not among them. Join Californians in the voting booth in November and let it be known that you want to know what you are eating. Vote “Yes” on Prop. 37 the Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Altered Foods. This bill simply requires that manufactures make a note on their labels if they contain such contents. You have the right to choose what you ingest and to give proper praise where it belongs.

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In other news for my Nevada based friends and family.. an Indoor Archery Range is coming your way! This is rockin!!. Check out the details and pass on the news! I know we will eventually be up with the Young Vikings to earn our archery points! 

http://wastingarrows.com/wastingarrows/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Indoor-Range-Flyer-1.pdf  

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Other than all that and a spur of the moment noon time beer shared under a shady tree reminiscing about high school with an old friend who happened to stop by yesterday, I have nothing really new to report on. Its business (or is that busy-ness?) as usual. And I must get back to it.

Love you!

Mamaskylark

A plate, A curtsy, and other bits

Auntie S asks...  "Sooo.. What is cookin?"
Mmmmm... let me tell you!! This weekend I didn't do any cooking at all actually. Instead, others cooked for me and it was fantastic! Saturday we made our way to the U.s where smiles, wonderful conversation and the smell of spices greeted us as we were introduced to Tanzanian food. The U.s often open their home to foreign guests (whether through church, rotatory or school programs) and had the opportunity host some ladies from Tanzania Africa some time back. Id name the dishes but I don't know them. All I can really tell you is that we experienced four separate authentic dishes. One was a spiced rice dish. Another was a relatively simple beef dish which ranked up there in terms of flavor with many Indian dishes I have experienced (my mouth waters at the thought!). The other two plates were composed of almost identical ingredients (Cabbage, carrots and the like) yet the method of preparation rendered each one uniquely flavorful and delicious. A better home cooked Saturday feast would be hard to come by and a great many thanks go out to your friends for having us over. Also, Im looking forward to gleaming all the cooking and canning lessons I can from Mama U!

Sunday was spent in the company of our Young Viking Club. We took a long laborious hike in Carmel Valley , discussed some plants and their uses, and then returned to the club house for some ax throwing and cooking. Having a number of relatively un-experienced hands in the kitchen meant careful consideration as to what would be attempted. Chicken Little baked bread from scratch. Little Tree Climber and Hummingbird whipped up meat loaf. (The disgusted looks on their faces when they put their hands in to mix was utterly hilarious) and Hallo (hummingbirds brother) who takes to the kitchen like he does video games (with rapt intent hence the name) was put on spicy green bean duty. It was a most satisfying meal. Part of earning their cooking point was in the cleaning up as well. Can't complain about that! It was a marvelous feast.

Fall is officially here? How do I know? My CSA (community supported Agriculture) delivered .. to my doorstep.. my weekly vegetables last week which included butternut squash. So Monday I whipped up my favorite spicy butternut squash soup with cayanne, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Its creamy delight!

After such indulgence, I hit the gym with revived gusto! Let me tell you.. ow! ow! ow! The day after burn makes me super aware of every move I make. But in that ever so good way were the pain is a reminder of work well done and muscles being developed. No pain no gain. However, I don't want to pack on too much definition before I loose more of what I got and don't need. Its a process but damn it feels good.

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My brother, Bad Billy Goat, and I.. somewhere near the start of the year.. began discussing our favorite movies. He asked me what I thought of his top 10 but it has taken me quite some time to start to address them, not being the biggest thing on my priority list, however, it had taken me waaaayyy to long to get to it.  But finally I have begun the process of reviewing his top 10 and offering my reviews. Below is the first:

"Brothers don't shake hands.. Brothers Hug!"
Ok Bro.. What the heck is up with Tommy Boy making your top 10 favorite movies list?!?! To start. after a  quick look at the rest of your movie choices ... (See below)... or at least on the impression of the ones I know... I was truly expecting it to be a work of historical fiction .. you know something about the guy who created the tommy gun or some such. Instead I wind up watching a slapstick comedy starting David Spade and Chris Farley. These guys are not your typical dramatic actors to be sure. However, I must admit they made a comedy pairing very much in line with Jim Belushi and Dan Aykrod.  I must say, this is truly a movie worthy of the USA channel .. well it would be if there was Rutger Howard and some nudity thrown it. One thing I appreciate about your list is that the majority of your films are family friendly. The kids enjoyed the watch as well. But alas, it didn't impress me enough to come close to finding a place in my heart but it did give me a few good deep chuckles. Now Im off to check out number 9.. Dirty Harry. I know that one, but honestly don't know if I have ever watched the entire thing. Ill get back to you on it. :) Love you Bad BIlly Goat!

1. Braveheart

2. Last of the Mohiccans

3. The Natural

4. Saving Private Ryan

5. Fight Club

6. The Departed

7. The Outlaw Josie Whales

8. Field of Dreams

9. Dirty Harry

10. Tommy Boy

(P.S. Queenly enough for you, Bro?)

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I love to read. It however has been one of those things that I put aside as "not necessarily a priority". However, since we are going to the gym regularly, I find myself often trapped on a cardo machine for 45 minutes or so at a time.  And you know the last thing I want to think about is what Im doing.. "ow.. ow.. I don't want to do this. Id be so much happier off this damn thing. Im going to fall over. pant pant sweat sweat." How nice it is to escape into the worlds between the pages or drifting on the music I have mixing. I greatly appreciate these moments. So ... here is a book review!

The Fifth Sacred Thing
This book was recommended to me by a dear friend from Hawaii who thought I might find it quite inspiring. I don't recommend it for everyone as it does have some strong graphic violence and strong sexual content. In this provocative book, written by Starhawk, we are introduced to the world of California approx. 30 years in our future. A world which is dramatically different though not entirely improbable. Her vision of the world supposes that the ecosystem, as well the government, experience a complete collapse. Its not too far fetched in its portrait of what would result in a world whose oil reserves completely depleted. Without alternative energy sources in place to supplement our power needs not only would vehicles be a thing of the past but our ability for long distance communication would be thrust into the dark ages. In addition, the loss of electricity would effect our ability to divert water were we want and need it. Essentially she pictures much of Southern California drying up and the competition for resources creating a war zone where those who"have"are morally bankrupt and depraved. Nestled in the midst of this mass chaos, pain, hunger, thirst and struggle, San Francisco, which has managed to survive all these challenges with hard work,and with their spirit of cooperation with each other and nature.   This does not mean life is easy for them but when compared to southern end of the state (if not the world) .. they are far from impoverished. Its a rather Utopian environment but war is on its way. The desire for water is so great that those in power in the south seek it out with unrelenting veal with no consideration that their actions are actually detrimental to the long term sustainability of water resources everywhere they inhabit. The major question that is posed is how should a non aggressive, communal, free-lovin (did you note the caution at the beginning?), peaceful Earth nurturing people combat the threat that sit poised and ready to strike at their doorstep. Its a good read on all accounts. If anything, it offers a solid reminder that in these times we need to make it our personal duties to build our local relationships, to create our own gardens, develop methods of water collection and work to be prepared .. because eventually our way of life (whether from natural, man made or governmental forces or a combination of all) is going to change. A look at history confirms that change is the only thing we can count on and we need to be working to be far more self sufficient.

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Here is a bit more from/about the key note speaker from the Surfrider Conference I recently attended regarding his studies of the tsunami debris wish is currently beginning to wash ashore in Hawaii.

http://honoluluweekly.com/feature/2012/09/the-hidden-tsunami-of-debris/

Id take a moment to talk more about what is going on with the local chapter, however, I have more to do in that regard than I have the time to write about it. My plate is full. But its fullness is in working to develop others who will take a small share of the load and do those individual chores more thoroughly than I juggling the myriad of responsibilities that I do. And with that it back to the trenches where the kids and papa are completely dug in and building brick houses..

Night Mom!

p.s. I have now dubbed Papa "sticky pistons" Its not as bad as it sounds... I assure you! Love you!

Give 'er everything ya got!

"Although the world may beat you down, come back up swinging. Although you might not realize A dream, don't no stop dreaming. Although you may find rejection, do not give up love. Do not stop striving and do not give up on your vision." This was the underlying message give by one of the class speakers at a college graduation ceremony last night. Buttercup, Hummingbird's mom, received her associates in paralegal and is now on the road to greater personal success. This is a huge accomplishment especially considering everything she has had to deal with in the course of her education.

 It was a proud moment and a battalion of friends and family turned out to wish her well on her journey.

That success, however, may end up taking Hummingbird from my nest sooner than anticipated. Buttercup is on the job hunt and looking as far away as "The City."   Who knows what the next few months will bring but we will take it in stride.

Albert Einstein says, " Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

 In the meantime Hummingbird still has lessons to learn .. I suppose as I sit down to write this up, my biggest birthday wish  is for her to take her life and her job (which is School) seriously.  On top of academics she has a lot yet to learn and demonstrate before the job and marriage she yearns for and daydreams constantly about are reasonable for her to take on. But at 15 .. she has time.. but not a lot.   I want her to have a good start on leaning to interact with others.. teachers.. for are they not future bosses!? She needs to learn to relate to authority. She needs to learn how to manage conflicts of time. She needs to begin to learn the skills which will allow her to function independently and strongly. She needs to learn to be a lady as opposed to a child .  She needs to learn how to commit her energy to multiple tasks.. some she will never like... but still must do. I want her to take personal responsibility for her failures and mistakes rather then blame them on others. I want her to take ownership of her life and future... A lofty birthday wish but one that is achievable.

Anyway, I digress. My birthday.. cant have a birthday wish without one..  has come and gone. But not without out hitting up Taco Bell for my annual feast. WHA?!  NOT!! After a Friday in class/ field trips and once Papa arrived home from his return trip from Ontario we stepped it up and hit Spanish Bay. Swanky. And had drinks with friends around the fire pits on the patio overlooking the sea. Chief came with a friend, Olga. They were lovely company. Also in attendance was Mama Bear. Mama Bear was once Chicken Little's bear troop leader and she has a wonderfully diverse history and is a true superwoman and after our chat I now have Animal Farm on my need to read list.  It was a pleasure all around.

On Saturday, one of our neighborhood girls was celebrating her birthday and so the same crew from the graduation plus others gathered on Carmel beach for a BBQ and an evening bonfire. It was gorgeous and despite no "real" waves.. the water was fun. I think I want to try and work in some more of these evening events. Once the kids are done with their "classes" on the ranch, I intend to try and institute regular Friday beach/surf  times. Regardless of how that pans out.. it was a great weekend.

Buttercup and Papa

However, as birthdays tend to make me do, I have placed my life upon an imaginary scale and have being weighing it out.. taking measure. And as I suspected things are only a slightly off balance. I think back to that speaker from the graduation ceremony and ponder dreams I have lost, passions that have fallen to the way side. In all  that I have taken on, there is but one thing I have neglected or at least down sized tremendously..  my passion for cooking, baking and brewing.

And so to hell with those that have claimed I can't or shouldn't cook and who's negative thoughts or comments I may have taken to heart over the course of my domestic years.. to those that claimed I was a goody two shoes for whipping up a little something in HS.. to those that wrinkled their noses at some culinary attempt or outright dumped their uneaten food with a mutter of disdain  .....Screw Them!  (Little tree climber sits at her computer reading this, jaw drops and out comes a "MOM!!" Shocked to see such words pouring from her mothers fingertips. To her I say this... sometimes such language is necessary!) ..  and so I reclaim my spatula shaped scepter and dawn my finest which reads "Kiss the Cook"!!

Not that those people, their opinions or their distaste  have much to do with my current time away from the kitchen .. its really water off a ducks back (do I need to make another duck poem?)..  Truly my biggest constraints  to getting my ass in the kitchen have more to deal with time and energy than anything. To help rectify this deficiency, I intend to re-dedicate myself in due course to the stove. To the hearth. To the fire.

And Im going to start learning to can as I have made a wonderful friend who does not yet know that she will be teaching me!!

As to my cousins doodle... Its back to the drawing board for the surfrider party flyer. We are scraping the return of the waves theme and my attempt at a flyer. And with that there remains much work yet to be done. And so I am off to it and work in the classroom... but first I leave you with the funny yet disturbing card Hummingbird sent me on my Birthday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuYND_k2UZs&feature=player_embedded

Boards and Breakouts

This past weekend, the executive committee for our local Surfrider Chapter descended upon Ventura CA for the annual Surfrider West Coast Summit along with chapter members from TX, CA, OR, WA and HI. It was an eventful weekend.

Initially, the the whole crew was going to carpool in the Chub Tub but the weather kicked up a south swell that sent the boys wave chasing a good deal earlier than we had planned to leave. Which left d. (Not to be confused with D. who came before and will always be capital in my book!) and I to blaze the trail in tandem. The miles and hours rolled away relatively unnoticed as pleasant conversation and much singing was had. Eventually we arrived at the Crowne Royal Plaza in Ventura just off the C street point break. From our room we had a good view of the pier but the break lay on the other side of the hotel.

Once we dropped our boards of in the board room... That's right, There is a room in the lobby fitted with racks to keep boards stored. Although the elevator cage is super tall so if you want to take you board to your room you can. It can accommodate boards as tall as 11'!.. Anyway, after dropping off our boards and settling into our room, d and I joined up with AJ and the Chief,  Our Chapter Vice Chair and Chapter Chairman. They were famished after a relatively successful day grabbing waves along Highway 1. Both are truly seasoned surfers who know how to read a break and manage a board. Anyway, once we met up, d and I learned that Brad Johnson would be joining us for Dinner.

Brad Johnson is something of a local hometown surf icon. He established the first surf shop, Sunshine Freestyle , on the peninsula. He also started the annual Surf About contest just over 30 years ago. It might be small but it is one of the longest running surf competitions in the state.  The story about its creation goes that there was a lot of .. um.. "exclusivity" going on at the two best local breaks and Brad thought that the creation of the contest lead to warmer currents between the surfers at each location. He was right and now the only real aggression we get in the water is the rare shark attack.

So, Brad joined us for dinner at the hotel restaurant  We were also out in celebration of AJ's big birthday. The olive oil poached halibut was perfection and I've been informed that anything oil poached is going to be heavenly. During dinner we were regaled with tales regarding the formation of our Surfrider Chapter. Brad started it some time ago out of the surf shop to address a break access issue. How wonderful to know our origins. We also heard about past surf adventures and a history of pristine waves. We learned of local waters and of Brads current life in Ventura.

After dinner wrapped up we got a walking tour of downtown from our imperial sporting guide.He told us of the emergence of the jalopy subculture as well as pointed out architecture and flooded  us with a welcome history lesson. We stopped along the way for drinks. It was then that I was introduced to double IPA's. *chuckle* Good stuff!

Later there was music of all kinds at this rocking place called the Tavern. It was an old victorian-ish house that had been renovated into a bar. Each area dedicated to a different musical style. In the front was a bar with a live band playing.  Brad and d. got down on the dance floor.

In the back part of the house, there was another bar and a DJ spinning a technoish mix. A porch wrapped around the entire exterior on which people milled and talked while contemporary streamed music poured through speakers. Indoors there was also an enclosed room which offered and Xbox and Guitar Hero. It was a place to suit many possible and youthful musical inclinations. After a while we determined it was time to turn in. We had all had quite a long day with travelling and we had the conference bright and early and we had all anticipated trying to get in some waves ahead of time.  At that point we left our most gracious tour guide and called it a night.

We didn't actually get in any wave time that morning. More recovery was needed before settling down in to the rather uncomfortable chairs and warm buffet style breakfast. It was a conference just like you might imagine. Presentations and slide shows followed by smaller breakout/interactive sessions.

However, I noticed something that really differentiated this summit from your typical corporate conference... many a foot were in the nude! 

So What do we talk about and cover at an event like this? The schedule went something like this:

Breakfast began at 7 and at 8:30 the trailer for "the Twenty" was presented. The Twenty is a movie being produced by our Santa Barbara chapter that focuses on Surfriders efforts to preserve the Gaviota Coast from Development.That was followed by a quick play by play of the day ahead.

At 9:00 our Keynote speaker Marcus Eriksen took the podium. Marcus Eriksen is from 5gyres. 5gyres is a group dedicated to scientific analysis and information gathering about the 5 ocean gyers and what plastics they are accumulating. Marcus presented some of his findings and his stories about crossing all 5 gyres. He then went on to discuss some research that has taken him out of the oceans and into the great lakes. Turns out that water samples of the lakes have determined that the number of plastic particles per sample is far higher than what is in the worst of the gyres. These particles are microscopic beads. Where did they come from? How did they get there?  Turns out they are a result of our cultural predisposition to being "beautiful". Facial cleansers and what not get washed down the drain and into sewage processing plants. The beads are soooo small that they transfer right through the filters and get flushed into the lakes. Of course this made me weep. Fortunately we know the source and we can and will now work to ban the use of plastics in beauty products.

Following that moving presentation, Jim Moriarty, the CEO of the organization gave us an update on the state of the organization. How much growth we have had and some of our major victories were addressed such as Hawaii's State wide ban on plastic bags (Woo Hoo!) and our general numbers were looked at.

After that our top advocacy issues were discussed individually and with some depth. First up we discussed some Coastal Conservation issues. These deal with the creation and problems associated with sea walls,  the fact that our ocean levels are on the rise which is going to greatly impact places that have been built right on the beach. We discussed managed retreat to deal eroding coasts and the loss of sand we see happening in areas in Southern Ca.

This was followed up with a discussion of Ocean Ecosystems. This topic covers areas such as Marine Protected Areas, Offshore Drilling, Renewable Ocean Energy and Marine Spatial Planning. We were presented with some possible plans that are in the works to open our oceans to new oil drilling and the use of seismic surveys which are truly destructive and severely disheartening. http://www.nottheanswer.org/


We then got out for lunch. Whew! I needed the break. My heart aching from the knowledge and understanding of just how well we have fucked up our world.  What a mess! But this sorrow is buoyed by the knowledge that I am in a room surrounded by many people who each represents others in their communities who are trying to make a dent in problem and are finding effective ways to do just that. In these folks in hope. I have to cling to that or sink. I slipped away briefly during the break to get a breath of fresh air and check out the break. This is what is important to me. This is what I fight for. This is what we all fight for.

After returning from lunch, the rise above plastics program was discussed. Here we learned more about Hawaiis state wide bag ban and the details that lead up to that huge victory. and afterwards we broke out into workshops and tours. One was a walking tour of the restoration that has taken place nearby at Surfers Point. I had the opportunity to take this particular tour last year and found it quite fascinating. It deals with the removal of a dam and the return of the natural creek bed and marshland.

The second tour was for Ocean Friendly Gardens. OFG's are gardens that utilize native plants and minimize water usage as well as cut out the need for fertilizers. http://www.surfrider.org/programs/entry/ocean-friendly-gardens d. went and got completely stoked on the idea of building up this program in our local chapter.

Next there was a workshop on ways to assist with the Tsunami Debris that has begun to and will continue to impact our coasts. Chief attended this session and determined that one way that the average beach cleanup volunteer can assist is through using the Marine Debris Tracker Ap http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/

Last up was a workshop on the Blue Ocean Task Force. This is the one I had the pleasure of attending. Blue water task force is a program run by chapters to test the water quality in their areas. The idea with the project  is determine and address chronically toxic waters and alert the beach users.  http://www.surfrider.org/blue-water-task-force I was in touch with a teacher last year who wanted to try and partner with us at the HS level. I am afraid, that that has been a slow going project as it was unfamiliar terrain. However, a teacher from SoCal has implemented such a program and we will be utilizing him as a serious resource to get our program.  Another thing that came from this meeting was the knowledge that all the chapters testing and the most resent water testing results are posted on the website in a simple interactive format... including Kaua'i. Excuse me a moment while I momentarily dreams of beaches on Hawaii.

End Day 1!


Surf!

The promise of a south swell didn't quite manifest perfect conditions. The currents was extraordinarily strong as the tide was coming in which made for hard paddling, not to mention a strong off shore breeze which made things a bit choppy. But Damn it was great to be in the water!! The other surfers were particularly friendly. d got some super instructions from a charming father named Duke, who was out with his young son. Turns out he knew what his was talking about. Later we would learn that his is the the son of legendary board shaper, Ben Aipa. and has truely grown up in the water.  It was a fine time.

Then we cleaned up and headed out to a social which was hosted by the Ventura chapter and held at the Bombay Grill. (also within walking distance from the hotel). The chapter mates and I found entertainment in the big wave surf spank vids that lit up the tvs as well as people watching and debating who we considered the top 5 vocalists of all time... or at least those whose voice we would want to possess. And then... we ate. We ate meat! Even the vegetarian had bacon on her veggie burger. She said to give it flavor. I, with once in a life time gusto, indulged in the Chuck Wagon Burger.  It was very meaty, super greasy and just to damn big to completely devour.

Chief - yeah he always looks eager like that.

d and AJ

After our meal we wandered into the festivities and got to hear Todd Hannigan playing. If you don't know him check him out http://toddhannigan.com/about/ and then go listen to some of his music on I-tunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id520872832 unfortunately I can not critique his music (or praise it as I think the case may end up being) because the room was so extraordinarily loud. These socials are like reunions for many and had X. been with us, I know we would have been more conversational with our fellow summit attendees. Not that it matters much as I got to know my existing chapter members much better which will improve our overall functioning and afterall isn't that what we want to get out of these little rendezvous'  Anyway.. what I did hear of Todd Hannigan was melodious and nice for waltzing your way through the crowd. Isn't that right AJ? ;) Eventually we wandered back to the hotel and deposited Ron to retire to his room and we then returned to the streets. We made sure avoid Palm court .. as that place just looked plain shady!

Anyway...AJ, d and I went in search of dancing. We came to a rockin little joint  with a  band doing the cure and others '80's covers and it sounded up our collective alleys but the line was out the door so we decided to circle the block and see if anything else might also appeal..We came to the last place Brad had pointed out to us on our previous nights tour and decided to check it out.  Wow! It was a tribute band to the 70's just as the bar we had passed up was a tribute band to the 80's. And they were well put together. The place was packed with my mothers age range boogying to Car Wash and Santana and other jive classics. Some were totally getting their freak on. Its good to see that there are happy horny people at every age.. but its also sort of disturbing. This is what the dating scene looks like for my mother. No wonder shes not interested in looking. haha. After getting down with our bads selves a bit on the dance floor, we eventually turned in.

Cock a doodle doo! Dawn Patrol! (Is 8:00 early enough to be considered dawn patrol?) We once again hit the waves outside the hotel. The wind was down and we went fighting an incoming high tide so the waves were smoother and larger but still some work to contend with.  I was a bit stiff from the previous evenings session and that coupled with the fighting of a cold,  I admit I was far more content just straddling my stick while enjoying the water and the sun. d. was, however, far more gong ho.to catch a wave. She threw herself at wave after wave but her timing is a little off. She needs someone to tell her when to start paddling. Not that Im any better, so I couldn't really help but let her have at em. So anyway, its wrapping up time to go and this bigger wave.. 7-8 starts building up behind her. Shes golden! She goes for it..  Shes right there.. just about to smack the lip and ... AAAAARRGGGHH!!! she just missed it. but from where I was sitting it really was not a bad thing as the wave closed out.

So then it was back again to the conference and  our breakout sessions. We rotated through various topics which included 1. Volunteer Recruiting, and Retention Best Practices. 2. Increase Membership 3. Run an effective chapter 4. Fundraising effectively 5. Starting SF Quad Clubs at local schools and Finally 6. Garnering Media Attention.. These classes were a serious reminder of what all needs to be done in order to grow and sustain our chapter and those tools will start being put to use  once I finish up this summary of events. We have a lot of work to do. But I think we can have some fun together doing it as well.  Putting together next years calendar of events and planning out our volunteer needs and also planning a party for November .. there is a lot on my plate and after this I may not have much to report until after our Return of the Waves party. Stay tuned for details! Which reminds me that I need to ask my Cuz if I can use one of his  doodles for the chapter. Id have to run it by the committee to see how it might be used exactly but .. eh?

So yes.. work can wait just a moment longer .. enough for me to finish this tale.. an invasion of thoughts and a list of to dos  is momentarily subdued.. After going through the various workshops AJ d and I set off. but out leaving was far from smooth or timely. First off I had parked in the hotel parking garage and arrived with only two boards. I was well within the height clearance. Leaving I had 4 boards. Thump....ummm...Thump... ooops! We solved the crisis with minimal damage but it put us on delay and then d was hungry when we were leaving so we stopped early on and at the height of lunch in a lively little downtown which just added some lengthy minutes to the clock. However the Grilled Veggy sandwich d picked up for me was damn near worth the wait. Once again my appreciation goes out to Tour Master Brad ! Also, always remember to add on a few extra hours of time when taking hwy 1 as opposed to the 101. However, I could not not have asked for a more beautiful or pleasant drive. We stopped along the way to view the Elephant seals who beach relatively near Hearst Castle. AJ was a wonderful trip home tour guide.Thanks for being our wheel man and know that the drive and the lessons and stories along the way were well worth the extra few hours it took. Plus who could account for the fire?  Dont worry about it!

Finally...
If things had been any different I would not had any idea what I will be aiming to paint next. But now I know.. This is the Chub Tub Speeding along Highway 1 through Big Sur at the height of Sunset.   And that concludes my coverage of the conference. I expect I will remain relatively quiet for a while but will be back by the first week in November with an update if not sooner with various little  "snippets"

Aloha!
Mamaskylark

Sharing Air

Hello and good morning Mom!

(and all)

October!  Fall! The Return of the Waves and… wow.. Morning S(u/o)n!

So what to cover?  Quite a bit actually.  First off lets address the question on everyone’s mind.. or at least on Auntie S’s:   "How is school going?"

School is moving along perfectly.. well maybe not perfectly.  My additional student, Hummingbird ,

(so named because her little heart  beats a million miles a minute) has been stumbling a little under the HS load but she keeps plowing through and with a little dedication will soon catch up.. if she stays focused.  She is a love lorn teen who is easily wrapped up in daydreams and musical schemes and so her attention needs the occasional refocus but she managed to stay on task most of the time. Shes a good kid.

 I expect her to return to the public school system next year and Im certain she will be ready.  Which is good.  Ive been watching and debating my choices when my two get to the HS level.  I know I want them to have that experience. Being at home really is isolating to a degree and the lack of extra curricular (although I have to say we are doing well to try and fill in those gaps) not to mention the need to learn social and working interactions.. mine are certainly HS bound.

Little Tree Climber (so named because she is my monkey) is doing well. She is keeping up and is fairly self sufficient in the classroom.  Here is a self portrait she drew in art class.  Her teacher found it interesting because of all the self portraits, hers was the only one that had the student looking off.

Chicken Little ( whatever else would I call him?) has taken to the homeschooling well. We are reading Robinson Caruso at the moment and he is managing his coursework easily (well not spelling.. but holy cow! Some of his words I can’t spell!) He is keeping a steady pace and enjoying it. No complaints from him! When he is not sitting with me and working he is often drawing. He leans towards more abstract and fiction pieces.

Our days typically begin between 8:30 and 9:00 and we work fairly steadily until about 3. Some days are a little longer and we have playtime with others and field-trips sprinkled in.

   

Halloween is coming up. So what do the kids want to be? Connor wants to be Steve from minecraft wearing a creeper mask. If you know the game you will understand why this I find this funny. Yes we have been struck by the minecraft bug. Chicken Little has always loved rocks and video games. A game that combines the two in a lego like world setting... He is in heaven. Its not a game I can complain much about in regards to the content however I am always watching to make sure it doesn't become a time sink or to something to fight over.

Little Tree Climber on the other hand has picked something far more… ummm… disturbing and hilarious … for her costume.  She wants to be cuddles from happy tree friends. These fuzzy furry cute happy animals get slaughtered episode after episode in gruesome bloody ways.  Papa  just finds it disturbing and can’t stomach much but Ive never heard my girl laugh so hard in all her life.. at least at the one episode she has seen.  Anyway..

Papa had his annual employee appreciation picnic last month. There were water balloons, bounce houses, food and family fun. Hes plant was selected as one of the top 5 places to work in the county. It was a wonderful beautiful day inland where the picnic was held.  I spent a good chuck of it talking to one employee .. an older gentleman sporting a shirt which said “Got Radiance”. He had grown up in Peru and so I learned of History and food and culture.  We talked about global concerns. It was pleasant and delightful. (Mom.. click on the following to play it!) 

(you may be asking why Zep? Because  at the last minute papa asked me to bring my Ipod  for background music at the event but given the make up of the group I didn't have any really applicable music so... we listened to Zep and CCR and other classic rock.) 

What else? Duck Hunting season is just about upon us so I have been working on a commemorative poem..

Duck on the water, paddling around

Up I come sneaking, without any sound

See you I do, as you swim about

If I had a gun, Id shoot you.. No Doubt!

Ok so its not a great poem. If I had more wordsmithing time Im sure I could spin quiet a tale.

Speaking of stories.. this past weekend I went to the Annual West Coast summit for Surfrider . It was super fun. That story to come shortly. I am still digesting the information from that and will be pulling together a summary blog of what I absorbed from the event soon as far as content. In the mean time the social aspect was a blast, I learned a lot and I got in the water as well! A busy productive and enjoyable weekend. (except for the whole being sick part)  Papa and the kiddies had themselves an equally eventful weekend filled with play-dates, parties, Mucking horse stalls, Blue Ocean film festival attending, and a friends school pageant. Once I arrived home i after exchanging brief hellos and goodbyes with Papa just in time to release him so he could head to Canada for his own work conference.  

My birthday is coming up this weekend. Fun stuff. I had planned to just take the family to see Frankenweiny but now I think I might actually take some time to celebrate over drinks and desert with friends.. in addition to the movie that is. We will see what pans out. 

Brother Billy Goat! I have not forgotten you. I plan to start offering a commentary on each of your favorite movies.. one at a time Starting with Tommy Boy. I don't know it and will have to watch it and comment next time. Just a little more patience! 

Also coming up soon.. a book review of the 5th Sacred Thing which was recommended to me by a long time friend and which Im just about done with. :) 

A shout out to Megs and Lisa! Miss you guys as well! Next time we are up that way we will work in a visit!

Charlie.. I miss you too!

That about does it for the moment. Time to get back to it! Hugs and Love! 

Mamaskylark