Dropping Acid

Hi Mom! You probably think my title means Im doing drugs. But No! That is not the case. No cause for alarm. I assure you my insanity comes naturally!

 Im referring in this particular case to my sweet little girl (No she is not doing drugs either!) and our realization that she most likely is suffering from GERD and has since she was an infant. Her colicky nature.. the tonsils and throat.. and the stomach aches she has complained of continually since she could talk.. the pieces all finally making some sort of sense.  With this realization, we now know that we really need to work on minimizing/eliminating the acid producers in our diet... So that is what I meant by the title... well..  that and the fact that it was sort of contextually funny.

In other news.. For the first time in a long time, I went surfing on wed. with my surfrider pal X. Casa Verde was pounding... the picture is deceptive. As we are looking down on the break it does not look like it is throwing out anything very big. But once you are in the water you realize those 3 footers are really around 7 and getting past those breaker is going to be a bit of a bit&^.  But X. has skills and following her lead I soon found myself grabbing a wave or two or three. I didn't even try to stand... there was joy enough on just skimming the waves.  As we were wrapping up and looking to claim one last ride in (the winds had just shifted and the water was turning choppy), another surfer joined the line up. He turned and began paddling for a wave. I looked to the wave to gauge his timing and ... my breath caught in my throat.. a 5 foot long silver body silhouetted in the wave.. moving fast.. right towards him. It took me a hair of a second to assess.. no fin. not shark, not dolphin. By this time the wave is beginning to catch the surfer and the underwater projectile is on course straight for him. The gigantic seal turns and buzzes the surfer like a plane passing to close and purposefully past an air control tower. Zoom! Was he chasing food or being chased himself?  Who knows. It was something to see though.

Once we got out, X. was approached by a looker on-er who insistently questioned her as to what would ever make her go out into these waves. He was from Santa Cruz and could not fathom why we would choose to ride such rough water when Santa Cruz and the famous hook is just up the road. She tried to explain that she didn't usually travel for waves. This is our home and our break and we ride it when we can even if it is not perfection. He could not grasp the idea. Just kept going on about how crappy it was. Dude didn't see the seal.. If he had he might have been reminded that there is magic in our waters even if the waves here are rarely glassy.

Anyway.. anyone out there looking for a VW conversion van with a Mits. engine? When I walked up, I didn't realize X.s van was anything out of the ordinary at first but I realized that was not the case when she threw open the door to put her board in. What a sweet ride with 4 wheel drive. Her man JP is looking to sell it. Approx. 40K give or take. I don't know the exact details except that it made me drool a little and that it was out of my price range. Drop me a line if interested and I will put you in contact.

And speaking of dropped lines.. I got this little response in my inbox from "Eats Your Heart Out" in Reno about my views on Cheesecake factory..

"I am totally with you on the cheesecake factory.  I feel more and more like that about restaurants.  I rarely enjoy a meal out now - Prefer to cook at home and spend the money on something else.  Isn't it silly that I'd rather drop $40 at a nice bar than at a crappy restaurant?  haha"  

Im right there with you completely Eats! Plus I really like being able to know without a doubt where the ingredients are coming from that I choose to feed my family with. Cooking at home gives me more control over that as opposed to the processed foods you get at your typical restaurant these days... and its cheaper! :)

Ok Im off and running!
Love you!

Ism and Schism

This week has been fraught with good news and bad news. Ups and downs and turn arounds.
Through it a bit of insanity abounds. But only a little.

Willow and Connor have both been selected to attend ISM. ISM? Yes ISM!  International School Of Monterey. This is a public charter school which children get enrolled via lottery system. Ive applied to the lottery system every year since we moved. It is a very prestigious school with a great academic record. It focuses on the sciences. And they offer fencing lessons.  Willow is stoked! Connor not so much. But this will be a good thing for him to practice a little more structure.

So you ask why stop homeschooling... Well.. I can only give them a limited perspective. This has been great in so many ways. I have loved it. So have they. But I also see where I fall short. How hearing mostly one voice does not necessarily give them a large enough world perspective.. among other things.. mostly social. For in reality, I may be sweet and nice and smart and all that but Im not out there among people as I generally don't like them. But the world is full of people and the kids need to learn to relate a little more. This break from the system has been healing and good for all of us. It has given the kids a chance to focus on the curriculum. To allow Willow to take a breath from the turbulent social waters of Jr. High and become independent and confident in herself without being needlessly torn down and for Connor to take a break from the stress of keeping up with others whose motor skills have outpaced his own. By the time he goes back I hope to have him pretty much moving at a good and comfortable writing speed. Though that will mean some dedicated practice over the summer months. Time to start looking into Uniforms!

That's the ism. Now to address the schism.

The landlord is none to thrilled that I have more people living here and did not mention it sooner. I will admit that I was short sighted in mentioning it to him but.. If I got pregnant in this home with triplets.. hes not the first person Id call... and its not that different of a boat... unexpected growth of a family unit. Anyway, he has kicked them out and so they are currently couch hopping with the neighbors and others and shelters while we get things settled and home regulations with the home association regarding the number of people in a home are addressed. I know I have been looking.. feelers out.. for another home to move into. But the truth is that Id rather not have to move, especially with the kids getting into this school. And the hassle. Who likes to move? I can't recall if I mentioned it but it looks as though buying a house is out. The foreclosure being what it was. Still to soon. So I have had an eye on rentals. Not a whole lot out there but some maneuverability can be found with regards to it. When I talked to the land lord I also asked him if he would consider lowering the rent. I did this before knowing that the additional people was going to be such a thorn in his side.  He recently refinanced (or attempted to) and when he called five months ago to say that the appraiser would be by.  I asked him then if he got it re-fied if he would consider dropping the rent some. He said he would take it into consideration. I had not talked to him since. My bringing it up again along with the new roommates really made him see red and he told me that if the homeowners research bared out where the additional people were not an issue, that he would probably raise the rent.

Anyway.. I don't know what is going to happen in the next little while. All we can do is see how the pins fall.

In other news, the engine in the car greg traded for the motorcycle is completely destroyed. Now to figure out how to contend with that as well. ugghh.

I know it all sounds like lots of chaos and drama.. and to some extent it is.. but I recognize all of these things are but mole hills and I know we can and will navigate them without taking on any major water. We can contend with these challenges. They are minor all things considered.

I've got good music on my radio

 

The house is quiet but for the hum of the fridge and the swish of the washing machine. Greg off holed up in a snowy hotel and conference center in  Essex, Verrmont.

 The rest of the house asleep. Gin and tonic course through my veins. A rare pleasure.. reminds me of a hot summer and the dream of cool breezes carrying the scent of juniper and pine. Things continue to bloom and spring has me diving into all sorts of dark corners. Cleaning out cobwebs and organizing clutter (this week I have tackled the kitchen pantry and fridge, the budget, my bedroom closet). The action carries over not only in the physical but also in the mental realms as well as I take stock of where I am and comparing it to where I wanted to be now when I dreamt 5 years ago. I didn’t fall to far from the mark. Pretty damn dead on if you ask me.. But that doesn’t mean this bushy leafy life of mine doesn’t need a little pruning and clipping to maximize its health and vitality. With that in mind and the knowledge that in just a matter of time we should be transplanting somewhere else inland (Cost space considerations being taken well into account and all options ..few as they are.. are being weighed), I have put in my resignation to Surfrider. Two years of dedicated work and commitment is enough. I can’t continue to juggle that work and everything else. When I retire, I can be the most awesomest volunteer ever! But for now my attention is divided and my children will always win. If I had the time...  But I don’t.. and so I must say farwell.  I have told the chapter that I will remain on through May in order to finish off some duties and transfer responsibilities. Knowing that my job is finally wrapping up has come as something of a relief. I was never looking for a not paid full time job. Not that I spend THAT much time a day on the organization, but it would have to be if I wanted to carry out my duties to fullest. Anyway.. moving on to champion other things. What those things will be?!  ... Time to dream up the next 5 year plan.

 

Easter/Ostara

A trip to the fish market on the wharf... sky is grey... and there isn't any swell.. but..

 















Fresh and local King Crab and calamari for dinner...








Easter Baskets and candy...

 
 
 

 

An ”Immerse yourself in Spring and the awakening world around you” walk with Mrs. Vicci...




 

 Died eggs and had a hunt...





followed by a fantastic feast.

I would call it an almost perfect day. (I do like my days warmer you know.)

 

April Fools

Sand City Silliness?? Yes that carton says 07 and yes it was that rotten. x2 containers. The store didn't even care!

 

 

and the closet cleaning came to a SCREETCHing halt

when I stumbled upon a jem of a collectors item. Or maybe its not a collectors item... Im not sure. I looked it up to see and I found this description of the Save by the bell board game (it is still in its original packaging)  http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/368.html  reading this almost makes we want to break it open. I know I could win a date with Zack!!

 

Ummm... so now the question.. now that I have found it.. do I keep it?

Kapow!!

Greg was certain our hunter safety cards had been lost in time and space. The course taken when we were 12 and 15 respectfully. Of course I have them! He owes me something big for this one. Something worth two weekends and 15 bucks (which is what it cost to retake the class).. . Now he can try to join my cousin for some backwoods Nevada "fun." An excursion to the far corners of Nevada where Greg grew up and learned to hunt and fish and live off the land alongside his father. Some people shudder at the thought of slaughtering an animal for food. And to a large degree I would prefer to live a vegetarian lifestyle. But the truth is  not much grows in northern Nevada and hunting is more of a necessity than it is here in the heart of agricultural abundance. Anyway.. A trip of this sort would be good for Gregs spirit, reconnect with the land and his dads spirit. My dad's spirit will probably tag along too. But since he can't eat it, he's not likely going to be carrying a gun.  Speaking of Hunters Safety, I am lining up the children to take the course themselves in the early fall.

Would you like window dressing with that chow?

So someone asked me about what I really thought about the cheese cake factory... having glanced over it last time I wrote.. well... hmmm... it was as good a Chilli's dressing up to go to the mall. A large selection of mediocre food wrapped up in fancy atmosphere. Look the walls and lighting are pretty.. Im so distracted I don't stop to think about what uninspired food I am really eating.  But there is cheesecake. A rare indulgence. And the cheesecake is goooood... but... In reality, we can make our own damn cheesecake! Service? Again mediocre. They spilled the appetizer in Gregs lap but they took care to bring another without charge. Otherwise the restaurant was super jumping and perfunctory attention was all that we received. Again.. a run of the mill experience.  Anyway.. I suppose that I could excuse the blandness of this restaurant if I had have been able to enjoy the company I was keeping. If I am out with wonderful people with whom I am capable of conversing... the quality of the meal and service can be poor and I might not even notice.. gorging on ideas leaving my mind full of higher thoughts. eh.. who cares that the food tastes like cardboard!  Not so at the cheesecake factory. The din and drone of the other diners effectively made speaking, with any sort of deliberateness, a chore and a challenge. I don't like it when I have to raise my voice. Anyway.. tell us how you really feel.. umm... yep. so there you have it. Cheesecake factory.. Not super stoked at the idea of ever going back.

Catching a Breath of Air

I took Connor in for a follow up at the Asthma and Allergy clinic. The new inhaler has improved his general lung functioning. We are now working our way through the insurance to see about getting him allergy shots.

Well.. that brings me to the end.. of everything that comes to mind... in the matter of time.. that I set aside to write all this. Which actually amounts to three nights. P.S I did not drink gin every night... sometimes... there was wine.  Anyway.. a quick congrats to the roomy for quitting smoking, a quick congrats to the kids for jobs well done in school and being awesome little people, to hummingbird for such a big turn around in effort this quarter at school. See.... Hard work does pay off. Look at those grades improve! And since Im sharing strokes.. To Greg for just being awesome.

Oh and one last sound byte... those Craigs List Personals..... All I can do is Chudder (Chuckle/shudder) at the thought. Enough said. Enjoy your day!

On Another Day In March..

..much fun was had worth remembering.

We packed up the household and found ourselves cruising into SF for a day of fun at the zoo. After making it through the obstacle course of a Freeway.. Two bicycles fell out of a truck in front of me on the freeway. Fortunately they only took up half a lane and I was able to quickly maneuver around them.  Greg coming up behind me, didn't have as much reaction time but also managed to maneuver it. In the mean time the truck owner stops in the middle of the slow lane to get his bikes so that lane was responding to their own emergencies. It could have been bad! And it left my nerves a bit jangled. Later we would come around an off ramp to find a car stopped in the middle of the lane as well. I think it was a good reminder to our up and coming drivers about being a vigilant driver who always pays attention to the road. So anyway.. we hit the zoo... all of us.. alive and well.

 The kids are getting older and we figured that this may actually be the last time any of them ever go to a Zoo at least as children.  I expect they may take their own someday but its not likely that they will have this type of experience again for a while.

Now my initial emotional reaction is sort of down on the whole Zoo idea. Animals trapped in cages for human entertainment. It is sort of sad. But as I wandered the Zoo I realized just how many of the animals they have in captivity were rescued from severe and often crippling injuries. When I take that into consideration, I can appreciate the experience  much more and realize that while not ideal, these animals do have a decent quality of life.

There was another thing I liked about this zoo. The habitats are well thought out for both the animal and the viewer. We felt like we were able to get rather up close and personal with the animals and yet for the most part they seemed very content with the amount of space and design of space that has been set aside for them.

 half a giraffe...

Geese and Goslings

 

 





Greg had a great time playing with the camera. He captured many wonderful photos.. too many to share here. The best one he captured by far ended up being a fluke of reflections on glass but it really captures the juxtaposition of being the observer and the observed.

The drive home was uneventful with the exception of hitting the cheesecake factory for dinner on the way home. It was a excellent day trip and everyone had a lot of fun.



There will be time enough for (Re)counting when the dealings done

I feel as though I have been mighty quiet as of late. I suppose after a day sitting at the ol' compy doing school work with the three.. well.. my time, drive and desire to sit at a computer (Speaking of ol' compy. It took a nose dive after plugging in my 10 year old first addition Ipod which has not been synced or otherwise connected in about 7 years. That was a dumb move because it fried up my laptop.. Yay new computer. Yay interest free financing!)  you know.. I just don't have much desire at the moment.. Anyway, life is lived off the computer and with a household of 7 now.. there is a lot of life happening around me. Its kind of fun actually. A lot like white water rafting.   I guess, for the time being, I am going to let go of feeling like I need to or want to express every small detail, moment and sigh I encounter. Rather I will simply immerse myself in the tangible. Weigh Anchor. Break out the camera. And write home with glory and/or gory stories when I hit port. Speaking of.. many fun adventures planned this summer.. Starting with a trip into the City tomorrow.  

 

Shark Dialogues .. Amazing book. If you have any interest in History, Hawaii, Coffee,  or have a strong affection for the ocean and human spirit, then this is a book for you. It was hard to get into at first.. hard to catch on to the stylistic way of expressing. Thoughts sometimes strung together. But once the story turned its eye back in time. I was caught. Anyway.. read it.

 

Greg and I took in a comedian not to long ago .. Steven Wright. My cousin recommended we check out his act. It was good. Hes presence on stage is slouchy and mumbly so you have to listen hard or you miss it. The woman sitting next to me.. she wasn't listening so well. And all of her irritating constant questions to her "date"  about "what did he say" and "whys that funny." made it a little bit harder for me to hear as well. Finally she shut up .. to play on her phone. Dude! If you don't want to be there then leave!. The guy next to Greg.. he was something else himself. But in a total gregarious and friendly way. An aspiring comedian... who also has the worlds longest tongue in the world... I think Ill focus on his comedy as the tongue was just freaky..  

 

Off on a tangent.. I was contemplating how things are coming together with roommates and how we settle in and find our rhythms...And I have to liken it like grooves in vinyl.. together we make music and I like the sound of our 7 part harmony. And then I expanded that thought outward and imagined the cacophony that envelopes the street, the city, the country, the world. Its quite a discordant racket out there!

 

Lastly, this poem was part of school curriculum. I like the analogy.

 

Surfing

by A. Gautam

Across the whitest sands

of my empty page

I ride the waves of words,

in the world of ink.

I surf the rhymes

the curves, the lines,

one thought, then two

ideas new.

The rhythm flows;

the stanzas splash.

My words afloat

the page is filled at last.

 

 

Lots of love! Good Night! 

Turning Grey with the weight of responsibility

You may have heard something in the news today. A company lays off a large number of employees. You think of us. No worries. We made the cut but Greg has come out of this far from unscathed. He is the one overseeing the chopping block. . Men and women .. . Some of whom he has secret handshakes with . Some of whom have cried on his shoulder. He cares about these people. They are his extended family. Making this cut is one of the hardest, most heartbreaking things he will ever do in his career. He has been carrying the knowledge of the weight of this responsibility for some time. Its nothing he could announce early.. there is a legal side of stock exchange and insider trading which requires secrecy leading up to such matters. It is nothing he would want to announce early.. panic.. stress reaching elevated levels prematurely. .. So knowing it has been coming has been something he has shouldered in relative silence. Today he finally was able to exhale and now begins the long hard process of a few days filled with back to back half hour long meetings with each designated employee to give them their termination interview. Some will go with dignity. Some in shock. Some in anger. Some in fear. Each and everyone of them.. a stone for him to carry. But he is heading into these heartbreaking meetings knowing that every available resource has been scoured up to help them all gain their feet. A decent severance package. Employment placing opportunities.. the works. Today he has to steel himself against sorrow and guilt. He must act with a certain amount of detached severity. And then tomorrow (or when the initial action is over) he will pause, he will feel and then he will weep for each of them… Who could hold back an ocean of tears that big for very long? In other news.. Willow now has rubber bands with her braces. Her jaw being pulled.. stretched. She aches. But in the end all of her teeth will fit in her mouth. Unfortunately pain is just part of the process. She is hanging in there though. Finally!! We have begun the journey of getting Connors allergies diagnosed and dealt with. Monday he had the skin testing as well as a respiratory test to see how his asthma is being taken care of. Turns out he is allergic to different trees, grass, mold, weeds, animals and dust/dust mites.. . most extremely to dust mites and dust. His asthma which I believed we have pretty well maintained .. turns out not so much. His normal breathing is quite restricted. Hes now trying advair. Poor guy. We have an appointment on Monday to plot our course of action. Life in all other ways is flowing along..business as usual and nothing to complain about. The time change came and I reset my own clock along with it by pulling an all nighter while Greg was in Orlando Florida. Oh.. Greg was in Florida last weekend for a Manufacturing Exposition. It offered a little calm and sun and fun before the storm. (I sent him out the door this morning with an extra hug and a goose for good measure.) We continue to get settled in with our new roomies and things seem to be progressing there with relative ease. Homeschooling.. we have our rhythm down and are working in block style. One subject done in depth per day rather many subjects scattered lightly across each day. And my highschooler, I think, has finally lengthened her stride a little bit and the grades are improving. Now lets see her keep it up!

Bursting at the seams

Im stopping for a moment. Feet up. Relaxed. This rest day/morning is wholey welcome even if it comes at the expense of a little health. My body telling me to take it easy close myself away and deal with things like bills and paperwork and maybe even throw up and then have a little nap. Each of the kids have their assignments which they are capable of working independently on today. Sun shining despite the promise of rain. Birds chirping. Allergens down because of the rain showers during the night. Its a perfect time to stop and smell the flowers in my garden.. so to speak. The last month flew by in a full on frenzy of activity. Id love to detail it all in painstaking detail as is usually my style when talking travel and the like but, In order to capture it, that all would require far more energy than then I really want to devote to it at the moment. But a quick run down looks like this. Superbowl and My Grandfather passed away. We gained three roommates three days after. Long story short we have adopted a family (hummingbirds) for a bit while they get through a rough patch. Then Valentines. Then a flight to Portland. Catching up with Family.. with my Brother. Getting a walking tour from Rebecca, an old friend, of the Hollywood District Mansions and meeting the freshest smelling bushy tree (it didn't offer up a solid whiff on our pass on by and when the owner of the house emerged we figured it better to wander on then leave our noses all up in his bush.)There was also the sampling of salted Carmel. I didn't much like it. There were nifty roadside libraries. There was the City sprawl and banked curves on the freeways (For rain drainage) which made you think you were going faster around corners then you really were. I drove through it knowing full well that life in such a City would depress me and leave me very ill.(It made me relfect on just how wonderful it is to live were we do.) The service. The remembering. The celebration of a life well lived. More family. A cousin I never met before. Laughter. Seeing the image of what I will look like when I am 70 and all grey as I gaze at my Aunt. Dinner at a cousins whom I don't know well as an adult but whom I loved as child and finding some of the same art decorates our walls. A bed and breakfast. Strange experience. Not bad. Still digesting and will need to try another B&B to compare the experience with. Anyway.. Back home and the settling in continues. Learning routines and adapting to others. Its a process for us all but we are meshing quite well. We are straining at the seams a little though and so the house hunt continues. Coming up Greg is going to be traveling like crazy.. more than usual. Work is taking its toll on him and we are looking forward to a little vacation whose planning is in the works. Simply saying we are busy doesn't seem to begin to cover it. But life is as good as can be.