Happy Solstice!!!

The Sacramento Bee reminded me that today is the Winter Solstice! You know what that means? The days get longer from here on out!!

We've entered Sacramento's rainy season, so it's been feeling pretty wet around here. Some more minutes of light will help lessen the gloomy affects of rain.

I have to admit, the rain feels good. It's nice to get everything washed out once in a while. My car is looking better than it has in a long time!!

Learn about the Solstice here.

Aloha!

Aloha!!

I just returned to the mainland from a dreamy week on the island of Maui spent with my sister and boyfriend. I ask you, what more could one ask for?

Here's a brief synopsis of the trip...

One day of travel (post wild birthday party!) arriving in Maui in the early evening. Plenty of time to tour the Marriot Resort and hit Whaler's Village for dinner :) Our first tropical drink: Mai Tai's of course. Then, we discovered the "Lava Flow". This became the drink of the week. Yup, it's got coconut in it. I think I like coconut now... Of course, we hit the spa before retiring to the sound of the ocean crashing outside our room.

Day One: We drove the road to Hana stopping to tour a lava tube (cave below the ground left from flowing lava!). The lava tube was used as a fall out shelter for a while, but is now open to public tourists who love to wear bright yellow hard hats and carry big flashlights. We lunched at Hana Bay and continued the road around the perimeter of Maui stopping for a swim in the Seven Pools.

Day Two: We were up bright and early for a 7am boat departure for a snorkeling adventure. It turned into an opportunity to SNUBA!!! It's as cools a scuba diving, but you don't have to carry the air tank. It floats on a raft and you are connected via tube. We had 20 foot tubes and weight belts to help us sink down to swim with the fishies. It really is a completely different world down there. We didn't get a chance to swim with them, but we saw some LARGE green sea turtles off the side of the boat :)

The afternoon was spent recovering at the resort playing in the pool and on the waterslide

Day Three: We slept in and cruised over to the Ocean Center, to see and learn about all the marine life we swam with the day before :) The sea turtles at the Ocean Center were tiny compared to the ones we saw in the ocean! The afternoon involved a stroll under the 1 acre banyan tree and a little Lahaina shopping. Evening brought the Luau! Every trip to Hawaii has to include a luau! We watched the pig get dug out of the sand pit...he was already all chopped up! The dancing inspired me to work on my hula.

Day Four: This day of luxury started with a real restaurant breakfast at Moose McGillicuddy's. Sis loved the banana muffin. Stuffed to the brim, we took our ritzy selves to the Shops at Wailea and visited all those brand name stores that we can't afford. But, we could afford to look (and gawk). We bought stuff at the ABC store! From there, we walked along the water front path that passes the high end hotels...we toured the gardens and pools of the Grand Wailea, the Fairmont, etc. We thought our waterslide was cool, until we lost count of the number of water slides at the Grand Wailea. It just goes to show that just when you think you have it all....there is always more.

Day Five: We drove up to the top of Mount Haleakala to view the eroded crater and more recent cinder cones (volcanic vents). It was totally cold and windy up there! Back down at the tropical elevation, we strolled through a botanical garden. Yup, even in December, there are beautiful flowers to be seen! We stopped at IAO Valley State Park on our way back and gazed at the phalic monument of a mountain (something important to the Hawaiian culture I think...I wasn't one of the two sign readers on the trip). I did see that the sign said it was 133 steps to the view point. I counted as I went up. The sign is correct.

Day Six: For our last full day on the island, we decided that we needed to spend it in true resort style. We layed by the beach for the morning (dug a huge hole to China) and played in the pool for the afternoon. It's truly amazing how time flies when your relaxing.

Another day of traveling rounded out the trip...and I'm back in the winterland of Sacramento.


-Mahalo

28 today :)

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday dear Wingnut
Happy Birthday to Me

YIPPEE!!! And many more.... on channel 44.... I smell like a monkey...and look like one too. (he he)

Words for the Holidays

With my new gym membership, I'm hoping to become a regular at the yoga classes.... I started last night (building up core strength for digesting Turkey!).

The yoga instructor at my gym leaves us with a reading after each class. Last night's message was very applicable to our lives all year round, but should specifically be remembered during the holidays when we experience crowds at the mall, minor family stresses, etc. She read from Mother Theresa that if everyone in the world smiled more it would be a better place.

I've believed this for a long long time, and I ask you (fellow readers) to pass on some smiles this holiday season. They are contagious :) See, I made you smile right? All the silly traditions we have are for fun, so enjoy them!

:) :) :) :) HAPPY SMILES :) :) :) :) HAPPY THANKSGIVING :) :) :) :)

Countdown to T-Day

Turkey Day is almost here…. Are you ready for Pumpkin Pie? Are you ready for stuffing (no oysters this year)? Are you ready for Turkey. I know of one Turkey, named Marco Pollo, which will be cooked up in gourmet style.

I baked an apple pie with the apples we picked (from the bin) at Apple Hill. There really isn’t that much bad stuff in an Apple Pie… sugar mainly. Is Crisco bad? The crust came out pretty darn well if I do say so myself. You’re supposed to eat fruit for breakfast right? Apples are fruit and sugar :)

So..the motto for the holidays is this: If it’s home made, it has no bad calories! In fact, it would be an insult to the chef not to eat home baked pies and cookies. Chow Down!!!

WWW: Wild Wingnut Weekend

It's Friday already! Let me catch you up on last weekend so you'll be ready for the stories from this weekend...

Last weekend was centered around getting together with some of my best girlfriends. (-A- fled to the mountains knowing there would be a gaggle of girls in the house.)


You wouldn't believe the WILD activities we did!
-Dinner in Old Sacramento followed by serious chatting
-Lazy Saturday morning
-Saturday Afternoon trip to Apple Hill
-Evening Take-Out from PF Chang's accompanied by Season 3 of The Gilmore Girls! We watched until midnight (it filled in so many gaps for me!) and called "lights out".
-Sunday morning at the Fox & Goose for breakfast
-Sunday afternoon involved continued viewing of Season 3 (solo... the gals had to get back...)

The weekend got very exciting at 3pm on Sunday when D called with extra tickets to the King's game for that night. A made it home from the mountains just in time and we cheered on the team! They lost that game... but it was a fun Sunday night :)

Tuesday we went to another King's game where they won!! But, the important part was that I had garlic fries and a churro. I had to go up and down all kinds of scary stairs to get to the pretzel stand.. and it was the last period of the game so snack shops were closing up. Lucky me, I got the last churro! It really did make my day :)

Today, I did the lunch time run to pick up Harry Potter tix. Several co-workers and I are seeing the 6:30 pm show. As I told the ticket selling lady, "yes, these tickets are for ALL adults".

Vets!!

Happy Veteran's Day!

My company asked me to participate in "one minute of silence" today at 11am to remember those who served for our country. Other than that "one minute", I'll be working hard the rest of the day. Downtown Sacra-tomato is pretty dead with the lack of government employees bustling around.

In other news, I've got a gym membership!!! Those pants will start fitting me again soon :) New favorite gym activity: Hip Hop classes! Okay, I've only been once, and I looked like the tall, lanky white girl in spandex that can't dance. Next week, I'll wear workout pants and a hat to fit in with the hip hop style... Oh, you should see me shake my booty! It's a real workout. No, seriously, we had to shake our actual booties!

Happy Friday :)

I Voted!

California had a special election.. I voted.

The more exciting thing in my household last night (aside from voting) was that I made a lasagne. Now I have some very happy friends who enjoyed my lasagne :) A has dibs on all the leftovers, so don't even try!

Wingnut Hydrates!

Check out the amount of liquids I've had today...and it's only 12:15pm (lunch was yummy).

1. glass of orange juice
2. mug of hot chocolate
3. sixteen ounce Matcha Green Tea Blast from Jamba Juice
4. 32 ounces of water!

Yup, I take a lot of pee breaks at work.

Holidays!!

If you keep up with "The Sound of Setting" you'll see that folks here are getting ready for Christmas. It used to be that lights up before Thanksgiving was early... Now lights went up just after Halloween.

Although, during the move, I have to admit, we put up our table top Christmas tree. Yee Haa!! (It's decorated in blue ball ornaments, and little ornaments of cowboy attire. Yup, there's a naked cowboy somewhere, 'cuz his clothes are on my tree!)

In other news, Sacramento has an ice rink downtown. It was just put up this weekend. I think that is the defining sign of winter around here. The rink is pretty small, but makes the entrance to the K Street Mall pretty festive.

Wardrobe Update: Banana Republic's clearance rack provided some nice pants to add to my winter wardrobe. Boy, do I look cute!!! While I was shopping, the staff upgraded me to a larger fitting room. My sister says it's because I have a big butt. I guess she's getting back at me for lying about the Starbuck's gift cards I get for her. She claims I have never gotten her one. I can't help it if they get lost in the mail (wink wink).

Wingnut the Halloween Grinch

Not that any of you need me to state the obvious, but Happy Friday!!!

This has been a very "community" oriented week for me. I'm enjoying getting to know my Alkali Flat neighbors, and the Amador County community (for work). Fun times!

Halloween passed me by... We spent the evening moving items from A's old house to the storage unit. Poor kids all dressed up in costume came up the driveway with their trick-or-treat containers and I (the Halloween Grinch) said "Sorry, we don't have anything for you". Little did they know there was hoards (what is this word?) of candy inside that I was saving for myself! My sister knows about my candy hoarding habits. The worst part is that I hoard it all, and then don't eat it. You're welcome to it at Easter time after the bunny has given me a fresh new supply in a pretty basket with plastic grass.

I'm kidding, folks. We really weren't prepared with candy, because we didn't think we'd be there. Sorry to all the dressed up kids that I denied. This year, I just didn't get into the Halloween spirit. Goblins and bloody vampires just don't do it for me I guess.

Busy Dreamin'

Okay, so I haven't had a chance to go out wogging again this week. Hopefully, I'll get in a few good sessions this weekend.

I have, however, had some wild dreams this week. Do you know how exhausting it is to have wild dreams?

Dream Story: Some friends and I (co-workers) were hanging out in the middle of the ocean. Just chillin' there having a meeting. We weren't in a boat, or on floaties, just sitting on the water. I was given gift bags with pics of the Gilmore Girls on them. But, the presents inside were not GG related. There was a pen from the movie Clueless and a photo cube with a picture of the evil family from Goonies drowning in the sea. The next thing I knew there were large black mounds (lumps?) in the ocean creeping towards us. J went to save us and the alarm went off. Good Morning!

That day I told J he owed me a thank you since he didn't have to rescue me. I thanked him for not being afraid to rescue me though. We were both relieved at the lack of incidents.

Dream Story: I got drunk at lunch time.

AAaack!! See, I'm not supposed to drink.

Dream Story: One of my co-workers took off his clothes and put them in the washing machine while he was talking to me about a project.

WEIRD!!!! It seemed totally normal in the dream. We just kept talking, and he was doing his laundry.

I know there was another crazy dream, but I can't remember it right now.... It's been a busy week for dreaming.

Have a great weekend!!

Wogging

I'm getting ready to participate in the annual Turkey Trot. The plan is to work off the Thanksgiving day feast prior to Thanksgiving.

Monday night I covered 5 miles in an hour through what we term "wogging". It's a cross between walking and jogging. I just need to add one more mile in that hour to finish the 10K in an hour. I've got a few weeks. I can do it.

Perhaps I'll move up to "Wunning" - a cross between walking and running. I do enjoy the walking / stretching breaks during my "run" (as some people call it).

Stay tuned..more practice tonight :)

I'm so good

This past weekend, I was a good daughter AND a good girlfriend. Of course, I had a great boyfriend along the whole journey too, and he deserves some credit.

We made sure Mom's furniture got shipped off safely. Here it comes Mom. Catch!!

We also did a little family tour (his family). He has a very nice Aunt and Uncle who hosted us for the weekend and we took a day trip from them to visit his grandpa. There are so many new people in my life now. All of whom are wonderful.

I'm proud of myself for being a good daughter AND girlfriend all in one weekend. Now, I just have to fit in being a good sister at the same time. That's a juggling act you'll be excited to see!

Happy Monday!

P.S. Despite the foggy whether, we were able to take a moment for strolling along the beach. Fresh breezes, cool air, it was perfect!

Wingnut's Weekend

I know you all anticipate fun weekend stories from me. Unfortunately, I don't have any wild stories to tell about this past weekend.

I was a good girlfriend and cared for my boyfriend with a cold all weekend. Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chicken Noodle Soup, French Toast with fresh fruit and bacon, were all on the menu. Sunday morning he treated me to a great breakfast at The Fox and Goose. Yumm.. It was too bad that they were out of the pumpkin pecan scones.

I did have pumpkin soup at Tapa the World last night. Yumm. The salad was phenomenal too! The girls were gaga for our waiter from South Africa. We dined prior to Fleet Feet's Diva Night where we got free "up-dos" for our hair, free eye brow waxing, and much more fun stuff!

Tonight we're seeing Pauly Shore at Sac State. Apparently he's not so hip anymore...We were advised that we don't need advance purchased tickets. Stay tuned. I'll let you know if it was funny.

Flyin...

Where does the week go? Time certainly flies when you're having fun!

This is going to be a low key weekend with lots of resting and reading. Leisure reading, not work related.

It feels good to be in October doesn't it? We're starting to get some of that low lying fog here in Sacramento and the weather is cooling off. YIPPEE!

Take care folks,

Happily Defeated

So, we were defeated by a mountain. It's no big deal... The mountain has been there a lot longer than I've been alive. And, it is certainly much larger than I.

The trail to Half Dome was the usual super highway this past weekend. We didn't start on the trail until after 9am. With the shorter days, that just didn't give us enough time to make it all the way to the top. We made it 2 miles from the top of Half Dome and decided that we'd rather turn back and have time for a campfire with S'mores. Priorities! Our legs are hurtin' so as far as I'm concerned: Mission Accomplished. We hiked from 9am to 7pm, saw beautiful water falls, conquered many stairs, and got a great workout!

The boys cooked up a wonderful dinner of chicken, pasta, and peas. I was even served the S'more fixins and had a great time roasting!

On Sunday we watched some climbers tackling El Capitan. That is quite a feat. Let me tell you, they don't move very fast.... The joy in watching was the act of searching for all the different groups on the rock. It was like a "Where's Waldo" book.

As with every trip to Yosemite, it was a great weekend!


Special Note: There's a new link on the right. Check out The Sound of Setting!

Flash Update

Are you ready for this? A super speedy speed of lightening update on Wingnutt's Month of September.

Sept 10th - Sept 16th: Beantown!! (No, I didn't go fishing. Not even a little.) Mom and I chilled in Boston. I relaxed, she worked. It was perfect. I enjoyed catching up with my old pals when I was not taking naps.

Sept 18: Family Day!!! We toured the Scharfenberger chocolate factory in Berkeley, and watched a full day play at the outdoor Shakespear theater. Here's the twist. We saw a Charles Dicken's play (not Shakespeare) although they did a version of Julio and Romiette within the play. Okay, the play was called...Let me think...Ah yes. Nicholas Nickelby. It was a great production!! We were sitting second row and felt like we were in the middle of the action the entire time! I was still dreaming about the characters three days later. I think I'll make a note to go to more productions there. It was really fun.

Sept 23: A's Game!!!
Sept 24: Leisurely strolling in San Francisco with my boyfriend. We enjoyed a very nice day along the water. Perfect weather! Have you been to the Boudin factory at Fisherman's warf? Great stuff. (sourdough bread bowls and chowder :) We caught up with some friends for dinner in Berkeley. I know, we're hip.
Sept 25: Now and Zen concert in SF Golden Gate Park. Great sister bonding took place during this leisurely day on the lawn. I love my sister. She's great! The boyfriend did a great job grabbing free goods :)

October 1st: 10 year high school reunion! (wait, where did September go?) The high school reunion was a blast. Yes, my boyfriend even had fun, that's how cool he is.

October 7 - 10: YOSEMITE!!! Yup, we're heading out this evening for a weekend in the woods. It'll be my fourth time up Half Dome. Apparently there are new cables.

Whew. You're all caught up now. How do you feel? Any whiplash?

Thanks for reading.
Further postings next week.
-Corinne

Simple Pleasures in this Complicated World

It's important to have some simple pleasures in this complicated world of global warming & terrorism. Please feel free to add to this list via the comment posts.

Gilmore Girls
A weekend in Yosemite
Conversations with friends and loved ones
Harry Potter
A deep breath in the sunshine
Green Tea Matcha Blast from Jamba Juice
A clean kitchen
Breakfast & the Today Show
A clean car
Evening walks
YOGA!

Welcome Back Wingnut!

Phew! It took forever to find the perfect fish. But, Goodness! You should see her. She is huge, purple with green spots, and the nicest thing you'll ever meet. The sparkly scales really attracted me to her.

I've spent the last few days enlarging my bath tub so she has a nice place to live. It's a little cramped when I get in there to shower and have to share the space with her, but we are making it work.

Oh, you want to know her name? Griselda. She came with that name. I call her Grizzy for short. She really likes living with me. You're welcome to come over and meet her anytime.

Gone Fishing

Or something like that... I'm taking a trip... Perhaps I'll share the tales of this trip (at least the size of the fish I catch) with you when I return.

Take care,

Wingnut Update

These monday holidays sure make the week fly by!

We hit the CA State Fair on Monday. One of the highlights were the baby pigs. Born only two days earlier! They were really little, really pink, and really cute. Mama pig, I'm sorry, was not so cute.

Have you done your part to help the Hurrican Katrina victims? I made my donation to the red cross. It may have taken longer than we would've liked, but rescue efforts seem pretty coordinated now. You should do your part! If you're mobile, call them up, you can be trained and deployed to help out!

Clarifications

The snow at the Back Street Boys concert was fake snow falling onto the stage. No it didn't really get cold...I was being funny. But it did snow, just not the cold kind.


My favorite snack food of ice refers to the frozen water... Actually I use ice cube trays since my fridge is old school and won't dispense it for me.

Everyone clear now?

Favorite Snack Foods

My new favorite snack food is ICE (well, that's not so new anymore.., but still at the top of the list).

My next new favorite snack food is Jamba Juice's Matcha Green Tea Blast. YUMMEEE!!!

Back Street's Back! Alright!

Did you know there are 5 of them? Back Street Boys. There are 5! And they're old.

We went to their concert at Sleeptrain last night... They were all dressed in the "grunge" style and not lookin' too attractive if you ask me. Maybe it's because their not teenagers anymore.

I couldn't believe the lungs some of these girls in the crowd had. I swear the one behind me yelled "I love you" at the top of her lungs at least 100 times during the show. Probably 50 times before and after the show too. It was impressive. If the loud music didn't make my ears ring, her screams certainly did. She was having fun though, and that's what it's all about. More power to her!

My crew and I had a great time as well. I literally yelled and screamed so much I was light headed. I had to sit down half way through. I think that's a sign of aging. (No, I'm not a huge fan, but screaming was part of the experience.) I only knew about half the songs they played. I'm not up to date on the new stuff, and hadn't been hip for their old stuff. But the Millenium stuff I have down pat! Boy did we rock out!

Oh, it snowed during the concert! I was cold.

Walkin' it off!

I uncovered an old MP3 player, during a recent organizational effort, and lent it out for use once last week.... As my sister knows, the minute someone plays with my toys, I become re-interested in them. I had absolutely NO interest in the MP3 player for the last several years... Last night I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do more than go for a long walk with the MP3 player. Not with the player on a leash like walking a dog, but using it to listen to tunes.

I covered 5 miles :) 1.5 to get to the park. I ran one mile around the park (yup, I ran it). Then I walked one more mile around the park, and walked the 1.5 home. I did this all in about 70 minutes so I was moving at a pretty brisk pace. I credit the tunes for pumping me up.

It was definitely good times.

Have you all been watching the lates Gilmore Girl episodes... the WB is kindly replaying the end of last season. Get pumped! The new season starts September 13th. Will Luke say yes to Lorelai's marriage proposal???? I can't wait!

Happy Wednesday!

Yeah for Shooting Stars!!!

I know some of you avid readers are waiting for the recap on the Seattle weekend. It's coming. I promise.

For today, I'm squealing about the awesome shooting star we saw last night! Just walking down a greenbelt (along a big deserted, probably soon to be developed, field) in North Natomas, the big ball of fire fell right in front us. We even saw the meteor explode into pieces at the end. It was almost like firworks!

Anyway, shooting stars make me happy. A warm fuzzy feeling of goodness comes over me when I see one. I'm still elated a whole day later!

My friend (to remain nameless) tried to burst my bubble and tell me that they are common. How rude! I want to feel that I'm seeing something special :) How many shooting stars do you see in a week?

Happy Monday!!!

Reminder!

My friends (colleagues, co-workers, confidants) are still running hard on a regular schedule to train for the Nike Women's Half marathon and raise money for Leukemia research. Their websites are linked on the side...visit their sites, see what they're up to, and enter your credit card number. It's for a good cause :)

Weekend Report

Apparently some of my readers (at least one) are a little impatient. So, just for you, here is the weekend report.

The girls came into town (names not to be disclosed) Friday evening...The early arrival accompanied us to a work party. Fun times with water balloon tosses and sponge relays! After the late arrival came in we caught up on old times and went to sleep.

Saturday morning began with an attempted breakfast at the Fox & Goose. We got too caught up at the neighboring tea shop that we missed our table and went over to the Waffle Square for an equally unhealthy huge breakfast. With a quick stop at Kohl's for a necessary sports bra, we were off to the Sacramento Monarch's Game around noon time.

It's really fun to watch the Sacramento Monarch's! We had great seats right behind the basket. My favorite part was Monty the mascot. She rollerbladed around the basketball court. The little kids that danced to hip hop during time outs and half time, were the cutest things ever!! Have you ever seen a 3 year old break dance? It's great!

Post game, we hit the mall. Girls don't get together and not shop do they? We all found some good clothes :)

Saturday night, we hit the clubs and danced the night away! We were 6 sexy ladies tearing up the dance floor. Fun times!!!

Sunday morning some of the playmates left for their homes, and the rest of us went back to the Fox & Goose for a leisurely breakfast. Great scones!

After breakfast, and some more purchases at the tea shop, the group dwindled to a cozy threesome of myself, sis, and boyfriend. We took ourselves to Express (I needed another pair of jeans I had bought the day before...they're great!) and to the movies. We saw Four Brothers.

It was an entertaining show..I laughed, I cried, I was entertained.

The late afternoon was for napping...and by 5pm we were off to Raley Field for the Jack Johnson concert. He was good.. It was nice to be sitting outside...and of course, we indulged in really big soft serve ice cream cones :) YUMM!!

The next part is scary. I'm not sure you want to hear it. Well, here goes:

Monday came. I had to go to work. It's thursday, and I'm still overcoming the trauma.

Take care!

Tom Petty Rocks!

I went to the Tom Petty concert last night (at Sleeptrain in Marysville). It was a blast!!!

Those of you that know me can picture me dancing the night away. We all (every single person in the audience) had a great time.

I splurged and had a king size Kit Kat purchased from the candy man. Oh yeah, and a beer. Goodness...Who am I?

Next week, I'll be back to Sleeptrain to see the Back Street Boys!

Oh oh oh, I can't believe, I almost forgot to mention this: Shooting Stars!! My pals saw one pretty early in Tom's show and I was really jealous. I seem to always be missing them. But, I saw one later...right over the top of the sky. It was gorgeous. I jumped up and down, danced harder, and wiggled all the excitement I had for seeing the shooting star. We also saw one near the horizon on the drive home. I love shooting stars!

This Weekend's Wingnut-ism

So, we're having a nice breakfast at the most popular breakfast spot in Sacramento: The Fox & Goose. It's a British pub in an old brick warehouse all decked out in eclectic british type decor. It's a really place. They have bangers!

Anyway, five of us are eating & chatting this past Sunday morning. I glanced down the long narrow seating area and saw a chalkboard with this written on it "Wines".
Wingnut inner dialogue: "Hmm, someone forgot the 't' and the extra 's' in "witness".

No, it didn't occur to me that a sign saying "Witness" would be odd. Needless to say, the table got quite a kick out of this when I shared my thought with them. Actually, the chalkboard listed the different types of wines offered, so it turns out that the title was appropriate.

the end

P.S. The Fox & Goose has the best scones ever!!!

I'm on a roll!

Last night, some co-workers and I went for a leisurely bike ride along the river trail. It's so nice living in flat country... We biked about 20 miles, and I felt safe with my extra tubes (from REI) and freshly pumped tires (from my new pump purchased at REI). I'm getting less and less afraid of my snazzy road bike and it's clip pedals.

In other news...the library finally got a copy of the Third Summer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for me. Be forewarned that my future posts may revolve around this final book of the series. What will I do when the stories end???

We've got a big girls weekend coming up, with friends rolling into town, a Sacramento Monarch's game, some clubbin' and a Jack Johnson concert. It'll be action packed...Stay tuned for the report!

Back on my feet

I did it! I did it! I ran a mile!

My ankle has not felt sore for a while now, I’ve been very good about not running on it. Two weeks ago, I started going for longer walks to test it out and it’s been holding up very well. No pain at all. So last night, I went for my evening walk…made it to the park, and ran a nice slow mile around the park. I walked all the way home and still no pain! (I wanted to run further than a mile, I was feeling good, but I refrained.) I’ll take it slow, but I’m very glad to know that I can use my ankle again!

I’m a huge advocate of evening walks. They are such a great form of exercise. And NO, you don’t need a dog to go for a walk. Although, I’ll understand if you feel silly without one. That seems to be the purpose of everyone else’s walk in the park. I, however, am perfectly happy walking myself.

I say to you: Take yourself for a walk. It feels great!

Big Box Rant (not mine)

For all you planners who read my blog, here is a great rant by Mark Morford: Big Box Rant

Civilians and normal people will also enjoy it. Trust me. READ!

The Greatest Store Ever

REI is the greatest store ever! I could have fun there everyday!

If you can't tell, I had a very productive shopping trip to REI, and finally joined the REI membership. I'm outfitted with a headlamp, hiking pants, bicycle pump, extra tubes for my tires, a new camel back bladder (mine busted, can you believe it?) and probably other stuff too.

Happy Tuesday!

I know. I know.

I know I'm supposed to be taking it easy, resting to cure my sore throat...But I couldn't help doing a little bit of playing this weekend. Friday night was a fun filled evening at Ross. I forgot how fun that store is! You know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you've all experienced the thrill of Ross. I finally found the perfect shelf for my kitchen cabinet. Now I can reach my dishes!

Saturday was an all day softball tournament. Nope, I didn't play, just supported. I'm still not running on my sore ankle. Darn ligaments.

Sunday, we took a stroll through the woods. Yup, a stroll. Not the strenuous hike up Mt. Tallac, as the original plan called for, but a nice stroll in the foothills somewhere near Auburn. The most fun part was swimming in the river. We found a great big deep swimming hole and even had a little fish buddy for a while. It was refreshing! (of course, I love swimming in rivers and lakes)

And, just like Mom directed, I came home from the river / strolling fun and took a four hour nap Sunday afternoon. That sore throat is healing miraculously, and my energy level is getting back up to normal.

I hope all of my readers had a great weekend and are enjoying life.

Read This!

Would it really be possible for someone to make me think I don't like cake????

You Now Hate Chocolate Cake/Implant fake food memories, lose weight! Great for a willpower-free nation. Mmm, lethal! by Mark Morford

Medical Advice

I'm nursing a sore throat this week. It snuck up on me over a few days...The doctor told me it's not strep throat. He said to take motrin, eat popsicles, and suffer through it with a lot of rest.

My advice to fellow sore throat-ians: Don't mix the honey-lemon throat losenges with the mentho-lyptus throat losenges. Pick a flavor of the day and stick to it. They don't taste very good when alternated.

I'll write about my trip to Seattle, when I'm feeling better. Stay tuned.

Support Emily!!!!

Go Emily!!!

As many of my readers know, I was psyched to train for a half marathon this summer. Unfortunately, I went out too hard, too fast and my ankle gave up on me. I had to pull out of the Leukemia Team in Training program, but I encourage you to support my very good friend. Emily Mah will be racing in the Nike Women's Half Marathon this October in memory of her relatives and friends that suffered from Leukemia. Please please visit her website and seriously consider making a donation. This is a great organization and a very worthy cause for your charitable contribution. See the link on the right!

Here is a note from Emily:

In 2001, I lost my grandfather to leukemia. I had lost someone important in my life and for the first time, leukemia had devastated me in a very personal way. I have joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training (TNT), and I need your support. Several of my colleagues at Stantec Consulting are joining me in training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco, on October 23, 2005.I have committed to raise $1,900 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as part of my participation in the Nike Women's Half Marathon. At least 75% of this money goes directly towards funding for research, patient aid, and community service programs. Please support me in this effort by visiting my webpage and sponsoring my half marathon.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and any amount is greatly appreciated.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of the world's leading research organizations dedicated to finding a cure for Leukemia and its related cancers (Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and Myeloma). Each year, over 100,000 Americans will contract, and more than 50,000 will die, from Leukemia or its related diseases this year, making it the 4th major cause of death. It is especially devastating to the lives of children. While the survival rate for children has increased dramatically over the years, it has remained unchanged for adults who suffer from this disease.Each team has specific honorees, with ranges of ages and stages of illness.

I am participating in memory of my Grandpa Ben, Aunt Sally, childhood friend Scott Strobel, and in honor of Imani of Sacramento. Imani was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in January of 2001, just 12 days before her 9th birthday. Currently, at the age of 13, she is in full remission. With 8 surgeries and 5 blood transfusions behind her, she completed her chemotherapy treatments February of last year!

Thank you for anything you can do to help with this worthy cause. Training for the half marathon will be a challenging endeavor, but nothing near what the honorees who battle this illness every day have to endure. I will be updating my webpage throughout my training, so be sure to visit it periodically.

Again, I greatly appreciate your support in helping to find a cure to beat this deadly disease. Thank you in advance, and please forward this to as many people as you can to encourage more people to fundraise!
Take care,
Emily

Pacheco Parables

Today's entertainment comes from a guest writer. He is a very dear person to me. May I introduce my Pops and his Pacheco Parables! Read and enjoy.

Approaching 152 (Pacheco Pass highway) from Leavesley Road, as Ialways do, there's a sign that says "Expect delays on 152 Westbound."There's no warning about 152 Eastbound because that situation is too horrible to contemplate.

As I got on 152, I began to wish I were a cowboy. That's because the cows walking along the side of the road were going faster than I was. I had put the top down when I got off 101 because I figured it would be pleasant when driving more slowly than on the freeway. I didn'trealize I should have put the whole car down instead and simply walked.

Did you know that eucalyptus trees on the side of 152 have an averageof 23 peels each on the main trunk? I counted them. Twice.

I decided that no cop could give a speeding ticket on that road, so Iwould help them out. I got out my marker and changed the "Maximum speed 55" sign to "Maximum speed 5.5". Five minutes later, I decided that wouldn't help. I got out again, crossed out the decimal I had added and changed the sign to "Maximum speed .55". That might give the cops a fighting chance.

How slow was the traffic? A race between cars and banana slugs onthat road would be won by the slugs, hands down. Wait. Slugs have no hands. But they'd win anyway.

How slow was the traffic? Slow enough that I could think up all these bad jokes. And write them down.

One more down

This weekend there was a major battle. It took place in my apartment, between the front door and my dresser. The soldiers in the battle were me (mostly) and my sister (playing the part of peanut gallery most of the time). She spotted a HUGE spider just chillin near the floor. Oh yes, it was suspended. It appeared to closely resemble a black widow. I was taking no chances on this one. In fact, my sister, who paid me a wonderful visit this weekend, stated that she would actually drive the 2 hours home before sleeping next to that spider.

RAID to the rescue! She voted that I hit the spider with a shoe. It was wedged between the dresser and the doorstop and suspended, so I wimped out on that idea. After all, she didn't jump up and whap it. The worry with using RAID is that spiders run when they get sprayed. But, it seemed like the only feasible option.

Here's a play by play:
I sprayed him...He ran behind the dresser...I moved the dresser...I sprayed him again...He ran under the dresser...Sister helped me move the dresser further... I sprayed him again. He stayed put this time. DEAD! The battle was won by two beautiful (and brave) heros!

After squishing the spider with a wad of tissue, I opened it up to make sure he was really squished. At this point, my sister shared a bit of advice with me: Never throw a spider away in the same room that you found it(or a room you plan to sleep in).

Phew. We slept easily after defeating the evil monster.

Whose idea was it to clean?

Now that everything is organized..I can't find a thing!!!

Messes

Another inspired blog post comes from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants..

One of the quotes in there (remember, the books are sprinkled with meaningful insights) said that it's okay to make a mess sometimes. I guess we could talk about making a mess of one's life. But, the first thing that came to my mind was my closet. I remained unorganized (except for work clothes) for a good 3 months until this week! Yup, a milestone I tell you. I found a home for every piece of clothing I own. Finally, I'm organized!! It only took me three months, but I can actually find things I'm looking for now.

I also feel like my life is cleaning up too. Life in Sacramento is solidifying....Fun Fun Fun!

Stealth Health

For a while we've been embracing the 14 Super Foods. Today, I came across another philosophy of working health into my life while being almost as stealthy and sneaky as the mosquitoes last weekend. The top 10 list comes from an article in the Chicago Tribune: Stealth Health: Healthy habits in small doses

Stealth Health Top 10
1. Drink a cup of tea in the morning.
2. Walk for 30 minutes a day.
3. Quit smoking.
4. Have a glass of wine every evening.
5. Take five minutes a day, close your eyes in a quiet room and practice deep breathing.
6. Talk to a friend (whether in person on the phone or via e-mail) every day.
7. Eat fish twice a week.
8. Take a multivitamin with minerals.
9. Eat whole, natural foods rather than boxed or processed foods.
10. Get a good night's sleep.

These seem pretty manageable. I like tea. I LOVE walking. I don't smoke. Number 4 might be a problem...being as I don't drink much alcohol. Prioritizing quiet deep breathing each day will be very good for me. Friends are all around me (and I'm the queen of e-mail) so I've got # 6 covered. I like fish, but I don't keep track of how often I eat it. I should get back into the habit of taking those multivitamins...oh, and the calcium chews. I found the local co-op grocery store, so I'm working on the natural foods. Sleep...that might be the most difficult. I've been staying pretty busy (with the whole friends and activities thing) that I haven't gotten much sleep. I'll work on that one.

Good Luck to you for integrating Stealth Health into your daily routine!

Smoking Breaks

Today, I exercised my right to a smoking break. No, I don't smoke. That's disgusting! Have you smelled smoke? Gross! Have you seen pictures of smoker's lungs? Grosser!

But, have you noticed that smokers always have a reason to go outside and take a break? Today, we exercised that right, even though we don't smoke. We took a little trip across the street to Starbuck's.

Aren't you proud of me, Sis?

I tried the Green Tea Frappucino. Let me tell you. It was scrumptious!!! Totally good! Yumm!

What if I'm starting to warm up to the idea of Starbuck's as an OK place to spend my money. Is that so wrong?

Pondering

Here's the real quote to ponder (in case you didn't ponder it over the weekend, like I told you to).

"Nothing is too wonderful to be true."
-Michael Faraday

Taken from The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

Silence and Stealth

So, it's Tuesday now...and I planned to log on and tell you about the silent stealthy mosquitoes that attacked us this weekend. Only, now I realize that the last post was about bugs. (I'd completely forgotten about the bug that flew into my eye. That was rude!)

Anyway, we went backpacking this past weekend, and the mosquitoes were not the "buzz in your ear" kind. They were silent. Yes, they still bit. I felt it was kind of unfair of them not to warn me by buzzing, but then again, if they were buzzing, I would've been super annoyed by the buzzing. There's no winning with mosquitoes. They are just gross.

Yes, we had repellant and we applied it every hour on the hour. I think after 24 hours the mosquitoes were used to the taste of it... I slept under the stars (no tent) the first night and woke up without a bite. But the next day...the mosquitoes spared me no sympathy. Oh well, they are not as bad as spider bites. They go away much quicker and itch a lot less!

I got spider bites too, don't worry.

I'm sure it sounds like I shouldn't be out in the woods because I'm complaining about the bugs. But, actually, I didn't get frustrated with them or annoyed at all. I was at piece with the bugs. There were no complaints from me. I guess it's only in the urban environment that I become a drama queen and have wars with them.

The weekend in the woods, of course, was fabulous! I rolled around in snow patches despite the near 100 degree weather. So much fun!

Bugs (again)

Let me preface this post with the fact that I am (again) covered in bug bites. I think it is a mix of spiders and mosquitoes this time. I have been noticing the bites when they are fresh, but not seeing the bugs... I have run into several spider webs lately. You know how you just feel them run across your arm or your face (eww!) when you're walking? I hate that!

Anyway, as if the bugs aren't doing enough to me, this morning I was attacked. A little tiny bug flew right into my eyeball while I was out for my morning run. The nerve of that guy! It just sat there in the corner of my eye. I had to wipe it out. Gross!

The end.

Weekend Pondering

I started reading the Second Summer of the Sisterhood last night...It's the sequel to the Traveling Pants book. Did you know there's a third book too? There's so much to enjoy with Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bee.

Anyway, there is added fun in the books with ponderable quotes sprinkled throughout. I don't have it with me, so I can't quote it exactly, but the opening quote said something like:

"Nothing is too good to be true". (I'll give the quoter credit at a later date)

With all of the pessimism and hate in the world today, sometimes it's hard to believe that things can actually be good, just to be good. Munch on this one...and appreciate the good things this weekend!

Midnight Snacks

Some people say it's bad to eat right before bed. Tonight, I got so sweaty doing the dishes (well the hot bath prior to doing the dishes probably didn't help) that I needed to cool off. That's when I heard the pint of Ben & Jerry's 'Everything but the' ice cream hollering from inside the freezer. It had been hollering so loud and for so long in order to penetrate the insulated freezer door that it gave a huge sigh of relief when I opened the freezer. No kidding. I heard the sigh. I promise.

I don't know how some people can actually put the lid back on a pint of Ben & Jerry's and put it back in the freezer. That is so hard! My spoon usually goes on auto-shovel (it's a lot like auto pilot, but for ice cream digging) and my tongue caresses the spoon with every bite, encouraging it to continue shoveling. The next thing I know, the ice cream is gone! Can you believe the label says 4 servings per container? I think we all know, that the container is the perfect size for a midnight snack!

Sleep well.

Cute Burping

After writing yesterday's commentary on burping, I spent the evening hanging out at the pool. A very cute little boy was frolicking with his family and having a great time. At one point, he was sitting on the side of the pool and a huge (I mean huge) burp came out of his little body. He said covered his mouth and said "Excuse Me" while giggling. He seemed just as surprised as everyone else at the size of his burp. I thought it was great that he was covering his mouth and said the proper words! It was so perfectly timed for our lessons on burping etiquette, that I had to share it with you.

Discussion of Burps

People are always disgusted when I burp. I'm not sure why. And I'm not sure what they expect me to do about it. If I supress the burp, will it come out the other end? (I've been meaning to practice that, but I think that's more gross). So, it's a constant dilemma. Gas comes up, makes a noise on it's way out, and people say "Wingnut! That's gross!"
I say "What am I supposed to do about it?".
They say "Not burp!".

How do I do that? Well, today this website (Why do I Burp?) popped up on the side of my gmail. Now we can all learn about the natural workings of our airways. I'll tell you now though, their only advice is to 1) Try to burp quietly and 2) To say "excuse me". My sister helped me get #2 down pat. I'm good about that. As for burping quietly....it's a little tougher.

Last note: You may read the article on burping and think that I eat fast (which causes burping sometimes). Trust me, I do not eat fast. I have only recently met someone that eats slower than I do. Of course, most of you know me, and know that I eat slow because you've all sat at a restaurant for hours waiting for me to finish my food.

The end.

Wingnut's Weekend Highlights

I got cable! Have you ever seen a cable lady? I looked out my window Sat AM and announced "The Cable Guy is here", only it turned out to be a cable lady. She was great! (It took her an hour to figure out all the wires and hookups in my building, but now I'm all squared away.) I was able to start the week with a little bit of Katie Couric with my Corn Pops this morning :)

You have to know that for me, getting cable was an event I've been looking forward to for MONTHS. This is very big.

In other highlights, I was treated to a delicious breakfast at The Fox and Goose (a cool british pub in downtown Sac). The peach blackberry scone with devonshire cream was heavenly! (Why do I always end up talking about food?)

Saturday afternoon, I made a lasagne for my friend's birthday party...That night was the birthday party. We gorged on delicious ribs and other treats and played a great game of Trivial Pursuit.

Sunday morning, Wingnut's racing abilities were tested to the max. I made a place for myself at least. It was a one mile race, and I came in last!!! Of course, I hammed it up for the cameras and there are pictures of me with my tongue sticking out, and arms raised high as I crossed the finish line. Maybe next time someone slower than me will have the nerve to sign up for the race. Until then, I'm happy to bring up the rear. (I did feel bad for the race official on a bicycle who had to go really slowly behind me, to make sure I finished.... I couldn't look at them, I was too embarrassed....but was greatful to have the support!)

Three hours of Sunday afternoon were spent in a half-alert state zonked in front of the TV. The 8 minutes of running really did me in!

After resting, I was ready for a fun Sunday evening BBQ (more ribs) with new friends. We played Cranium. That is a fun party game! Every host should get the game Cranium...or guests should bring the game as a gift to the host.

Now, it's Monday, and I'm chuggin' along. I hope my readers had great weekends as well!

Thorns & Rubber

I'm a true cyclist now. I experience my first flat tire last night. And my second flat tire! Our fearless leader just brushed the thorns off his tires while riding through them, and failed to mention to the rest of us that we were riding over thorns... Hmm..

Thankfully the crew (especially fearless leader) was nice enough, and prepared enough, to change my flats for me :) I was the dimwit with a tube that didn't work on my bike. At least, now I know.

All in all, it was a great ride, and some of our crew benefitted from a 30 minute nap during the tire changing chore.

That's that, stay tuned for Weekend Adventure stories!!!

Pearly Whites

My teeth checked out very well at the dentist this morning. I got lots of praise for how clean I keep my mouth. It turns out that I still have two wisdom teeth! I thought they were gone. I guess not.

Of course, after they spent two hours scraping, x-raying, and examining my pearly whites, I was hesitant to eat. I didn't want to dirty up my clean teeth.

The hunger won. I ate. Lunch was good :) The teeth are still feeling pretty clean. I guess they must do a good job in order for it to last for 6 months.

While the hygienist was working in my mouth, scraping and tidying all of my teeth, I felt like a monkey being groomed by another monkey. Sometimes it amazes me how animalistic we are in our sophisticated society of human technology.

It's not a goat, It's not an antelope

Nope, it's not a Goat-A- Lope. My favorite animal at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego this weekend was the Aoudad(pronounced 'oo-dad'). As our tram driver said, "An Aoudad is an Aoudad". Actually, it's a sheep! Here's some info on Aoudads. At least click to see the picture. You don't have to read all about them.

They are just what I imagined when I heard the tale of the Billy Goat Gruff as a kid. You know the one where the Gruff goats are under the bridge and you have to get permission to pass, or something like that....

An Exploration of Tears

I don't know about you, but my eyes are pretty sensitive and tend to water at just about anything. A little breeze, a sappy movie, and of course when I get sunblock in them. This past weekend, Dad was kind enough to dab at the tears streaming down my face. My eyes were watering in the hot sun of San Diego (probably due to the sunblock I had applied liberally).

I had to inform Dad that I don't like my tears dabbed. If they get wiped up, then more tears have to fall because the previous tear didn't get all the way down the track. I like to think of my tears as little entities racing down my cheek. I make bets on which ones will get all the way to my neck. It's a fun game, especially if you're really crying. Most of all, I feel like it's the best way to cleanse my eyes...just let the tears drop all the way, clearing the path for the next ones.

Country Celebrations

Today, Celebrate Canada.
July 1st: Happy Canada Day!!!

Monday, Celebrate the USA
Happy Fourth of JULY!!!!


Let there be cake!

Quote of the Day

"My tight pants are really tight, and my baggy pants are not so baggy anymore"
-Wingnut, June 2005

I think it's time to start exercising! (And maybe even cutting down on the sweets, but when there's cake, it's really tough.)

Vegetable ideas anyone? Do your recipes involve sugar? I love sugar!

I saw a shooting star last night!


With Hagen Daaz Triple Chocolate Ice Cream and a beautiful summer night in Sac, the shooting star made it a truly magical evening.

Oh yeah, I won a few good hands in a Poker Tournament too. The Tournament even included birthday cake! I love birthday cake.

fun fun fun...That's what life is about.

Fathers

Well, I spent the past weekend with my two favorite Dads. One of them is my actual Dad and the other is my best friend's Dad. My Dad got to push a cable car in SF this weekend. You should have seen the excited look on his face! It truly was a San Francisco moment when the cable car driver looked at the people hanging on the side and said "Step down and push". Everyone just stared at him. He repeated: "Step down and push" with the tone of "What don't you understand? These are simple instructions!" Eventually, they all stepped down and pushed the cable car so he could grab the cable that he lost hold of. My dad turned at waved as us as if to say "Look at me! I'm pushing a cable car." We were so happy to see him having fun. That's what Father's day is all about.

Plus, in fairness to his age, I think we're nearing the time that we (the kids) start doing more things for the parents. We love you Dad!

Speaking of age, the other Dad got attention this weekend for his 60th birthday! We're proud of him....but mostly, it was an excuse to eat good food and gorge on CAKE!!!! I'll travel anywhere for cake!

A word to the Dad's out there: When you turn 60, have some words of wisdom prepared for your kids. We're lookin' to learn from you.

Question of the Day

We refer to the 70's, 80's, and 90's as certain eras all the time. In 2010 what will we call the years from 2000 - 2010?

The thousand's? The hundred's? The zero's?

Weekend Adventures

Wingnut had an adventure packed weekend filled with clubbin', doggy dashin', barbecuein', and hikin'.

We had a snowball fight in June! It was great fun hiking up to Horsetail Falls. I'm eager to go back there next winter with some snow shoes. Believe it or not, my shoulders are sore from all of the lifting and pulling of myself I did. The boulders we climbed were so big it required the use of all four of my limbs!

There are some required snacks that I usually bring on a hike. These are oreos and gorp. This past weekend my gorp consisted of almonds (the red bag from Trader Joes), pretzels, and dried fruit bits (Sunmaid). It was quite tasty. The trivia question became: "What does 'gorp' really stand for?

We got the "raisins and peanuts" part but couldn't figure out the "go". A quick google search always solves the mystery! If you're a trail mix eater, you'll appreciate all of these recipes for
Good Old Raisins and Peanuts.

Even with all of the mixtures to choose from, I'm sure my dad would agree with the following favorite:
Most Basic M&M's—Straight Up
Chef: Pat Villeneuve, Tempe, Arizona
Why mess up a good thing with a lot of extraneous ingredients? That's Pat Villeneuve's mantra. "I perfected this recipe while hiking the Appalachian Trail: Pour the contents of a large bag of M&M's into a zipper-lock bag. Stir to distribute colors. Enjoy!"

What's your favorite hiking snack?

Runnin' with the Dogs

This weekend is the SPCA's Doggy Dash. Being that I don't like dogs, my dash should be pretty fast. We runners get a head start. Stay tuned!

Doggy Dash Info

"Of the thirty-six ways of avoiding disaster, running away is best."

-anonymous

Religion Part 2

A friend of mine replied to the previous post with the following:
"At least the church of starbucks isn’t passing judgment on sexual orientation, abortion or evolution education."

He also questioned the deforestation which occurs to supply the signature Starbuck's paper cups. Is a caffeine fix worth deforestation? I realize the whole conversation regarding Starbuck's arose when my sister was pointing out to me that they have more to offer than caffeine. Those non-coffee drinkers like myself, just want to be trendy. How cool do you feel walking into a meeting being the only one without your morning Starbuck's cup? After all, it's a status symbol. Maybe Starbuck's should make their re-usable mugs more affordable, and let them become a status symbol. Save the trees.

The ultimate question we should ask ourselves is:
Is there anything worth deforestation?

The answer to this, and our daily actions most likely conflict......(I know mine do.)

Religion?

A conversation with my sister this weekend went a little something like this:

blah blah blah...chai latte talk....blah blah blah

Her: "Starbuck's has frapuccino's with no coffee in them, vanilla and strawberry flavors, yummm"

Me: "I don't really like Starbuck's"

Her: "How rude. I don't say mean things about your religion!"

Sadly, I think she represents a large portion of the population.

I love her, and buy her Starbuck's gift cards as often as I can.

The Ritual of Graduation

I don't consider myself to be religious or even ritualistic. I just try to have fun. If having a Christmas tree every year makes my sister happy, then I go with the flow. If she's happy, it generally means I get presents. So, this is a good reason to partake in the annual ritual we call Christmas. Otherwise I'd be perfectly happy doing fun things with the days off work.

None of this is what made me think about the ritualistic nature of humans. It was my recent participation in Cal Poly's commencement ceremonies that inspired me to contemplate.

Rationally thinking I should have been able to submit my thesis for binding on Friday and feel the HUGE sigh of relief. The "school's out" excitement didn't pop in to my system instantly. Why not?

Friday night my classmates and I held a grand party to celebrate with our families and friends. I had such a good time that I danced myself into a stiff body for the next few days. It was well woth it! No complaints about the dance floor from me!

Even with all the fun on Friday, the sigh of relief didn't come until I was wearing that cap,gown, and hood on Saturday morning. Weird. What difference did it make if I wore a goofy outfit and marched with my classmates in a silly procession into a stadium of wildly wooping moms? All the difference in the world! The "school's out" excitement jumped right into my soul and I felt ready to really begin living my "new" life. Amazing.

A lot of people I know complain about the long boring speeches in the hot sun. For me, this was the most meaningful graduation ever (note the phrase 'most...ever', it's very trendy these days). Perhaps it is because I've already moved, started working, and even made new friends while I wrapped up my thesis revisions. Graduation, and all the silly outfits with lais, cords, and robes marked my timeline. No more double lives for me.There's only one focus now: to have fun! (I'll work hard too, don't worry. Where do you think the money for having fun comes from?)

With the realization that a silly graduation ceremony can mean so much in terms of settling the mind, it's no wonder weddings and funerals are so important. I'll stop here so this blog doesn't become too deep and philosophical. Go have some fun!
(look for me on the dance floor!)

What do planners do?

My thesis has been submitted for binding. My Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning is now complete!!!!

Now that I've started working, people ask me what planners do. I'm still figuring that out. But, Dad found a great website highlighting the main concerns planners work towards addressing. Check out the side link "Planning Concerns".

Wingnut Experiments

New Release!
Results of two recent Wingnut experiments:

1) Household Raid (you know, the bug killing spray) works great on spiders and bugs. And plants! It is too soon to know about it's killing effects on humans

Details-
Hypothesis: AACK! There are bugs flying around my cute little kitchen plant.

Experiment: Spray Raid on plant to kill bugs.

Results: The bugs died instantly. The plant died slowly over the next week.

Analysis: Raid kills more than just bugs.

2) Landlords do get mad when you forget to pay rent.

Details-
Hypothesis: Get swept up in new life and not be on top of all adult responsibilities. Spend time having fun instead!

Experiment: Not send in rent check.

Results: Find "Notice of three days to pay rent or quit" on door. Pay $50 late fee + $35 fee for the effort of someone to post the notice on my door.

Analysis: Dough Dough Brains who can't remember to pay rent deserve to be penalized.

Who forgets to pay their rent? I feel ridiculous!

Explaining Women?

All my friend wants for his birthday is someone to explain women to him. Would someone please tell him this is impossible. What happened to "girls just wanna have fun"? Does that really need an explanation?

Requesting your patience

Wingnut has dived into a very busy three day work week, and requests your patience while she develops more amusing insights on life.

Upcoming in Wingnut's life: GRADUATION!!!! (this weekend)

"I'm not doing anything"

Why do people answer with "I'm not doing anything, so sure, I'll be there" when you invite them? What counts as "something" to be doing? We are always doing something. Whether it's sitting on the couch drooling over Emeril's latest creation, or cheering on our favorite Monarch's players at Arco Arena, we are always doing something. It's always nice to be invited, regardless of whether previous plans conflict. But, for some reason, we all worry about seeming uncool if we don't have plans, or we try to look over cool by making up plans.

I lean towards the latter. I love being invited to do things...but when asked if "I'm doing anything" I always have an answer. So if you give up on that part, I'll never know if you were going to invite me somewhere. Just because I had a plan, doesn't mean I won't move things around to accept an invitation. Does reading a good book, or finishing my thesis sound like concrete plans to you?

I prefer the more direct approach of being asked to a particular event, rather than being asked if "I'm already doing anything."

Thoughts from my readers?

More Disaster Stuff

Some say, it's just the risk we take by living in California. Others say we can prevent it. Did you hear about the latest landslide in Laguna Beach? The New York Times has a great slide show of the disaster. Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt in this one. One person complains about 21 years of work in the back yard down the drain. Another is concerned about his half million dollar surfboard collection.

Is it really worth getting this vested in private property? The American dream is to buy a home, make it yours, improve it, and watch the value rise, rise, rise. Then, one day, you end up on the crumbling street with only your wallet in your pocket (if your lucky). You can't even tell these people they shouldn't live on a hillside. Well, they shouldn't, but there are so many other potential natural catastrophes, that even we on flat lands are susceptible to an unforeseen event. Mother Nature will always win (if she wants to).

When I think about buying a house, these are the things I think about. Wouldn't it be more fun to live a simple life, with only the basics? Or is this just the more practical thing to do? Who says Americans have to be practical? We have tons of stuff and need huge houses to keep our stuff. Then, we're devastated when Mother Nature takes it all. Maybe we should be nicer to her. We tear up her hillsides, pollute her waters, and muddy up the air. In the end we're just hurting ourselves.

Hmmm.... Let's all try to do our part. Shall we?

Great Hiking Spot: Feather Falls, CA

It's not often that we take a day out of our lives to just enjoy being outside. When we do, though, it is a glorious thing. This past Sunday, without watches, time pieces, or other time tracking means (aside from the alarm to wake up) a friend and I headed to Feather Falls and spent the day on the trail. We didn't even watch the sun travel the sky. We just let the day take our minds and tired legs into the wilderness. Glamourous views, great conversation, perfect weather, and plenty of uphill hiking warrants that day as one of the best ever! Hiking is the best kind of exercise (the oreos along the trail helped keep our energy up).

Here's a picture of the falls: Feather Falls
I even saw the rainbow! The falls reminded me of Yosemite.

I was very pleased to see many other people experiencing the Feather Falls trail with us. I hope they had as much fun as I did. We should all take more time for enjoying the outdoors.

The best part: My brand new hiking boots didn't leave any blisters on my feet!

Kamikaze Ladybugs

Have you ever experienced a kamikaze ladybug? I have. Maybe the term kamikaze is a little extreme, since the ladybugs didn’t die. I’m referring to the ladybugs the bombarded me at the beach last weekend. We were just sitting on our towels minding our own business when I noticed a ladybug crawling on me.

“Oh hello, Mrs Ladybug. Want to play?” See, I was being nice. This comment, of course, sparked conversation about whether or not the ladybug was actually a lady. You all remember the ladybug guy in “A Bug’s Life” right? The one with a really deep voice who got offended every time someone seemed surprised that he, as a ladybug, was actually a he.

Well, shortly thereafter, another ladybug joined the party by crawling on me. No big deal. They were nice. I was preoccupied with digging a hole to China, so as long as they were not interrupting my project I didn’t mind them hanging out with us.

Then, a kamikaze ladybug came crashing right into my forehead. KLUNK! My forehead is not made of steel, but is still pretty hard when you are a kamikaze ladybug traveling at light speed. This third ladybug rebounded off of my forehead into the hole I was digging. I had to pull it out and dust all the sand of her. Boy, was she a mess. Now, all three ladybugs are flying around, all energized and possibly angry at the sand for making their wings heavy. They continued to crash into my forehead! Why? I still don’t understand why ladybugs would come straight into my forehead and continue to KLUNK right down into the hole I was building. The whole situation got very annoying.

I left the ladybugs and put my feet in the water. We were at the beach after all.

Question: What is there for ladybugs to do at the beach? There are no flowers.

Women Rock!

It continues to amaze me how strong women are. We can handle so much in our daily lives! Aside from the daily pressures of becoming a working woman and surviving stressful meetings, many women are raising families and taking care of men. We may break down from time to time. It feels great to cry! But, the women I know, always keep it together until everything is solved. For example, I've learned that I can be strong and hide my fear, until the meeting (or situation) is over. Then I cry. Boy does that feel good! Men should cry more. It's a great release. One of my co-workers is dealing with a recent miscarriage. I'm amazed at how strong his wife is. They are an extremely strong couple of people, and he agrees that she is definitely the stronger of the two.

As I continue to grow in this world, I'm proud to be female. I only hope that I can be as good as the strong women role models in my life.

(For a debate about the physical strength of women and their roles in combat go to the Craigorian Chant link on the right)

The morale: Appreciate women for the strengths they have. Yes, that includes you! Everyone is strong in something :)

Friendships

Isn't it great to be around friends that "know" you? I've been lucky enough to begin rekindling some old friendships lately. It's really nice to have long lasting, forgiving, dependable, and fun friendships.

Thanks friends!

Safeway and Disasters

So, I'm wandering the aisles of Safeway last night, taking my time. I like to go up and down each aisle slowly pondering the individual items. As my mind discusses different cereals with itself, the loudspeaker interrupted. "Attention Shoppers: Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes and many other natural hazards cause disasters all over the world. They happen in California too. If a disaster occurred today, do you know what to do? May is Disaster Preparedness Month in California and Safeway is proud to help."

Being that I'm completing a thesis on Disasters, this was very strange. At first, I thought I was having a Seinfeld moment. Actually, I started laughing. I couldn't tell if the other shoppers were listening. How is it that I have been studying disaster planning for a year, and I miss the fact that May is Disaster Preparedness Month? Shouldn't someone have told me?

Anyway, it's true. Arnold declared it, and Maria has been publicizing it. Check out the links on the right for more info and a coloring book! I love coloring.

TOP TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD DO NOW:
1. Learn which kinds of natural and human-caused disasters pose a risk for your area (earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.)
2. Draft a Family Disaster Plan in writing.
3. Build Disaster Supply Kits for your home and car.
4. Choose an out-of-town contact person family members may call to report how and where they are during an emergency.
5. Know where to go during an emergency; designate a park, school or other convenient location.
6. Prepare your children and remember those with special needs, such as infants, seniors, and people with disabilities.
7. Include pets in your Family Disaster Plan.
8. Eliminate hazards in your home and office.
9. Learn how to keep yourself and your family safe by taking first aid, CPR and other preparedness classes.
10. Get involved -- donate blood, educate your neighbors, join Citizen Corps and volunteer!

Funny thing is... (Title of Ellen's book)
I have #s 7 and 10 completed! The whole no pets situation takes care of # 7 easily. I just gave blood today and I'll consider this post as an education to my neighbors.


However, if you could see my apartment right now, you'd think I was condoning Disaster Creation Month rather than Disaster Preparedness Month.

Go Ellen! Go Ellen! Go Girl!

Emmy Update
Ellen DeGeneres swept the Daytime Emmy awards, winning best talk show host for the first time while "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" picked up best talk show honors for the second straight year.

"Oh, man, I love my job," DeGeneres said Friday night during the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. "It's basically just sitting there and listening to people talking. It's like a bartender."

DeGeneres even learned she had a fan from another generation when Merv Griffin, standing next to her as he accepted a lifetime achievement award, whispered: "I watch you every day."

Her talk show has won five Emmys this year overall.

Bubble Clouds

I played a new game in the bubble bath last night. You might be thinking this story is too risqué for a blog posting. Trust me, it’s innocent. Please keep reading.

You’ve gazed at the clouds and seen recognizable shapes in them before right? Everyone plays that game. One time, on the elementary school playground I was gazing into the clouds looking for elephants, trapeze artists, cakes, etc. and my teacher said “Be careful Wingnut, you could get dizzy staring at the clouds like that”. I never understood this comment. I still gaze and have not gotten dizzy once.

So, last night, I started seeing shapes in the bubbles in my bath. These were not the super foamy piled high kind of bubbles. There was just one layer of really tiny bubbles floating along the top of the water. I wasn’t looking for shapes, but all of a sudden I saw Homer Simpson. Then a blob globbed onto him and he was hunch backed. At this point Lisa (Bart’s sister, not the baby) appeared to rescue him. I don’t even watch the Simpson’s so it was rather weird that they joined me in the bath tub. The next thing I saw was three blobs come together to form the cutest teddy bear I’d ever seen. It was so cute I got bored with the game. Nothing was going to top the perfect teddy bear. I soaped up and finished my bath.

Getting Up

I know I said that I had everything figured out with regards to which side of the bed to get up on. The foot! It seems so logical to crawl through the tunnel of covers and end up on the floor at the foot of the bed. Unfortunately, by the time I remember this logical idea, I'm usuall up. I've been getting up from the left side of the bed. That is my left side while I'm laying on my back. That's the side next to the closet, so it's pretty convenient. Please be assured that I am not exclusively committed to getting up on this side of the bed. Should it happen one morning that I wake up on the other side, I may very well get out of bed on that side. It's nice to be flexible.

Wingnut Dreams

Last night was a very active evening for me. Perhaps it was the 2 hours of G.G. watching that ramped my brain for creative dreaming. I had three dreams. They may have all happened during the 6:30 am – 7:30 am period where I was denying the fact that my alarm went off. You know that half awake, dozing off phase that we all go through during the following internal debate:

“You must get up”
“But I don’t want to”
“People at work will think you’re a slacker if you don’t go”
“It just feels so early, and I have nothing to do anyway”
“Hey, wake up!”
“Wow, that was a good dream…”

And finally you roll out of bed for chocolate cake and orange juice. (Or at least I do.) Of course, the garbage trucks in the ally didn’t help the snoozing period. They are rather loud. I worried about them crushing my car when I saw large dumpsters looming in the air through my window. I guess those trash truck drivers know what they are doing, since there were no scratches on my car. Pretty impressive.

Ok, the dreams.
1) I dreamt that Ellen Degenerous sent me a birthday message. She signed it “Ellen”. I think it said “Happy Birthday Corinne”, or something clever like that. She’s really funny. It was very thoughtful of her to think of me (even though it’s not my birthday). I suppose a present would’ve been nice.

2) I dreamt that Jenny Jones (an old friend from elementary school) was in the lobby of my work applying for a job. She had just finished her architectural degree and was looking forward to a career with my company. Crazy! The last times I’d seen her she was working at a grocery store, and now she’s an architect! Go Jenny!

3) I dreamt that I arrived to work at 7am and was falling asleep at my desk. Of course, I was hoping no one would notice, and thinking that I should’ve just stayed home to sleep an extra hour. (Can you tell this one was definitely during the “snooze period”?) At 7:30 one of my many supervisors (the one notorious for working very late) came out of his office, jacket in hand, and said “Good Night”. I replied with a “Good Morning” and he looked very confused. We have windows, you’d think he would’ve noticed it getting light outside. Oh well, he’s a hard worker. I, apparently, am a napper.

It was an exhausting night. I think I need some rest to recover.

G.G. Part 2

Whew! That was some major excitement on Gilmore Girls last night. I definitely feel that we have not reached the "jump the shark" moment yet (see links on the side bar). I'll be anxiously awaiting ALL SUMMER LONG to rejoin the lives of Lorelai and Rory.

In fact, the episode took so much energy out of me, I had a tough time getting out of bed this morning. I didn't make it in to the office until 8:45! It's a good thing I'm still new and have a light workload :)

Happy Wednesday to all!

G.G.

Tonight's the big season finale of Gilmore Girls! In talking with my friends about this excitement, since I missed last week's episode (No, I'm not sure how I'm still alive...I guess owning the DVDs has paid off), I've been introduced to that website that everyone already knows about. You know the one. They recap all the hip TV shows (and even some not so hip ones). It's called TV Without Pity. I spent my lunch break reading the witty, funny, writeup of last week's GG episode. No, I was not sorry. In fact, I may even read all the recaps. It's kind of like having the Gilmore Girls in novel style. Plus, the commentary by the recap author is great!

Another concept I've been introduced to is "Jumping the Shark". The question is where is the Jumping the Shark moment for the Gilmore Girls? Was it when Lorelai and Luke hooked up? Or is it still coming? Is it possible for such a great show to have a peak moment where it stops getting better?

Between Ellen Degenerous, Lorelai, Rory, and Emily Gilmore, I don't know if I could ask for any better females in my life!

Mondays

Monday came. My first weekend as a newly employed career woman went by awfully fast! I guess they do though. You'll be happy to know that I continue to begin the day with a shower, so my co-workers still think I'm clean.

My office decor now includes a huge poster of Yosemite, so I can escape into the forested oasis at any moment. Perhaps it will become a moving picture like in the Harry Potter books, or a portal like in a C.S. Lewis book. If I disappear one day, try stepping into my poster and joining me :)

For you star wars fans, I recommend that you check out the Craigorian Chant site (see links on the right). Craig's been analyzing it like crazy. Having not seen the classic films, I am unable to relate. (Okay, I've seen parts, but never a whole movie. Someone would have to chain me to a couch and continuously feed me popcorn in order to get me to sit through all six.) They are just not my thing.

Happy Monday to all and to all a good night.

A Wingnut Record

Wow! I've taken a shower every single morning this week. Plus, there have been a few bonus evening time bubble baths. This is definitely a cleanliness record for Wingnut! I'm sure my co-workers appreciate it.

The New Guy

Okay, I know I'm a gal, but people don't say "The New Gal", they say "The New Guy". I'm definitely the new guy at work. Today, day four, I was invited to lunch!!! It felt so great to have someone introduce themself to me, and then invite me to lunch with his crew. I haven't worked with these folks yet...and they haven't been with the company very long so there's potential for the creation of a new crowd :) Making friends is great! Plus, the way the company is growing, I won't be the "newby" for too long...

Dilbert has timed this week's comic strip perfectly with my first week of a new job...especially a corporate "Office Space" kind of job. Check it out here: Dilbert - The New Guy

P.S. I've decided to just get off the foot of the bed in the mornings so as not to play favorites with either of the right sides.

P.P.S. Beginning the day with a few pages of Ellen Degenerous' new book is a great great great way to start the day! She really knows how to look at life and all of its quirks.

Waking Up Dilemma

With it being the first week of a new job, I’m very concerned about getting up on the wrong side of the bed. The problem is, that every morning I debate with myself which is the RIGHT side and which is the WRONG side. Is the RIGHT side, the right side of the bed when I’m laying on my stomach, or when I’m laying on my back? Does it depend on how I’m laying when I wake up? Logically, both sides are equally convenient, since the bed is in the middle of the room. How do I choose the RIGHT side to get in a routine with?

Best Breakfast Ever!

Chocolate cake and orange juice is perfect for getting the day started right!

Working Wingnut

Today was Day One at a new job :) The day began with a sign. As I was heading out of my new apartment to my new job, the radio was playing
"it's the end of the world as we know it. I feel fine."
You know the song... I felt it was only appropriate that I had just woken up in my own apartment (never lived by myself before) and heading to a brand new job, never worked in planning before... So it's truly the start of a new life for me :)

Day One went very very very well. I got a cubicle next to the windows!!!! What more can you ask for?

In the spirit of starting a new life and new schedule, I direct your attention to a handy friend of mine: clocky

Wingnut Thought #457

If you dance while eating donuts do the calories cancel out?

Thesis Update

The countdown is on! A first draft has been reviewed and I am addressing comments in a second draft to be submitted Friday AM. Hence, the continued lack of daily postings.

Think good thoughts for Wingnut! She'll be back in full force before you know it :)

Partnership with the RAIN!

Well, the sky carried out it's end of the deal today. I told the sky that if it rained hard enough to get the first layer of bugs off my car, I'd do the rest. It did and so I did. I can actually see my car now, instead of that mound of dirt that used to be parked outside my house. The bugs got so bad, that I was actually embarrassed to bring it in for an oil change. Maybe I'll win an award for being the dirtiest car that went through their shop. That would be fun. I like winning awards.

Thanks Rain! Come again another day. (Please give my car some time to get dirty first)

Wingnut's brush with FAME!

Who knew that a quiet night in the valley (Los Olivos / Buellton / Solvang) could turn up hunky celebrities? Well, Amy did. She lives there. We took a field trip from our slumber party to see "The Interpreter" at the Buellton movie theater. After we were seated, a very good looking couple almost entered our row, but chose the seats in front of us. I thought she looked familiar, kind of like Nicole Kidman, and he was just plain gorgeous. I didn't give it much more thought, because Wingnuts only have so much thought power. Amy was giving me all kinds of strange looks, and I was not getting the hint. She finally leaned over and whispered "That's Jennie Garth and her husband". OH! Now I had a huge smile and was bouncing in my seat that I saw a celebrity!!! I'm so glad Amy was there to notify me. Otherwise, I would've just sat through the entire movie and never known.

Kiteboarding in Pismo

I stand corrected. I referred to these folks at kite surfers, and apparently the sport is kiteboarding. There's a whole event in Pismo this weekend! It's too bad Craig is at a duck race and can't sign up to try this "easy to get good at" sport. The event is free! Details on the event found here: KiteXPO

Maybe next year we'll see Craig out there.

Wingnut Fun Facts

Yup, I have a complete draft of my thesis in the hands of the committee, so I'm not feeling guilty for blogging :) A few fun facts that came my way while I was working hard the past few days:

Fun Fact #1: Is there really a root in Root Beer?
It turns out there just may well be, but mostly, it's sugar. Some of the plant materials that have been used in root beer over the years include sarsaparilla root, sassafras root, dandelion root, ginger root, yellow dock root, burdock root, spikenard root, birch bark, wild cherry bark, wintergreen bark, prickly ash bark, spicewood, allspice, juniper berries, vanilla bean, coriander seed, licorice, dog grass, pipsissewa, cardamom, cinnamon, and even hops. Some recipes did not use roots, or relied mainly on one ingredient, and that's where Birch Beer and Sarsaparilla Soda came from.
You can find the whole history of rootbeer here: ROOT BEER HISTORY

Fun Fact #2: There's a new Food Pyramid!
This one's got stairs so you don't forget to exercise. Still no chocolate food group though. Sorry Dad.

Your Passions

1. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
2. What is the last thing you think about when you go to sleep at night?

Wingnut Epiphanies

I know I put up the Do Not Disturb sign, and I appreciate how quiet you've all been today....I made some great progress on the thesis! Three chapters down, four to go.

Anyway, I went for a run this evening (because Wingnuts have a lot of energy they have to expend) and I had two epiphanies. Let's see if I can remember them.

Oh yeah. Here they are.
Epiphany #1: Looking for a place to live before you start planning school is easy. Find an apartment you like and take it. Looking for a place to live after you finish planning school is much more difficult. There are ethics, morals, and planning philosophies that come into play. Lucky for me, I think I've found a good balance in my new home.

Epiphany #2: Watch the cell phone minutes! It actually would have been cheaper for me to have two cell phones this month. I guess I shouldn't have been so gung ho about having all my phone interviews on the cell phone. A lot is happening in life, and I've had much to chat about. Why aren't more of my friends on Verizon?

Do Not Disturb (Wingnut Working)

Shhhhh. Please do not disturb Wingnut. She is writing a Master's Thesis. Please tune in the first week of May to follow her thoughts and journeys as she moves to Sacramento and begins a new career!

Mickey D's

I broke my rule today. I bought food at MacDonald's. Normally I just use the Golden Arches as a place to use the restroom while I'm on the road, and will occasionally buy a bottle of over-priced water. Today, however, was an occasion to celebrate. I completed the interviewing phase of the job search. No more interviews! So as an act of celebration and to prevent myself from fainting while on the road, I splurged for some major grease (Large Fries) and a small chocolate shake. In the hot sun and traffic of the east bay it sure did taste great!!!

I realize that I have just announced that throwing junk into my body was an act of celebration. You would think that I could do something rewarding for myself instead. Why does eating stuff that will kill us feel so rewarding?

I also celebrated with a nice dinner at the Fish Market. I cracked into a crab and scooped out some mussells and clams in a delicious pot of cioppino. It's a really good thing they gave me a bib! Thanks for dinner Pops!

Wingnut Wisdom # 213

I've had three great hair days in a row! I guess showering daily does have benefits! I should also thank my TextureShine TextureLine hair goop!

Who could ask for a better Monday?

The day started with the crew coming over for waffles. No, the day started with my hair looking great! Then, preparations for the waffle partaay....Thanks for the waffle maker Mom! They come out wonderful! We topped them with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, syrup, and whipped cream. We were celebrating my colleagues who have been awake for four days doing a take home test (in lieu of a master's thesis) and they needed the nourishment. The bloody marys and mimosas also helped revive their spirits.

I had a few short hours in the afternoon to clean up the house while jumping and squealing in excitement about a job offer coming to me..and it was off to a goodbye party in the evening.

It was one complete day of partying. I closed the day with a bubble bath, phone chat with a wonderful friend starting a new job, and then a bowl of bananas, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream during the season finale of Summerland. And my hair still looks great at this moment!

It would have been great if it was just a "Good Hair Day"...but I can't put a label on how wonderful this Monday was! After all, the working world dreads Mondays.

Now, I ask you. Could you have asked for a better Monday?
Congrats to those who finished the test!

A Timeless Weekend with my Sidekick

I just returned from a timeless weekend with my sidekick Boots and the serenity of the Central Coast. We cashed in on a gift certificate to the Lucia Lodge this weekend!(It’s just south of Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park and north of Limekiln State Park along the beautiful Big Sur Coast.)

Our weekend of long walks and waterfalls turned into a very different sister bonding adventure. We started on Saturday morning with a pact to NOT do two things for the next two days: 1) think, and 2) plan. So, when we pulled into the parking lot of Hearst Castle’s visitor center to use the restroom, we didn’t inhibit the urge to take a tour. Our guide was fabulous and we’re awaiting our invitation to be guests at the ranch. I’m sure it’ll come any day now.

We stopped to wave hello to the elephant seals on our way up the coast. They were very active in waving back and splashing sand all over themselves. What a life! If only, I could withstand the wind, I think I could get along very well blobbing in the sun on the sand with the seals. They seemed so peaceful. Except, of course, when they are biting at each other.

The strong winds enticed us to shelter ourselves for the late afternoon. We were very entertained with a couple rough games of Rummy 500 and boy talk in the adorable room at Lucia Lodge for the afternoon. At this point in the weekend, we had no time pieces and no means of telling the time, until we started the car the next morning. We used the sun as a time piece for a whole 18 hours!!!! We clearly come from a long line of natural wilderness survivors.

We ventured out for a beautiful view of the sunset over the water. If I had known about the path to the top of the ledge we wouldn’t have had to crawl behind a tractor, over mounds of gravel, and up the side of the mountain. We took the long way around, but it goes to show that my nose knows where to go for sunsets. It was well worth it, and just right behind our room. Thanks to the Lucia Lodge for providing access to a great lookout!

The next morning, we ventured to the McWay Waterfalls at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park. The path to the falls is wheelchair accessible and less than a mile long, so it wasn’t very strenuous and right up our alley! The views were absolutely beautiful and fulfilled our mission of natural serenity for the weekend.

After a visit to Sand Dollar Beach and brunch at Linn’s in Cambria, we were home in time to catch a matinee of Fever Pitch! It was truly a wonderful weekend.

Thanks Boots! You’re the best sister a gal could have.

Splish Splash Chowder on the Central Coast

The unbelievably delicious Splash Cafe opened a second store in San Luis Obispo! We city folk can now walk to the world's best chowder instead of travelling 10 miles to Pismo Beach.

It just opened on Tuesday...and what surprised me is that the first write up in the local paper was the fact that the Splash Cafe had been listed on
The Gastronomic Guide to the Michael Jackson Trial. Apparently there are so many press and photographers covering the trial, they need a centralized database of restaurants to eat at while they are in town!

It took an additional day for the paper to publish an article about the
Splash Cafe Award Winning Clam Chowder.

My congratulations go to the Splash Cafe owners, there have been lines out the door all week :) We were lucky enough to receive complimentary baguettes on opening night. Scrumptious! I can't wait to go back and feast from the new breakfast and pastry menus!

Wingnut followers will learn that I come from a family that understands the importance of good food. We take pride in this :)

Wingnut the Kite Surfer

I'm totally envious of those folks that can kite surf. It seems like the coolest sport! Craig and I had the pleasure of watching several at Pismo Beach the other day. He thinks it would be a snap to learn. I don't think I could even hold up the equipment. I told Craig to call me when he goes out to try it. I'll be there with a video camera.

Of course, there are several factors that lead me to believe I may not be the best at kite surfing.
1. I'm not a fan of salt water
2. I hate wind (which seems to be a necessity to keep the kite up)
3. I have no idea how to handle a surf board or a kite.

I think I'll stick with being a spectator. The jumps they do are pretty cool!

Wingnut the House Cleaner

House cleaning is a great way to procrastinate! I just hate it when part of the dust pile walks away. Spiders and ants should keep to their own outdoor territory.

I'm actually notorious for finding bugs. It seems that every day I find one ant, in a random place...crawling on my desk, or in the bathroom. Today, I stepped into the shower to find a spider companion! I promise, I don't live in a dump...the bugs just like me. Those little annoying gnats have been hanging around me too. They are small enough to come through the window screen. Why can't they be small enough for me not to see them?

Wingnut the Prep Chef

Favorite Prep Chef Task: Slicing strawberries
Reasons for NOT being hired as a Prep Chef: Strong tendency to snack while cooking
Least Favorite Prep Chef Task: Grocery shopping (even less than deveining shrimp or chopping onions)

Credit Where Credit is Due

I must give credit to my good friend Craig for introducing me to the bloggin' world. He's into political stuff that's way over my head. If you're a West Wing fan, you'd get along great with Craig. He posts daily to Craigorian Chant. Take a peek!

Welcome!

Welcome to my world. You'll find that I love to use exclaimation marks! Everyone else seems to be doin' the blog thing, so I figured I'd be cool too. I'm not sure what this site will turn into, but join me for a fun ride!