V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N, Vacation, Vacation, Vacation!

The perk of being a teacher. Sometimes you have to work during those vacations, but the winter one is usually a break I actually VE-GE-TATE for the entire time. Usually I make plans to go South with the birds and spend time relaxing on a Mexican beach. This year, however, I needed to save money and opted to stay around town.

The first day of my break entailed two tasks - run off the delicious, but heavy tempura I had last night for dinner and take my car to the shop. I decided to combine those tasks and run home from the car place. It was approximately 3.8 miles back to my house, but I wanted to make it a little longer. I ended up on the wrong road and eventually found myself in the middle of some beautiful redwoods on a one lane road. It was surreal given that only 20 minutes sooner I had been on a busiest street in town. It was soon very apparent that it was a PRIVATE ROAD. I kept running thinking perhaps they really didn't mean me - a lowly runner - and that really the road actually did meet up on the other side or with some other road. I really didn't want to turn back, given the holiday pounds were actually making running sort of taxing. Finally I got to the sign that said "Private Road, Please cooperate," this time with pictures: no dogs, no runners, no bikes. Oh. You do mean me. So I turned around and by this time the drizzly rain started. Fortunately, redwoods make great umbrellas. An hour and a half later (there was lots of walking involved,) I arrived home. Then, it started to rain harder.

I wish I lived on a private road in a little farmhouse with a glorious garden of home-grown vegetables. California is a strange place. You can go from urban to mountains or rural in no time. I remember my trip up to the Yolla Bolly and thinking the same thing.

But really, they can not possibly mean me. I mean, I share their love of the gorgeous redwoods, of the quiet mountain space, pounding the highway in the drizzly rain, quaint gardens, smoke streaming from chimneys. I am one of them, do they not understand. I am not there to disrupt their place. Private drive. Hmph! Bite me. I am going to put a sign on my driveway too that says private drive. Maybe the neighbors lame friends will stop parking their noisy, stinky cars under my bedroom window. Alas.

Oh, yeah, SUCKERS, I am on vacation for 20 more days. He. He. He.

Product Endorsement #2

I do yoga to manage a bit of chronic pain. Most days are pain free as long as I manage my stress levels. The last week has me recalling the days when everyday was just a different intensity of pain - headaches, neck pain, back pain. Even running and walking seem to be making it worse. I had been going to yoga with a pretty amazing teacher and practicing on my own, but it didn't seem to do it.

I am a convert. Bryan Kest says it over and over again in his video (Power Yoga, here,) "the hips are huge storage depots for tension and stress." His second series on the disc has a series of really intense hip openers. It was so intense during the session I thought I was going to pass out. Afterwards, I felt so nauseated. I repeated the series again today after my neck and back pain returned. It is about the only series that provides such intense relief. This yoga series is for anyone who is active and needs some pain relief. Buy it.

Anadama Therapy

No, its not some weird cult thing. Or a misspelling of Adama, the character from Battlestar (which I am about to watch Ep. 9 of now.) It is a most labor intensive (although I have never made Challah) and most delicious bread. Once a year around the holidays, I bake bread. There is something cathartic about kneading dough. Something spiritual in creating. This usually occurs on a rainy Sunday and today is no different. The recipe come from the Moosewood Daily Specials Cookbook, here. The bread is baking and I sit down to watch BSG, Episode 9.

Sccrrraaatcch, Scccrrrattcch

Ugh. They are back. Last year I just thought I was going mad. The neighbor never heard them. What creatures? In what walls? In our walls, you say, hmmmm, nope, never heard 'em. Are you DEAF?!? It sounds like they are about the come through the walls. I was awakened last night to the sound. I thought I might turn my light on and see a little or BIG head pop through the wood. EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I am not a squemish person. I can just about handle anything and understand that animals, people, whatever, inhabit this urban space. Heck, I let the spiders live in happy peace with me because they keep the ants away. And, well, who likes ants in their kitchen. But mice, rats or whatever else, do not get to come in my house. When they wake me up durn near scratching their way into my space, it really creeps me out. Its not a big space. There is no room for a rodent. There is barely enough room for me. So, rodent, sorry you do not like the cold and rain outside, but you has gots to go because THERE IS JUST NO ROOM AT THE INN! And your constant scampering and scratching at 3 a.m. is disturbing my precious sleep. The rodent-taker-carer-ofer has been called and will certainly do some awful thing to the poor beasts who just want a warm home. I, however, will not be picketing for the rodents right-to-life. Sorry.

Steppin' up the game

Uncle showed up to class again today to get the niece. I think I can pretty much expect that it will be a once a week occurance. Today he either came from work or is stepping up his game. Much better dressed than the previous presentations. Of course, I do not spend much time checking him out as I am a little busy doing my job which requires more than my full attention. He stood waiting for her as we practiced the Tony Chestnut song and dance. It felt really silly. Bending over to touch my toes (get it: toe, knee, chest, nut) with my well-endowed booty sticking in the air, singing insanely silly lyrics. I never get embarassed by being silly, but today I was kind of embarassed. I just kind of wanted him to leave before the silly song started. But hey, no shame, right?!? Its my job. I can still look hot singing the song, even if it does make normal adults kind of groan listening to it. "Tooooooooooeee Kneeeeee, Toooeeee Kneeeee, and his sister Eileen (I lean)..."

Hey USuC...

Did you really only score nine points against UCLA?!? Did you really lose to UCLA?!? It was beautiful. The mighty giant CRUSHED by its long time cross city rival. Tears rolled down my face. It wasn't a Bear victory, but it was sweet, nonetheless.

The Bears on the other hand played a down right piss poor game against our nemesis in Cardinal Red. It was like watching the Bears from the days of Holmoe. You might want to scratch your eyeballs out in frustration. Nonetheless, we won and I enjoyed a thoroughly rowdy time at a local sports bar. Apparently the owner of this establishment has an agreement with a former mike-man from Florida State. About two or three hours after the Cal game started, people donning blue and orange and carrying an assortment of Gator paraphernalia marched in. Let me tell you, those Gator fans know how to do it right. No foolin', they brought a CD player and hooked it up so they could pump in their fight music every so often. Everyone was dressed for the game. There were raffles. They even supported the Bears, to their credit. It was an impressive show.

BT and I ran a race in the morning, I the 10K, she the 17K, and then spending the entire afternoon in a pub, cheering and imbibing, is somewhat exhausting. I crashed out soon after dinner. This morning I woke up really early, before everyone else. By the time people got up, I was feeling pretty cranky and with no reasonable excuse. I just really wanted to get home. Some friends were in from out of town and I really wanted to spend some time with them, but a series of idiotic events, left me snarly, surly and on my way back to Santa Cruz.

Since my Thanksgiving holiday, I have been confronted with newly awakened demons. The bottom line is me, but also my feelings of disappointment with others in my life. It is probably one of those underlying feelings of disappointment in myself caused by something not yet determined that leaves me feeling miffed by others actions.

For example: Friend from out of town with new baby - who after dissing me previously, when I was in their neck of the woods for a week, I graciously sent a baby gift to and decided to forgive and forget - called to tell me he would be in town with wife and baby and would love to see me. I said I would be doing a race Saturday morning, but was otherwise very flexible, and to give me a call when they figured out their plans. (Even willing to miss the watching of the Big Game with friends to head an hour north to visit.) That call came very late Sunday and I was then two hours in the opposite direction. Perhaps I shouldn't be annoyed because life with a baby is stressful. I am. Pick up the phone, say I'm sorry things got bad and we won't be able to meet up. I just don't get it.

Obviously, the wonderfulness of other friends in my life greatly outweighs this, so I should say thank you and get over it.