My friend from grad school came to spend Christmas with the Crazy Clan. The parents have been renovating the house and haven't gotten a guest room set up yet so I decided to get a hotel room. Here's how that panned out.
The view. Ah, the smell of rubber in the morning!
So, the cleaning lady's been on a break since 1982?,
Gag me. That's hair on the blanket and hair on the ceiling in the shower. The CEILING.
My poor friend. The lesson learned here- always ask to see the room and never pay for the room without seeing it and then come back at 8PM. You might find yourself staying in the Bates Motel, sleeping in yoour jacket on someone else's hair.
I had three flights, one two hour delay, one migraine and no food before hitting Oakland 15 hours after leaving my house. I didn't get my bag until 5 the next day so thankfully I have a friend in SF who can lend me some clothes. Plus, my brother's jeans look terrible on me. I took a nap and then headed straight for sushi and drinks at my old neighborhood bar. The King Tut Exhibit at the DeYoung Museum the next day was very interesting. I wish I could've taken some photos with my BORP friends but my camera was in my bag somewhere in Seattle. It was really nice to see everyone and I love being able to be helpful. It was an equal access day and the museum was closed to the public so it wasn't crowded at all. They had set up a tactile exhibit for the blind which was really cool. Mt friends got to feel a small alabaster pot from the period and then many replicas of the statues and pottery on display. Lots of other highlights to tell you about including visiting with my friends and family, shopping in actual stores, eating in my favorite restaurants and the 50 degree temperature change. And the best hotel stay ever. More to follow but it's time for breakfast. I slept in a twin bed with the littlest niece, Sister Sassypants, last night and a chalkboard fell on me in the middle of the night. Definitely need some coffee.
Field trip, Alaska style. One of my preschools came to my elementary school for a family sledding day. These pictures are from the top of the hill, looking down on all the brave little midgets heading home after two hours of sledding in 0 degrees. That's not a typo, 0 degrees. And who knows if the sun is coming up or going down but isn't it beautiful?
Today is the anniversary of one of the days that I almost lost a sibling. Today is the anniversary of a day that I would have ceased to exist. What a tragedy it would have been for the world to loose such fine ass specimens. A line from her favorite cheeseball movie:"If the good Lord would've made anything better, he would've kept it for himself!" Which applies to all four of us, of course. We can't help it, it's in the genes.
You knew it was just a mater of time before I used that title. Here are the trees outside my elementary school. This frost is so pretty! It's also been snowing over the past few days. I still get all excited and walk really slowly from my car into work with may face towards the sky. I want to catch it all in my hands like the little kids do. Whenever a new group comes into my room for their session I say something astute like "Look! It's snowing!!" and make them look out the window. The ones that still get excited are my favorite.
I think we all know that I've never really been one to gravitate towards exercise. Slow and steady wins the race, that's my motto. However, with the darkness, the no friends, and the sorry excuse for anything resembling a scene of any sort, (food, theater, art, bars, etc.) I had to find something to do. Then my friend Marianne invited me to Zumba. Zumba is a latin dance class meant for people much less awkward than I. But I'm determined to keep going because it's so fun and I might actually learn some moves. Right now I pretty much stand there and watch the instructor's feet the whole time. Of course she's a perfect little 5 foot nothing blonde and I really don't think my body can move in the same amount of time her little one can. In fact, I'm sure that's why I'm always off beat. Here's a little taste of Zumba for you. Watch the one in the green, that's totally me.
It's 9 degrees and I forgot to plug in my car so now it won't start. Looks like I'm not going anywhere for an hour or so but.... 6 more days and I'll be back in California for 2 whole weeks!! Excited? Just a little. At least 40 degrees warmer, actual sunlight and PEOPLE! I like it here, I really do. But some things have just started to get to me. Like how no matter where I go or what time I go there, I never see a crowd. I don't really like crowds but I do like groups. Particularly if the members are my age and semi-atractive. I don't think I've had a flirtatious interaction in the entire four months I've been here. I may be getting older, but I'm not dead for the love of Rayjay. Anyhow, I already have plans to hang with many of the friends I've been missing, like my BORP friends. This is a group of adults with disabilities, mostly folks who are blind, that go on social outings together. I've been volunteering with them for about three years as a seeing eye human. I'm so happy to be able to see them again because not only are they a damn fun group but they're amazing individuals who teach me something about how I approach life everytime I'm with them. We're going to see the King Tut exhibit at the DeYoung so I'll get a little culture in on this two week party.
This video is cracking me up. The dancing, the fashions...killing me.
Tomorrow I have to tell a set of parents that their child is cognitively delayed. I really like my job but this is one part I could pass on. Why was she not in early intervention services? Why was she not in preschool? How did such significant delays get overlooked? All I know is that she needs some major intervention and I'm nervous about this first meeting. How to word things to be gentle yet clear. What kind of plan to write for her so we all feel we're doing our best. I know it'll turn out alright but I'm still anxious.
Last night was the Christmas program for one of my schools. It was cool to stand backstage and give them some encouragement on their way out. They all got so excited today, telling me that they saw me. If it's the little things that push you close to the edge, it's also the little things that pull you right back. And the knowledge that in TEN DAYS I fly back to The City for two whole weeks!!!!! Embarcadero shots taken on a stroll with Killa Kelly a few years ago. Now we're both up to our asses in snow. My plan is to walk the streets of SF until I can't walk anymore.
It's funny, the little things that'll push you close to the edge. I need to write three eligibility reports by Friday. I don't work well at home because I'll find anything to distract me from the task. Right now I have gingerbread men in the oven and a spaghetti sauce on the stove. I'm chatting with my uncle on Faceworld, watching SVU and getting ready to put a load of laundry in. I usually go to a late night coffee shop where I'm not allowed in the kitchen and don't have access to a TV to get anything done. Tonight I went to the coffee shop, got all set up and then found out they closed in a half an hour. It was 5:30. When I asked where else I could go the only answer was Safeway. Safeway? Where the hell do I live? I wanted to cry or freakout but then I remembered that I'm supposedly an adult. Whatever that means. So I stuffed down the frustration like adults do and came home to anxiously watch the clock while doing anything and everything but what I need to be doing. That'll help.
Does anybody care? SAD is real and I think I've got it. The sun comes up around 9:30 and sets about 4 but the problem is, it doesn't really come up. It just kinda gets lighter. When I leave for work, it's pitch black. When I drove home, it's pitch black. I constantly feel as if it's midnight and I'm exhausted. I've decided the only way to get unSAD is to get regular physical exercise. I'm thankful to have some good friends to drag my lazy butt out when I just want to go to bed.
Self-timer in action. It was really hard getting back in the frame with snow shoes on. This was about 2pm and the sun was starting to set. To beer or not to beer? When you're wearing 4 layers and snow shoes, you really don't want to have to pee in the woods.
The view. Ah, the smell of rubber in the morning!
So, the cleaning lady's been on a break since 1982?,
